The Vedanta Kesari February 2017 issue

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The Vedanta Kesari THE LION OF VEDANTA

A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914

Ramakrishna Math, Antpur, West Bengal

F ebruary 2017

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FEBRUARY 2017

Shivaratri in Belur Math

Editor: Swami Mahamedhananda Managing Editor: Swami Gautamananda Printed and published by Swami Vimurtananda on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna Math Trust from No.31, Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 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. 104, No. 2 FEBRUARY 2017 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 FEBRUARY 2017

Hastamalakiyam 38 Editorial  Inner Demonetization

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Articles  With Swami Brahmananda 44 Swami Tejasananda  Sri Ramakrishna in the light of Swami Abhedananda’s Letters 48 Swami Suvirananda  Sri Ramakrishna and Hiranand Shaukiram: Interface of Bengali and Sindhi Culture 51 Tapan Kumar Ghosh  Healing the Hills 56 Swami Dhyanasthananda  Universal Hindu Temple 61 Swami Tattwamayananda  Swamiji’s Nine Days at Castle Kernan 66 Monastic Sojourner Reminiscences  Reminiscences of Sargachhi 41 Swami Suhitananda Our Heritage ~ Our Heroes 46 Annual Report  Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Synopsis of the Governing Body Report for 2015-16

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The Order on the March 74 Book Reviews 78 Cover Story: Page 5

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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 enquiries: magazine@chennaimath.org

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Vedanta Kesari Permanent Fund Help us to make this magazine self-supporting The Vedanta Kesari is one of the oldest cultural and spiritual magazines in the country started under the guidance of Swami Vivekananda. All through these 103 years, every month, the magazine has been carrying the invigorating message of Vedanta with articles on spirituality, culture, philosophy, youth and personality development, holistic living, family values, science and corporate values.

Over the years the production and publication costs have increased manifold, putting a heavy strain on our finances. A noncommercial magazine like this can continue its good work only with the generous financial support and active assistance of well-wishers.

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N Cover Story N Ramakrisna Math, Antpur, West Bengal The Ramakrishna Math temple at Antpur is built on the birthplace of Swami Premananda, one of the direct-disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. The activities of the Math are centred around the ancestral house of Premanandaji. Around 50 kms away from Belur Math, the place is sanctified by the stay of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and the direct-disciples. Sri Ramakrishna too had visited the village as a teenager.

After the mahasamadhi of Sri Ramakrishna, the young disciples visited Antpur in Dec 1886 and while staying there, inspired by Swamiji’s burning words of renunciation, they took the solemn oath of renouncing the world and living as a brotherhood.

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Vedanta Kesari Library Fund Scheme Do you feel that India’s timeless heritage of spirituality, values and culture needs to reach a wider section of youth?

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DONORS Rev. Swami Gautamanandaji Maharaj, Chennai Rs. 100000 Mr. Ketheeswararajah C, Australia Rs. 20750 Mr. Satyanarayana K, Hyderabad Rs. 10000 MS. Renganayaki V, Chidambaram Rs. 2000 ER. Purna Chandra Patnaik, Odisha Rs. 1500 Mr. Venu Rs. 1300

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PATRONS 736. Ms V. Subramaniam, Chennai 737. Mr. Gaurang H.Kalkoria, Nagpur 738. Mr. Matha Ramalingam, Coimbatore 739. MS.Vama, Nagpur

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

6175.

6176.

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IIMM, Chattisgarh

-do-

-do-

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-do-

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AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS

Reg. Inst. of Education, Mysor, Karntaka - 570 006 Saradavilas Teachers College, Mysore, Karnataka - 570 004 City Central Library, Mysore, Karnataka - 570 001 National Law Institute University, Bhopal, M.P. - 462 003 Jiwaji University, Gwalior, M.P. - 474 011 Sir M. Visvesvaraya Inst. of Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka - 562 157 To be continued . . .

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Hastamalakiyam In the introduction to his commentary on Hastamalaka’s 12 verses, Acharya Sankara says: All the creatures in this world wish to experience only happiness. But, worldly happiness born out of the contact between the senses and the objects has two defects: 1) it is always attended with unavoidable misery, and 2) it is not eternal. Some rare virtuous people comprehend this fact and regard worldly happiness as misery itself. So they develop dispassion and try to come out of the cycle of repeated birth and death which is caused by the ignorance of the Self. Therefore, Hastamalaka teaches the Knowledge of the Self. The first verse is as follows:

nimittaṃ manaścakṣurādi pravṛttau nirastākhilopādhirākāśakalpaḥ | ravirloka ceṣṭānimittaṃ yathā yaḥ sa nityopalabdhisvarūpo'hamātmā || 1 ‘I am the Atman, who is eternal and is of the nature of Knowledge-Absolute, who is the impartial cause for the actions of mind, eye etc. just as how the sun is the impartial cause of the actions in the world, and who is like the space devoid of any limitations.’

Nature and all the living beings in the world work by the power of the resplendent sun.

But the sun is not the direct cause of their functioning, and is not affected by their right or wrong actions. It is only an impartial cause of their actions. Similarly, the Atman is the impartial cause of the four faculties of the mind, the five sense organs, and the five organs of action. It is not affected by their actions and remains unconditioned by them just as space remains undivided though present inside and outside a room.

BB

‘The world consists of the illusory duality of knowledge and ignorance. It contains knowledge and devotion, and also attachment to 'Woman and gold’; righteousness and unrighteousness; good and evil. But Brahman is unattached to these. Good and evil apply to the jiva, the individual soul, as do righteousness and unrighteousness; but Brahman is not at all affected by them.

‘One man may read the Bhagavata by the light of a lamp, and another may commit a forgery by that very light; but the lamp is unaffected. The sun sheds its light on the wicked as well as on the virtuous. You may ask, “How, then, can one explain misery and sin and unhappiness?” The answer is that these apply only to the jiva. Brahman is unaffected by them. There is poison in a snake; but though others may die if bitten by it, the snake itself is not affected by the poison.’ – Sri Ramakrishna Translated and explained by Swami Suprajnananda T h e

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Editorial

Inner Demonetization Srimad Bhagavata tells us that on the banks of River Saraswati at Kurukshetra, King Parikshit once saw a man torturing an enfeebled cow and a bull with one leg.

Greatly shocked, he found out that the bull was Dharma or Righteousness, the cow was Mother Earth, and the man was Kali purusha, the embodiment of vices in Kali Yuga, our present age. Kali had cut off Dharma’s three legs representing austerity, purity, and fellow-feeling leaving it tottering on one leg representing truth. Fearing punishment from the angry king, Kali surrendered at his feet. The king then ordered him to restrict his influence to four places—places where gambling, drinking intoxicants, debauchery and slaughter take place. But Kali pleaded for one more place of residence and received ‘gold as the fifth seat.’

And thus, gold became ‘the source of all forms of Adharma—of deceit, pride, sexuality, cruelty, and … enmity.’1 This ‘bewitched’ gold, just a yellow metal, has strongly defined the course of human history. It is behind individual struggles, interpersonal conflicts and wars between countries. The 19th century saw major gold rushes across the world where newly discovered gold drew thousands of miners and wrought immense changes upon the land and society. People, who were content to accumulate their fortunes year by year, learnt to dream of instant wealth. This golden dream is a prominent aspect of modern society. The official gold reserves in top 40 countries are estimated to be 31,461 tonnes! And India, the world’s top gold consumer, is estimated T h e

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to have more than 20,000 tonnes of unofficial gold!! Not only do people deck themselves with gold, they hoard it in their homes and even load it on gods as is seen in any temple.

The scriptures repeatedly point out that wealth can become an impediment in man’s inner journey. In the Kathopanishad Lord Yama declares, ‘The means for the attainment of the other world does not become revealed to the non-discriminating man who blunders, being befooled by the lure of wealth.’2 In the Bible we find Jesus saying, ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!’ Again, the Bhagavad Gita tells us that a spiritual aspirant who desires to go beyond the sway of the three gunas should, ‘regard a clod of earth, a precious stone, and a piece of gold as being of equal worth.’3 Why does wealth hinder spiritual progress? It is because wealth and lust are so connected that one follows in the wake of the other. And as Sri Ramakrishna would repeatedly say, greed for wealth and lust for sense pleasures swerves men and women from the path of yoga and drags them into worldliness.

Unrestrained wealth accumulation is plainly unhealthy for it is a kind of psychological disorder. While greed for sense pleasures is at least satiated for some time, greed for money is insatiable. It is a hunger driven by inner discontent brought about by alienation from oneself, from fellow beings and from nature. Rightly has it been said, ‘Money not only changes hands, but also changes man.’

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Sri Ramakrishna explains this intoxiIs it then a sin to earn and possess wealth? No, it is not if we acquire wealth cating influence of money through a fable. A frog found a rupee which he kept in his hole. through righteous means, remain unattached One day an elephant stepped over the hole. to it, and use it as suggested by Sri RamaThe frog immediately came out and in a fit of krishna: ‘For householders money is a means anger, raised his foot as if to kick the elephant of getting food, clothes, and a dwelling place, worshipping the Deity, and serving holy and said, ‘How dare you walk over my head?’

The choice of the frog, a subhuman species, men and devotees.’5 Swami Vivekananda’s and its foolishness perfectly highlights the advice to those who are unable to give up the delusory powers of money. desire for lust and wealth, is, to satisfy smaller When the mailman delivered money sent desires and be done with them for ever, and to by devotees for Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s relinquish the greater ones by discrimination. living expenses, she would not count the In an interesting correspondence with money. Once, when an attendant was about Mary Hale, Swamiji expressed his views on to count the money, she cautioned him, ‘My the ‘silver question’ - an economic debate on child, the tinkling sound of the coins generates demonetization that was raging in the United greed in the minds of human beings. And the States in the last decade of nineteenth century. money has such power that even a wooden The letter opening with a biblical cadence, 4 doll opens its mouth to take it.’ reads in part: ‘”Silver and gold”, my dear Sri Ramakrishna’s solution to this Mary, “have I none; but such as I have give I powerful influence of money was in renounthee” freely, and that is the knowledge that the cing it not just mentally, but also physically. goldness of gold, the silverness of silver, the Sitting on the bank of the Ganga near the manhood of man, the womanhood of woman, Panchavati, he once took some coins and clods the reality of everything is the Lord… .’6 of earth in his hands and threw them one Truly, ‘the Lord’ is our only true wealth. after another into the river, saying repeatedly, May the all-renouncing Lord Shiva burn our ‘rupee is clay; clay is rupee.’ base desires and may we have shraddha in these That was his unique way of demonetiwords of Sri Ramakrishna: ‘I swear that those zation!! Demonetizing not just high currency who think of me will attain my spiritual wealth, but all false values. just as children inherit their parents’ wealth.’7 vvv References 1.

2.

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Srimad Bhagavata, 1.17.38-41 Kathopanishad, 1.2.6 Bhagavad Gita, 14.24 Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play, (SDDP) 525

5. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, 870 6. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 6.378 7. SDDP, 257

If the desire to do charitable works arises in the mind of a rich man, it shows that his heart has started to feel for the poor. God tests a man by making him wealthy, and that is a hard test to pass. . . God may give plenty of riches to one man, but so delude him by maya that he will never in his life desire to be charitable. Again, God may give a generous heart to another person, but not give him much money. Blessed indeed are they who are rich and yet feel for the poor. —Swami Adbhutananda T h e

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Reminiscences

Reminiscences of Sargachhi SWAMI SUHITANANDA

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

Swami Premeshananda (1884–1967) was a disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. For over two decades, he lived at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Sargachhi, first as its monastic-in-charge and later as a retired sannyasi. He inspired countless people to lead a life of spirituality and service. Influenced by him many young men and women entered into monastic life. His conversations and teachings were noted by his attendant novitiate who is now Swami Suhitananda, General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. These spiritual dialogues were serialized in Udbodhan (the Bengali monthly of the Ramakrishna Order) and later published as a book titled Sargachchir Smriti. Sri Shoutir Kishore Chatterjee has translated these reminiscences into English. English words and expressions which appear in the original have been retained and shown within single inverted commas. || 13 || 31.12.59 Attendant: Maharaj, restlessness for God realization does not come until desires for enjoyment are satisfied. Again it has been said – Na jatu kamah kamanamupabhogena samyati (never is desire quenched by the gratification of desire). How can these two be reconciled?

Maharaj: For now simply listen; later on you will understand it yourself. Because the statements have been made from two ‘separate angles’, they seem to be ‘apparently contradictory’ — but in reality they are not so.

01.01.60 In another context Maharaj said, ‘How compassionate was Jesus! Although healing ailments is not so important, we have to consider his great compassion.’

Question: What is the difference between sleep and death?

Answer: In sleep awareness merges in ignorance, and in death too the same thing T h e

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happens. In sleep, there is activity due to the ‘momentum’ of the vital force, and also after sleep all the earlier ‘association’ continues to remain. But in death, the vital force remains potential in a seed form in the mind and the intellect and forgetting the ‘past association’ it attaches itself with a new ‘association.’

At the time we were born the society had become rotten. That is why Sri Ramakrishna came.

The doctor came and said, ‘Maharaj, who are the real children of Sri Ramakrishna? Are we also his children?’

Maharaj: Yes, whoever feels a relationship with him are his children. Swami Brahmananda was his son, and you too are his son.

Doctor: But Maharaj, the son is unable to recognize his father!

Maharaj: Even then, he is his son.

Attendant: Does ajapa mean articulating the sounds Hamsa, Soham?

Maharaj: If someone continuously chants ‘Hari, Hari’, will that not be ajapa?

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The attendant was reading Swamiji’s composition Om hrim ritam.

Maharaj: You see, there are other readings of this. There were some ‘grammatical mistakes’ in what Swamiji wrote. Those have been rectified. You will find at one place in Talks With Swami Vivekananda, Swamiji says, ‘Check the composition and if there are any mistakes rectify them.’ At this, Saratchandra Chakravarty replies, ‘We will consider your mistakes as arsha prayoga (usage by a seer).’

Hence we too give value to the original writing of Swamiji and regard the mistakes as arsha prayoga.

03.01.60 On the occasion of Swamiji’s birth-day celebration, a devotee had organized a seminar kind of meeting.

Maharaj: Very good; the boys have to be enlightened. Will it do to only observe a festival and distribute the food-offering?

Nothing endures if there is no preaching. I also used to organize celebrations. Just as one has to shake a plum tree and then pick up the ripe plums that have fallen, similarly in the celebration all sorts of boys used to gather; from among them I would carefully pick up some boys and try to infuse Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swamiji’s ideas into them.

The name ‘Ramakrishna’ is bound to appeal to those whose minds are pure. It is for this reason that Swamiji has said – create a sensation.

05.01.60 Attendant: In the rules and regulations of the Math it is written that Sri Ramakrishna will stay in this body for a hundred years. Will he then not be visible after hundred years?

Maharaj: I won’t be able to answer this properly. But I think what Swamiji intended T h e

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to say was – Sri Ramakrishna will stay in the subtle body for hundred years; then he will pass into the causal body. That means as long as he remains in the subtle body he is easily accessible. It won’t be easy to access him when he goes into the causal body.

Attendant: It will be possible to see Sri Ramakrishna, even to the extent of pressing his body like Vijay Goswami did. But will it be possible to also similarly see Swami Shivananda and Swami Visuddhananda?

Maharaj: Why not? One will see the Parabrahman in just the way one meditates upon It. Ye yatha mam…. (In whatever way do men worship me… – Bhagavad Gita 4/11). However, to see Thakur and to see Swami Shivananda are not the same. These are things of another world. These visions are seen only when one attains pure intellect by transcending the body, the vital force and the mind.

Attendant: Was there later any change in Nandalal Bose and Jadulal Mallick?

Maharaj: Certainly. Whomever Sri Ramakrishna has seen will be liberated.

Attendant: Is mere seeing enough?

Maharaj: ‘vikshane moha jay.’ A mere look from the avatara is enough.

05.01.60 Attendant: Maharaj, will even those who were with Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar Temple be liberated?

Maharaj: No. Only those who were recipients of Sri Ramakrishna’s look of grace will be liberated.

Attendant: Did his look of grace fall on Jadulal Mallick?

Maharaj: Did it not? Sri Ramakrishna himself went to his house. Jadulal, for sometime, became inclined towards enjoyment. But he later changed. But that

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enjoymentexperience also was based on dispassion. A little enjoyment was pending, and it was finished. Whatever work we do is for diminishing Karma. It is action oriented towards wear-off.

Such work will bring liberation in this very birth, or at the most, in the next birth.

Attendant: Maharaj, this expansion of activities that is happening in our Order – is it good or bad ?

Maharaj: It is good. If we truly had dispassion, then in no way could there be so much work. Actually there is dearth of dispassion. So this type of work oriented towards wear-off is beneficial.

Attendant: In doing such work, if somebody achieves the objectives by making some ‘compromise’ in Sri Ramakrishna’s ideals–what will happen to him?

Maharaj: He will have to suffer the consequences of his personal acts.

07.01.60 Attendant: Can one forcefully do good to anyone?

Maharaj: Listen. Take the case of that servant boy – I thought I would do good to him. By repeated encouragement, I made him to appear for even the ‘Test’ examination. But

he doesn’t take anything to his head. Now he tries to avoid me. I tried for the boy who cuts vegetables and washes utensils. Now he bows down to Sri Ramakrishna in the morning and evening. I had a photograph of Sri Ramakrishna brought for him. Perhaps he will not marry. Even sandal wood has to be cut to give it a nice shape. I point to the legs of my cot and that of my bench—the same wood has assumed two different shapes. Hari is there within everyone. But everyone cannot be changed. Look at that boy – he does whatever he thinks is right. If we can show him his virtues, it will help him to find out his path of progress.

In the afternoon Swami Sankarananda of Vedanta Math came. He was acquainted with Premesh Maharaj; he would visit Maharaj now and then when he was in Sylhet. He had done a lot of research in history and had joined Vedanta Math after taking initiation from Swami Abhedananda Maharaj.

Swami Sankarananda: Will you please say something about Sarat Maharaj’s description of how Swamiji transmitted power into Abhedananda Maharaj ?

Premesh Maharaj: Liberation is assured for those to whom Abhedananda Maharaj gave initiation. He had to remain in America in ‘apostolic mood’ for a long time. Staying for 25 years in the company of extroverted people had affected his body – just as it had affected the bodies of Sri Ramakrishna, Mother and Swamiji. Swamiji has said somewhere that this reaction can go beyond the gross body and even attack the subtle body.

(To be continued. . .)

Before the coming of Thakur, Maa and Swamiji, people did not realize that Jnana, bhakti, yoga and karma were not separate paths. We see today in the life of Sri Ramakrishna the four yogas joined together in a beautiful harmony. This is our spiritual discipline.

—Swami Premeshananda T h e

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Continued from the previous issue...

Article

With Swami Brahmananda SWAMI TEJASANANDA

Swami Tejasananda (1896 – 1971) was initiated by Swami Brahmananda in 1917. This reminiscence is translated from Brahmanander Smriti Katha in Bengali.

I am recording below some incidents we witnessed at the times we visited Balaram Mandir. These will give some idea of Maharaj’s simplicity, love of humour, and other aspects of his personality.

One evening when I was seated in Balaram Mandir’s hall I saw Sri Lalit Chattopadhyay (who was known to everyone as ‘Kaiser’ because of his big moustache) enter the hall, prostrate before Maharaj, and sit down.1 He was accompanied by Sri Aparesh Mukhopadhyay, the famous theatre personality of those times. It should be mentioned that Sri Mukhopadhyay’s neck was slightly bent towards the right side. After some talk, Sri Chattopadhyay in his natural simple manner asked Maharaj, ‘Maharaj, if you wish you can do anything. Aparesh’s neck is a little crooked and it is a big inconvenience for him on the stage. Can you straighten his neck?’

Maharaj gently laughed at these words and turned the conversation to another topic. This incident is an example of how people could talk with Maharaj without any hesitation.

The ever-blissful Maharaj had a childlike, innocent nature. He so joyfully played with little children that he became just like one of them. One day when I went to Balaram Mandir, I saw Maharaj playing very happily with the children. He was playing hide-andseek between the big hall and the veranda; the group of children were running behind him. Suddenly Maharaj entered his own room T h e

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and shut the door. The kids started shouting.

Inside the room Maharaj disguised himself.

There was a frightening face mask in his room used to frighten children. Now Maharaj put on that mask, covered himself head to foot in a black cloak, threw open the door, and rushed into the midst of the children roaring, ‘Hum!’ Seeing the fierce, black form, the children began to shriek. Even I was a little frightened and did not know what to do. But when Maharaj removed the mask and revealed himself, there was laughter all around. This childlike mood of Maharaj will remain etched forever in the hearts of those who were fortunate to witness it.

One day, feeling very restless, I went to Balaram Mandir and told Maharaj, ‘Maharaj, something has happened to me. I always feel like coming and sitting in your presence. So I am unable to study.’ Maharaj replied, ‘What do you mean? Without studying, do you want to remain an ignoramus? Study well from now onwards.’ I returned to the hostel with his blessings. Surprisingly, my mind soon became calm and I was able to study with full attention. After this incident I didn’t go to see Maharaj for a long time. Following his instruction, I remained very busy with my studies. The exams were fast approaching.

Once, perhaps two days after Shivaratri, I went to Belur Math. After offering my pranams in the shrine (the old shrine), I sat there for meditation. There was no one else there. While

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meditating, I sensed that from inside the shrine someone had come with heavy steps and was standing in front of me. When I opened my eyes, I saw revered Maharaj standing before me!

Surprised and overjoyed to see most revered Maharaj like this in the shrine, I was about to bow down at his feet. But Maharaj stopped me, saying, ‘No. Not in the shrine.’ After I came out and offered my pranams at his feet, he said, ‘Why didn’t you come all these days?! Long absence! And why have you become so thin?’

Before I could answer, he told me, ‘Go, go.

Ramlal Dada is downstairs. Offer your pranams to him.’ Experiencing Maharaj’s deep love, my eyes filled with tears of joy.

Maharaj was staying at Belur Math. I was in a terrible state of mind, as I had still not been initiated. Furthermore, my father had asked me to return home. Not knowing what to do, I silently shed tears, sitting on the vacant steps of the Ganga bathing-ghat, which is right in front of the old Math building. With the Ganga as a witness, I took the vow not to receive initiation in this life from anyone other than Maharaj. Even if this meant that I would never be initiated, I would not be sorry. Maharaj alone was my guru. Then I thought, ‘Let me for the last time ask Maharaj for initiation.’

Maharaj was sitting on the veranda on the first floor, smoking his hubble-bubble.

I slowly approached him and with tears in my eyes broached the topic of initiation. He immediately replied, ‘You will be initiated. But don’t tell anyone about it.’ I returned to the hostel with great joy. But because Maharaj had forbidden me to tell anyone about my initiation, I had to face a problem. How would I make the necessary preparations and purchases?

Without referring to initiation, I asked Nirode (later, Swami Akhilananda) to buy some

things for me. But when he saw the shopping list, he realised that I was going to be initiated.

He then told everything to another friend of mine, and the necessary things were purchased for his initiation too. On the specified day, we both went to the Math. Three of us were to be initiated that day. The initiation was to be conducted in the room to the west of the old shrine. The three of us sat on the eastern veranda. We each had fruits, flowers, cloth, etc., arranged on a tray. One by one the other two were called in. Then it was my turn. I entered the room with trepidation and sat on the specified mat in front of Maharaj. On that day, a lady had been initiated first, and a homa had been performed for her sake. The room was filled with the aroma of the bilwa leaves and other offerings used in the homa.

I bowed down to Maharaj and steadied my mind to receive initiation. And I held on to the thought of surrendering myself completely at the crimson feet of Maharaj. The initiation was soon over, and Maharaj reminded me to give him the gurudakshina (a nominal fee offered to the guru). The moment I thought that I had offered myself as gurudakshina, he said, ‘No, my boy. You have to also give fruits or something else as gurudakshina.’ I was astonished as to how he could know what I was thinking. I picked up a fruit from the tray and offered it to him. He blessed me by placing his hand on my head and doing japam. That in front of the sacred homa kunda, I had received the grace of the all-knowing, God-realised great soul filled me with boundless joy. He had accepted forever an insignificant youth like me as his own! What greater fortune could there be than this? The sacred memory of that day in Belur Math is permanently etched in my memory.

Reference: 1. A German word meaning ‘emperor.’ Kaiser Wilhelm II, the emperor of Germany during World War I, had a large moustache.

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Our Heritage

Our Heroes FEBRUARY 2017

Mahashivaratri The deity Rudra-Shiva is mentioned in Rigveda. The Shiva SOME SPECIAL DAYS cult and Shaivism thus dates from very ancient times. The 14th day 1 Sri Saraswathi Puja of the dark half of every month— Krishna caturdasi—is called 10 Swami Adbhutananda Jayanti Shivaratri or Masashivaratri. The one in the month of Magha 24 Mahashivaratri (February-March) is called Mahashivaratri, since it is the greatest 28 Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna Jayanti of all.

About the origin of Mahashivaratri, there are several myths. When Brahma (the four-faced god of creation) and Visnu were disputing each other's greatness to establish their own supremacy, a huge linga or pillar of fire appeared suddenly between them and a voice from the void declared that he who would find the extremities of this linga would be considered the greater one. Neither of them succeeded and were hence obliged to accept the greatness of Shiva who had manifested as that pillar of light. This was the origin of Shivalinga and Mahashivaratri. According to the second myth, Mahashivaratri is the day on which Lord Shiva, drank the halahala poison that emerged out of the milky ocean (kshira sagara) when it was being churned by the gods and demons and thus saved the worlds from destruction. A third myth attributes its greatness to its being the day of marriage of Shiva with Parvati, the daughter of the mountain king Himalaya. A fourth myth describes this day as the day on which Lord Shiva, out of joy, burst forth into a great dance which has since been known as Shivatandava nrutya.

The basic disciplines to be kept up on this day are: ahimsa (non-injury), satya (speaking the truth), daya (compassion), brahmacarya (continence), ksama (forgiveness) and anasuyata (absence of jealousy). Devotees fast throughout the day and night and stay awake the whole night engaged in worshipping Lord Shiva and chanting the mantra om namah shivaya.

Mahashivaratri is celebrated all over India and Nepal and in some other countries. Some of the widely known celebrations in India are at the Vishwanath temple in Varanasi; the Bhootnath temple at Mandi in Himachal Pradesh where a week-long International Mandi Shivaratri Fair is held; Neelkanth Mahadev temple in Rishikesh, Sri Kalahasteshwara temple at Srikalahasti; Bhramaramba Mallikarjunaswamy Temple in Srisailam; Umananda temple in Guwahati, Matangeshwar temple in Kajuraho where a 10-day fair is held; Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain; Lokanath temple in Puri; Nataraja temple in Chidambaram; and Aluva Mahadeva temple near Ernakulam.

Swami Adbhutananda Swami Adbhutananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was known amongst devotees as Latu Maharaj.

Born to poor shepherds and orphaned at a young age, he by divine providence took shelter at the feet of Sri T h e

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Ramakrishna. Speaking of him Swami Vivekananda once said, ‘Latu is Sri Ramakrishna’s greatest miracle.

Having absolutely no education, he has attained the highest wisdom simply by virtue of the Master’s touch.’ Another brother disciple Swami Turiyananda gave this charming description, ‘Many of us had to go through the muddy waters of intellectual knowledge before we attained God, but Latu jumped over like Hanuman.’

Latu maharaj was often seen muttering in self-reproach whenever people irritated him, or even when he counseled devotees. It was his way of taking himself to task, to remove the least trace of ego and its forms like anger or self-importance. He would say, ‘This human mind is a rogue of the first magnitude. It is always prone to get twisted in the wrong way. So it needs hard counter-twisting every now and then… when anger comes its opposite forgiveness supplants it; greed is supplanted by charity, sex urge by love of God, cruelty by non-injury. If you can continue this practice for some time your mind calms down of itself.’

When a devotee asked how one could love God or surrender to Him without seeing Him, Latu Maharaj answered, ‘Don’t you send your application for a job to the manager of a company without ever having seen him? ...

‘Similarly, you can send an application to the Lord. However, this application is not to be written on paper, but on the pages of one’s mind: “O Lord, may I never forget Your name. I take refuge in You. Please assign me to Your service and destroy my ego and doubts. You are my master, guru, father, mother, and all in all. I am Your child. Make me Your instrument. Do not delude me with Your bewitching maya. O my sweet Lord, I have not seen You; I have only heard Your name. Please make me Your own.” You will have to pray like this daily. Only then will He choose to bestow His grace on you.’

Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj was born on 19 Feb 1627 at Shivneri Fort, 60 kms from Pune. He was strongly influenced by his pious and patriotic mother Jijabai. His father Shahaji , was a jagirdar who aspired to create an independent kingdom. Shivaji thus grew up as a fearless leader with a keen desire for independence.

His life was marked by a high standard of morality. Intensely religious, he was all through his life abstemious, free from vice, and respectful towards holy men of all sects including Muslims. He was a fearless military leader as well as a responsible administrator. He had a true leader’s gift of judging character and in choosing his men. He time and again out-manoeuvred vastly bigger armies. He brought revolutionary changes in military, fort architecture, society and politics. He laid the foundations of the modern Marathi identity and infused it with strong martial, moral and chivalric traditions. His reign brought peace and order and assured women’s honour. He promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit.

By the time Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj died in 1680 he had carved out of the Bijapur Sultanate, an independent kingdom which later grew into the mighty Maratha Empire. He constructed a chain of over 300 forts running over a thousand kilometres across the rugged Western Ghats.

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Article

Sri Ramakrishna in the light of Swami Abhedananda’s Letters SWAMI SUVIRANANDA

The spiritual atmosphere of describe Him. He has neither a beginning Dakshineswar, Shyampukur and Cossipore, nor an end. He is beyond relative measure. places sanctified by the austerities of KaliYet we speak of Him. We worship His form.

We meditate on Him as our own soul. ‘From Tapasvi, were vibrating in tune with the hymn – ‘Who has entered my temple / the whole whom all the previous incarnations of yore have sky has become a firmament of immortality emanated, as partial manifestations, He Himself / the evil nights have submerged in has come to Dakshineshwar’2 Lotuses with hundred and thousand all quarters / all doors opened petals have effloresced in the up automatically / all lamps have lit themselves / all heart-lake by His prodigious veenas are rendering new tenderness and clement tunes.’1 What a wonderful breath. Ignorance has been spiritual ambience it was! washed away. He has As if the doorway of showered His grace on all restrained consciousness – on one hand he blessed endeavoured to unfold Girish and Ram, on the gently like petals of lotus. other the elite freethinker All the lamps lit up, the veenas Narendranath and the rustic started resounding. The rhythm illiterate Rakhturam. His grace and the tempo was refreshing. As extended even to the famous the young Kali proceeded slowly, Swami Abhedananda dramaturge Binodini. ‘Who can know charmed by an immaculate tune of you, O Lord, if you do not reveal spiritual rejuvenation, he came across a new Thyself!’ He revealed himself to Chinu personality. Why is that personality new?

Sankhari, the poor oyster-shell trader. He is the For He is ‘the monarch of renunciation’. He apple of the eyes of the people of Kamarpukur; cuts asunder the bonds of the Kali Yuga; and for He is none other than their Gadai. To yet His humility touches the ground! The the devotees He is the Absolute Godhead!

Noumenon behind this worldly phenomenon, Envisioned in the mirror of conscience of a single beatific glance of His washes away a Vivekananda, He is Sri Ramakrishna - the thousand sins. He disseminates love among ‘sovereign of all Incarnations’. all impartially, renouncing all pride of birth Each and every flower that bloomed and caste. Who is He? It is very difficult to on Sri Ramakrishna plant is fascinating and The author is Assistant General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math T h e

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gorgeous, fabulous in affability and fragrance, ravishing and resplendent. The mind leaps in joy at their sight. One of these outstandingly marvellous flowers was Kali-Tapasvi, later known as Swami Abhedananda. What was his experience of Sri Ramakrishna? In his own words, ‘Sri Ramakrishna came this time in the disguise of an individual, as an expression of the condensed spiritual fervour of all the earlier avataras, essentially the incarnation of harmony.’3 After Sri Ramakrishna blessed Kaliprasad, he had two wonderful divine visions. He experienced the essence of the mantra ‘Diviva Chakshuratatam’. He got a direct insight into the words of the Gayatri mantra. Another day he had a miraculous vision which he later explained thus, ‘One night during the small hours when I was in meditation, I lost senseconsciousness and it seemed as though my soul came out of the cage of the body and began to roam about in the sky above like a free bird.

Gradually it flew high towards infinity. While viewing scenery of great beauty I entered that place… I was charmed to see the different ideals and emblems of Shakta, Shaiva, Vaishnava, Ganapatya, Christianity, Islam, and other sects.

Gradually, as if charged with inspiration by some disembodied spirit, I entered into a big hall and saw all the Gods and Goddesses, all Incarnations of God and founders of religion… in the centre of the hall Paramahamsadeva was standing. I was looking at this strange scene when Paramahamsadeva’s form became luminous and assumed immense proportions and all gods and goddesses… started entering into Paramahamsadeva’s body. Having failed to understand the significance of that vision I hastened to Dakshineswar and narrated the whole story to Paramahamsadeva. On having heard me Paramahamsadeva said, “You have had vision of Vaikuntha (the heavenly abode of T h e

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God). You have reached the last limit of vision of Gods and Goddesses. From now onwards you are uplifted to the stage of the formless.”’4 Kali’s Thakur and Thakur’s Kali – we can find the essence of this feeling in the preceding incident. In many of Swami Abhedananda’s letters his intense devotion towards the Master has been clearly expressed. He writes to Chunilal Bose, a neighbour of Sri Balaram Bose, ‘Do not be anxious; wait and pray.

Unless the time is ripe, nothing will click. Call on God day and night. He will eliminate all your afflictions. He is very compassionate.

He never can watch anyone’s suffering.

Whoever wants whatever from Him, He bestows that to him.’ Each and every word of this statement signifies the eternal message of Sri Ramakrishna. In another letter to Swami Ramakrishnananda he writes, ‘I am sorry to learn about Miss Glenn’s illness. Tell me, why should I be annoyed with her? She is shielded

by Thakur… “Mother, it is nobody’s fault.”’

This is the acme of Swami Abhedananda’s love for Sri Ramakrishna. ‘Whoever worships Gauranga, he is dearest to me.’ On 29 June 1937 he wrote to a devotee, ‘You can get peace by surrendering yourself to His will.’ His letters provide a compendious view of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. What is that? That is – ‘surrender, surrender, and surrender.’

He writes in a letter dated 3 July 1934, ‘Have deep faith in your heart that Sri Sri Thakur is your saviour…. He is Kalpataru, the wish-fulfilling tree. Whatever you seek from him with one-pointed devotion, He will give you. He only can give you strength to perform austerities and fortitude, to go ahead in your spiritual life. We are only his instruments.’

Truly, as a devotee says, ‘Who can know You,

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to know Him.’ 5 The same emotion has been manifested in every stanza of Swami Abhedananda’s letters. Like father, like son!

From the life of father (Sri Ramakrishna), from his uttered sentences, we get the teachings of discrimination and dispassion, study of scriptures, renunciation, service and overall surrender to God for realizing Him. Looking through the prism of Swami Abhedananda’s letters we get the same words – realizing God, company of holy men, solitude, surrender and obviously, faith.

The anxious call of Sri Ramakrishna from the roof of the Kuthi6 is still vibrating in the air. He cried ‘O my children, where are you? Come forth!’ ‘Days are passing.

When will you realize God? Days are passing. Everything will go in vain unless God is realized...Thought of that makes me perturbed.’

—‘Having known thus, one stays in the Truth. By not knowing thus one is at a great loss!’7 How intense is his wistfulness, agony and pain for us! How great is his suffering due to our inability to realize God! Few only are able to hear his call. Whatever it be, Sri Ramakrishna is eternal, perennial.

However, —It is far and likewise near. It is inside all this and also It is outside all this.8

Whoever wants Sri Ramakrishna with innerlonging, he does not need to search outside.

Because Sri Ramakrishna Himself has said, ‘Who has here, he has there also.’ After his passing away, he appeared to Sri Sarada Devi and told her, ‘See I am here itself, I have gone nowhere. It is like this room and that room only.’ There is no doubt that even today, whoever seeks to realize Sri Ramakrishna, will realize His burning presence. Although He is present everywhere, yet at some places his manifestation is prominent. The essence of a cow is prominent in its teats; Ganga water is present all along its bank, but it is prescribed to take bath only in some particular ghats.

Similarly, His manifestation is conspicuous at certain places. Once the Master had told Naren, ‘Wherever you will carry me on your shoulders, I will stay there.’ After He passed away Swamiji carried His Atmaram (sacred relics of the Master kept in a copper vessel) on his shoulders and consecrated it grandly on the bank of the Ganga at Belur Math. Thus, this place is extremely holy.

In the end, we shall pray to God with folded hands to unfold our innerconsciousness. For He is the pole-star of our life; the vessel of peace for our thirsty souls. So our final offering to Him is, ‘O Lord! You are mine, I am yours.’

References 1. English translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s song – Gitabitan, Rabindranath Tagore, Vishwabharati, Kolkata, 2005, page 182 2. Sangitartha Sangraha, Probationers’ Training Centre, Belur Math, 2006, page 56 3. English translation of ‘Vishwachetanay Sri Ramakrishna’, Swami Prameyananda & others, Udbodhan Office, Kolkata, 1993, page 66

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4. Complete Works of Swami Abhedananda, [hereafter CWSA] Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, Calcutta, 1970, Vol. 10, page 629-630 5. Katha Upanishad, 1.2.23 6. A bungalow in the Dakshineshwar Temple complex 7. Kena Upanishad, 2.5 8. Isa Upanishad, 5

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Article

Sri Ramakrishna and Hiranand Shaukiram: Interface of Bengali and Sindhi Culture TAPAN KUMAR GHOSH

The message of universal harmony orchestrated by Sri Ramakrishna on his spiritual lyre in the second half of the nineteenth century Bengal, a time of religious dissension and reformist debate, had probably something in common with the mid-Victorian confusion and uncertainty in England. Industrial Revolution and discovery of the railways, closely succeeded by Darwin’s theory of evolution that questioned man’s divine origin shattered the old faith without replacing anything new in the bargain. 1 Reading Hamilton, John Stuart Mill, Herbert Spencer and others, intellectuals in colonial India, especially in Calcutta, liked more to question than to adopt and accept. Before the arrival in Calcutta of Hiranand Shaukiram Advani of the then Sind, to pursue his education on the advice of his elder brother Navalrai and the encouragement of Keshab Chandra Sen, the Brahmo Samaj had witnessed its first major schism in 1866. Navalrai was already attracted to the principles of Keshab’s Brahmo Samaj, and he had a strong influence on Hiranand’s upbringing. Hiranand’s stay in Calcutta from 1880 to 1884 till he completed graduation from Presidency College became momentous so far as the interface of two cultures, separated by more than two thousand miles, soon took place. The man behind this

was no other than the maestro of symphony, Sri Ramakrishna, in whose strings Hiranand became one important addition. Their several meetings later became history, as it has been recorded by Sindhi scholars like Dayaram Gidumal, Mangharam Udharam Malkani, and Virumal Beghraj, a freedom fighter, who was imprisoned along with Mahatma Gandhi in Yerwada prison of Pune. Mention should also be made of Gobindu Malhi, a prolific writer of Sindhi language, involved actively with the Nationalist Movement for independence; Mohan Gehani, and above all, Sri Mahendranath Gupta, the chronicler of Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita, a classic by its own right.

The unique cultural interface we are talking about in this narrative was made possible by Sri Ramakrishna’s subtle and unobtrusive playing of the music of harmony, binding together both Hiranand and Keshab Chandra Sen; influencing, and controlling the whole system of thought prevalent at the time, and even after. Hiranand lived on earth only thirty years (1863-1893), rendering intense service to humanity, and exactly thirty years after his exit Rabindranath Tagore visited Sindh in 1923, completing a circle, as it were, of profitable cultural exchange, initiated by Sri Ramakrishna much earlier.

The author is a retired Professor of English based in Kolkata.

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Let us look at the glorious cultural heritage shared by both Sindh and Bengal. The tinkle of bells on camels’ ankles in the desert of Sindh and the gale chasing the mirage in the distance made travellers listen wistfully to the other-worldly music. And, like the great Sindhu river having a long cultural history behind it, Bengal too had the sacred river Ganga, entering into the veins of man and nourishing trade and commerce with motherly care and affection. The wandering minstrels of Bengal, trudging along the green paddy fields, may remind one of the Sufi poets that were in abundance in Sindh right from the beginning.

Jethmal Parsram Gulrajani, a significant prose writer of Sindhi Literature, has written a whole book titled Sindh and its Sufis in 1924. Like Bengal, inundated by Bhakti cult of Chandidas and Chaitanya, Sindh too was enlightened by the Sufi scholar and poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, the greatest Muslim poet in Sindhi language, and one who is credited to be generating Rumi’s spirituality in South Asia.

The interesting saga of survival of the Sufi saints has been traced by Sarah F. D. Ansari in Sufi Saints and State Power: The Pirs of Sindh 1843-1947, explaining why ‘Sufism as opposed to more “orthodox” forms of Muslim practice came to dominate Sindh.’2 The Baul-tradition too has survived in Bengal despite long political turmoil.

What started after Hiranand’s arrival in Calcutta in 1880 and his subsequent intimate relationship with Sri Ramakrishna made a definite echo in the desert of Sindh. Unlike the trouble-ridden Victorians in England that had her Matthew Arnold and George Eliot, Bengal, experiencing the inevitable rift in Brahmo Samaj, and yet another schism in 1878, following the marriage of Keshab’s daughter before the age established by the law of the Brahmo Samaj, had her Ramakrishna, T h e

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enthusing and radiating spirituality of the highest order. Orthodox Hinduism, jealous Christian missionaries, and the enlightened section of the Brahmo Samaj avidly reading western philosophies, left a warring scenario.

There was also the militant leader Dayanand Saraswati, who founded in Bombay his first Arya Samaj, laying down the principles at Lahore and spreading the network over Northern India, though Punjab remained his chosen land. Sri Ramakrishna, who knew Dayanand and had met him, was acutely aware of how some of the best minds of the time were divided, nearly everyone being in conflict with the other.

The situation in England was no better, in fact a little worse, as the Victorians were desperately trying to find answers to Darwin’s frontal attack in The Origin of Species (1859) on the divine existence of man. Colonial expansion and unprecedented growth of technology forced religion to a down-hill slide toward the end of the century, fomenting Thomas Hardy’s pessimism in the ‘90s, morbidity and angst, which in their turn led to the First World War. In Bengal, on the other hand, a spiritual awakening was taking place, dismissing the qualms and anguish of people languishing in a colonized land. This was a strange phenomenon, hardly noticed, by the postcolonial scholars of the academia in India and abroad. The unique revival in Bengal, shaking off colonial hangover and humility, was replaced by the Vedantic awareness of the hidden potentialities of man. This also had its influence in shaping even the freedom movement. Sindh was quick to respond eagerly to the national surge that in reality confirmed individual solidarity. The fundamental tune was played by a layman at Dakshineswar, possibly a replica of what happened once in Vrindavan

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and Mathura under the inspiration of a mere cowboy. The best cultural minds during Ramakrishna’s time flocked around the sage at Dakshineswar, everyone feeling awestruck and rejuvenated by his simple and yet wise aphorisms. Later, across the seas, it attracted a German philosopher and thinker, Max Muller, who felt a spiritual kinship with the Eastern prophet and published Ramakrishna, His Life and Sayings in 1895. Sri Ramakrishna’s contribution to the national zeitgeist and the desire for freedom, both internal and external, makes a moving spectacle that needs to be recycled again and again for our own sake, newer perspectives bouncing out of the frames on every occasion. Remember the people Ramakrishna met—Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Madhusudan Dutt, Debendranath Tagore, Dayanand, Aswini Kumar Dutt, Shibnath Shastri, Keshab Chandra Sen, and so on. The question is not who he met and talked to, but who he didn’t, among the leading minds of the day. Many went to him, while he himself visited some at their places, being a gentleman par excellence, which indeed was another facet of his multi-dimensional personality.

Possibly a whole treatise can be written on this alone. Let us remember his hallowed visit to the Bengali theatre, headed then by Girish Chandra Ghosh, who was yet to become his disciple at the time. He blessed everyone there, including Binodini Dasi, a talented actress, and other women of the theatre, considered to be fallen from the traditional norms of society. The theatre was good, Ramakrishna said emphatically, because it was a vehicle of education and awareness. Remember in this context there wasn’t anything that could properly be called Victorian theatre, and acting by women couldn’t normally be thought of within the tight ambience of T h e

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Victorian morality. Female writers had to use pseudonyms; Mary Ann Evans taking the name of George Eliot; Emily Bronte, known for her masterpiece Wuthering Heights, using the pen name Ellis Bell, while Charlotte Bronte, the eldest of the three Bronte sisters, writing Jane Eyre, still held to be a classic, with the nom de plume Currer Bell. In all cases, female identity had to be held back.

It was therefore little surprise that, nestled smugly against the citadel of strange pride and confidence of the colonized, and seated on the chariot drawn by horses tamed

by Sri Ramakrishna, the charioteer, Swami Vivekananda, the modern Arjuna of the battlefield ‘where ignorant armies clash by night’ (Matthew Arnold’s last lines of the poem ‘Dover Beach’), would later conquer the aristocratic and elitist minds of Europe and America. Vivekananda was aware of the reports circulated by the Christian missionaries about how in India women were burnt and how they threw their children into the Ganga.

True, India had earned notoriety by being called an exotic land, and befittingly it was generously accorded with exotic stories.

Vivekananda, the lion of Vedanta, emphasized the glorious past of India and emphatically denied all idle stirring up of stories. Walking

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along the streets of Chicago, New York and other places, he felt that Sri Ramakrishna had probably visited this foreign land before him.

This may not be an exaggeration, though it is beyond the scope of sensory knowledge, being somewhat akin to what Romain Rolland says, talking about the authenticity of his masterly account, ‘All knowledge of reality is an inversion through the mind and the senses.’3 And before this, in April 1886 Vivekananda, then Narendranath, was stomping with his sword removed from its sheath in the presence of Sri Ramakrishna and Hiranand, the eclectic mind from Sindh, when he came all the way to see the ailing Master. Sri Ramakrishna lovingly describes Hira as a ‘fine boy’: ‘I wish he be ever present near me,’ says the Master. Hiranand stayed full four years in Calcutta and must have been aware of Sri Ramakrishna’s visits to Vidyasagar on 5 August and the Brahmo Samaj of Sinthi in North Calcutta on 28 October, both events taking place in 1882. He must have heard also of how Keshab Chandra Sen was gradually leaning towards Sri Ramakrishna before finally surrendering to him and accepting Hindu idolatry as ‘nothing but the worship of divine attributes materialized.’ 4 When everyone deserted Keshab at the hour of crisis in his life, Sri Ramakrishna stood behind him. Was Hiranand looking at all this with microcosmic knowledge from his eerie? He, along with the other boys, was indeed staying then at a place called ‘An Eagle’s Nest.’

The spiritually exhilarating and intensely communicative conversation between Narendranath, Sri Ramakrishna, Hiranand, and Mahendranath Gupta can be read from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna when Thakur was taken ill.5 It has also been reproduced in an excellent publication on Hiranand by the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Gol T h e

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Park, Kolkata, titled The History of a Humble Soul: Being the Life and Letters of Hiranand Shaukiram, which provides the earliest and most authentic record about Hiranand’s spiritual upbringing. Written by Hiranand’s intimate friend Dayaram Gidumal, a judge by profession, and an avid reader of literary classics, this book was published from Karachi in 1903. One great merit of this excellent biography is that it contains letters written by Hiranand to Dayaram, who fully empathized with his noble mission and deep earnestness.

When Hiranand, leaving his busy schedule in Sindh, went to Calcutta to see Sri Ramakrishna, he was deeply impressed, remembering the fond memories of the past.

Mahendranath’s memorable account of this intimate meeting is marked by few words and more meaning, which left its echo even after Hiranand left. Sri Ramakrishna says with deep affection that Hiranand’s nature is very sweet and his earnest desire is to take him to Sindh. Previously, Mahendranath tells us that Hiranand’s words sound sweet like honey, as it were. The significant part of this meeting is that when Sri Ramakrishna asks Mahendranath if he knows Hiranand, the former answers in the affirmative, and towards the end speaks of Hiranand’s previous stay in Calcutta, his association with Keshab Chandra Sen, and how he used to stay often with Ramakrishna in Dakshineswar.

At the end that gives details of persons mentioned in the Gospel, we are also told that Hiranand, even after the passing away of Sri Ramakrishna, used to see his disciples at Baranagar Math whenever he went to Calcutta.

Every interested reader will be immensely profited by reading the April 1886 entries in the Gospel and getting a glimpse of the cultural exchange between Sindh and Bengal.

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No surprise that after going back to Sindh, Sri Ramakrishna’s ‘fine boy’—Hiranand— should be actively engaged with the social service in Karachi, along with his elder brother Navalrai, apart from editing two newspapers: Sindh Sudhar (Sindhi) and Sindh Times (English) from Karachi. Deciding to work in the field of social reform, Hiranand came back to Hyderabad where in 1888 he and Navalrai founded the Union Academy for modern education. They also opened the first girls’ school in Hyderabad. His other social work included the establishment of a centre for the treatment of leprosy at Manghopir, Karachi, and an orphanage in Shikarpur. Hiranand’s stay with Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar temple, as reported by Sri Mahendranath Gupta, must have been a turning point in his spiritual journey. Female education was very close to Hiranand’s heart; so he wanted his own daughters, Lakshmi and Rami, to get the best education available at that time in India.

He took them in 1893 to Bankipur to admit them to Prakash Chandra Roy’s Aghor Kamini Girls’ School. The three of them, accompanied by his friend Promotho Lal Sen, the priest, went through Sukkur, Lahore, and Lucknow to arrive finally in Bankipur, where Hiranand, fighting diligently with the epidemic of cholera in the locality, himself fell ill and died on July 11, 1893.

Only two months after on the same day Swami Vivekananda held the vast audience in Chicago

spellbound and enraptured, just as he had once held Hiranand quiet and enthralled by singing Koupinpanchakam and Jo kuch hai sab tuhi hai in presence of Sri Ramakrishna and Mahendranath Gupta.

The point to notice in this story of cultural interface where Sri Ramakrishna stands as the focal point is that there was a growing interest in Sindh about whatever was happening in Bengal. The partition of Bengal that triggered the Swadeshi movement buoyed up freedom movement in Sindh, like elsewhere in the country. When Khudiram Bose was hanged in 1908, his portrait found its way into the patriotic homes of Sindh. In the same year, Virumal Beghraj (1874—1955), who had a special liking for Hiranand, set up a swadeshi store in Sukkur. The upshot of all these was that when Rabindranath Tagore visited Sindh in 1923, Sindh accepted him as one of its own. Even before he reached Sindh, Sadhana was translated by Beghraj in Pune prison. Much to his pleasure, the poet found that the ground for his visit to Sindh was already prepared. Tagore was highly impressed by the performance of some parts of his plays, translated by him, by M.U. Malkani and others at Hyderabad College. He called the performers to have breakfast with him the following morning. Meanwhile, the music of harmony was played by Ramakrishna, and the lead later was taken up by others.

References 1. This aesthetic-philosophical debate of midVictorian England has been brilliantly narrated by Basil Willey in his seminal book More Nineteenth Century Studies: A Study of Honest Doubters, Columbia University Press, New York, 1956.

What Prof. Willey writes about skeptics is also significant in an Indian context, having relevance to what Sri Ramakrishna often said about the youth of Calcutta in his time.

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2. Sarah F. D. Ansari, Sufi saints and State Power, Cambridge University Press, 1992, p.7.

3. Romain Rolland, The Life of Ramakrishna, Advaita Ashrama, rept. 2014, Note 1, p.5.

4. Ibid. p. 83. Keshab’s article is dated August 1, 1880: “The philosophy of idol-worship.”

5. The two entries in the Gospel are dated 22 and 23 April, 1886. Before Hiranand leaves, Sri Ramakrishna asks him when he would come again.

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Article

Healing the Hills SWAMI DHYANASTHANANDA

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

This is a personal account of the relief work undertaken by the Ramakrishna Mission in the wake of unprecedented devastation caused by flash floods in Uttarakhand in June 2013.

Govindghat truck accident At Govindghat we experienced an event that shook us all. In accordance with our schedule, two days after returning from the Neeti relief we were going to a village named Lam Bagar, which had been badly affected by the flood. On our way, there was a steep road, newly carved out. The old road had been totally washed away by the flood. Somehow people were managing to travel on the new, steep road. As we were proceeding with one truck and a Tata Sumo, we were stopped by one of the workers who were blasting the hills above to carve out the new road, because the JCB was clearing the stones and mud on the path. We were very close to a sharp turn from where the new road was to begin. The path was so narrow that no vehicle was able to get through unless the traffic was cleared from one side. By the grace of Thakur, we told our driver to back up and park a little behind the sharp turn so that the JCB vehicles could get through.

All of a sudden, a big truck loaded with relief supplies overtook us and tried to climb the steep slope. But due to bad conditions and its heavy load, it could not manage to go up the slope. Consequently, the driver could not control the truck, and it slipped backward and fell into the 300-metre gorge below. We were dumbfounded. The truck had fallen from the T h e

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exact place where we had previously parked our vehicles. Had Thakur not guided us to park our vehicles little behind the turn, we would have been hit by the truck and would have fallen into the deep gorge below. There was no way we could get down into the gorge directly; we had to walk back several kilometres before we could find a place where we could manage to start to climb down to the riverbed to rescue the driver. Before doing that, we called over a cell phone for an ambulance which had to come from Joshimath.

The descent was extremely difficult; the path was very steep and filled with thorny bushes; on our way we sustained bruises on our bodies, and it took us 45 minutes to reach the driver. All the relief supplies were strewn about everywhere, and it took us some time to locate the truck. It was completely crushed, and the driver was trapped inside. We had no stretcher or anything else we could carry him on. He was semi-conscious, covered in blood, and groaning in pain. We managed to carry him on a large polythene sheet we found in the supplies that were still left in the crushed truck.

The lack of a path up to the main road 300 metres above made it very difficult to carry the injured driver and climb the steep slope.

The driver kept slipping from the makeshift

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stretcher every time we tried to climb the nearly vertical slope. We were wearing ordinary sandals, which made climbing even more strenuous. With great difficulty, after about an hour, our team managed to carry the injured driver to a nearby farm above. Once we got there, other people helped us carry the driver to an ambulance. We had to postpone our distribution plans for that day due to this incident.

All the villagers who were supposed to receive the relief supplies had walked two kilometres from their uphill village down to the roadside. They had to go back without anything; the supplies were all scattered at the bottom of the gorge. When we returned to our base camp at Joshimath in the evening, we could not sleep at night because of that tragedy. Early in the morning we got the sad news that the driver had succumbed to his injuries and left his mortal body.

The Lord tests our patience There were many occasions when we had to wait the entire day to carry out our relief work due to heavy rains and sudden landslides. At times, on our way to remote villages where there were no houses or shops, we had to go without food. We usually planned to eat after getting back to the base camp. Generally we left our camp in the early morning after having some tea and biscuits.

There were times when we were stuck and had no alternative but to wait. We couldn’t go forward and we couldn’t go back. Although the JCB worked to clear the road, sometimes stones, debris, and muddy water were constantly flowing down from the surrounding T h e

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hills. We were cut off from other areas, like people stranded on an island, with neither food nor enough water.

Seeing our condition from a distance, a few villagers came to us late in the day with some big cucumbers so that we could eat something. It was as if they had been sent to us by God. We experienced such situations many times.

In a few cases we had to wait two to three days to carry out our distribution schedule.

It was heart-wrenching to realize that people were waiting for relief supplies because they were cut off and their village had been wiped out, and we were forced by bad weather to wait with relief supplies, unable to reach them. Such was our test! We were helpless and realised that we were at the mercy of Mother Nature. Then sometimes, after enduring such hardships, when we reached the villages, we saw villagers quarrelling among themselves about caste and other petty issues. Then we could only marvel at human nature and say to ourselves, ‘See the fun!’

Some villages were so remote that they could be reached only by helicopter. After getting permission from the military, we managed to enter the helipad, which was fully under army control. Some days we had to take all the supplies to the helipad and wait there for the weather to clear. On a few days we had to sit at the helipad the whole day, since we didn’t know when the sky would clear and we could fly. There were days when we waited for the entire day, and got a window of only thirty minutes to an hour in the evening to use the helicopter and drop relief supplies to the isolated villages.

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Tehsil While distributing relief materials, we witnessed many incidents that revealed some of the unpleasant aspects of human nature.

Usually these were driven by politics and self-interest. To execute our relief service in an effective manner, we had to coordinate with various government officials. We had to visit the Tehsil office frequently to get the number of villages and villagers affected in the hilly region. Sometimes we had to wait there for hours at a time to get even basic information.

Sometimes the villagers would gather and protest against the government’s inefficiency. Many times, the pony owners (khaccharwalas) surrounded the Subdivisional Magistrate (SDM) and informed him that 1000 ponies were stuck on the other side of the river Alaknanda on the road to Hemkund Sahib.

The government was not taking sufficient steps to bring the animals to the safer side.

With each passing day, ponies were dying due to lack of help. There was regular agitation in front of the SDM’s office by people who had lost their farms or cattle and felt that the officials were not extending enough help. The SDM fell ill due to the pressure. A new SDM had to be appointed to manage the situation.

Most of the government officials only made empty promises; there was no action to be seen on the ground. But there were a few who were sincere and helpful. Without them, the relief work wouldn’t have been possible.

Poor infrastructure development To carry out our relief work, we had to visit many remote Himalayan villages— sometimes by vehicle, sometimes on foot, and

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sometimes by helicopter. There are remote villages where even basic necessities are still a dream for the inhabitants. To reach a motorable road, villagers had to walk 18 to 20 kilometres, cross a dozen bridges, and walk through the forest on makeshift pathways.

The place was so remote that their children had never seen any vehicle. Due to their inaccessibility, the villagers could not get any sort of higher education, and were forced to join the army as cooks or attendants.

With the climate changing, the villagers also had problems cultivating their crops, because they were highly dependent on rain.

Unable to cope with all these problems, the younger generation had left the villages and settled in Dehradun and other towns because of better job opportunities. Only the old people lived in the villages.

It is painful to know that while our neighbour China has built a railway line even to remote Tibet, we have not been able to build even a road to connect the Himalayan villages after 60 years of independence.

Across the Mandakini We covered this part of the Himalayas during winter, amidst biting cold and heavy snowfall. This was the second phase of our relief work. Here we found that people were flocking to our camp and were trying to take as many relief supplies as possible, since they felt that it would be difficult to get a steady source of income. It would take a minimum of five to six years to restore the region’s usual economy.

As their economy was totally dependent on the Char Dham yatra, there were many jobless people whose livelihoods were affected by this

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devastating flood. People were fighting among themselves for the slightest monetary or material gain. Even when they had something for their sustenance, they were still forming gangs and troubling the people carrying out the relief work.

In one such area the villagers had formed a gang and forced the local political leader to collect relief supplies on their behalf. They warned him that if he didn’t manage to get enough, they wouldn’t vote for him in the next election. So he and his followers came to us and literally threatened us to do what he wanted.

‘There is no need for any survey. Give us all the relief materials, or else we will not allow you to conduct any relief activities in this area,’ they threatened.

We calmly and firmly replied, ‘Whatever happens will happen. But we will not give even a grain of relief material without doing our own survey.’

They retorted, ‘This is our area; you are outsiders. Unless we are satisfied, you cannot do any work here.’

To fulfill their purpose, they submitted many petitions signed by the common people to the local authorities, saying that the NGOs were not doing proper relief work, and unless their demands were met, the relief work would be stalled.

We sensed that something bad might happen if we didn’t take corrective measures, so we approached higher government authorities and explained everything that was happening and asked for assistance. Then they took necessary measures and deployed some police personnel to enable us to carry out the relief service unhindered.

This news spread like wildfire in the higher levels of government. The higher officials and top leaders directly called that T h e

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local political leader and demanded that he apologise to us immediately if he wanted a successful political career. This cooled him down, and he came early the next morning asking for forgiveness. When this news spread, people from the remote villages criticised him and thanked the Ramakrishna Mission for carrying out the relief work with utmost dedication and for demonstrating high ethical standards in handling problems. They also invited us to their villages to show their love and gratitude.

Hindus are natural Advaitins At Ukhi Math there were some problems during distribution. We had to distribute the relief supplies immediately. So we divided ourselves into teams of two or three, targeting some selected areas for peaceful and quick execution of the work. Eventually we managed to make the necessary arrangements and started for our destination. After distributing the supplies to various villages, we reached a village, which was most likely the last in that area. Out of curiosity, some volunteers and I were moving around to just have a look at the tiny village. We didn’t have much time to spare, because we had to descend to another village where our noon meals had been arranged.

To our surprise, in that village, in the midst of scenic beauty, surrounded by hills, we came across a small house where we found an old lady who most probably lived alone.

She was about to take her noon meal. One of our volunteers said to her in the local dialect, ‘Mother! We have come to your house for our noon meal!’ She immediately replied, ‘Take it, my dear—here is your food.’ Lovingly and without any hesitation, she was ready to give us her own meal! Then we told her that the volunteer was only joking—we already had

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our food arranged elsewhere. She became serious for a while and said, ‘Never mind about my food, my child. Suppose God comes to my door and asks for food from me. Could I restrain myself from giving Him food? Take, dear, something from me.’ I was awestruck at hearing this and stood embarrassed for a while, thinking to myself, ‘Yes, every Hindu is actually an Advaitin!’

The Lord is always merciful There is a place called Urgam Valley, where the temple of Lord Kalpeshwara, one of the Pancha Kedar, is situated. The valley was partly affected by the devastating flood, and it was included in our area of relief operations.

In accordance with our routine, we had gone to survey the vicinity to estimate the number of villages, their population, and their most urgent needs. Some people went by jeep and others on foot. While climbing up to the hilly villages, some of our team members went ahead, and some were left behind.

At one point I felt a little tired and stood near a tree on a steep hill. While I was standing there, from somewhere (I cannot recall now), a herd of cattle passed through that narrow hilly road and clambered uphill. I thought, ‘What is this? Even standing here is difficult. It is better to go elsewhere and take rest than stand in this place.’ No sooner did I go a little distance than the whole hillside, trees and all, collapsed with a loud rumbling noise and went tumbling 300 metres down into the gorge. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I prayed to Thakur, ‘O Lord, it is your mercy, you only protect your child and do your work, we are measly babies. If you

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hadn’t saved me, my obituary would have been printed in the Belur Math bulletin.’

Charm of the Himalayas In the course of our service in the Himalayas, which was three months at a stretch and then between two to four weeks at a time, we came across many holy places of pilgrimage associated with great sages and avatars. The scenic beauty of the snow- capped mountain ranges, the beautiful valleys, the distinct flora of the region, the multitude of streams and rivers were always a pleasure and source of fascination that inspired serene bliss.

The atmosphere itself was so vibrant that the mind automatically rose to a higher plane. In spite of all the hardships and tribulations, the natural beauty of the surroundings and the charm and simplicity of the hill people was so appealing that we realised why our scriptures always speak highly of the Himalayas.

There were some places where we could feel the condensed spirituality that had accumulated over centuries by the austerity of saints, sages, and devotees. We also came to know that most people of the hills are simple and pious, with great reverence for renunciation. During and after the relief work we were completely exhausted; but when we looked at the vast, magnificent, calm, and seemingly infinite range of the snow-capped peaks, we could only feel peace. All our fatigue vanished. Forgetting ourselves, we found a new spirit within us. Beholding the vastness of nature, we felt humbled and insignificant. It was as if, compared to us, a single stone of the Himalayas has more value.

(Concluded.)

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Article

Universal Hindu Temple SWAMI TATTWAMAYANANDA

Temples in India have a long History.

Building a temple in the Hindu tradition was considered to be a spiritually meritorious act that brought spiritual merit to the builder and sanctity to the place. As a religious institution, temples have always played an important role in the history of religious practices in Hinduism, where traditionally a temple is conceived as a symbol or a combination of various symbols and, much like a human organism, is considered to be the abode of God, the immanent divine spirit.

A temple is also a symbol of the omnipresent, cosmic, and transcendental dimension of God. The Brihat Samhita states that a temple is a microcosm of creation.

Temples were conceived to be everlasting spiritual symbols of human effort and devotion (Yaavat chandraarkamedini—‘as long as the moon, the sun, and the earth exist’). From the standpoint of the individual spiritual seeker, a temple represents the subtle body with the seven psychic centres mentioned in the Tantrik texts. A temple, in essence, is the link between man and God which helps us to evolve from the earthly level to the transcendental divine realm. Texts

like Aparajitaprichcha (a well-known text on traditional Hindu architecture) present the temple structure itself as the form of creation or as the physical body of God. Agni Purana, on the other hand, considers the sanctum sanctorum alone as the body of the presiding deity. All rituals performed in temples symbolize different stages in our spiritual journey to discover the presence of the immanent divine reality, or God, as residing in our own heart.

It is said that the history of God and religion is the evolution of the human consciousness of the divine, the history of our ideas and concepts of God. In the history of Hinduism, especially after the Vedic age, temples were centres of religious life. But conventional temple worship did not have anything to do with religious universalism as understood today.

Credit should go to Swami Trigunatitananda for giving a universal dimension to the very concept of temple worship by building the Hindu Temple in San Francisco that has stood out as a picturesque landmark in the urban landscape of San Francisco.

Swami Trigunatitananda’s universal Hindu Temple was built as a symbol (pratika) of the great Vedantic ideal that the ultimate reality is one and that every religion is an equally valid path leading to the same spiritual goal. Every religion represents an expression of the same eternal, transcendental truth. This integral view of the ultimate reality and the

The author is a sannyasi of the Ramakrishna Order and is serving as the Minister-in-charge of Vedanta Society of Northern California, USA. T h e

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diverse human attempts to reach that goal, as taught by Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, formed the philosophical and spiritual symbolism of the Hindu Temple of San Francisco built by Swami Trigunatitananda.

A whole lifetime could have been spent in building a structure like this; but Swami Trigunatitananda seemed to be always in a hurry. Immediately after landing in San Francisco, he set himself to work. He had a clear idea about his mission. He reorganized the Vedanta Society and established it on a secure, traditional spiritual foundation. Every act of his remaining twelve years seemed to have spiritual significance, as evidenced, for instance, by the planning and building of the Hindu Temple in 1905.

Symbolism in Temple Worship Symbols represent our efforts to understand the invisible and the abstract through the visible and the concrete. They help us to conceive of a higher and transcendental idea through concrete representations.

Symbolism plays a very important role in Hinduism, especially in the construction of temples and the rituals performed therein.

Every act of worship and every form of the deity is raised to a higher level through philosophical and spiritual reinterpretation.

The whole idea of temple worship is built on symbolism. Sound symbols, such as OM, the Gayatri-Mantra, Bija-Mantras, and the sacred mantras chanted in various ceremonies, as well as the form symbols of different conceptions

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of deities, diagrammatic symbols like yantras, the Shiva-linga and the Salagrama, the lotus, the different elements and rituals of formal worship of various deities, especially in the temple installation ceremony, the upachaaras (five, ten, sixteen, sixty-four, or one hundred eight items, ceremonially offered with appropriate mantras to the deity invoked in the temple image), and the elaborate celebrations, like the Car Festival of Lord Jagannath of the Puri temple, all these have a deep symbolic significance.

The symbolism of temples, as well as of all aspects of temple worship, are meant to help us to eventually realize the immanent presence of God in our own heart, because the light in the temple ultimately represents the light of our own soul, the atman. Thus, symbolism helps spiritual aspirants to transcend external rituals and ceremonies. A devotee experiences the fact that God, whom he worships in the temple, is, in reality, the divine spirit present in his own heart. Finally, this living presence of God then vividly manifests in one’s everyday life.

Symbolism in the Features of the Old Temple and Its Architecture All the distinguishing features of the San Francisco Hindu Temple, or the Old Temple, as it is now referred to, are symbolic of a basic concept which Swami Trigunatitananda expressed in these words: ‘This Temple may be considered as a combination of a Hindu temple, a Christian church, a Mohammedan mosque, a Hindu Math or monastery, and an American residence.’

The large round tower at the northeast corner of the building is fashioned after some of the modern provincial temples of Shiva of Bengal, complete with the usual emblems common to Shiva temples.

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The next tower, west of it, is a model of one of the twelve small Shiva temples along the Ganga at Dakshineswar, near Kolkata, where Sri Ramakrishna lived and Swami Vivekananda and the other disciples of Sri Ramakrishna first came under his influence and training. This middle tower is surmounted by a combination of three symbols. First, it has a crescent form at the bottom, which is a Turkish or Mohammedan symbol, but this is also the type of symbol used by some Hindu devotional sects, as well, and represents the spiritual path of devotion to God. Second, the middle sign looks like the sun: Without sunlight and heat, we cannot grow, and, therefore, this symbol indicates the path of work or karma. The third symbol, in this group of three, is the trident, which in Hindu tradition is the scepter of Shiva, who destroys ignorance, and, therefore, it symbolizes the path of knowledge or of spiritual inquiry and philosophy.

The particular order of these three symbols on one staff has additional meaning: Generally speaking, one must have a little faith and love to start some real kind of work.

Therefore, the sign for the path of devotion has been put first. Then through love and faith comes a true sense of duty or work.

Therefore, the path of karma has been put next. Then when we finish all our karma or work, and, when we become pure, we pierce through the veil of ignorance. Therefore, the sign of the path of knowledge has been put last. Another meaning can also be derived, as follows: Unless our spiritual culture transcends in greatness the sun, moon, and everything, we cannot reach the ultimate truth.

The next tower to the west, with its cluster of multiple small, pointed domes surrounding a large central dome, is a replica of one of the principal temples of Varanasi, the most ancient centre of Hindu learning and T h e

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spiritual tradition. This tower has also a little similarity with the top of the temple of Mother Kali at Dakshineswar, as mentioned earlier.

The small tower farther west, high above the entrance to the temple, is a miniature, modeled after the Taj Mahal at Agra in North India. On the southeast corner of the building is a crenelated round tower modeled after some of the old castle towers of Europe, which belong to the medieval era of Christianity. The veranda that runs along the third floor on the north and east sides of the building is lined with sculpted arches in Moorish style.

Over the entrance door to the temple is a canopy with further symbolism to illustrate the soul’s rise to spiritual insight and illumination. It also contains a mosaic inscription in Sanskrit which reads: Om Namo Bhagavate Ramakrishnaya, which means: ‘OM, salutation to the blessed Lord Ramakrishna’; OM being a word indicative of divinity in its most universal aspect, namo or namah refers to salutation. The word bhagavate or bhagavan, signifying Lord, implies that the holy personality, Sri Ramakrishna, named in this verse, is considered to have a divine, rather than a merely human origin and function.

The metal canopy above the entrance door is decorated around its edge with a fringe of lotus petals, symbolizing the inner mental lotuses of increasing beauty seen by mystics in meditation. The whole is surmounted, as though protected, by an American eagle with wings outspread. The eagle seems to fly beyond this world, which is the realm of creation, preservation, and destruction—the realm of relativities. The eagle can also be seen as expressive of the Hindu mythological bird, Garuda, the symbol of great strength, spiritual devotion, and of steady and rapid progress.1 Swami Trigunatitananda, while answering a question as to whether one had to believe in

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rebirth or in any such doctrine, in order to reach the highest spiritual goal, said: ‘There are many faiths and religious sects in the world, which do not believe in nor care to believe in such doctrines; according to Vedantism, they, too, reach the very highest; one should simply go on sincerely, ardently, and steadily along one’s own faith, with one’s own beliefs, with a view to advance to the very highest.’2 Swami Trigunatitananda wanted to construct a building in San Francisco that would be an architectural representation of the message of religious harmony, a medium for communicating the Vedantic universalism that was the central theme of Sri Ramakrishna’s message to the modern world, as so ably expounded by Swami Vivekananda. That partly explains his decision to build a temple so unlike the traditional Hindu temples in India, yet incorporating many of their aspects like the pointed towers, domes, etc. The message of the Old Temple was the message of religious harmony, based on the fact that spiritual experience knows no barriers of race, nationality, or external practices.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the whole work was the amazing speed of the construction of the temple—an astonishing feat accomplished within less than five months! Swami Trigunatitananda installed the cornerstone on August 21, 1905, and the dedication ceremony was held on January 7, 1906. This original structure had only the tower at the northeast corner of the building.

That tower was removed in 1908, and an additional floor was added to the building.

Along with all the other towers now seen, the corner tower was reinstalled.

These events were historically significant when we remember the cultural and spiritual landscape of America during this period. The country was undergoing a radical transformation T h e

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in the field of religion and spirituality. New concepts and movements like Theosophy, Christian Science, and Unitarianism were becoming popular among the social elites in the United States. Higher Hinduism, or Vedanta, had just been introduced to American society by Swami Vivekananda in the World’s Parliament of Religions at Chicago in 1893 and subsequently through his lectures and classes. Its catholicity, rationality, and especially its open acceptance of other faith-systems were in sharp contrast to the narrow dogmatism of the contemporary Christian church. The intellectual challenges of Darwinist, humanist, and atheistic movements, as well as the criticism of the admirers of the latest scientific discoveries, posed a great threat to exclusivist claims of established religions.

In conclusion, the earliest temples of North and central India belonging to the Gupta period (320-650 A.D.), the rock-cut temples of South India belonging to the periods of the Pallavas, Chalukyas, and Rashtrakutas, as well as the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, are marvels of ancient Hindu architecture, as are the temples belonging to the Vijayanagar period and the great ancient Indian temples that exist in places like Kashi, Vrindavan, and Mathura.

From an architectural point of view the San Francisco Hindu Temple is different from both the South Indian or Dravida and Chalukya temples with their characteristic tiered vimana shrines, their axial and peripheral mandapa adjuncts, and towering gopura entrances (gates), as well as from the North Indian temples with their own distinctive features like a square plan and curvilinear towers, representing the nagara style. Also, there is no evidence to show that Swami Trigunatitananda fully adhered to the principles of temple construction as laid down in the traditional texts on Vastu Shastra like the Brihat Samhita.

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Swami Trigunatitananda, a great traditionalist, must have performed all the rituals before the temple construction, like sanctifying the earth, Vastu puja, garbha-nyasa, etc. But, since the Temple did not have a traditional inner sanctum sanctorum like the traditional orthodox Hindu temples in India, many of the rituals were perhaps not required.

A Spiritual Saga of Dedication and Service Considering the circumstances under which he was deputed by Swami Vivekananda to take up the Vedanta work in San Francisco, Swami Trigunatitananda knew it was to be a heroic task. The reorganization of the Vedanta Society, keeping the congregation together, and carrying on the task of spreading the message of Vedanta in northern California— all these endeavours demanded exceptional organizational skills, spiritual insight, moral strength, ingenuity, drive, iron determination, and, above all, a blending of the dedicated action of a missionary and the profound spirituality of a saint.

It was remarkable that, even in the midst of Swami Trigunatitananda’s active dynamism on display throughout his more than twelve years of spiritual ministration in San Francisco, there were always glimpses of his monastic humility and contemplative nature. About this builder of the Hindu Temple, one may well say what William Arthur Ward stated about an ideal teacher: ‘The mediocre teacher tells.

The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.’ Swami Trigunatitananda’s sense of dedication was an inspiring example for all those who worked with him to build the Temple.

The universal Hindu Temple of San Francisco has a special significance in the present age which is characterized by a widespread urge for anything universal. Unity in variety is the theme for our times. This urge for universality, especially in the field of spirituality, is bound to prompt thinking people everywhere to study the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and his ideal of universal religious harmony symbolized in the universal Hindu Temple of San Francisco.

Was the building of the Hindu Temple an accident? If Swami Turiyananda had not left San Francisco in 1902 and Swami Trigunatitananda had not arrived in 1903, probably it would never have been built. But, when we look back after more than a century, we can see that there was a divine hand and divine plan behind it.

Swami Trigunatitananda experienced this as a fact, as he revealed from time to time.

On one such occasion, he said, regarding this first Hindu Temple in the West: ‘I shall not live to enjoy, others will come later who will enjoy.’

With reference to his own motivation, he boldly stated: ‘Believe me, believe me, if there is the least tinge of selfishness in building the temple, it will fall, but if it is the Master’s work, it will stand.’3 And it has stood, weathering more than a century, including the catastrophic 1906 earthquake and the fire ignited by it, which was fanned by unrelenting winds to within six blocks of the Temple, before suddenly being diverted by a providential reversal of wind direction.

The story of the universal Hindu Temple of San Francisco is not just the story of a temple. It is the saga of a saint—a humbling, inspiring model for all spiritual seekers.

References: 1. Swami Trigunatita: His Life and Work, Sister Gargi, San Francisco, Vedanta Society of Northern California, 1997, 198-203. 2. Ibid., 37 3. “The Work of Swami Trigunatita in the West,” His Western Disciples, Prabuddha Bharata, March 1928, 132.

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Article

Swamiji’s Nine Days at Castle Kernan MONASTIC SOJOURNER

Every year from 6 to 14 Feb a Navaratri Celebration is held in Swami Vivekananda House, Chennai. This is in commemoration of Swami Vivekananda’s 9-day stay in Castle Kernan (now Swami Vivekananda House) after his triumphant return in 1897 from his first visit to the West.

In the course of these nine days Swamiji interacted with a number of people and delivered four talks which gave a new direction to India. A day-wise account of this historic Navaratri is presented here.

Day One (6 February, Saturday) At about 7.30 am the train carrying Swamiji arrived at the Egmore railway station where he was received by the Reception Committee members, Swamis Niranjanananda and Shivananda, and some western disciples of Swamiji. He was brought to Castle Kernan in a huge procession marked with unprecedented enthusiasm. After the Swami had taken food and had a short rest, Professors K. Sundararama Iyer and M. Rangacharya met him to arrange a programme for his stay in Madras. The Swami asked them to arrange the programme between themselves and simply inform him of the subjects he was to speak on.

It was settled that his first appearance would be to reply to the main address of welcome presented on behalf of the people of Madras by the Vivekananda Reception Committee.

Afterwards there were to be four public lectures devoted to his message to the world and to India, and to the means of building up a national spiritual life in India suited to altered conditions. The following subjects were chosen: (1) ‘My Plan of Campaign’ (2) ‘The Sages of India’, (3) ‘Vedanta in its Application to Indian Life’, (4) ‘The Future of India’.

At Alasinga’s request, the Swami also consented to deliver a lecture at the Triplicane T h e

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Literary Society on ‘The Work Before Us’; and there were to be two morning sessions at the Castle when people could put questions to him.

The Raja of Khetri, devoted disciple of Swamiji, sent his Private Secretary, Munshi Jagmohanlal, all the way to Madras to present an address of welcome on his behalf. From the first day to the last of his visit he was besieged at all hours by visitors of all classes, both men and women. There were crowds constantly waiting in front of the Castle at all hours of the day and even after dusk.

The Indian Mirror, a Calcutta paper which carried excerpts from Madras papers, gave this account of the scene at Castle Kernan, with special reference to February 6 and the early morning gathering on the 7th: Castle Kernan, where Swami Vivekananda is lodged, presented a picturesque scene on Saturday evening [February 6]. The Castle itself is beautifully decorated and fitted up for the reception of Swami and party.... Two magnificent pandals have been put up, one at the entrance, which is intended to serve a purely ornamental purpose, and another in the compound, which serves the purpose of a meeting hall, where the Swami patiently undergoes the severe cross-examination to which he is subjected on the technicalities

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and subtleties of the Vedanta. A large number of gentlemen waited upon the Swami at the pandal that evening, when an acrostic poem in Sanskrit in honour of the Swami was read out by Mr. R. Sivasankara Pandiya. The Swami then offered to answer any questions that might be put to him. Someone set the ball rolling by asking the Swami to point out the difference between karma and fatalism....

Mr. P. L. Narasu then heckled the Swami on the essential tenets of the Vedanta. A most interesting passage-at-arms then followed, the Swami dealing with his interrogator’s various points with admirable lucidity, force, and aptness...

Day Two (7 February, Sunday) In the same issue of the Indian Mirror is another report which would seem to relate to a session between 7.30 and 9 a.m. on the following morning, Sunday the 7th: Nearly two hundred persons assembled this morning... at Castle Kernan to question Swami Vivekananda on various topics of interest. Some asked him to explain the difference between ‘mind’ and ‘matter’, some others wished to know whether God had a human shape. Swamiji patiently and courteously answered all his questioners....

In the evening, about 4 p.m. he set out from Castle Kernan. It was a day of high expectations for everyone. Over ten thousand people had assembled in and around the Victoria Hall. The scene in front of it, and along the roads and streets leading to it, defied description. The carriage taking the Swami and his party could scarcely pass; so dense was the crowd. As they alighted, there were loud cries of ‘Open-air meeting’ from the vast throng that had assembled. The arrangement was that the address would be presented in the hall. This, of course, was filled to capacity.

With great difficulty the Swami made his way to the platform. Sir Bhashyam Iyengar was T h e

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already in the chair; and the Swami took the seat by his side.

Meanwhile, loud and continuous shouts of ‘Open-air meeting’ from outside interrupted the proceedings within. The Swami’s heart was touched; he felt that he could not disappoint the countless, eager young men assembled outside.

He suddenly burst out, saying, ‘I am a man of the people. They are all outside. I must go and meet them’, and rushed from the hall. As soon as he appeared outside, thundering applause broke forth. Then there was a stampede. Since no prior arrangements had been made for him to address the people in the open air, he got on a landau [a four wheel covered carriage with a roof—front and back—divided into two parts that can be let down separately] and tried to speak from that. The noise was so deafening that he could not make himself heard. So he climbed into the coachman’s seat, and spoke in Gita fashion, as he put it. He had in mind, of course, Sri Krishna’s delivering his message in a chariot ages before.

‘Man proposes and God disposes’, he began. ‘It was arranged that I should address you in occidental fashion; but it was ordained by the Lord that I should address you in Gitafashion, standing in a chariot. . . .He went on to tell his hearers that he was intensely pleased with their enthusiasm: only let them ‘keep it up’; let them give him all the help he required, ‘to do great things for India’.

At this stage the crowd became so unmanageable that the Swami could not make himself heard. He finally said, ‘You have seen me today: you will hear me some other day.’ And it was true that, though there was disappointment at the sudden termination of the meeting, those who had come had had the satisfaction of having seen the Swami.

After this meeting, the Reception Committee, with the consent of the Swami, decided that, as it was impossible to control the

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big crowd, admission to his remaining lectures should be regulated by tickets to be issued on payment; admission will be by tickets to be had from Messrs Srinivasa Varadachari and Co. Rates of admission: Rs. 2 for the platform and Re. 1 for the Hall. The proceeds were aimed to be used for Swamiji’s work in India.

Day Three (8 February, Monday) At about noon, Swamiji briefly spoke to Prof. P. Lakshmi Narasu, a scholar and Mr. N. K. Ramaswamy Iyer, and in the afternoon, a group of Shaivites from Tiruppattur in Tamilnadu.

Day Four (9 February, Tuesday) In the morning Swamiji visited the Triplicane Literary Society at the request of its members. An address of welcome was read by T. V. Seshagiri Iyer, Vice-President, in which Swamiji’s attention was drawn to the fact that before to his departure for America his first public appearance had been in the hall of the Society. It was because of that that the citizens of Madras had been able to value the Swami at his true worth. After thanking the Society for having afforded him the opportunity of making himself known to the people of Madras in 1893, he spoke of the need of giving up narrow mindset and reaching out to western nations with the gift of spirituality and wisdom which India has. The subject of this talk was ‘The Work Before Us’. Although no notice had been given of it in the press, a very large crowd thronged the Society’s premises.

That very evening in the Victoria Hall, the Swami gave the first of his four public lectures: ‘My Plan of Campaign’. He said: ‘My plan is to start institutions in India, to train our young men as preachers of the truths of our scriptures, in India and outside India.

Men, men, these are wanted’—sincere to the backbone. . . A hundred such and the world becomes revolutionized.’

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Day Five (10 February, Wednesday) In the evening, Swamiji attended an at-home held in his honour at the premises of the Social Reform Association, in Black Town. A handsome fan was presented to him as a memento of his visit. In his conversation with the members, he gave little or no encouragement to the revolutionary views entertained by the society’s leaders, but ‘admitted the need for social reforms’, such as the removal of untouchability, the restoration and rearrangement of the caste system so as to recover its ancient rationale, and so on.

Day Six (11 February, Thursday) In the morning, Swamiji went on invitation to the house of Dr Subrahmanya Iyer, in Luz Church Road. Prof. Sundararama Iyer, who was present, writes: ‘We met in the room upstairs, and the Swami explained to us his plans for a vast religious reformation and revival in India which would serve to bring Hindus, Christians, Mohammedans, Buddhists, and all under a common flag of brotherly union and serve as a star of hope and harmony, and a ceaseless incentive to the striving by men of all creeds and colours after a common goal of national aspiration. He wanted a new sort and style of temple with a hall in the front containing statues of the sages and prophets of all great religions, and behind it an inner precinct containing a pillar with the letter (or letters) Om inscribed on it and underneath the open sky....’

In the evening, Swamiji delivered his second public lecture, The Sages of India, in the Victoria Hall. The place was crowded to capacity.

Day Seven (12 February, Friday) In the morning itself, the pandal at the Castle was full to overflowing, when Swamiji took his seat on the platform. There came a

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young European lady of high intelligence, who put to him various questions on Vedanta.

The Swamiji’s resources of knowledge and exposition were fully brought out to the wonder of all present. The lady thanked Swamiji, told him that she would be leaving for London to resume her social work in its slums, and hoped that it would be her great privilege to meet him again. As she left, Swamiji rose, advanced a few steps to see that a way was made for her, and remained standing while she bowed and retired. In the afternoon she returned with her father, who was engaged in Christian missionary work in Madras. She sought and obtained for him an interview which lasted nearly an hour. On being asked

by Prof. Sundararama Iyer how he found the strength for such incessant activity, the Swami said, ‘Spiritual work never tires one in India.’

On the same day a Vaishnava pundit, speaking in Sanskrit, raised a difficult point in the Vedanta for discussion. The Swami patiently listened to the pundit, then turned to the audience and said in English that he did not care to waste time in fruitless wrangling over doctrinal details of no practical value. The pundit then asked the Swami to say clearly whether he was an Advaitin or a Dvaitin. The Swami replied in English: ‘Tell the pundit that so long as I have this body I am a Dualist, but not afterwards. This incarnation of mine is to help to put an end to useless and mischievous quarrels and puzzles which only distract the mind, and make men weary of life, and even turn them into sceptics and atheists.’

The pandit then said in Tamil, ‘The Swami’s statement is really an avowal that he is an Advaitin.’ The Swami rejoined, ‘Let it be so.’

The matter was then dropped.

In the afternoon at about 4.30 p.m., Swamiji and friends visited the Hindu Theological High School of Madras. First, two T h e

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boys conversed with one another in Sanskrit on Arya Dharma.

Then the Founder-President, Brahmasri R. Sivasankara Pandiya, read an address on behalf of the trustees, teachers and boys of the school. The Swami congratulated the FounderPresident on his noble endeavours. He exhorted the public to encourage the school in every way, and wished for similar institutions to come up all over India. The Hindu Moral Association also presented an address.

In the evening, the Swami presided over the annual meeting of the Madras Chennapuri Annadana Samajam, held in Pachaiyappa’s Hall. After the usual proceedings the Swami spoke a few words on charity.

Day Eight (13 February, Saturday) In the evening, Swamiji addressed a very large audience in Pachaiyappa Hall on ‘The Vedanta in Its Application to Indian Life’. He said that Hindu religion is a collection of various religions, of various ideas, of various ceremonials and forms, all gathered together almost without a name, and without a church, and without an organization. The only point where all the sects agree is that they all believe in the Vedas. No man can be called a Hindu who does not admit the supreme authority of the Vedas. The Vedanta covers Dualism, Qualified Monism, and Monism or Advaita, and even takes in part of Buddhism and Jainism too.

Prof. Sundararama Iyer relates an amusing incident that happened during the lecture just summarized. Among those on the platform was G. Subrahmanya Iyer, who was later to become editor of The Hindu. At one point, particularly addressing the students in the audiences, the Swami said: ‘First of all, our young men must be strong. Religion will come afterwards. Be strong, my young friends;...

You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of the Gita.... You will

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understand the Gita better with your biceps, your muscles, a little stronger......’ Even while the Swami was speaking, Subrahmanya Iyer exclaimed in Tamil to those near him, ‘I have said the same thing often, but none would give ear. The Swami says it now, and you all cheer!’

The same evening, after the lecture, the Swami attended an entertainment given in his honour by L. Govindas, at Patters Gardens, Royapettah. The large gathering included quite a few Europeans. After addresses had been read out, there was a recital by two wellknown musicians. Swamiji was presented with ochre-coloured silk cloths, garlanded, and served with refreshments.

The biography of Lodd Govindas who was an eminent businessman belonging to Gujarati community in Madras, and a wellknown public figure, records Swamiji’s visit to his place thus: When His Holiness Swami Vivekananda, who has acquired a world-wide fame for his thrilling eloquence in preaching Hinduism, arrived in Madras from England, Mr. Govindas gave him an entertainment in his bungalow ‘Patters Gardens,’ and presented him with an address which contained many valuable and practical suggestions in connection with the furtherance of unanimity among Hindus as a whole in point of religion, which virtue is now a rare commodity among them. We subjoin the address: ‘With due regard and pious holiness, I beg to approach your Holiness. You have undertaken a duty at once most pious, thoroughly unique and highly exemplary. The most heavy task you have self-imposed with an utter denial of the inner cravings of all comforts of man, you have discharged so creditably to the Arya Varta that persons of all clime, caste, colour, and creed, bear abundant testimony to the same. The commanding genius you possess, the thrilling eloquence you display, the fiery T h e

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zeal in the holy cause you have undertaken, have won already the admiration and respect of the civilized American and the large brained European and unmistakably point out to one conclusion that you are the fittest and greatest spiritual Hindu teacher for bringing the whole world under the banner of one religion you preach, with the motto written in glittering gold, of universal love and brotherhood. It is no exaggeration to say and to urge that in this age of philosophical doubt and obstinate perversity, you have established a name in the Eastern and Western hemispheres of the world (which none but those hallowed by holy touch of heaven could achieve). To be brief, in you is realised the existence of the connecting link between the East and the West, the North and the South, for spiritual development breaking down the prejudices, passions, and errors of the different established religionists from one pole to the other.

India is a land of diverse religions with manifold divisions and sub-divisions. The great religious luminaries that have flourished in the land, left behind them doctrines and tenets they held and preached in the form of Dvaita, Advaita, Visishtadvaita and Suddhadvaita.

Besides, there is jarring differences in religious observances among the inhabitants occupying the nook and corner of this vast peninsula. It is hardly necessary to mention that such petty feuds and differences have wrought and are yet to work out many woes among mankind.

It is, therefore, humbly suggested that the conception of a plan and the adoption of a contrivance to bring the Hindu religionists of heterogeneous views to one focus and to one common centre, will achieve the greatest good to the greatest number of people. A Parliament in the form of a Hindu Religious Congress may be held annually in some

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centre. The members of the Parliament shall form the representatives of the various sects, who, in their turn, should hold meetings in their respective localities with a fair and impartial criticism; one great object being to eliminate all the petty differences and to restore harmony, and peace between man on one hand, and the centre of moral and spiritual universe on the other. Proceeding on this broad basis, constitution may be formed with an everlasting ambition of peace and goodness ever resting and depending for success or failure upon the Supreme Will, “the great spring of love, beauty, order and intelligence”.’

Day Nine (14 February, Sunday) In the evening Swamiji gave his last public lecture in Madras, on ‘The Future of India’. Over three thousand people had assembled in the Harmston Circus Pavilion to hear him. The Hon’ble N. Subba Rao Puntulu was in the chair. Prof. Sundararama Iyer says: ‘I never saw a more crowded scene or a more enthusiastic audience. The Swami’s oratory was at its best. He seemed like a lion traversing the platform to and fro. The roar of his voice reverberated everywhere, and with telling effect.’ That there was something special about this lecture, and that the Swami’s voice had a special power on this occasion is also suggested by C. Ramanujachari’s words: ‘That was a wonderful lecture and Swamiji’s voice was heard throughout distinctly, even in the corners. Those were days when there were no loud-speakers. The effect of that speech was thrilling.’

Almost from the commencement of his visit to Madras Swamiji was being pressed by his disciples and admirers to remain in the city and open a centre there. The topic was broached on his return to Castle Kernan from the abortive Sunday meeting. S. Subrahmanya T h e

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Iyer and others were all seated round the Swami, discussing future action in Madras.

On the last day, V.Krishnaswamy Iyer, sometime member of the Madras Executive Council, requested Swamiji to send someone who could continue the work he had begun.

Swamiji replied: I shall send you one who is more orthodox than the most orthodox Brahmins of the South and who is at the same time incomparable in performing worship, scriptural knowledge and meditation on God.4 Later, Swamiji sent Swami Ramakrishnananda, his brother disciple and a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Needless to say, Swami Ramakrishnananda was a worthy messenger of his guru whose contribution to the spread of Ramakrishna Movement in South is immense.

Swamiji’s Departure from Madras: On Monday February 15, he embarked on S.S. Mombasa of the B.I.N.S. Company. A Shamiana (a canopy) had been put up on the harbour pier, which had been beautifully decorated, and Messrs Binny and Co. had arranged for a farewell gathering.

Swamiji reached the pier at 7.30 a.m. and was conducted to the Shamiana, where some leading citizens had assembled to say goodbye to him. A group of merchants of the Aryavaishya caste (known as Komatis) met him and presented an address of thanks for his services to the holy motherland. At 8 a.m. he entered one of the pier carriages and was pushed along to the T-end, where he was met by the Reception Committee and other friends. On alighting, he was garlanded, and then the Hon’ble Subba Rao, of Rajahmundry, on behalf of everybody present, wished Swamiji god-speed and a safe voyage. The Swami bowed in acknowledgement, and said that his silence would best express his feelings. He proceeded to embark amidst deafening cheers from those assembled on the pier and from the crowds on the beach.

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Annual Report

Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

Synopsis of the Governing Body Report for 2015-16 The 107th Annual General Meeting of the Ramakrishna Mission was held at Belur Math on Sunday, the 18th December 2016 at 3.30 p.m.

The Government of West Bengal selected Ramakrishna Mission for the Banga Bibhushan Award, 2015, in recognition of its service to the betterment of society. ‘Sound of Joy’, an animation film based on Swami Vivekananda’s childhood, produced as a project by the Headquarters to commemorate Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary, was adjudged the Best Animation Film by the jury of the 62nd National Film Awards.

150th birth anniversaries of Swami Saradananda, Swami Trigunatitananda and Sister Nivedita were celebrated in different centres.

New branch centres of the Ramakrishna Mission were started at Gurap in West Bengal, Imphal in Manipur, Kailashahar in Tripura, and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The subcentres at Bamunmura and Mekhliganj were made full-fledged centres of Ramakrishna Math. Lalgarh Ashrama, which was a retreat centre under the supervision of the Headquarters, was also made a full-fledged branch centre of Ramakrishna Math. Outside India, a new combined branch centre of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission was started at Rangpur in Bangladesh.

In educational field, the following new developments deserve special mention: (i) Coimbatore Mission started three short-term add-on courses for third-year students as a part of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) Scheme, commenced Bachelor of Vocational Degree courses and launched T h e

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‘IJAPEY’ (International Journal of Adapted Physical Education and Yoga), a monthly online journal, (ii) The University of Calcutta granted permission to start Vivekananda Centre for Research to conduct M.Phil/ Ph.D courses in Narendrapur centre, (iii) ‘Swami Vivekananda Centre for Multidisciplinary Research in Basic Science & Social Sciences’ started to function at Vivekananda Centenary College of Rahara centre, (iv) Ranchi Morabadi centre started Secondary and Senior Secondary courses affiliated to National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) In medical field, the following new developments deserve special mention: (i) Agartala centre conducted Mobile Medical Outreach camps under NUHM in the slums of Agartala Municipal Corporation, (ii) Telemedicine facility at Lucknow hospital was declared open, (iii) Seva Pratishthan, Kolkata, constructed a six-storey diagnostic & cardiac care centre building with Catheterization Laboratory, CCU, HDU, CTVS-ITU. The centre introduced ‘Emergency Trauma Care Life Support’ course.

In rural development field, the following new projects deserve special mention: (i) Narainpur centre converted 10 Anganwadis to one-teacher pre-basic school (Ekal Vidyalaya). (ii) Narendrapur centre initiated a Green College at Santuri village of Purulia district covering 12 courses focusing on various issues of Green Sector, (iii) Purulia Vidyapith

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installed 11 tube-wells in 8 villages and conducted 6 agricultural camps, (iv) Ranchi (Morabadi) centre constructed 7 recharge tanks, 27 percolation tanks, 1 gravity irrigation system and 2 bora-bunds for soil & water conservation and irrigation, (v) Sargachhi centre constructed a Greenhouse (Poly house) and a Seed net house for demonstration and production of high value crops, (vi) Silchar centre started a tailoring training centre for women at village Maynagarh in Cachar district.

The different centres took forward Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan (launched by the Government of India) by holding cleanliness programmes, the following deserve special mention: (i) The polytechnic of Chennai Students’ Home held five cleaning programmes in which several public places were cleaned, (ii) Mangaluru centre launched Swachchha Mangaluru, and conducted 40 cleaning programmes, (iii) Lokasiksha Parishad of Narendrapur centre with the support of UNICEF launched a WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) programme in Purulia.

Under the Math, following new projects deserve special mention: (i) The newly constructed vocational-training-cumproduction centre of Baghbazar Math located at Pranakrishna Mukherjee Lane, Kolkata, was inaugurated, (ii) A holographic film on India’s cultural history was released at Vivekanandar Illam (Vivekananda House) of Chennai Math, (iii) Ghatshila Math constructed a dispensary building, (iv) Gourhati Math built a dispensary building, (iv) Thiruvananthapuram centre renovated the hospital building and added a Panchakarma centre & Kalari, a traditional form of treatment to the Ayurveda department, (v) Antpur, Baghbazar and Nagpur centres held Swachcha Bharat programmes.

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Outside India, the following new developments deserve special mention: (i) The Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Bhava Prasar Samsad was started in Bangladesh. Dhaka (Bangladesh) centre held the concluding function of the centenary celebration of its high school, (ii) Sarada Kindergarten of Singapore centre received Reading Innovation Award (Distinction) from National Library Board, Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore, (iii) Sri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, unveiled the bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda at Malaysia centre.

During the year, the Mission undertook Welfare work by way of providing scholarships to poor students, pecuniary help to old, sick and destitute people, etc. No. of beneficiaries: 22.70 lakh; Expenditure incurred: Rs. 16.85 crore.

Medical service was rendered to more than 61.02 lakh people through 10 hospitals, 77 dispensaries, 42 mobile medical units and 910 medical camps; expenditure incurred Rs. 191.48 crore.

Nearly 3.12 lakh students were studying in our educational institutions from kindergarten to university level, non-formal education centres, night schools, coaching classes, etc. A sum of Rs. 284.96 crore was spent on educational work.

A number of rural and tribal development projects were undertaken with a total expenditure of Rs. 58.66 crore benefiting about 86.51 lakh rural people.

The Mission and Math undertook several relief and rehabilitation programmes in different parts of the country involving an expenditure of Rs. 36.78 crore, benefiting 7.28 lakh people of 2.21 lakh families.

We take this opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to our members and friends for their kind cooperation and help.

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14 15

The Order on the March News & Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Headquarters The 107th Annual General Meeting of the Ramakrishna Mission was held at Belur Math on Sunday, 18 December. Swami Smarananandaji chaired the meeting. In all, 135 monastic members, 53 lay members and 82 associates attended the meeting.

The birthday of Holy Mother was celebrated at Belur Math on Tuesday, 20 December. Thousands of devotees attended the celebration throughout the day. Cooked Prasad was served to about 30,000 devotees. Swami Suvirananda chaired the public meeting held in the afternoon.

Three students of Veda Vidyalaya, Belur Math, secured the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes in three Sanskrit literary competitions conducted by Samskrita Bharati at Varanasi on 11 December.

Mr Richard Verma, USA Ambassador to India, visited Belur Math on 13 December.

Celebration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sister Nivedita Baghbazar Math held a devotees’ convention on 11 December in which 650 devotees took part.

Barasat centre conducted a youths’ convention on 26 December which was attended by 560 people.

Bengaluru centre held a programme comprising speeches and cultural events on 26 November. In all, about 2900 people attended the programme.

Chennai Math conducted a short story competition in which 700 people took part. Prizes were distributed to the winners on 20 December.

Dhaka (Bangladesh) centre held a programme comprising special worship, two public meetings and cultural events, on 23 December which was attended by about 1000 people. An art competition for children was also held.

Kankurgachhi Math conducted a seminar on 20 November which was attended by 510 people.

Mymensingh (Bangladesh) centre held a public meeting on 23 December which was attended by about 100 people.

Port Blair centre conducted a self-improvement programme on 3 December in which 450 girls and teachers from different educational institutions took part.

Puri Mission Ashrama conducted a written quiz competition in which 150 students participated, and a youths’ convention on 25 December attended by about 400 students.

Purulia Vidyapith held cultural programmes on 8 and 28 November and a devotees’ convention on 11 December attended by 473 people.

Rahara centre, in association with Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi, conducted a national level seminar on ‘Sister Nivedita and Her Contribution to India - a Historical Perspective’ on 9 and 10 December. Sri Tathagata Roy, Governor of Tripura, Mr Brian McElduff, Ireland Ambassador to India, and many other dignitaries addressed the audience. About 1000 people took part in the seminar.

Sarisha centre held a public meeting on 25 December which was attended by 205 devotees.

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Swamiji’s Ancestral House held two lectures on 28 November and 14 December which were attended altogether by 1050 people. On the centre’s initiative, seven public meetings were held in and around Kolkata from 27 November to 17 December. In all, about 3100 people attended the meetings.

Thiruvananthapuram centre held a lecture series on Sister Nivedita from 21 to 24 September. The centre also conducted a programme on 28 October in which some distinguished people spoke. It was attended by about 200 people.

Vadodara centre conducted a youths’ convention on 25 December in which 150 youths took part.

Varanasi Home of Service held a music programme on 25 December which was attended by 250 people.

News of Branch Centres (in India) The newly constructed kitchen-cum-dining-hall on Babupara campus of Imphal centre was inaugurated on 8 December.

On 9 December 1916, Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj had laid the foundation stone for the temple at Nettayam sub-centre of Thiruvananthapuram Ashrama. In commemoration of that event, the Ashrama held a five-day spiritual retreat programme from 9 to 13 December 2016 in which about 100 devotees took part.

As a part of the first phase of its centenary celebration, Garbeta centre held a six-day programme from 16 to 21 December which included a devotees’ convention, a fair, an exhibition on the Holy Trio and a colorful procession. Thousands of people attended the programmes.

Calcutta Students’ Home, Belgharia, held the concluding phase of its year-long centenary celebration from 24 to 26 December with public meetings, cultural programmes and narayana seva (feeding poor people). The General Secretary presided over the public meeting held on 25 December. A good number of monks, hundreds of devotees, and about 300 alumni attended the celebration.

Students of Purulia Vidyapith won 5 gold, 8 silver and 2 bronze medals in the Purulia District Annual School Athletic Meet held on 22 November. The Vidyapith team was adjudged the best participating team.

Two teams representing Tamil Nadu state, which had two students of Coimbatore faculty centre of Vivekananda University, won the under-19 and above-19 national level football tournaments conducted by the Rural Games Federation of India at Meerut from 9 to 13 November. The teams also won the Rural Games International Football tournaments held at Bhutan from 1 to 4 December.

A student of Katihar school secured the gold medal at the state level weightlifting competition conducted by Art, Culture and Youth Department, Government of Bihar, at Sitamarhi on 7 and 8 September. Another student stood first at the state level in a painting competition conducted by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India.

The Telegraph Education Foundation presented the Award for Excellence in Academics to Narendrapur Vidyalaya in a function held in Kolkata on 26 November.

Blind Boys’ Academy of Narendrapur centre won the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, 2016, for its comprehensive services to persons with disabilities. The braille press of the Academy also won the same award for its work in the field of empowerment of persons with disabilities. Sri Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, handed over the awards, comprising certificates and a total sum of three lakh rupees, in a function held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on 3 December, International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Indian Adult Education Association, New Delhi, awarded Nehru Literacy Award, 2014, to Lokasiksha Parishad of Narendrapur Ashrama for its contribution to adult literacy. Sri Ram Naik, Governor of Uttar T h e

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Pradesh, handed over the award, comprising a plaque and 21,000 rupees in a function held at Lucknow on 5 December 2016.

Twenty-one students of class 11 of Narendrapur Vidyalaya who participated in the Junior Scholarship Test, 2016, conducted by Jagadish Bose National Science Talent Search, Kolkata, were awarded junior scholarship and 10 others received junior encouragement award. Besides, the school won the Best School Award for the excellent performance of its students in the competition.

The following centres conducted free eye camps: 18 centres conducted free eye camps in which patients were tested/given spectacles/operated: Bankura centre treated 349, operated 71 patients; Chennai Math treated 115, operated 18; Delhi treated 312, operated 51; Halasuru treated 250, operated 53; Jamshedpur treated 269, operated 193; Kamarpukur treated 498, operated 57; Khetri 159, operated 50; Lucknow treated 2765, operated 415; Madurai treated 269, operated 43; Medinipur treated 194, operated 17; Porbandar treated 131, operated 43; Rajamahendravaram treated 205, operated 17; Rajkot treated 114, operated 64; Salem treated 241, operated 21, Saradapitha treated 862, operated 216 patients; Seva Pratishthan treated 150, operated 23; Silchar treated 392, operated 97; and Vadodara treated 215, operated 22.

Ranchi Morabadi centre conducted an eye care programme from 21 November to 17 December in which eye check-up of 2212 children and 166 adults was done and 21 patients were operated upon for cataract.

Values Education and Youth Programmes Delhi centre held a values education programme on 29 and 30 November in which 160 school teachers were trained.

On 23 December, Kanpur centre conducted a seminar on values in teaching profession in which about 250 principals, teachers and teacher-trainees took part.

Vadodara centre conducted a programme on 7 December in Gandhinagar which was attended by 150 students.

Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Campaign) As a part of the third phase of Swachchha Mangaluru, Mangaluru Ashrama conducted 65 cleaning drives in and around Mangaluru on four Sundays between 4 and 25 December. In all, about 7000 volunteers participated in these drives.

Varanasi Home of Service carried out a cleanliness drive on 18 December in which 50 people took part in cleaning public streets around the centre. A rally, attended by 350 people, was also taken out to create awareness about cleanliness.

News of Branch Centres (Outside India) Swami Gautamanandaji unveiled the newly installed statue of Swamiji at the Ladysmith sub-centre of Durban (South Africa) centre on 27 November. On the same day a programme was held as a part of the centre’s platinum jubilee and in commemoration of Sister Nivedita’s 150th birth anniversary which was attended by about 500 people.

Relief Work 1. Winter Relief: 9998 blankets were distributed to poor people through the following centres: Allahabad 428; Bamunmura 500; Barasat 312; Barisha 300; Bhopal 300; Chandipur 275; Chapra 1000; Cuttack (Bhubaneswar) 200; Guwahati 300; Jalpaiguri 300; Jammu 272; Khetri 50; Muzaffarpur 200; Narottam Nagar 1219; Ponnampet 333; Purulia 300; Rahara 874; Ranchi Morabadi 400; Saradapitha, T h e

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Belur 300; Sikra Kulingram 300; Silchar 500; Swamiji's Ancestral House 300; Tamluk 700; Vadodara 35; Varanasi Home of Service 300 Besides, the following centres distributed various winter garments, mentioned against their names, to needy people: (a) Allahabad: 992 sweaters; (b) Bhopal: 618 sweatshirts and 400 mufflers; (c) Chandipur: 49 mufflers; (d) Chapra: 960 jackets; (e) Indore: 35 coats; (f) Jamtara: 255 sweaters; (g) Kanpur: 1015 sweaters; (h) Khetri: 1005 sweaters; (i) Lalgarh: 1992 sweaters, 1016 sweatshirts and 1000 jackets; (j) Malda: 465 sweaters; (k) Naora: 1730 sweatshirts, 158 sweaters, 625 jackets and 1000 mufflers; (l) Narottam Nagar: 771 sweaters and 100 sweatshirts (m) Purulia: 550 sweaters; (n) Rahara: 14 sweaters; (o) Sikra Kulingram: 40 shawls; (p) Tamluk: 512 sweaters, 611 jackets and 205 mufflers 2. Cyclone Relief: Tamil Nadu: In the wake of the Cyclone Vardah which struck a major portion of coastal Tamil Nadu, Kanchipuram centre distributed 131 tarpaulins among an equal number of affected families in 7 villages of Kanchipuram district 3. Disturbance Relief: Bangladesh: On 10 December, Dhaka centre distributed 560 corrugated tin sheets among 70 families affected by social disturbance in Nasirnagar Upazilla in Brahmanberia district.

4. Distress Relief: The following centres distributed various items, as shown against their names, to needy people: (a) Allahabad: 1061 shirts, 1010 pants and 931 T-shirts; (b) Bamunmura: 139 saris, 490 shirts, 971 pants and 460 tops; (c) Bhopal: 1217 shirts, 589 pants and 800 pairs of socks; (d) Chapra: 5811 saris and 5227 dhotis; (e) Ghatshila: 989 saris, 940 dhotis, 265 lungis and 421 children’s garments; (f) Indore: 250 shirts, 250 pants and 60 saris; (g) Jamtara: 520 tops, 490 shirts and 755 pants; (h) Kanpur: 1056 shirts, 1016 pants and 1022 T-shirts; (1) Lalgarh: 2015 shirts, 1410 pants, 450 tops, 817 saris, 1940 dhotis and 104 bedsheets; (j) Malda: 870 shirts, 1200 pants and 1083 tops; (k) Naora: 2900 shirts, 1402 tops, 5436 pants and 1500 pairs of socks; (l) Narottam Nagar: 829 shirts, 1392 pants, 563 tops, 348 pairs of socks, 210 toiletry kits and 210 stationery sets; (m) Ponnampet: 30 saris and 95 solar; (n) Purulia: 500 saris, 3128 shirts and 3509 pants; (o) Rahara: 25 kg baby food, 194 saris, 147 chaddars, 14 lungis, 28 churidars, 283 bedsheets, 880 mosquito-nets and a bicycle; (p) Raipur: 620 saris; (q) Salem: 3152 shirts, 3037 tops, 3979 pants and 991 frocks; (r) Sarisha: 346 saris, 67 dhotis and 25 children’s garments; (s) Silchar: 1 lakh halogen tablets and 300 mosquito-nets; (t) Tamluk: 1745 shirts, 2865 pants, 805 tops and 1470 pairs of socks.

5. Flood Rehabilitation: Tamil Nadu: Chennai Students’ Home handed over the newly built Sister Nivedita Community Hall to the people of Thathaimanji village in Thiruvallur district on 20 December.

6. Economic Rehabilitation: The following centres distributed necessary items to poor and needy people: (a) Khetri: 67 sewing machines. (b) Rahara: 8 sewing machines, 4 rickshaw vans and 2 cycle-rickshaws.

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Book Reviews

For review in The Vedanta Kesari,

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

Swami Vivekananda in San Francisco

by Swami Ashokananda, Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004. E-mail: mail@chennaimath. org, 2015, Pp. 70, paperback, Rs.35.

This book is the Indian Edition of the book published by the Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco, U.S.A. in 1969 to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s visit to California. During his second visit to the West, Swamiji had stayed in San Francisco for three months from the last week of February to the end of May 1900.

The author, Swami Ashokananda led the Vedanta Society of Northern California for more than 30 years (1932-1969). He was a brilliant speaker, a Vedantist to the core and a powerful spiritual guide.

Swami Ashokananda delivered these lectures extemporaneously at the Vedanta Society in San Francisco and the book contains them.

Giving an enlightening portrait of Swami Vivekananda and his association with his Guru Sri Ramakrishna, the author gives a pen picture of Swami Vivekananda—walking the streets of San Francisco—dignified and regal in bearing, merged in God-Consciousness, at the sight of whom people were transported into the realm of light and joy. The author also describes the Swami’s dress, manners, appearance and impact on the audiences revealing the boundless power and magnetism of Swami Vivekananda. Pointing out that Swamiji then lived in a high state of awareness, the author tries to explain that condition. Then he proceeds to elucidate the uniqueness of his teachings in San Francisco. During his first (1893-1896) and second (1897-1900) visits to the U.S., Swamiji had spoken exhaustively on topics like nature T h e

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of religion, definition of spiritual ideals and the ways and means by which a man can become free and realize his lost divinity. However, the same topics bore a kind of strength, openness and decisiveness while he preached in San Francisco advocating ‘Worship of the Spirit by the Spirit’, and propounded his Gospel of Manliness and emphasized Monistic Vedanta in an unalloyed form. Swami Ashokananda calls these talks ‘exploding bombshells’ because they bypassed the Personal God, and uncompromisingly declared the infinite strength in human beings. Quoting Swami Vivekananda’s remarks that ‘I have given my highest teaching in California’, the author concludes that the lectures delivered in San Francisco reached the culmination of his teachings.

The reader remains awe-struck at the greatness of Swami Vivekananda and his soul-stirring teachings. The book is a precious treasure for Swami Vivekananda devotees. _______ DR. CHETANA MANDAVIA, JUNAGADH (GUJARAT)

Hindu Rashtra by Sadhu Prof.

V. Rangarajan Published by Author, Sister Nivedita Academy, Sri Bharat Mandir, Srinivasanagar, Kithaganur Road, Krishnarajapuram, Bengaluru - 560 036. E-mail: sadhu. rangarajan@gmail.com, Ph.08025610935, Cell: 94482 75935, 2015, pp.80, Rs.60, U.S. $ 3 This small book is a good compendium of the ideas of various great leaders on spiritual and cultural nationalism.

There are two distinct words used in the Vedic literature. Rashtra or nation is the cultural entity and Rajya or state is the political entity.

India has been defined as a spiritual and cultural entity continuously from Vedic times to

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this day. ‘Dharma’ or spirituality or religion in its broadest sense is the essence of India’s nationality.

This vision of the Motherland is expressed in the Vedas, Bhagavata, Vishnu purana, Padma purana, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Manusmriti, Artha sastra and Kumara sambhava.

The same vision of India can be seen in the aspirations and campaigns of kings like Shivaji, Rana Pratap and the Sikh gurus. Then this was expressed through lectures and writings by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Keshab Chandra Sen, Bankim Chandra Chatterji and Swami Vivekananda. Swami Rama Tirtha, Sir John Woodroffe and Anne Besant also spread India’s spiritual wisdom in the West.

The leaders who fought for India’s freedom like Sri Aurobindo, Sister Nivedita, Brahmabandhav Upadhyaya, Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Dadabhai Naoroji, Mahadev Govind Ranade, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji Subash Chandra Bose have emphasized on spiritual nationalism. Poets like Rabindranath Tagore, Sarojini Naidu and Subramania Bharati sang of India as a spiritual and cultural entity.

Protecting and nurturing this spiritual and cultural nationalism is the service that is expected from every Indian.

This book is an M.A. dissertation and so has a lot of quotations from and about the leaders listed above with copious references and bibliography. ______________________________ GOKULMUTHU, BANGALORE

The Mahabharata and Greek Mythology

by Fernando Wulff Alonso, Translated by Andrew Morrow.

Published by Motilal Banarsidass, 41, U.A Bungalow Road, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi – 110007, E-mail: mlbd@mlbd.com; 2014, Hardbound, pp.523, Rs.1495 Both the author and the translator of the book under review are to be unhesitatingly appreciated for: 1. Bringing out the cultural heritage of two different literary traditions together 2. Employing systematically the mythological materials of the Greek with the captivating and the T h e

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richest stories of the Mahabharata and 3. Cementing the non-symmetrical relationship between India and the Hellenic world through a comparative assignment so that the readers will comprehend that both the sub-continents had influenced each other and enriched in this venture.

The ten chapters in this magnificent work consist of varied themes incorporating the entire gamut of the subject matters of the Indian grand epic and the Greek mythological tenets as well.

After the invasion of India by Alexander the Great, Indian, Egyptian, Roman and the Greek worlds had several prosperous and adverse interactions like trade, culture, military etc., according to the historians whose hypotheses have been subjected to scrutiny in the beginning. The contributions of eminent authors such as W. Doniger, R.A. Jairazbhoy and U.P. Arora are elucidated especially in focusing on the main theme of this work that ‘Indian myths and legends during the period following Alexander the Great contain Greek elements.’

The author tries to emphasise that despite the Hellenic influence, the Mahabharata is a ‘new and original work of magnificent craftsmanship, a masterpiece that recounts those stories and others in a style that, without exaggerating, could be defined as brilliant’. Both the Illiod and the Mahabharata centre round the great wars of Trojan and Kuruksetra, but the massacre in these wars are attributed to divine design supported by supernatural powers, acting upon kings and warriors. The descent of divine force and its active role on the human lead to the legendary execution of certain lessons to humanity through various scenes, acts and characters which will entertain and entice lovers of ancient wisdom even today. In both epics the entire story is built upon the son of Goddess, Bhisma and the mortal Achilles.

The other common phenomena that bind these two epics with exciting sensitivity and emotional appeal are the violation of decent conduct and justice by the kings and generals especially the malfeasances meted out to women by the so called royal dynasts. Their reprehensible behaviour unjustly censures their army’s warriors.

In a chapter on the End Game of the epic, the author highlights the cities, camps and horses wherein scintillating episodes occur in both the epics. At

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night the camps where soldiers and innocent people sought asylum in cities great massacre takes place through wooden horses technique in the Illiod and the reference to the term ‘horse’ through the utterance of ‘Asvattama’ as well as the ritualistic uses of the horse. Powerful women characters in the two epics have exceptional and supernatural origin. The offences initially undergone by them and their subsequent revenges converge around these women characters. The extra-ordinary roles of Krishna to the Pandavas and Dionysus to Hercles are elaborately exemplified by the author with dramatic precision and literary zeal wherein the entire episodes of the two epic masterpieces have twists, thrills and exciting moments.

Towards the concluding chapter and in the Epilogue the author endeavours to substantiate his original claim that the Mahabharata contains the ubiquitous elements directly drawn from the Greek epic, but rather than a mere accumulation it has the constituent, structural and original presence. In his own words, ‘In both cases, the war is followed by a series of misfortunes which affect the victors and survivors, further deepening the tragedy(as massacre), and which ultimately give rise to an apathetic attitude, a sorrowful and acrimonious retrospect of the hardships and deaths dealt out during the war, and the jarring realization of gods’ role therein.’ (p.433) The original skill, the intellectual acumen of the author, especially in a analogical method based on essential resemblances and absence of vital differences and vast knowledge of the things compared are revealed in the Epilogue. He not only does analyse but evaluates the events with historical accounts, literary sources, mythological developments, cultural contacts, scholarly reflections, divine fervours, royal patronages, civil elements, structural presentation etc. Almost all the minute details are portrayed with critical appraisal and consistent examination of the chosen theme.

On the whole, this brilliant work is an outstanding example in the arena of the emerging cultural and social realities throughout the world. It is a repository of dramatic edition in an astoundingly meticulous fashion. __________________________ R. GOPALAKRISHNAN, CHENNAI

‘A Simple and Easy Way to God And Other Heart-to Heart Talks’

by J. P. Vaswani.

Published by Sterling Publishers Private Ltd., Available at Gita Publishing House, 10, Sadhu Vaswani Path, Pune - 411001. Email:gph@ sadhuvaswani.org. Paperback, Pp vi + 153.

Price Rs. 175/-.

‘Pilgrims are we all upon this earth...caught up in the Vanity Fsair that is the world...’ Nothing in this world is ‘ours’. Treat this station as ‘the arrival and departure lounge in an airport...’ With these words, the revered author provides a list of ten marks of a pilgrim; pilgrimage to the ‘eternal... our true home’.

Contents of this book are sourced from discourses held by Dada Vaswani. The book offers several steps to mould a spiritual way of life. We may be familiar with them but spiritual leader Dada Vaswani elegantly presents them with a Guru’s touch.

To begin with, one should choose either the spiritual path or worldly life as the two cannot co-exist.

(Chapter ‘The Choice is Yours’). ‘Satsang’, ‘naama japa’, unselfish service, and above all, bhakti are among the essential characteristics of spiritual life. The revered author emphasises the importance of bhakti.

‘God-fearing’ is a negative attitude. One should love God. Dada Vaswani recalls the restlessness of a devotee who thought that her inadvertent omission to perform a ritual invited the wrath of the Almighty, evidenced by her husband’s sudden illness. As the author mentions, her husband would have been ill regardless of her vrat. (page 130/1). Sri Ramakrishna ridiculed the concept of a frowning God. The title of the book should not be misconstrued as an instant passage to God. Milk has to undergo a process before ghee is found as Sri Ramakrishna observed (page 25). Dada Vaswani outlines the basic requirements for a spiritual life and these are indeed ‘Simple and Easy’. A very commendable book. _______________________________ P. S. SUNDARAM, MUMBAI

Once the mind tastes sweetness in the thought of God there is nothing to fear. Seek the association of the holy so that you may acquire that taste. —Swami Brahmananda T h e

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Ramakrishna Sarada Ashrama, Devaprayag An Appeal The incessant rain in Uttarakhand has brought about destruction on a large scale this year. However, with the grace of Sri Sri Thakur and Sri Maa the ashrama has been spared from any damage. Meanwhile in this ancient land of pilgrimage this ashrama carved out in Shi Shri Thakur’s name has found a place in the hearts of many devotees. Lovers of pilgrimages, the Himalayan people, have accepted this new place of worship (established in 2014) dedicated to Thakur Maa Swamiji with love, respect and devotion. Therefore, taking the future into consideration the need is to earmark the sliding zones and build strong retaining walls. For this purpose, the estimated cost will be approximately 30 lakh rupees.

We appeal to all devotees to please donate generously towards this venture. May Thakur Maa Swamiji shower their choicest blessings on each one of you. This is my heartfelt prayer.

Yours in the lord Swami Sarvatmananda Secretary

Communication

Ramakrisha Sarada Ashrama, Dak Banglow Road, PO Devaprayag Tehri Garhwal Uttarakhand. Pin- 249301 Phone - 09410520939, 9897452084 E-mail id: rmksarada@gmail.com Cheque / D.D May Please Be Drawn in Favour of Ramakrishna Sarada Ashram.

Devaprayag For online Donation: Our CBS A/C Punjab National Bank, Devaprayag A/C 0625000100098104 (IFS code - PUNB - 0062500) State Bank of India Devaprayag A/C No 30932831669 (IFS code - SBIN 0014135 ) All donations are exempted from Income Tax U/S 80G of the I.T. Act 1961

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As long as you suffer from a sense of want, you cannot sincerely call on God. And man has no end of wants.

This sense is so peculiar that the more you think of it, the intenser and wider it becomes.

Therefore it is that those who want God should tread the path of renunciation.

— Swami Adbhutananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna.

Everyone wants to exhibit his good side and conceal his defects. s not easy to confess one’s weaknesses. If anyone can, know that he has worth in him.

—Swami Turiyananda

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The Old Temple at the Vedanta Society of Northern California was the first Hindu Temple in the western world.

Consecrated by Swami Trigunatitananda on 7 January 1906, the temple is a symbol of interfaith harmony. It was extensively renovated and rededicated in October 2016.

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Vol.104-02 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) February 2017. Regd. with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 1957. POSTAL 56 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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