KINKAR BITTHAL RAMANUJA

The Chief Architect of Omkarnath Mission

An Ideal In Servitude
Kinkar Vitthal Ramanuja, an adept in spiritual and academic learning, a scholar and great renunciate, brings to the world the life and teachings of Naam Avatara Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath. He is the present president of the Order founded by the master. He is not only a close blood relative of Sri Sri Omkarnath but is also linked to Him as a companion in religious austerity and divine servitude.
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Kinkar Bitthal Ramanuja

own Voice of Kinkar Vitthal Ramanuja
 
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Kinkar Bitthal Ramanuja With Thakur Sitaramdas Omkarnath Dev
Sri Vitthal Ramanuja was born in 1946 in a pious Brahmin family in a small village in Bengal. The child was named Bithu, later on Ramdayal Chattopadhyaya. He was barely eleven when Sri Sri Omkarnath accepted him as a dear disciple and initiated him by bestowing diksha and upanayana at Jagannath Puri, Orissa. Revered Preceptor nevertheless did not forthwith command the child with distinct spiritual dispositions to a life of renunciation; instead he encouraged him to pursue studies.
Sri Vitthal Ramanuja graduated from The University of Burdwan, West Bengal in 1966. He secured the first-class-first in English literature. On graduating, he had promising job offers, one from the Bank of India and another from the Central Bureau of Investigation (C.B.I.) of the Government of India. B.N. Mullick, an ardent devotee of Sri Sri Thakur, the then Director of C.B.I., remarked to Sri Omkarnath, “This is indeed a promising job and I think he ought to take it up”. But Sri Omkarnath had other plans for the young man. He vehemently turned down the offer saying, “He will not take up a job. He has come into this world to promote the welfare of the world; he will walk on my path.” Accepting this command Sri Vitthal Ramanuja lived with Sri Gurudeva for sometime and asked, “Shall I renounce now the family and all…..and come to you for good?” “Not yet!” Sri Gurudeva commanded, “You must renounce the family and come to me for good only after you have done your M.A.” Obeying the command the disciple completed his M.A. Exam in English from The University of Calcutta in 1973 and left home the next day.
 
 
In the year that Sri Vitthal Ramanuja renounced home and hearth (1973), the Preceptor founded the Akhil Bharat Jaiguru Sampradaya Trust and made Sri Vitthal Ramanuja the youngest member. Thereafter Sri Vitthal Ramanuja rendered services to Sri Guru while leading the life of an ascetic.
Sri Omkarnath Dev observed, “You have performed extensive spiritual practice in the past life. Your efforts in this life are bound to reach perfection in a short time. You will do significant work to further the welfare of mankind.” Sri Gurudeva named him Kinkar Vitthal Ramanuja.
Sri Vitthal Dev performed severe austerities, often taking recourse to sarvasangatyaga (going into isolated retreat), mauna (a vow of unbroken silence), yoga and swadhyaya (study of the scriptures). Such austerities heighten the power of meditation. These were performed while living in the hermitages established by Sri Sri Thakur particularly at Dumurdaha, Rishikesh, UttarKashi, Bhubaneshwar and Omkareshwar.
In the year 1976, at Bhagirathi Math, Uttarkashi Sri Sri Thakur once again reminded Kinkar Vitthal Ramanuja in a soft nectar line voice, “There is a lot of work for you to do in the future for the welfare of the world. And for that very tough ‘warfare’ you must require all these shining weapons (the scriptures).” He also passed on several spiritual secrets to the worthy disciple. Sri Sri Gurudeva wrote down in his own hand, the following couplet:
Swadhyayad yogamasit, yogad swadhyayameva cha
Swadhyaya yoga sampattya Paramatma prakashate
—Vishnu Purana 6-6-2
Just after studies, take recourse to yoga; again after the performance of Yoga, return to your studies. Thus, by virtue of Swadhyaya and Yoga simultaneously, you will be able to attain to Paramatma.

Deeply impressed with the spiritual perfection of Sri Vitthal Ramanuja as also his dedicated service to Guru, before He merged with the Supreme Being, Sri Sri Omkarnath had declared that there’s none to equal Bithu (Sri Vitthal Ramanuja) in the whole world. Mahayogi Mahimanandaji was the second President of the Order established by Sri Omkarnath. After his demise in 1990, Sri Vitthal Ramanuja was named the third President (Sarvadhish). A life of extensive austerity characterized by Mauna, Swadhyaya, Yoga, an intimate companionship as well as of Sri Sri Omkarnath and His Sangha, an inborn literary genius refined by higher education – these three virtues of Sri Vitthal Ramanuja made him the perfect disciple of Sri Omkarnath legacy.
An expanse of over seventy-five religious Centres all over India – from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari and Jagannath Puri to Dwarka Puri — was a part of the Sangha. Sri Vitthal Ramanuja since then has been involved in a vast array of activities: looking after the Centres with the active cooperation of other Trustees and Devotees, preaching of Naam (God’s Name), promoting the tenets of Sanatana Dharma, nationwide discourses, singing Bhajans and Samkirtans, serving the ailing humanity through multifarious philanthropic activities of Omkarnath Mission, authoring spiritual works and disseminating the supremely divine life and teachings of Sri Omkarnath Dev.
Sri Vitthal Ramanuja’s spiritual literature includes the classical masterpiece on the divine life, teachings and philosophy of Sri Sri Thakur Omkarnath in three languages: The Eternal Festival (English), Chitta Ka Nitya Mahotsav (Hindi), Nava Nava Rupe Eso (Bengali). His most popular other two books in all the three languages are – SKY (Sahaj Kriya Yoga) and Be Tension-Free (How to overcome Tension and become Peaceful and Blissful) which deal most minutely and artistically with the most common human problem of the times: How to keep the Body as well as the Mind fit all the time.
Sri Mat Vitthal Dev is also a very good singer. His voice possesses wide breadth as well as transcendental depth. His religious music includes works such as ‘Sri Sri Namamrita Lahari’, ‘Pile Hari Naam Ka Peyala’ (Both on Hare Krishna… Mahamantra Samkirtan), ‘Omkargiti Arghya’, ‘Sitaram Maha Sindhutire’ (Both are Bengali Bhajans), ‘Bina Sitaram Kanha Shanti Dham’ (Hindi Bhajan).
Sri Vitthal Maharaj has traveled extensively all over India and some parts of the Western Countries as well. As the chief of the Mission his chief Mission has always been to preach, first and foremost, the efficacy of Naam Samkirtan in this dire age, while conveying also with all its variety and splendour the unique messages of the East or Sanatana Dharma for that matter Sri Sri Thakur Omkarnath – for International Peace and Spiritual Bliss. Along with the rare spiritual treasure he is also carrying with him Sri Sri Omkarnathjee’s Singular Boon to this most afflicted and problem stricken world – Sahaj Kriya Yoga e.g. SKY, which is essentially the most revolutionary combination of Naam, Pranam, Asana, Pranayama, Prayer and Meditation. SKY is undoubtedly, and wonderfully, the easiest and the best modern form of the Classical Yoga to achieve simultaneously mental, physical, intellectual, material and spiritual enrichment all at once. (….For details consult the book — SKY)
Sri Vitthal Ramanuja often addresses gatherings of Baba Omkarnath’s devotees in particular as well as the spiritual-seekers in general. His discourses carry the weight of serious philosophical import gracefully and lightly. His modesty and directness belie his great scholarship and spiritual attainments. He is averse to gimmicks verbal or otherwise. He seems determined that the work of the Sangha (Mission) will be done through the purest means. An ideal in Servitude, he maintains that he himself is unimportant, merely a servant, a sub-servant. He renders all kinds of loving services to his Preceptor Sri Sri Thakur Omkarnath with all devotion and dedication with the firm faith: ‘I am his servant – He is my master and He is our Master. He alone is the Master.’
   
---- Raj Supe (Kinkar Vishwashreyananda)