Famous Indian Gurus of the 19th Century

Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and Shirdi Sai Baba

Mar 29, 2009

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda and Sai Baba of Shirdi are three important Indian spiritual masters of the 19th century.

India has always been something of a spirituality treasure chest. It has not only produced immortal scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, but also an almost endless stream of yogis and spiritual masters.

Here are three of the most important Indian yogis and self-realized masters of the 19th century.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836 – 1866)

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was born into a poor family in rural Bengal. He became a temple priest in Dakshineshwar, Colkata (Calcutta) early in his life and soon started an intense spiritual practice, resulting in visions of his beloved deity, mother Kali.

Ramakrishna was a glowing mystic who attained the highest spiritual realizations through the path of devotion but later learned and practiced other spiritual paths as well.

Despite his simple and uneducated background, Ramakrishna was universal in his outlook and regarded all religions as equal. He tried out spiritual practices from different religions and realized they all led to the same goal. In a famous saying recorded in "the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna," he declared, "Different people call on [God] by different names: some as Allah, some as God, and others as Krishna, Siva, and Brahman… It is like the water in a lake. The Hindus call it 'jal,' the Christians 'water,' and the Moslems 'pani'. But it is one and the same thing."

Swami Vivekananda (1863 - 1902)

Swami Vivekananda was a direct disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He was instrumental in bringing the message of Sri Ramakrishna to the wider world. He taught and lived in India, the United States and England, establishing many spiritual centers such as the Vedanta Society in the U.S. and the Ramakrishna Mission in India.

Swami Vivekananda (or Narendra, as he was called then) came to Ramakrishna as a young man. Well educated and highly intelligent, he was both repelled and fascinated by the simple, childlike saint. He ended up staying with him for five years.

After his beloved master’s death, the young Narendra renounced the world and eventually became the monk Swami Vivekananda (Sanskrit, meaning discernement). Speaking in front of the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, the hitherto unknown young monk rose to sudden fame.

With the help of his magnetic personality and sharp intellect, he continued to spread his message of advaita (non-duality) and spiritually inspired selfless service in the United States and Europe. He was enthusiastically received upon his arrival in India and spent his remaining years in trying to revive his country’s spiritual heritage by his message of Vedanta and campaigning for social uplifting of the poor.

After a life of almost ceaseless activity and service even at the cost of his health, Vivekananda died at the young age of 39.

Sai Baba of Shirdi (unknown – 1918)

Sai Baba of Shirdi was a unique spiritual master of the late 19th and early 20th century. He never disclosed his native religion and had both Muslim and Hindu followers, teaching religious tolerance and harmony by precept.

He lived in a dilapidated mosque and was buried in a Hindu temple. He worshipped God both as Allah and Rama. His very name Sai Baba is a combination of the Persian ‘Sai’ (saint) and Indo-Aryan ‘Baba’ (father).

Shirdi Baba was often highly cryptic in his remarks and his actions could seem crazy and confusing. However, his immense spiritual stature was obvious through the mind-boggling miracles he performed to guide and protect his devotees and the poor and innocent.

The number of his miracles is said to have increased even more after his physical death (mahasamadhi). Sai Baba lived most of his life in the village of Shirdi in Maharasthra, India. Shirdi has since become a major religious pilgrimage center.

Although being highly popular in India, Sai Baba of Shirdi is still relatively little known outside of India. He is not to be confused with Sathya Sai Baba, a contemporary South Indian spiritual master who declared himself as the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba.