Editing Shivananda (section)

==Life of a Sannyasin (ascetic)==

===As a wandering monk===
During his itinerant period, Shivananda travelled throughout [[North India|northern]] [[India]]. He went to Almora, where he was acquainted with a local rich man, Lala Badrilal Shah, an admirer of Ramakrishna's disciples. During the latter part of 1893, Tarak also met E.T. Sturdy, an Englishman interested in [[Theosophy (Blavatskian)|theosophy]], who later became an admirer and follower of Vivekananda after he met him in England.<ref name="The Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna">{{cite book | title=The Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna | url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.20990 | publisher=Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati | year=1943 | location=Mayavati}}</ref>
He was inclined towards leading a contemplative life and went to the Himalayas several times. He also went to Amarnath in 1909 with [[Swami Turiyananda]].

===Establishment of Ramakrishna Math and Mission===
Tarak's itinerant life came to an end when Vivekananda returned to India in 1897. He went to [[Chennai|Madras]] to receive Vivekananda, and came back with him to [[Kolkata|Calcutta]].
Vivekananda sent Shivananda to [[Ceylon]], now [[Sri Lanka]], to spread [[Vedanta]] there. There he held classes on [[Gita]] and the [[Raja Yoga]]. He returned to the newly established [[Ramakrishna Math]] or monastery in Belur in 1898. 
In 1899 Shivananda, upon request from Vivekananda, helped in organising relief efforts when [[1899–1923 cholera pandemic|plague]] broke out in Calcutta. In 1900 he travelled with Vivekananda to Mayavati. There is a dormitory named, in his honour, [[Shivananda Dham]] in [[Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar]].
[[File:Seated on chairs Swami Shivananda, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Niranjananda and Swami Sadananda.png|thumb|Seated on chairs Swami Shivananda, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Niranjananda and Swami Sadananda.]]

===Advaita Ashrama, Benaras===
In 1902, just before Vivekananda's death, he went to [[Varanasi]] to start the Advaita Ashrama using the donation by Raja of Bhinga to Vivekananda. There he remained as head for seven years. Money was short, and they lived austerely.<ref name="The Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna" /> About this time, he translated Vivekananda's Chicago lectures into local Hindi. He continued to look after the affairs of the Ashrama till 1909.

===Office-bearer of Ramakrishna Mission===
In 1910, he was elected vice-president of Ramakrishna Mission. Shivananda was also one of the original trustees of [[Belur Math]]. In 1917 when [[Baburam Maharaj (Swami Premananda)]] fell ill and died, his duties of managing the affairs of the Math and Mission fell on Shivananda.
In 1922, after the death of [[Swami Brahmananda]], he became the second President of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Like Brahmananda, he stressed meditation along with his daily work. He went to [[Dhaka]] and [[Mymensingh]] in what became [[East Bengal]], and initiated many spiritual seekers.<ref name="Belurmath"/>
In 1924 and 1927 he went on two long tours to the [[South India|South]], and established the Ramakrishna Math in [[Ootakamund]] and then later in [[Mumbai|Bombay]] and [[Nagpur]]. In 1925, he went to [[Deoghar]] and opened a new building for the local chapter of Ramakrishna Mission.

===The title of Mahapurush===
Tarak was married in his teens but, with the consent of his young wife, he lived an absolutely [[Celibacy|celibate]] life.<ref name="Belurmath">{{cite web | url=http://belurmath.org/shivananda.htm | title=Swami Shivananda | publisher=Belur Math | work=Ramakrishna Math and Ramakriskna Mission | accessdate=19 December 2011}}</ref> and that's why after the foundation of Belur Math, he came to be known as 'Mahapurush Maharaj by [[Swami Vivekananda]]', 'Mahapurush' meaning 'A Great Man'.<ref name="Belurmath" />