Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri

Who is Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri?

Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri is a senior disciple of and also the first disciple who had been initiated into sanyasa by Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, affectionately known as Amma. He is also the vice-chairman of Mata Amritanandamayi Math. His pre-monastic name was Balagopal.

Formerly known as Balu, Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri first joined Amma's organization in 1979 and later became Brahmachari Amritatma Chaitanya. In October 1989, he was ceremoniously initiated in Sannyasa. Amma gave him the name of Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri.

Speaking to the assembled devotees, Mata Amritanandamayi said, "Today Mother is happy because she could dedicate a son for the good of the world. Now that he has been given Sannyasa, he has become the son of the world. Hereafter, he is not my son. Today the Lord has given me the good fortune to dedicate one son to the world. At this moment Mother remembers his father and mother and salutes them also. Children, all of you pray for this son. Pray for him to gain strength. From now onwards he is not Brahmachari Amritatma Chaitanya, but Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri."

His younger brother is also one of the senior most disciples of Mata Amritanandamayi Devi. He accepted his sannyasa in the year 1994, taking the name Swami Pranavamritananda Puri. His pre-monastic name was Venugopal.