Thanks to Rajagopalan Venkataramani for this note.
When Narendra Modi visited Belur Math on April 9th & the Rajkot connection
Narendra Modi got everyone in good humour, when he said that he started sporting a beard, quite early in his life as a student, only upon the advice of Revered Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj, who advised him to grow a beard and remain committed to completing his pursuit of education.
His Holiness, who is currently the Spiritual Abbot of the worldwide Ramakrishna Order and addressed as the ‘President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission’ was the Secretary (Chief Monk) of the Rajkot (Gujarat, India) centre of the Ramakrishna Mission during those days.
Modi freaked out in an anticipatory observation that the credit would go to Revered Atmasthanandaji Maharaj, if destiny chose him to play a larger role in life, because it was Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj who had dissuaded him from becoming a monk and had advised him to renew his interest in academics.
Narendra Modi mentioned that he made three desperate and unsuccessful attempts at becoming a monk of the Ramakrishna Mission and was turned down by the Mission each time, because the insightful monks found that his calling rested elsewhere.
That the final attempt was at Rajkot and that Revered Atmasthanandaji Maharaj was as tough and discouraging of his monastic ambitions …… got everyone amused !