About Swami Sri Yukteswar

Sri Yukteswar (1855–1936) was born to a wealthy businessman and his wife on May 10, 1855, in Serampore, India. He was given the name Priya Nath Karar. After leaving college, he married and had a daughter. In 1884, he became a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya and received initiation into Kriya Yoga from him.

Sri Yukteswar had a profound influence on Paramhansa Yogananda. His gentle demeanor, pleasing presence, and deep spiritual insights earned him the veneration of all who knew him. He prepared his disciple specifically for the challenge of bringing India’s teachings to the materially minded West, shaped by his own keen interest in the welfare of people in America and England. Yukteswar had a comprehensive approach to spirituality, blending discipline, devotion, and harmonious integration of Eastern and Western thought. Yogananda’s mission, as he understood it, was to uplift Western society spiritually within its own cultural context, an approach centered on meditation and inner calm.

Yogananda called Sri Yukteswar a gyanavatar, an incarnation of wisdom, an avatar being a fully liberated master who returns to fulfill a special divine mission. From this understanding, Yukteswar’s task was to secure divine guidance for Dwapara Yuga’s scientific and cultural advances and prepare Yogananda to carry that purpose forward.