J uly 2011
VOL. 98, No. 7
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.chennaimath.org
CONTENTS July 2011
Vedic Prayer
245
Editorial
The Story of Two Sons
246
Articles
Swami Vivekananda’s Special Relationship with Raja Ajit Singh Swami Tathagatananda Direct Disciples in Their Lighter Moments H Mukherjee Contemplation on the Guru-Ideal S Panchapakesan Does Everything Happen According to God’s Will? Swami Sunirmalananda A Peep Into the Fathomless Hinduism Satish K. Kapoor
251 258 262 267 272
New Find
Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda
256
Question and Answer
Japa, Meditation and Spiritual Practice Swami Brahmeshananda
270
The Order on the March
277
Book Reviews
280
Features Simhâvalokanam (Confessions on the Way Towards Peace)—250, Sri Ramakrishna Tells Stories—266
Cover Story: Page 4
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Cover Story Ramakrishna Math, Palai, Kerala Palai or Pala is a small town in the eastern part of Kottayam in the central Kerala. Located on the banks of Meenachi river, the Pala town is set in a green, undulating and beautiful landscape. Ramakrishna Math at Palai, situated in its Arunapuram suburb, was started in 1926. It was made a sub-centre of Ramakrishna Math under its Tiruvalla centre in 1967 and in 1977-78, under Thrissur centre. It was given the status of a full-fledged branch of the Ramakrishna Math in 1987. The Palai Math runs a Sanskrit College (with 70 students) and a free Sanskrit Pathashala with 50 students. The Math conducts various cultural and welfare activities, besides regular puja at the temple, built in traditional Kerala style (seen on the cover), chanting, bhajan and celebration of the birthdays of the Holy Trio. †
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The Vedanta Kesari Library Scheme SL.NO.
NAMES OF SPONSORS
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AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS
M.P. Nachimuthu Polytechnic, Chennimalai, T.N. - 638 051 S.S.M. College of Engg., Komarapalayam, T.N. - 638 183 J.K.K. Munirajah Medical Foundation, Valayakaranur, T.N. - 638 183 M. Kumarasamy College of Engg., Karur Tk., and Dt., T.N. - 639 113 Government Hr. Sec. School, Aravakurichi, Karur Tk., T.N. - 639 201 Sri Visvesvara Metric. Hr. Sec. School, Sukravarpet, Coimbatore - 641 001 P.S.G. College of Paramedical Sciences, Peelamedu, T.N. - 641 004 National Model Metric. Hr. Sec. School, Coimbatore, T.N. - 641 004 To be continued . . .
VOL. 98, No. 7, JULY 2011 ISSN 0042-2983
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ACH SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE.
T HE
GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN.
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Vedic Prayers
Tr. by Swami Sambuddhananda
A¾o Am`y{§ f ndg AmgwdmoO{© _f§ M Z… & Amao ~mYñd XwÀNw>Zm_² && —Sama Veda, Agneya Parva, Ch. 1. 42
A¾o O Agni, the dispeller of darkness, hence purifier Z… our Am`y{§ f years of life ndgo let flow towards good deeds D$O©_² strength M as well as Bf§ food Amgwd provide, fully XwÀNw>Zm_² all our obstructions Amao far off ~mYñd drive off. Do Thou, O Dispeller of darkness, cause to flow our years towards good deeds, provide us fully with food and strength and drive off all our obstructions.
Control the mind, cut off the senses, then you are a Yogi; after that, all the rest will come. Refuse to hear, to see, to smell, to taste; take away the mental power from the external organs. You continually do it unconsciously as when your mind is absorbed; so you can learn to do it consciously. The mind can put the senses where it pleases. Get rid of the fundamental superstition that we are obliged to act through the body. We are not. Go into your own room and get the Upanishads out of your own Self. You are the greatest book that ever was or ever will be, the infinite depository of all that is. Until the inner teacher opens, all outside teaching is in vain. It must lead to the opening of the book of the heart to have any value. —Swami Vivekananda, CW, 7: 71
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The Story of Two Sons Their Lineage Once upon a time, we do not know when, lived a noble Seer of Truth named Kashyapa. He, it is said, had two wives—Diti and Aditi. In due course, both of them gave birth to several children. Diti’s children were called Daityas and Aditi’s children were called Devatas. ‘The story of two sons’ is the story of these two sons and their descendants. Before proceeding further, let us understand the meaning of three names used above —Kashyapa, Diti and Aditi. According to the etymological meaning of these names, Kashyapa means pashatya or that which ‘sees’. It refers to the Witness, the Eternal Witness of the Universe. Who else could this Eternal Witness be except what Vedanta calls Pure Consciousness? He ‘sees’ everything happening, never getting attached or affected by anything. The word Kashyapa, therefore, is a figurative representation of Pure Consciousness (now, this is a story; no logic, please. A story is meant to point to a truth—and there ends its purpose). The word Diti means ‘that which divides’ and Aditi means ‘that which does not divide.’ One predominant characteristic of Diti’s children, the daitya or asura, was that they were very gross in their approach to life. They were selfish, mean, and cruel and did not care for anything in order to get their desires fulfilled. They quarrelled and fought. Whoever came into their influence felt a partisan feeling— they are favourable towards some people and unfavourable towards others. They wanted enjoyments of senses and were, therefore, full T h e
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of body-consciousness. They thought they were bodies, and nothing more. Rightly were the Daityas, the children of Diti, called demons. Aditi means ‘that which does not divide’. Her children were different in their temperaments. They were called devatas, ‘the shining ones’. They were noble and generous. They had a refined nature and they radiated light of wisdom. They were service-minded and willing to help others. They were gods. Though born of the same father, the devatas and the daityas were very different in their nature. There was a fundamental difference in their approach to life. The devatas were spiritual by nature and the daityas were crass and cruel. The devatas were kind and inclusive. Daityas, driven by their desires, took sides with those who helped them fulfil them. Wherever needed, they cheated, deceived and lied to realise their ends. The devatas, on the other hand, did not believe in ‘dividing’ the people. They loved all and were kind and interested in everyone’s welfare. They were honest and upright in their dealings. Dissimilar Temperaments Now, let us turn to an event involving both of them. This event is mentioned in the Upanishads. But let us read this narrative in the words of Swami Vivekananda1:
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A god and a demon went to learn about the Self from a great sage. They studied with him for a long time. At last the sage told them, ‘You yourselves are the Being you are seeking.’ J U L Y
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Both of them thought that their bodies were the Self.
birth or death, whom the sword cannot pierce or the fire burn, whom the air cannot dry or the water melt, the beginningless and endless, the immovable, the intangible, the omniscient, the omnipotent Being; that It was neither the body nor the mind, but beyond them all. So he was satisfied; but the poor demon did not get the truth, owing to his fondness for the body.
They went back to their people quite satisfied and said, ‘We have learned everything that was to be learned; eat, drink, and be merry; we are the Self; there is nothing beyond us.’ The nature of the demon was ignorant, clouded; so he never inquired any further, but was perfectly contented with the idea that he was God, that by the Self was meant the body. The god had a purer nature. He at first committed the mistake of thinking: I, this body, am Brahman: so keep it strong and in health, and well dressed, and give it all sorts of enjoyments. But, in a few days, he found out that that could not be the meaning of the sage, their master; there must be something higher. So he came back and said, ‘Sir, did you teach me that this body was the Self? If so, I see all bodies die; the Self cannot die.’ The sage said, ‘Find it out; thou art That.’ Then the god thought that the vital forces which work the body were what the sage meant. But, after a time, he found that if he ate, these vital forces remained strong, but, if he starved, they became weak. The god then went back to the sage and said, ‘Sir, do you mean that the vital forces are the Self?’
This world has a good many of these demonic natures, but there are some gods too.
Every one of us has in ourselves descendants of these two wives (natures) of Kashyapa —the Pure Consciousness. According to Vedanta, Brahman or Pure Consciousness, associated with maya, constitutes this entire manifested world. It is the power of maya or delusion which keeps the view of Ultimate Reality hidden from us. We thus remain covered under the veil of maya. In Sri Ramakrishna’s words, there are two types of this maya: vidya maya and avidya maya. Vidya maya is our godly nature, and avidya maya is our demonic nature. Vidya maya is association of the Brahman with godly qualities and avidya maya is the association of Brahman with demonic qualities.
‘No,’ replied the sage, ‘thou art That; find out for yourself.’
Their Descendants Now these ‘sons’ are actually two natures living within, in our midst, in our minds. Sri Krishna describes in the Gita that there are two types of ‘treasures’ (sampat) which every human being possesses. He calls them as daivi sampat (divine treasure or qualities) and asuri sampat (demonic treasure or qualities). These ‘treasures’ are the two ‘sons’ we are discussing. The difference between human beings lies in the degree of manifestation of these forces. In some it is daivi sampat which is more manifest, and in some others, it is asuri which is more manifest. Sri Krishna says:2
The god went home, and at last found that he was the Self, beyond all thought, one without
There are two types of beings in this world, the divine and the asurika. The divine have been
The sage said, ‘Find out for yourself; thou art That.’ The god returned home once more, thinking that it was the mind, perhaps, that was the Self. But in a short while he saw that thoughts were so various, now good, again bad; the mind was too changeable to be the Self. He went back to the sage and said, ‘Sir, I do not think that the mind is the Self; did you mean that?’
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described at length; hear from Me, O Partha, of the Asurika.
‘This today has been gained by me; this desire I shall obtain; this is mine, and this wealth also shall be mine in future. That enemy has been slain by me, and others also shall I slay. I am the Lord, I enjoy, I am successful, powerful, and happy. I am rich and well-born. Who else is equal to me? I will sacrifice, I will give, I will rejoice.’ Thus deluded by ignorance bewildered by many a fancy, covered by the meshes of delusion, addicted to the gratification of lust, they fall down into a foul hell.
Describing the daivi sampat, Sri Krishna says in the Gita:3 Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and Yoga; almsgiving, control of the senses, Yajna, reading of the scriptures, austerity, uprightness; Non-injury, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, tranquillity, absence of slander, compassion to beings, non-greediness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness;
Self-conceited, haughty, filled with the pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices in name, out of ostentation, disregarding ordinance;
Boldness, forgiveness, fortitude, purity; absence of hatred, absence of pride; these belong to one born of a divine state.
These qualities are the essence of what is called value education in today’s parlance. Higher values are born of our higher nature. The more one concentrates on one’s higher nature, the more one discovers these qualities or values which are inherent in that nature. As to the asuri sampat, Sri Krishna enumerates it thus:4 The persons of asurika nature know not what to do and what to refrain from; neither is purity found in them nor good conduct, nor truth. They say, ‘The universe is without truth, without a (moral) basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust for its cause; what else?’ Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect and fierce deeds, rise as the enemies of the world for its destruction. Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance, holding evil ideas through delusion, they work with impure resolve. Beset with immense cares ending only with death, regarding gratification of lust as the highest, and feeling sure that that is all; Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to lust and wrath, they strive to secure by unjust means hoards of wealth for sensual enjoyment. T h e
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Possessed of egoism, power, insolence, lust, and wrath, these malignant people hate Me (the Self within) in their own bodies and those of others.
What an elaborate description of asuri nature! And described with such accuracy and precision! Indeed, one can easily draw a line or two from the asuri self-proclamations made in the above description (‘this is mine, and this wealth also shall be mine in future. . . I am the Lord, I enjoy, I am successful, powerful, and happy’) from the mouth of worldly minded. Asuri sampat is the sum total of lower values, based on worldly desires and born of egoism and lust for power and enjoyments. Whenever we see a person is driven by lower values, it is a clear indication that he is following the daityas. Which One Will Win? Now comes a moot question: which of these sampats will grow—the daivi or the asuri? The answer is simple, but let us illustrate it with an old anecdote. Young Ramu said to his grandfather, ‘Tell me a story, grandpa.’ ‘There were two wolves’, began the grandpa. ‘They lived in the same jungle. And
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whenever they chanced upon each other, they fought. They fought with such brutish spirit— it frightened everyone. They fought and retreated, and fought and thus went on their lives. Now tell me which of these wolves will finally win,’ grandpa stopped abruptly and asked Ramu. Confused, the young Ramu could not find a right answer. The grandpa understood his position, and said with a smile, ‘Of course, the one who is fed most!’ The lesson of this simple story lies in the fact what we feed becomes strong. What is this feeding? What is the food that we are speaking of? It is said that we are what we eat. The kind of food—physical and mental—we consume determines which ‘wolf’ we are feeding. Hence one has to feed one’s body and mind with right kind of food. Swamiji was of the opinion that anyone wanting to live a higher life should take care of the physical as well as mental food. Purity of physical food is of course needed. It plays an important role. But he also cautions that one should not restrict the meaning of food to physical food alone. Swamiji’s says further:
‘gathered in’ . . . when food is pure the mind will become pure. [What it] really [is] means that lest we become subject to the senses we should avoid . . . attachment; we must not be extremely attached to anything excepting God. See everything, do everything, but be not attached. . . When the senses, without being extremely attached, without jealousy, or without delusion, work in the world, such work or collection of impressions is called pure food. . . It is very easy to take care about material food, but mental work must go along with it. . .‘5
The key to cultivating the higher values, hence, lies in taking the right ‘food’. Conclusion In closing, let us recall Swamiji’s words again which summaris the whole issue effectivly.
This word for food, in Sanskrit, is derived from the root, meaning ‘to gather’. Ahara means
Manifest the divinity within you, and everything will be harmoniously arranged around it. Remember the illustration of Indra and Virochana in the Vedas; both were taught their divinity. But the Asura, Virochana, took his body for his God. Indra, being a Deva, understood that the Atman was meant. You are the children of Indra. You are the descendants of the Devas. Matter can never be your God; body can never be your God.6
References 1. CW, 1: 140-141 5. CW, 4: 6-7
2. Gita, 16.6 6. CW, 4: 351-352
3. Gita, 16.1-3
4. Gita, 16. 6-18
India’s Timeless Wisdom
AnyÁ`m `Ì nyÁ`ÝVo, nyOZr`mo Z nyÁ`Vo& Ìr{U VÌ ^{dî`pÝV Xm[aÐç§ _aU§ ^`_²&& The place (or the society) where unworthy people are worshiped and honoured and the worthy people are humiliated, three things get manifested there [in due course]: poverty, death and fear. —Mahabharata T h e
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From the Archives of THE VEDANTA KESARI (July, 1921-22, Pp. 75-77)
Confessions on the Way Towards Peace By Le Frile
Religion, in essence, is nothing but a process by which the lifeless slowly attain to life; they, of less, low-coursing life attain to the fullness of life. Life is equivalent to faith, strength, hope, joy. The mere possession of life carries along with it faith, i.e., stability of mind, and strength, hope and joy, irrespective of the knowledge of God or any other. Lifelessness is doubt, weakness, despair and misery. Want of faith is really nothing but a want of life. The life-ful have faith in themselves, in the world or in God. They are stable, calm and happy even in the absence of the knowledge of God or the law of life. The lifeless doubt and are weak, they despair and are miserable. With the acquisition of more life, doubt and misery vanish and faith and happiness fill their place. Virtue is the path of temperance by which life is gained and preserved. Vice is the path of indulgence by which life is dissipated and lost. True religion is the life-giver to the lifeless. It is life, more life, full life which is the real object of attainment in the path of religion, although that object is disguised under various names—faith, hope, love, spirit, heaven, God. Religion leads in the end neither to God nor to heaven in truth, but it only gives the fullness of life in which is contained the fullness of wisdom and strength, of faith and love and the bliss of peace. Salvation is not a separate or separable object of life, but the mere fulfilment of the functions of life brings salvation in its train. Salvation is nothing else but the state of having fulfilled life. Every entity, in every moment of time is attaining its salvation, for, every entity is fulfilling the functions of its own existence in every moment of time. The child fulfils its existence like a child as it ought to do, the wise man in his wisdom, the ignorant in his immature ignorance and every being in its own appropriate, natural way. Life and salvation are identical. . . No man can really go astray from the path prescribed by his nature which is the path leading to his salvation. The only visible and recognisable feature of life is evolution, and hence evolution can be rationally assumed as the object of life, if any there can be within man’s knowledge. Every entity, in every moment of time, is constrained by the laws which govern its existence to run its own course of evolution and hence we may conclude that every entity is attaining its salvation in every moment of time. The law which brings into existence diverse beings in diverse forms, guides them unerringly through life in their diverse paths and fulfils them in diverse ways. T h e
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Swami Vivekananda’s Special Relationship with Raja Ajit Singh SWAMI TATHAGATANANDA
(Continued from the previous issue. . .) They [Swamiji and Ajit Singh] remained together in Khetri nearly three months, enjoying their beautiful association. To protect Swamiji from the indigenous hot winds of Rajasthan (called loo in Hindi), the Maharaja introduced him to the habit of wearing a turban and taught him to wind it correctly atop his head in the practical yet elegant Rajput style. Swamiji learned the art quickly and mastered many variations of the basic technique. He was fascinated and wore a turban on many occasions. Swami Turiyananda often expressed his admiration for Swamiji’s quickly and neatly wrapped turbans! Other refined customs of Rajasthan left their powerful impression on Swamiji. Years later, on 27 April 1896, he penned a letter to his brother monks at Belur Math with the following instructions: ‘There should be fixed hours for meals. Everyone must have a seat and a low dining table. He will sit on the former and put his plate on the latter, as is the custom in Rajputana.’ Elsewhere, he praised the Rajput manner of wrapping the dhoti around the body.4 Pleased with the virtues of his dedicated disciple Ajit Singh and satisfied with his enriched scriptural knowledge, Swamiji departed from Khetri on 27 October 1891.
Choosing the Name ‘Vivekananda’ The subject of Swamiji’s name has fascinated certain authors. Swamiji’s earlier
Raja Ajit Singh’s marble image in Darbar Hall of Fateh Bilas Palace (now a centre of Ramakrishna Order)
letters, according to the research of S. N. Dhar, bear the name ‘Vivekananda.’ These include
The author is a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, and the Head of Vedanta Society, New York. His books include The Journey of Upanishads to the West, and Light from the Orient, among others. T h e
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letters written on 24 January, 6 February, and 6 July of 1890. On 26 April, 1892, he again signed a letter to Haridas Beharidas with the name, ‘Vivekananda’. However, on 24 May, 1893—seven days before departing for America—he signed a letter he wrote to Smt. Indumati Mitra with the name, ‘Sacchidananda.’ Jabarmal Sharma, a well-known writer in Hindi and a researcher, attributes Swamiji’s choice of the name ‘Vivekananda’ to the amiable influence of the Maharaja of Khetri; he puts forward that Ajit Singh probably stated his preference for this name over the name, ‘Vividishananda,’ when Swamiji and the Maharaja were at Mount Abu in 1891.5 This is supported by the written entries in the Waqayat Register. Swamiji had chosen the name ‘Swami Vividishananda’ for himself when he was at Baranagore Math. The matter has been decided by Swamiji himself, because on the day he booked his passage to America at Bombay, he signed the name, ‘Vivekananda’. This occurred before his second visit to Khetri. We may presume that his beloved disciple’s request for the name ‘Vivekananda’ had a subtle influence on Swamiji’s mind.
O Lord, look not upon my evil qualities! Thy name, O Lord, is Same-sightedness, Make of us both the same Brahman! One piece of iron is in the Image in the Temple And another, the knife in the hand of the butcher But when they touch the philosopher’s stone Both alike turn to gold! One drop of water is in the sacred Jamuna, And another is found in the ditch of the road But when they both fall into the Ganges, Both alike become holy. So, Lord, look not upon my evil qualities. Thy name, O Lord, is Same-sightedness, Make of us both the same Brahman.
The strains of her song reached Swamiji’s ears from where he sat in his room above the roof of the Maharaja’s palace. Her sensitive, delicate delivery of the song and its hidden meaning that the Divine dwells in all beings deeply moved Swamiji’s heart. He left his room and joined himself to the audience. He spoke to the grateful nartaki, and called her ‘Mayi’ [Mother]. She responded with the same attitude, and called him ‘Lal’ [Son]. It left a deep impact on his mind. When Sri Rama-
An Important Incident During Swamiji’s second visit at Jaipur with Ajit Singh, the Maharaja arranged for an evening concert by an elderly nautch-girl (nartaki). Although the Maharaja introduced her to Swamiji, the Swami did not attend her performance. Her heart was deeply wounded by the apparent rejection. Her eyes darkened with repentant sorrow. In that mood, the nautch-girl began to sing the famous hymn written by the blind saint-com- Bhupal Garh Fort, located on the top of a hill in Khetri. Swamiji and Raja Ajit Singh visited it togather on some occasions. poser Surdas: T h e
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krishna’s festival was observed at Dakshineswar, public women also used to come, although their presence was greatly resented by the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna. Swamiji learned about it through letters he received from his brother-disciples. On 23 August, 1896, Swamiji wrote a significant letter to Swami Ramakrishnananda. In this letter, Swamiji advised that public women should be permitted to visit Dakshineswar because, ‘the Lord manifests Himself specially for the sinful.’ A Second Interlude at Khetri Swamiji’s second visit to the Maharaja at Khetri was for the purpose of giving his blessing to the son born to the royal couple. When Swamiji arrived on 21 April 1893, the celebration was already under way and the little town of Khetri was filled to overcrowding with wellwishers and royal guests. The Maharaja happened to be sitting in a barge in a ghat at that moment. He came forth to pay obeisance to Swamiji immediately, and prostrated before him in full Sashtanga Pranam. On May 9, the day before his departure from India for America, Swamiji was escorted to the women’s section of the palace where he blessed the infant. He left Khetri on 10 May 1893 for Bombay. Munshi Jagmohanlal escorted him to Bombay. On the instruction of the Maharaja, Jagmohanlal had purchased costly silken robes and suits for Swamiji to wear during his lectures in the West and presented them to him as a parting gift. Swamiji wore one of the princely suits at his very first meeting at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Ajit Singh also arranged to have Swamiji’s lower-class ticket exchanged for a first-class ticket and provided him with a substantial amount of money for his personal expenses on the journey. A portion of this money was to be delivered to Swamiji in T h e
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Raja Ajit Singh with his son Jai Singh
Boston after being converted to American dollars. When Swamiji lost the pieces of paper money, the Maharaja immediately arranged for him to receive $150 in Boston through the telegraph service.6 Ajit Singh’s Noble Heart One obstacle remained before Swamiji could travel to America: Swamiji’s heartrending concern for his beloved mother, Bhuvaneshwari Devi. Of all the Maharaja’s spiritual qualities, the one he valued most of all was the noble quality of Ajit Singh’s heart. The Maharaja’s unequivocal support of the Master’s message through Swamiji and his affectionate and supportive friendship permitted Swamiji to reveal some of his innermost thoughts to his cherished disciple. Why, of all the persons he knew, did Swamiji confide his concern about his mother
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to Ajit Singh? We know from Swamiji’s letters that his relationship with Ajit Singh was close and cordial. During Swamiji’s first visit of nearly three months at Khetri, the Maharaja asked about his family’s circumstances. Anxious about his family’s economic crisis, the cheating and harassing of his mother by Swamiji’s relatives, his youngest sister Jogendrabala’s suicide in Simla 1890, and his brother Mahendranath’s condition of haemoptysis, Swamiji might have disclosed his troubled mind to him. Subsequent to that visit, the Raja took a keen interest in Swamiji’s family and regularly sent one hundred rupees every month to Bhuvaneshwari Devi. He made this commitment just before Swamiji’s departure for America. This happy news removed a ‘terrible anxiety’ from Swamiji’s mind and ‘made it possible for him to face the world and do some work.’7 This aspect of their close association represents the jewel in the crown of the Maharaja, as it were, the contribution that Swamiji valued the most. Due to the financial support of his mother from Ajit Singh, Swamiji left India for America with peace of mind.
in the world and that is yourself. Whether you give or refuse, it is the same to me.8
Ajit Singh was passing through a very critical phase due to his strained relationship with Jaipur State. Therefore, on 26 October 1898, Swamiji again wrote to Ajit Singh, ‘I am praying day and night for your welfare. Do not lose heart if anything befalls, the ‘Mother’ is your protection . . . I am ready to lay down my life ever for your well-being.’9 The second, a letter that Swamiji wrote to the Maharaja on 22 November 1898 from Belur Math is particularly poignant. It reads in part:
Two Significant Letters Two significant letters confirm the confidential nature of Swamiji’s marked intimacy and willingness to confide in Ajit Singh. As of this writing, it is known that Swamiji wrote 768 letters to 91 persons. Ajit Singh received 14 letters from Swamiji. Of these letters, two that were written two months apart are of supreme importance. The first letter was written on 17 September 1898 to Ajit Singh: I am in want of funds. Though the American friends are doing everything they can to help me, I feel shame to beg from them all the time, especially as illness makes one incur contingent expenses. I have no shame to beg of one person T h e
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I approach your Highness today on a most important business of mine, knowing well that I have not the least shame in opening my mind to you, and that I consider you as my only friend in this life. . . . I have one great sin rankling always in my breast, and that is [in order] to do a service to the world, I have sadly neglected my mother. Now my last desire is to make seva and serve my mother for some years at least. I want to live with my mother. . . Now my last desire is to make Seva [give service] and serve my mother. . . This will certainly smoothen my last days as well as that of my mother. She lives now in a hovel. I want to build a little, decent home for her. . . Is it too much for a royal descendant of Ramchandra to do for one he loves and calls his friend? I do not know whom else to appeal to. The money I got from Europe was for the ‘work’ and every penny almost has been given over to that work. Nor can I go beg of others for help for my own self. About my own family affairs I have exposed myself to your Highness and none else shall know of it. I am tired, heart-sick and dying. Do, I pray, this last great work of kindness to me, befitting your great and generous nature and [as] a crest to the numerous kindnesses you have shown me. And as your Highness will make my last days smooth and easy, may He J U L Y
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whom I have tried to serve all my life ever shower His choicest blessings on you and yours.10
This letter, one of Swamiji’s most remarkable, bears every mark of tenderest affection for his mother. Touched by the tone of this letter, the Maharaja immediately sent a reply to Swamiji inquiring about the cost of maintaining a house for his mother. On 1 December 1898, Swamiji wrote back to him, One more thing will I beg of you—if possible [that] the one hundred rupees a month for my mother be made permanent, so that even after my death it may regularly reach her. Or even if your Highness ever gets reasons to stop your love and kindness for me, my poor old mother may be provided [for], remembering the love you once had for a poor Sadhu. . . You made it possible for me to get rid of a terrible anxiety and face the world and do some work.11
This monthly stipend was regularly sent to Swamiji’s mother until the Maharaja’s death in 1901.12 Whether she continued to receive it or not after his death remains a matter of controversy. The ‘terrible anxiety’ that Swamiji wanted removed was confirmed by Swami Gambhirananda to be Swamiji’s loving concern for his mother and his two brothers. Moreover, in the same letter, Swamiji requested the Maharaja to send an additional one hundred rupees per month ‘for my lifetime for my expenses.’13 Upon receiving this letter, the Maharaja at once sent not one hundred, but five hundred rupees
to Swamiji and he continued to send monthly donations as Swamiji had requested.14 However, for various reasons, the idea of maintaining a house for his mother was dropped. The Maharaja proved his devotion in other ways as well. It is probable that he offered to pay for the travel costs of Mahendranath when he went to England to see Swamiji in 1896 and that he regularly sent additional money to Mahendranath while he was studying in England. The Maharaja also maintained a faithful correspondence with Swamiji’s family and friends. Thanks to the right guidance of her parents, Ajit Singh’s eldest daughter, Princess Suryakumari, was well versed in Sanskrit and Vedanta and read Swamiji’s writings with great interest. Before her death, she designated a large sum of money (Rs. 1,70,000) for the purpose of translating Vivekananda’s works into Hindi. Swamiji expressed his appreciation of his most loyal disciple and personal friend, Ajit Singh, on many occasions. Swamiji described the Maharaja’s innate nobility of character in letters to his brother monks. On 13 November 1895, Swamiji wrote to Swami Akhandananda: ‘King [The King of Khetri] is the only householder in India who has proved his unquestionable friendship so far.’15 Mahendranath describes their relationship beautifully: ‘Raja Ajit Singh served Swamiji the way Rasmani’s son-in-law Mathuranath Biswas served Sri (To be continued. . .) Ramakrishna.’16
References 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Mahendranath Dutta, Londone Swami Vivekananda (Bengali) Vol. 2, p. 168 Jhabarmal Sharma, Khetri Nares aur Vivekananda (1927), p. 11 Forgotten Chapter, Pp. 85-91 passim CW, 9: 110 Ibid, 5: 141-2 Forgotten Chapter, p. 178 T h e
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10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
CW, 9: 108-9 Ibid, 9: 110 Prabuddha Bharata, February 1984, p. 69. CW, IX: 110. Forgotten Chapter, pp. 176-7. Swami Vivekanander Vani O Rachana (Bengali), (Calcutta: Udbodhan Office, B.S., 1369), 7: 170 16. Ibid, p. 212
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Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda1
Feb. 22nd 1900 Math. Belur. Howrah. India. My dear Mrs.Briggs,2 Your kind letter of Jan 23rd was most welcome. I am so sorry you have been ill again. I hope you are feeling little better now. I must say yet your value, in being an ‘uncertain quantity’, has in no Swami Saradananda way gone down. The x-s & y-s are the most valuable & their value most eagerly sought after in certain branches of science and the soul & God to uncertain quantities in Metaphysics. I am glad you like my letter to Mrs.Kali Pierce, so well & more to learn that she likes it herself. Yes the famine is taking a great deal of our attention now-a-days. A Centre opened in Dec.1899 is working well. Another will be opened soon after the Utsab (Birthday).3 Now that Granny will be away shall I send your letters to Cambridge or to Somerville? I am keeping very well indeed, though I have not been quite so for the last fortnight. I hope your Mother, Harry and all our friends at Waltham are quite well. Remember me kindly to them. My very kind regards to you and best wishes. Mother4 joins me with her warm love as ever. Faithfully your friend Saradananda
March 1st 1900 Math. Belur. Howrah. India. Granny5 dear, Your kind letter of Jan 28th was more than welcome. I hope the recent caprices of Olea have not upset you too much. You are having such strains on your nerves. May Sri R.6 bless & keep you for ever & make your path smooth!
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Sarada Devi has sent you her blessings & love. She is still in her native place. The birthday constellation of Sri R. will rise on March 3rd this year. So the puja in the Math will be on that day; while the celebration of the birthday will be on March 11th. So we are busy. The Viceroy presided in a meeting in the Calcutta Town Hall, called for the present famine. The subscriptions went up to Rs.500000. The papers say they have raised some £ 187000 in England for the famine too. So you see I have thought it best to limit our famine work in helping orphans only. We can start an orphanage too with the boys & girls, when the distress is over – so that it will be a permanent work. If a part of the famine fund is left, it will help us here. Do you not think this to be right? We have already 70 orphans in our Kissengarh[?] Centre. The plague is on the increase too even in Calcutta; but there is no panic this year & the authorities are dealing tactfully with the superstitions of the people this time. Of course the plague money will be kept separate & the work started when necessary. There were no stenographers in my Dacca lectures & that is why you have not found them reported in the Brahmavadin. I am glad to hear such good reports of Santi. Why could not she come to Paris with you? It would have done her such good. The cheque for £ 143-8s-10d, equivalent of $700, came about a fortnight ago & the bank has credited our joint account with Rs.2114-6-3. I hope your stay in Paris & London will do you good in giving you the much needed rest. Our love & best wishes to you Granny dear. There never was a day when we were not reminded of your love & kindness. Remember me kindly to all friends. Affecly7 yours Saradananda.
References 1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna 3. Birthday celebrations of Sri Ramakrishna American disciple of Swami Vivekananda
2. Mrs. J.A. Briggs 4. Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi 6. Sri Ramakrishna
Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math
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5. Mrs. Sara Bull, an 7. Affectionately
Direct Disciples in Their Lighter Moments H MUKHERJEE
(Continued from the previous issue. . .) Swami Shivananda Sometimes the incidents involving the direct disciples could be amusing as well as instructive. Gurudas Maharaj (Swami Atulananda), an associate of Swami Turiyananda in Shanti Ashram in America and later a monk of the Ramakrishna Order, had once come to Belur Math on a visit. As he was a foreigner by birth, some of the junior monks would hesitate to mix with him or eat along with him (this was when India was under the ‘English’ and hence people found it religiously offensive to mix with them). This came to the notice of Swami Shivananda or Mahapurush Maharaj. One day after the food was over and as monks were moving about, Swami Shivananda, who was sitting on a bench near old Math building, called Gurudas Maharaj and asked him to sit by his side on the bench. Gurudas sat hesitatingly by the side of the great saint. Since that bench was meant for the use of direct disciples only, the monks standing near by could not help noticing it. As was the custom in those days, Swami Shivananda was smoking a hubble-bubble (hookah). He said to Gurudas Maharaj, ‘Do you know, I have a frog here? It is my pet frog and it is making some noise.’ Gurudas Maharaj replied, ‘No Maharaj, there is water in it and when you inhale, it will naturally
make a noise.’ ‘Is it so?’ saying this Mahapurush Maharaj handed over the hookah to Gurudas Maharaj and asked him to try. As the latter would not take it, Mahapurush Maharaj forcibly put it in his mouth and made him to inhale it. And soon after, Mahapurush Maharaj snatched the hookah and started smoking from it, although Gurudas Maharaj insisted on washing it before handing it over to him. It was a symbolic act. The assembled monks realised their mistaken notion about Gurudas Maharaj. While telling the story, Gurudas Maharaj would become very emotional and say, ‘This is how the direct disciples used to teach.’8 Mahapurush Maharaj was simple and innocent. A disciple recalls,
Swami Shivananda
How delightful he would appear when enjoying even simple things like an innocent child! So many people smile; but the smile we saw on his face was like none we had ever seen before. It seemed as if a
A retired officer from the Ministry of Industry in the Central Government, the author is associated with Ramakrishna Math, Nagpur, Maharashtra. He thanks Swami Tannishthananda of Ramakrishna Math, Nagpur for his guidance in writing the article. T h e
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flood of divine bliss poured forth from every pore of his body when he smiled, and that all those present completely forgot their sorrow and suffering under its influence. He was also very fond of humour and jokes. One day, while staying at Madhupur, he said, ‘The horses here are like malarial patients. Do you know what I mean? The face is skinny, the hips are skinny, and the belly is fat.’ He was moving his hands as he spoke, and that divine smile Swami Adbhutananda Swami Subodhananda was on his face. He began to laugh, and it was so contagious that we Latu was moved and also frightened and said, all became convulsed with laughter. It is not ‘Sir, please come back—you don’t have to possible to forget the joy of that occasion.9
Swami Adbhutananda Latu Maharaj (later, Swami Adbhutananda,) during his stay at Dakshineswar, would not leave his room and even open his eyes after getting up from sleep without first seeing Sri Ramakrishna. One day when Latu got up and did not see him, he started calling out aloud, ‘Where are you?’ On hearing Latu, Sri Ramakrishna replied, ‘Wait, I am coming.’ Latu Maharaj kept his eyes closed by covering them with his palms till Sri Ramakrishna came to him. Only after ensuring that Sri Ramakrishna was present before him did Latu Maharaj open his eyes and prostrated before him. A similar situation took place on another day when Latu did not see him after getting up in the morning. This time Sri Ramakrishna asked him to come outside. On coming out, Latu Maharaj saw Sri Ramakrishna searching for something in the garden. When he asked him what he was searching, Sri Ramakrishna replied that he was searching for the missing slipper of the pair presented to Latu on the previous day by a devotee. On hearing this T h e
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search for it. It appears that the day will prove to be inauspicious for me.’ On hearing this, Sri Ramakrishna smiled and said, ‘No, no, this does not matter—rather the day on which one does not take God’s name proves to be inauspicious.’10 During his stay in Kashmir, Swami Vivekananda went to visit a very ancient temple in the area. When he returned, he remarked that the temple was probably about three thousand years old. Latu Maharaj asked him how he knew this. ‘It is not possible for me to explain it to you,’ said Swamiji jokingly. ‘If you had had a little education, however, I might make an attempt.’ Latu Maharaj replied: ‘I see! Now I understand the depth of your scholarship. It is so deep that it cannot rise to explain this to a fool like myself!’ This made everyone present roll with laughter.11 Swami Subodhananda Swami Subodhananda was at that time living in Belur Math. He was one of the youngest direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and was endearingly called Khoka (which
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means a child) by Swami Vivekananda and other monks and was known popularly as Khoka Maharaj. All through his life, he combined the simplicity of a child and the wisdom of an illumined soul. One day Khoka Maharaj decided to invite all the monks for coffee. Before inviting them, he went to kitchen and asked the cook, ‘Is there any extra payasam (sweet rice porridge) available today?’ The cook replied, ‘Yes, Maharaj, one extra pan of porridge is available’. Asking the cook to send the extra pan of payasam to his room, he went to the room of each monk and invited them for coffee. On returning to his room, he separated the milk and sugar solution from the porridge by using a strainer and kept it in a vessel. Later he added a proportionate amount of coffee powder to the milk and sugar solution and stirred it. The monks were very happy as Khoka Maharaj was going to entertain them by giving coffee and assembled in his room hurriedly at the appointed time. Khoka Maharaj poured coffee from the pot in cups and gave it to the monks. As the monks started sipping coffee, they exclaimed, ‘Oh wonderful, very nice—what a sweet flavour!’ after they finished drinking coffee, Khoka Maharaj told them, laughing, ‘I have made a fool of you! I have given you coffee made from payasam.’ All the monks were taken aback. Then Khoka Maharaj explained the procedure by which he had made the coffee from payasam. All the monks enjoyed the fun which made Khoka Maharaj very happy. Once, Khoka Maharaj had gone to Ranchi on a brief visit from Belur Math. At Ranchi, he stayed at a devotee’s place. One day he decided to visit the centre of Ramakrishna Mission at Morabadi in Ranchi. The Ashrama had been set up recently and was headed by Swami Vishuddhananda (Jiten Maharaj). The T h e
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financial condition of the Math was not good at that time. There was no arrangement for staying of a guest in the Math. As Khoka Maharaj was in the habit of taking coffee in the afternoon, Swami Vishuddhananda became very much worried as to how to arrange coffee for him. A Hindi speaking boy used to work in the Ashrama. The boy also used to work in an advocate’s house adjacent to the Ashrama. Finding no other way out, a brahmachari of the Ashrama went to the advocate’s house with the help of the boy and asked for some coffee powder which was gladly given. Coffee was prepared and given to Khoka Maharaj. Swami Vishuddhananda, on coming to know about it, was not happy and spoke reprovingly to the Brahmachari. Khoka Maharaj, who was resting in an adjoining room, perchance, overheard it and said, ‘O Jiten, will your Vedanta only remain in scriptures and not come into practical use?’ Swami Visuddhananda quietly listened to it and understood the hint given by Khoka Maharaj.12 Swami Vijnanananda Swami Vijnanananda, another direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was then living at Ramakrishna Math located in Muthiganj in Allahabad. His health was poor and he was confined to bed for quite sometime. This caused much worry and anxiety to the devotees. One day a devotee pleaded to Swami Vijnanananda, ‘Maharaj, can we not bring a good physician for examining your health?’ Sometimes, Swami Vijnanananda would give amusing replies. In this case he said, ‘Yes, it can be done.’ Emboldened by the response, the devotee said with great earnestness, ‘Then shall I bring a physician?’
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Swami Vijnanananda replied, ‘You know that I am already under the treatment of a physician; Is your physician better than the one who is treating me?’ The devotee was keen to bring one of the best and well-known physicians Dr. Nilratan Sarkar to examine Maharaj. The devotee said, ‘I will bring Dr. Nilratan Sarkar. He is the best in India.’ Swami Vijnanananda said, ‘But my physician is better than yours— there is no physician better than him in the whole world.’ The devotee was dumbfounded and asked, ‘Who is he?’ In reply Vijnanananda pointed his finger to the photograph of Sri Ramakrishna on the wall. The devotee became silent.13 Conclusion Thus we get a glimpse of the lighter side of some of the direct disciples. Without exception, all the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna were full of bliss and divine joy and eager to share it with others. The devotees would be submerged in pure joy in their company— sometimes their, direct disciples’, very presence taught and transformed others. Words were superfluous. In conclusion, let us recall an amusing incident in which Sri Ramakrishna was present. One day Mathur Babu (son-in-law of Rani Rasmoni and a devotee and provider for Sri Ramakrishna) was taking Sri Ramakrishna
in his horse driven carriage from Dakshineswar to Janbazar. When the carriage reached Chitpur road, Sri Ramakrishna had a vision that he had become Sita and Ravana Swami Vijnanananda was taking him away after kidnapping, and went into deep samadhi. At this time suddenly the horses, pulling the carriage, broke away from their reins and fell down after stumbling. Fortunately, both escaped unhurt. Naturally, Mathur Babu was perplexed as there was no apparent reason for the incident and appraised Sri Ramakrishna about it after he returned to normal consciousness. Sri Ramakrishna explained to him that while in samadhi he saw that Jatayu (the great bird who had attempted to rescue Sita) attacking the chariot when Ravana was taking away Sita and was trying to destroy it. On hearing this Mathur babu exclaimed and said, ‘Baba (in Bengali, ‘father’), it is so difficult to even move with you in the streets!’14 (Concluded.)
References 8.
With the Swamis in America and India, Swami Atulananda, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, Pp. 9-10 9. Mahapurush Maharaj As We Saw Him, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, Pp.307 10. Sri Sri Latu Maharajer Smritikatha (Bengali), Sri Chandrasekhar Chattopadhaya, Udbodhan Office, Kolkata, Pp.180-181 11. God Lived with Them, Swami Chetanananda, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, p.423 T h e
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12. Swami Subodhanander Smritikatha (Bengali), Editor: Swami Chetanananda, Udbodhan Office, Kolkata Pp.66-68 13. Debloker Katha (Bengali), Swami Nirbanananda, Udbodhan Office, Kolkata, p. 51 14. Ramakrishna As We Saw Him, Editor: Swami Chetanananda, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata Pp.208-209
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Contemplation on the Guru-Ideal S PANCHAPAKESAN
Guru Leads One to the Highest The young Narendranath, who later came to be known as Swami Vivekananda, asked Sri Ramakrishna if he had seen God. Sri Ramakrishna said, ‘Yes, I have but much clearer than how I see you now’. Deeply impressed by this bold statement, Narendra grew closer to Sri Ramakrishna in days to come and developed an unshakable faith in Sri Ramakrishna. What is the core of this transformation? Sri Ramakrishna’s direct experience of God, and the resultant confidence with which he answered young Narendranath’s query. In the Indian tradition, Guru is highly revered. He (or she) is held higher than one’s mother and father, and even God. Guru, in the spiritual sense, is not a mere teacher and guide but a facilitator for the shift in the disciple’s consciousness—from lower to higher level. Guru leads one to God. Guru makes one know one’s real nature, his inherent divinity. In the ordinary sense, the term guru may be used to refer to an instructor, a trainer, a coach, a tutor, a lecturer and so on. Though in Sanskrit terms like acharya, upadhyaya and sikshak are used to denote a teacher, the word Guru refers to the highest type of the teacher for he leads one to the Highest. Guru is called the greatest for he helps the disciple to check his passions and leads him beyond all relativity. He knows and teaches the essence of scriptures and is therefore held as the embodiment of God himself.
The Mystery of Guru The Guru can come to us in any form. To the great Acharya Shankara, once a lowcaste in Varanasi taught the ideal of samesightedness. Chandogya Upanishad speaks of Satyakama Jalaba who, when sent by his Guru to tend the cows, is supposed to have had as his Guru the bull, fire, swan, etc. (which he later learnt as his inner voice). Dattatreya had more than twenty-four Gurus, bees being one of them. Sri Rama had sage Vasishta as his Guru. Later sage Vishwamitra takes him to Dandakaranya and teaches him the secret of weaponry. During the war with Ravana, sage Agastya imparted the Aditya Hridaya Stotram to Sri Rama to get strength and vitality. Thus the guru-shakti, the power of Guru, appears to Sri Rama in various forms and times. Sri Ramakrishna says that all Gurus are channels through which the power of divine flows. He likens them to various drainpipes on the terrace of a house, through which the rain water flows. Though shaped in different forms, like the mouth of tiger or swan (as is the case in Gargoyles of Gothic architecture), the same water flows through them. Likewise, the teachings coming from the mouth of various Gurus have Brahman as the source. Guru is like a multifaceted diamond. Each one disciple sees the brilliance from the side he looks at him. It is the light of Brahman manifesting through every aspect of the personality-diamond of Guru.
A retired technical consultant in mechanical engineering, the author lives in Mumbai. T h e
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The Competent Guru The word Guru consists of two Sanskrit phrases—gu and ru. Gu means darkness and ru means removal. Hence Guru means the one who removes darkness and brings the light of knowledge. As when one goes to a strange country, one needs the advice of one who had been there. Guru is the person who gives direction to the region of realisation. As Sri Ramakrishna says, One should hear about Benares from one who had been there and seen it. Mere book reading will not do. One should not receive instruction from a Pundit who has not realised the world to be unreal.
Guru is called Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Like Brahma, he ‘creates’ spiritual hunger in his disciple; like Vishnu, he nurtures him and like Shiva, he liberates the disciple. The Guru is a shanta, a man at peace. He is a sadhu, the good one, who comes as the spring season which brings the leaves and blossoms to trees, shrubs and plants of all type but does not ask anything in return for to give is its very nature. So also Guru does good to others for doing good is his very nature. A competent Guru, interestingly, is always willing to learn. Avadhut, mentioned in the Bhagavatam, had twenty-four Gurus. A true Guru is ever willing to learn and magnanimous enough to learn from his own disciples, if he finds something worthwhile. Humility is one of the essential qualities of a Guru. It is said of the Mahaswamigal of Kanchi Mutt that his one regret in life was, due to his position as the head of the institution, he could not do namaskars to some of the people whom he considered nearer to God than him. Nor is age a consideration for becoming a Guru. The Dakshinamurty Stotra describes the Guru as a young man, with an old man as his disciple. Gender too is no consiT h e
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deration. Vedas mention of many women Rishis. Puranas too, refer to many sagely women who imparted spiritual instructions to spiritual seekers. ‘Guru’ is not a post or position in the mundane sense. What makes one a Guru is one’s spiritual stature. Not anyone and everyone can become a Guru. Sri Ramakrishna says that a huge timber floats on the water and can carry many men and animals. But a piece of worthless wood sinks if a man sits on it and drowns him. A Guru is like the huge timber block used to cross the ocean of samsara. A Guru lives and breathes spirituality. The Guru and the Disciple One cannot think of a Guru without a disciple. A disciple needs spiritual guidance and that is why the Guru is there. In the absence of a disciple, a Guru remains only a man of realisation, a jivan-mukta. A Guru comes only to help his disciple attain spiritual illumination. Once the disciple is ready, once there is spiritual hunger, the Guru appears on his own accord. Guru transmits his power through giving initiation (diksha) to the disciple. The initiation can be given in many ways such as sight (nayana diksha), touch (sparsha diksha) or thought (smarana diksha), by mere presence or by silence (mouna diksha). The Guru is a link in the spiritual lineage (guru shishya parampara). He continues the spiritual tradition by passing on his spiritual power to his disciples. The Guru Gita (verse 75), says,
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The Guru is one who instructs the disciple about Attributeless, Eternal Brahman, and thereby reveals his oneness with Brahman. Guru is the lamp that kindles other lamps.
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censure, position in society, high birth and wealth), by the sword of mercy and bestows absolute Bliss is called Satguru.
Sri Ramakrishna says, Like physicians there are three types of Gurus. The inferior one gives instructions, but does not enquire about their progress. The mediocre, for the good of the student makes repeated efforts to bring the instructions home to him, begs him to assimilate it, and shows him love in many ways. But there is a type of Guru who will go the full length of using force when he finds the student is persistently unyielding. He is the best.
The Characteristics of a Guru Which qualities indicate one to be a Guru? The sun needs no torch to make him visible, we do not need a candle to know him. When the sun rises, we instinctively become aware of the fact and when the Guru comes to help, the soul will instinctively know that the truth has begun to shine on it. Like Truth, the Guru also stands on his own testimony. Here are some characteristics of a Guru given in our scriptures: A Knower of Scriptures: A Guru should be a shrotriya—the knower of the spirit of scriptures. Every one reads the holy books such as Upanishads, Gita, Bible and so on. But mere reading makes one understand only the words, syntax, etymology, philology—the dry bones of religion. The Guru who deals too much with the words and allows the mind to be carried away by the force of words loses the spirit. It is the knowledge of the spirit of the scriptures alone that constitutes the true Guru. The network of the words of the scriptures is like a huge forest in which the human mind often loses itself and finds no way out. The various methods of joining words, the various methods of speaking in beautiful language, are only for the enjoyment of the learned, they are not T h e
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conducive for the spiritual development. Sri Ramakrishna explains this beautifully by saying when you go to a mango orchard, it is no use analysing and counting the tree, twigs and leaves, but enjoying the mango is the ultimate goal. A shrotriya has tasted the mongo. A Knower of God: A Guru should be established in Brahman—brahma-nishtha. To be established in Brahman is to know the ultimate truth directly. One cannot impart this knowledge to others if one does not have it himself. A Guru is free from attachment. He is peaceful, always contented in himself, independent. Purity of Character: The third quality of a competent Guru is he should be sinless, avrijana. A vision of God or a glimpse of the beyond never comes until the soul is pure. Hence the Guru must be perfectly pure. Only then comes the power to his words; only then he is the true transmitter. How he can transmit if he has no spiritual power in himself? Unselfish Motive: The fourth quality is with regard to the motive. The Guru should not teach with any ulterior selfish motive— for money, fame or name; his work should be simply out of love, out of pure love for the mankind at large. Swami Vivekananda says, ‘Gurus are the fairest flowers of mankind, they are the oceans of mercy without any motive.’ Compassion: The Guru should be compassion personified (karuna-murty). Even while answering the disciple’s questions, which may be looking trivial, the Guru answers without slighting or insulting the disciple. He should have the ability to get down to the disciple’s level to teach him. He is full of compassion and understanding. He is able to understand where his disciple is and is able to guide him from there. He takes the disciple to the higher states of being, like a mother who teaches the child how to learn to eat, walk, read and so on.
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Further Considerations The whole world seems like is a dream to the liberated one, whereas to the bound, the world is real, and not a dream. Though liberated himself, the Guru has to take up his stand between the two states. He must perceive the presence of the world, or else, why and how can he teach? Again, if he has not realised that the world his a dream, then he is no better than an ordinary man. What could he teach then? Sri Ramakrishna cautions that one cannot become a Guru without renouncing the world. He considers even the status of Brahma and Vishnu like a blade of grass. People won’t respect him, as he does not practice what he preaches. Guru inspires by being an example. One can preach, Sri Ramakrishna adds further, only if one gets the command from God. Otherwise people will listen and say, ‘He talks well’ and then forget it, like, once the fire is removed from a hissing milk pot, it quietens. With this command from God, people flock to him, like when a flower blossoms, the bees come to it uninvited. The Guru should be a free man or it will be like a man caught in the net of Maya, trying to release another one from the net. Sri Rama-
krishna explains the condition of a student with an unrealised teacher thus: If a bull frog is caught by a cobra, after three croaks the bull frog is done away with. However if it is caught by a water snake, which cannot swallow the frog, nor can let it go, the struggle and suffering continue, similar to that of a teacher and pupil. Neither does the ego of the disciple go nor his worldly ties snap. This is further confirmed by the fact that there are many who, though immersed in ignorance, yet in the pride of their hearts, fancy they know everything, and offer to take others on their shoulders. Katha Upanishad (I.ii.5) declares, Fools dwelling in darkness, wise in their own conceit, and puffed with vain knowledge, go round and round staggering to and fro, like blind men led by blind.
Conclusion Indeed a Guru is one who is learned in the scripture, sinless, unpolluted by lust and is a knower of the Brahman. Sri Ramakrishna adds, If a man in the form of a Guru awakens spiritual consciousness in you, then it is God the absolute who has assumed the physical form for your sake.
‘Why Cry Again, Again. . . .’
Once a Guru told a joke in a satsang. People laughed hysterically. He repeated the joke—fewer number of people laughed. He again repeated the same joke. This time number of people and quality of laughter reduced further. He kept repeating the joke some more times. Laughter kept decreasing and finally it stopped. Then the Guru said, 'When you cannot laugh over same joke many times, why do you cry over same problem again and again?' Simple commonsense—but a guru is needed to remind us of that! —Cyberspace
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Sri Ramakrishna was a master-story teller. While he spoke of profound spiritual truths and mystery of human life, he amply used stories, anecdotes, examples and analogies to drive home his point. At times, while narrating a story, he would even make gestures and change the tone of his voice to bring in a lively element in his narrative. The following stories, mainly culled from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai) are an attempt to present before the readers Sri Ramakrishna’s rich storehouse of stories which are both illuminating and simple.
7 The Pride of Money A frog had a rupee, which he kept in his hole. One day an elephant was going over the hole, and the frog, coming out in a fit of anger, raised his foot, as if to kick the elephant, and said, ‘How dare you walk over my head?’ Such is the pride that money begets! (p.169) Strong versus Mild Renunciation Let me tell you a story about strong renunciation. At one time there was a drought in a certain part of the country. The farmers began to cut long channels to bring water to their fields. One farmer was stubbornly determined. He took a vow that he would not stop digging until the channel connected his field with the river. He set to work. The time came for his bath, and his wife sent their daughter to him with oil. ‘Father,’ said the girl, ‘it is already late. Rub your body with oil and take your bath.’ ‘Go away!’ thundered the farmer. ‘I have too much to do now.’ It was past midday, and the farmer was still at work in his field. He didn’t even think of his bath. Then his wife came and said: ‘Why haven’t you taken your bath? The food is getting cold. You overdo everything. You can finish the rest tomorrow or even today after dinner.’ The farmer scolded her furiously and ran at her, spade in hand, crying: ‘What? Have T h e
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you no sense? There’s no rain. The crops are dying. What will the children eat? You’ll all starve to death. I have taken a vow not to think of bath and food today before I bring water to my field.’ The wife saw his state of mind and ran away in fear. Through a whole day’s back-breaking labour the farmer managed by evening to connect his field with the river. Then he sat down and watched the water flowing into his field with a murmuring sound. His mind was filled with peace and joy. He went home, called his wife, and said to her, ‘Now give me some oil and prepare me a smoke.’ With serene mind he finished his bath and meal, and retired to bed, where he snored to his heart’s content. The determination he showed is an example of strong renunciation. Now, there was another farmer who was also digging a channel to bring water to his field. His wife, too, came to the field and said to him: ‘It’s very late. Come home. It isn’t necessary to overdo things.’ The farmer didn’t protest much, but put aside his spade and said to his wife, ‘Well, I’ll go home since you ask me to.’ That man never succeeded in irrigating his field. This is a case of mild renunciation. As without strong determination the farmer cannot bring water to his field, so also without intense yearning a man cannot realize God. (p.166)
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Does Everything Happen According to God’s Will? SWAMI SUNIRMALANANDA
The Alluring Power of ‘God’s Will’ ‘Everything happens according to God’s will!’ You must have heard this repeated a thousand times. Whenever you are in trouble, your friends will have remarked, rolling their eyes towards the sky (because heaven is up above—despite earth’s rotation), ‘Everything is the will of God’ in English, ‘Bhagavan ki iccha’ in Hindi, or as your case may be. Little John can punch little Peter and say, ‘You were punched because of God’s will.’ A dictator can make decisions as he wishes, destroy families, imprison good people and call these the Will of God. The manager of a company can sack an employee, implicating him falsely, and call it the will of God. So, everything happens according to the will of God indeed. People have decided that nations are run according to God’s will, companies and institutions are run according to God’s will and, what is more, every thing under the sun happens according to ‘God’s will’. And this means that there is no hope, no option, no future! We are just dolls—helpless puppets in the hands of the so-called ‘God’s will’. ‘God’s Will’, and the Reality Just as we are mesmerized by miracles and supernatural happenings, we are also equally fascinated by the idea of ‘God’s will.’
‘God’s will’ is worse than miracles because that will take away all responsibility from our hands—of course of only the unworthy acts we are doing—and give the wicked a grand opportunity to perpetuate evil—blissfully confident that it is all God’s will. To say with Socratic solemnity that ‘Everything happens according to God’s will,’ leaves our listeners spell-bound and they see in us spiritually evolved souls. At least for a few minutes! There is, however, a small problem with this ‘God’s Will’ notion. Here is a story. Ram and Shyam are walking along a street. Ram is in a difficult situation. Shyam is explaining the reality to Ram: ‘You see, everything happens according to God’s will. It is as per God’s will that you are suffering. Remember Ramakrishna’s words: “Even a leaf does not move without His will.” So, stop worrying. Know that everything happens according to God’s will,’ and so on. Meanwhile, a car rushes by, throws muddy water on Shyam, and soils his dress. Shyam shouts: ‘Stop that car! Someone stop him! Idiots! Driving like mad! Just because they have money should they be so arrogant?’ Ram remarks: ‘It’s a small matter. Just forget it! You can wash your clothes soon.’ And Shyam thunders: ‘This is your problem! You people are spineless and timid. You people have no courage. So you suffer. We should fight. We should protest. . .’
A monk of the Ramakrishna Order, the author is former editor of Prabuddha Bharata, a monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order. T h e
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From God’s will to self-effort—all within a few seconds! Where Things Go Wrong Does everything happen according to God’s will or not? It may be that one has read about this in sacred books, or heard from others. So the enthusiasts repeat them when others are in trouble. But there is a problem. ‘It is like children’s swearing by God, having learnt the word from the quarrels of their aunts,’ remarks Sri Ramakrishna. ‘Everything-happens-according-to-God’s -will’ enthusiasts miss some other important statements in the same sacred books. For instance, ‘Everything is God,’ ‘God alone is Real and everything else is unreal’. We miss the point that our car, our house, our money, our dear ones, our ambitions—everything is only name and form, and only Brahman is the Absolute Reality. In the final analysis, if the idea of ‘God’s will’ is true, the idea of ‘God alone is Real’ is also true. But do we accept this other idea? We are not ready to accept such ideas as God alone being real: not because they are difficult concepts, but because we don’t want to accept them as true. And we cannot accept them as true because we love our car, money, house, family, etc., and don’t want them to evaporate into thin air and become Brahman. The Philosophy of Convenience When do we use the statement ‘Everything happens according to God’s Will,’ then? We use it only when others are in trouble: we use it to teach others. We use it until we are not in the hands of a tyrant or a dictator or a tormenting company manager. When we ourselves are troubled, when we ourselves are unjustly implicated for no reason, the philosophy changes completely. T h e
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We participate in study circles and read books like the Bhagavadgita, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Jnana Yoga by Swami Vivekananda, etc. So Nirvikalpa Samadhi, Absolute Brahman, Turiya, consciousness, and such other words enter into our vocabulary. Some of us live as if in trance, or in a daze, with undigested ideas banging our brain. We read some religious books like children reading ghost stories and quote sentences. We hear that we must read the Upanishads, for instance, and read the translation of 108 Upanishads in a few hours, like reading Harry Potter, and begin quoting. The fact is this: Sri Ramakrishna says, ‘As long as a man has not realized God, he thinks he is free. But do you know the attitude of one who has realized God? He feels, “I am the machine, and Thou, O Lord, art the Operator.”’ Perhaps the exact opposite of what we think! So there is no point in our little egos talking of God’s will, for we are merely repeating ideas from books, and have no experience of anything. What Books Teach Us Now, should we believe in the idea that everything happens according to God’s will or not? Of course we should believe in it. But mere belief is not all. Avatars and prophets teach us so that we may put the truths they teach into practice and not merely use them as quotations. Ideas like ‘Everything happens according to God’s will’ should not be a mere philosophy of escape, a philosophy to teach others, or a ‘utilitarian’ idea to explain away others’ difficulties. Everything happening according to God’s will is beyond our understanding now, at our state of life. For instance, little John has heard that all matter is energy only. He has also read that this energy can become an atom bomb. He is scared, stops eating, and tells his
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mother: ‘Mom, if I eat this food, it will enter my tummy, become atom bomb and shall explode.’ Sri Ramakrishna says, ‘There are many people who talk big. . . But with all that their minds are engrossed in worldliness and deeply preoccupied with money, riches, name, fame, creature comforts, and such things.’ Reading books religiously—offering flowers, incense, and so on to them—is a good practice, and saints advise us to read books. But they also advise us to select only such ideas out of the ocean of wonderful ideas, which are for our daily practice. We should read them repeatedly. What Should We Do Then? The idea of God’s will is taught to us so that we may surrender our little wills; that we may merge our little wills in God’s Will. This is the true spiritual life that saints teach us: giving up our will totally and letting everything happen according to God’s will. When we completely surrender our little will, when we can live as God’s servants or children on earth, when we can accept every situation with equipoise, when we can let go of ourselves, we may say that everything happens according to God’s will. Being realistic, with our feet on the ground, is what saints call the beginning of true spiritual life. We should fix our feet firmly on the ground. We simply cannot and should not speak about those things we do not know or understand. Especially, so far as such ‘final’ ideas like ‘Everything happens according to God’s will’ are concerned. Religious books contain many ideas; but we shall choose what we need to practice. When we read, we should choose what we want. For example, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is a colossal work of a thousand
spiritual ideas. We may select chapters which are for us, beginners, and read them repeatedly until they become part of our lives. If we rake our heads because we could not understand the concept of Nirvikalpa Samadhi—well, whose fault is it? Let alone ordinary people like us, even scholars make this mistake: nowadays they comment about ideas which are beyond them. A little school boy was asked to speak about cardiac surgery. He criticized doctors as cruel because they cut the human being, pain him or her, and shed blood and so on. His brilliance made his classmates clap for several minutes. The only problem was that this little brilliant boy had not seen, not experienced or not read anything about cardiac surgery. There are modern scholars who study the lives of incarnations and saints using such intellectual tools like ‘the hermeneutics of suspicion.’ Other scholars of their own type may be thrilled by such studies, and they laud them to the skies. So far so good, but. . . So it all boils down to this: ‘One ounce of the practice of righteousness and of spiritual Self-realization outweighs tons and tons of frothy talk… .’ Saints teach us constantly that we must practice. They say that as we continue our sadhana, our minds become purer, the dominant power of our so-called ego lessens, and we shall slowly understand that we cannot do anything by ourselves. As Sri Ramakrishna’s anecdote of the calf says: ‘. . .Then it [our ego] no longer says, “Hamba! Hamba!” [“I”, “I”], but “Tuhu! Tuhu” [“Thou”, “Thou”]!’ Now, what shall we say if someone asks us about ‘God’s will’? We shall say: ‘We don’t know,’ because indeed we don’t know. Or, even when we are in trouble, it is all according to God’s will; let us accept the statement in this spirit.
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Japa, Meditation and Spiritual Practice SWAMI BRAHMESHANANDA
QUESTION: It is said that God’s name has power and it has a purifying effect. How do I or anyone trust that? ANSWER: Just take up a word like ‘war’ or ‘rupee’ and go on repeating it for six months, what do think will be its effect on your mind? QUESTION: My mind will start thinking of money or war. ANSWER: Something more would happen. Thinking of money all the time, with intensity, you will think of the ways to how to get money; and even problems of tax and thieves will arise! If you were to repeat the ‘war’ mantra, after six months, you might start fighting with others. Similarly, if you repeat a holy name, gradually its effect will be produced in your subconscious mind and you will be purified. QUESTION: But we find many people chanting the name of God and yet, leading an impure life? ANSWER: Such people do not generally observe the conditions prescribed for chanting of God’s name. QUESTION: What are they? ANSWER: Japa or chanting of the name of the God must be done with a concentrated and focused mind, thinking about its meaning, and with devotion. It is preferable to do it in solitude. QUESTION: How should one decide which name to repeat as there are several names in which one may have faith?
ANSWER: It is best to leave the choice of the name to a competent Guru. In the absence of such a Guru, you may take up any name and go on chanting with full faith that it is the best for you. In the due course, with God’s grace and with the help of a Guru, your problem will be solved. QUESTION: What is the difference between meditation and concentration? ANSWER: Concentration is a general term for one-pointedness of mind but concentration on higher values, especially with a spiritual objective, is meditation. Even a child can concentrate its mind on the object of its interest. But religious or spiritual meditation is not easy and must be learnt with effort. QUESTION: And what is contemplation? ANSWER: It is a process in which one does a mental survey of any object. QUESTION: How can the strength of mind or will power be improved? ANSWER: There are various methods by which mental strength can be increased. Leading a strictly regulated life, developing good habits, gradual taking up difficult tasks, commencing a work and pursuing it till the end are some such techniques. QUESTION: It is said that disease is an obstacle in spiritual life. How can we get over this obstacle? ANSWER: Follow the rules of health to prevent disease. When you fall ill, consult a doctor and follow his advice. Together with this, you should try to remain undisturbed by
A former editor of THE VEDANTA KESARI, the author is the Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Chandigarh. T h e
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disease. This can be done by the practice of awareness of the body and by discrimination between the body and the soul. Learn to detach yourself from the body and thus, you will be able to reduce the disturbing effect of disease on mind. If you feel that you are not the body, you will be less disturbed by disease. QUESTION: How to remain calm? As a student, when I am inside the examination hall, my mind thinks wrongly. After coming out I feel I could have answered the question differently and correctly. Why does this happen and what should I do? ANSWER: Mind under stress does not work as it should. Try to remain relaxed before the examination and in the examination hall during examination. Make calmness a habit of mind. QUESTION: Why is religion needed? One can lead a moral life without subscribing to any religion. ANSWER: Religion is something more than simply leading a moral life, though morality is the very foundation of religion. There is a
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natural urge in every human being to go beyond, to transcend the limitations of body and mind and to experience the superconscious reality which is called God or Truth or Brahman and many other names. This urge cannot be satisfied merely by a moral life. QUESTION: But how to explain the religious fundamentalism which is causing more harm than the benefits from religion? ANSWER: Religion is an extremely complex phenomenon. It has spiritual, ethical, social and even political aspects. Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda have tried to emphasize the spiritual aspect and have taught us that we must accept all religions as paths to the ultimate goal. By following their teachings one can become truly religious and at the same time, be free from dogmatism, intolerance and religious fanaticism. Fundamentalism is an attitude of the people who are yet to realize the highest truth which is all-inclusive and universal. The more one grows spiritually, the less fanatical one becomes.
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A Man of Meditation
The sure sign of an individual’s inner integration is his behavioural transformation. Such a person is always sincere, honest, and straightforward in thought, word, and action. Because he is honest with himself, he is honest with others. His honest intentions are always reflected in his conduct and behaviour. Truthful in all circumstances, he not only desists from lying in any form but does not exaggerate, misrepresent, manipulate, or distort facts to suit his own convenience and self-interest. Free from all sense of guilt, he enjoys peace of mind. What he really is and what he appears to be are always the same, and so he is never secretive. He acts in the living present; being of clean conscience, he does not procrastinate or vacillate in his decisions or actions. Positive in his outlook, he is always ready to learn and grow in wisdom. He accepts the trials and tribulations of life as they come and does not blame anyone or anything for them. Grounded in self-awareness, he is neither aggressive nor defensive in dealing with others. he is spontaneous, efficient and creative. Moderation is his motto, discrimination is his guideline, and Self-Knowledge is his goal. —Meditation and Its Practices, Swami Adiswarananda, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, p.357
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A Peep Into the Fathomless Hinduism SATISH K. KAPOOR
Hinduism’s Countless Forms Understanding the Vedic Sanatana Dharma, popularly called Hinduism, is like understanding the panchabhutas, the five essential components of nature, namely, earth, air, water, fire and space. Just as the earth cannot be measured to perfection, the volume of air in the universe cannot be gauged, the water in rivers, oceans and other reservoirs cannot be measured to a gallon, the range and potency of fire cannot be limited or ensconced and the emptiness of space cannot be fully known or filled up, Hinduism may be talked about, discussed, commented on, hated or loved, but the subtlety of its thoughts, the deeper implications of its rituals and ceremonies, the meaning of its symbols, the raison d’etre of its myths cannot be fully explored or understood. Hinduism as a faith, being non-dogmatic, can take as many forms as the minds of Hindus, or that of non-Hindus who may view it from different perspectives, or have different motives ranging from the inquisitive, devotional or the purely academic to that of missionary or the iconoclast. Hinduism does not confine itself to a few principles, practices, holy men, sacred objects or shrines. Although the Vedas are regarded as the source book of all the orthodox systems of philosophy or theology, there is no one holy book nor is there any restriction on a Hindu not to believe in another. Even materialists, agnostics, atheists or skeptics have a place in
the Hindu world-view, as it is assumed that they are undergoing a process of spiritual evolution in which material and sensual pursuits ultimately lead to aversion; disbelief or nonbelief changes into belief, and doubt into faith, as per one’s Karma or background. Hinduism appreciates all type of literature that has descended from the higher summits of Being, irrespective of the background of a person. It can claim to have thousands of sacred works written through the course of history, since it does not prohibit one to record personal experience of the inward journey. The devout knows that he has to respect them all, and ultimately discover the scripture within him. The Hindu Way of Worship There is no end to Hindu shrines—each home has one, besides those which exist outside for community worship. They may be as small as a niche for keeping statues, photographs or paintings of deities or exalted souls, and an earthen lamp, or as large as a town dotted with sacred places or spots. Even a small spherical stone, or an areca nut, laced with vermilion mark or cotton filaments, becomes holy when a devotee perceives in it the presence of God. The more enlightened Hindu knows that the real shrine is in his heart itself. Kneeling before his personal God, he closes up his eyes imbibing the form of the deity and, in a way, communes with his true being. There has been no end to Hindu sages,
Dr.Satish K. Kapoor is the Secretary, Dayanand Institutions, Raviwar Peth, Solapur, Maharashtra. T h e
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seers, prophets or holy men who have appeared from time to time, in different communities and regions, to deliver their message, as per milieu. There is perhaps nothing in the creation which Hinduism regards as unholy, from snake, crow, dog or mouse to crawling insects, who are fed religiously–each is God’s representation on the earth, reflecting creativity of the creator and is associated with some deity— even a mosquito or a cockroach, has a place in existence though mankind is unaware about the cosmic rationale. The life of a Hindu is full of gratitude to the objects of nature. When he worships the sun facing the east, takes a dip in flowing waters, goes up a mountain, passes by a valley or forest, watches the natural phenomena, he is imbued with religious feeling. Every atom reflects a divine quality to him. In the vast expanse of the blue sky, he sees the Supreme Shiva, in the constellation of stars, group of holy sages (sapta rishis), in the moon, the malleable Soma, in the roaring clouds, the fiery Rudra, in sheets of water, some god or goddess, in the rainbow, the spectrum of divinity, and in the earth which he inhabits, embodiment of the mother. The arrival of a new season is a time to rejoice for him. If the rain falls in time, he celebrates; if it does not, he makes prayers or performs yajna, and if it exceeds the limit, he resorts to propitiatory acts. Even a natural calamity is seen in terms of the eternal law of cause and effect. Man, in his essence, being limitless, his faith should be limitless, and open too. Infinity has infinite dimensions, which cannot be grasped by finite minds. As Divinity cannot be defined by a single definition, Hinduism believes that each realized soul may add colour to the spectrum of understanding the transcendental reality, each may contribute to the T h e
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grand symphony of the ever-vibrant universe. He, therefore, accepts and reveres all. Hinduism does not reject anyone because the denial of a higher power or a particular set of beliefs, does not divest one of one’s innate divinity. With such a mindset, Hindus have no difficulty in accepting the prophets and holy men of other faiths. A common Hindu bows before every sacred object, sometime from a distance, without worrying about its sectarian aspect. It is in the process of bowing, the submission of the ego, even for a fraction of a second—that one connects with the Divine. Knowing subconsciously that holy places carry an aura of blissfulness, Hindus make pilgrimages, sometime on foot, following the traditional practice of prostrating every time, enroute a holy place. The illiterate Hindu, often reviled for following primitive religious practices, may hear the footsteps of Sri Krishna in Vrindavana, of Vithala in Pandharpur or Shiva in Himalaya and Sri Rama in Ayodhya. It stirs up a whole world of devotion and love in his heart. Understanding the Multiplicity Why there are so many gods in Hinduism is like asking why there are so many cells in a human body or why there are so many species, when God is one. Unity in variety is the law of existence. A unicellular system of beliefs turns into dogma and has its limitations, but a multicellular faith is broad as each cell has its nucleus but remains a part of the whole. When nature has made everyone different and unique in ability and temperament, how can the level of understanding or the choice of each be the same and, how can all adhere to a singular pattern of thought? Multiple forms of worship and belief systems in Hinduism provide an ample choice to a person in accor-
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dance with his mental make-up. An intelligent man may believe in the abstract Brahman and be able to decode religious symbols but an ordinary person would like to see God through an image. Hinduism believes that man’s natural inclinations of doing, feeling, and thinking can be transmuted into righteous actions, universal love and positive perceptions; that by developing the power of thought (vichara), of feeling (bhava) and of action (karma), one can fulfil one’s dharma or duty in the best possible way. ‘A Way of Life’ and Beyond Hinduism is not just ‘a way of life’ but a way to the highest conceivable spiritual attainment, the growth of consciousness. Hinduism is not a mass of sects and creeds which grew haphazardly with time. In fact, each theistic group provides a unique perspective on the divine, emphasizes some fundamental aspect of the Ultimate Reality, and helps one to transcend the finitude of phenomena. Each affirms the Truth in one form or another, prepares one to surrender before the Almighty, and to seek His grace. Annie Besant rightly observed: ‘If truth is to rule the minds of men, differing in temperaments, differing in type, differing in the stage of evolution reached, it must be presented in different ways.’1 Hinduism integrates and brings together, the diverse insights of God-intoxicated souls under one religious canopy. The ceremonial side of Hinduism is often derided due to ignorance or because some make a fetish of it. Ritual is to religion what a bud is to a flower—a natural development influenced by the state of mind of an individual. Ritual is preparation for something higher, though sometime a few get lost on the way. Group rituals create a force-field of energy which alters the mental environment T h e
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of participants, and of those in the range of its energy-field. When rituals are charged with emotion, or are accompanied by the chanting of holy syllables (mantras), they have a strong vibratory effect in etheric sphere, which lasts for quite sometime, and remains directed towards the objective of ceremony performed. It may be noted that scientific studies were not discouraged in any phase of Hindu history, as in Europe when, during the Middle Ages, theological doctrines tried to eclipse scientific findings. Besides creating benchmarks in astronomy, mathematics, medicine, agriculture, biology, alchemy, and metallurgy, sage-scientists of yore explored such subjects as the source of existence, domain of consciousness, oneness of life, anatomy of inner man, the dynamics of inner environment, life after death, and so on. Scholars applying certain modern psychological tools of analysis to understand Hinduism, its sacred texts, deities or symbols, betray insularity and reflect their own narrow and immature state of thinking. Such views show how sometimes, indecency, bias or shallow understanding can masquerade as academic scholarship.2 Abusive statements are not arguments or an explication of truth. The mirror is not affected by some ugly reflection or an X-ray machine by a portrayal of diseased organ. ‘As our intention, so our opinions’, said Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832). Indeed, as our mental culture, so our language; as our level of consciousness so the quantum of grace in us when we speak about others. The Term ‘Hindu’ Any word which is shaped in the crucible of historical developments need not elicit criticism. The use of suffix ‘ism’ in Hinduism is not old but the faith of the people of Hind, who came to be known as Hindus, stretches
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back some five thousand years. The suffix also got tagged to the gospels of Buddha, Mahavira and others during the British period. But that does not devalue their historicity or credentials. The word ‘Hindu’ is said by philologists to be of Persian origin. As commonly believed, the inhabitants of the Sindhu region came to be called Hindus as the ancient Persians pronounced ‘s’ as ‘h’, and the geographical area which they inhabited as Hindostan (Hindu-sthana, ‘place of Hindus’).3 A popular adage describes a Hindu as ‘one who can curb social evils, annihilate his own bad qualities and punish the wicked’ (hinasti-duritani, hinasti-durgunani, hinastidushtanitiva sa hinduh). The traditional Arabic lexicons gave the meaning of ‘Hindu’ as ‘beautiful’, ‘noble’ or ‘the best’. Nearly 3000 years ago, the Arab scholarpoet, Labî Bin Akhtab Bin Turfa paid homage to the land of Hind by observing that the God Almighty had chosen it for imparting Supreme Knowledge (Ayamu barak-al-arjeyushanniha minal-hind. Vaardikallahyannajijaljikratun). He further wrote: ‘The four revealed works (Veda), whose divine knowledge shines like the morning sun, were bestowed on the prophets of Hind by God himself.’ (Vahalbahalyutunainaksubahîarab at jikru. Hajîyunajjilarrasulu min-aal-hindtun). Another ancient Arab scholar, Umarb in Hasham Kunniyat, popularly called, Abulhakam (‘father of knowledge’), longed to visit the land of Hind, which he described as ‘mine of morality’, and ‘religious preceptor’ of mankind (Massairuakhlakanhasanahk-ulluhumvayaakhiyu. Nujumunajaytusummakaphabalhindu).4 To stray from tradition is to stray from reality, from truth because interpretation of a religious or cultural tradition bereft of the insider’s view (called emic by anthropologists) T h e
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does little justice to the subject. George L. Gomme (1908) observed: ‘Every single item of folklore, every folktale, every tradition, had its origins in some definite fact in the history of man.’5 Uniqueness of Hinduism It may not be proper to analyse Hinduism strictly in terms of concepts applicable to other faiths which started in historical time and have a monolithic entity—single scripture, a codified set of beliefs and practices, and an ecclesiastical body claiming loyalty to one head and pronouncing heresies. Hinduism cannot be categorized in sterotyped models as it has great cellular potential to generate any type or number of ideological ‘tissues’ in its body. Hindu spiritual ideas of various hues have combined in constantly renewing configurations giving birth to multi-level forms and perspectives, as is evident from the birth of sects, sub-sects and subsequent sects within religious traditions. Just as one cannot discover music by dissecting a musical instrument, Hinduism cannot be understood by mere pedagogy. To go deeper one requires not merely the tools or methodology of academic disciplines but an open mind receptive to the elements of truth, beauty and goodness in faiths, other than one’s own. Many aspects of Hinduism, like those of other religions, require the eye of heart and the mind of soul, to be able to go beyond material paradigms. Ratiocinative faculty alone is of little use in matters acosmic. Can Mira or Andal’s love for Sri Krishna or Kanhopatra’s, or Tuka’s love for Vithal, or Sri Ramakrishna’s devotion to the Mother Kali, be analysed except through the eyes of a devotee? The psychoanalyst may see a neurotic disorder or misplaced attachment in them all. But this is far from the truth. Spiritual phenomena like
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trance-states, visions, tears, or queer acts of mystics, ESP abilities of siddha-yogis, or the realized ones, stigmata, divination, prophesying, or transmission of spiritual power from guru to disciple, etc., are beyond the psychomotor range of humans, and cannot be explained away in material, social or psychological terms. Like the emperor, in an old Indian story, who got annoyed after gulping down a costly bottle of scent (instead of smelling it) , scholars sometime pass hasty or wrong judgements on these matters due to plain ignorance or deliberate bias. Some critics look for honey outside a beehive, quite ignorant of the elixir which lies within it. Conclusion ‘Criticism, as it was first instituted by Aristotle was meant as a standard of judging well’ (to use Samuel Johnson’s expression), and
not aimed at tarnishing an image or hurting sentiments. To look for only non-essentials in Hinduism, ignoring its quintessential, is like searching for some dirty bye lanes in the city of Tajmahal (Agra). Human failings are not the failings of a faith which is rooted in the higher values of life, and derives strength from what one may call, Rishi Sanskriti or Vedic Sanskriti or Arya Sanskriti, the culture of ancient sages, the Vedas or that of noble men respectively. Hinduism lives because it has no physiological limits, like an organism which takes birth, grows, decays and dies. Its eternal components being truth, righteousness, and cosmic order, Hinduism may well be called the homage of divinity to itself. It is eternal for not being static, and for its ability to become new again, as per the explanation of the word sanatana in the Atharvaveda.6
References 1. 2.
3.
4.
Annie Besant, Hindu Ideals, Benaras and London, Theosophical Publishing Society, 1904, p.145 For details on this aspect, see Krishnan Ramaswamy, Antonio de Nicolas and Aditi Banerjee, Invading the Sacred; An Analysis of Hinduism Studies in America, New Delhi: Rupa & Co.,2007. Acarya Ananda Prakaúa, ‘Hindu: Ek Samîka’,Arya Mitra (Hindi weekly of Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Uttar Pradesh), Lucknow, Nov. 28, 2010, Pp.6-8. Pandita Jnanendra Deva Sufi, ‘Arab NivasiyonKaPrachina Dharma’, 3 parts: July (second
5.
6.
half), August (first and second half), Vol.51,Issues 14-16, Paropakari (Hindi fortnightly of Paropakari Sabha, Ajmer-Rajasthan), 2010; Issue.16, pp.49899; Issue 15, Pp.463-64. George L. Gomme, Folklore as an Historic Science (The Antiquary Books, General editor, J.Charles Cox), London: Metheun & C., 1908, p.8. sanatana-me-na-mahurutadya syatpunar navahAtharvaveda X.8.23. (They proclaim him to be eternal. But He may become new again even today.)
Dharma is the ness, the law of the inmost constitution of a thing. The primary meaning of Dharma is not virtue or religion, but that is only its secondary significance. Fighting in a just cause is the religious duty or Dharma of a Kshatriya, while the same is a sin to a Brahmana, because it is contrary to the law of his being. Working out one’s Karma according to the law of one’s own being is therefore the Dharma or religion or way to salvation of an individual. The cloud of Karma hides the Self-Sun from view. The means which exhausts this cloud without adding to it and thus helps to one’s Self-restoration is one’s Dharma. —Swami Swarupananda, Bhagavad Gita, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, Chapter II. 7, p.31-32
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Foundation Day of the Ramakrishna Mission Foundation Day of the Ramakrishna Mission (which was founded on 1st May 1897 by Swami Vivekananda) was celebrated at Belur Math on 1 May 2011. Revered President Maharaj of the Order, Srimat Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj, chaired the meeting and the General Secretary, revered Swami Prabhanandaji Maharaj, delivered the keynote address. Assistant Secretaries of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Swami Suhitananda, Swami Bhajanananda, Swami Suvirananda, and a few others addressed the gathering. Forth Coming Birthdays (July to December Swami Ramakrishnananda Swami Niranjanananda Swami Advaitananda Swami Abhedananda Swami Akhandananda Swami Subodhananda Swami Vijnanananda Swami Premananda Swami Shivananda Swami Saradananda
Celebrations 2011) 28 July 13 August 28 August 22 September 27 September 7 November 9 November 3 December 21 December 30 December
Sri Sarada Devi 17 December Commemoration of the 175th Birth Anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna The following centres celebrated the 175th birth anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna. (Main programmes are given in parentheses.) Durban, South Africa (public meetings addressed by Swami Smarananandaji at Ladysmith on 27 April and at Glen Anil on 30 April), Jalpaiguri (public meetings, cultural programmes and exhibition from 25 to 27 March), Ponnampet (spiritual retreat from 6 to 8 May), Porbandar (public meeting, spiritual retreat and devotional songs from 23 to 29 May), Rajkot (public meetings, spiritual retreat, japa yajna and devotional songs from 7 to 30 May). Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda The following centres organized various programmes, the main ones shown in brackets, to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda: Cooch Behar (youth conventions at Mathabhanga and Alipurduar Junction on 1 and 7 May respectively), Vishakhapatnam (devotees’ conference on 24 April). T h e
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General News Y Swami Smarananandaji, Vice President of the Ramakrishna Order, declared open the extended dialysis wing at Ramakrishna Mission hospital, Lucknow, on 17 May. Y Swami Smarananandaji inaugurated a building at Mayavati on 18 May that would serve as doctors’ quarters and guest-house. Sri Jagannath Pahadia, Governor of Haryana, and Smt Urmila Singh, Governor of Himachal Pradesh, visited Chandigarh centre on 1 and 2 April respectively in connection with the centre’s annual celebration. Y Kunal Chawala, a student of our Chandigarh students’ home, has secured 6th rank in the All India IITJEE examination this year.
Sri Jagannath Pahadia and other dignitaries in the Chandigarh function
Summer Camps for Children Y The following centres conducted summer camps for children. The programme (organised with the help
of monastics, volunteers and teachers) included chanting, bhajans, moral lessons, yogasanas, etc. SI. No.
Centre
Duration of the camp
Participants
1
Hyderabad*
One month (22 April to 24 May)
750 children in the age group 11-15
2.
Chennai
One month (1 to 31 May)
380 children in the age group 8-14
3.
Rajahmundry**
Four weeks (2 to 29 May)
155 children in the age group 8-12
2
Kanpur
One week (22 to 29 May)
125 children in the age group 9-16
3
Ponnampet
One week (17 to 24 April)
120 children in the age group 10-16
4
Pune
One week (24 to 29 May)
145 children in the age group 12-15
5
Rajkot
Four weeks (2 to 27 May)
76 children in the age group 7-13
* Special training for 100 parents on family values was also conducted during the period. ** On 28 May, Vidyarthi Homa was performed wherein each participant offered bilvapatra to solemnize the event (for more details of this ceremony, please refer to Student’s Vows, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai.)
Chennai Math: Bhajan session
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Cultural programme by the participants
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Rajahmundry Math: Cultural programme
Vidyarthi Homa
Hyderabad Math: A class in summer camp in progress
A yogasanas session
Y The foundation stone for the proposed temple at Limbdi Ashrama was laid on 27 May. Y Mr Piotr Klodkouuski, Ambassador of Poland to India, visited Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Puri,
Orissa, on 1 May. Y Professor Kingshook Biswas of the Department of Mathematics, Vivekananda University, Belur, has been awarded the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Medal for Young Scientists for the year 2011. Relief News 1. Earthquake & Tsunami Relief: Japan: Our Japan centre continued its relief work among the victims of the recent earthquake and the ensuing tsunami. In the second phase, the centre distributed vegetables, fruits and stationery items to the evacuees at Izumi Kominkan Shelter in Izumi City and Nihon Univa Volunteer Centre in Iwaki City. 2. Distress Relief: The following centres distributed various items, shown in brackets, to needy people: Chandigarh (340 assorted garments); Vrindaban (1200 kg rice, 1200 kg flour, 300 kg dal, 300 kg mustard oil, 600 kg salt, 150 kg sugar, 600 bars of soap). 3. Drought Relief: Under ‘Sri Ramakrishna Jaladhara Project’, our Limbdi centre completed de-silting and deepening of three ponds in Surendranagar district last month, thus making the total number of such ponds 60 in the last nine years. 4. Rehabilitation: Gujarat: A school building and a vocational training centre building at Parevada village (30 km from Rajkot city) constructed by our Rajkot centre for the Madari (snake charmers) community were inaugurated on 28 May. T h e
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For review in THE VEDANTA KESARI, publishers need to send us two copies of their latest publication.
AWAKENING INDIA By Swami Vivekananda Published by Ramakrishna Mission New Delhi, Ramakrishna Ashrama Marg, New Delhi - 110 055. 2011, paperback, Pp.203, Rs.55. Swami Vivekananda lives on through his message. His stirring words, now available as nine-volume Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, continue to ‘inspire men and women everywhere’. It is more than a century when he left his body, and 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of his birth, yet his words continue to reverberate with the same vigour as when they were first delivered on the global stage. ‘Sisters and Brothers of America’—what a moving eloquence, steeped in universal love and oneness of existence! The idealized Vivekananda—‘cyclonic monk’, ‘patriot saint’, ‘great spiritual teacher’, the architect of ‘the universal gospel’—is gradually receiving a more pragmatic orientation in the recent flurry of studies which concentrate on his words more than his biographical details. The present volume finds its rightful place in this new genre of publications. Awakening India aims at invoking the power of Vivekananda’s words ‘for the regeneration of our motherland’ (p.iv), particularly aiming at youth. Brought out to mark the beginning of four-year long celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Swamiji, the volume was released by Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India, on 12th January 2011, the birthday of Swami Vivekananda according to the English calendar. Comprising a judicious collection of material from the Complete Works, the volume may be called as an effective Vivekananda Reader, addressed to Indian youth, reformers, educationists, in the first T h e
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section, and on aspects such as women’s empowerment, uplift of the masses and restoring our national glory in the remaining three sections. Each section of the book is subdivided into several units; for instance, the first section entitled, ‘Swamji’s Message to the Youth’ has nine units such as ‘It is the youth who will transform this nation’, ‘Take up an ideal and give your whole life to it,’ ‘Stand on your own feet’ and so on. Arranging Swamiji’s words thus is like providing the youth a roadmap for improvement to bring sense into a largely senseless progression which marks most lives today. Each of these units has selections not from one lecture or one context but from numerous contexts where Swamiji may have referred to the subject under discussion. For instance, in the sixth section ‘Restoring our National Glory’, the second unit called ‘India can be raised only through the power of the spirit’ has 8 paragraphs selected from 8 different places in III, IV and VIII volumes of the Complete Works. Eclectic, assorted and diverse but still relevant. The compilers need to be congratulated for the creative choice of sections and units as well as the meticulous care in selecting the passages. The volume is an instant ready-reckoner of Vivekananda’s ideas. Eminently worth reading and, more importantly, putting into practice in a proactive manner. ________________________________ SUMITA ROY, HYDERABAD
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PRASTHANATRAYA All translation by V.Panoli Vol. II. Isa, Kena, Katha, Mandukya Upanishads. 2006, hardback, Pp. 547 + L, Rs.260. Vol. III. Prashna, Mundaka, Taittiriya, Aitareya Upanishads. 2008, hardback, Pp.518 + xxiv, Rs. 400. J U L Y
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Vol.IV, Chhandogya Upanishad. 2008, hardback, Pp. 925 + xxiv, Rs.600. Vol. V. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 2008, hardback, Pp. 1342 + xxiv, Rs.500. All published by The Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Co.Ltd, M.J. Krishnamohan Memorial Building, K.P. Kesava Menon Road, Kozhikode - 673 001. Vedic scriptural literature abounds in a multitude of texts of diverse types and grades. Even a single lifetime is not adequate to read all of them, let alone understand them. However, only three texts have been accepted down the ages by all sages and scholars as the most authoritative. These canonical texts are the Upanishads, the Brahmasutras, and the Bhagavad Gita. All other texts are only valid so long as they agree with these three texts, called together Prasthana-traya or the Three Paths. They form the foundation of Sanatana Dharma. It has been the dream of several scholars to write commentaries or explanatory notes on these three texts. The first and probably the best-known of them is the great Adi Shankaracharya, who flourished in this country between 688 CE and 720 CE. He is famous not only for these commentaries, but also for several other achievements such as the establishment of monasteries in four corners of the country (and according to some, in five). He also composed many hymns, and wrote several books explaining the salient features of his commentaries. Most of all, he is recognized for firmly establishing his interpretation of the Prasthantraya. His interpretative commentaries are the key to understanding Advaita. It is incredible that he achieved all this in a brief span of 32 years. He set the trail blazing which has been followed by later Acharyas like Ramanuja, Madhva and several others. His own commentaries have been elaborately explained by a succession of disciples. Unfortunately, in this process, several distortions have cropped up, because of the intellectual deficiency of the interpreters or contamination by their own thoughts. The only way out is a study of the original text of the commentaries. But this poses a formiT h e
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dable challenge. Very few possess the kind of knowledge of Samskritam needed to understand the text. Failing this, one has to take recourse to an authentic translation. Every translator claims that his translation comes closest to the original. Here again, the opinions of scholars differ. It is in this context that the latest translation by Panoli comes as a relief. The qualifications of Panoli for undertaking this stupendous task are, indeed, impeccable. The deep study of the subject undertaken by him for a long period, the approval he got from his own teachers and scholarly friends and critics, and his own dedication to his task, have all of them contributed to the success of the venture, in providing an authentic translation for the benefit of the English-knowing public. The four volumes under review are about the ten Major Upanishads. Panoli has published the translation of the Gita Bhashya in one volume, and that of the Brahmasutra Bhashya in two volumes, thus making it a monumental set of seven volumes. The ten major Upanishads have been presented in four groups. The first group consists of Isha, Kena, Katha and Mandukya with the Karika of Gaudapada. These constitute the most popular Upanishads, with scintillating ideas. Without the commentary of Shankara, it is very difficult to understand the Isha and Kena, because they deal with very esoteric ideas. The Kena even provides a definition of Consciousness, unsurpassed in the Upanishadic literature. The Katha abounds in allegories and analogies, and has influenced the philosophy of the Gita profoundly. The Mandukya with the Karika introduces Omkara through the different States of Consciousness. The second volume in this series, which is Vol. III of the whole series, contains translations of the commentaries on Prashna, Mundaka, Taittiriya and Aitareya Upanishads. Panoli has followed the traditional practice of placing Mundaka after Prashna, though Shankara himself would have preferred the reverse order. These Upanishads are somewhat difficult, and Shankara’s commentaries are very useful, especially the one on Taittiriya. The third and the fourth volumes of this series are devoted to Chandogya Upanishad and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad respectively, two of the largest and most difficult Upanishads. Shankara’s commentaries are indispensable for their understanding. The commentary on the last, the Brihada-
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ranyaka, along with that on the Brahmasutras, is considered by all scholars, Indian and Western, as his masterpiece. Panoli has followed a uniform format in all the four volumes. The original text is split into short segments, with the translation following immediately. This helps the process of reading and understanding. The English used in the translation is simple, elegant and easy to understand. The accuracy of the translation is impeccable. Wherever he felt the need for an explanation, he has provided it, but to the point. He has, fortunately, not cluttered up the translation with too many footnotes, which would have only confused an average reader. He has left enough scope for the reader to do some thinking on his own. The format used for the passages in Samskritam is clear and easy on the eyes. The English format too is quite adequate, but would benefit by a better font. Panoli must indeed have possessed a lion’s heart to launch out on such a project, and more importantly, to complete it successfully. He attributes this to the blessings he received from his teacher, well-wishers, and especially the motivation from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Among others who influenced him were Swamis Vivekananda, Virajananda and Madhavananda. The popularity of the books can be gauged by the fact that they have already seen the third edition. The Government of India also suitably honoured him by procuring copies of the books for one hundred University libraries of the country. Lovers of Vedanta, especially of Shankara, should be grateful to Sri V.Panoli for enriching Vedantic literature. _______________________________ NVC SWAMY, BANGALORE
THE VARKARIS—AN INTRODUCTION By Dr. Satish K. Kapoor Published by author, Centre for the Preservation of Heritage of Maharashtra, D.B.F. Dayanand College of Arts and Science, Solapur - 413 002, Maharashtra, 2010, paperback, Pp.29, price not given. T h e
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Standing with his feet evenly placed on a brick, hands at the hip, looking out for his bhaktas— Panduranga Vitthala, the Lord of Pandhari beckons all. He is none other than Krishna, who left his splendours in Dwaraka to manifest as the savale (black) parabrahma in Pandharpur, on the banks of the sacred river Chandrabhaga in Maharashtra. Maharashthra’s 700 years old bhakti tradition which is contained in abhangs, the soul stirring bhajans in Marathi. This bhakti poetry pervades the society at all levels and thousands of abhangs, are sung daily by the Varkaris. Yet Varkaris, Vitthala’s bhaktas, are almost unknown, outside Maharashtra. Dr. Satish K. Kapoor’s small booklet is, therefore, a very welcome contribution. The author gives in chapter-1 a detailed description of Varkaris’ beliefs, ethics and religious practices. A Varkari is one who has pledged to undertake (kari—to do) regular foot-pilgrimages (wari-s) to Pandharpur. Four times a year, an endless stream of Varkaris, from various towns and villages, all walking, dancing and singing from morning to evening to the accompaniment of brasscymbals (tal) and Pakhvaj, abhangs of their poet-saints, braving all hardships converge in Pandharpur on Shukla Ekadasi. The most important being the Ashadi-wari (June/July). Everybody is welcome in this Maha Premamarg irrespective of caste, gender, creed, nationality. The saints stress again and again that no rigorous sadhana is needed to reach Vitthal, whose main characteristic is his overwhelming love for his devotees, more as a friend (sakhya Panduranga) or father and mother in one (mayi-bap). The Varkaris are all householders who manage to integrate their religious belief in their daily life. Singing of abhangs takes for the oftentimes illiterate Varkaris the place of puja. To be a Varkari means to lead a highly moral and simple, non-materialistic life—in the footsteps of the Sants (saints); to live in the midst of one’s family, carry out professions and trades, yet foster virtues like humility, compassion, purity of mind, non-violence. It means performing wari-yatra every month to Pandharpur on Shukla Ekadasi, studying the abhangs—in essence to draw Vitthal’s image ever closer in ones heart, getting coloured in His colour and to surrender mind, speech and body to Him. In the following four chapters, the author gives brief life-sketches of the main Sants of the
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Varkari tradition. Beginning with Sant Gyanadeva, lovingly called ‘mauli’ (mother) by the Varkaris, he laid the foundation for this sampradaya by combining bhakti and jnana. At the tender age of 16, he wrote the most outstanding work in Marathi literature, the Gyaneshvari—a rendering of the Bhagavad Gita in his words, making it accessible to the common people. At the age of 22, on fulfilling his mission, he took jiva-samadhi in Alandi (near Pune), entombing himself alive in meditation. Sant Namadeva, his contemporary and friend, born in the tailor-caste, was an exemplary bhakta, who made himself dependent on Vitthala for all his needs like a child. With his heart-rending, pleading verses, he moved the ‘savala’—the black stonemurti. On many occasions, Vitthla, the lover of his bhaktas, literally came ‘running’ to help the bhakta. In his later life, Namdeva spent many years in the Punjab and is even today greatly revered there. 61 of his songs have been integrated into the Guru Granth Sahib. Known for his gurubhakti the great householder Santa Ekanath lived in Paithan and his writings brought about a revival of Marathi literature. Legend goes that Vitthala loved him so much that he spent 12 years incognito as a servant in Ekanath’s house, doing menial work, enjoying the company of his bhakta. Tukaram, with an absolute one-pointedness, made Vitthala the center of his life. Divinely inspired he spoke only in abhangs, which first caused much criticism and opposition—the essence of the Vedas was not to be pronounced in a Prakrit language! By his humility and compassion Tukaram gained huge following and became the crown-jewel of the Varkari Sampradaya. The Sants came from different social backgrounds and professions. There was Sena the barber; Narahari the goldsmith; Gora the potter; Savata the gardener; Chokhamela the town-crier and even women saints as Janabai, maidservant in Namadev’s household; Kanhopatra the dancing-girl and Muktabai, Santa Gyaneshvar’s sister who were mystics of the highest order. The abhangs are a unifying force and etched in the ‘public memory’ of Maharashtra. It is because of these poet-saints that religious, moral and human values still survive in the villages of Maharashtra, enabling that society to retain its inner strength and identity. T h e
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Dr.Satish K.Kapoor’s effort in presenting this English introduction on the Varkaris is truly commendable. _______________________________ ARPANA GHOSH, CHENNAI
Rules to Rulers By Prayaga Ramakrishna, translated from Telugu by D.Rangarao Published by Author, Prayaga Ramakrishna, A/11, Amba Gardens, Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad - 500 028. E-mail: prayagaramakrishna@gmail. com. 2010, paperback, Pp. 212+xix, Rs.200, $8. This book is a collection of articles relating to various aspects of governance based on the teachings of our scriptures and law books. The main emphasis of the book is on the precedence set by the characters portrayed in our great epics and the teachings in our Dharmasastras and its usefulness to our modern managers and administrators. The amazing wisdom, courage and administrative acumen seen in the characters portrayed in our epics will definitely be a great source of inspiration to modern leaders. The book attempts to answer two basic questions, namely, ‘What makes a person a good leader?’ and ‘What qualities should a good leader have?’ Though the author labels them as rules, in reality, what is contained in all the epics and literature of this ancient land are only directive principles and not specific injunctions. The golden principle is that, to the extent one adheres to righteousness, to that extent one becomes successful in all spheres of public governance. But, unfortunately, today, a general notion has set in the minds of many that unless one yields to dishonesty and corruption, success, nay, the very survival in the world, is impossible. This book tries to correct that wrong notion and proves that truth alone triumphs. But one is left with a lurking doubt as to why this country, in spite of such voluminous literature on statecraft and teachings on Dharma, has sunk in overwhelming corruption with gross mismanagement in every department of the government. The preface ties to answer it thus, ‘If India does not want to be destroyed simply because of
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bad leadership and poor governance, it must turn towards the wisdom of the sages on this subject, since wisdom does not change from time to time, or place to place. The words of the sages, filtered and condensed through tens of thousands of years can alone be the pole star of India. Our problems are Indian, and our solutions too have to be Indian’ The contents of the book are laid out in thirty short chapters. Ranga Rao’s translation is simple and lucid and the language free flowing, however with a tinge of ‘Telugu flavour’. This is a book that should be read by all members of the upcoming generation. It is worth prescribing this as a material for class room studies in schools and colleges. __________________________ H. SUBRAMANIAN, BANGALORE
that govern spiritual life such as simple living, control of the senses, satsang and so on. Aspirants should understand that God is not a superman dispensing justice nor can He be realized by mere rituals. Says the author, ‘The enlightened ones do not search for God. . . . We are already enlightened . . . but we are not aware of this’. Good and bad feelings are illusions. Lethargy, fear and negative ideas are hurdles. Instead one should have faith in oneself, own responsibility, lead a life of dharma, and cultivate love, and a desire for service to the poor and diseased. The book is especially useful to beginners in spiritual life as it discusses fundamentals. Employers and employees of establishments will also find this useful in promoting human relations, work culture, the importance of motivation and an aptitude for team spirit, self help and contentment. It will enhance the usefulness of these books if the contents undergo more editing. ______________________________ P. S. SUNDARAM, CHENNAI
A TREASURE OF QUOTES By J.P. Vaswani
YOU TOO CAN BE IDEAL! By Vedula VLN Murthy Published by Srikunj Sadbhavana Manch, New Delhi. 2010, paperback. Pp.109, Rs. 99. US$5.
BE A MASTER BY YOURSELF By Vedula VLN Murthy Published by Syamala Publications, D.No.237-23, TTD Mandapam Road, Kakinada - 533 001. 2010, paperback, Pp.40, Rs.35. These two small books by the author are intended to help the growing numbers of persons struggling in the vortex of modern society and to show them the path of spirituality as the obvious solution. The efforts are worth taking in order to rise from the physical to the spiritual plane. The author has drawn on the divine life of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda among others. The contents run through familiar concepts
Published by Ravi V. Melwani. Hardback, Pp.367 Rs.599. (Available at Gita Publishing House, 10, Sadhu Vaswani Path, Pune - 411 001) This collection of thoughts of Dada J. P. Vaswani is a commemorative volume on the occasion of Dada Vaswani’s 90th birthday. Produced in elegant style and attractively printed this book has a selection of over 300 of his thoughts compiled by Ravi V. Melwani. Another publication, a photo portrait titled Living Legend had also been released to commemorate the same event. Dada Vaswani has brought solace to millions who have had occasion to meet him, or hear or read his profound wisdom. His words remind us of the eternal richness of Indian philosophy. There are repetitions of thoughts in the collection, but they help to reinforce those concepts. Makes an engaging reading. ______________________________ P. S. SUNDARAM, CHENNAI
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RAMAKRISHNA KUTIR Bright End Corner, Almora—263 601, Uttarakhand Phone: 05962-254417, E-mail: rkutir@gmail.com, rkutir@yahoo.in
Appeal for Restoration Ramakrishna Kutir (Ashrama) at Almora, Uttarakhand, was founded in 1916 by Swami Turiyananda and Swami Shivananda (two direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna) at the behest of the Swami Vivekananda. The Almora Ashrama is a retreat centre where monks and devotees of Sri Ramakrishna come to live in its spiritual atmosphere and get peace of mind. The place is imbued with the spiritual vibrations of Swami Turiyananda’s holy and austere life. The Ashrama also conducts welfare activities for the poor hill people and needy students. Last year we distributed 5000 woollen blankets to the victims of devastating rain that hit Almora district. Unprecedented rains and cloud burst in September 2010 in Almora resulted in tremendous landslide, gorges, cracks and land-sinking of the Ashrama premises. The changed land contour has damaged the temple and other buildings. Our engineers have suggested abandoning of an old building and rebuilding of other damaged ones. Hence we appeal to all devotees and general public to extend their helping hands to restore the Ashrama buildings. The restoration of land, at least, should be completed before the next rainy season in 2011. After that we shall have to start the construction of the damaged buildings. For this entire restoration and reconstruction work, we need more than 2 Crore rupees.
Cheque/Draft may please be drawn in favour of ‘Ramakrishna Kutir, Almora’ and sent to: Ramakrishna Kutir, Bright End Corner, Almora, Pin - 263 601 (Uttarakhand). The name of the donors of 2 Lakh rupees and above will be displayed in prominent place, if he or she wishes. All donations to Ramakrishna Math are exempt from the Income Tax U/S. 80G of the I.T. Act. Swami Somadevananda Adhyaksha
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Personality development is the key to all progress and happiness. Swami Vivekananda said, ‘Men, men these are wanted; everything else will be ready’. In other words, he wanted men with a well-developed personality, full of all noble virtues such as sincerity, unselfishness and purity of heart. How to Shape the Personality describes various aspects, methods and ways of Personality Development. Contains 30 thought-provoking articles by monks and lay writers, actively involved in teaching and implementing different aspects of Personality Development. Paperback, Pages 352 + vii Price: Rs. 70/- + Postage: Rs.25/- per copy No request for VPP entertained Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004
SRI RAMAKRISHNA ADVAITA ASHRAMA (HQS: Ramakrishna Math & Mission, Belur Math) P.O. Kalady, Ernakulam - 683574, Kerala Phone:0484-2462345, Cell:9447051231 E-mail:srkaadv@dataone.in
An Appeal The Ashrama has been running a free hostel for the poor, underprivileged and orphan children from classes V to X since 1936. They are provided with food, uniform, accommodation and education up to Xth Std. absolutely free of cost. They are admitted in the school managed by the Ashrama within its campus. There is an urgent need for repair and renovation of the old hostel buildings and for creating a ‘Hostel Corpus Fund’ of Rs. 2 Crores for maintaining the hostel with 100 boys smoothly in the years to come. We appeal to the generous public and well wishers to donate liberally for this most essential educational project. Donations towards the activities of the Ashrama are exempt from Income Tax under 80G. Cheques or Bank Drafts may be drawn in favour of ‘Sri Ramakrishna Advaita Ashrama, Kalady’ and sent to the above address. Donations also can be sent directly through RTGS/NEFT to our A/c No. 3386010009164 at Union Bank of India, Kalady (IFSC Code: UBIN0533866). Swami Amaleshananda
Adhyaksha
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SRI VIVEKANANDA SEVASHRAMA No. 39, 8 ’B’ Main Road, 17 Cross Road, BSK 2 Stage, Bengaluru - 560 070. Tel No. 080 26766996, E-mail: vivekeyecare@gmail.com Web: www vivekaeyecare.org
APPEAL The inspiration came from Swamiji’s exhortation ‘Service to man is service to God’—serve humanity with the zeal of worshipping the Almighty. The area chosen for service was health care and cataract surgery. Our mega camp draws hundreds of patients and more than 300 surgeries are conducted in a two day camp. Sri Vivekananda Sevashrama Eye Hospital delivers the high tech facility by creating the needed infrastructure at Taluk hospitals and Primary Health centres in Karnataka. Ours is fully equipped mobile unit. The equipments are moved in a mini lorry and Operation theatre looks exactly like that of a sophisticated hospital. Other Sevashrama activities include free eye check up for school children in rural areas. Sunday clinics at Vasantapura and Tataguni begun in 1975 continue to benefit large number of patients. The recent addition to our activity is surgery for children under general anasthesia. Till now 32 children aged six months to 14 years have been operated upon at Usha Kiran Hospital Mysore. Realising that in regions in North Karnataka the prevalence of cataract among the poor going untreated is high, Sevashrama has conducted camps on a mega scale at Kushtagi, Lingasuguru, Maski, Karatagi, Yelbarga and Yadgir, etc., nearly 500 Kms from Bengaluru. Sri Vivekananda Sevashrama is a registered Trust and its accounts are audited annually. Sevashrama is granted income tax exemption under 80G for the donations. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has granted permission to receive donations in foreign currencies. Sevashrama has been consistently conducting surgeries averaging 3000 per year over the years attaining a mile stone figure of 20,800 IOL surgeries as on 31 March 2011. Sevashrama depends on public donations from individuals and institutions. Surgical and other equipment needs continuous upgradation and replacement. Sri Vivekananda Sevashrama appeals to you to come forward and share our vision of service to society by: 1. Serving as dedicated volunteers at: a) Base hospital in Bengaluru, b) Children’s activities in Mysore, c) For camps outside Bengaluru, d) For Resource mobilisation. 2. Sponsoring cataract surgery @ Rs. 1,500 per surgery & purchase of equipment 3. Sponsoring children eye surgery @ Rs. 5000 per surgery 4. Sponsoring School Children eye screening camp @ Rs. 5,000 per camp 5. Sponsoring food articles for cataract patients 6. Sponsoring new clothing like bedsheets, Rugs, Towels, Sarees, Dhoties & children garments Cheques / DD may be drawn in favour of Sri Vivekananda Sevashrama payable at Bengaluru. Contact Persons: Venkatesha Murthy and Gopalakrishna Y.R. Prof. N. Krishnaswamy President
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NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE (FREE HOME FOR THE BLIND, ORPHAN AND AGED) TIRUCHANOOR, TIRUPATI - 517503. Ph : 0877-2239992, 9908537528 [Mob.] E-mail: navajeevan@sancharnet.in Website: www.navajeevan.org
An Appeal 31 Years of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2009 1. Navajeevan School & Hostel for Blind Children
– Tirupati & Orissa
2. Navajeevan Free Eye Hospital
– Tirupati
3. Navajeevan Free Home for Aged
– Tirupati & Rishikesh
4. Navajeevan Harijan Sewa Ashram
– Kothapeta
5. Navajeevan Sharanagati Vridhashram
– Tirupati
6. Navajeevan Orphanage
– Parlaki Mudi [Orissa]
7. Navajeevan Rural Medical Centres
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Berhampur [Orissa]
8. Navajeevan Eye Care Centres
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Serango [Orissa]
A Humble Request for Donation 1. Sponsor one day Annadan to Blind Children and aged
– Rs. 5000/-
2. Sponsor 5 IOL Cataract Eye Operations
– Rs. 7000/-
3. Sponsor one blind child or Orphan child for one year
– Rs. 6000/-
4. Sponsor one poor aged person for one year
– Rs. 5000/-
5. Sponsor one free eye camp at Rural/Tribal area
– Rs. 50000/-
6. Vidyadan—Educational aid for one Child
– Rs. 2000/-
Donor devotees can send their contributions by cheque/DD/MO to the above address on the occasion of birthday, wedding day or any other special occasion and receive prasadam of Lord Balaji Venkateswara of Tirupati as blessings. Contributions to NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE, Tirupati are eligible for Tax Relief U/S 80G of Income Tax Act.
‘We can attain salvation through social work’ – Swami Vivekananda K. Sridhar Acharya Founder/ President
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The Vedanta Kesari Regd. with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 57. Postal Registered No. TN / CH (C) / 190 / 09-11 Licenced to Post WPP No. 259 / 09-11 Date of publication: 26th of every month
Teach yourselves, teach everyone his/her real nature, call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything that is excellent will come, when this sleeping soul is roused to selfconscious activity. —Swami Vivekananda
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