A centenarian ascetic Swami Akamanand passed away here at the age of 104 years. He had been a comrade of Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, the second paramount leader of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and his mentor Swami Akhandanand was a brother disciple of Swami Vivekananda. He passed away on Tuesday night in month of ‘Purushottam Mas’ (considered auspicious) and was cremated on Sati Ghat Rajghat in Kankhal on Wednesday amidst a gathering of seers and eminent persons from society.
The 104 year old resident of Sewashram, Swami Akamanand, hailing from Maharashtra led an active life style of listening to Upanishads and Vedas even at the age of 104 and had chosen the holy city Haridwar for spending his remaining life. It is being said that he had announced the day of his demise on June 2 and had refrained from taking any food or water.
He indulged in philosophical discussions of German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, Gyan Yoga and the Vedas. little hard of hearing, this toothless man had no regrets of the fragile body and thin legs which couldn’t carry his weight and was taken on a wheel chair around the Sewashram. “I am a happy man. As god wills, so I am carrying his work to the best of my ability, realising his grace every moment of my life,” the monk had told this correspondent about a fortnight ago.
During the correspondents earlier visit, he was seen responding to the reader, Kishore - a retired officer from Accountant General’s office from Mumbai, on Sanskrit Shlokas read from Bhagvad Gita, Chandogya Upanishad and other philosophical treatises. The seer had then started speaking on theory of cause and effect, making comments on dialogue between lord Indra and Prajapati from a chapter of Chandogya Upanishad.
Narrating about his life, Shiv Kumar of Sewashram said, “Following a disciplined daily regime, his day used to begin at 3 AM.Meditation, breakfast at 7.30 followed by class on Brahmsutra at 8.15, some news update after resting then lunch and scripture reading and discussion throughout the day until 10 at night- was his daily routine which inspired the visitors especially those aged above 80 years to not to brood in life but rather make the full use of what one has.
The head of Ramkrishna Mission Sewashram Swami Nityashuddhananda said, “Very few people on earth live the kind of life, Swami Akamanand lived. He was a great saint who lived for the humanitarian cause rising above his own bodily needs.”
It is worth mentioning here that during his lifetime, Swami Akamanand had done considerable work for the tribals in Thane district and initiated projects like opening of dispensary being the head of various offices of Ramkrishna mission. In Ranchi he was heading the TB sanatorium and had also started one of the noted schools in Kanpur.