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{{Short description|Indian monk (died 1920)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
| name = Adbhutananda
| image = Swami Adbhutananda.jpg
| caption =
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| birth_place = [[Chhapra]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| birth_name = Rakhturam
| death_date = 24 April 1920
| death_place = [[Benaras]], [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh]], British India
| guru = [[Ramakrishna]]
| philosophy = [[Advaita Vedanta]]
| other_names = Latu Maharaj
| honors =
| footnotes =
}}
{{Advaita}}
{{Hinduism}}
'''Adbhutananda''' (died 1920), born '''Rakhturam''', was a direct monastic disciple of [[Ramakrishna]], a [[Yogi]] of nineteenth century [[Bengal]]. He is familiarly known as '''Latu Maharaj''' among the followers of Ramakrishna.<ref>{{cite book | author = Christopher Isherwood | title = Vedanta for the Western World | page = 155 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=dt8TBNyJpEkC&pg=PA154 | isbn=978-0-87481-000-4 | year=1945 | publisher=Vedanta Press| author-link = Christopher Isherwood }}</ref> Adbhutananda was the first monastic disciple to come to Ramakrishna.<ref>{{cite journal|year=1972|title=Swami Adbhutananda|journal=Prabuddha Bharata|publisher=Advaita Ashrama|page=259}}</ref> While most of Ramakrishna's direct disciples came from the Bengali intelligentsia, Adbhutananda's lack of formal education made him unique among them.<ref>{{cite book | author = Swami Chetanananda | title = God Lived with Them | chapter = Swami Adbhutananda | page = 393 | publisher = [[Advaita Ashrama]] | year = 1998 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
| last = Mukherjee
| first = Jayasree
| title = Sri Ramakrishna's Impact on Contemporary Indian Society
| journal = Prabuddha Bharata
| date = May 2004
| url = http://www.eng.vedanta.ru/library/prabuddha_bharata/sri_ramakrishna%27s_impact_on_contemporary_indian_society_may04.php
| quote = An analysis of the class composition of the early admirers and followers of Ramakrishna reveals that most of them came from the Western-educated middle class of the Bengali society, Latu (later Adbhutananda) or Rasik Hadi being exceptions.
| access-date = 22 September 2008
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080924025928/http://www.eng.vedanta.ru/library/prabuddha_bharata/sri_ramakrishna's_impact_on_contemporary_indian_society_may04.php
| archive-date = 24 September 2008
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> He was a servant boy of a devotee of Ramakrishna, and he later became his [[Monasticism|monastic]] disciple. Though unlettered, Adbhutananda was considered as a monk with great spiritual insight by Ramakrishna's followers, and [[Swami Vivekananda|Vivekananda]] regarded him as "the greatest miracle of Ramakrishna".<ref>{{cite book | author = Swami Gambhirananda | title = The Apostles of Sri Ramakrishna | page = 271 | year = 1967 }}</ref><ref name="A.P.Sen-2006"/>

== Biography ==

=== Early life ===
Adbhutananda was born in [[Chhapra]] district of [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]] (now in [[Bihar]]), around the middle of the nineteenth century.<ref name="A.P.Sen-2006">
{{cite journal
| last = Sen
| first = Amiya P.
| title = Sri Ramakrishna, the ''Kathamrita'' and the Calcutta middle classes: an old problematic revisited
| journal = Postcolonial Studies
| volume = 9
| issue = 2
| pages = 165–177
|date=June 2006
| doi = 10.1080/13688790600657835
| s2cid = 144046925
}}</ref> He was given the name Rakhturam, meaning "child who is protected by Lord [[Rama]]". His parents were poor, humble villagers. Both his father and mother died before Rakhturam was five years old and he was left in the care of an uncle who was affectionate towards him.<ref>''God Lived with them'', p.395</ref>

Growing up in the village, Rakhturam led a carefree life, tending cows and sheep in the fields. In later years, he said, "I used to wander freely with the cowherd boys. How simple and guileless they were! You can't have real joy unless you are like that."<ref>{{cite book | title = Sri Latu Maharajer Smritikatha | pages = 491}}</ref> Poverty forced Rakhturam and his uncle to travel to [[Calcutta]] in search of a livelihood. Rakhturam came in contact with [[Ram Chandra Datta|Ramachandra Datta]], a householder devotee of [[Ramakrishna]], and he joined as his servant.<ref name="GLWT_396">''God Lived with Them'', p.396</ref> As a servant, Rakhturam was considered energetic and faithful. Rakhturam became known as "Latu" in his new Calcutta surroundings, and he was called by that name thereafter.<ref name="GLWT_396"/>

=== Meetings with Ramakrishna ===
Ramakrishna lived at the [[Dakshineswar Kāli Temple]], a few miles north of Calcutta, on the eastern bank of the [[Ganges]]. [[Ram Chandra Datta]], Latu's employer, was one of the first householder disciples to visit Ramakrishna. Datta loved to speak about Ramakrishna and his sayings and Latu heard about Ramakrishna from him and was attracted by Ramakrishna's teachings,<ref>{{cite book | title = Sri Latu Maharajer Smritikatha | page = 27 | quote = The first teaching he heard was, "God sees into the mind of a man, without concern for what he is or where he is. He who yarns for God and wants none other than God--to such a man God reveals Himself. One should call on Him with a simple and innocent heart. Without sincere longing, none can see God. One should pray to Him in solitude and weep for him; only then will he bestow his mercy."}}</ref> It is reported that inspired by the teachings of Ramakrishna, he was often found lying covered with his blanket, quietly wiping tears from his eyes thinking of God.<ref name="GLWT_397">''God Lived with Them'', p.397</ref> Latu waited eagerly for an opportunity to meet Ramakrishna, and he met Ramakrishna on a Sunday in 1879 or 1880.

When Ramakrishna saw Latu, he reportedly said to Ramchandra that Latu had "holy signs in him." and it is reported that when Ramakrishna touched him, Latu entered an ecstatic state, "tears trickled from his eyes and his lips began to quiver with emotion" and he gradually returned to normal state of consciousness.<ref name="GLWT_397"/> Latu began to visit Ramakrishna regularly, and he lost the enthusiasm with which he worked before at Datta's house. In June 1881, he joined Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar as his personal attendant and helper.<ref>''God Lived with Them'', p.400</ref> He also used to help [[Sarada Devi]] in her chores.<ref>''God Lived with Them'', p.433</ref>

=== With Ramakrishna in Dakshineswar ===
At Dakshineswar Latu began a life of rigorous spiritual discipline under Ramakrishna's guidance, and also continued his service as his servant to him. His day began, first seeing Ramakrishna and saluting him. As Latu had received no formal schooling, Ramakrishna hoped that he might acquire at least a rudimentary education, so he tried to teach him the [[Bengali language|Bengali]] [[alphabet]]s himself. However, Latu's [[Bihari people|Bihari]] accent was different from that of a Bengali, and he could not read even the first [[vowel]] correctly.<ref>{{cite book|last=Prabhavananda|first=Swami|title=The Sermon on the Mount According to Vedanta|page=36|chapter=The Salt of the Earth|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6UtISmcVWgYC | isbn=978-0-87481-050-9 | year=1991 | publisher=Vedanta Press}}</ref> Ramakrishna corrected him repeatedly with much amusement, and the experiment was later discontinued.<ref>''God lived with them'', pp.401-402</ref> According to [[Saradananda]], Ramakrishna's monastic disciple Latu was seen "praying and meditating the whole night and sleeping during the day. His life was a literal example of the teaching of the ''[[Bhagavad Gita|Gita]]'':'In that which is night to all beings, the man of self-control is awake; and where all beings are awake, there is night for the sage who sees (2.69)."<ref>''God Lived with Them'', p.404</ref>

=== At Shyampukur and Cossipore ===
In the middle of 1885 Ramakrishna's throat became sore, which later developed into [[Head and neck cancer|throat cancer]]. To conveniently treat him, the devotees moved Ramakrishna from Dakshineswar to [[Shyampukur]], in North Calcutta. Latu, being his personal attendant went with him. He later moved on with Ramakrishna to [[Cossipore]] on 11 December 1885. He took care of nursing Ramakrishna during his final days, reminiscing about which Latu said, "Serving the Master was our worship. We didn't need any other spiritual disciplines."<ref>''God lived with them'', p.411</ref> Latu received an ochre cloth and [[Japamala|rosary]] from Ramakrishna.<ref>''God lived with them'', p.412</ref> After Ramakrishna's death on 16 August 1886, Latu went on a pilgrimage visiting [[Vrindaban]], [[Varanasi]], [[Ayodhya]] with [[Sarada Devi]], and other lay and monastic disciples of Ramakrishna.<ref>''God lived with them'', p.413</ref>

=== At Calcutta ===
[[File:GirishChandraGosh group photo.jpg| thumb | right | Adbhutananda with [[Girish Chandra Ghosh]], [[Mahendranath Gupta]] and other disciples and devotees of Ramakrishna]]
After Ramakrishna's death, Narendra (Vivekananda) and some of the other disciples established the first Ramakrishna monastery at [[Baranagore]] in an old, dilapidated house. Here some of the disciples including Naren took their monastic vows and were engaged in the study of the scriptures, practising [[meditation]] and austerity.<ref>''God lived with them'', p.414</ref> Latu joined them later in 1887 and accepted the monastic vows. Vivekananda gave him the monastic name Adbhutananda, meaning, "He who finds bliss in the wonderful nature of the [[Ātman (Hinduism)|Atman]]."<ref>''God lived with them'', p.415</ref> According to his brother monks, Adbhutananda led a very austere life at the monastery practising meditation and ''[[japa]]''. He led the life of a wandering monk around the Calcutta area, unattached to people and places. Sometimes he stayed at the home of other householder devotees, but most often was found living simply on the bank of the [[Ganges]]. Sometimes he stayed at [[Alambazar]] Math and [[Belur Math]].<ref>''God lived with them'', p.417</ref>
He also went on several pilgrimages to North India with his brother disciples including Vivekananda.<ref>''God lived with them'', p.422</ref> In 1903 he moved to the house of [[Balaram Bose]], a householder devotee of Ramakrishna and stayed there till 1912. Here he was visited by people from different walks of life—judges, doctors, teachers, learned monks, and householders for spiritual instructions.<ref>''God Lived with Them'', p.428</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Prabhavananda|first=Swami|title=The Sermon on the Mount According to Vedanta|page=36|chapter=The Salt of the Earth | quote = One day, several young monks came across a difficult passage in the [[Upanishads]], the ancient scriptures of the Hindus. They could not understand it, although they referred to a number of commentaries. Finally, they asked Adbhutananda for an explanation. As he did not know Sanskrit, the young monks phrased the passage in this vernacular. Adbhutananda thought for a moment; then he said, "I've got it!" Using a simple illustration, he explained the passage to them, and they found wonderful meaninging it.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6UtISmcVWgYC | isbn=978-0-87481-050-9 | year=1991 | publisher=Vedanta Press}}</ref>

=== At Varanasi ===
In October 1912 Adbhutananda left Balaram's house for [[Varanasi]], never to return again.<ref>''God Lived with Them'', p.434</ref> Here he first stayed at Ramakrishna [[Advaita Ashrama]] and later at different locations. As was characteristic of him, he was so often absorbed in meditation that he rarely had fixed time for meals. In Varanasi, he continued to teach and people visited him for spiritual instructions.<ref>''God Lived with Them'', p.435</ref>

==== Last days ====
During his last days, according to his devotees, Adbhutananda seemed to be gradually withdrawing from the world. He spoke occasionally with people, and when he spoke it was generally of spiritual matters. As reported by this disciples, his body, which had once been remarkably strong, had been gradually weakened by age and years of intense spiritual disciplines and his indifference towards the physical world.<ref>''God Lived with Them'', p.436</ref> During the last few years he suffered from [[diabetes]] and minor physical ailments. During the last year of his life he developed a blister on this leg, which developed into [[gangrene]].<ref name="p437">''God Lived with Them'', p.437</ref> He was visited by his brother disciples—[[Turiyananda]] and [[Saradananda]].<ref name="p437"/> Eventually the gangrene worsened and the doctors operated several times on successive days, but were unsuccessful. Adbhutananda died in the holy city of [[Varnasi|Varanasi]] at 12:10 p.m on Saturday, 24 April 1920.<ref name="p438"/> Regarding his death, Turiyananda wrote in a letter to [[Josephine MacLeod]], an American devotee of Vivekananda, "He showed no signs of pain during his illness. But the wonder of all wonders was that after this death when his body was placed in a sitting position to conform with some of the funeral rites, we found him looking so beautiful, so serene, so full of peace and bliss. His face beamed with light and an intelligence unspeakable, as if he were taking leave from his friends for the last time with an exhortation of affectionate benediction."<ref name="p438">''God Lived with Them'', p.438</ref>

== Teachings and sayings ==
Adbhutananda, being illiterate, did not write any books; his teachings and discourses have been recorded by his disciples and devotees. Swami Adbhutananda taught that "the true being in man is ever free, ever pure, and remains ever untouched by good or evil. Good and evil have no absolute reality. They exist only so long as man identifies himself with the ego, the [[Anātman|false self.]] When the ego is completely annihilated, man is freed from the false knowledge of duality or relativity--of good and evil."<ref>{{cite book|last=Fitzgerald|first= Astrid |title=Being Consciousness Bliss|page=161|chapter=Ignorance, Suffering and the Ego|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AEo58-ihNygC | isbn=978-0-9701097-8-1 | year=2001 | publisher=SteinerBooks}}</ref>
His other teachings were,
* What is the use of prayer and meditation if there is no dependence on Him? Everything else is useless if this is lacking.
* It is a great sin to find fault with others. Those who do never do a good act themselves, who easily see defects in others and energetically spread rumours.
* It is better to continue calling on the Lord devotedly than to know, speak, and preach thousand and one religious cants and shibboleths.

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal|last=Nityajnanananda |first=Swami |title=The Uniqueness of Swami Adbhutananda |journal=Prabuddha Bharata |publisher=Advaita Ashrama |volume=114 |issue=1 |issn=0032-6178 |url=http://www.advaitaashrama.org/pb_archive/2009/PB_2009_January.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090117081215/http://advaitaashrama.org/pb_archive/2009/PB_2009_January.pdf |archive-date=17 January 2009}}
* {{cite book | author = Swami Chetanananda | title = Swami Adbhutananda : His teachings and reminiscences | publisher = Vedanta Society of St. Louis | year = 1980}}
* {{cite book | author = Swami Chetanananda | title = How a Shepherd Boy Became a Saint | publisher = Vedanta Society of St. Louis | year = 1980 | isbn = 978-0-916356-59-0}}
* {{cite book | author = Swami Gambhirananda | title = The Apostles of Shri Ramakrishna | publisher = Advaita Ashrama | year = 1967}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote|Swami Adbhutananda}}
* {{Internet Archive author|name=Latu Maharaj}}
* [https://vedanta.org/2005/monthly-readings/spiritual-talks-of-swami-adbhutananda/ Spiritual Talks of Swami Adbhutananda]
* [https://belurmath.org/swami-adbhutananda/ Swami Adbhutananda Biography]
* [http://www.vivekananda.net/PPlHeKnew/MonasticDisciplesOfRk/Adbhutananda.html Articles by Adbhutananda]

{{Ramakrishna}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adbhutananda, Swami}}
[[Category:1920 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century Hindu religious leaders]]
[[Category:20th-century Hindu religious leaders]]
[[Category:Advaitin philosophers]]
[[Category:20th-century Hindu philosophers and theologians]]
[[Category:Hindu reformers]]
[[Category:Indian Hindu monks]]
[[Category:Indian memoirists]]
[[Category:Monks of the Ramakrishna Mission]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing]]

Adbhutananda - Revision history

LarueVesely77 at 22:28, 1 November 2025