Paramahamsa Hariharananda

Paramahamsa Hariharananda was a highly God-realized and highly respected disciple of Swami Shriyukteshwar. He was one of  the greatest Kriya Yoga Master's and world teacher's.

Paramahansaji was 95 years old when he peacefully entered into Mahasamadhi at 6.48 p.m. 3rd December 2002, in Florida, U.S.A. More information is available on the Mahasamadhi. His mind was extremely sharp and alert, his intuition was keen, his heart full of love, and his mind was always broad and open. He wrote several books and had memorized and understood all of the major scriptures including the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Holy Bible, the Koran and the Torah.

Paramahamsa Hariharananda took a vow of celibacy at the age of 11 and the following year he was initiated into jñana yoga. When he was 25 years old, he met Shriyukteshwarji at his Serampore Ashram and received kriya yoga initiation from him.  On that day Shriyukteshwar told him that one day he would become a realized yogi in the kriya yoga line of gurus.  Shriyukteshwar made him promise that he would eventually take the vow of sannyasa and make Karar Ashram his home.  Over the next few years, he studied astrology, astronomy, and palmistry, and completed first kriya under the guidance of Shriyukteshwar.

He received second Kriya from Paramahamsa Yogananda, the author of "Autobiography of a Yogi," whose genius was to promote Kriya Yoga in the West. He received the next higher Kriyas from Sanyal Mahasaya (Bhupendranath, a disciple of Yogiraj Lahiri Baba) and from Swami Satyananda, another advanced disciple of Shriyukteshwarji.

Paramahamsa Hariharananda had obtained the highest yogic state, the pulseless and breathless state -- nirvikalpa samadhi. He had been observed in this state by many medical doctors. His mission was to preserve and spread the authentic, original Kriya Yoga as taught by Babaji, Yogiraj Lahiri Baba and Shriyukteshwarji. This mission was inherited by his designated successor, Paramahamsa Prajñanananda.