Book Reviews

For review in The Vedan a Kesari, publishers need to send us two copies o their latest publication.

Swami Subodhananda by Swami Chetanananda & Swami Vimohananda Published by Advaita Ashrama, 5, Dehi Entally Road, Kolkata - 700 014, 2016, paperback, pp.212, Rs.100.

Swami Subodhananda, one of Sri Ramakrishna’s blessed direct disciples was lovingly known as Khoka Maharaj in the Ramakrishna Order. True to the word ‘Khoka’ which means a small boy, Swami Subodhananda had a childlike personality. The charm of this personality was enhanced by a deep spiritual wisdom and a generous heart. The present book details the life, teachings, reminiscences, and letters of Khoka Maharaj. The biographical narrative has been reproduced almost verbatim from Swami Chetanananda’s popular and authoritative book ‘God Lived with Them.’ Twentyone reminiscences of Khoka Maharaj by sannyasis and devotees have been translated from the Bengali book Swami Subodhanander Smritikatha, compiled and published by Udbodhan Office, Kolkata. Khoka Maharaj’s letters have been translated from the Bengali book Sri Sri Swami Subodhanander Jibani O Patra, published by Sonargaon Ramakrishna Math, Dhaka. The mark of a great saint is not in how he enthralls his audience with revolutionary spiritual ideas, but in the way he lives his life without any trace of ego. Such a great saint truly was our Khoka Maharaj, who could transform lives by the power of his compassion, love and childlike wisdom. Once when a woman disciple asked him if he could teach him Gayatri and other such disciplines, Khoka Maharaj humbly replied, ‘Mother, I don’t know all those things either. You see, I am a Khoka. I have given you what I have received from the Master, what I have known from my own experience, and what has kept me in a blissful state. Please control your mind and practice japa and meditation.’ The book is replete with numerous anecdotes reflecting Khoka Maharaj’s love and concern for devotees, and the miraculous ways in which he intervened to help his disciples progress on their spiritual journey. Every other incident recorded in the book can be meditated upon to cultivate right spiritual attitude towards life and to develop faith in the Lord. One of the challenges that a sincere spiritual seeker faces is doubting his own sincerity of purpose. Once when Swami Subodhananda was asked what one must do if one has not firm faith in God or in the divine reality, his simple yet profound reply was, ‘Don’t stop calling on God even if He doesn’t show himself. If one already has firm faith, what else remains to be achieved?’ The book is a must-read for all devotees of Sri Ramakrishna and even for spiritual aspirants walking in different paths. _____________________ SWAMI SHANTIVRATANANDA, MYSURU

Caturyuga Calendar of Vai a atha Man antara (Purani Chroni le) by R. Parthasarathy. Published by The Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute, No.84, Thiru Vi.Ka.

Road, Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004. 2015, hardbound, pp.212, Rs. 400. In this book under review the pre-historic conditions of Indian peninsula have been designed, developed and discussed from two perspectives: First, India as having an uninterrupted history for many yugas as a punya-bhumi, and the other, the Western historians’ conception of ‘non-originality as ‘Indian’ and that only foreign ideas flourished after 1500 B.C. To these Western scholars, the ‘Vedas are mere books of prayers, the epics are unsubstantiated stories and the puranas are books of fables’. Both the Western scholars and Indian historians who are against the above views intended to rewrite Indian history from the puranic sources ranging from 5000 years. In accordance to the great longing of Dr. N. Mahalingam, the present author has accomplished this assignment by writing this tremendous treatise. The work commences with the authentic source of the puranas as establishing the history of India especially from their translation to other languages as well as ascertaining the

applicability of ‘saptarishi’ era for fixing the puranic events. Various sources are considered for asserting the period of each yuga, along with the danger in altering the dates as well. According to the author, in order to explore the various puranas, epics and other holy scriptures, the caturyuga calendar will be of immense help. In the prologue, it is stated that this work ‘tries to highlight various challenges faced by Indians in re-creating the ancient history of India and relevance of puranas as sources for re-writing the history of India’. A large number of national and international sources are analysed in this regard in order to authenticate the period of the puranas which form the better source of Indian history, as per the contention of the author. The subject matters of the puranas pertaining to parables, avataras, devaasura wars, and the scientific data which are found in the puranas are well explained subsequently. The caturyuga calendar and time scale are elucidated with a view to focus the main theme of this work. The role of the rishis in observing minutely the movements of the planets and the disputes in numbering them as six or seven has also been highlighted. A variety of details contained in the puranas pertaining to the yugas are developed with a key note that the mythological traditions and historical traditions vary widely in the puranas. The calendar dealing with the four yugas with puranic chronicles are properly annotated with a vivid picture of the development of the puranic allusions and historic facts. A few worthwhile appendices also add glory to this enthralling project. On the whole this work has certainly fulfilled the ambitious objective of the author that ‘the puranic events provided in this book offer an excellent framework for incorporating Suryavamsa, Candravamsa and other dynasties within the revised Caturyuga scale.’ A great potential lies ahead for further research on a large scale for the enthusiasts. Let us hope for the day when people and scholars come together to thoroughly analyse the puranas, yugas, dynasts, histories, mythology etc. in a logically consistent method based on the findings of this unique work. ___________________________ R. GOPALAKRISHNAN, CHENNAI

Human Value in Religion by M.A. Jayachanra and others. Published by Gandhi Centre of Science and Human Values, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 43/1, Race Course Road, Bengaluru - 560 001, Email: gandhicentre.bvd@gmail.com. 2016. paperback,pp.179. Rs.150. Pluralistic society is now the norm the world over and we are witnessing the breaking of borders through migration, whether voluntary or enforced and some societies are bewildered by the changes they see. Fortunately for us, we have had a long tradition of welcoming and embracing different forms of worship, holding the view from Upanishadic times that Truth is one, though sages describe it different ways. This book throws light on the leading religions of the world – Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam and, in doing so, enlightens the reader of the basic tenets of each. Every religion has been evaluated and explained by an active and well-known practitioner of that particular religion. Reading through the book, it is very clear that every religion emphasises the same things – universal love, acceptance, non-violence, charity, non-judgement, with great stress laid on tolerance and human kindness. This is also the message of Sri Ramakrishna who illustrated it with a brilliant metaphor – it does not matter whether one uses a ladder or stairs (and today even an elevator), the important thing is to get to the roof. The essays are full of high thinking and need concentrated study if it is to be interpreted rightly. This book is for the serious reader and searcher for Truth as all the writers are experts in the doctrines of their respective religions and their scholarship and rigour is everywhere evident. ____________________________ PREMA RAGHUNATH, CHENNAI

A couple of days before the Master's passing away, when Narendra (later swami Vivekananda) and a few others were standing by his bed at night, a curious thought flashed across Naren's mind: ‘The Master has said many a time that he is an Incarnation of God. If he now says in the midst of the throes of death, in this terrible moment of human anguish and physical pain, “I am God Incarnate”, then I will believe.’ No sooner had Naren thought this, than the Master turned towards him and, summoning all his energy, said, ‘O my Naren, are you not yet convinced? He who was Rama, He who was Krishna, He Himself is now Ramakrishna in this body: not in your Vedantic sense, but actually so.’