The Vedanta Kesari May 2016 issue

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The Vedanta Kesari THE LION OF VEDANTA

A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914

Swami Vivekananda’s statue, RKM, Garbeta, West Bengal

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India’s Timeless Wisdom

When I was, Hari was not. Now Hari is, but not I. All darkness was dispelled when I beheld the Light within.

Editor: Swami Atmashraddhananda Managing Editor: Swami Gautamananda Printed and published by Swami Vimurtananda on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna Math Trust 2 0 1 6 h e V e d a n t a KMath e s aRoad, r i  ~ 2Mylapore, ~ M A Y Chennai fromT No.31, Ramakrishna - 4 and Printed at Sri Ramakrishna Printing Press, No.31 Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 4. Ph: 044 - 24621110

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The Vedanta Kesari

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VOL. 103, No. 5 ISSN 0042-2983 A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER

Started at the instance of Swami Vivekananda in 1895 as Brahmavâdin, it assumed the name The Vedanta Kesari in 1914.

For free edition on the Web, please visit: www.chennaimath.org

CONTENTS MAY 2016

Gita Verse for Reflection

165

Editorial  Selfless Service

166

Articles  Sri Ramakrishna’s Two Vyasas Pravrajika Virajaprana  Rama’s Brother Lakshmana, a Great Yogi S. Seshadri  Memories of Swami Parameshwarananda: A Disciple of Holy Mother

Sri Sarada Devi A.K. Dey  Education—the Panacea For Social Evils Lekshmi.R and Thara Jane Paul Reminiscences  Reminiscences of Sargachhi Swami Suhitananda

171 180

188 193

175

Review Article  The Complete Works of Sister Nivedita—‘Khoki’ of Holy Mother and the ‘Most

Rebellious Disciple’ of Swami Vivekananda P.S. Sundaram

184

New Find  Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda 191 The Order on the March 197 Book Reviews 200 Feature  Simhâvalokanam (Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna) Cover Story: Page 6

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The Vedanta Kesari Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 h (044) 2462 1110 (4 lines) Website : www.chennaimath.org For all authors and contributors : thevedantakesari@chennaimath.org For all subscription related inquiries: magazine@chennaimath.org TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS

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We accept online donations also.

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Vedanta Kesari Library Fund Scheme Do you wish to join in spreading the message of Vedanta and of RamakrishnaVivekananda to larger number of people?

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of spirituality, values and culture need to reach a wider section of youth?

You are welcome to join us in these efforts by contributing to our Library Fund Scheme.

Your initiative in promoting this scheme will help a noble cause.

And the cause awaits your involvement.

The Vedanta Kesari Library Fund Scheme aims at a wider reach among the youth, especially in high schools, colleges / universities and other institutions of learning in India.  Sponsorship for one library is Rs.1000/-. Under this scheme, donors can sponsor libraries, including public libraries, which would receive The Vedanta Kesari for ten years.  The sponsors can mention the libraries which they wish to enroll, or The Vedanta Kesari would select the libraries on their behalf. The name of the sponsors, along with the libraries enrolled, will be published in The Vedanta Kesari. This scheme is valid for libraries in India.  We invite you to join hands with us in this valuable scheme. You can send your sponsorship by cash or through a DD drawn in favour of ‘Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai’ and send it with a covering note to 

The Manager, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : thevedantakesari@chennaimath.org Website : www.chennaimath.org ‘Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. . . .

Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work.’

—Swami Vivekananda

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N Cover Story N Swami Vivekananda’s Statue at Garbeta Ashrama Located some 160 km away from Kolkata, Garbeta is a town in Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal. Having an ancient history, the town is situated on the bank of the river Shilaba. A Centre of the Ramakrishna Math at Garbeta was started in 1915 and that of the Ramakrishna Mission in 1951. Activities of the Math centre include daily worship, bhajans, fortnightly Ramnam Sankirtan, and religious classes in and outside the Ashrama premises, observance of the birthdays of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and other spiritual luminaries; festivals like Kali Puja and Shivaratri, besides welfare work by way of giving pecuniary help, food, clothing, etc., to the needy. The activities of the Mission centre include a junior basic school, a library and a book bank. It also runs several free coaching centres for poor children, a charitable dispensary with homoeopathy and eye sections, a mobile medical unit and welfare work such as free distribution of food, medicines, etc., to the poor and needy.

Swamiji’s statue mounted on a pedestal is located in the Ashrama premises, near the Junior School. o

T he V edanta K esari P atrons ’ S cheme We invite our readers to join as patrons of the magazine. They can do so by sending Rs.2000/- or more. Names of the patrons will be announced in the journal under the Patrons' Scheme and they will receive the magazine for 20 years. Please send your contribution to The Manager, The Vedanta Kesari by DD/MO drawn in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai with a note that the enclosed amount is for the Patrons' Scheme. (This scheme is valid in India only).

DONORS

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Ms. L. Umayal, Chennai Rs. 1000 Mr. Roshan Gopalakrishna, Bengaluru Rs. 10,000

723. Bankura Christian College,

West Bengal

The Vedanta Kesari Library Scheme SL.NO. NAMES OF SPONSORS

5926.

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Prof. Gopal Chandra Bhar, W.B.

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AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS

Govt. Post Graduate College, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand - 249 193 ISPAT College, Rourkela, Orissa - 769 016 Janta College, Biolnda Dhenkanal, Orissa - 759 127 Branch Library, Arani, T.N. - 632 301 A.N.S. College, Barh, Patna, 803 213 A.Q. Ansari College, Jehanabad - 804 408 Allama Ekbal College, Bihar Sharif - 803 101 (continued on page 47)

The Vedanta Kesari VOL. 103, No. 5, MAY 2016 ISSN 0042-2983

E ACH

SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE.

T HE GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN. 7

Gita Verse for Reflection Tr. by Swami Tapasyananda

—Bhagavad Gita, 15. 1

The Blessed Lord said: The scriptures speak of the eternal Ashvattha, the World Tree, whose roots are in the Most High, branches in the lower regions, and leaves in Vedic hymns. He who knows it, understands the Veda really.

God alone is eternal, everything else is transitory. Everything dies; the angels die, men die, animals die, earths die, sun, moon, and stars, all die; everything undergoes constant change.

The mountains of today were the oceans of yesterday and will be oceans tomorrow. Everything is in a state of flux. The whole universe is a mass of change. But there is One who never changes, and that is God; and the nearer we get to Him, the less will be the change for us, the less will nature be able to work on us; and when we reach Him, and stand with Him, we shall conquer nature, we shall be masters of phenomena of nature, and they will have no effect on us.

—Swami Vivekananda, CW, 1:411

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Editorial

Selfless Service Importance of Service Selfless service is an essential part of higher living. Without service, selfless and sincere, no one can live a spiritual life.

Further, the ultimate expression of how much spiritually one has advanced lies in how much one has become unselfish. And unselfishness finds its expression through loving service.

We can serve others in various ways—by offering food and clothes, providing medical treatment and medicines, cleaning and organising a place of worship and so on. Some offer their services by serving clean and cold drinking water to thirsty people on a hot day.

Some serve others by helping the students in understanding their school or college lessons.

In recent floods in Chennai, some noblehearted doctors offered their services by way of free consultations personally or on phone.

All these, and many more, are ways of serving others. Service is an expression of man’s feelings of oneness with others which takes the shape of empathy and desire to help others despite challenges and difficulties.

Attitude for Service The term ‘service’ is sometimes used in ‘paid’ sense. For instance, in economics, ‘service’ along with ‘goods’ is an activity that has its monetary consideration. One works for some salary and in turn produces certain results. But the term selfless-service should not be confused with it. Selfless means without any selfish motive or intent in mind.

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offers service gets something in return and that is what impels him. In the context of selfless service, it is an act meant to benefit oneself spiritually. The ‘self’ becomes purified through these acts of services. Says Swami Vivekananda, Do not stand on a high pedestal and take five cents in your hand and say, ‘Here, my poor man’; but be grateful that the poor man is there, so that by making a gift to him you are able to help yourself. It is not the receiver that is blessed, but it is the giver. Be thankful that you are allowed to exercise your power of benevolence and mercy in the world, and thus become pure and perfect.1

So whatever be the form of service, the attitude with which it is done is most important. Service can be personal or institutionalised—but the attitude of the person who serves is the key point.

Compassion or feeling of empathy and concern for others is the single driving force for all acts of selfless service. One feels that the person being served is in a state of need or distress or is worthy of service that needs to be addressed—without caring for any condition and consideration. Moved by suffering of others, one serves others. This is indeed the glory of human beings—to have compassion.

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi once said that if one does not have compassion, one is not fit to be called a human being.

A Spiritual Practice Swami Vivekananda held that one can do service as a form of spiritual practice. He said,

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It is our privilege to be allowed to be charitable, for only so can we grow. The poor man suffers that we may be helped; let the giver kneel down and give thanks, let the receiver stand up and permit. See the Lord back of every being and give to Him.2

‘Seeing the Lord back of every being’ —Swamiji spoke of this idea based on an illuminating incident in the life of Sri Ramakrishna to which he was a witness. In Sri Ramakrishna, the Great Master3 this incident is narrated by Swami Saradananda thus: Sometime in 1884, a friend of ours came to Dakshineswar and found the Master sitting in his room surrounded by devotees. Narendra [later Swami Vivekananda] also was present there. Various spiritual talks, interspersed with merriment, were going on. There arose the topic of the Vaishnava religion in the course of the conversation, and explaining briefly the essence of that doctrine to all, the Master said, ‘That doctrine teaches that one should always be careful to observe three things, namely, a taste for God’s name, kindness to all being as and the service of the Vaishnavas. God is what His name is. Knowing the non-difference between the name and the possessor of the name, one should always take His name with love and devotion. Knowing the identity of the devotee and the Divine, of the Vaishnava and Krishna, one should always respect, worship and salute holy men, the devotees. And one should have the conviction in one’s heart that the whole universe belongs to Krishna; and therefore, one should have compassion for all beings.

No sooner had he uttered the words, ‘compassion for all beings’, than he suddenly went into ecstasy. Regaining partial normal consciousness in a short time, he continued, ‘Talk of compassion for beings! Insignificant creatures that you are, how can you show compassion to beings? Who are you to show compassion? You wretch, who are you to bestow it? No, no; it is T h e

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not compassion to Jivas but service to them as Siva.’ All went on listening to those words of the Master spoken in that ecstatic mood; but none could detect and understand their hidden import at that time.

It was Narendranath alone who, coming out of the room at the end of Master’s ecstasy, said, ‘Ah, what a wonderful light have I got today from the Master’s words! What a new and attractive Gospel have we received today through those words of his, wherein a synthesis has been effected of sweet devotion to the Lord with Vedantic knowledge which is generally regarded as dry, austere and lacking in sympathy with sufferings of others—in order to attain non-dual knowledge. We have been told so long that one should have to remove the world and the company of men altogether and retire to the forest and mercilessly uproot and throw away love, devotion and other soft and tender devotions from the heart. Formerly when the aspirant tried to attain that knowledge as prescribed in ancient works, he regarded the whole universe and each person in it as obstacles in the path of his spiritual progress—an attitude which produced in men a sort of antipathy towards society and often led them away from the true spiritual path. But from what the Master said in ecstasy today it is gathered that the Vedanta of the forest can be brought to human habitation and that it can be applied in practice to the work-a-day world. Let man do everything he is doing, there is no harm in that it is sufficient for him first to be fully convinced that it is God who is manifested before him as the universe and all the beings in it. Those with whom he comes in contact every moment of his life, whom he loves, respects and honours and to whom his sympathy and kindness flow, are all his parts, are all he himself. If he can just look upon all the persons of the world as Shiva, how can there be an occasion for him to regard himself as superior to them or cherish anger or hatred for them, or an arrogant attitude towards them or even to be M AY

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kind to them? Thus serving the Jivas as Shiva, he will have his heart purified and be convinced in a short time that he himself is also a part of God, the bliss absolute, eternally pure, wakeful and free being. . . . . If the divine Lord ever grants me an opportunity, I’ll proclaim everywhere in the world this wonderful truth I have heard today.

I will preach this truth to the learned and the ignorant, to the rich and the poor. . .’

Indeed, later Swamiji extensively taught the true importance of this incident through his various speeches and writings. In 1897, when Swamiji returned from the West and while at Rameshwaram, he was accorded welcome at the famous Shiva temple there, and in response to it, he gave a brief talk. In course of his address, he said, This is the gist of all worship—to be pure and to do good to others. He who sees Shiva in the poor, in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships Shiva; and if he sees Shiva only in the image, his worship is but preliminary. He who has served and helped one poor man seeing Shiva in him, without thinking of his caste, or creed, or race, or anything, with him Shiva is more pleased than with the man who sees Him only in temples.4

Thus was born a new way of spiritual activity which Swamiji called as the worship of the Virat, the Vast One. Swamiji also coined the word daridra-narayana (dridra, poor, as narayana, God). He said,

and it is for my salvation that I go and worship them. The poor and the miserable are for our salvation, so that we may serve the Lord, coming in the shape of the diseased, coming in the shape of the lunatic, the leper, and the sinner!5

The Underlying Philosophy Having said that let us also not forget that the service which Swamiji spoke is not what is commonly called ‘social service’ but he emphasised it as a spiritual discipline. This is based on the idea of oneness of existence and that is what makes it a spiritual discipline.

Swamiji further said, Thinkers in ancient India gradually came to understand that that idea of separateness was erroneous, that there was a connection among all those distinct objects—there was a unity which pervaded the whole universe—trees, shrubs, animals, men, Devas, even God Himself; the Advaitin reaching the climax in this line of thought declared all to be but the manifestations of the One. In reality, the metaphysical and the physical universe are one, and the name of this One is Brahman; and the perception of separateness is an error.6

Once Swami Adbhutananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, remarked about the underlying idea behind the philosophy of service:

Look upon every man, woman, and every one as God. You cannot help anyone, you can only serve: serve the children of the Lord, serve the Lord Himself, if you have the privilege. If the Lord grants that you can help any one of his children, blessed you are; do not think too much of yourselves. Blessed you are that that privilege was given to you when others had it not. Do it only as a worship. I should see God in the poor, T h e

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Our attitude is plainly this: we go out to serve others, not because there are others suffering but because we want to obliterate, blot out, the false distinction that exists between others and myself—and this seeing others as distinct from myself is the root cause of all the evils in society.

So to us, to do good to others really means to do good to ourselves—not others, but myself.

And who is there who would not do good to himself? Hence if you leave out God, and try to do good to others, you may lose your zest for such activities after some time.7 M AY

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So, serving God and serving man are not two different things. By serving one, you serve the other. This is what sanctifies work and makes it into an act of spiritual growth.

Selfless service is inbuilt in the higher scheme of life. Once one embarks on the path of inner growth, one naturally outgrows one’s narrow thoughts and that growth leads to his willingness and participation in all acts of service. Service and feeling of oneness are interrelated. On the other hand, one can make a beginning by accepting and affirming the

truth of oneness and thus develop a sense of empathy and feeling of others’ misery.

An example of the highest state of oneness and service is seen in the following words of Swamiji: May I be born again and again, and suffer thousands of miseries so that I may worship the only God that exists, the only God I believe in, the sum-total of all souls—and above all, my God the wicked, my God the miserable, my God the poor of all races, of all species, is the special object of my worship.8 o

References 1. CW, 1.76

2. CW, 7.68 3. Sri Ramakrishna, the Great Master, p.939-

941

5. CW, 3. 246 6. CW, 5.519 7. Swami Adbhutananda As We Saw Him,

p.349.

8. CW, 5.137

4. CW, 3.141

From highest Brahman to the yonder worm, And to the very minutest atom, Everywhere is the same God, the All-Love, Friend, offer mind, soul, body, at their feet.

These are His manifold forms before thee.

Rejecting them, where seekest thou for God? Who loves all beings without distinction, He indeed is worshipping best his God. Awake, arise, and dream no more!

This is the land of dreams, where karma Weaves unthreaded garlands with our thoughts Of flowers sweet or noxious, and none Has root or stem, being born in naught, which The softest breath of Truth drives back to Primal nothingness. Be bold, and face The Truth! Be one with it! Let visions cease, Or, if you cannot, dream but truer dreams, Which are Eternal Love and Service Free.

—Swami Vivekananda T h e

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Simhâvalokanam From the Archives of The Vedanta Kesari (May, 1916-17, p. 1-2)

Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna It is Saturday, 28th October, 1882. The members of the Brahmo Samaj of Sinti are holding their six-monthly festival in the beautiful garden-house of Babu Benimadhava Pal, and Sri Ramakrishna is invited to grace the gathering. The Master loves the members of the Samaj for their pious nature and they too are devoted to him.

Sri Ramakrishna is seated in the verandah just in the front of the central hall, and a huge crowd of devotees has gathered round him,— some seated, some standing—all in bated breath, anxious to listen what falls from the hallowed lips of the Master. The atmos­phere is tense with devotion and spiritual feeling.

A Brahmo devotee asks: ‘Has God any form, or He is formless?’

Sri Ramakrishna: ‘This much and no further’ can never be said of Him. He is without form, and with form as well. Those that are Jnanis, that is, to whom this world appears as a shadowy dream, to them He is formless (impersonal). But the devotee feels that he is one entity, and quite another the world; so to him God appears in His personal aspect with form.

‘The Jnani—for instance the Vedantin—constantly discrimi­nates the Truth, negating all phenomena, saying “not this,” “not this.” As a result of such discrimination, there awakens in him the consciousness “that all are false—the ego, the world and all—like evanescent dreams.” Then the Jnani realises Brahman in his own consciousness, but cannot describe what His nature is by the words of mouth. Do you know what it is like? It is like a vast ocean, an ocean of Satchidananda (absolute existence-know­ledge-bliss)—an infinite expanse, no shores to bound it anywhere,—but here and there its water gets congealed into ice through the cold of Bhakti—gets solidified in the form of ice; that is, He actually manifests Himself before His devotees assuming some personal forms. But with the rising of the Sun of Jnana, the ice melts away, and then no more is He felt to have a personal aspect, and hence one cannot see any more His personal forms thereafter. What He is, then no body can tell. Who would say? The one who would say has vanished, no trace of his “I” is found there!’ o

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Article

Sri Ramakrishna’s Two Vyasas PRAVRAJIKA VIRAJAPRANA

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

3 Let us now examine what each account expresses or actually reveals about Sri Ramakrishna.

In the Great Master, Swami Saradananda mentions a number of traits that Sri Ramakrishna manifested in his childhood and youth that are significant indicators of his developing attitudes that influenced his entire life. In this context, ten characteristics may be mentioned: his remarkable memory and intelligence; loving nature; willfulness; determination; truthfulness; rationality; artistic temperament; keen imagination; fearlessness; and purity.

Although this is by no means an exhaustive list, these basic characteristics encompass all others forming the foundation of his character. And from this foundation, we get an idea through some of the incidents and examples that Swami Saradananda gives from Sri Ramakrishna’s life experiences of how he was molded, humanly speaking, into the person that he was. Although dreams and visions prior to his birth were indicators of his divinity, nevertheless, the lila or human-divine play manifested fully throughout his life.

His penetrating intellect and preternatural insight revealed many truths which generally remain hidden to the ordinary

mind, covered as it is with maya’s veil. But through his uncanny insight, even as a child and youth, he saw into the heart of everything.

Nothing escaped his keen eye and sharp power of observation. As a result, he developed an unusual prescience concerning the transitory nature of the world.

His loving, thoughtful ways endeared him to all his relatives, playmates, and the villagers who came into contact with him. He was friendly with everyone. Considerate and gentle, he avoided any words or behavior that might wound another’s feelings. He never injured any being, even mentally. Whenever he spoke to anyone, he said what was true, pleasant, and helpful to others.

His truthfulness, fearlessness, and guilelessness manifested in every moment of his life. Truth was the fabric of his being.

He was simplicity itself; it was impossible for him to conceal anything. As a result, he was totally fearless, courageous, and strong.

What or whom to fear when one has nothing to hide? Everything about his personality was transparent; his mind was as the Bhagavad Gita mentions, prakasakam anamayam (14:6), luminous, healthy, and cheerful. Because the sattva quality was overwhelmingly predominant in him, he was well-integrated,

A nun at the Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco, USA, since 1972, Pravrajika Virajaprana is the editor and compiler of Photographs of Swami Vivekananda. She has contributed many thoughtprovoking articles for Vedanta Kesari and Prabuddha Bharata. o T h e

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steady, and balanced, prasantadhih.

This mentally expansive state expressed through all the faculties of his mind: cognition, perception, understanding, will, and his selfidentity.

All of his natural characteristics and inclinations, from his extraordinary intelligence, purity and simplicity, love and compassion for all, stubborn independence, to his ecstatic artistic temperament, enabled him to extract from ordinary everyday examples the most profound truths, and to convey these truths in a sweet appealing way. And the fact that he transparently embodied those truths, made every word he spoke, every action he undertook, redolent with divine knowledge. This is why when we study Sri Ramakrishna’s personality, we are able to find the divine manifest fully in human form, a rare and most astonishing occurrence in the spiritual realm.

The Great Master gives a sweeping picture of the comprehensive exalted spiritual experiences and breadth of visions that Sri Ramakrishna had from his childhood to the last days of his life culminating in his mahasamadhi. Swami Saradananda has thoroughly examined and analyzed every step of his sadhana, including a detailed description of his training under various gurus of different traditions. As a result of his wide-ranging experiences, Sri Ramakrishna had a vast, infinite reservoir of knowledge in which he dipped frequently bringing life-giving nectar to spiritual seekers of all ages, faiths, and stages of evolution. His simple instructions, childlike personality, and transforming touch were enough to convince even the staunchest T h e

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skeptic such as Swami Vivekananda that, ‘God can be seen.’

God for Sri Ramakrishna was a living, luminous presence in which he joyously dwelled as naturally as he breathed. Infinite Being is boundless, without boundaries, nameless, formless, without qualities, yet endowed with innumerable forms, names, and qualities. In the words of the Isa Upanishad (v.5): ‘tadejati tannaijati taddure tadvantike tadantarasya sarvasya tadu sarvasyasya bahyatah.’ ‘It moves and moves not; it is far and likewise near. It is inside all this and it is outside all this.’ His realizations encompassed all states of consciousness as manifestations of the one akhandasatchidananda.

The Master said everything, including all the scriptures of the world, have been uchchishta, defiled, by the tongue; pure Being, the absolute Brahman, which is beyond thought and word, remains undefiled because from it speech and mind turn back, ‘yato vacho nivartante’ (Taittiriya Upanishad 2:9). As he related many times, only an indication of the absolute Being can be given.

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He would tell his disciples, ‘I want to tell you everything, but someone holds my tongue.’

In The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna we find similar observations, yet the expression of these varies because of the conversational format and circumstances under which the Gospel was recorded, as opposed to the narrative style of The Great Master. In and through all the teachings given through his conversations, a unique picture of Sri Ramakrishna is disclosed. The Master was forty-six years old when M. met him. He would live only another four years. All his experiences, that vibrant touch of the soul, which had accumulated throughout his years of sadhana are revealed through his words, which are enlivened by his life. Day and night he was lost in God-consciousness. Those who were fortunate enough to witness his Godintoxicated state and divine moods that kept him absorbed in blissful awareness could form some idea of what it means to live in God, to become one with Him. M. once said that a spiritual mood was the natural state of Sri Ramakrishna’s mind.

Although he tried to keep his mind at the phenomenal level for the sake of others, the intensity of his experiences would elevate him to the highest levels of consciousness, but when his mind returned to this relative world, he found everything was infused with divine consciousness as well. ‘Sometimes,’ he said, ‘I find that the universe is saturated with the consciousness of God, as the earth is soaked with water in the rainy season.’ So, all his words that have been recorded in the Gospel come directly from the depths of his being clearly reflecting the truth.

Once when Sri Ramakrishna was having a conversation with a Vaishnava, he told him that man should possess dignity and alertness.

Only one whose spiritual consciousness is T h e

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awakened possesses these qualities and can be truly called a man. It was as if he were describing himself. Sri Ramakrishna was the essence of dignity; his mind was so alert that he had literally put sleep, to sleep. The Master’s experiences verified the truth that everything is divine. Avidyamaya covers divinity and projects a false identity in its place. He always stressed that worldliness and liberation are in Divine Mother’s hands.

It’s all according to her sweet will. As he put it in his homely way, what everyone considers as a human being is only a pillowcase; the consciousness within is the true person. The real person is pure Atman.

One of the keys to understanding Sri Ramakrishna is his immersion in the divine lila, God’s play. The conundrum of life, especially one’s relationship to the divine, is more understandable if everything is put into perspective regarding God’s lila. This whole universe is a manifestation of this play.

Through ignorance what we take to be the world with all its multifarious objects, both sentient and insentient, and what we call humanity are only so many manifestations of the same Being. All names and forms are superimposed on this one nondual consciousness.

This profound truth is reiterated in so many different ways, from various angles throughout the Gospel. In every analogy, metaphor, simile, illustration, or story we can find the very truth Sri Ramakrishna is proclaiming reflected directly in his life and personality. He was one with the truth he spoke about. Therefore contemplating his words gives us direct access to who he was.

God alone, he would say, has become the universe, living beings, and the twenty-four cosmic principles. Brahman is actionless; but when creating, preserving, and destroying, it is

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shakti. Brahman and shakti are identical. Water is water, whether it is still or flowing.

Again, what’s to be gained by merely hearing or speaking about God? What is needed is becoming intuitively aware of God’s presence within us and all around us. You have to bring him into your room and talk to him. Here, Sri Ramakrishna is giving us direct access into the mystical realm. We have to drink milk and assimilate it, not just describe its qualities. Seeing Benares is entirely different from merely hearing or reading about it. Some people have seen the king, but how many can bring him to their home and entertain him?

God is our very own; he is not a stranger to us but is our own inner Self.

Often we find in the Gospel when the Master is trying to describe the vision of God or some other inner experience, he would enter into samadhi. In unguarded moments, Sri Ramakrishna would reveal that God alone dwelled inside his body, that he was pure consciousness. He said that the Divine Mother had revealed to him in the Kali temple that everything—the image, himself, the utensils of worship, the doorsill, the marble floor—is chinmaya, the embodiment of Spirit. His human form infused with joy appears to be floating over an ocean of infinite consciousness.

In conclusion, it may be said that both Sri Sri Ramakrishna Lilaprasanga and Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita are unique expressions

of Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Saradananda critically analyzed all the aspects of the Master’s life specifically within the social and cultural tenor of the times, whereas M. recorded actual conversations between Sri Ramakrishna and those who visited him during the last four years of his life when the diary was written. Although the social and cultural settings are present in the diary, it is given more as a background for the conversations.

The Great Master includes the formative years of Sri Ramakrishna’s life, as well as an account of his extensive sadhana and resulting experiences, while the Gospel contains the words of one who was not only a highest knower of God, brahmavaristha, one who had become Brahman, ‘brahma veda brahmaiva bhavati,’ (Mundaka Upanishad, 3.2.9), but also one who was avataravarishtha, supreme among all divine incarnations. All of his previous observations and conclusions that he had derived years before concerning humanity, God, and spiritual life flow in an unbroken stream to those who came to see and hear him. It is almost as if the Gospel is the practical application of all that is mentioned in The Great Master. Though these two portraits of the Master are diverse in content, yet in essence each complements the other. If studied together, a more complete, expansive picture of who Sri Ramakrishna was will be revealed. o (Concluded.)

References M, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, trans. Swami Nikhilananda (New York: RamakrishnaVivekananda Center, 1969).

Swami Saradananda, Sri Ramakrishna: The Great Master, trans. Swami Jagadananda (Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1952).

Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita: Centenary Memorial T h e

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(Chandigarh: Sri Ma Trust, 1982).

Swami Chetanananda, Mahendra Nath Gupta (M.): The Recorder of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, (St. Louis: Vedanta Society of St. Louis, 2011).

Approaching Ramakrishna: In Commemoration of the 175th Birth Anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2011).

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Reminiscences

Reminiscences of Sargachhi SWAMI SUHITANANDA

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

Sargachhi is located in Murshidabad district of West Bengal and is well-known to the devotees of Ramakrishna Order for being associated with Swami Akhandananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. The following writing is about another revered monk who lived in Sargachhi, Swami Premeshananda (1894-1967), a disciple of Holy Mother and well known for encouraging many young men and women, as also many married people to live a life of spirituality and service. The following reminiscences in Bengali, Sargachhir Smriti, is by Swami Suhitananda, General Secretary of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math. He was a personal attendant of Swami Premeshananda for several years and while serving him noted his conversations and teachings in his diary. The same is being serially published in the Udbodhan (our Bengali monthly published from Kolkata) from its Jyaishtha, B.S. 1419 issue. These reminiscences have been translated by Sri Shoutir Kishore Chatterjee, a long-standing devotee from Kolkata. English words and expressions which appear in the original have been put within single inverted commas ‘ ’. The numbers ||1||, ||2||, etc., denote the serial numbers of the Udbodhan instalments. ||5|| 11.2.1959 Swami Gambhirananda, Swami Punyananda and Swami Kailasananda [all senior monks of Ramakrishna Order] came. They had discussion on various topics with Premeshananda Maharaj.

After the revered monks had left, the attendant said: Thakur said that he who has given up the pleasure of a wife’s company, has given up all the pleasures of the world.

Yet, referring to unmarried persons, you say that they won’t be able to make much progress.

Maharaj: There is a word—anashrami.

These people do not take the responsibility of any ashrama (stage of life)—‘progress’ is difficult for them. However, if they hold on to God or carry on following some ideal, then they make progress and the society also benefits.

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Attendant: The other day you said mind and intellect are achit. If that is so are they made of prana (vital force)?

Maharaj: No, they are made of Maya.

Gross things are made of prana. Actually we cover and distress ourselves by thinking the intellect to be ‘I’. To those who discriminate every life is terrible. They can instantaneously see the past and future of every object and person.

At noon during lunch time usually the monks take their meals together and make merry. Maharaj noticed that no sound was coming from the dining hall that day and sent somebody to enquire. Actually, afraid that sound might cause distress to Maharaj, all were taking their meals silently. Maharaj sent words: ‘Go and tell them that I would be distressed if all do not take their meals joyfully.’

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Jyotirmay-da had come from the Berhampur Ashrama—he would have to go back there again. He said, ‘Maharaj, my mind doesn’t want to leave you and go there.’

Maharaj: ‘Ah! Will it not be like that?

You left home and everything to be in our company. But what can you do?’

Maharaj had entered his room after coming back from his evening walk. When, after arranging mosquito curtain for him, the attendant was coming out, he said: ‘Just like what happens when a long steel spring like a watch-spring is kept contracted by putting a weight on it, my collective entity has been covered within my individuality. The mind builds the body with the help of prana and savours beauty and taste by means of the organs. Going back more and more, I would be able to reach my true nature. You may think of your true nature like this.’

13.2.1959 A person, who was a favourite of Maharaj, used to come to him whenever he got a chance. He asked: What is the value of things like grace and blessing?

Maharaj: Nothing—not even that of a false coin; Uddharedatmana (‘You yourself must redeem yourself, Gita 6/5). If grace could do everything, then would the condition of Bhavanath, on whom God Himself had bestowed grace, come to such a pass? What matters really is the receiving instrument. The grace is always there. They are world-teachers.

They are always bestowing good wishes, grace and blessing. But, as high a recipient one is, as much grace one would receive, that is, comprehend them as much and know that—they are bestowing grace. But one thing happens. As the aspirant gets grace or blessing, he feels spontaneously a kind of strength in mind and by dint of that strength makes a T h e

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good deal of progress—he then thinks that he has made progress because of grace. Besides, ‘association’ is there. Holy thoughts arise in the mind as one keeps company of holy people.

On the other hand if one remains occupied with enjoyment, lustful thoughts come.

Attendant: The figure of the Guru that one sees, what is its form?

Maharaj: Guru is merely a ghat [bathing platform/steps on the banks of a river] for reaching the sea that Existence-KnowledgeBliss is. The sea is the goal. But the ghats for different people are different.

Attendant: Every now and then you talk of ‘practical wisdom’. What does that mean?

Maharaj: Let me tell you of a funny incident. There was a dwarf in our place; he used to till land. He found that if one sowed one seer of paddy seed, one could get the provision for three months. So he decided that in the coming year he would sow ten times as much paddy seed—that would yield ten times as much crop. This is what lack of ‘practical wisdom’ is. The other day came a primary school teacher; he wore khaki shorts.

When asked about the reason for coming to school clad in such dress, he said that as he had worked as a police sub-inspector for two years, he had got habituated to wearing khaki dress. He has supposedly written a paper on some topic and sent it to President [of India] Radhakrishnan for favour of its publication on behalf of the Government. Gentlemen from the town holding ‘B.A.’ and ‘M.A.’ degrees were swallowing his words. See the extent of lack of ‘practical wisdom’. A monk asked about a worldly problem, would suggest the solution immediately—of course provided he is a true renouncer. Common people do not understand this simple thing about a monk.

Attendant: As I read Yoga-sutra, it seems to me that if I can go beyond the mind and

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intellect and be established in my true nature, I would be omnipotent and omniscient. If that is so, then would I be able to do whatever I wish?

Would I be able to know everything in the world? Would I be able to liberate whomever I want?

Maharaj: You please recall the verse in the Gita (3/17); Yastvatma-ratireva syadatmatriptascha manavah | Atmanyevacha santushtas tasya karyam na vidyate ||

At that time one doesn’t have any wish whatever. We get deluded by getting a piece of ordinary sugar candy (batasha); if one gets a taste of that bliss, one would have no wish whatsoever. One would remain enraptured with that! One would have no wish to know anything of the world. Besides in that state the world will no longer remain the world to one; it would become Brahman. Further, one would no longer see anybody in the world as bound—one would see everybody free.

Attendant: Say a little about Dvaitavada (dualism) and Vishishtadvaitavada (qualified monism).

Maharaj: The same sun looks differently under different conditions. It has one look in the morning, another at noon. Just like that, to see Brahman from the dvaita standpoint is as—Krishna and myself. After that ‘Wherever the eyes see, Krishna becomes manifest’.

Finally the realization which Thakur had in the presence of Totapuri—cutting asunder the figure of the Goddess with the sword of knowledge to reach the Advaita state. Only ‘stage after stage’.

For some days Maharaj had become physically very ill—he had respiratory trouble.

‘Nerves’ had also become very ‘sensitive’. In the morning Swami Sankarananda of Vedanta Math came along with Hem Kaviraj. Hem Kaviraj used to visit ‘M’ i.e., Master Mahasaya.

Master Mahasaya had told him, ‘He (Premesh T h e

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Maharaj) has kept Assam lit up. Whenever I went to Holy Mother, she would ask, “How is my Indradayal (the pre-monastic name of Premesh Maharaj)?”’

Speaking of Holy Mother, Premesh Maharaj said: Once I asked Mother, ‘Will anybody come to harm because of me?’ Mother said, ‘No my son, Thakur is there. Many will prosper because of you.’

23.2.1959 At noon time a letter was read to Premesh Maharaj. In that somebody from

Swami Premeshananda

Bombay wrote—Ramakrishna Mission has gone to the dogs. The reason was that someone had inserted ‘1008 Swami’ before the name of a Vice-President Maharaj. Hearing this, Maharaj said: See the reach of the intelligence of ordinary people. This is only a local ‘custom’.

It is not the Vice-President Maharaj himself who has written like that. Besides, would the entire Ramakrishna Mission go to the dogs

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because of a single incident? See how the ‘sweeping remarks’ are. Accept the comments of people with a lot of discrimination. ‘Inner life! Inner life!’ If for once you manage to keep Thakur in your heart and love him, then you are saved. Then you won’t have any further trouble in old age. Otherwise you would have to run only after things like regeneration of the country and welfare of the world.

25.2.1959 Maharaj’s health today was somewhat better. In the afternoon, while taking his walk, he said: See (making a circular hole with two of his fingers), I see that the body of Premeshananda is sick; it is suffering. ‘Theoretically’ one can say a lot of things, but it is difficult to apply that in practice. Gour has come from Kankhal.

He too said that somebody there has explained that the blissful sheath (anandamaya kosha) represents the state of deep sleep! But in deep sleep the mind remains covered by ignorance i.e., wrapped in avidya maya! But in the blissful sheath the mind remains wrapped in vidya maya. ‘God helps those who help themselves’.

When in course of trying one’s utmost, one feels that one cannot go any further, Mahamaya comes and removes the cover.

This is Mahamaya’s grace. In the eyes of the devotee this is grace. On the other hand in the eyes of the Jnani, then one is understanding one’s ‘Greater Self’. More one understands one’s ‘Greater Self’, more one thinks that one is receiving grace. If you don’t want it, you won’t take it even if given. Thakur was just waiting to shower his grace. Bhavanath, Poltu, Purna—did he have less grace for them?

But what could he do, if they did not want it?

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of ‘energy’ in one’s mind through association and moves forward to a great extent; one thinks that it is the grace of the holy person.

Therefore it is not right to say that holy persons can do whatever they want. Hari is inside everyone—nothing can happen without the will of Hari.

26.2.1959 Maharaj’s health had again deteriorated a little today. Maharaj was finding it difficult to talk. With mind stricken by great sorrow the attendant said: There is no longer any hope.

Premesh Maharaj said: What further hope can I have? Attendant said: That’s true; but we wish it. Maharaj: All sorrow comes from hope. ‘Asha hi paramam dukham, nairashyam paramam sukham’ (Verily hope is great sorrow and hopelessness, great happiness). As much hope you have, so much sorrow you get. As much happiness you have, as much sorrow you get. More happiness you feel, more sorrow also you would feel. What is wish? Wish is the ‘reaction’ from a feeling of want.

2.3.1959 Attendant: Maharaj, what is the reason that you are having so much bodily suffering?

Did you violate any rules of good health?

Maharaj: Surely. I failed to observe the rules one should observe if one is to be a Yogi.

That is why I warn you so much. The real thing is ‘Energy—Conservation of Energy’. Is our body suitable for the practice of Yoga? Energy is not preserved only by stopping the wastage of vital energy. Mental discomfort from seeing particular persons, greed, anger—these also cause frittering away of energy. Try one day to sit like a log of wood for one hour—after that you won’t be able to raise your head for seven days. I saw Mahendrababu— he was a Barui by caste, but what a remarkable body

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he had—suitable for the practice of Yoga. We know everything, we have read everything— Brahman is within our grasp. Have only to remain motionless for three days now. But I am apprehensive, if something untoward takes place in the ‘brain’. That is why I ask you to read Raja-Yoga. If you grasp how the vital force functions it would be a great advantage.

On our informing the doctor came.

Maharaj’s condition was too bad. Maharaj greeted the doctor smilingly and said: It cannot be carried on any further. This frame won’t do any longer.

Doctor: In that case it has to be changed.

Maharaj: No, that is no longer possible.

(Holy Mother) gave me word—I won’t have to be born again. Yes, whoever had initiation from Mother, had his name entered in the ‘list’.

It is inevitable that he would go. His ‘seat’ has been ‘booked’.

Sometime later in another context Maharaj said: Our dearest thing, our chosen Deity is Sri Ramakrishna. That Sri Ramakrishna sometimes has attributes, sometimes he is without attributes, and sometimes he is in all living beings. Just as, if we touch the Ganga of Kashi, we touch the Ganga from Hardwar to Gangasagar in its entirety—similarly if we take refuge in one aspect of Sri Ramakrishna, we can know Sri Ramakrishna and his other aspects as well. That Sri Ramakrishna is again in all living beings, in all students.

The attendant would have to go to school for teaching classes there. As he expressed his unwillingness, Maharaj said: You are teaching in the school—that is very good. This is full-scale ‘direct service’. Other types of work are all ‘indirect service’. Think that your Ramakrishna has assumed the form of every boy. This would make the quality of service very good.

(To be Continued)

j Three Kinds of Ananda It is a joy to merge the mind in the Indivisible Brahman through contemplation. And it is also a joy to keep the mind on the Lila, the Relative, without dissolving it in the Absolute.

There are three kinds of ananda, joy: the joy of worldly enjoyment, the joy of worship, and the Joy of Brahman. The joy of worldly enjoyment is the joy of ‘woman and gold’, which people always enjoy. The joy of worship one enjoys while chanting the name and glories of God. And the Joy of Brahman is the joy of God-vision. After experiencing the joy of God-vision the rishis of olden times went beyond all rules and conventions.

That is why one should cultivate a taste for God’s name. Any name will do—Durga, Krishna, or Siva. Then if, through the chanting of the name, one’s attachment to God grows day by day, and joy fills the soul, one has nothing to fear. The delirium will certainly disappear; the grace of God will certainly descend. —Sri Ramakrishna

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Article

Rama’s Brother Lakshmana, a Great Yogi S. SESHADRI

Uniqueness of Ramayana’s Characters In the great epic Ramayana, every character has distinct features, each standing out as an example for the society to derive valuable lessons. Rama is throughout described as the embodiment of Dharma. It is well-known that Rama is Dharma personified, granting protection to all those who surrender to him.

Sita, the divine consort of Rama, is the quintessence of purity, forbearance, grace and compassion. As Swami Vivekananda says, in all the world’s literature there is no character as great, noble and dignified as Sita.

Immaculately pure, she had the strength of character to stand calumny from the public despite lack of support from her husband, whom she loved dearly and trusted all her life. Her capacity to understand a complex situation is seen when Sri Rama assures protection to the sages by destroying the demons, and the dignified way in which she defines the proper role for him who had earlier undertaken to lead the life of a Rishi in the forest for 14 years. Indeed it is her example that shaped the distinct character of Indian womanhood over several centuries.

Her advice to Hanuman, ‘A cultured person should be compassionate, for there is no one who does not commit a mistake’ are words that have shaped the Indian attitude to be compassionate.

But when we think of Lakshmana, his great and admirable qualities are not so apparent.

The popular view about Lakshmana is that he was short-tempered and hasty in judgement. On the other hand he was a great yogi, a Tapasvi and a role model of a devotee aspiring to reach fulfillment.

Lakshmana’s Noble Character Lakshmana’s character and outlook was shaped from birth by his mother Sumitra. Among the three queens of the king Dasaratha Sumitra alone had a clear perception of the divine purpose of Sri Rama and the proper role her son was to play in his life. To Kausalya who was lamenting over the departure of her son she gave her a true assessment of Sri Rama, Sita and Lakshmana.

Sri Rama is God of all gods and lord of all beings. Sita is Lakshmi and Lakshmana a great warrior.

To Lakshmana she has a special advice:

A long-standing devotee, the author is an old student and active volunteer of Ramakrishna Students’ Home, Mylapore, Chennai. o T h e

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Follow your good natured brother, for you are born to live in the forest. While doing so do not fail to exercise the greatest care.

Right from their birth Sri Rama and Lakshmana were so fond of each other that they became an inseparable pair. Sri Rama too was fond of his younger brother that he would not eat or go to sleep without Lakshmana.

When he was told he would be coronated the next day, Sri Rama tells Lakshmana, ‘You will be ruling over this earth along with me’.

Although their love for each other was intense and mutual, there was still a subtle difference. Lakshmana had an overwhelming concern for Sri Rama’s safety and wellbeing all the while.

When Sri Rama goes out into the forest on a hunting sport, Lakshmana follows him with his bow and arrow not for his own pleasure, hunting like Rama, but for safeguarding his brother from any danger.

Indeed ‘where there is true love, one has no concern for oneself but only seeking happiness of the other’. Lakshmana had immense faith in the supremacy of his elder brother and so when every effort failed to conquer Indrajit, Ravana’s son and Lanka’s prince, in the battle he used the power of his faith to overcome the mighty opponent.

Lakshmana—a Great Karmayogi Just as a loving disposition results in an action, as an expression of love, Bhakti expresses itself in karma, in puja, in service.

The moment it was settled that Sri Rama and Sita were going to the forest, Lakshmana pleaded with Rama to be allowed to go with him. When Sri Rama agrees after a brief discussion Lakshmana’s joy knows no bounds.

As if he had thought of what a forest life implies, Lakshmana says, ‘I shall go ahead of T h e

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you with spade and basket in hand along with bow and arrow when you are awake or asleep and I shall do whatever is necessary.’

This was not an empty promise. From then on Lakshmana abandoned sleep. At the first halt in the forest before Sri Rama and Sita went to bed, Lakshmana washed their feet, in all devotion and stands by a tree, to do his duty as night watchman.

During their first halt in the forest, he spends all night talking to Sumanthra the charioteer. Later when Guha is concerned that this prince must be tired and asks him to go to bed, saying ‘I have prepared the bed for you’, he declines the offer and spends the night talking to Guha about the sufferings Sri Rama and Sita had to undergo with no thought of his own comfort or convenience. A pure karma yogi carries out all the works he undertakes to perfection.

On the advice of sage Agastya Sri Rama decides to stay in Panchavati. When he indicates the spot where an Ashrama could be located, Lakshmana gets into action and in no time constructs an abode for Sri Rama and Sita of such superb quality that Sri Rama is extremely pleased, embraces his younger brother, and says that with a brother of such capabilities, he does not feel the absence of his father.

For a prince brought up in luxury, such rudimentary jobs may be considered to be beyond one’s capabilities. But for Lakshmana who took upon himself the role of a servant nothing was impossible. It is worth noting that before he offered the finished product to Sri Rama, he dutifully performed the Vastu Puja and other prescribed formalities before getting into a new abode. A Karma yogi cannot leave a job half done.

Lakshmana—a Non-controversial Person

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It is a sign of a true devotee not to get into any controversies. To illustrate this there is an instance in Andal’s Tiruppavai. Andal, the great Vaishanava saint of south India, goes about waking up her friends in the early morning, in preparation for the Margazhi rituals. While waking one of them there is an argument. But very soon Andal says (in Tamil) ‘Naanedan Ayiduha’—let the fault be mine.

For a peaceful pursuit of a spiritual life, getting into arguments to establishing what one did was correct leads to bitterness all around, and therefore not conducive to peace of mind.

On two occasions Lakshmana had to face difficult situations. One was when Sri Rama went after Maricha, who came in the guise of a golden deer. When Maricha was killed and called in Sri Rama’s voice, ‘Ha Sita, Ha Lakshmana’, Sita asks Lakshmana to go to Rama’s help. Lakshmana tried to explain to her but had to leave the place because of Sita’s strong words. Eventually when things turned out badly Sri Rama scolds Lakshmana saying you failed to carry out my orders.

A lesser personality than Lakshmana would have at least remonstrated and explained his dilemma. No. There was no use explaining. Wisdom lay in thinking of action ahead which Lakshmana did.

There was another instance where Lakshmana was placed in an awkward situation.

Rama is engaged in a private conversation with Kala, the Inscrutable Time. He instructs Lakshmana to wait at the door and not allow anyone to come in and disturb. Just then sage Durvasa appears and declares that unless he is given immediate entry he will curse the entire Ikshwaku clan. Lakshmana decides that his own personal welfare can be sacrificed to avoid Durvasa’s curse. He gets in.

Predictably Sri Rama gets upset and banishes T h e

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him. Lakshmana neither explains nor protests.

A Bhakta has no complaint against whatever is ordained by God. We thus see Lakshmana’s intense love for Sri Rama characteristic of a Bhakta. We also saw how he was a great Karmayogi A Great Tapasvi Lakshmana was a great Tapasvi, one who undertook upon oneself a discipline of rare order for fourteen years. He waited on Sri Rama, day and night with no thought for himself and with no sleep. He had no thought of his own wife or family.

He fulfilled his promise: I shall do all works for you, when you are awake as well as when you are sleeping.

He was free from Kama and Krodha, lust and anger, the twin enemies of a spiritual aspirant. That Lakshmana was free from any base thoughts of Kama is well delineated in the Ramayana. When Sri Rama asks him to identify the ornaments brought by Sugriva, he says he can identify only the ‘Nupura’, the ornaments Sita used to wear on her toes, as he looks at them when he pays obeisance to her every day. He has not seen her other parts of the body.

In Sugriva’s court when Tara appears before him to pacify him from his anger, Lakshmana feels embarrassed and looks the other way. He does not even see women other than his own family.

Lakshmana’s Anger It is a common view that Lakshmana was easily provoked and his anger was uncontrollable. A closer look will reveal that Lakshmana had a great deal of self-control. In assessing a person’s character we must avoid superficial judgments. In any situation anger arises

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1. When a person’s desire or Kama is thwarted 2. When he is bodily or mentally hurt 3. When on an idealistic plane, something wrong takes place While the first two cases are common and in those instances anger is a symptom of the person’s lack of capacity for patience or forbearance, the third does not bring any discredit for getting angry. In fact when a grave mistake is taking place, it is necessary for a right thinking person to get angry.

Ramayana itself started with such a story.

The Rishi was moved by compassion as he saw the hunter killing a Krauncha bird and heard the pitiful cries of the companion. He got angry and uttered a curse in the form of sloka. Throughout Ramayana there is not a single instance when Lakshmana was angry for any act of omission or commission against him. He was never angry for any wrong done to him. But when he perceived any injustice done to Sri Rama, he flared up. His anger was overwhelming when Sri Rama was deprived of his right to coronation. He also got angry when he saw Bharata coming to Chitrakoot with an army because he apprehended that Sri Rama might be harmed. There are no occasions when he was angry, even when he was unfairly treated, except on one occasion when Sita attributed bad motives to him on hearing Maricha’s cry.

That Lakshmana had a great deal of selfcontrol, rooted in the ideals of a Sthithapragna becomes apparent in his advice to Sri Rama,

who loses his balance because of his separation from Sita. We saw that at the instance when they realized that Sita was missing from the Ashrama, Sri Rama goes into deep sorrow and Lakshmana gave the first suggestion to look for her in the surrounding hills. In a difficult situation, he could think and act calmly.

Later, when days turn into months and the rainy season is over, Sri Rama’s despair knows no bounds. In his anger and frustration he threatens to blow up the hills or dry up the oceans. The words of wisdom that Lakshmana utters are not of the meek attendant in service of Rama in total reverence, but of a seasoned Yogi, who can instill confidence in a disciple, under mental depression.

Seeing Sri Rama in a lonely spot, desolate, absent minded and miserable Lakshmana felt very bad and addressed his elder brother thus: Why do you get obsessed with love and lose your strong personality? The balance of your mind and its composure are getting disturbed by your grief. Can you not get your calmness by practicing Yoga, and exercise of your will power? For one under mental depression a work therapy gives diversion to the mind. He further exhorts his brother to be firm even if he hears Sita is dead.

We see here a similar situation as witnessed in the beginning of the Gita where Arjuna refused to take part in the battle and Krishna had to admonish him in similar terms.

To render such sane advice to his elder brother, who was divinity personified, we can infer that Lakshmana had to be a great yogi. o

It is said that unless one is a holy man one cannot know a holy man, just as a vegetable-seller cannot know the value of a diamond. . . A holy man is judged according to the worth of his appraiser.

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Review Article

The Complete Works of Sister Nivedita —‘Khoki’ of Holy Mother and the ‘Most Rebellious Disciple’ of Swami Vivekananda P.S. SUNDARAM

The Complete Works of Sister Nivedita, in five volumes. Published by Advaita Ashrama, 5, Dehi Entally Road, Kolkata 700 014. Email: mail@advaitaashrama.org All hardbound. Pp: Vol.1 xix +504; Vol 2 xx + 499; Vol 3 xv + 511; Vol 4 xv + 532; Vol.5 ix + 427. Price per volume Rs.125 to Rs.165; Full set Rs.625/‘A Benediction’ by Swami Vivekananda to his illustrious disciple Nivedita reads (CW. 6.178), inter alia: The mother’s heart, the hero’s will…

All these be yours, and many more…

Be thou to India’s future son The mistress, servant, friend in one.

That was the guru’s vision of the disciple.

Sister Nivedita whose writings, published and in manuscripts, and speeches form this delightful and highly significant five-volume Complete Works of Sister Nivedita, saw herself as Swamiji’s ‘most rebellious disciple’. Possessed of a steely temperament, her devotion to guru was supreme but skepticism remained until she fully understood him. Swamiji’s letter to her (CW. 6.434) illustrates this appraisal. However, to Holy Mother, she was a dear daughter; to others, a venerable Western disciple of Swamiji. o

The contents of the five volumes are divided based on subject matter with a Chronological Table. The narrative covers India’s heritage experienced by a seeker of Truth from the West. Nivedita was a forceful speaker and writer. Her works include popular works such as ‘The Master As I Saw Him’ and ‘Kali The Mother’. Swamiji cautioned her about

Sister Nivedita

The author is a long-standing devotee of Sri Ramakrishna and a regular book reviewer for The Vedanta Kesari.

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the magnitude of the task in India, hostility from a superstitious, caste ridden masses in thralldom ‘shunning the white skin’, and surveillance by the ruling Raj. With these warnings he wholeheartedly welcomed Margaret Noble (as she was called in earlier life) having foreseen a dire need for her work. Soon she won the hearts of Indians.

A leonine, she was loving and caring, outspoken with no rancour. Leading an austere life in Calcutta in a lane ‘charmingly irregular’, she loved ‘India as the birthplace of the highest and best of all religions . . . where the homes are simple, where domestic happiness is most to be found and where the women unselfishly, unobtrusively, ungrudgingly serve the dear ones . . .’ (Vol.2, p.461,). When people fled plague infected Calcutta, Nivedita was busy rendering selfless service. Eulogizing Indian culture before a Bombay audience, she said: ‘I regret so deeply that I was born in another country’ (p.382, Vol.1). Again, ‘. . .

India is the only country in the world where a penniless wanderer may surpass a king in social prestige . . .,’ (Vol.3, p. 493).

With intensive training by her guru, it took just a few years for Nivedita to acquire proficiency in Indian history, scriptures and culture, and become an ‘orthodox Brahmin Brahmacharini’. An eye for details and a firm grip over the state of the nation led her to occupy the centre-stage in promoting social and political change and redefine the role of women. The ‘heavenly voyage’ to the West with Swamiji turned out to be a pilgrimage and training ground.

Each volume is enlightening. In the first volume The Master As I Saw Him records Nivedita’s experience. The Master cleared her T h e

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confused state and awakened her potential to undertake a gigantic mission in the country of adoption.

Initial cultural shocks with some ‘quaintseeming customs of the East’ notwithstanding, she adapted the native culture. She admired Swamiji’s sensitivity and humaneness. Refusing to reveal his identity when hotels in the West declined to entertain him, thinking ‘African’, he said: ‘Rise at the expense of another! I didn’t come to earth for that’. With deep reverence Nivedita recalls her feelings when the master himself served her food towards the end of his life.

Her message to Indians (Preface, Vol. 1): ‘First, to have infinite faith in their own reserve power; second, to gain all-round strength to free themselves from the shackles of the foreign government; and third, to realize that the advent of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda was to give light to those who walked in darkness’. The volumes reveal her role in arresting the growing decadence in the nation that was at the cusp of political action.

‘Notes of Some Wanderings With The Swami Vivekananda’ (Vol.1) records her exposure to the spiritual landscape. Swamiji’s talks ‘teemed with epigrams’. A Muslim family’s love, an encounter with Western guests in the Vale of Kashmir, ice linga in Amarnath, and many other incidents reveal Swamiji’s passionate love of Motherland. He said: ‘Remember, if you love India at all, you must

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love her as she is and not as you might wish her to become’ (p.373 Vol.1). One must come to India with an open mind, without prejudice, not postulating the West.

‘Kali The Mother’, the final chapter of Vol.1 is a remarkable work. About Sri Ramakrishna, the author finds that while ‘in no other country could he have occurred . . . he expresses the mind . . .’ not of India alone. He ‘represents Humanity’ (Vol.1, 492). The section ‘The Voice of the Mother’ is conspicuous for the stately thoughts.

The second volume contains three of Nivedita’s works including the popular The Web of Indian Life, and her lectures and articles. Her revelations angered Missionaries who were ridiculing the oriental lifestyle of a hopeless primitive folk. However, sections of the English press such as the ‘Queen’ expressed appreciation.

Her narrative is insightful. For example, ‘. . . Kali could not be worshipped without renunciation . . .’ Discussing Puranas, she observes Gandhari’s (Mahabharata) blessings to Duryodhana avoid victory; ‘Victory, my son, will follow the Right’. Aryan occupation theory is, however, questionable. The author’s virtuosity and spirit of Hindu culture are found in ‘Religion and Dharma’.

The Web of Indian Life is a fascinating account of Oriental lifestyle, its orthodoxy, caste barriers, role of housewives, and other customs. A droll little boy comes screaming as an ‘avenging angel’ when she was ready for breakfast before morning prayers! She observes different facets of culture; interpersonal relationships in the family, reverence of cows, the unique culture in Malabar, etc. Women may not be ‘educated’ but understood concepts like maya, nirvana that baffle the West. On ‘Etiquette . . .’ table manners are treated with humour (p.488).

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The epochal reforms of Shankara, Ramanuja and other saints, invasion by Moghuls (the advent of Islam forms another chapter), Hindu nobles remaining Hindus under Nawabs and Moslems retaining their faith under Hindu rulers, ‘the synthesis of all possible ideals and . . .shades of thought’ established by Sri Ramakrishna, the inclusiveness of Indian scene, etc., about which Nivedita wrote silenced Missionaries.

As if more was needed, she recalled: ‘In Catholic Europe…(one) could hardly study Plato without great suspicion’ while ‘In India, atheism itself might be preached on the very steps of the temple’. The chapter ‘On the Loom of Time’ has lessons for materialists. Nivedita hit hard to buttress her assertion and silence dissent saying, ‘I have the right of an English woman to express public regret for the part which countrymen and women of my own have played in vilifying a religious idea. . . ’ She communed with her heart in ‘An Indian Study of Love and Death’ and, in the following chapters lauded the significance of festivals, reverence of Neem tree, etc. The final moments of Gopaler Ma present a solemn farewell to the saint whom Sri Ramakrishna adored as mother.

In third Volume: As a connoisseur of fine arts Nivedita, impressed by Indian art, (‘Art with a spiritual message’) wrote many articles including Indian epics, Puranic tales, (‘Cradle tales of Hinduism’) etc. Two more chapters: ‘Religion and Dharma’, and ‘Aggressive Hinduism’ offer valuable inputs on these topics.

Her stories are infused with grace and fresh thoughts.

Volume 4 includes ‘Footfalls of Indian History’, ‘Civic Ideal and Indian Nationality’, ‘Hints on National Education in India’, ‘Famine and Flood in East Bengal in 1906’, and ‘Lambs among Wolves’.

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Greatness of Benares, popular monarchs Bimbisara, Ajathasatru, Gupta period, glen of Ajanta and 26 caves, Magadha (Bihar), works of Western scholars, views of Chinese pilgrim saints, the variety and elegance of Indian art, and more are refreshingly covered in Footfalls on Indian History. Buddhism, its break up, Vaishnavism, etc., testify that co-existence of many faiths is endemic to Indian culture.

Civic Ideal and Indian Nationality has interesting observations. For instance, while Mahabharata’s focus is ‘heroic and national’, Ramayana is ‘mainly personal and civic’.

Valmiki was obsessed with the ‘beloved city of Ayodhya’ and later about Lanka. Nivedita writes about the cities of Europe, Indian cities and clear skies, civic hospitality, villagers taking care of teachers, courtesies exchanged between Hindus and Muslims as unique oriental culture.

Commenting on three power centres, Buddhist, Puranic and Mughal, the author says, ‘Buddhism was . . . Hindu culture plus the democratic idea’. Virtues in Hinduism are ‘learning and austerity’; weakness being exclusiveness. Buddhism, however, split into sects. Identifying ‘a profound emotional development and refinement’ as the trait of ‘Indian personality’, the author admires the intense ‘feeling of the son for the mother’ and absence of loneliness among the elders. That culture has lately come under stress. Certain situations narrated in chapters on National, Swadesi movements have also undergone changes.

Papers on Education have valuable suggestions. Breadwinning education is useless unless children are trained to ‘…feel nobly, and to choose loftily and honestly’.

Educationists will find useful material in Hints on National Education. Manual training is a desideratum but Indians need no training in T h e

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‘dexterity’ as they eat with fingers! The papers on Famine and Floods present a heart-rending scene. The allegation of sedition in that context was galling.

The final volume No.5 contains Nivedita’s papers on education, Hindu life/ religion, political, economic, social issues, biographies, etc., and writings before her meeting with Swami Vivekananda. Teaching was her forte. Children, says she, must ‘long for knowledge before knowledge reaches them’. They must develop a passion to know more. That will ensure future enlightened citizens. A refreshing concept.

Nivedita observes a tendency for ‘selfish charity’ to gain ‘spiritual advantage…’ among Indians and a predilection for ‘foreign’ goods!

In a lecture on ‘Nationality’, she says that the ‘power of self-suppression for the sake of an ideal is a virtue which the Indian has still to learn’. This is necessary for an organization.

For harmony Hindus must take the first step in reconciliation with other faiths while lessons on ‘better manners’ could be learnt from ‘Mohammedan brethren’. Over time, these characteristics have undergone changes.

A black man, she points out, is superior to the white man in ‘emotional possibilities’. Thus there is no ’absolute standard’ to determine ‘backwardness.’

Volume Five concludes with articles on various topics.

Nivedita’s style has the charm of ‘old English’ of an English woman. In the words of Rabindranath Tagore, ‘Nivedita saw a great deal more than is usually seen by…foreigners who can only see things but not truths’ (Vol.2, 245). Her suggestions about Vivekananda Societies deserve attention.

The five volume set is a hugely commendable effort to be read by everyone especially students of Indian history and religion. o

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Article

Memories of Swami Parameshwarananda A Disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi A.K. DEY

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

The Construction and Consecration of Matri Mandir Swami Parameshwarananda (Kishori Maharaj) took with him the sacred relic of Holy Mother (a very small piece of bone collected after cremation) and brought it to Jayrambati. He kept it in the exact spot where she had been born and worshipped it. Later, it was placed in Holy Mother’s newly built house. As directed by Sharat Maharaj, he started searching for a suitable plot of land where the proposed temple of Holy Mother and Ramakrishna Sarada Sevashram could be built. After a thorough search, he found a large plot of land adjacent to Punya Pukur (Sacred Pond) suitable for the construction of the temple. Holy Mother had used this pond whenever she was at Jayrambati.

Kishori Maharaj got a map of that land and went to Udbodhan House in Kolkata.

He showed the map to Sharat Maharaj, who arranged for purchase of the land.

Subsequently Sharat Maharaj took him to the well-known engineer Vincent J. Esch, who had designed the Victoria Memorial. As requested by the revered Maharaj, Mr. Esch prepared a design for the proposed temple. Taking the map and the design, Kishori Maharaj returned

to Jayrambati. The construction work was started after clearing the land and worshipping its guardian deity.

While digging the temple’s foundation, a shivalingam (a symbolic representation of Lord Shiva) was found. It was made of black stone.

As advised by Sharat Maharaj, it was kept in Holy Mother’s newly built house. It was placed on the altar on which the photographs of the Master and Holy Mother had been installed.

The construction work of the temple (Matri Mandir) took about a couple of years.

The consecration ceremony of the newly built temple was held on an auspicious day, 19 April 1923. Sharat Maharaj came from Kolkata to preside over the ceremony. He was accompanied by some sannyasins and devotees.

On the appointed day, Sharat Maharaj, Kishori Maharaj, and others got up very early in the morning and performed their ablutions in the Amodar River. All the residents of the ashram did the same. The consecration ceremony started early in the morning.

Sharat Maharaj brought the photographs of the Master, Holy Mother, and Dakshina Kali from a nearby house and installed them in

The author, Prof. A. K. Dey, retired Principal of C.P. & Berar College, Nagpur, was initiated in 1955 by Swami Shankarananda, the seventh President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. He has been associated with Ramakrishna Math, Nagpur, since 1962. o T h e

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the sanctum of the newly built temple. Swami Vishweshwarananda from Belur Math acted as the main priest of the ceremony.

The consecration ceremony was attended by hundreds of devotees from nearby villages, in addition to the local devotees. The aroma of flowers, burning incense, and sandalwood pervaded the air. The sound of music, chanting of mantras, and the blowing of conch created a festive atmosphere. The hearts of the devotees in the temple precinct were overflowing with reverence. Many eager devotees were initiated by Sharat Maharaj. Hundreds of devotees who had come from far and near to attend the ceremony were fed to their hearts’ content. Twenty-five cooks were engaged to prepare the food. The feast continued till midnight. After sunset Kishori Maharaj performed the evening arati (vesper service).

Some devotees sang devotional songs. When the ceremony was in full swing, a group of Muslim bagpipers wearing turbans suddenly arrived and started playing their bagpipes.

A great number of poor women had come from nearby villages. By the time they received bhog prasad (cooked food offered to

God), it was already quite dark. It was not possible for them to return to their villages on such a dark night. So they lay down in rows on both sides of the road and slept. They returned to their villages the next day.

After the consecration ceremony, daily puja (worship) and other religious services were performed in accordance with the arrangements made by Sharat Maharaj. Swami Vidyananda (Rajen Maharaj) became the chief priest of the temple.

In Chennai After Holy Mother’s temple had been consecrated, Kishori Maharaj went on a pilgrimage. He visited various holy places in the South, then went to the Ramakrishna Math in Chennai. In those days, Swami Sharvananda was the President of Chennai Math. At his requested, Kishori Maharaj stayed there for a couple of months. During his stay he performed the daily puja, as desired by Swami Sharvananda.

Swami Sharvananda had great love and respect for Kishori Maharaj. He wanted him to stay at Chennai Math for at least a month more. But Kishori Maharaj

Holy Mother’s temple, Jayrambati

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received a letter from Sharat Maharaj asking him to return to Jayrambati as soon as possible, because he was tired of managing the affairs there. Sharat Maharaj enclosed an invitation card to attend the celebration of Holy Mother’s birth anniversary with Kishori Maharaj’s name listed as one of the organizers.

Return to Jayambati Kishori Maharaj left for Jayrambati the day after he received the letter. There he started making arrangements for the celebration of Holy Mother’s birth anniversary.

It was to be held in a grand manner in November. He had some monastic and lay disciples of Holy Mother to help him. A large number of devotees were present on this auspicious occasion. All of them received prasad and were fed to their hearts’ content.

The birth anniversaries of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda were also celebrated on a grand scale. As desired by Sharat Maharaj, Kishori Maharaj started organizing various festivals, including Jagaddhatri Puja, Durga Puja, Kali Puja, etc. All these festivals continue to be held at Jayrambati Ashram even today.

Kishori Maharaj spent almost his whole life at Jayrambati Ashram. He worked as the President of Matri Mandir and the Ramakrishna Sarada Sevashram for about half a century. It was due to his efforts that the construction of Matri Mandir, the temple of Singhavahini, two separate guests houses for ladies and gentlemen, the purchase of

cultivable land, and other achievements became possible.

He was loved and respected not only by the devotees of Holy Mother, but also by the people of Jayrambati and those who lived in nearby villages. He retired as the President of Jayrambati Ashram in 1968, handing over the responsibilities to Swami Gourishwarananda, who was also a direct disciple of Holy Mother.

Even after retirement, Kishori Maharaj kept himself busy with different welfare activities as long as he was physically capable. The activities which he started include Ramnam Sankirtan, holding religious classes, and making arrangements for the celebrations of the birth anniversaries of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda. He also started a rural development project under the guidance of expert teachers and social workers. This project included distribution of textbooks, milk, and tiffin to school children; supplying clothes to the poor and needy; and the establishment of a library at Jayrambati.

Kishori Maharaj passed away on 12 June 1978 at the age of ninety-two. His mortal remains were cremated near the Jayrambati ashram. He lived a life that was not only long, but pious, and filled with noble deeds. A true devotee and disciple of Holy Mother, he was deeply religious, kind-hearted, modest, generous, loving, and caring. He was loved and respected by everybody. The people of Jayrambati and nearby villages remember him even today, and look upon him as their guardian angel.

(Concluded.)

References 1. Sri Sri Maa O Jayrambati, by Swami Parameshwarananda, Sri Sri Matri Mandir, Jayrambati (Bengali).

1. Sri Sarada Devi: The Mother of All, by Swami Atmasthananda.

2. The Mother as I Saw Her, by Swami T h e

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Saradeshananda.

3. Sri Sri Mayer Katha (Bengali), published by Udbodhan Karyalay, Kolkata 700 003.

4. Sri Sri Sarada Devi (Bengali), by Brahmachari Akshaychaitanya.

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New Find

Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda1 Sep. 9. 1910 12, 13 Gopal Chandra Moge’s Lane, Baghbazar. Calcutta. India.

Dearest Grannie2, I have not had the pleasure of a single line from you for a long time, but I request you as before not to attempt to write, until you are well and strong. Sister Nivedita kindly gives me all informations about your health and recovery, that she is able to get from yourself and her other friends in the west. I hope you are getting stronger everyday and that Greenacre would give you rest and recoupment which you need so much at present. Remember me kindly to all the friends there who still care for me. I hope our esteemed friend Miss Farmer is better now than what she had been. My warm regards to her please.

I am sorry to hear from Sister Nivedita that you still feel you had been neglected by us in not being consulted before giving to Mr.Whitmarch power to act on our behalf as regards Swamiji’s books. But I trust dear Grannie that it is not so, since I wrote to you fully how we had been misled by Yuen’s[?] enthusiasm and her letter to us, which we took to have been written in consultation with you. We appreciate Yuen’s[?] enthusiasm to secure our interests but at the same time I must say we can never trust on her business capacities.

Again is it possible for us to forget our dear loving Grannie in everything whatever, who has done so much for us and who has become absolutely blended with our very lives and with everything that we have done and are doing? May God never forgive us if ever a trace of such feeling enter into our heart. As I told you in my last, I had been to Puri (Orissa) to consult the Swami Brahmananda’s opinions in certain things about the work and while there I found that he too shares the same warm regard for my Grannie and her dear love towards us and our works, so much so that he like myself can absolutely depend on the matter of Swamiji’s books and most other things upon her discretion and judgment. So do not indulge in the feeling that your children here can ever be ungrateful to you ever in the slightest things whatever, and when you are strong and able kindly act on our behalf as regards the books. The formal letter of power [?] request that the Sister Nivedita and myself are sending to you by this mail will clear away all misunderstanding and enable you to appear before all parties concerned as authorised and empowered by us.

Everything is going on as usual here. The Holy Mother is well but not strong with all her anxiety for all her children. Jogin Maa is so-so. Both of them would desire to send their heart’s love to you and prayers for your speedy recovery.

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With my warm love to my Grannie and prayers that she might be spared to us for a long time yet I remain, dear Grannie Ever your affectionate boy Saradananda

Math. Belur. Howrah.

India. Sep. 1. 10.

Dearest Grannie, I hope the improvement is being continued and you are almost yourself again. I had a letter this mail from Agnes telling that she saw you on her way to Greenacre and found you as frail, as to have been shocked at your appearance! Are you not well enough yet Grannie, to go to some good place as the sea side or the white mountains, just for a change? Nivedita seemed not to have heard from you by the last mail, for she did not send me any message.

But I hope you are well and being gradually restored to your former self.

Nivedita has been able to secure the piece of land adjacent to no 17 to the north and is planning for a little garden, you remember perhaps you recommended her this to do, while you were here last. It would really be a lovely retreat for herself and the children.

I went to Puri for a week to consult the Swami Brahmananda about certain things of the Math and have just been back. The Swami is not very strong and the sea-breeze here is the only thing which he has found helpful for his liver and nervous troubles. He inquired of you and desired to send you his warm regards.

This is about the worst time here in Calcutta and it is sweltering hot. Yet I have managed to keep well and do my work here as far as possible. I am now chiefly engaged with the conducting of the Bengally monthly Udbodhan and the editing with the help of Sister N. the books of Swamiji.

The Holy Mother is here and is well though not strong. She suffers from time to time with rheumatism and dysentery. She has wished to send you her love and blessings.

Jogin Maa comes here everyday to meet the Holy Mother and has desired her gratefulness & love to you.

I am sure you will gather from the above that I am writing this from Calcutta.

With my warm love and prayers for your speedy recovery Ever yours affecly Saradananda.

References 1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

2. Mrs. Sara Bull, an American disciple of Swami Vivekananda

Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math

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Article

Education—the Panacea For Social Evils LEKSHMI.R AND THARA JANE PAUL

Introduction Education is not merely the process of learning what are the three R’s but it is that which involves man-making, life-building assimilation of ideas. It helps one to mould one’s personality and integrity and thereby contribute oneself in bringing up a better social order. From the very ancient times of human civilization man could find in education the panacea for many of the social evils prevalent in society. Even today the educational policies are directed towards this goal. But it is worth to analyze the content, the method and the goal of modern education in order to understand and see whether it can be a remedy for the social evils that we come across today. It is here that Swami Vivekananda’s concept of education comes as a blessing. It is all-comprehensive in its nature, assimilating what is best in the Eastern as well as the Western, ancient as well as the modern schemes of education.

The term ‘education’ comes from the Latin educere which means propulsion from the internal to the external, i.e., a process of developing the inner possibilities and powers of an individual. As a process, it comprises all those activities which help the individual to

develop his abilities and accommodate himself usefully in the society. Swami Vivekananda says: ‘The training by which the current and expression of will are brought under control and become fruitful is called education. Thus education is a process which should incite the individual to think, to evaluate and finally to act.’1 To recall his words, ‘education is the manifestation of perfection already in man’.

Perfection is a call of the inner divinity within. This is what the ancient Vedantic tradition speaks to us. Infinite are the possibilities of man which lie deep within him.

This can be brought out by secular education (external) and spiritual education (internal). Hence education can be termed as a process by which the total human personality development can be realised.

The Ancient Scheme of Education Teaching-learning process is only a tool (medium) by which the inner potential or inner knowledge can be awakened.

Vivekananda says: ‘All knowledge is within us. In fact, none can teach anybody.’2 In the Upanishads one can seek references where the teacher adopts different techniques to awaken knowledge inherent in the student. Satyakama

Dr.R.Lekshmi, a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, has a doctoral thesis on Swami Vivekananda, is an Assistant Prof. of Philosophy, Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram. Thara Jane Paul, pursuing research on Swami Vivekananda, is an Assistant Prof. of Philosophy, University College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. o T h e

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adopts the method of cattle grazing in order to attain self-perfection. But Shukadeva was asked to do meditation upon the self. Thus it becomes clear that a teacher can only ignite the spark of self-knowledge present in the student that awaits external manifestation.

It is a truism that the ancient scheme of education in India gave centrality to spiritual living. But it was one that drew a scheme of comprehensive science of living. It taught the art of self-knowledge and self-mastery.

It is called Adhyatma-vidya or the science of human possibilities. 3 It gave utmost importance to Purusharthas and aimed at human excellence. It was anchored around the innate divinity of man which gave rise to the spontaneous manifestation of his self-dignity, oneness of existence, amiable social relations and a humanistic social order.

The aim of education was not simply stuffing the brain with intellectual ideas but taking one to the ladder of the highest truth.

The teaching-learning process comprised of a) Shravana (listening to the words of the teacher), b) Manana (reflecting over what is heard) and c) Nididhyasana (contemplating on what is heard and reflected.). Vivekananda says: ‘True knowledge is vijnana, it is neither reason nor inspiration, nor instinct nor intuition. It is all-forgiveness, it is realization.’4 If one analyses the history of Western civilization, it becomes clear that Westerners also gave centrality to higher values of life.

Socrates asserted: Man know Thyself. He also believed that the self in its original state is pure in nature. Knowledge lies deep within the inner recesses of man and education is a means to awaken the same. All knowledge is reminiscence and all learning is a reawakening.’5 Plato stressed the importance of building up an integrated personality where the appetitive, spirited and rational aspects T h e

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of man work in perfect harmony. A man of integrated personality will be one who is a repository of virtues, social justice, wisdom, courage and temperance.

The Modern and Postmodern Concepts of Education On the other hand, modern educational schemes, whether Indian or Western, give utmost importance to scientific rationality, technological advancements, material prosperities, productive efficiency and the like. What we need today is, in fact, a combination of the ancient and the modern schemes of education.

Speaking of the educational scheme, Vivekananda said: ‘What we want are Western Science coupled with Vedanta, Brahmacharya as the guiding motto and shraddha and also faith in one’s self.’6 These constitute the mechanism by which perfection or goodness is realized in individual and social life.

The Panacea for Social Evils Now the question is, how education can be a remedy for the social evils. In fact, education is the pivot of social reform.

Individuals make up a society and therefore any social reform or nation-building must begin with the making of individuals. Swamiji said: ‘That society is the greatest where the highest truths become practical.’7 The method which Swamiji found in bringing about a root and branch social reform was education.

Vivekananda appeared on the national scene much before the independence of India with his original ideas for reconstructing the nation. He was of the firm conviction that the spiritual quest in itself could be made the motive power of national reconstruction.

Improving material standards of life, economic growth and industrial development, scientific advancement all would have to find their

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proper place in his total scheme of all round regeneration of India. He exhorted Indians to live up to the ideal to bring about the model society where the material and spiritual forces are well balanced. He found that the root cause of social evils like castism, untouchability, oppression of the poor, etc., is the fact that Indians are oblivious of their past, rich cultural and spiritual heritage, a heritage which brings in strength, fearlessness, spirit of enthusiasm and power of self-reliance. He saw in education the best means for providing these factors that are much needed for social regeneration.

It may be said that Vivekananda’s is not a call to go back to the past but a break forward away from a present artificial falsity to India’s own greater inner potentialities.

He pointed out that India would do better, taking over whatever new knowledge or ideas science has to offer, to assimilate them to its own knowledge and culture, its own native temperament and spirit, mind and social genius and create therefrom the civilization of the future. Thus Vivekananda tried to build a bridge between the present and the future, or what is modern to what is ‘postmodern.’ The ramifications of Swamiji’s thought processes are indeed far-reaching and they deeply influence the course of social and political transformation of India.

If today the concepts of secularism and social justice are among the guiding principles of the Indian constitution, it is largely due to the ideas first propounded by Vivekananda who was rooted in Vedanta. Again if the question of giving equal rights to women, of ensuring that they have access to education and equal opportunities in social and political life is a top agenda of UGC and other national policies today, it is because of Vivekananda’s early steps to begin with the education of T h e

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women against stiff opposition from the conservative and rigidly orthodox sections of the society. If religion has been rescued to a large extent from the clutches of obscurantism, superstition and priest-craft, it is because of Swamiji’s denunciation of those who were misusing religion for their own ends. He gave a totally new connotation to the concept of secularism. He said: ‘We believe not only in toleration, but we accept all religions as true.’8 An analysis of Vivekananda’s philosophy of education at the background of the present day, characterized as the ‘postmodern age’ is very apt in this context. The arrival of postmodernity forces us to ask, well, what is or was modernity? Post-modernity is a multilayered concept that alerts us to a variety of major social and cultural changes taking place at the end of the 20th century within many advanced societies. Rapid technological change involving telecommunications and computer power, shifting political concerns, the rise of social movements, especially those with a gender, green, ethnic and racial focus are all implicated. The concept of postmodernity alerts us to some tremendously important social as well as cultural shifts that took place at the end of the 20th century. Modernity’s forward looking thrust relates to beliefs in progress and the power of human reason to assert its freedom. But its discontents spring from the same source: unrealized optimism and the inherent doubt fostered by post-traditional thought. It is a truism that modernity’s achievements are astonishing. But modernity was a mixed blessing.

Need of the Day In the midst of modernity’s achievements, man failed to consider how to relate ourselves to man, how to live in cooperation and amity with our neighbors, how to deal

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with the other individuals in society for mutual benefit. Almost all social evils that we see in this present day society is, in fact, a daring consequence of these. We neglected the understanding and cultivation of the manward awareness. Today modern education system has to take up that neglected theme in a big way, to purify and strengthen our precious old religious inheritance. Interpersonal relationships is secular and yet deeply spiritual in its content. Enlightened citizenship i.e., to live as an enlightened responsible human being is part and parcel of the total spiritual development and fulfillment of man. This, in fact, is Swamiji’s call of education for man-making with a view to nation-building.

We have got political freedom. But that itself does not make for citizenship. Freedom brings with it responsibility, to make a citizen.

Our freedom has not strengthened, but only weakened our democracy because it has not been enriched by the sense of responsibility and respect fellow human beings. That is why today we have indiscipline, misbehaviour, breaking law, etc., among our citizens in India, weakening our social set up despite our increasing literacy rates and educational advancements. Right from the primary stage itself, the sense of responsibility along with that of freedom should be injected into the young minds through the process of education.

When something is for the good of the people at large, one’s enthusiasm is sag and dim. Thus we need to have an education that will help us

to discover and live by our primary identity, the identity that I am the one among the many (Jiva- brahma abheda, Jiva-jiva abheda).

Visualizing the scheme of a man-making, nation building education, Vivekananda had said: There is no problem of modern India that cannot be solved by that magic word, ‘education.’9 An educational process with Brahmacharya as its motive and also Shraddha and faith in oneself will produce men of trained minds, and not just stuffed brains, disciplined, patriotic, dedicated and, therefore, efficient citizens to serve the society externally and achieve higher levels of character excellence internally.

Conclusion One can see the paradigm-shifts that have taken place in the scheme of education from ancient to postmodern times. The paradigm of educational programmes accepted and followed during the ancient times was nothing else but wisdom. During the modern era wisdom gave way to knowledge and by the time men reached the postmodern age, the shift to information. Thus it is high time that we realize if we are to achieve the true ends of education we must ensure that the present educational system be driven by the paradigm of wisdom. Swami Vivekananda’s education ideas are those which are guided by the paradigm of wisdom which can also accommodate within its ambit the necessary constituents that the changing world-scenario demands. o

References 1. Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol. iv, 1968,p 490.

2. BK Lal, Contemporary Indian Philosophy, Motilal, 2010.p.46.

3. Originally used by Aldous Huxley 4. BK Lal, op.cit. p.44.

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5. Thilly, Frank, A History of Philosophy, Allahabad.1967. p32.

6. CW, Vol. V, p58 7. CW, Vol. 2. p85 8. CW, Vol. III. p.432 9. Swami Vivekananda, The Friend of All.2007, p71

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The Order on the March News and Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Mission At Belur Math The birthday (tithi puja) of Sri Ramakrishna was celebrated at Belur Math on Thursday, 10 March.

Cooked prasad was served to about 24,000 devotees. The General Secretary presided over the public meeting held in the afternoon.

The annual Public Celebration in connection with Sri Ramakrishna’s birthday was held at Belur Math on Sunday, 13 March. More than a lakh visitors thronged the premises throughout the day. Cooked prasad was served to about 36,000 persons.

Siddharth United Social Welfare Mission (SUSWM), Kolkata, conferred SUSWM Great Social Service Award 2016 on Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in recognition of the twin organizations’ service to society.

On behalf of the Math and Mission, Swami Divyananda received the award, comprising a medal and a citation, in a function held in Kolkata on 13 March.

Swami Smarananandaji inaugurated the newly built multipurpose block on the campus of Probationers’ Training Centre at Belur Math on 4 March, and the new educational and cultural complex near the Old Math (erstwhile Nilambar Mukherjee’s Garden House) at Belur Math on 9 March. o Celebration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sister Nivedita Chennai Math held a hari-katha (discourse intermingled with songs) on Sister Nivedita during Vivekananda Navaratri celebrations on 9 February at Vivekananda House. A special photo exhibition on Nivedita was also arranged.

Ranchi Morabadi centre conducted five block-level and one district-level youth conventions from 10 February to 5 March. In all, 1013 youths participated in the conventions. The centre also held a programme on women empowerment on 8 March, International Women’s Day, in which about 350 women from 101 villages took part.

Swamiji’s Ancestral House held two lectures on 22 February and 18 March which were attended altogether by 450 people. o News of Branch Centres (in India) The General Secretary inaugurated the newly set-up exhibition on Swami Vivekananda at Saradapitha on 1 March.

Vivekananda University conducted a national seminar on the three major schools of Vedanta from 29 February to 3 March. Sri E S L Narasimhan, Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, inaugurated T h e

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the seminar, and the General Secretary presided over the inaugural meeting. Special lectures on different Vedantic texts were also held from 1 to 5 March.

Chandipur Math held the inaugural function of its yearlong centenary celebration on 10 March, the sacred birthday of Sri Ramakrishna, with special puja, a procession, a public meeting and cultural events.

About 8000 people attended the programmes. A seminar for teachers was held on 12 March in which 160 teachers took part. On 20 March the General Secretary inaugurated the newly built first floor on Vivekananda Hall and presided over a youth convention which was attended by 190 youths.

Swami Gautamanandaji inaugurated the newly built staff quarters, ‘Swami Ramakrishnananda Bhavan’ at Kadapa centre on 12 March.

Chennai Math distributed buttermilk and sharbat to about 37,000 people on 20 and 21 March on the occasion of the annual Ratha Yatra and other celebrations of Sri Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Chennai. The centre also conducted a cleaning programme on the temple’s campus on 21 March.

The General Secretary inaugurated, in the presence of Swami Shivamayanandaji and others, the newly constructed vocational-training-cum-production centre of Baghbazar Math on 25 March. The unit is located at Pranakrishna Mukherjee Lane, Kolkata.

Students of Chennai Students’ Home polytechnic participated in the Inter Polytechnic Athletic Association (IPAA) Divisional Tournament 2015-2016 organized by Department of Technical Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, and won in the following games: Kho-Kho (secured 1st place), Hand Ball (secured 1st place), Ball Badminton (secured 2nd place), Cricket (secured 3rd place), Kabaddi (secured 3rd place).

The students also participated in IPAA Divisional Athletic Meet and won 22 prizes in different events.

The college also secured the Overall Championship for Sports and Games and Overall Championship for Athletics awards in the Tournament.

Further, in the Inter-Division Sports Meet they secured first place in Kho-Kho and March Past events, and three prizes in athletic events. Trophies, medals and certificates were issued to the winners and the college.

King Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain, conducts, on its campus, a programme called Model United Nations (MUN) which is a simulation of the workings of different organs of the United Nations.

In that programme, delegates representing a country or an international organization debate on issues of international relevance. A student of Chennai Vidyapith participated as chairperson of the Human Rights Council in the fourth edition of MUN which was held from 2 to 5 February.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) held its ‘Expression Series’ competition with Swami Vivekananda as the theme on 12 January. A class-9 student of Deoghar Vidyapith participated in it and was awarded a certificate of merit and a sum of 2500 rupees for his essay on Swamiji in Sanskrit. o News of Branch Centres (Outside India) Three ministers of the Government of Bangladesh, namely Finance Minister Mr Abul Mal Abdul Muhit, Home Minister Mr Asaduzzaman Khan, and State Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki, and several other dignitaries spoke in the meetings organized by Dhaka centre as a part of its five-day-long Sri Ramakrishna’s birthday celebration from 7 to 11 March. o Values Education and Youth-related Programmes conducted by centres in India Delhi centre conducted (i) a workshop for school principals on 16 March which was attended by 186 T h e

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persons, mainly principals, and (ii) a two-day values education workshop for school teachers on 29 and 30 March which was attended by 128 teachers.

Gurap Ashrama conducted two programmes on values education on 25 and 26 March which were attended by 380 persons, comprising mainly students, on each day.

Haripad Math held 9 values education camps in February-March in which 1044 students took part.

Jammu Ashrama conducted a values education programme on 6 March which was attended by about 200 people.

Kamarpukur centre held seminars on values education on 15 and 26 March in which altogether 800 delegates participated.

Khetri centre conducted the following programmes from 20 January to 20 February: (i) 21 values education workshops in schools and colleges of Khetri and nearby areas in which 2324 students and 69 teachers participated, and (ii) 5 sessions of personal counselling in which 47 students were counselled by experts.

Pune Math held a seminar on personality development on 26 February in which 165 nursing students took part.

Visakhapatnam centre held a competition on Swami Vivekananda’s quotations from 16 January to 6 February in which 18,400 students of 196 schools in 3 districts of Andhra Pradesh participated. o Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Campaign) The following centres conducted cleanliness drives in their respective areas and raised public awareness about cleanliness: Students and staff of Chennai Students’ Home polytechnic cleaned a government hospital in Chennai on 27 February.

Kamarpukur centre carried out its fourth cleanliness drive on 27 March in which several monks, employees and volunteers cleaned a few streets in and around Kamarpukur village.

Nagpur Math, as a part of its yearlong Swami Akhandananda Swachchhata Prakalpa, held three cleaning programmes in March in which 80 people cleaned a slum in Nagpur.

Students and teachers of Indore school cleaned a public road in the city on 21 March. o Relief Work 1. Winter Relief: (i) Various centres of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in India distributed 9437 blankets to poor people. (ii) The following centres distributed various winter garments, mentioned against their names, to needy people: Almora: 41 sweaters and 1 blazer from 1 January to 20 March. Belgharia: 9 coats on 18 March.

Cherrapunji: 19 shawls in February. Darjeeling: 2662 shawls from 14 June to 27 March. Lalgarh: 100 jackets from 2 to 20 January. Lucknow: 4038 jackets and 1745 sweaters from 26 January to 1 March.

Mayavati: 2000 jackets and 5000 sweaters from 26 January to 5 March. Pune: 650 sweatshirts from 5 to 28 February. Rajkot: 3611 sweaters from 9 to 21 February. Visakhapatnam: 1500 jackets and 3500 sweaters from 20 February to 13 March.

2. Cyclone Relief: Fiji: Continuing its relief work, Fiji centre distributed 200 kg rice, 100 kg dal (lentils), 100 kg salt, 4960 packets of 10 varieties of vegetable seeds, and assorted garments among the people affected by Cyclone Winston. The centre also provided medical relief to 417 patients from 27 February to 21 March. o T h e

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Book Reviews

For review in The Vedanta Kesari,

publishers need to send us two copies of their latest publication.

Wisdom in Verses Dohavali

By Goswami Tulasidas, Translated by Swami Brahmeshananda Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004. Email: mail@chennaimath.org 2014, paperback, pp.222.

Rs.70.

The great poet Tulasidas is a well-known name all over India as the author of the greatly beloved work ‘Ramcharitmanas’, a version of the Ramayana that has traditionally found a place in most Hindu homes. This book under review translated

by Swami Brahmeshananda, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, is a companion, to ‘Ramcharitmanas’.

Firstly, there is a very informative and interesting Introduction. The introduction, as the name suggests, gives us insights into the great poet- saint’s life. The translator places Tulasidas’ contribution in the right perspective. In and through his works, Tulasidas included a high sense of morality and kindness in human relationships, and inspired intense devotion to Rama. The 42 chapters that follow this Introduction are illustrative of the wisdom spoken about.

The book begins with meditation verses so that the reader’s mind can focus on the subject, which is Sri Rama. This is followed by verses on the glory of His name, the repetition of which has the power to save us from the direst situations.

The third and fourth sections describe the evil of turning away from Rama, followed by methodology to be adopted to inculcate devotion for Him. Every single section has a definite scope and the reader can, if he or she wants, turn to the section which is most relevant at the time. Complete submission is Tulasidas’ offering—in the section entitled ‘Prayer’, T h e

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he declares that even being called a slave of Sri Rama is acceptable to him as he is privileged to be even a servitor to Him. Tulasidas also mentions the great Rama Bhaktas—Ahalya, Jatayu and Hanuman, as well as the places made holy by association with Sri Rama. In every verse, the meaning as well as the significance has been clarified. Special mention has been made by Swami Brahmeshananda of the section entitled ‘Ode to Chataka’, the bird for whom nothing but the rain drops that fall under the star Svati, straight into the beak of the bird. Sri Ramakrishna has also used this metaphor to denote intense devotion.

Later sections speak of the real definitions of friendship, love and goodness as well as giving sound advice in human relationships. For instance, one verse says: ‘Do not underestimate minor disputes. They may lead to frightful consequences’ (pg 168 ibid).

The importance of the right time to do anything is emphasised. The opportune moment has to be made use of, otherwise the desired results may elude one.

However, Tulasidas despairs of worldly people comprehending the Ramayana as a compendium of life’s lessons which can serve as a guide: ‘People are taught the Ramayana, but they follow the way of the Mahabharata. Who will listen to the fool Tulasi in this Kaliyuga when people love wickedness?’ (pg 212, ibid) As a guide to daily living, Swami Brahmeshananda’s translation fills a gap. One of the best features about this version is the translator’s own commentary following many of the verses. These comments are brief and succinct, just explaining what might be ambiguous to the reader. Further the simplicity of the path of Bhakti, although very difficult to actually follow, is very beautifully explained by means of the verses. So many books are published which advocate very complex life style changes, here is Swami Brahmeshananda’s translation of a text which has been in our collective

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consciousness for centuries, which shows us how to get straight to the point. This is an excellent book, whose value, like that of its subject, will extend and expand with each reading and reference. The title says it all—it is a capsule of wisdom in verses and, like all wisdom, made better with reflection and practice. ___________________________ PREMA RAGHUNATH, CHENNAI

The Endless Quest and Other Heart-to-Heart Talks

By J.P.Vaswani Published by Gita Publishing House, Sadhu Vaswani Mission,10, Sadhu Vaswani Path, Pune - 411 001. Email: gph@ sadhuvasawani.org 2014, paperback, pp. 136, Rs.195.

The book may be regarded a potent antidote to the toxic virus of materialism and body-love with which mankind is seriously infected. Almost all the key elements of the spiritual which a spiritual seeker should implement are touched upon and elaborated in the fifteen chapters that make up the book. The need for firm faith in God and a genuine attitude of friendliness towards Him, the necessity of giving a trial of the all-too marginalised God as our saviour of central importance in crises, prayer as a means of winning God’s grace, the need and the role of Guru, the efficacy of meditation as a solvent of stress, the need to live only and fully in the present, the need to conquer kama and krodha, the value of silence, moderation in habits, persistent practice of Self-inquiry to discover our true identity, Self-discovery, tenacious adherence to Truth, introspection, mind-control, sense-control, the need to read, reflect and practise, conquest of bodylove, the difference between the Ego and the Self concepts of macrocosmic and microcosmic Reality, the Truth of Atman-Brahman identity, the positive conception of suffering as a gift from God, practical suggestions to realise the Self, pain to be conceived as a gateway to God-realization, the passion of the saintly to take on the pain of others, equanimity in weal and woe, the need for contentment, meaning of true happiness, the prerequisites for respectable T h e

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Happiness Quotient, the way to maximise GNA (Gross National Happiness), exploration of the interior altitudes of our being, the virtue of vairagya, various types of attachment, harnessing of our senses to spiritual ends, the need to awaken spiritual power—all these and many more concepts are catalogued, examined, analysed and studied to evolve successful formulae of spiritual exercise, spiritual quest and spiritual discovery.

The author of the book has splendidly spiced his narrative with appealing anecdotes, exciting tales, telling analogies and incisive witticisms.

Lofty spiritual concepts and truths are dished out in disarmingly delicious doses. The practical tips for purposeful spiritual living are offered in persuasive and appealing ways. The book is particularly valuable in that it is capable of significantly swelling the ranks of spiritual-minded persons by curing sceptics of their deep-rooted distrust. _________________________________ N.HARIHARAN, MADURAI

Vivekacudamani

By Dravidacharya Sri Ramakrishnan Swami Published by Shastra Netralaya, 1, Atma Vignan Bhavan, Baba Kali Kamli, Ram Nagar (Pashulok Post), Rishikesh, Himalayas-249 201.hramkrim@gmail.com 2014, paperback, pp.452.

Price not given Acharaya Shankara’s masterpiece Vivekacudamani does not need an introduction and its quality is such that it is beyond and above all reviews. Therefore, here we shall only review the ‘commentary, explanation and notes’

by Sri Ramakrishnan Swamiji who is known by his appellation ‘Dravidacharya’.

The Foreword is written by Swami Shantidharmananda Saraswati under whom Dravidacharya had studied the scriptures in the traditional manner, which included Sanskrit grammar and the six systems of Indian philosophy with special emphasis on Vedanta. It has been mentioned in the Foreword that the verses in the book, Vivekacudamani, are divided into seven sections by the scholars, viz. Introduction, Sravana, Manana, Samadhi, Miscellaneous, Self experience and the

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State of liberation. However Dravidacharya has preferred to classify them under 75 themes or topics like Mangalacharana, The eligible seeker, Method of instruction, Description of the Gross body, etc., which have been serially mentioned in the Index (not Contents). The Index, which has been placed immediately after the Introduction, and not in the end, has the topic and the number of the corresponding verses but the page numbers are missing—something most unusual.

The Foreword is followed by the Introduction.

The commentator admits there in that there are already a number of translations and commentaries of Vivekacudamani available. Then, why another?

He says: ‘The idea of writing this book came after seeing many translations and commentaries on this written in English, with carefully selected words from the lexicon and free translation, sometimes even leaving the important words.’ One of the important features of this work is, therefore, the word meaning given at times by breaking even the compound word.

This book is written for three different sets of people: 1. Those who are only interested in the meaning of the verse; 2. Those who are interested in the word meaning as well; and 3.Those who are interested in some deeper insight also. To satisfy the needs of these different sets of people, five parts of every sloka are presented: 1.The original sloka in Sanskrit; 2. Its transliteration; 3. The word meaning; 4. The meaning of the whole sloka; and 5. Insight or commentary wherever called forth.

The author has succeeded in these to a considerable degree. There are absolutely no mistakes in the original Sanskrit verses. So also the transliteration done by the standard style and code is spotless. In the breaking of words, for word meaning, the transliteration code is not followed.

This word meaning is the special feature of the book.

This is followed by the meaning of the verse and at most places a commentary or explanation of some specific word or theme. This is done in simple English without caring for the most suitable word or phrases. This approach makes the text read like notes rather than a book.

Commenting on the first verse the commentator has explained rationally the contradictory words ‘gochara and agochara being used for Govinda, which again has three meanings.

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The word Sadguru is beautifully interpreted, so also the reason for pranati, salutation, even in an advaitic text have been given. There is a detailed and important discussion on the second to seventh verse which deal with the rarity of human birth and Self realization. In a novel interpretation, Vadantu, yajantu, kurvantu, bhajantu, ie. Speaking, doing sacrifices, doing actions, and worshipping, of verse six have been shown to explain the four types of results of karmas ie. Samskarya, apya, utpadya, vikarya. While in most part, the commentator follows the traditional interpretations of the words and phrases, which a scholar of advaita Vedanta can appreciate, there are few such novel and unconventional explanations. It is not possible to present a review of every one of the 580 verses.

The explanations are exhaustive and anyone interested in a detailed commentary of Vivekacudamani must read it. In this almost all the important concepts of Advaita Vedanta have been covered by Acharya Shankara and the commentator. Those who are already well versed in Advaita Vedanta would also enjoy it. Those who are the teachers of scriptures would find this as a reference book, for the commentator has explained most of the important Sanskrit words and phrases.

The reviewer, having been an editor of an English journal, feels that although the comments are valuable and in accord with the traditional understanding of scriptures, they need thorough editing. Otherwise the book may not be received well by the English knowing people, since there are already a number of good English translations available. __________________ SWAMI BRAHMESHANANDA, VARANASI

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The Bhagavad Gita, A thread through the eighteen gems, A Rereading

By Dr. A.V. Srinivasan Published by Periplus LLC, Box 56, East Glastonbury, CT 06025, USA. www. periplusbooks.com 2015, paperback, pp.115, $ 11.99.

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of Connecticut in the US. In view of his training in Samskritam, he is engaging in the performance of worships as well as giving lectures on Hindu Philosophy. He has already published several monographs, and the current book on the Gita is his latest. The book carries a foreword by Swami Tyagananda, a former editor of Vedanta Kesari.

The Gita has been a text of perennial inspiration ever since the time it was uttered by Sri Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

Innumerable commentaries have been written on it since the time of Adi Sankaracharya. But, the interesting feature about these commentaries is that till recent times all of them have been written

by Sannyasis, who used the text to establish their own school of thought. The emphasis in these commentaries is on the way of life of Sannyasis. This is strange because the main teaching of the Gita is to redirect the mind of Arjuna from Sannyas to his duty to fight the battle. It is only in recent times that this fact has been recognized and the emphasis has shifted to the duties of the common individual.

The first such interpretation was by Swami Vivekananda, who called the Gita ‘Practical Vedanta’. Since that time, several more authors like Tilak, Sri Aurobindo, Vinobha Bhave, etc., have interpreted the Gita from the common man’s point of view. The current book is such a commentary written basically for ordinary individuals.

The book under review has, like the Gita, eighteen chapters, each one of them sequentially corresponding to one chapter of the Gita. The author has selected from each Gita chapter a few verses and used them to explain the message of the text. He calls the basic ideas of the text as the string connecting all the chapters. There is an advantage in this procedure that one gets a good bird’s eye view.

But, there is one disadvantage also. It demands of the reader a prior knowledge of the essence of the text. In this sense, the book is of use to those who are already familiar with the text. It is, however, of equal use to beginners also, since it gives them a good entry point for further studies.

Readers will surely benefit from a study of the book. There is an appendix to the book, containing the text of some earlier publications of the author.

The book should certainly be prescribed reading for students, especially the children of non-resident Indians living outside India. ______________________________ NVC SWAMY, BANGALORE

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Let Go

By Prof. A. Satyanarayana Sastry, Edited by Garani.S Radhakrsnan.

Published by Yoga Bharati, Bangalore, ’Yoga Vasishta’, #453, 6th Cross, Nobel Residency Colony, Chikkakamanahalli Road, Bangalore 560 076. Email: yogabharati.bangalore@ gmail.com 2014, paperback, pp.307, Rs.300.

Professor Sastry, former Professor of Chemistry relinquished his job for devoting his life for an intensive study of ancient Vedantic texts . The book contains a few lectures given by him in the U.S. in 2012. The emphasis of the lectures is on practice more than on theory.

Though the Professor delves deep into the Upanishads, Gita and yoga shastras he takes three ideas from ‘Yoga Vasishta’—elimination of mental speed and focusing in life which cause duhkha [suffering] and contemplation on our true nature [atmabodha].

Anger, lust, jealousy, excessive thinking are not our true nature. We are really Brahman which is a non-thinking and non-doing principle. As Brahman is everywhere, we must try to eliminate these super-imposed tendencies like vasanas carried over from previous births, shed pinpointed thinking and our rajasic and tamasic mental speed and practice ‘akasadharma’ [expansive state] which is a no-mind state. To prove how this ‘jagat’ full of activity was born out of a non-doing silence the Professor uses a calculus model which is refreshingly new.

Vasanas [boredom forces] are the unspent vital forces that trigger us into ceaselesss activity by building pressure in the mind centre on the ‘aajna chakra’ between the eye-brows.

Sri Krishna says: He who is able to stand here on earth, before casting off his body, the urges of lust and anger he is a yogi—a harmonised soul; he is a happy man. Unless we stop the ‘coning phase’ [eye on details], adopt a diffusive state and stop doing something or other, it is not possible to kill the mind. Unless we kill the mind by adopting the ‘Let Go’ attitude [udasinabhava i.e. dispassion],

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suffering will continue. The Professor is aware that in this technological era it is difficult to practice such discipline. One has to make a beginning, he says.

‘Slow down and relax assuming an expansive attitude, and at the same time, sticking to the ‘Let Go’ [amanibhava—no-mind state] and silence, practicing the non-doing which is the property of the Self’ The Professor’s analysis of sukha and duhkha is very original and his dealing with Omkara Upasana citing Sri Ramakrishna’s words, ‘Gayatri ends in’ Om’, and ‘Om’ ends in silence, recalls to us the the Great Master’s words to the effect that even Vedas are defiled by the tongue and that Brahman alone is not defiled by the tongue.

Plates visualise the central ideas of the chapters. The cover design picturises the ‘akasadharma’ described in ‘Anandavalli’ [p.108] The Question-Answer section on each chapter is very illuminating. There are spelling mistakes in the caption of Chapter 9 and in the second line of The Book Introduction. Pages 9—24 are reduplicated.

These mistakes may be corrected in the next edition.

Index will be useful for reference purposes.

The compact disc of the lectures enables one to hear the Professor’s voice. The book is a boon to the modern younger generation who live a restless life for ‘filthy lucre’ and who are unaware of our heritage. ____________________________ K.PANCHAPAGESAN, MUMBAI

Isavasya Upanishad - Discourse and Commentary

By Dr.Rajni Kant Lahri, 743, Kamala Sadan, Agarwal Colony, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, 482 002.

Email: rklahri@gmail.com, 2012, paperback, pp.147, Rs.60.

This small book has a very lucid and elaborate commentary on Isavasya Upanishad. In the form of the commentary, it touches upon various topics of Advaita Vedanta—theoretical and practical.

The commentary is preceded by a few chapters which are very informational. There is information on the number of Upanishads, the topics covered and T h e

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a brief about each of the ten principal Upanishads.

There is a chapter dedicated to the explanation of the Mahavakya ‘Tat Twam Asi’.

Two very interesting chapters are present in the book, which are quite scholarly expositions.

One of them shows how the Upanishads have influenced philosophical and religious thought in various parts of the world like Europe and Middle East. It describes the influence on Sufi, neo-Platonic, Sikandria Christians, Eckhart, Teller, Schopenhauer, etc. It shows how the Upanishads travelled to Europe through the translation sponsored by Dara Shikoh. It has a very detailed account of the influence of the Upanishads on Islamic and Christian thought with references to a number of books and thinkers.

The other interesting chapter in the book is a very scholarly article on ‘European Conspiracy against Vedic Culture’. This chapter talks about the Colonial interest in removing Indians from their culture to enable subjugation and conversion. It gives details of various efforts like Aryan Invasion theory, devaluation of Hindu Gods, false dating of Ramayana and Mahabharata, derogatory translation of Hindu scriptures, etc. It would have been more complete if the author had extended this discussion to include how the misrepresentation of Indian culture is being continued now by American academia.

Here are two paragraphs from the preface which are representative and summarizing: ‘All of us are aware of our core personality. In the unitive state the Self is seen to be one; the same Self in everyone. There is Self in all beings. Self is the innermost essence. When the Self appears behind the Universe, it is called God; this very Self in body is known as soul, the individual soul. It is a unity indestructible and indivisible.’

‘The message of Vedanta is that we realize the Pure Awareness in our own self here and now and in this very life time by expanding our self with love, compassion, altruism, forgiveness, honesty, caring and sharing, and protecting virtue, overcoming negative thoughts with prayer and gratitude to God.’ The verse-by-verse commentary is quite readable with the right balance of lucidity and rigour. This can be a good introduction to the study of Upanishads. __________________________________GOKULMUTHU, MUMBAI.

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(continued from page 6. . .)

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Prof. Gopal Chandra Bhar, W.B.

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-do- Mr. Prasanna Parvathaneni, USA Mr. Hinadri K. Chaudhuri, W.B Mr. Kalaiselvam, Chennai

B.N. College, Patna - 800 004 Bhagalpur Evening College, Bhagalpur - 812 001 Govt. S.S.P. Arts, Balaghat (M.P.) - 481 001 Durgapur Government College, J.N. - 713 210 The Senior Citizens Centre, Muttukadu, T.N. - 603 112 Ramakrishna Vivekananda Sevashrama, Shalejval - 422 007 Tamralipta Mahavidyalay, Purba Medinipore, W.B. - 721 636 A.S. Degree College, Mawana, Uttar Pradesh - 250 401 Deoraha Baba S.D. Degree College, Garkha, Saran - 841 311 Gayatri Vidya Parishad College, Visakhapatnam, A.P. - 530 048 Kala Wanijya Mahila, Mahavidyalaya, Maharashtra - 442 401 Dist. Institute of Education, Warangal Dist., A.P. - 506 001 Gurajada College of Education, Srikakulam, A.P. - 532 401 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Jaipur, Orissa - 755 043 MCM D.A.V. College, Chandigarh, Punjab - 160 001 Govt. Degree College, Papumpare Dist., Arunachal Pradesh - 791 111 Sri Govinda Guru Rajakiya, Banswada, Rajasthan - 327 001 Anna University, Sardar Patel Road, Chennai - 600 025 A.E.M.P. College, Aurangabad, Maharashtra - 431 112 A.J.S.P. Mandals College, Beed, Maharashtra - 431 122 MGM Medical College, Aurangabad, Maharashtra - 431 003 University Library, Aurangabad, Maharashtra - 431 001 Chidambaram Pillai College, Trichy, T.N. - 621 005 Chikkanna Govt. Arts College, Tirupur, T.N. - 638 602 Banaras Hindu University, Varnasi, Uttar Pradesh - 221 005 D.M. College, Manipur, Assam - 795 001 Bihar National College, Ashok Rajpath, Patna - 800 004 Birla Institute of Technology, Vidya Vihar, Pilani - 333 031 Modern Hr.Sec.School, Nanganallur, Chennai - 600 061 Saraswati Vidhyalaya, Nagpur, Maharashtra - 440 010 Karthigeyan Mat. Hr.Sec.School, Vadapalani, Chennai - 600 026 Ethiraj College, Egmore, Chennai - 600 008 Rani Meyyammai Girls Hr. Sec. School, Chennai - 600 028 Samarth Seva Mandal Library, Satara, Maharashtra - 415 013 Presidency College,Triplicane, Chennai - 600 005 Raja Muthia Hr. Sec. School, R.A.Puram, Chennai - 600 028 Madras Institute of Technology, Chrompet, Chennai - 600 044 Sri Ramakrishna Matrc. Hr. School, Pattabiram, Chennai - 600 072 Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Virugambakkam, Chennai - 600 092 S.K.R. Engineering College, Thiruvallur - 600 123 Rajah Muthiah Dental College, Chidambaram - 608 002 St. Joseph’s High School, Nalgonda Dist. - 508 202 Tagore College, Chrompet, Chennai - 600 044 Corporation School, Arumbakkam, Chennai - 600 106

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Queen Mary’s College, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Alpha College, near Saidapet, Chennai - 600 035 A.M. Jain College, Meenambakkam, Chennai - 600 114 State Institute of Commerce Edun., Taramani, Chennai - 600 113 Municipal Public Library, Guntur District, A.P. - 522 601 State Central Library, Mumbai - 400 023 Medical College, Navi Mumbai - 410 209 State Central Library, Hyderabad, A.P. - 500 001

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Anna Centenary Library, Kotturpuram, Chennai - 600 025 Sri Sarada Eswar Vidya Mandir, Pozhichalur, Chennai - 600 074 Branch Library, Near Bus Stop, Vellur post, T.N. - 626 005 Branch Library, Thiruthangal, Viruthunagar Dist. T.N. - 626 130 District Central Library, Karur T.N. - 639 001 Branch Library, Pugalur Road, Karur T.N. - 639 001 Branch Library, Kulithalai Taluk, Karur Dist. T.N. - 639 104 Branch Library, Enam Karur, Vengamedu Post, Karur T.N. - 63 006 Branch Library, Punjai Pugalur, Karur Taluk & Dist. T.N. - 639 113 Branch Library, Punjai Thotta Kurichi, Karur Dist. T.N. - 639 113 Branch Library, Pavithiram & Post, Karur Dist. T.N. - 639 002 Branch Library, Panjamadevi & Post, Karur TDist. T.N. - 639 004 Branch Library, Mookanankurichi Post, Karur Dist. T.N. - 639 005 Branch Library, Neidhalur South & Post, Karur Dist. T.N. - 639 110 Branch Library, Lalapettai Post, Karur Dist. T.N. - 639 105 Branch Library, Kulithalai Taluk, Karur District, T.N. - 621 301 Branch Library, Moolimangalam, Karur District, T.N. - 639 113 Branch Library, Udaiyarpalayam Post, Ariyalur Dist., T.N. - 621 804 Branch Library, Jamein Thathanur Post, Ariyalur, T.N. - 621 804 Branch Library, Irumbulikurichi, Sendurai Tk., T.N. - 621 804 Branch Library, Udaiyarpalayam Taluk, T.N. - 621 803 Branch Library, Varatharajanpettai Post, Ariyalur, T.N. - 621 801 Branch Library, Sendurai Post, Sendurai Taluk, T.N. - 621 714 Branch Library, Kundaveli Post, Ariyalur Dist., T.N. - 612 903 District Central Library, Pavali Road, Virudhunagar - 626 001 Branch Library, Thalavaipuram, Virudhunagar Dist., T.N. - 626 188 Branch Library, Aruppukottai via., Virudhunagar, T.N. - 626 118 Branch Library, Sattur, Virudhunagar Dist., T.N. - 626 202 Branch Library, Allampatti, Virudhunagar Dist., T.N. - 626 001 Branch Library, Anupankulam, Virudhunagar Dist., T.N. - 626 109 Branch Library, Chathira Reddiyapatti, Virudhunagar, T.N. - 626 204 Branch Library, Chinnakampatti, Virudhunagar, T.N. - 626 189 Branch Library, Iluppaiyur, Virudhunagar Dist., T.N. - 626 177 Branch Library, Kallamanayakarpatti Post, Virudhunagar, T.N. - 626 131 Branch Library, Melaiyur, Paralachi Pt, Virudhungr. Dist., T.N. - 626 111 Branch Library, Srivilliputhur Taluk, T.N. - 626 137 (To be continued. . .)

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Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama

(A Branch of Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math) Sector 15-B, Madhya Marg, Chandigarh – 160015 Tel: 0172-2549477 E-mail: rkmachandigarh@gmail.com Website: www.rkmachandigarh.org A HUMBLE REQUEST New Universal Meditation Hall, Educational and Cultural Complex at Chandigarh Ashrama Dear devotees, well-wishers and friends, Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama at Chandigarh was started in 1955 in the aftermath of India’s partition. Since then the Ashrama has been providing spiritual solace to seekers in search of peace, free mobile medical service, a Boys’ Hostel for college students, value education programs in schools and colleges, spread of inspirational and ennobling literature among the masses, etc.

Proposed Hall and Complex

Over the years, these activities have steadily increased and so also the number of devotees attending these programs as well as morning and evening prayers, and those coming for meditation, spiritual retreats/ satsangs. To meet the increasing needs for space, it has been decided to construct a new building having a) A spacious Meditation Hall and Monks Quarters - Rs. 1.3 Crores (approx.) b) Educational & Cultural Centre: Rs. 2.1 Crores (approx.)

Foundation Stone laying for the Universal Total cost of the project: Rs. 3.4 crores (approx.)

Meditation Hall on 24.11.1985—by Swami Cheques/ Demand Drafts may be drawn in Gambhiranandaji, 11th President of the favour of ‘RAMAKRISHNA MISSION ASHRAMA, Ramakrishna Order CHANDIGARH’ and can be sent to the address given above. Contributions, from within India, can also be directly deposited in any of the following banks: 1) ICICI A/c No. – 001301029198, Branch – Sector 15-C, Chandigarh, IFSC – ICIC0002429 2) IDBI A/c No. – 003104000083216, Branch – Sector 8-C, Chandigarh, IFSC – IBKL0000003 (Kindly intimate us the details of the deposit, your address and phone number by e-mail on the same day) Contributions to the Ramakrishna Mission are exempted from Income Tax u/s 80(G) of I.T. Act, 1961.

Construction in progress

Yours in the service of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna Swami Satyeshananda, Secretary

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THREE SYSTEMS OF VEDANTA — AN INTRODUCTION

By Swami Harshananda Vedanta is considered to be the epitome of Indian philosophical thought. However, not many are aware that Vedanta comprises of many systems, three being more popular.

The author of this book, Swami Harshananda, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, has succinctly yet effectively given an overview of the main systems of Vedantic thought.

Paperback, Pages 64 + viii, Price: Rs.30/- Postage: Rs.30/-for single copy.

No request for VPP entertained Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : mail@chennaimath.org

Invitation to Serve and Heal the Poor Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama situated in Calicut district of Kerala has been running a Charitable Dispensary since 1967 treating many poor patients.

The dispensary is well-equipped with a good laboratory, an Ultrasound Scanning facility, a Computed X-Ray Radiography, Physiotherapy, a Pharmacy and a fullfledged dental unit with paramedics and visiting doctors.

Recently we have added well-furnished 2 bed room family quarters with spacious hall cum dining and a kitchen facility for the accommodation of resident doctors.

Ramakrishna Mission Calicut invites doctors who are conversant with the use of Ultrasound, X-Ray, laboratory and other facilities to work at our charitable dispensary for 6 days a week. Honorarium with food, accommodation and vehicle facility within the city limits will be provided for the resident doctors.

The doctors willing to lend a helping hand in this noble cause may kindly contact the Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama Calicut, by email rkmissioncalicut@gmail.com or by phone 08281929280.

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GOSVAMI TULASIDAS Love of Rama Personified

By APN PANKAJ Gosvami Tulasidas, the saint-composer of Ramacharitamanasa, was the most illustrious saint in Rama Bhakti tradition whose life and works have influenced millions of men and women in India and abroad. His matchless devotion to Sri Rama and spiritually uplifting writings are a source of inspiration and succour to all devotees. His compositions such as Ramacharitamanasa and Hanuman Chalisa are committed to memory and sung by countless Hindus, especially in the Hindi speaking areas. This book is an overview of his life, including many legends attributed to him, as also his literary works and a summary of his philosophy.

Paperback, Pages 203 + xxviii, Price: Rs.125/- Postage: Rs.30/-for single copy.

No request for VPP entertained Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : mail@chennaimath.org

The Ramayana of Valmiki —An Appraisal Swami Harshananda

One of India’s timeless epics, the Ramayana by the sage Valmiki is the basis of the powerful and widely known Rama Bhakti tradition followed by millions both inside and outside India. This handy volume dwells on the spiritual, cultural and literary aspects of Ramayana, moving the readers to be rooted in Dharma and strengthen their values for righteous living. The author of the book is a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, well known for his scholarship and insights, and the head of Ramakrishna Math, Bull Temple Road, Bangalore.

Soft-bound, Pages x + 86 Price: Rs. 30/- Postage: Rs.22/-for single copy.

No request for VPP entertained Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : mail@chennaimath.org

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Spirituality Today An overview of Contemporary trends in Spiritual Living and Essentials of Spirituality

What is spirituality? As in case of other fields of life, there are authentic and not-so-authentic examples and thoughts about spirituality too. Much needs to be clarified and understood about the true nature of spiritual life, its practices and obstacles. Swami Vivekananda called spirituality as the ‘science of spirit’. This book discusses and illustrates the truth about spiritual living through writings by eminent monks and others.

Paperback, Pages 487 + vii, Price: Rs.130/- Postage: Rs.30/-for single copy.

No request for VPP entertained Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : mail@chennaimath.org

HOW TO GET ALONG WITH OTHERS Using Common Sense and Ancient Hindu Wisdom New Release

A Practical Guide to Trouble-Free Living

By Swami Bhaskarananda While in this era of modern science and technology superficial relationships are being built through the social media, ancient Hindu wisdom proclaims that the real ‘device’ required is the heart, and the relevant ‘softwares’ required are love, understanding, adjustment and respect to nurture and sustain any healthy and genuine relationship.

Swami Bhaskarananda, the author, has taken up this important issue of getting along with others in this stress-laden world and has provided practical suggestions and guidance in this book acquainting the readers with the ancient Hindu wisdom and stimulating them to use common sense as well in happily getting along with others, at home, at work, or anywhere else.

Paperback, Pages 127 + xiv, Price: Rs.60/- Postage: Rs.25/-for single copy.

No request for VPP entertained Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : mail@chennaimath.org

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Understanding Pratika—Symbols in the Indian Tradition A Vedanta Kesari Presentation ‘The images, crosses, and crescents are,’ says Swami Vivekananda, ‘so many symbols—so many pegs to hang the spiritual ideas on.’ These symbols are scattered everywhere in our mundane as well as spiritual lives. This new book examines 53 of such symbols, with 2 appendices from Swami Vivekananda’s powerful writings on ‘The Need of symbols’ and ‘The Chief Symbols’. Two introductory chapters describe the role and significance of symbols. The book is richly illustrated with pictures.

Soft-bound, Pages xi + 180 Price: Rs. 55/- Postage: Rs.22/-for single copy.

No request for VPP entertained Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : mail@chennaimath.org

Digitised Archives of the Vedanta Kesari (1914 to 2014) DVD containing the archives of 101 years of the Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Kesari has been effectively disseminating Indian Ethos and Values, with uninterrupted publication for 101 years. This entire collection of archival articles (1914-2014) by scholars and thinkers, savants and admirers, monks and practitioners of Vedanta is now available in one DVD. With search facility indexed author-wise, title-wise, year-wise and by keywords, plus other features, this veritable encyclopedia of Vedanta is now available to you at the click of a button!

Price: Rs.300/-Packing and Posting charges: Rs.60/(within India) For ordering your copy, draw your DD in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai and send to: The Manager, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai – 600004.

You can also order Online. Email : mail@chennaimath.org Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

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Goddess Durga: The Divine Energy

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NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE (FREE HOME FOR THE BLIND, ORPHAN AND AGED) TIRUCHANOOR, TIRUPATI–517503. Ph : 0877-2239992, 9908537528 [Mob.] E-mail: sreenavajeevan@gmail.com Website: www.navajeevan.org

An Appeal 37 Years of Service to Humanity 1979–2015 1.

Navajeevan School & Hostel for Blind Children

–

Tirupati, Parlekhimundi, Golamunda

2.

Navajeevan Free Eye Hospital

–

Tirupati

3.

Navajeevan Free Home for Aged

–

Tirupati, Rishikesh, Parlekhimundi and Chennai

4.

Navajeevan Dumb & Deaf Home

-

Patapatnam

5.

Navajeevan Sharanagati Vridhashram

–

Tirupati

6.

Navajeevan Rural Medical Centres

-

Berhampur [Orissa]

7.

Navajeevan Eye Care Centres

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Serango & Kalahandi [Orissa]

8.

Navajeevan Orphanage Children Homes

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Tirupati, Parlehkimundi, Saluru, Golamunda, Berhampur, Pandukal, Vizag & Araku, Dundelmal

9.

Navajeevan Atharvana Veda Pathasala

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Tirupati

A Humble Request for Donation

1. Sponsor one day Annadan to Blind Children and aged

– Rs. 5000/-

3. Sponsor one blind child or Orphan child for one year

– Rs. 6000/-

2. Sponsor 5 IOL Cataract Eye Operations

4. Sponsor one poor aged person for one year

5. Sponsor one free eye camp at Rural/Tribal area 6. Vidyadan—Educational aid for one Child

– Rs. 7000/–

Rs. 5000/-

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Rs. 2000/-

– Rs. 50000/-

Donor devotees can send their contributions by cheque/DD/MO to the above address on the occasion of birthday, wedding day or any other special occasion and receive prasadam of Lord Balaji Venkateswara of Tirupati as blessings.

Contributions to NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE, Tirupati are eligible for Tax Relief U/S 80G of Income Tax Act. Our Bank details for online transfer : Bank Name : Indian Bank , Gandhi Road Branch, Tirupati SB A/c No: 463789382, Account Holder : Navajeevan Blind Relief Centre, Branch Code: T036, IFSC code: IDIB000T036,

‘We can attain salvation through social work’ – Swami Vivekananda K. Sridhar Acharya Founder/ President

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Regd. Off. & Fact. : Plot No.88 & 89, Phase - II, Sipcot Industrial Complex, Ranipet - 632 403, Tamil Nadu.

Phone : 04172 - 244820, 651507, Tele Fax : 04172 - 244820 E-mail : rao@svisslabss.net Web Site : www.svisslabss.net

PRIVATE LIMITED (Manufacturers of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Intermediates) With Best Compliments From: All is in the mind—purity, as also impurity, is in the mind.

—Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

Shrine at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith (Vivekananda Collge), Mylapore, Chennai T h e

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Vol.103-5 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) May 2016. Regd. with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 1957. POSTAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:TN / CH (C) / 190 / 15-17. LICENSED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-259 / 2015-2017.

Date of Publication: 24th of every month

Teach yourselves, teach everyone his/her real nature, call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes.

Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything that is excellent will come, when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity.

—Swami Vivekananda

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