Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda-Summary-Chapter
III-QS-Ans
SIMPLIFIED SUMMARY
Chapter 3: The Saint with Two Bodies (Swami Pranabananda) from
Autobiography of a Yogi
This chapter describes Yogananda’s youthful visit to Benares
and his remarkable encounter with Swami Pranabananda, a disciple of Lahiri
Mahasaya, who possessed the rare spiritual power of manifesting himself in two
places at the same time. The narrator (Yogananda) begins by asking his father’s
permission to visit Benares. His father, a kind and supportive man who worked
in the railways, agreed and gave him a railway pass, money, and two important
letters—one of introduction to Swami Pranabananda, and the other addressed to
Kedar Nath Babu, a business associate in Benares. Yogananda was entrusted with
delivering this second letter.
When the young Yogananda reaches Benares, he goes straight to
the Swami’s house. He enters a hall-like room and meets Swami Pranabananda, a
stout, clean-shaven monk with a peaceful smile. The Swami receives him warmly
and surprisingly recognizes him as Bhagabati Charan Ghosh’s son even before
Yogananda introduces himself or offers the letter. This clairvoyant awareness
impresses the young boy.
The Swami explains that he enjoys “two pensions”—one from the
railway office due to the recommendation of Yogananda’s father, and another
from the “Heavenly Father.” He calls this second pension “fathomless peace,” a
gift earned through lifelong meditation. The boy is too young to understand the
deeper meaning but is fascinated.
After a short conversation, the Swami becomes completely
silent and motionless, like a sphinx. Yogananda grows restless because the
Swami has not yet told him how to meet his father’s friend Kedar Nath Babu.
However, the Swami suddenly assures him that within half an hour the man will
arrive. Exactly after thirty minutes, the Swami announces that Kedar Nath is
approaching the stairs. As predicted, Yogananda meets a thin, fair man on the
staircase, who introduces himself as Kedar Nath Babu.
What puzzles Yogananda is how the Swami managed to call Kedar
Nath without sending any message or speaking to anyone. But Kedar Nath gives an
astonishing explanation. He says that just an hour earlier, while taking his
bath in the Ganges, the Swami appeared before him, called him by name, held his
hand, and asked him to accompany him. They walked together for some time, and
though Kedar Nath wore strong shoes, the Swami in wooden sandals walked faster
and left him behind midway, telling him to join him at his apartment.
This shocks Yogananda deeply, because the Swami had been
sitting before him in the room during that entire time. The Swami had never
left the place. So how was he also at the Ganges simultaneously? Kedar Nath is
equally amazed. Together they return to the room and confirm that the same
wooden sandals are there under the seat. The Swami smiles and explains gently
that true yogis can transcend the physical world and manifest their presence in
multiple places at will. He refers to such powers as “astral radio and
television.”
Although the Swami tries to inspire him, Yogananda feels fear
rather than excitement because he is still young and not spiritually mature. He
respects the Swami but knows intuitively that his destined guru is someone
else—Sri Yukteswar.
The Swami then narrates the story of his own spiritual
journey. For years he meditated every night for eight hours along with another
disciple, despite having to work during the day. His devotion brought many high
spiritual experiences, but he still felt a thin veil separating him from full
union with God. At last, he went to his guru, Lahiri Mahasaya, and prayed all
night for divine grace. Lahiri Mahasaya blessed him and promised that he had
interceded with Brahma (the Creator). That night, the Swami attained complete
spiritual realization and began living in a state of endless divine bliss.
Before Yogananda leaves, the Swami tells him that he is
destined for the path of renunciation and yoga. He also predicts that he will
meet him again with his father, and this prophecy later comes true.
Finally, Kedar Nath reads the business letter under a street
lamp and jokingly says he too wishes he could have “two bodies” like the Swami
so he could accept the job in Calcutta while still living in Benares. The
chapter ends with wonder at the spiritual power of a saint who could appear in
two places at once.
SHORT QUESTION–ANSWERS (40–45 words each)
1. Why did Yogananda travel to Benares, and what did his
father give him?
Yogananda travelled to Benares for sightseeing and to meet
his father’s spiritual friend, Swami Pranabananda. His father gave him a
railway pass, some money, and two letters—one for introduction to the Swami and
another for Kedar Nath Babu.
2. How did Swami Pranabananda show clairvoyance when
Yogananda first met him?
Before Yogananda introduced himself or presented the letter,
Swami Pranabananda recognized him as Bhagabati Charan Ghosh’s son and even
mentioned the person Yogananda wanted to meet. This showed that he possessed
insight beyond normal human perception.
3. What did Kedar Nath Babu say about meeting the Swami at
the Ganges?
Kedar Nath explained that while bathing in the Ganges, the
Swami suddenly appeared, held his hand, and asked him to come along. The Swami
even walked faster than him and left midway, telling him to meet in his
apartment—although he was simultaneously sitting with Yogananda.
4. What were the two “pensions” that Swami Pranabananda
talked about?
The first pension was his material pension from the railway
department, obtained through normal procedures. The second was a spiritual
“pension of peace,” a state of unbroken divine bliss received from God after
attaining complete spiritual realization through the blessing of his guru,
Lahiri Mahasaya.
5. Why did Swami Pranabananda take early retirement from his
job?
He experienced overwhelming spiritual ecstasy—an intense
sensation rising in his spine—which made it impossible for him to work in the
office. Acting on Lahiri Mahasaya’s advice, he applied for a pension and was
granted early retirement without difficulty.
LONG QUESTION–ANSWERS (about 180 words each)
1. Describe the miraculous incident of Swami Pranabananda
appearing in two places at the same time.
The central miracle of the chapter involves Swami
Pranabananda’s power to be in two places simultaneously. When Yogananda visited
him in Benares, the Swami remained seated before him continuously, absorbed in
deep stillness. During this same period, he also appeared at the Ganges where
Kedar Nath Babu was bathing. According to Kedar Nath, the Swami approached him,
spoke to him, held his hand, and walked with him for some time. He then asked
how long it would take to reach his house and said that he had something else
to do. He left Kedar Nath in the crowd and instructed him to join him later at
his apartment. When Kedar Nath arrived, he found the same Swami sitting in the
room with Yogananda, exactly as he had been an hour earlier. This left both the
boy and Kedar Nath amazed. The incident proved a yogi’s ability to manifest an
“astral” or duplicate body, transcending physical limitations. The Swami later
explained calmly that advanced yogis can overcome material boundaries and
appear wherever necessary to guide their disciples.
2. How did Swami Pranabananda achieve spiritual realization,
and what role did Lahiri Mahasaya play in it?
Swami Pranabananda’s spiritual realization was the result of
many years of sincere and disciplined meditation. For eight years he practiced
intense spiritual effort, meditating for eight hours every night while still
working during the day in the railway office. Though he had many exalted
experiences, he still felt a thin veil separating him from complete union with
God. Finally, in deep spiritual anguish, he approached his guru, Lahiri
Mahasaya, and prayed fervently throughout the night. He begged his guru to
bless him with the ultimate experience of divine vision. Lahiri Mahasaya
compassionately blessed him and said that he had interceded for him with
Brahma, the Creator. Filled with hope, Pranabananda returned home, meditated,
and achieved the long-awaited realization. From that day onward he lived in a
state of uninterrupted divine bliss, which he called his “spiritual pension.”
Lahiri Mahasaya also guided him in leaving his job, advising him to apply for a
pension. Thus, both his spiritual awakening and material freedom came through
the guru’s grace.
3. What impression does this chapter give about the
relationship between a guru and a disciple?
The chapter highlights the deep trust, reverence, and
dependence that exist between a true guru and disciple. Swami Pranabananda’s
relationship with Lahiri Mahasaya is depicted as one of complete surrender and
devotion. The disciple meditates tirelessly for years but still feels
incomplete; it is only the guru’s grace that enables him to reach the final
stage of realization. His prayerful night spent before Lahiri Mahasaya shows
the emotional intensity and humility of a seeker who knows that divine grace comes
through the guru. The guru does not perform miracles outwardly but silently
intercedes with the Divine on behalf of the disciple. Pranabananda’s life
transforms after this blessing—he attains unbroken bliss and even receives
material support through events guided subtly by the guru’s spiritual power.
The chapter also shows how a guru can awaken the spiritual potential of others;
Pranabananda attempts to inspire the young Yogananda by revealing his
abilities. Thus, the guru–disciple relationship is portrayed as sacred,
transformative, and central to spiritual advancement.
