The Vedanta Kesari - April 2010 by Sri Ramakrishna Math Chennai

A pril 2010

VOL. 97, No. 4

ISSN 0042-2983

A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL M O N T H L Y O F T H E R A M A K R I S H N A O R D E R

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.sriramakrishnamath.org

CONTENTS Vedic Prayers

April 2010 125

Editorial

Harnessing the Power of Words

126

Articles

In Praise of Japa William Page Sri Ramakrishna—One with Cosmic Existence Sudesh The Frame and the Fill —Thoughts on Some Aspects of Human Brain Swami Samarpanananda

137 148

154

Reminiscences

Reminiscences of Master Mahashay Lalit Chattopadhyay

132

New Find

Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda

140

Special Column

Influence of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda on Contemporary Bengali Literature Hironmoy Mukherjee

142

The Order on the March

158

Book Reviews

161

Features Simhâvalokanam (Spiritual Greatness of India)—130, Vivekananda Tells Stories—153

Cover Story: Page 4

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Cover Story

Sri Ramakrishna Temple in Sagar Islands Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Manasadwip (situated in Sagar Islands—the place where Ganga joins the Bay of Bengal) was started in 1928. One has to travel by boat or a steamer to reach this remote centre of the Ramakrishna Mission. The Ashrama runs a number of schools (a high school, a junior basic school, a primary school and a students’ home), several coaching centres and non-formal education centres, besides a homoeopathic dispensary and weekly medical camps. It also carries on relief and welfare work such as providing food, milk, medicines and pecuniary help to the poor and needy and service to the pilgrims in the Gangasagar Mela every year. The temple of Sri Ramakrishna, with bell-shaped domes, was constructed sometimes in 1990s. (Address: Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Manasadwip, Dist. 24 South Parganas – 743390, West Bengal)

The Vedanta Kesari Patrons’ Scheme We invite our readers to join as patrons of the magazine. They can do so by sending Rs.2000/- or more. Names of the patrons will be announced in the journal under the Patrons' Scheme and they will receive the magazine for 20 years. Please send your contribution to The Manager, The Vedanta Kesari by DD/MO drawn in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai with a note that it is for the Patrons' Scheme. DONORS Mr. D.V. Sathe, Sangli Dr. Ganesh Kamath Mr. Suresh S. Pachhapur, Pune Mr. R.V. Iyengar, Mumbai LN.P.S. Balasubramanian, Chennai

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(To be continued. . .)

VOL. 97, No. 4, APRIL 2010 ISSN 0042-2983

ACH SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE.

T HE

GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN.

Vedic Prayers Tr. by Swami Sambuddhananda

gÀ`ß kmZ_Z›Vß ~´˜ & `mo doX {Z{hVß Jwhm`mß na_o Ï`mo_Z≤ & gmo@ÌZwVo gdm©Z≤ H$m_mZ≤ gh& ~´˜Um {dn{¸Vo{V& —Taittiriya Upanishad, II, I. 1

`mo who doX knows gÀ`ß truth kmZß knowledge AZ›V_≤ without end Jwhm`mß in the cave {Z{hVß hidden na_o in the highest Ï`mo_Z≤ ether gÖ He gdm©Z≤ H$m_mZ≤ all desires (blessings) AÌZwVo enjoys (fulfils) B{V thus gh ~´˜Um with Brahman {dn{¸Vm omniscient. He who knows Brahman as the Eternal Embodiment of Truth and Knowledge, seated hidden in the cave (depth of the heart), in the ether above, he enjoys all blessings at one with Brahman, the omniscient.

‘This Self is first to be heard, then to be thought upon, and then meditated upon.’ Everyone can see the sky, even the very worm crawling upon the earth sees the blue sky, but how very far away it is! So it is with our ideal. It is far away, no doubt, but at the same time, we know that we must have it. We must even have the highest ideal. Unfortunately in this life, the vast majority of persons are groping through this dark life without any ideal at all. If a man with an ideal makes a thousand mistakes, I am sure that the man without an ideal makes fifty thousand. Therefore, it is better to have an ideal. And this ideal we must hear about as much as we can, till it enters into our hearts, into our brains, into our very veins, until it tingles in every drop of our blood and permeates every pore in our body. We must meditate upon it. ‘Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaketh,’ and out of the fullness of the heart the hand works too. —Swami Vivekananda, CW, 2: 152 T h e

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Harnessing the Power of Words The Power of Words ‘Tongue is not steel but it cuts’, thus goes the old saying. It not only cuts, it cuts deep. But along with its capacity to cut, the tongue also has a tremendous capacity to stitch and unite. Whether our tongue will cut or whether it will unite, well, much depends on how we use it—on how much we have disciplined our speech. Words have marvellous power. A popular way to illustrate it is through the story of a man who sued another man for calling him names. The judge called the complainant and asked him what the accused had said. ‘He called me a hippopotamus’, replied the complainant. ‘When did he call you?’ asked the judge. ‘A year back,’ replied the man. ‘And you are reporting the matter now?’ exclaimed the judge. ‘Because I saw a hippopotamus in zoo yesterday,’ said the man. That indeed is the power of words—it impels us to do something or convinces us not to act in a particular way. Words make a great difference in our lives. Though, in one sense, words may be just sound-forms, when understood and reflected upon, they change the whole course of our life. We cannot think of any other power as great as the power of words. Simple words can do marvel. But we have to explore this transforming power of words before we can really use it. Swami Vivekananda says, There are many other aspects of this science of work. One among them is to know the relation T h e

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between thought and word and what can be achieved by the power of the word. In every religion the power of the word is recognised, so much so that in some of them creation itself is said to have come out of the word. The external aspect of the thought of God is the Word, and as God thought and willed before He created, creation came out of the Word. In this stress and hurry of our materialistic life, our nerves lose sensibility and become hardened. The older we grow, the longer we are knocked about in the world, the more callous we become; and we are apt to neglect things that even happen persistently and prominently around us. Human nature, however, asserts itself sometimes, and we are led to inquire into and wonder at some of these common occurrences; wondering thus is the first step in the acquisition of light. Sound symbols play a prominent part in the drama of human life. I am talking to you. I am not touching you; the pulsations of the air caused by my speaking go into your ear, they touch your nerves and produce effects in your minds. You cannot resist this. What can be more wonderful than this? One man calls another a fool, and at this the other stands up and clenches his fist and lands a blow on his nose. Look at the power of the word! There is a woman weeping and miserable; another woman comes along and speaks to her a few gentle words, the doubled up frame of the weeping woman becomes straightened at once, her sorrow is gone and she already begins to smile. Think of the power of words! They are a great force in higher philosophy as well as in common life. Day and night we manipulate this force without thought and without inquiry. To know the nature of this force and to use it well is also a part of Karma-Yoga.1 A P R I L

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Using the Right Word Rightly does Swamiji say that in order to live meaningfully, one should ‘know the nature of this force and to use it well’. What is speech? Well, it is not just sound. All living beings—human beings including—make some form of sound. Animals make a variety of sounds. Lion roar, elephants trumpet, beetles drone, cows moo, frogs croak, jackals howl, sheep bleat, monkeys gibber and birds chirp, tweet and at times sing! But all of these are just primitive forms of communication. Even if there be something like an animal-language or a bird-language, surely it is quite primitive and rudimentary. It can convey only a few animal impulses and emotions. Only the humans have the gift of a highly developed language and forms of communication. The gift of language is unique to human beings. It is this gift which is the source of man’s capacity to learn and communicate his learning to others and preserve it for the future generation. Language is the single most important tool for the accumulation of knowledge in all fields of life. But such is the irony of life that more evil comes through speech than through action! How much of wickedness is generated and spread through the misuse of this gift of speech! If only one should learn to use one’s speech properly or else just keep quiet—life will be a great blessing. On the other hand, language plays a vital role in changing oneself. If a person is reactive and suffers from ‘I am a victim of circumstances’ attitude and is always blaming others, his speech will reflect it. An eminent authority on this subject says: A serious problem with reactive language is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. People become reinforced in the paradigm that they are determined [by circumstances and others], and T h e

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they produce evidence to support the belief. They feel increasingly victimized and out of control, not in charge of their life . . .they blame outside forces—other people, circumstances, even the stars—for their own situation.’2

In order to change oneself, one should change one’s language. Instead of indulging in self-pity and building a negative self-image, one should look upon oneself in a positive way, using the language of trust and self-respect. Disciplining the Speech Sri Krishna, while describing the various kinds of disciplines (tapas) in the Bhagavad Gita, speaks of the discipline of speech. Without a proper discipline of the power of speech, one cannot lead a higher life. Vivekachudamani (367) calls ‘discipline of speech as the first step towards Yoga’ (yogasya prathama dvaram vang nirodhah). What is the discipline of speech? Explains Sri Krishna:

AZw¤oJH$aß dmä`ß gÀ`ß {‡`{hVß M `V≤ü& Òdm‹`m`m‰`gZß M°d dmL≤>_`ß Vn C¿`Voü&& Speech which causes no vexation, and which is true, as also agreeable and beneficial, and regular study of Vedas—these are said to form the austerity of speech.3

Let us reflect on the meaning of this verse: 1. Speech which causes no vexation: This is the first requisite of disciplining the speech— resolving never to hurt others through one’s speech. It is not easy. At first, at a highly undeveloped state of our being, we do not care the kind of language we use while communicating with others. But as we grow, we begin to see the consequences of using improper language. We then realize how words can damage a situation or aggravate our dealings and jeopardize our relationships.

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The importance of a proper speech then begins to dawn on our mind. Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi says, One must live carefully. Every action produces its results. It is not good to use harsh words towards others or to be responsible for their suffering.4

‘Speech which causes no vexation’ is the speech which does not arouse any feeling of anxiety, fear, bitterness and anger. It is the art of speaking with care. It is thinking well about the consequences of what we speak and never wanting to hurt or humiliate anyone. While speaking to others, at times, we want them to understand something and if everything fails, we often become sarcastic and abusive in our language. One should try to avoid such situations though for someone who is very thick-skinned and lacks the capacity to take a hint or understand our intents, the use of a strong language becomes inevitable. But such a situation cannot be the way of life. As a general rule one should use only words that cause no agitation in others’ mind. 2. Which is True: Speaking truth is a great austerity. It means speaking what one knows to be true through one’s senses and mind. It is speaking what one knows and not what one imagines or pretends to know. Why do people tell untruth? To gain an immediate benefit in a given situation. This sense of immediate benefit makes them a hypocrite and they say something but mean something else. Of course in their hearts of hearts they know that it is not true. They thus develop a division in their mind—a part of mind knows what is true and another part knows what has been said is untrue. Disciplining the speech actually means integrating the mind. It is aligning our mind and speech. Sri Ramakrishna instructed all those who came to them to ‘make their mind and mouth united’ (mon mukh ek karo). He was T h e

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only echoing the well-known shanti mantra: ‘May my speech be established in my mind and my mind be established in my speech’ (vang me mansi pratishthitaha mano me vachi pratishthitam) One of the important aspects of speaking ‘which is true’ is not to indulge in gossiping about others. What an amount of human energy is wasted in discussing, analyzing, berating, and criticising others in their absence! The worst thing is that not only people spend their precious time criticising others, they enjoy this unhealthy practice. Such kind of delight can be surely a part of what Sri Ramakrishna called vishyananda or ‘the pleasure of the objects of senses’. A seeker of Truth should not spend his time and energies over the affairs that hardly concern him. 3. Agreeable and beneficial: This is the third aspect of the speech-discipline. Not only one should speak no harsh words and be truthful, one should also be kind in one’s speech. ‘Speak the truth but do not speak unpleasant truth.’ Or if one has to tell an unpleasant truth, one should be prudent in when and how to tell it. This means that while speaking to others, we must keep their sensitivities in mind. It is practising the adage: ‘The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid.’ To leave the unkind word unsaid requires introspection, self-control and wisdom. Agreeable and beneficial speech also means to avoid discussing all unnecessary, quarrelsome and controversial issues. Holy Mother’s insightful words in this context may be recalled here:

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Should anyone ever utter a thing that hurts another’s feelings? An unpleasant truth, though true, must not be uttered. For that grows into a habit. By indulging in rude words one’s nature becomes rude. One’s sensitivity is lost if one has no control over one’s speech. And once a man A P R I L

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casts all consideration for other to the winds, he stops at nothing. Sri Ramakrishna would say, ‘If you have to ask a lame man how he became lame, then you have to speak thus: “How did your leg come to such a condition?”’5

4. Regular study of Vedas: What are Vedas? Explains Swamiji: [Vedas] are not mere books composed by men in some remote age. They [are] an accumulated mass of endless divine wisdom, which is sometimes manifested and at other times remains unmanifested. . . No one has ever seen the composer of the Vedas, and it is impossible to imagine one. The Rishis were only the discoverers of the Mantras or Eternal Laws; they merely came face to face with the Vedas, the infinite mine of knowledge, which has been there from time without beginning.6

Regular study of Vedas, therefore, means study of the wisdom of Rishis or the Upanishads. One can read the Upanishads in original or in translations. Explanatory books on Upanishads are also helpful. We may also expand the meaning of the word ‘Vedas’ to mean any authentic spiritual literature reading which one could gain insight into one’s spiritual nature and derive benefit in one’s spiritual life. By a regular study of such books, one’s conception of life expands and one discovers the spiritual dimension of life. The awareness of spiritual dimension of human life helps one appreciate the importance of right speech and brings gracefulness in life. Some More Considerations A healthy speech should be marked by precision of expression (sushtham) and a quality of being measured (mitam).

One should not spend one’s time in beating about the bush and instead learn to say what one wants to say rightly and clearly. Too many explanations and stating unnecessary facts make the speech annoying and wasteful. One should value others’ time and not test their patience. As someone said humorously about his friend’s chatty habit: ‘My friend not only explains what he says but also explains what he explains!’ Again, even though one may have something really meaningful to say, one should not go on saying it too long. One should practice a certain economy in what and how much one should speak. One of the important aspects of harnessing the power of words is to practice silence. To be silent means to be free from endless chatter—both verbal and mental—in which some people indulge. It is conserving one’s energies. Silence means not disturbing one’s own peace and the peace of the world. Silence means realising that one does not necessarily have to speak or respond every time someone expresses some idea or information to us. At time, silence can be our answer. One should not, however, force silence on oneself. After the period of forced silence gets over, it often leads to a torrent of words let lose from the dam of artificial restrain. Silence, on the other hand, should be gradually cultivated. One should begin by reducing one’s meaningless comments and discussions and speaking only when one is truly required to speak. A properly cultivated speech, thus, is a great asset. A man who has harnessed the power of words has unlocked a great source of spiritual strength and wisdom.

References 1. CW, 1: 75 2. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey, p.79 4. Teachings of Holy Mother, p.100 5. Ibid, p.100 6. CW, 3: 456 T h e

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3. Gita, 17. 15

Simhâvalokanam From the Archives of THE VEDANTA KESARI (April, 1919-20, pp. 373-375)

Spiritual Greatness of India

(Presidential address delivered by Rajakarya Prasakta B. Ramakrishna Rao at the Sree Ramakrishna Hall, Madras, during the birthday celebration of Bhagavan Sree Ramakrishna.) Great is old India’s mission. It is no less sacred. India is a preservation on the mercy of Providence. India’s ancient glory is now no more. India’s famous trade has long since fled, India's manufacturers which once astonished the world constitute a page of past history. Yet one thing survives: and that thing is all-important. So long as that breath, however weak, lasts no country need despair of her revival. That is the master-key India holds to the mystery of life. . . .Griffith gives us these memorable Lines. Life flies like torrents downward fall. Speeding away without recall, So virtue should our thoughts engage. For Bliss is mortal’s heritage. Indeed, that bliss to gain is man’s goal. Who is there but wants happiness? And who is there but wants it to be long and lasting. Is that happiness found in trade? . . . Does happiness then consist in power and wealth? History answers this in the negative. These are but transient. Empires come and go. Greece, Rome and Persia reared great Empires of old. Where are they now? India’s selection is that it is spirituality that leads to bliss—bliss unalloyed, bliss immortal. Here is hope. Doctor Wallace, one of the foremost modern scientists of the West has spoken of the 19th century as the Wonderful Century and has given us a very interesting and instructive volume about its successes and failures. Did he know of the hero of heroes Calcutta of late produced about whom we are speaking here today, he would had surely styled him a wonderful soul of that wonderful century. In Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the hero, appears as the conqueror. Conqueror of whom? Conqueror of the root enemies of mankind. Who are they? They are six—. . . (1) Kama, (desire): (2) Krodha (passion) (3) Lobha (avarice), (4) Moha (carnal love): (5) Mada (pride) and (6) Matsarya (envy and hate). Their sway is unlimited. The conqueror of these foes is the real hero who fully deserves our homage. In such a soul the Divine spark shines the brightest. We must fall down and worship at his feet. T h e

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Such from all accounts was Sri Ramakrishna. His is quite a historic character of the modern sceptic age. He was free from the domain of what is technically termed Eshna traya, the tripple bondage of man; viz., Putreshana, the son-bondage; then Viteshana the enslavement of wealth and the third, Daryeshana the wife-thraldom. No relationship attachment, no inducement of power, or, self and no fetters of female charms could make him swerve an infinitesimal inch from that strict path of spiritual devotion which he followed most unerringly and constantly. We have long since been familiar with such names as Krishnadas, Ramadas, Iswardas and Bhagwandas: Of late have we not had to register names like, a Dravyadas, (worshipper of wealth), an Adhikardas (worshipper of power) and a Patnidas (worshipper of the wife)! To such temptations of the flesh and earthly allurements, the influence of Sri Ramakrishna has been clearly antagonistic. He soared high above the region swayed by what I may perhaps be allowed to call the three W's viz., wine, woman and wealth. This was his greatness in the negative direction. On the other side, his wholesome influence accentuated what may be termed the three positive W’s, i.e., will, word and work, or, Mano-Vakkaya-Karma. The inexorable Law of Karma and how to attain freedom from its whirlpool, his teachings speak about in a way telling and most consistent with India’s time-honored wisdom. Anything done pure-minded has its advantages, while whatever is done with impure motives never fails to visit the author with its inevitable consequences, compound interest being reckoned in either case. In the presence of Sri Ramakrishna as in that of like holy sages, kindness flowed free and responsive hearts derived the resulting benefits. His example reminded man of the need to pump out the gas of selfishness in him and to exchange the I, Mine and Me for Thou, Thine and Thee. How this sage spurned money and like material attractions, the learned lecturer has so graphically described. All conquest is possible only through self conquest. . . Sri Ramakrishna lived a life of a pure Bramhachari, a true celibate, despite the fact that he had been betrothed. Such solid Bramhacharya cannot but command the greatest admiration, nay veneration, from mankind. I am here reminded of the Sri Sringeri Jagad Guroos in my country, Mysore. They have all along, since the days of the Ade Shankaracharya Swami, been unbetrothed Bramhacharies true to their Sacred Monastic Order of Renunciation, Sanyasashrama; and even scandal has feared to breathe a word against their hallowed moral character. Sri Ramakrishna’s betrothed spouse has likewise been a remarkable character. Quite a Brahmacharini saintess, she took delight in doing homage at his feet. She survives him as a noble example of pure Pathivratya, devotion to her husband in life and spirit.

He who gains a victory over other men is strong, but he who gains a victory over himself is all-powerful. —Lao Tze

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Reminiscences of Master Mahashay LALIT CHATTOPADHYAY

(Continued from the previous issue. . .) Master Mahashay, Mahendranath Gupta, or ‘M’, was an eminent householder disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. He recorded the conversations of Sri Ramakrishna in Bengali and published them later as Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita (translated into English: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna). The following is the translation of reminiscences of ‘M’ from Srima Samipe, [In the Proximity of ‘M’], a book in Bengali, edited by Swami Chetanananda (Udbodhan Office: Calcutta, 1996), pp.49-58. Swami Chetanananda (the translator of the present article) is the Head of Vedanta Society of St. Louise, USA. He has to his credit several notable books in Bengali and English, translations as well as original. 5 November 1917, Morton Institution Following M.’s instructions I went to the Udbodhan house in Baghbazar with my wife and widowed sister to bow down to Holy Mother. That afternoon I visited M., who was then listening to a boy from Orissa sing a song about [Lord] Jagannath. ‘Please tell me your news,’ M. said. ‘What transpired between your wife and Holy Mother?’ I replied, ‘My wife and sister are talking about Mother and counting the days until they receive initiation, which will be on Kartik Sankranti, an auspicious day. They also want to see you. They are waiting in the car on the street.’ M. immediately went to the car, met them there, and said to them, ’If God is pleased, the whole world is pleased.’ When the car left, we went upstairs. M. said, ‘If one bows down to the feet of Holy Mother, one receives the result of visiting every holy place. Please tell me about your meeting with the Mother. It is good to think about initiation. But it is not enough to have T h e

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initiation. One should develop a spiritual life by practising the guru’s instructions. There is a saying: “A man may receive the grace of God, the grace of the guru, and the grace of the devotees, but nothing will avail if he does not receive the grace of his own mind.” Please tell me what transpired between your wife and Holy Mother.’ I replied, ‘When my wife and sister went upstairs, Holy Mother inquired, “Where is your home? What does your husband do? Who else do you have?” Meanwhile, Holy Mother became busy with the women devotees and the worship service. After the worship, she distributed prasad. ’Finally, Holy Mother reminded my wife and sister, “You have not said why you have come here.” “Will you kindly initiate us?” they said. ‘Holy Mother said with a smile, “Very well. The day of Kartik Sankranti is coming soon. Lord Kartik will be worshipped on that day and it is an auspicious day for initiation.” Later, she called me upstairs and informed me also of our initiation date. I bowed

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down to her and she blessed me, touching my head.’ M. said joyfully: ‘Wonderful! There is no more worry if the Divine Mother looks after you. This is in Chaitanya Charitamrita: “So many iron rods became gold by touching the philosopher’s stone.” If Holy Mother is gracious and accepts responsibility for a person, he or she will achieve everything. Now please pray, and wait for that auspicious day. Practise self-control. Jesus said: “Unless ye be born again, ye cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Initiation brings new life and shows the path of God-realization.’ It was evening. A devotee waved incense in front of the pictures of gods and goddesses in M.’s room. Several devotees arrived and all sat on grass mats. Everyone silently repeated their respective mantras. M.: ‘It is a rare chance to be born during the time of an avatar. One can attain his grace with just a little effort. The Master said, “The breeze of God’s grace is always blowing; only unfurl the sail.” Although the Master’s physical form is no longer amongst us, he is now performing his lila through Holy Mother. He now bestows mercy through her. She is distributing many precious spiritual gems.’ A devotee: ‘The guru is also a mine of gems, like the ocean.’ M.: ‘The ocean looks awesome and dreadful from a distance, but if you sit on the beach, its gentle waves will refresh and invigorate your body. We shall not gain anything by merely counting the waves; we must collect gems from the ocean floor. What great spiritual treasures we received by living with the Master!’ A devotee brought prasad from Mother Kali of Dakshineswar and gave it to M. He touched it to his head, took a little, and then distributed it amongst the devotees. When he T h e

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saw a devotee drop a bit of sandesh [a Bengali sweet] on the floor, M. asked him to wash that spot with water. ‘Do you know the meaning of prasad?’ M. asked. ‘It destroys old samskaras, or tendencies, and makes the mind calm. While taking prasad, one should think: “Let all my accumulated samskaras from birth after birth be wiped out.”’ It was 10:00 p.m. The devotees took leave of M. 15 November 1917, Morton Institution It was Kartik Puja. My sister, wife, and I received initiation from Holy Mother. We had lunch and Mother’s prasad in Udbodhan and then returned home after meeting Swami Saradananda and other monks. In the afternoon I went to see M., who was then filling out Money Orders. Every month M. sent remittances to Kankhal, Varanasi, and other centres, and also to some monks. I bowed down to M. and sat on a grass mat. M.: ’Today I was thinking of you off and on. Please tell me how you received the grace of Holy Mother. What was she doing when you arrived? And what happened next?’ ‘It is your grace, sir, that the impossible became possible,’ I replied. ‘We got up at 4:00 am, bathed, and went to Udbodhan at 6:30 am.’ ‘Very good! It is not good to delay in this respect. One needs longing. Then what happened?’ [M said] ‘When we bowed down to the Mother, she said: “I have not been feeling well since yesterday. However, since you have come, please wait. Let me finish my bath in the Ganges.” When she heard this, Golap-ma [Holy Mother’s attendant] objected: “My goodness! Mother, you had a fever yesterday. Let them come another day.” Holy Mother

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replied: “You see, they have come with great expectation. Today I shall initiate them. It will be all right if I have a quick bath in the Ganges.” She then left for her bath and we waited downstairs. She returned shortly and called me to enter the shrine.’ ‘Ah, how compassionate is the Mother! What next?’ [M. observed] ‘We carried flowers, fruits, and sweets for the offering. Those were arranged on trays in front of the Master. Holy Mother sat on an asana [small rug] and asked me to sit on another asana nearby. I asked my widowed sister to receive initiation first, and I sat in the corner. When her initiation was over, Mother called me. But when I asked her to initiate my wife beforehand, she said: “No, it is not the custom. The wife gets initiation after the husband. She will be initiated after you.”’ ‘That is true. Then?’ [asked M.] ‘I sat on the asana next to Holy Mother. She asked me to sip a little Ganges water for purification and repeat the gayatri mantra ten times. Then she whispered the seed mantra and showed me how to practise it on my fingers. Before initiation she asked about our family tradition. When I hesitated, she said: “I understand, your family worships Shakti.” She then pointed to an oil painting of Kali on the wall, and said, “She is your Chosen Deity.” Pointing to the Master’s picture on the altar, “He is your guru. Now bow down.” Then after initiating my wife, Holy Mother gravely said: “From today onward your human birth is over. I am taking on the burden of all of your sins.”’ [Hearing this exclaimed M.]: ‘You are blessed! Today you have received the grace of the Mother of the Universe. Have you noticed the blessing that she bestowed on you all? She took upon herself the burden of your sins rather than your virtues. Be careful from now T h e

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on: Don’t do anything that would cause her pain. Did you give any guru dakshina?2 ‘Yes, we did. Each of us gave Mother five rupees and a red-bordered silk cloth. She sent everything to Swami Saradananda and did not keep anything for herself. When my wife had asked her before whether she should wear a Varanasi sari [which is expensive] for initiation, Holy Mother replied: “Are those who do not have such a cloth denied initiation?”’ [M. said]: ‘Yes, Holy Mother is right. She does not consider money to be the primary thing. Do you know who the guru is? The guru is God Himself. He lives in heaven but He takes human birth out of His mercy, to remove human delusion. A spiritual aspirant feels blessed finding Him in front as the Chosen Ideal because of his or her good karma in previous lives. After the guru passes away, He waits in the other world, becoming a saviour for His disciples. He is the ocean of mercy. The more you have faith in the words of your guru, the easier your liberation will be.’ [I said]: ‘Today I made a mistake. Out of egotism, I used a disrespectful word to a monk in Udbodhan. Please bless me so that I may get rid of this bad habit.’ ‘Please pray to the Master. If you pray sincerely, he will listen.’ It was evening. A kerosene lantern was lit and a devotee waved incense in front of the deities on the wall. M. sat for meditation and said to me: ‘Today is the first day of your initiation. Please obey your guru’s instruction.’ Gradually other devotees came and filled the room. After meditation a devotee asked: ‘What is the way for householders?’ M. replied: ‘The Master said: “There is a constant disease [i.e., ignorance] in family life.

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One needs the company of the holy.” Whenever you have an opportunity, please visit a holy place. One should have faith in the words of the guru. It is sinful to consider the guru to be a human being. The guru is the compassionate form of God. Human beings do not always see God, so He sometimes descends as a human being like us and plays His divine play. Human beings understand a little about God by associating with the avatar [divine incarnation] and by loving him and tasting his divine love. While explaining Bhakti Yoga in the Gita, Krishna said: “Fix your mind on Me alone. If you are unable to do that, then devote yourself to My service.” And finally: “Abandon all duties and come to Me alone for refuge. I will deliver you from all sins; do not grieve.” People die for lack of water, and they get it in plenty in their courtyard when the avatar comes. The Master is now bestowing blessings through Holy Mother.’ M. then sang these two lines from one of the Master’s favourite songs: O Mother, Thou my Inner Guide, ever awake within my heart! Day and night Thou holdest me in Thy lap.

M. picked up a towel and wiped away his tears of joy, and then continued: ‘This is not an artificial relationship. And this idea that the Mother is there and I am here is false. She always dwells in the heart. She is the mother of all, but she thinks more about her weak and destitute children. As the Master said, “If water falls on the hilltop, it flows downward and accumulates on low ground.” When King Guhaka was busy serving Rama, Rama told him, “Please take care of my two horses first; they carried me here. I shall be happy if they are fed first.”’ M. then spoke directly to me: ‘One should not be angry at the attendants of Holy T h e

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Mother. They look after Holy Mother’s convenience and inconvenience; so before visiting the Mother one should listen to her attendants and try to please them.’ As the night advanced, the devotees bowed down to M. and left for home. October 1918, Thakur Bari It was Maha-Ashtami (Durga Puja). That morning my wife and I went to see Holy Mother in Udbodhan. In the afternoon I visited M., who was then seeing the images of Mother Durga with the devotees in the neighbourhood. Afterwards he went to Thakur Bari [the name of M’s house], entered the shrine on the third floor, and bowed down to the Master. He then went to the big room downstairs to meet with devotees. M. said to me: ‘It would be good if you could visit Holy Mother during Durga Puja.’ I replied: ‘Yes, this morning I went to Udbodhan with my wife to pay our respects.’ ‘Very good. Today is a very auspicious day and you have visited your guru. Please tell me something about your visit to her.’ ‘My wife and sister finished cooking early and then we went to Udbodhan at 10:00 am. The Mother was seated on the roof in the sun. She was rubbing medicated oil on her feet, because she has arthritis. My sister rubbed oil on one foot, and then Mother asked my wife to rub it on the other. Then she said to my wife, “It is not proper to touch only one foot; please rub the other also.”’ [M. said]: ‘Oh, how compassionate she is! What happened then?’ ‘She went to her room and called for me. I bowed down to her and she blessed me and talked to me for a while. I was a little hurt that only the women could stay with her for a long period. Shall I tell you something personal?’

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‘Of course.’ ‘I said to Holy Mother: “While repeating the mantra, I don’t like to visualise the Master’s form. Your form appears in my mind instead, and I feel good. Is there anything wrong with this?” She said with a smile: “No, there is nothing wrong. You meditate on that form which appeals to you most.”’ [M. responded]: ‘Yes, the Master would also say that. Then what happened?’ ‘I asked her whether one should pray to the Master to solve one’s family problems. She replied: “Of course, one can let the guru know about one’s problems. If a person chants the Master’s name, all of his or her sufferings go away.”’ [M. exclaimed]: ‘Ah! How compassionate is the Mother!’ ‘Then she gave us the Master’s prasad and we returned home.’ A devotee said: ‘There is a saying: “O Lord, teach me how to love Thee more.”’ M. commented: ‘Without simplicity, one cannot reach God who is the embodiment of simplicity. The parents of the avatar are always simple, like Nandaraja and Yashoda.’ Reference:

A devotee: ‘But nowadays if a person is too simple, he or she will be cheated.’ M. smiled and said: ‘A scholar from Oxford University wrote in a book directed at the English: “You have brought so much gold and gems from India and now all the men are gone for the War [the First World War, 19141919]. You could not bring the great spiritual treasures from India. You built fancy homes with their wealth, but could not bring their religion.” Lord Ronaldsey, the present governor of Bengal, read The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, and then went to Dakshineswar with his wife and secretaries. He saw the places that were mentioned in the Gospel. He also greeted Ramlal, knowing that he was the Master’s nephew.’ A devotee: ‘The same blood of the Master’s family flows in Ramlal.’ M.: ‘Yes, it is true. The scriptures say that one should respect not only the guru but his family members also. The Master would say: “Those who have a little attraction for God will have to come here.”’ It was late evening. The devotees bowed down to M. and left for home. (Concluded.)

2. Dakshina: After initiation the disciple is supposed to give something, such as money or a cloth or a fruit, to the guru, according to his or her means.

Those who have pure thoughts and noble ideals and loving characters exert a strong influence on others. Whenever we want to have a lasting effect on any character we must not expect to do it too quickly or too easily. If it is done too quickly, it will not last. It is like hay-fire. You set hay on fire and it makes a tremendous blaze, but in a moment it is over; while a log fire is slow to catch, but it lasts a long time. The real spiritual life is manifested when there is no element of fear, no ulterior motive, no bargaining. When we pray, we must not ask God to give us something in return. Our prayer must spring from the spontaneous desire to commune with what is beautiful. —Swami Paramananda, Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayers, p.156 T h e

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In Praise of Japa WILLIAM PAGE

Japa is one of the main spiritual practices of the Ramakrishna Movement. Combined with prayer and meditation, it forms a triangle —a three-fold method of reaching out for God, establishing Him within, and keeping Him there. Prayer is simply the act of talking to God. The words can be spoken aloud, whispered, or uttered mentally. They reach out to God and invite him to come down and take his seat upon the lotus of the heart. Once he’s there, we begin to do japa and meditate. Japa is the continuous, silent repetition of a very short prayer or invocation called a mantra. It can be done on its own or in conjunction with meditation. Meditation is the act of visualizing God within us. Together, these two practices establish God within us and enable us to feel his presence. In the intervals between meditation sessions, we usually get preoccupied with our daily work. If God gets restless at being neglected and seems inclined to leave his seat, we can bring him back by doing japa. So prayer draws the Lord from the heavens to the heart, japa and meditation establish him on his throne within, and japa keeps him there. Of course, his grace is also necessary. Without it, nothing happens. Do It Now

Prayer and meditation require our full attention, but one of the advantages of japa is that you can do other things at the same time. Holy Mother, who was famous for doing prodigious amounts of japa, undoubtedly did much of it while busy with her household chores—husking paddy, sweeping and scrubbing the floor, washing and cutting vegetables. It’s also a good way to shut down the endless chatter of the mind. We often find our thoughts wandering. Japa pulls them back and gives them focus. It’s like a thread that ties the mind to the lotus feet of the Lord; it reminds us always to pay attention to him. Sri Ramakrishna taught a variety of spiritual practices, but Swami Brahmananda and Holy Mother placed special emphasis on japa. If you study their teachings, you’ll find that they constantly emphasized the necessity of doing it, and especially at fixed times in the morning and evening. The fixed times establish the habit. Once you get used to doing it at certain times, you get restless to do it when those times come. If you don’t do it, you feel guilty. In fact, guilt feelings are common among devotees who skip doing their japa. If you don’t want to feel guilty, better not skip it! A common complaint among beginners is that they don’t feel any results. Swami Brahmananda constantly had to reassure his

William Page is a retired English teacher living in Bangkok, Thailand. He has been associated with the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of Massachusetts since 1960. Courtesy: American Vedantist, Volume 15, No.3, Fall 2009, p.8 -11. T h e

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disciples that if they didn’t feel any results in the beginning, they would feel them later on. Perseverance is the key. In fact, he told one disciple, ‘Follow some spiritual discipline for at least three years, and then, if you find you have made no tangible progress, you may come back and slap my face!’1 Vicarious Japa: A Gift from Holy Mother Holy Mother said that some of her disciples were incapable of doing much japa, so she did it for them. In her old age, when her attendant noticed that she was doing japa even in bed, she asked, ‘What can I do, my son? The boys come and entreat me eagerly. They take the mantra and go home. But nobody does any japa regularly. Some don’t do it even once. Yet as I have shouldered the burden, should I not look after them? That’s why I do japa and pray to the Master, “O Master, grant them enlightenment, grant them emancipation, and do you take on yourself their care in every way here and hereafter!”’2 I can imagine some people grumbling, ‘Holy Mother made it too easy for her disciples. She spoiled them. How could they develop any character if she did everything for them?’ I can also imagine her giving a sharp reply: ‘I am the Mother! Shall I not do everything for my children? As for their character, you don’t need to worry about it. I will take care of it.’ Lazy guys like me envy Holy Mother’s disciples. What a soft deal they had! We don’t have the luxury of knowing that she’s doing japa for us. Some of us have to do three rounds of the rosary just to get started. Sometimes it takes that long just to drag the mind away from worldly thoughts and get it settled down. That’s especially true in the evening, after a day of being beaten up by the world. T h e

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Coffee, Tea, or Japa? Early-morning japa, which is recommended most highly, is supposed to take hold quickly, because the mind is fresh and doesn’t have to wean itself away from worldly thoughts. But you have to make sure that you’re fully awake, or you’re likely to fall asleep. People like me, who need three cups of coffee just to wake up in the morning, are always relieved to read about a disciple of Holy Mother who told her that it was impossible for him to do japa before having his morning tea. Fortunately for us all, Holy Mother gave him permission to drink his tea first.3 I have been quick to interpret this as permission to drink my three cups of coffee in the morning before trying to do anything that requires the slightest bit of intelligence. I console myself for this weakness by invoking the example of an eminent Tibetan lama, the late Kalu Rim-poche, who used to drink Tibetan tea while meditating. Don’t Mess with the Mantra Japa is sometimes difficult for Westerners, because the mantra is in Sanskrit, a language we’re unfamiliar with. I know an American devotee who once rebelled against his mantra. ‘I’m tired of this Sanskrit gibberish,’ he complained. ‘I want an English mantra.’ So, although he had been initiated by a perfectly well-qualified teacher, he made up an English mantra and started doing japa with it. At first it seemed new and fresh, and he was heartened by the results. The image of his Chosen Ideal glowed within him; it seemed to be cheering him on. Novelty is always exciting, and he expected to make rapid progress. But surprise, surprise! Novelty wears off pretty quickly unless there’s some substance behind it. Pretty soon, about halfway through

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his rosary, he began to nod off, and his old mantra started welling up from the depths of his mind. He stopped it, reimposed his English mantra, and succeeded for awhile; but the old Sanskrit mantra was stubborn, and kept resurfacing when he least expected it. No matter how much he resisted, it kept coming back. Eventually the image of the Chosen Ideal seemed to be grinning at him, and then he got the message. Finally he gave up and returned to his old mantra. ‘There’s more to this mantra stuff than meets the eye,’ he admitted. ‘I guess you can’t keep a good mantra down.’ But It’s Boring! The big complaint that most people make about japa is that it’s boring. Who wants to keep chanting the same old line? What a waste of time! What’s the point? The point, of course, is to recondition the mind. That’s what spiritual practice is all about: to recondition the mind so that it will become a fit place for the indwelling of the Lord. But our minds are restless, and scream for more exciting fare. This is especially true in our switched-on era, when cyberspace is crackling with high-tech entertainment. Who wants to pray when you can google? Who wants to chant when you can twitter?

If we’re serious about spiritual life, we have to shut down the computer and dig out the old rosary. Swami Brahmananda’s remark that his disciples could come back and slap his face if they didn’t feel any results within three years is something we ought always to keep in mind. He didn’t mean three years of just piddling around. He meant three years of persistent and intensive effort. Experience shows that if we keep working on our japa, it gradually takes hold. It stops being boring and eventually becomes sweet. The mantra becomes an old friend, something solid in the foundation of our minds, an anchor for our wayward thoughts. It can be a healing balm in times of grief, a refuge in times of trouble. It takes on a life of its own, and rises from our subconscious to greet us whenever we turn to it. It also becomes something very much like the default setting of the mind. When the mind wanders, the mantra often emerges spontaneously. We find it resounding within us without making any effort. All we have to do is listen. In fact, this may be one answer to the famous Zen koan, ‘Who is it that recites the Buddha’s name?’ When we become established in japa, the Buddha’s name recites itself.

References 1. 2.

Swami Prabhavananda, The Eternal Companion, Vedanta Press, Hollywood, 1947; p.129 Swami Gambhirananda, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, Fourth Edition, 1986; p. 397. See also Swami

Nikhilananda, Sri Sarada Devi, The Holy Mother: Her Teachings and Conversations, Skylight Paths Publishing, Woodstock, Vermont, 2004; pp. 25-26 Swami Gambhirananda, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, p. 410

The syllable Om, which is the imperishable Brahman, is the universe. Whatsoever existed, whatsoever now exists, whatsoever shall exist hereafter is Om. —Mandukya Upanishad T h e

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Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda1 The Math, Belur P.O. Howrah, India Dec 8th 1898 My dear Mrs.Vaughan,2 Mrs.Bull gave me very kindly to read a letter of yours & I felt strongly how lonely you are feeling at your separation with our dear Edwina. I had that apprehension long before and many a time in my meditations. Your sad face came up right before my eyes & my whole heart went to you with sympathy. Indeed it is difficult for a time to adjust ourselves so that we would not miss our dear ones in all the little things of daily life. Life seems a void without any purpose in these times and the struggles here come out with a bitterness that overshadows all idea of Divine Plan & mercy. But hope comes again when we calm down a little and read back our past & the experience & blessing it has conferred on us. Then to think constantly on Love as a permanent thing for it is of God and it is God and hence can never bring back again the realisation that we can never really be separated from our dear ones & that is indeed a great consolation. From the little experience I have of this life I have found much good in meditating those that I love placing them on the Divine, and trying to look to the general broad plan of Divine action in & through us and holding myself perfectly willing to submit to it always. The best prayer that I have ever known here is that short one which Jesus taught—‘Thy will be done’. It has brought me peace & comfort in many a dark day & it will I am sure, in all future time. It is foolish to tell you or any one not to feel lonely. The loneliness will come as soon as we will look to the negative side of the event, which we can not help sometimes doing, for we are frail & mortal. But as soon as we learn through His mercy to turn our eyes to the positive side of any event, the most common drudgery brings joy and blessing & even death & separation loose their strings. May He who knows the throes of each aching heart & knows how weak [we] are in our ignorance, give you that vision which will make you feel how much better fitted you have been in & through this experience and how nearer you have been drawn through this towards Him and Edwina as well. A new era is dawning in your life and the time is right when you will feel through Divine Mercy how He has made you an instrument in His hand, through this experience of yours, to bring peace & joy and blessing to many a throbbing heart. The time is drawing nigh when Mrs.Bull will be with you again. She is doing well and feels secure in the Divine Love & Presence in which we live & move. Edwina & yourself are always in my thoughts & always will be and it would give me great pleasure indeed if I can be of any little service to you in these days. Somehow I feel as if we are of one family and that whatever concerns one, concerns us all.

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My kindest regards to you always & best prayers. Remember me kindly to all friends at Sharon and Cambridge when you meet them. Ever yours in the Lord Saradananda Address on the cover:: Mrs.V.B.Vaughan, Sharon, Mass. U.S.America

January 19th 1899 Deoghar, Baidyanath C/o P.N.Mukherji.Esq. My dear Granny,3 I have written everything to dear Jane and so add a few lines to you. Everything is going on as normal here & I am feeling the kind touch with you in almost everything. Instead of our mesmerising you two—you have done the same with us. I am happy at the thought how glad Olen & others will be to have you back with your added powers of comforting & being useful in ever so many vital ways. The Swami4 regained his health & was evidently happy with his family—but he cannot take care of himself you know & has brought on this illness by his constant & willful neglect of diet. But I hope he will be well again in a few days. You will be glad to hear I have been introduced to the cousin he is interested about. Nivedita5 thought it best for me not to send this letter to Miss Muller; but as I have written it, I am enclosing it to you & will be glad to have your opinion about it. Nivedita thought it to be very kind but sentimental & not very dignified. Do you think so too? My regards & blessings to yourself as before & I think I need not write them even, for you feel them every minute—do you not? Write me as often as you can dear & bless your boy. With my constant prayers & salutations to the blessed feet of Uma, I remain as ever Yours S. P.S. I had such light come to me about you while sitting by the side of Jogananda the other night. I will write you of it sometime. Only I do not like to put that in a letter. Yours S.

1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna disciple of Swami Vivekananda

2. Mrs. Sara Bull’s daughter 4. Swami Vivekananda

3. Mrs. Sara Bull, an American 5. A disciple of Swamiji

Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math

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While speaking of the influence of the Indian thoughts on world culture, Swami Vivekananda said, ‘Slow and silent, as the gentle dew that falls in the morning, unseen and unheard yet producing a most tremendous result, has been the work of the calm, patient, all-suffering spiritual race upon the world of thought.’ [CW, 3:110] Something similar can be said of the influence of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda ideology on contemporary Indian literature. Numerous books and articles on Ramakrishna-Vivekananda that have been written by eminent persons or by unheard of writers alike bear a testimony to the silent work that has been going on in the last hundred years. India is a rich land with mind-boggling cultural diversities and numerous languages. Many contemporary writers in these languages have been deeply influenced and motivated by Ramakrishna-Vivekananda ideology. This has found, and continues to find, its expression in their powerful literary works. In order to make an approximate assessment of the way Ramakrishna-Vivekananda have influenced contemporary Indian literary traditions, The Vedanta Kesari requested noted writers in these languages to trace the history, growth and richness of this influence on contemporary works, which will be published in this column. Our thanks to the contributors who agreed to undertake this voluminous exercise. The articles on the influence of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda on Kannada, Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, contemporary Indian English Literature and Sanskrit have already appeared in this series during 2006-08.

Contemporary Bengali Literature - I HIRONMOY MUKHERJEE

An Enduring Legacy The thoughts and philosophy of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda have left a rich legacy in the Bengali literature. Not only in the initial years when both the great luminaries were physically present but for

many decades after their demise, and even today, their ideas inspired writers, poets, playwrights, thinkers, historians and others. Hundreds of books, articles plays and poems have been written, and continue to be written, on them and their philosophy.

Dr. Hironmoy Mukherjee is a devotee from Nagpur who retired as Chief Controller of Explosives, Nagpur, Ministry of Industry, Government of India. T h e

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Sri Ramakrishna

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One of the foremost authors whose name comes to our mind in this connection is Sri Girish Chandra Ghosh. He was one of the main figures in the renaissance in Bengali literature in later part of the 19th century, studded by writers and poets like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Rabindranath Tagore, Michael Madhushudon Datta, Dwijendra Lal Roy and many others. In the following article we will briefly examine some of the eminent men of Bengali literature who were influenced by the ideals of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda and their contribution in spreading this philosophy through their writings.

having any conventional degree from any university. He was an outstanding actor and himself trained and brought into existence about thirty to forty successful actors and actresses. Simultaneously he wrote about eighty-six plays and ran most of them successfully in theatres, thereby exhibiting his undoubted artistic and creative ability as well as his penchant for doing hard work. Most of the plays of Girish Chandra were based on Puranas and many of the stories in plays were drawn from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavatam. He portrayed the characters of many saints and great personages beautifully in plays like Buddhadev Charit, Purna Chandra, Nasiram, Kalapahar, Ashoka, Shankaracharya, Chaitanyalila, Nimai Sannyas, Rup-Sanatan, Bilwamangal and others. Battered by sorrow and grief in family life, in his middle age Girish had lost belief in God and was searching for someone who

Girish Chandra Ghoshâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Contribution Girish Chandra (1842-1912) is known as the father of Bengali Theatre as he had brought into existence the first Bengali Theatre. He was a versatile and erudite scholar, though not T h e

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could bring peace to his parched life. By the grace of God he got in touch with such a person and he was none other than Sri Ramakrishna himself. Girish was overwhelmed with the unconditional mercy and boundless compassion showered on him by Sri Ramakrishna and found in him a haven of repose. Finding sanctuary at the feet of Sri Ramakrishna and getting his blessings and permission to continue the work he was doing involving play-writing and acting for larger good of public, the playwright and actor Girish had turned into ‘great devotee Girish’. A new chapter of his literary life started now and one can see this influence of Sri Ramakrishna in his new plays starting from Kalapahar. 1 Out of many plays written by Girish, Sri Ramakrishna had seen at least three plays, namely Vrisha Ketu, Chaitanya Lila, and Prahlad Charitra. The story of Sri Ramakrishna’s visit to the Star Theatre to see Chaitanya Lila and his blessings to actress Vinodini after the show is lucidly described in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna [see p.683] and hence need not be repeated here. His play Bilwa Mangal was written and staged a few months before the death of Sri Ramakrishna. The play was not written by Girish after reading about the life of Surdas in the book Bhakta Mal. Rather, he had heard the story from the lips of his guru Sri Ramakrishna. It was Sri Ramakrishna who had also suggested to Girish about the insertion in the play of the character of a false sadhu. As a matter of fact, he himself had demonstrated to Girish about how the role of the false Tilakdhari sadhu should be shown in the play.2 While visiting Star Theatre for the second time on December 14, 1884, Sri Ramakrishna had praised Girish and told him that no one could sketch a divine character unless he has love of God in his heart.3 Girish Chandra was T h e

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once heard to say that he had learnt how to write plays from Sri Ramakrishna himself. Not only that, we find Girish taking lessons from Sri Ramakrishna about dramatic art, creation of characters and acting and the play Bilwa Mangal was a direct outcome of this.4 Sri Ramakrishna said, ‘Faithful devotees always feel the all-auspicious Lord in their hearts and are never discouraged, even when facing thousands of dangerous situations.’5 Girish illustrated this teaching in the life of the title character of the play Puranchandra. Puranchandra was a five-act play and its theme was ideal renunciation and faith in God. The play was based on Hindi story entitled Puran Bhakat (‘The Devotee Puran’). The central character Puran was a prince who renounced the world to become a disciple of Yogi Goraknath. The Guru tested Puran by sending

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him to the house of a princess who wanted to marry him. But by the grace of his Guru, Puran maintained his celibacy and remained unmoved by the princess’s beauty and wealth and also inspired her to become a nun. Puran returned to his Guru who was delighted that his disciple had passed the test. Here Girish portrayed Sri Ramakrishna’s uncompromising renunciation in this play.6 In the play Nasiram, Girish showed Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings about how lust and love—the animal nature and divine nature— co-exists in human beings, and how the divine finally overcomes the bestial. Through every act of Nasiram, we seemed to see Girish sitting at the feet of Paramhansa Deva and wielding his pen as if at his Master’s bidding. Nasiram was mad in the eyes of the worldlywise. Surely he must be a mad-fellow who loved everybody and hated none, not even the most despicable. Nasiram saw even in the worst sinner, the great possibilities that might be attained by him, for the human soul is but God in man.7

Girish dictating a drama to Devendra Nath Majumdar

tized Vedanta in Sri Ramakrishna. One could also see shadow of Swami Vivekananda in the play. The critics were surprised as to how Girish could transform the wellknown austere and stern life of Shankaracharaya into a humane, compassionate story. Girish had then said that he had drawn the character of Shankaracharaya, based on the character of Sri Ramakrishna, a glowing symbol of Vedanta. It could be seen that Sri Ramakrishna had turned Girish from a a mere devotee to a person who is full of highest consciousness (chaitanya moi).8 Swami Vivekananda’s favourite plays, written and staged by Girish A recent photo of Star Theatre at Beadon street, Kolkata Chandra, were Buddhadev Charit, Bilwamangal and Chaitanya Lila. The play Buddhadev In his introduction to the play ShankaraCharit had cast a great influence on young charya, Girish stated that he had seen concreT h e

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Narendra Nath (the future Swami Vivekananda) and his young devotee-friends. The inspiring life of all-sacrificing Buddha had deeply attracted them and they were particularly moved by one song of the play, Judai te chai Kothai Judai. Many a time young Narendranath used to sing this song at late night hours at his Simula house in Calcutta and the people in the neighbourhood would get up from their sleep and listen spell-bound to the song.9 Defending the Worship of the ‘Virat’ Swami Vivekananda had to face the ire of both the conservative and liberal section of the society for introducing the noble and innovative idea of social commitment for the monks of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Girish in his Bengali article titled Vivekanander Sadhanfal had defended Swamiji strongly in the matter. He explained that the sense of national unity in society would be a direct result of the service to mankind. He further brought to our notice the significance of the existence of Advaita Ashrama and [Ramakrishna] Sevashrama next to each other in Varanasi. To Girish it was highly symbolic— the same God to whom one prayed in temple was also served in Sevashrama. One is reminded here of Swami Brahmananda’s comments about Varanasi Sevashrama: ‘it is a temple of Virat’. In his article on the Monks of Ramakrishna Math, Girish had replied to the unjust criticism of the monks; he said that these monks were engaged in various parts of the country in providing education and food to the needy as well as attending to the sick in the spirit of the worship of God, without caring for themselves; Girish had further said in the article that no good would come to the society if such monks went instead to caves in the mountains.10 In an article named Sri RamaT h e

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krishna O Vivekananda, Girish had written, ‘To comprehend Sri Ramakrishna fully. . . .one would have to keep the live model of Vivekananda constantly before one’s mind.’10 Very often, critics had commented about the resemblance of certain characters in Girish’s plays with Sri Ramakrishna or Swami Vivekananda. But Girish himself did not agree to it. He opined that it is rather improper to see images of Sri Ramakrishna or Swami Vivekananda in some of the characters like Nasiram, Puranchandra and others. Instead, Girish strongly believed that since Sri Ramakrishna was a man of unlimited spiritual realization and a Divine Incarnation (avatar); how could he even think of putting him in the limited scope of a character in his plays! While this is true, yet from a human angle, traces of Sri Ramakrishna could be seen in some of the characters of his plays and if one could see all the characters together then, perhaps, a very small part of Sri Ramakrishna could be seen. The same view was also held by Girish about characters resembling Vivekananda.11 The Spreading Forth From a historical point of view, Girish was instrumental to the entry of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda into a special branch of Bengali literature i.e., plays. The effect of this continued for more than 50 years and as a result of which Sri RamakrishnaVivekananda ‘Bhavdhara’ (spiritual message) inundated the Bengali mind and literature. Sri Ramakrishna himself had facilitated this path of inundation by dissuading Girish from leaving the stage and writing. The beacon lighted by Girish was followed by playwright like Amrita Lal Basu, Khirod Prasad, Amarendra Nath Dutta and Manomohan Goswami and others—not only they had introduced Sri Ramakrishna-Viveka-

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nanda philosophy but had candidly mentioned their names in their plays. Another powerful playwright of this age Aparesh Chandra Mukhopadhya was himself closely connected with Ramakrishna Mission. He was liked by Swami Brahmananda and Swami Saradananda. Aparesh Chandra had inserted the words spoken by Swami Vivekananda in the mouth of Karna in his very successful drama Karnarjun.12 The well-known writer and playwright Sri Dwijendralal Roy was initially inimical to Girish Ghosh but later he developed good friendship and Dwijendralal acknowledged Girish as his Guru in the dramatic world. His biographer Sri Devkumar Basu, and son, wellknown writer and singer, Dilip Kumar Roy had mentioned that Ramakrishna Kathamrita [The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna] had left a great influence on Dwijendralal which could be seen in his plays written in his later life namely Bhisma and Parapare.13 A trend to write plays based on the life of Sri Ramakrishna began sometimes in the 1950s. Consequently, the life of Sri Ramakrishna and his spiritual message and sayings

started to become a part of plays, jatras [folk plays] and even screen-plays for cinema. Over the years, it gave rise a rich harvest of plays and stories. Though the personalities of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Vivekananda, Nivedita, Girish Chandra Ghosh found a eminent place in the Bengali plays, the central character always remained Sri Ramakrishna. It is doubtful whether so many plays had been written on the basis of life of a single religious person for more than 50 years and this trend continues even today.14 Regarding Girish Ghosh's contribution to Bengali literature in general, the following remark by Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das may be quoted here.15

O O

The Bengalis could not recognize the greatness of Girish Chandra Ghosh. It will take some time. Just as Shakespeare was recognized by the English people only after 100 years of his passing away, so also a day will come when our people will recognize and appreciate Girish’s genius and will finally be proud to honour him. Some day Westerners will come here to learn more about Girish’s genius and the beauty and depth of his writings.

(To be continued. . .)

References 1. 2.

3. 4. 5.

6. 7.

Bangla Desh O Sri Ramakrishna, Ramakrishna Vedanta Ashram, Darjeeling, Swami Vedananda, p.41 Natya Premi Sri Ramakrishna, Birendra Kumar Bandopadhya, Shardiya Udbodhan Vol.3 Ashwin 1416, September 2009 p.701 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Vol. II – Swami Nikhilananda, p.677 Girish Chandra O Ananya Prasanga, 2001, Nalini Ranjan Chattopadhya p.61-62 Ramakrishna’s influence on Girish’s Plays by Swami Chetanananda, Prabuddha Bharata November 2008, p.606 Ibid, pp.606-607 Ibid, p.607-608 T h e

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8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

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Vivekananda O Samakalin Bharat Varsha, Vol. VII Shankari Prasad Basu p.596 Udbodhan, Saradiya Sankha, volume III, 1416 B-S, September 2009 p.703 Vivekananda and Samakalin Bharat Varsha, Vol. VII Shankari Prasad Basu p.597 Ibid, p.596 Ibid, pp.598-599 Ibid, pp.598-599 Girish Chandra O Ananya Prasanga, Sri Nalini Ranjan Chattopadhya 2001, p.65 Girish Chandra Ghosh—A Bohemian Devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, by Swami Chetanananda, Advaita Ashrama, p.467 A P R I L

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Sri Ramakrishna—One with Cosmic Existence SUDESH

Grace Bestowed on Rani Rasmani Sri Ramakrishna often sang songs describing the glory of Divine Mother Kali in his exquisitely melodious voice. Charmed with his singing, whenever Rani Rasmani, the wealthy lady of Calcutta who started Dakshineshwar Temple, visited the temple, requested him to sing a few songs on Mother. On one such occasion, when he was singing, immersed in the thought of the Mother, as if he were singing for Her, and not for any mortal, he suddenly stopped and exclaimed, ‘What! Even here you think such thoughts!’ and struck the Rani with the palm of his hand. How dared this insignificant priest, drawing only six rupees a month, behave in such an insolent manner towards the founder of the temple, whose wealth, status, devotion, and wisdom astounded the elite of Calcutta? The women attendants of the Rani raised a hue and cry. The guards and officers rushed to the shrine to drag the mad priest out of the temple. But junior Bhattacharya, as Sri Ramakrishna was often called, sat calm and tranquil. Rani Rasmani was a lady of deep patience and introspection. Instead of losing her temper, she took to self-analysis and found that she had been thinking of a pending law-suit. Wonder of wonders! How could the young priest know that her witless mind had strayed away from the Mother’s Lotus Feet! Becoming aware of

the noise and commotion, apprehending that they might inflict some injury on Sri Ramakrishna, she commanded them not to take any action against him. Sri Ramakrishna had identified Rani Rasmani as one of the eight nayikas (attendant goddess) of the Divine Mother. Endowed with steadfast devotion and a sattvika nature, she realized the above incident as a moment of divine grace. The idea of punishing Sri Ramakrishna due to anger or egotism did not cross her mind. Calmly, she absorbed the divine grace, though expressed through rather a strange and offensive manner. According to Swami Saradananda, . . .after he attained the nirvikalpa samadhi, the limited ‘I’ in him vanished completely. And the little of ‘I’ that was left over, was united for all eternity with the immense ‘I’. . . .and the universal ‘I’ or what may be called the ‘I of the Divine Mother’ manifested Itself through him as the spiritual teacher, possessing the power of bestowing grace and inflicting punishment.1

One’s Own Mind becomes the Guru: When? Sri Ramakrishna had slapped the Rani but what a severe punishment his mind threatened him with! The higher the consciousness of the aspirant, the severer is the punishment. A purified mind, freed from the least tinge of attachment and delusion, could be the

A devotee from Ambala, Sudesh regularly contributes inspiring articles to The Vedanta Kesari. T h e

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aspirant’s own guru, said Sri Ramakrishna. Whatever appeared in the Pure Mind was the voice of God. During sadhana, at the time of meditation, he saw a Sannyasin with a sharp trident come out of his body and threaten to pierce his heart if his mind strayed even a little from his Chosen Ideal [ishta devata]. He began to have the vision of this young Sannyasin which in fact was his own Purified Mind or Higher Self. It guided each action of his. At times, assuming a form, as it were, of a different person, it emerged from his own body and taught him what was to be done and what to be rejected. The sadhana period of Sri Ramakrishna’s life reveals how he lost his individual existence in the Oneness of the Cosmic Existence, with his self, mind and intellect merged into the Mahakarana, the Great Cause. A Unique Worshipper of Kali An inexorable destiny led Sri Ramakrishna to take the office of the priest of Dakshineswar Kali Temple. No ordinary priest was he, who would perform ritualistic worship, arati and make food offerings to the Mother, and then retire to his room for rest or move about in the great city of Calcutta. Unique was the worship of this unlettered village boy. Sitting before the image he sang songs by Ramprasad, Kamalakanta and others, his heart swelling with emotions of the songs and sometimes danced in an ecstasy of joy to please the Divine Mother. Sometimes he made importunate requests to Her. Forgetting hunger and thirst, heat and cold, he sat motionless, for hours like an inert object, absorbed in the thought of the Mother. At night he meditated under an Amalaki tree, in solitude of the jungle surrounding the Panchavati. Besides being full of pits, ditches, lowlands, it had been a burial ground where T h e

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people ventured not going even during day time. There he sat meditating, stripped even of his wearing cloth and the sacred thread— naked like an innocent, guileless child, without a tinge of pride of noble descent or high caste. Forgotten were his childhood chums, his native village and even his own dear mother. Such single-minded was his meditation that like the ‘angler’ and the ‘hunter’, he saw nothing, heard nothing; the sense-organs stopped functioning. The one yearning of his heart was for the vision of Mother Kali. His soul thirsted and panted for sweet union with the Mother— source of his being. It expressed itself as agonised supplications to reveal Herself to him and copious tears from his eyes. How could the Mother stay away from this divine child who was ready to put an end to his life, if She did not reveal Herself to him? Said Sister Nivedita, In the case of Ramakrishna, innumerable prayers and unheard-of austerities had culminated in a realisation so profound that there was scarcely a memory of selfhood left. The man who lived and moved before his disciples was a mere shell, that could not fail to act as the indwelling Mother.2

After the living vision of Mother Kali, he forgot completely the idea of his separate existence from Her. Many a time during worship, he decorated his own person with flowers, sandal-paste, etc., meant to be offered to the Goddess, because of his constant vision of the Blissful Mother, both inside as well as outside. He became identified with the object of his love in various ways, forgetting his individuality. This state was very close to the non-dual transcendental experience of a Vedantist. State of Non-Duality

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Again, initiated by Totapuri, a monk of great repute, into Vedantic discipline, Sri Ramakrishna attained the immediate Knowledge of Brahman. Hitherto, Mother’s Lotus Feet were to him the only Reality, the only object of meditation and adoration. The world appeared to him merely a transitory, insubstantial, shadowy existence. Now, when he succeeded in withdrawing his mind from Mother’s Form, it became completely objectless and reached the nirvikalpa state. For three days he remained merged in eternal Consciousness and Bliss of the Infinite Immensity. Totapuri was amazed as he examined his pupil who sat in a steady posture like a piece of wood. With the disappearance of his ‘I’ consciousness his pulse and heart-beat also stopped. Completely unaware of the external world, stilled were the modifications of his mind, merged was it in the Indivisible. Consciousness of body and ego were not. A perfect calm and bliss prevailed. It looks like the state of maha-nirvana or Cosmic Pralaya as Swami Vivekananda has said: When. . . Knowledge, the knower and the known, dissolved; When action, act, and actor, are no more, When instrumentality is no more; . . .Everything deluged In one homogeneous mass, subtle, Pure, of atom-form, indivisible 3

Just as at the beginning of next cycle the first great change of the Absolute is ‘Om’, it was when Totapuri filled the whole atmosphere with profound sounds of ‘Om’ that Sri Ramakrishna came back to the awareness of the phenomenal world. After Totapuri left Dakshinewar, Sri Ramakrishna thought of dwelling in unbroken bliss of union with the Absolute. After six months of nirvikalpa samadhi, the Mother commanded him to ‘Remain in Bhavamukha’. T h e

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Impelled from within by the force of Her Command and the irresistible necessity that had brought him into being he awoke from his Samadhi. But even after coming down unceasing samadhi and bhava were the natural state of his mind. Uttering ‘Ma’ or ‘Om’ his mind merged into the boundless expanse of chidakasha. Talking of his Samadhi he said, During samadhi my mind leaps out of this body, as it were, and plunges into Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute… there is no body consciousness, and the soul merges in the higher Self—the Paramatma—in the thousand-petalled lotus of the head… This very self then becomes Shiva, the Absolute. 4

Coming back to external consciousness, from the rapture of Eternal Union, Sri Ramakrishna perceived that Brahman was none else but the Mother Herself in Her nirguna aspect. Kali, who was one with the Formless, Attributeless, and Infinite Reality manifested as the universe and all living beings as diverse names and forms. Being established in bhavamukha, which consists in experiencing Oneness with the Universal Mother, he felt that the whole universe has emanated from him. ‘I see that all things—everything that exists—have come from this,’ he said,5 one day, placing his hand on his heart. Once while plucking a leaf, a bit of bark came off. He was grieved that he had hurt the tree which appeared to him as full of Consciousness. He scolded the person who brought three twigs instead of one to clean his teeth. Had he created the tree that he broke its branches at his own whim? Only the Creator knew how difficult it was to create, he told him. A boatman was thrashed by another and Sri Ramakrishna’s back became red and swollen. Not to talk of living beings and trees and plants, he cried out in pain when Swamiji (then Narendra) happened to snap a wire while tuning a tanpura.

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His Answers to Our Unasked Thoughts Coming back from lofty plane of transcendental Reality, Sri Ramakrishna’s mind remained pitched to a state of Oneness. One with Cosmic Mind, he knew the inmost thoughts of all minds and answered them unasked. That explains how he declared his Godhead to just a passing thought in Narendra’s mind. One day, overwhelmed with divine fervour, while returning to his room after visiting Ma Kali, he sang a number of songs. M. said to himself, ‘I wish he would sing: Mother, thou canst not trick me any more For I have Thy crimson Lotus Feet.6

No sooner did the thought pass through M.’s mind than he sang the song. Another time he said to M. ‘Yes what you are thinking will also come to pass’.7 On January 1, 1886, Sri Ramakrishna blessed the devotees touching them all. At his touch each of the devotees experienced ineffable bliss. Some laughed, some wept, some saw Light, some had visions of their Chosen Ideals, and some felt within their bodies the rush of spiritual power. Ramlal, Thakur’s nephew stood behind him thinking that he only carried Sri Ramakrishna’s water-pot and towel, but all others were blessed with spiritual experiences. As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Sri Ramakrishna touched his chest, pushing aside his shawl. Ramlal said: Before that, during my meditation I could see with my mind’s eye only a part of my Chosen Deity. Moreover, Whatever I saw never seemed to be alive. But no sooner had the Master touched me than the whole form of my Chosen Deity appeared in my heart as a living presence, looking benign and effulgent.8

Seeing the Inner Nature Sri Ramakrishna could see the inner nature and traits of a man merely by looking T h e

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at him, as though he were looking through a glass pane. He was fond of eating a particular sweet. When his favourite dish was brought by a person whose regular salary was 25 rupees and he was making an extra 30 rupees by presenting false bills, it appeared filth to him. It happened not just once. If he felt hesitation about taking any food or drink, it was found to have been brought by a man of immoral or deceitful character. When about to give spiritual guidance to an unfit person, his power of speech failed suddenly. Seeing a particular aspirant, the form of that very deity appeared in his mind, whom he worshipped. Sarada, a friend of Adhar, was a devotee of Sri Chaitanya. He was stricken with the grief on account of his son’s death. Adhar took him to Dakshineswar to visit the Paramahamsadeva. Inspired with the ideal of Gauranga he sang song after song to soothe Sarada’s mind; sometimes describing Gauranga’s blissful ecstasy in an exuberance of joy, sometimes assuming the attitude of a woman devotee infatuated with love of Gauranga. When Balaram’s father came, he sang of the divine love of the gopis for Krishna. When a Shakta devotee came, he sang of the Divine Mother to kindle his love for the Mother. We see that whatever ideas came in his mind were found to be true as they were eternal verities existing in a subtle state in the Universal Mind. Leads All to the Path of Realisation Made one with the Mother in ‘Yoga Sleep’, Sri Ramakrishna had the unusual power of knowing the events of all previous births, their inherent tendencies and the future progress of his intimate devotees. Nearer to them than they themselves were, he knew the spiritual mood natural to each and led each accordingly to the path of Supreme Realisa-

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tion. He led some through pure devotion, some through devotion mingled with discrimination, others through a synthesis of the soul-melting love of Personal God and the lofty Knowledge of Impersonal Truth, and still others through all-embracing realisation of Godhead—to see God in all beings. He told them what form of meditation would be helpful: with form or formless aspect. He knew which of his devotees would embrace monasticism, renouncing their worldly life. To them he pointed out the steep path of complete renunciation of ‘woman and gold’. It was like observing the ekadasi without drinking even a drop of water. To the householders he led through the performance of their duties, unattached. At the same time they were to keep their mind fixed at the Lotus Feet of God through prayer, japa, and meditation. Coming Down after Samadhi Sri Ramakrishna says that some ordinary sadhakas may attain samadhi through spiritual discipline but they cannot come down to the realm of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ by separating themselves from the bliss of Oneness. The body falls off within twenty-one days. Then there are the sages like Shukadeva and Narada— the Ishvarakotis (God-like souls). Not satisfied with their own illumination, they come down a few steps to bring spiritual light to others. Shuka had to recite Bhagavata to bring Parikshit

and retained the ‘ego of Knowledge’. Narada had to teach the path of devotion and retained the ‘ego of Devotion’. Thus great sages impart spiritual instruction and share their bliss with others. But they do not hold the key to liberate others like the Incarnations of God. It is said that sages like Shuka and Narada tasted a drop of the Ocean of BrahmanConsciousness. But we have seen that Sri Ramakrishna was that ‘Ocean Of Consciousness’ without limit. ‘From It come all things of the relative plane, and in It they merge again. Millions of Brahmandas rise in that chidakasha and merge in It again.’9 That is why by a mere touch or wish or blessing he could put anyone in the inebriation of divine bliss, or deep meditation, or samadhi, and even confer liberation. He converted many rank materialists and agnostics into believers and atheists and scoffers into ardent devotees. Removing all dross and impurity he turned drunkards and sinners into mighty saints. Sri Ramakrishna was the Cosmic Shakti Itself, descended in a finite human form, to revive the declining religion, to establish the harmony of religions, to deliver erring souls from a wilderness of doubt and despair. He lived as a bhakta to teach us how a devotee should have faith and yearning of a child, for God. The child cannot be cajoled with sweets and toys and only cries, ‘I want to go to my mother.’

References 1.

2. 3. 4.

Sri Ramakrishna The Great Master, Swami Saradananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Madras, 1978, p.446-447 The Complete Works of Sister Nivedita, Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, Calcutta, 1972, p 481 In Search Of God And Other Poems, Swami Vivekananda, Advaita Ashrama, 1947, p 55-56 Ramakrishna As We Saw Him, Swami T h e

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5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

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Chetanananda, Advaita Ashrama, 1992, 346 (Henceforth As we Saw Him) The Gospel Of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, 2000, p 945 Ibid, p 665 Ibid, p 382 As we Saw Him, p 55 Gospel, p 653 A P R I L

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Swami Vivekananda was a great storyteller. His talks and writings are interspersed with numerous anecdotes, examples, similes, and illustrations mirroring his vast knowledge of human nature—its potential and its relative limitations. Some of these stories are well known, many others are little known. We present here some more of these insightful stories, selected from his Complete Works.

XXXXXIV The Story of Mahabharata (Continued from the previous issue. . .) The education of the princes being finished, Dhritarashtra put Yudhishthira, the eldest of the sons of Pandu, on the throne of his father. The sterling virtues of Yudhishthira and the valour and devotion of his other brothers aroused jealousies in the hearts of the sons of the blind king, and at the instigation of Duryodhana, the eldest of them, the five Pandava brothers were prevailed upon to visit Vâranâvata, on the plea of a religious festival that was being held there. There they were accommodated in a palace made under Duryodhana’s instructions, of hemp, resin, and lac, and other inflammable materials, which were subsequently set fire to secretly. But the good Vidura, the step-brother of Dhritarashtra, having become cognisant of the evil intentions of Duryodhana and his party, had warned the Pandavas of the plot, and they managed to escape without anyone’s knowledge. When the Kurus saw the house was reduced to ashes, they heaved a sigh of relief and thought all obstacles were now removed out of their path. Then the children of Dhritarashtra got hold of the kingdom. The five Pandava brothers had fled to the forest with their mother, Kunti. They lived there by begging, and went about in disguise T h e

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giving themselves out as Brahmana students. Many were the hardships and adventures they encountered in the wild forests, but their fortitude of mind, and strength, and valour made them conquer all dangers. So things went on until they came to hear of the approaching marriage of the princess of a neighbouring country. I told you last night of the peculiar form of the ancient Indian marriage. It was called Svayamvara, that is, the choosing of the husband by the princess. A great gathering of princes and nobles assembled, amongst whom the princess would chose her husband. Preceded by her trumpeters and heralds she would approach, carrying a garland of flowers in her hand. At the throne of each candidate for her hand, the praises of that prince and all his great deeds in battle would be declared by the heralds. And when the princess decided which prince she desired to have for a husband, she would signify the fact by throwing the marriage-garland round his neck. Then the ceremony would turn into a wedding. King Drupada was a great king, king of the Panchalas, and his daughter, Draupadi, famed far and wide for her beauty and accomplishments, was going to choose a hero. (4: 79) (To be continued . . .)

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The Frame and the Fill Thoughts on Some Aspects of Human Brain SWAMI SAMARPANANANDA

Making of the ‘Frames’ A journey down our memory lane, say to our school days, reveals a very interesting characteristic of our brain. We tend to remember only the broad outlines of the individuals and the incidents, whereas the details associated with them seem to get lost. This tendency of the brain to retain and recall only the outlines becomes more pronounced as we grow in age. In our old age, what we are able to grasp, retain, and recall are only the broad outlines, which we may call, ‘frames’. On the deathbed, one responds only to the images and names most dear to him. In these last moments, one holds on to the barest frame that he had built all through his life. A more interesting characteristic of the brain is to fill up the details of the frame by itself. Thus, if we are asked to write an essay on, for instance, a cow, our brain scoops up the facts from its storehouse, seasoning it with language, metaphors and descriptions. The effectiveness of any communication or description depends on the correctness of the frame and the power to fill it up by itself. Since most people are not very good at filling, they cover it up by memorising what is necessary. Filling up the ‘Frames’

The brain does not stop here. Whenever the required detail is missing for a frame, it tends to conjure up data to fit into the pattern to make it a logical whole. It is something like when we hum a song in front of someone and stop midway, the listener, if he knows the song, automatically provides the next words. Recent studies in neuroscience have revealed the fact that whenever the brain faces blind spots, it fills them up in such a way that the pattern becomes a complete whole. V.S. Ramachandran in his well-known book, Phantoms in the brain, has discussed these graphically. What was a mere suspicion concerning the fallibility of observation (of all senses) has been clinically found to be correct—whenever there is a need, the brain supplies data. The brain is incapable of handling incomplete frames. It must have the harmony, the symphony, the pattern and the logical whole, without which it feels lost. If the brain is good at supplying the detail, it is also good at constructing the frames for the details that do not fit in the existing frames. Philosophical speculations, growth of mathematics and theoretical physics, struggle to formulate patterns and laws in every field of knowledge are some of the examples when an advanced brain created a frame to take care of the ill-fitting data. Unfortunately, not every

The author is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order at its Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Belur Math, West Bengal. T h e

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brain is advanced or developed enough to create the proper frame. This has devastating conclusions which can be seen in the childish cosmological details given by the theologians of different religions. There are more interesting examples: a kid who fails to see his mother for a while starts crying, fearing that she might be gone forever. Similarly a stump of wood in the darkness of night is perceived variously as a ghost, a thief, a policeman, a friend, etc., by different observers depending on their mental state. Thus, to run the life smoothly, we need both the right frame and a correct filling. If either of these becomes too weak, one lands in the mire of wild speculation and fertile imagination. Schizophrenia, madness and other hyper tendencies are all examples of an unsound frame or incomplete filling. However, the frame is much more important than the fillings for any individual. Wide-ranging Ways of Frame-making In the field of education and learning, the importance of frames over fillings is indisputable. One who knows the frames well, is able to create the necessary filling; but he who pays more attention to the filling, fails miserably while confronting a complicated problem. When we look back at our childhood, and also the present education system, we realise the blunder committed by the teachers. They tend to focus more on the details without trying to impress the young minds with the frame. This results in a general dissatisfaction among the more bright ones, who invariably become failures. Most of the great scientists, including Einstein and Ramanujan were famous ‘failures’ of their time. The goal of all education should, therefore, be to make a student conversant with the frames of a subject. T h e

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Indian scholars of the past were well aware of this fact. That is why they developed the Sutra literature, in which all the essential things about a book or a philosophy were written down aphoristically. Any student desirous of remembering the work would simply memorise all the aphorisms (sutras) which would be used by him to explain the work with his own explanations, which were like the fillings. That is how we have so many different commentaries on every Sutra work. The same thing applies in the field of religion too. One needs to know the frames thoroughly. The details get automatically filled up, or are ignored. For example, a devotee of Christ must know Christ’s exalted character, sacrifice and love. These constitute his devotional personality. On the other hand, details like the name of Jesus’ parents or his date of birth are non-essential for his personality. It is good to know these too, but they are really not central to his devotion of Christ. Rigid Thinking Patterns As one ages, the brain becomes more set in its working. It then relies more on relating the incoming data with the already existing frames. This is what causes senility which keeps growing, till at deathbed one remembers only the bare essentials of life. It is indeed painful to see how the brain keeps losing the data in a natural process that it had collected over the years with great effort. A more serious problem is the brain’s tendency to react negatively whenever it has to confront an input that is a mismatch for its related frame. A person, who is accustomed to seeing the young behave obediently with the seniors, gets vexed and disturbed when he comes across his grandson behaving informally with his father. Such experiences can be nerve-wrecking.

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This very tendency of the brain explains why we react strongly when we come across people who fail to live up to our expectations. For example, most of us value honesty and are honest in our dealings. So, when we find our pockets picked in a crowded place, or the shoes lifted from the temple premise, we feel very sad. This sadness is not really for the loss, but more for the ill-fitting detail of cheating in the existing frame of expectation in our brain. In the same way, people expect their children to be truthful, honest and wellbehaved. But, when the parents face the fact that the child is not living up to the set expectation, they react violently, particularly when they face it for the first time. Actually, the problem does not lie with the harsh facts of life, but with our own frames of morality and expectations from the world. This setting up of the frame comes from the teachings of our elders, our own experiences, perception, and thinking. Every time we are assailed with negative emotions like sadness, anger and depression, we can easily analyse the situation to see that the inputs from the world failed to fit in the frames of our brain. We realise that the world is not at all at fault for our pain, but it is our own frame-system that is responsible for it. A change in the frame will invariably result in much less or no disappointments, and, consequently, less pain. What holds for the external world, also holds for ourselves. After all, for the brain, the body is only an integral part of the world. That is to say, the brain has frames for every kind of every activity, including the thoughts. Whenever these fail to fill in the existing frames, the brain reacts. This reaction is our conscience which goads us into self-reproach and self-punishment. Thus, if we have to tell a lie (assuming that we are normally truthful), our conscience pricks and protests. Depending T h e

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on the enormity of the lie, we may feel bad, lose sleep, lose peace, or in extreme cases lose our mind. The best antidote for such selffailures is to confess the guilt to the right person, or to perform some kind of penance. But, the fact remains that the mismatch of our action with the expected frame can be devastating. Values—Frame or Filling? There are thousands of values in any society, but not every value is picked up by everyone. The set of values practised by an individual is his or her personalised value system that becomes the real frame for one’s life. All inputs from the external world, and also the individual’s actions conform to these frames. Every person is capable of attaining the highest, which is accomplished with the help of personalised value system. Unfortunately, in most cases these values are not chosen, but imposed on the individual. This means that these are not really his frames, but fillings, which by their very nature are of secondary importance. Thus, when one says that he believes in ‘honesty is the best policy’, he really means to say that he believes that he believes so. This is at the root of all personality disintegration. A person does what he really believes to be true for him. His acts conform to the frames of his mind, whereas he poses according the fillings. In most cases, even the concerned person does not realise this incongruity. However, it is easy to recognise if a person’s particular value is his frame or filling. If he commits an act contrary to the expectation, then it might be an aberration; but if he repeats the act, then it is his personality trait. If one’s actions are contrary to his words, then the values professed by him are only the fillings, and not his frame.

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Universal values are mere concepts. It is only the personalised values that have any reality and are really of any importance. The moment a person realises that what he thought to be his frame, is only the filling, then he only need to pick up the right ones and start afresh. Others may laugh at him, but his own life would be free of shame and guilt. We tend to brand a person immoral or insensitive when his acts fail to fit in our own frames. An interesting fact is of those persons who themselves indulge in certain acts but condemn the same of others. We may try to pass them off as hypocrites, but really it is not so. The explanation lies in the frame structure. When a person condemns others, although guilty himself of the same faults, it invariably means that he feels bad about his own acts too. He may not be expressing that in public, but his heart must be shedding tears for his own acts. If it is not so, then only he is a hypocrite. The growth of a person depends on the intake that he gets from the society, but the real assimilation is based on his personal frame. One may read, hear, or see anything that he may come across, but ultimately he would retain only what fits into his frame. The rest will overflow. This makes teaching of any higher thought difficult to a common man. The real growth is always gradual because that is how the frame is constructed. In the history of the mankind, the real successful people have been those who defined their own frames as opposed to the frames

imposed by the society on them. Every great thinker rebelled against many of the existing ideas and beliefs of the then society. Jesus opposed the way of worship in synagogues, Buddha condemned Vedic sacrifices, Nachiketa, the young mentioned in the Kathopanishad, went against his father, Sri Ramakrishna rebelled against the orthodox caste system at the time of his sacred thread ceremony, Mahatma Gandhi was ostracised by his own caste people, and Swami Vivekananda was criticised for crossing the ocean. Wherever we may care to look, we find the rule of the thumb that every successful famous person has been a rebel against the crystallised frames of the social mind. Holding on to Frames The only way to lead a sane and a meaningful life is to focus on one’s frames and stick to it. These frames have to be selected and set by the individual and must not be copied blindly from others. Gandhiji chose certain frames for himself and made every action of his fill those frames. For him, nothing existed outside those frames. Same with Sri Ramakrishna. On the other hand, lesser mortals casually pick up some frames, impress them upon their mind, and keep suffering for the rest of their lives with a sense of bad conscience, inferiority and a double personality that invariably result in disaster. The goal should be to fix workable frames, and then allow only those details in one’s life that fit into those frames.

Impurity of the heart is greed, impurity of the tongue is falsehood, impurity of the eyes is gazing on another’s wealth, another’s wife and her beauty; impurity of the ear is listening to slander. —Guru Nanak

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Remodelled Temple at Allahabad Ashrama Consecrated Sri Ramakrishna Temple at Allahabad Math was remodelled on the occasion of the Ashrama’s centenary. Revered President Maharaj, Srimat Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj, consecrated the temple, with a marble image, on 17 January, the birthday of Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj. Revered President Maharaj also addressed a public meeting organized on this occasion and released the commemorative volume. In all, about 120 monastics and several hundred devotees attended the function.

Consecration of the remodelled temple with marble image of Sri Ramakrishna—Allahabad Ashrama

Y The birthday (tithi puja) of Sri Ramakrishna was celebrated at Belur Math on Tuesday, 16 February. Cooked prasad was served to about 38,000 devotees. Swami Smarananandaji, Vice-President, presided over the public meeting held in the afternoon. The public celebration held on Sunday, 21 February, drew more than a lakh of visitors who thronged the Math throughout the day. Cooked prasad was served to about 38,000 persons on that occasion. Sri Ramakrishna’s birthday was celebrated at all the centres of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, and by numerous groups of devotee across the world, with Puja, Bhajans, lectures, public meetings, cultural programmes, poor feeding, and so on.

Sri Ramakrishna Tithi puja celebration at Belur Math

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General News Sri Shekhar Dutt, Governor of Chhattisgarh, inaugurated the physiotherapy unit at hospital run by Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narainpur (Chhattisgarh) on 11 February.

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Y Twenty students (seven from Class X and thirteen from class XII) of the school run Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narainpur (Chhattisgarh) have won Mukhyamantri Jnana Protsahan Puraskar (cash award of Rs. 10,000/each) for their excellent performance in the State Board Examinations 2008-09. Y Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi, declared open the new medical block at the Ramakrishna Mission Diagnostic Centre at Karol Bagh, New Delhi on 16 February. Y Ramakrishna Math Chennai has introduced an award called Vivekananda Prashasti to be presented to persons contributing in various fields, such as Education (Vidya), Music and Arts (Kala), Inauguration of New Medical Block by the Chief Minister of Delhi Service (Seva) and Sports and allied sectors (Shakti), on the lines of Swami Vivekananda’s teachings. The first award, Vivekananda Vidya Prashasti, was presented to Sri Atmakur Ramanaiah, Programme Officer of the Math’s Publication Department, for his doctoral thesis on ‘Swami Vivekananda’s Humanism’ in Telugu. The award, comprising a citation, a statuette of Swamiji, a shawl and Rs. 50,000/- in cash, was presented to him during the public celebration of Sri Ramakrishna Jayanti at Chennai Math on 21 February. Y The Sanskrit College run by Ramakrishna Math Palai in Kerala celebrated its silver jubilee on 27 and 28 February. Besides inaugural and valedictory secessions, the two-day Presentation of Vivekananda Prashasti, Chennai Math programme consisted, a seminar on the importance of studying Sanskrit, and a group discussion in Sanskrit by old students. Swami Shivamayananda, Secretary, Swami Vivekananda’s Ancestral House and Cultural Centre, Kolkata, and many local leaders spoke on the occasion. In all around 400 people attended the 2-day event.

Inauguration of the Silver Jubilee celebrations and a view of the audience—Palai Ashrama, Kerala

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Y Chandigarh centre organized a Child Eye Care Programme in which 2512 school children from a poor locality of the city underwent eye check-up. Of these, 272 children with refractory errors were given free glasses. The centre also conducted a Child Dental Care project in which 670 primary school children were examined and treated. Y A student of Class IX of our Narottam Nagar school, who hails from the backward Tusta tribe of Tirap district, has won the prestigious National Talent Search Award for the year 2009, comprising a certificate and Rs. 6000/-.

Relief News 1. Aila Cyclone Relief: Our centres in West Bengal continued relief operations among the victims of Aila Cyclone. Details of the relief materials distributed are given below. a) Baranagar Mission centre –saris, dhotis, lungis, chadars and blankets to 500 families in SandeshkhaliII block, North 24-Parganas district, on 3 and 4 February. b) Belgharia centre – 3766 mosquito-nets to 3739 families in Gosaba block, South 24-Parganas district, on 17 January. c) Swamiji’s Ancestral House, Kolkata – 400 blankets to cyclone victims at 5 villages of Sandeshkhali-I block in North 24-Parganas district from 12 to 23 January. 2. Flood Relief: Andhra Pradesh: Hyderabad centre distributed 133 looms to the poor weavers of Rajoli village in Mehaboobnagar district who had lost their looms in the recent flood there. 3. Winter Relief: Blankets were distributed through the following centres to poor people affected by the severity of winter: Belgaum – 200, Gol Park – 650, Kankurgachhi – 200, Muzaffarpur – 400, Ooty – 300, Taki – 811. Besides, Baghbazar Math distributed 123 chadars and 123 sweaters to the needy. 4. Distress Relief: The following centres distributed various items, shown in brackets, to the needy: Baghbazar (assorted garments to 444 children, and textbooks, school uniforms, etc to 40 students), Gol Park (50 kg rice), Taki (1178 saris and 95 lungis), Jalpaiguri (400 saris and 80 children’s garments). Children queuing up for dental checkup—Chandigarh

Distribution of relief materials at different centres of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission

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For review in THE VEDANTA KESARI, publishers need to send us two copies of their latest publication.

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA THE MONARCH OF MONKS By Dushyanta Pandya. Published by Readworthy Publications (P) Ltd. A-18 Mohan Garden, Near Nawada Metro Station, New Delhi-110 059. 2009, paperback, pp.253, Rs.320. The life of Swami Vivekananda, as also his message, is an eternal subject to write about. The book under review is another attempt in this direction, providing a deep insight into the life and achievements of Swamiji. Describing Swamiji’s family background and early life, the author presents a detailed account of how he came into contact with Sri Ramakrishna as a young seeker, the moulding of his life as a monk, training under his Master, the building of the Ramakrishna Movement, his teachings, his tour to the Western countries, his efforts to spread the message of peace and universal brotherhood as well as the philosophy of Vedanta with special reference to his lecture at the World Parliament of Religions at Chicago in the year 1893. The author presents the entire life history of Swami Vivekananda in chronological order in simple language in 24 chapters. What gives this book a unique identity is the way the subject matter is presented with realism which keeps the reader glued to this book. As we go through the pages, we experience the joy and sorrow Swamiji had to go through in his life, the way his guru’s grace and divine blessings came to his rescue at critical moment in Chicago and the tireless efforts of Swamiji in spreading the message of Sri Ramakrishna and establishing the Ramakrishna Mission. Written more than a hundred years T h e

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after the life of Swami Vivekananda, the book is commendable effort. Though an erratum is attached to the book, there are more corrections to be added to this list; we presume these will be made before further prints/editions are brought out. The cover design is attractive, but the book could have been competitively priced as to make it more affordable for a larger section of the society. We also suggest adding of sources and references to the various incidents the book beautifully records. Swami Vivekananda was a historic personality who lived in the recent past, but our upcoming generation has hardly any knowledge about him. So, it is desirable that books like this on the life and teachings of Swamiji are recommended for study in all our junior colleges. __________________________ H. SUBRAMANIAN, BANGALORE

IN MY OWN WORDS: AN INTRODUCTION TO MY TEACHINGS AND P HILOSOPHY —H IS H OLI NESS THE DALAI LAMA Edited by Rajiv Mehrotra Published by Hay House Pubishers (India) Pvt. Ltd., Muskaan Complex, Plot No.3, B-2 Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110 070. 2009, paperback, pp.210, Rs.195. In My Own Words is, in essence, a blueprint behind the Dali Lama’s ‘moral and ethical alchemy’. It spells out with authenticity, absolute clarity and deeply moving candour the insights which went into the making of the global consciousness, embracing both the horror and glory of the world today. With disarming modesty, he says, that these are ‘thoughts that may be of direct, practical benefit to those who are lucky to read them.’ And those

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who are lucky to read will agree that ‘may be’ should be replaced by ‘they are’ invariably helpful. The book begins with the generic human endeavour for ‘happiness’ and by implication, the cessation of sorrow. ‘I believe,’ His Holiness says, ‘the purpose of life is to be happy’, a purpose which animates all sentient beings. One endeavours to achieve this by harnessing the energies imbedded in the psycho-physical as also the moral and spiritual dimensions of consciousness. Not only are these dimensions interconnected, their fulfillment has to be achieved in the inescapable context of inter-dependence. Only when all these are harmonized, we manifest the innate, infolded ‘inner tranquillity’. This harmony stems ‘from the development of love and compassion.’ Compassion is not emotive excesses or effusions, but, says His Holiness, ‘a firm commitment founded on reason. Therefore, a truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively.’ All that is negative offers contexts for actualising the imbedded positives in the consciousness. Since the quest for happiness animates all, it is a clear context for cultivating ‘empathy and closeness’ towards all. ‘By accustoming your mind to this sense of universal altruism, you develop a feeling of responsibility for others,’ says His Holiness. The rest of the chapters cover the implications in two intricately interrelated segments. One analyses, in two chapters ‘Universal Responsibility’ and ‘Science at the Crossroads’, the phenomenon of pervasive global ethos of unrest and imbalances. The other segment, consisting of nine chapters is as it were, the core of the volume. His Holiness is simply enchanting in these chapters which manifestly emerge from his own experience. They cover the uniqueness of Buddhism, its essential teachings, its perception of the law of karma, the techniques of transforming the mind, the nature of an awakening mind (though he denies any knowledge of what it is!), eight verses for taming the mind, living and dying in a meaningful manner, and understanding Emptiness. All these insights have to function and achieve actualisation in the face of what His Holiness calls ‘the most frightening and the most serious’ problem today: ‘the wide variety of suffering. This is global and threatens to destroy the entire planet.’ In other words, happiness has to T h e

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contend with existing imbalances (social, economic, ethical, etc.,) as its coordinates. Since science and technology take a quantum leap in evolution, but human consciousness is mired in economic and erotic (miscalled esthetic, in many cases), we are victims of mental and pervasive environmental corruption. With transparent candour, His Holiness implicates both science and religion as engineering agents of perceptible ‘chaos’ and says: ‘without altruistic motivation, scientists cannot distinguish between beneficial technologies and the merely expedient.’ And adds, ‘Nor are the religions of the world exempt from the responsibility.’ That these are not pious pronouncements is evident in the ‘Gentle Bridges’ that His Holiness is, consistently and with tangible results, constructing through dialogues with scientists on behavioural sciences specially. Their immense potential for creating spaces of mutual concern is already evident in the abiding presence of Buddhist, and other Eastern traditions, of spiritual as also meditative life. (If media are to be believed, the economic recession has forced a slow re-visioning of affluence: ‘not money but mindset’, they say.) We are immeasurably grateful to Rajiv Mehrotra, the dynamic secretary of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness, for editing this compact volume of timeless significance and a miraculously timely one, available to us. His crisp introduction is, as it ought to be, clear and cogent. And Hay House has, as usual, done an exquisitely aesthetic job of production. The photographs on the cover are so gracefully evocative that they are, in themselves, exquisite images for vibrant meditation. Pico Iyer, in his recently published biography of His Holiness, records the experience his father felt in the Presence of His Holiness: it has ‘the freshness of immense personal purity’. It is this abiding freshness that one experiences in the words as found in this volume. _______________________ M. SIVARAMKRISHNA, HYDERABAD

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SCIENCE

General Editor V.Kameswari Published by The Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute, No.84, Thiru Vi.Ka. Road, Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004. 2008, paperback, pp. 191+xii, Rs.250. A P R I L

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Sanskrit is considered to be the oldest language of human history. With the period of the Vedas being pushed back in time more and more, this language is acquiring more and more importance among the intelligentsia of the world. This book is the compilation of papers contributed in two seminars, the first on ‘Sanskrit and Science’ held on 9th October 1994, and the second on ‘Sanskrit and Medical Sciences’ held on 23rd January 1995, to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute. There are eleven papers in the book. The first part on ‘Sanskrit, Astronomy and Computer Science’ contains five. The second part on ‘Sanskrit and Medical Science’ has three papers, and the last part on ‘Sanskrit and Other Sciences’ contain the rest three. All the papers have been contributed by specialists in their respective fields, and carry the stamp of authority. Unfortunately, they are too technical for lay readers. Sanskrit came to the attention of computer scientists about half-a-century ago, with the discovery that it forms the ideal medium for computer translation. Three of the papers of the first part are about the technicalities involved in language processing through computers, with special reference to Sanskrit. These papers are highly technical, but contain a lot of technical information. The other two papers are about philosophy and astronomy, which make easier reading. The second part basically is about Ayurveda, India’s contribution to medical science. It is gaining importance all over the world, because of the interest recently generated on alternate medical systems. A knowledge of Sanskrit is mandatory for the study of the basic textbooks, along with an understanding of the Sankhya philosophy, on which it is based. All the three papers in this part are equally important, especially the third one about the importance of Yoga. At the time of the visit of Chinese travellers to India, it was a common practice for a Yogi to be an expert on Ayurveda and vice versa. The last part has papers about Cartography, Svarodaya Yoga, and Agriculture. These are highly T h e

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educative presenting information which is normally not known to the general public. The Institute should be complimented for bringing out this volume first in 1997, and now in a revised edition. It gives the reader a comprehensive idea of the broad sweep of the Sanskrit language. This language is now not only an Indian heritage, it has assumed the role of International heritage. It is the duty of every right-thinking person to preserve it for posterity. ______________________________ NVC SWAMY, BANGALORE

HERITAGE & TRADITION By Probat Kanti Paul Published by author Sri Probat Kanti Paul, Plot No.266, R.R. Colony, P.O.Rynjah, Shillong 793 006. 2009, paperback, pp.52, Rs.45. The unifying role of temples, dotting the religious and cultural landscape of India, is one of the significant features of the Hindu society. As these temples knit a homogeneous fabric of our social and cultural lives, it is necessary that we document their history and popular practices. The book under review is an interesting account of history and the religious tradition of some such temples located in different parts of Meghalaya—one of the north eastern states of India—and is a laudable attempt in this direction. The book is divided in three parts. The first part is titled ‘Sacred and Holy places of Meghalaya’, the second ‘Cherrapunjee Rain’ and third ‘Biography of Prahlad Chandra Paul’. The first part contributes to more than fifty percent of the work. The first part is the translation of a work from Bengali by the same author. It describes the location of one particular temple, mythological lore associated with it, as also religious ceremonies conducted at the temple. Occasionally the recent history of the temple is narrated. The second part was published as a separate booklet in 2004. It was mainly aimed at establishing the fact that Cherrapunjee receives the highest rainfall in the world. This part also has monthly data of rain received at Cherrapunjee from 1973 to 2005.

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This synopsis under review was originally written and published in four volumes by the Dr. Hazari himself and translated into French, Bengali, Tamil and Malayalam. Judging by the synopsis, The Hindu and The Indian Express wrote appreciative comments excerpts from which are given on the back cover along with a line from the mystic and author Sri Anirvan. The editor has done an admirable job, adding several appendices including the table of contents of the original epic, genealogical charts of the characters and transliteration of four cantos of the original in Devanagari and Bengali scripts. No judgment on any literary work can be pronounced on the basis of a synopsis, let alone a work of this size and range. However, one cannot help marvelling at the achievement of the author. We do not believe that any single author wrote any of the primary epics, Western or Eastern. They were shaped by many bards over the centuries in oral traditions before they were recorded in their final form; but here is a single-handed achievement which will force us, sceptics, to shed our disbelief in divine afflatus, the moral and legislative role of the poet, the primacy of imagination and related notions and may eventually bring about another romantic revolution, this time with a genuinely oriental content.

The third part deal with the activities of Sri Prahlad Chandra Paul (1920-2002), a prominent citizen of Cherrapunjee born and brought up there. It describes association and participation in various religious movements in Cherrapunjee, providing a glimpse of the history of these movements during his period. His involvement in the developmental work of the region is also narrated. The first part is a laudable effort very much needed today. For those who have not been to Meghalaya, it gives a glimpse of native religious life of the people of this region. Though the book needs use of more standardized language, it is a welcome addition and needs to be encouraged. __ SWAMI ATMAPRANANANDA, RKM ASHRAMA, BELGAUM

GLIMPSES

DEVAYANA

By Dr. Hajari. Published by New Age Books, A – 44, Naraina Phase I, New Delhi – 110 028. 2007, Paperback, Pp.337, Rs.250. Dr. Hajari composed a massive epic running into twelve volumes of thousand pages each named Devayana (like Ramayana the first two vowels are long and the ‘n’ is articulated retroflexively) in the early 1950’s. According to the poet himself, the poem manifested itself through divine agency and he was only a witness. The epic is regarded as an instrument of the imminent transition from the dark age of Kali to the golden age of Satyayuga. The great God, Pingala Mahadeva, assuring the Rishis of the advent of the new age, says: ‘At that moment I shall also manifest there and open the way for the journey of gods to the earth, through the epic Devayana. Through this epic, the earth will become like heaven and the influence of Kali will be removed (p132)’. Devayana means the journey of gods. If the second vowel is shortened it may also mean the vehicle of gods. We may legitimately understand this to mean that the poem will act as a vehicle of ideas that will ultimately transform modern man’s outlook from one of crass cynicism and despair to one of hope and spiritual aspiration.

_________________________ M.C.RAMANARAYANAN, KERALA

LIVING LEGEND— DADA J.P. VASWANI Published by Gita Publishing House, 10, Sadu Vaswani Path, Pune 411 001. Hardback, pp.139, Rs.750. Published on the occasion of the 90th birthday of Dada J. P. Vaswani, a ‘living legend’, this photo-portrait is a visual treat of Dada Vaswani’s ‘rainbow-like qualities including humility, love, service, compassion’. The book reveals the wide range of services rendered to the poor including food, medical aid, value based education, through the Sadhu Vaswani Mission as service to God. †______________________________ P. S. SUNDARAM, CHENNAI

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