It was the blessed evening of the holy full-moon day in the month of Magha in 1896, the dream that Shiva declaring himself "I shall incarnate myself as thy son" turned into a reality. The baby-God adorned the lap of the blessed mother Saradadevi and father Bishnucharan overwhelmed with joy went on chanting the name "Shiva Shiva".
The charming boy, the divine-descent named as Jaynath — Lord of victory, Budha, as being born on Wednesday and afterwards as Binode, source of Joy grew up like a waxing moon shedding a lustre of celestial joy in the heart of all. Most of his time Binode sunk in meditation and was lost in inner-world — divine trances far far away from world-outside.
Binode slept little, ate also too little. His guiding moto was that idleness, inertia, procrastination,slothfullness, slumbering habits were the greatest enemies of man.
When grew to adolescence and sent to school he expressed with sobbing heart his deep concern to his Head Master at the moral degradation of his fellow students and always reflected upon how to save these young budding flowers, future assets of the nation from moral ruin. Once he expressed his determination to take sannyas and dedicate his life for the moral and spiritual emancipation of the nation. Watching from very near Blonde's overwhelming compassion and seniority of heart, spiritual fervour, heroic conviction and prophetic vision Head Master Sri Birendra firmly felt from within that this uncommon boy is sure to become a veteran infallible nation-builder.
As Gurdian of the youths Brahmachari Blonde's love and care for them was so deep, so sincere, so touching and his treatment so friendly, so kind, so sympathetic that any of them, the moment he came in touch with him would intuitively take the Brahmachari to be his greatest friend and well-wisher and confided to him his inmost secrets and opened to him innermost pages of the book of his heart.
When Brahmachari was quite young tremendous wave of patriotism swept over Bengal and vigorous revolutionary movement was last gaining ground. Even in the middle of his teens he loved these youths very delay and earnestly sought their welfare. He was always up and doing by his inspiring instructions as also by instance of his own life and character to awaken the sleeping lion in them.
In him we see physical strength, mental power and spiritual greatness wedded together homogeneously into a perfect, fullblown, unique personality. Whenever in the history of India such a divine personality appeared with such a rare and unique combination of Brahma-Tejas and Kshatravirya in his life and character, kingdom of heaven with universal peace and happiness has established on earth. The lives of Rama and Srikrishna stand as glorious instances of the same.
Swami Pranavanandaji's love for the poor, depressed, helpless and down-trodden people were unparalleled. He said "collect and knit up carefully together all the scattered individual into a great social power and thus relieve the poor and depressed, save the helpless and downtrodden, bestow peace and bliss on the heart of the people in sorrow and agony." His heart always bled for all high and low, specially for those in the lower stages of the society. .
Swami Pranavananda was a born Yogi, always drawn to the innerself like the great Shiva, the Lord of the Yogis. From his boyhood he was found one adept in meditation and contemplation like the Buddha. His discrimination of the real from the unreality, his complete dispassion for the transitory world-phantom, his glowing self-knowledge, his unflinching Brahmacharya naturally put him in the same platform with Jagatguru Acharya Shankara. His fathomless love, sympathy and compassion for the degraded, the distressed and down-trodden humanity and his life-long service towards their amelioration and uplift, remind one of Sri Chaitanya, the mercy incarnation of lord.
Jogiraj Baba Gambhirnathji and Govindananda Giriji were behind Br. Binode with their divine force and inspiration in his spiritual journey. In 1916 A.D. on the blessed day of Maghi Purnima under the tree of Kadamba Br. Binode blossomed in full maturity. Illumination dawned on him. Divine Mission before his cosmic vision manifested. In that ecstatic state of mind he declared "This is the age of universal awakening,universal unification, universal harmonization and an age of universal emancipation."
In the year 1923 on the same auspicious Maghi Purnima day in the hermitage in Bijitpur before Brahmachrins and sannyasins, Yugacharya Swami Pranavanandaji explained the ideology behind the epithet of great Bharat Sevashram Sangha which is now spread all over India and many of countries in the world, well-known for its humanitarian and spiritual services. Acharyadeva said 'Bharat' indicates that Sangha's Primary object is emancipation of the people on the eternal lofty ideals of India or Bharat. 'Sava' imports the idea of serving the people physically, mentally, morally and spiritually, 'Ashram' suggests the system which is based and disciplined on the ideals and practice of renunciation, self-control, truth, continence and honest labour, 'Sangha' means organisation. Sangha through its ideals and practice will infuse an organisational spirit amongst the disintegrated masses, towards building up of a well-compact and powerful nationality.
The Acharya issued forth a clarion call and hundreds of selfless youths rallied around him. Realization of self and service to humanity were the twin motto of the Acharya and of the Sangha. He shaped the life and character of these young people after those of his own and these enthusiastic young disciples of his formed this brotherhood of self-sacrificing monks, whose object in life was, besides self-realization, the various humanitarian activities to serve the people in distress and to elevate them in their physical, social, cultural, educational, moral, spiritual and religious lives. The organization formed with these dedicated workers rapidly grew in size and magnitude.
