Swami Atmashraddhananda (Pankaj Maharaj) joined the Ramakrishna Monastic Order in 1989 at its Bangalore Centre and received his final Sannyasa vows in 1999.  He spent 13 years at Bangalore and Mysore centres of Ramakrishna Math, besides 2 years at Belur Math. From 2004 to 2016, he was in Chennai Ramakrishna Math where he was the editor of The Vedanta Kesari, a cultural and spiritual monthly for over a century. He has edited, translated and authored a couple of books on some aspects of spiritual life, Indian culture and higher values.  For 12 years he was the guide for the Vivekananda Study Circle at IIT Madras where he used to conduct a Sunday class for the Study Circle.  For about two years, he was one of the monastic guide and instructors at the Monastic Probationers’ Training Centre at Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, near Kolkata in West Bengal.  On October 9, he assumed the office of Secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.