Dada Dharmadevananda

Dada Dharmadevananda was the fifth avadhuta created by Baba. He worked in India until about 1976 when he went to Los Baños, Maharlika (Philippines), where he was called "Dada Viirabhadrananda." Then in 1981 he moved to Brazil, where he worked the rest of his life. About 1990 he opened a wellness center in the town of Petrópolis in the mountains close to Rio de Janeiro. He was a great devotee and is the author of the book of devotional stories, "I Meet My Beloved" by "Traveler", which was published in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

Rajesh from Georgetown, Guyana, who worked as an LFT in Brazil from 1994-1996, remembers: "He was a very energetic man up to his old age. He was always telling others to be active. He did quite a lot of work in the field of yogic treatments and pracar. His work in the West reflected his adaptation to foreign life-style. While a senior dada, he still found time to chat and talk with young people who were new to the path in a very genial and fatherly way. I remember once in July 1994 I was helping him prepare rasagolla sweets at a retreat in Ananda Kiirtan Master Unit near Juiz de Fora that he inspired the Margiis to buy. Dadajii gave a good presentation to the Wholetimers, and he brought many boxes of fruits and vegetables for us. He was instructing me on the hows, and all the while making nice conversation. Another brother from Guyana, Ramesh, was staying with Dadajii, and he told me of some of his mystical adventures with him. Dadajii had a little rebellious personality. There were many people in the organization who became devotees due to the inspiration of "Dada Dharma", as he was commonly called. He was very popular and loved to tell Baba stories. Dada was a good sanyassi and will be remembered for his devotion and energy."

On Sunday, July 14, 2002, around 7 AM, Dada Dharmadevananda passed way in his sleep due to actue heart attack. Karuna Deva wrote: "I was in daily contact with him in the last weeks, because he offered to share with me the knowledge he learned with Baba in the area of health... He often spoke about his commitment with BABA to work for His Mission till the last drop of blood, and so he did. The night before he died he gave a lecture on BABA’s teachings in Macaé (close to Rio de Janeiro). That afternoon, during a conversation that we had with Anil, I asked Dada Dharmadevananda his opinion on what could be done to make Ananda Marga administered in a more united and rational way... We were talking about the loss of Dada Vijayananda (who was responsible for the translations of the books of Baba). This had shocked him a lot. He said he would like BABA to take him away from this life, as Dada Vijayananda might have wanted, too, so that he doesn’t need to see such senseless polarization and division. 'How can we propagate Neo Humanism without living it?' he asked. The example of life and sacrifice of these two Dadas should be remembered. The beautiful Shra'ddha ceremony was held at the crematorium in Rio de Janeiro on July 17th afternoon."