He was born in Hoogly district in an orthodox Brahmin family full of tradition of the Hindu culture of Bengal.By the age of thirteen, when he had the sacred thread ceremony, he had already read the Ramayana 13 times and the Mahabharata 7 times. An unusually brilliant boy, Bhavani also possessed a strong physique and acquired proficiency in all games. He had a strong urge to be a soldier. During his college days he was influenced much by the freedom fighters of Bengal.

Also he met Narendranath in college with whom he became a close friend. On hearing about Sri Ramakrishna he went to see him in Dakshineswar in the dress of a wrestler. Sri Ramakrishna received him warmly and asked him to play horse so that he may ride on him. In ecstasy Sri Ramakrishna rode on him. Every small incident of Sri Ramakrishna’s life is loaded with so much meaning and significance. In later years, it flashed to Bhavani that, in this funny act that day, Sri Ramakrishna meant that He wanted him to be a carrier of His message. But alas! The time was not yet ripe.

Bhavani was much attracted by the Christian teachings of Keshab Chandra Sen and Pratap Chandra Mazoomdar and so he embraced Protestantism. Within, one year he left Protestant faith and became a Catholic. In fact, from the very beginning of his life, his career was a bundle of paradoxes. He was a spiritual seeker as well as a heroic fighter, an orthodox Hindu Brahmin as well as a Christian neophyte. He preached Advaita Vedanta in England and Christianity in India. But at the base of these dichotomies there was his basic integrity of character and an openness of mind ever ready to absorb whatever was good and great.He emerged as a powerful preacher of Catholic Christianity.

He started a magazine called “Sophia” which became very popular. When Swami Vivekananda triumphed at Parliament of Religions at Chicago Bhavani waged a war against this new force of Hindu revivalism. He joined in the furore of the Christian missionaries against Vivekananda which threatened to sweep the Christian missionaries off their feet. He openly raised his voice against the tumultuous welcome that Vivekananda received on his arrival at Calcutta from the West. He protested against characterising Sri Ramakrishna as an incarnation of God and criticised Vivekananda for most hypocritically extolling the divinity of Sri Ramakrishna. Again, as in the case of Panchakori, Bhavani also had constant thoughts of Vivekananda even though with hatred. At this time the Christian ecclesiastics excommunicated him from Catholicism for calling himself an Indian catholic. He now became more drawn towards Vivekananda. He went to Belur Math, met Swami Vivekananda and talked with him for sometime. Swamiji, in spite of so much insult heaped on him by this old friend, most cordially invited and spoke to him of his plans about rejuvenating the decaying India. From that moment Bhavani felt strongly that it was his duty to serve his motherland than anything else. As years rolled on, he gradually realised what a great transformation his friend had brought on him in a single brief meeting. The greatest moment, however, came at the passing away of Vivekananda. Then and there Brahmabandhav took a vow on the funeral pyre that he would sacrifice the rest of his life for the good of his country.

A historian of Bengal later explained this significant event. He wrote : “Two fires were kindled from Swami Vivekananda’s funeral pyre. One was Nivedita and the other was Brahmabandhav Bandopadhyaya”. Shortly after this Brahmabandhav sailed for England in a monk’s saffron robe with only 27 rupees in hand. Unknown and inexperienced, initially he suffered from acute poverty and even thought of taking refuge in an orphanage. Fortunately, divine help came from somewhere and he lectured in Oxford and Cambridge Universities on Hindu Vedanta. After several lectures, he returned triumphantly to his native place.

He said, “Now I understand what Vivekananda is. He whose inspiration can drive a humble person like me across the seas, penniless, is no ordinary man. It was all like a dream that such a great work was accomplished by me. All these wee miracles brought about by the inspiration and power of Vivekananda. That is why, I sometimes wonder, “Who really is this Vivekananda? Swamiji, I was your friend in youth. How much of merry making I enjoyed with you. But then I never knew that there was a lion’s strength in your soul, a volcanic love for India in your heart. Today with all my humble strength, I have come to follow your way. In the midst of these fierce struggles, whenever I get torn and tossed, whenever despondency comes and covers my heart I look up to the great ideal you set forth, I recollect your leonine strength, meditate on the unplumbed depths of your passion – then all at once my weariness withers away.

A divine glow and a divine strength comes from somewhere and fills my mind and heart when I think of you in despondency”Brahmabandhav remained a great force in the renascent Bengal, defending his motherland and its cultural traditions and resisting the infiltration of western ideals into India, to the end of his life.Thus we see how Swami Vivekananda could transform completely the lives and attitudes of powerful personalities for the good of the mankind. There are of course still many persons in this field for discussion, but we shall wind up this series today.