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T he V edanta K esari
106
th
Year
of
Publication
A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of The Ramakrishna Order
DECEMBER 2019 v v v v v v v v v v v v v v
CONTENTS
Vol. 106, No. 12 ISSN 0042-2983
Yugavani 9 Editorial 10 Dharma and Mukti 12 Swami Vivekananda Sri Ramakrishna: A Unique Husband 17 Srimat Swami Gautamananda Ji Ideal Role-Modelling 21 Srimat Swami Suhitananda Ji Sri Ramakrishna’s Advice to Householders 29 Swami Mangalanathananda Sri Sarada Devi: The Ideal Sahadharmini 38 Pravrajika Atmadevaprana Swami Vivekananda on Family Life: A Glimpse 45 Swami Kritarthananda Rishi Ideal For Spiritualising Family Life 50 Swami Muktidananda Brahmacharya in Married Life 59 Swami Purushottamananda Purity: The Graded Ideal 71 A Sannyasi Grihastha Ashrama: Opportunities and Challenges 83 Dr. Arathi V. B. Grihastha Dharma from Ramayana 86 K. Srinivasan Grihastha Dharma in Mahabharata 88 Swami Samarpanananda
Editor: Swami Mahamedhananda Published by Swami Vimurtananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai - 600 004 and Printed by B. Rajkumar, Chennai - 600 014 on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna Math Trust, Chennai - 600 004 and Printed at M/s. Rasi Graphics Pvt. Limited, No.40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014. Website: www.chennaimath.org
E-mail: vk@chennaimath.org
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A Day in the Life of a Householder: In the Light of Yajnavalkya Smriti Dr. Jayaraman Mahadevan Saptapadi: Vows with Steps Kasturi Jayaraman Significance of Vratas: Savitri Vrata Prema Nandakumar Living Together: Responsibilities and Challenges Gokul Muthu Mindful Parenting: Be a Neurosculptor YogaKshema Why Connection Is the Key to Parenting Nalina Ramalakshmi The Griha and Grihastha in Indian Culture Sneha Nagarkar Reader’s Voice vvv v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v
PEARLS OF WISDOM
99 106 111 121 126 134 137 150 vvv
Taittiriya Upanishad 25 Rishi Manu 27 Rishi Atri 28 Maha Nirvana Tantra 43 Tiruvalluvar 57 Bhartrihari 58 Bhagavan Buddha 78 Bhagavan Mahavira 80 Guru Granth Sahib 81 Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu 95 Varkari Saints 96 Goswami Tulsidasa 98 Purandaradasa 117 Basavanna 118 Kavi Kshemendra 119 Yogi Vemana 120 Ramana Maharshi 144 Deify Your Day 145 A Day in a Traditional Sri Vaishnava Family 149 Annual Index page 154
The
Vedanta Kesari
Swamiji, as Swami Vivekananda was fondly addressed, loved and revered his motherland as his own mother. Every breath of his aspired for her well being and every cell in his body yearned that she regain her lost glory. She had been a beacon light for the world until repeated invasions pillaged her ruthlessly and left her not just poverty-stricken but also psychologically drained. The latter struck at the very core, underlying the urgency for immediate redressal. First issue of Swamiji’s panacea for this lay in India’s very own practical and ennobling Vedantic wisdom. Vedanta recognises no weakness. It Brahmavadin proclaims that in every individual lies a mine of strength. All that is needed is an effort to draw from it.
Swamiji started looking for the right channel to propagate the powerful message of Vedanta. He opted for the print medium and decided to bring out a journal, giving it the name Brahmavadin. In February 1895, he sent from USA $100 and a letter to his trusted disciple Alasinga Perumal. The letter read: ‘Now I am bent upon starting the journal. Herewith I send a hundred dollars… Hope this will go just a little in starting your paper.’
If selflessness and devotion would have a form, it would have borne the name of Alasinga Perumal. Brahmavadin became Alasinga’s calling and the first issue rolled out from a press in Broadway, Chennai on 14 September 1895. The magazine included a poem of Swamiji specially composed for the occasion. It was titled, ‘The Song of the Sannyasin’. One verse ran thus:
5 The Vedanta Kesari
He was a much-celebrated and much-feted Swami. His famous address at The World’s Parliament of Religions, Chicago in 1893 had catapulted him to the status of a super star. But Swami Vivekananda was not one to bask in chaffy glory. A letter to one of his trusted followers, from the USA, dated 12 Jan 1895, read, ‘I want to preach my ideas for the good of the world. …What work have you done in the way of advancing the ideas and organising in India? …My life is more precious than spending it in getting the admiration of the world. I have no time for such foolery.’
December 2019
One hundred and six years and going strong….
“Strike off thy fetters! Bonds that bind thee down, Love, hate — good, bad — and all the dual throng,
December 2019
For fetters, though of gold, are not less strong to bind;
The Vedanta Kesari
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With this message that marked its mission, Brahmavadin made a determined entry into the strife-ridden climate of pre-independence India. The birth of the magazine was certainly an occasion for celebration but the struggles were far from over. One of Swamiji’s letters to Alasinga read: ‘I learnt from your letter the bad financial state that Brahmavadin is in.’ This was followed by another letter that carried the line, ‘I pledge myself to maintain the paper anyhow.’ Bolstered by this pledge, Alasinga Perumal braved on, surmounting many an impediment. Sadly, Swami Vivekananda passed away in 1902, at the age of thirty-nine. Alasinga’s intense anguish morphed into heightened devotion towards the magazine. But the next hurdle in Brahmavadin’s journey came in 1909, in the form of Alasinga’s own demise. In 1914, the magazine, tottering as it was, floundered and ground to a halt. It was at this crucial juncture, that the Ramakrishna Mission stepped in to revive it. The Mission was itself in its nascent stages with many a teething problem but First issue of nothing could come in its way of reviving the Brahmavadin. The Vedanta Kesari For, had not their beloved Swamiji repeatedly said, ‘The Brahmavadin is a jewel – it must not perish!” And so, the very next month after Brahmavadin closed, it was resuscitated with the new name The Vedanta Kesari.
The history of The Vedanta Kesari is much more than just a tale of sweat, toil and a dream realized. It is a narrative of Swamiji’s passion for India and Alasinga’s devotion to his master. It is a celebration of love, transcending forms.
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Yugavani
Mother’s Counsel One must perform work. It is only through work that the bondage of work will be cut asunder and one will acquire a spirit of non-attachment. One should not be without work even for a moment.
Is it right to deprive someone of her or his just dues? Look at this vegetable peel; even this is the cow’s due; one must place it before the cow.
After someone finished her sweeping work and threw the broom into a corner, Mother said, ‘How strange, my dear! The work is finished, and you throw it away carelessly. It takes almost the same time to keep it slowly and carefully as to throw it away. Should you despise a thing just because it is insignificant? “Him that you save, saves you in turn.” Won’t you need it again? Besides, this thing too forms a part of our household. From that point of view also it deserves some consideration. You must give each one his due share of honour. Even a broom must be shown some honour. The smallest work must be done with reverence.’ One must be patient like the earth. What iniquities are being perpetrated on her! Yet she quietly endures them all. Man, too, should be like that.
If you want peace, my child, do not find fault with others. Rather see you own faults. Learn to make the world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is your own. Do not fear, my child. Always remember that the Master (Sri Ramakrishna) is behind you. I am also with you. As long as you remember me, your mother, why should you be frightened? — Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi
December 2019
If you have wealth use it to serve God and His devotees; if you are not wealthy repeat God’s name.
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PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I R A N J I T C H A U D H U R Y, K O L K ATA
My child, you have been extremely fortunate in getting this human birth. Call on God intensely. One must work hard. Can one achieve anything without effort? You must devote some time for prayer and spiritual practices, even though you are in the midst of worldly activities.
December 2019
Editorial
The Vedanta Kesari
10
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Arise! Awake!
n his introduction to the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Shankaracharya writes that the Lord desiring the stability of his creation brought into existence two kinds of people. He projected Prajapatis like Marici and others and imparted to them pravritti or the laws of outward action; he then brought into existence others like Sanaka and Sanandana and taught them nivritti or the laws of inward meditation characterised by spiritual knowledge and renunciation. This two-fold Vedic teaching gives mankind abhyudaya, socio-economic welfare, and nishreyasa, spiritual freedom.
Dharma or the law of righteousness is that which promotes this two dimensional progress – prosperity and emancipation. The Vedic lawgivers created a wonderful arrangement called Varna-Ashrama Dharma where all classes of people, situated in different stations of life could pursue this two-fold progress. But society suffers whenever there is an imbalance in this pursuit. And this imbalance happens when cravings dominate man and diminish his power of discrimination. Today, our society is making rapid progress on the path of abhyudaya. Our buildings are rising high, surroundings are becoming clean, travel and communication are increasing in speed, and variety of pleasures are multiplying. But all this seems to be coming at the cost of nishreyasa. Our individual lives are full of tension and our social actions lack honesty and cooperation; corruption, crime, and addictions seem to increase by the day. Decrying the Sanatana Dharma and its spiritual teachings has become a pastime to many people and a vocation to some. How do we remedy this situation? Swami Vivekananda gives a clear answer through his call, ‘Arise! Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached.’
Who should awake? And what is the goal?
People in all stations of life should arise to progress towards the twin goals of socioeconomic welfare and spiritual freedom. More than anyone else, the grihasthas or the householders should answer this call. The moral degradation seen in society, which is often blamed upon the youngsters, is in fact largely the consequence of householders not standing up to their dharma. This is due to their ignorance of the tenets of dharma, and also due to weakness of character and will. Truly, the well-being of society depends upon the physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual strength of the householder. Even the fibre of the sannyasi, the cultural-hero of India, depends upon the quality of the grihastha. Wr i t i n g a b o u t h e r g u r u Swa m i Vivekananda, Sister Nivedita makes a very significant observation. She says that the crowning realisation of Swamiji’s philosophy was that, ‘The faithful householder was as essential to the Sanatan Dharma as the faithful monk. The inviolability of marriage and the inviolability of the monastic vow, were obverse and reverse of a single medal. Without noble citizenship, there could be no mighty apostolate. Without the secular, no sacerdotal, without temporal, no spiritual.’
Which is a family of nobility? Nowadays, the wealthy, the powerful, and the famous are regarded as nobility. But Mahendranath Gupta, popularly known as M., the householder devotee who recorded the divine words of Sri Ramakrishna, says: ‘A noble family is that in which many have called upon God before, which has observed holy festivals such as Holi and Durga Puja, and which has fed sadhus, devotees, brahmanas, and the poor.’
In The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, we repeatedly see Sri Ramakrishna instructing and motivating the householders. Though he often plunged into samadhi and could not be conscious whether he was dressed or naked, he yet kept a keen eye on matters in the world. He was very watchful of things like cleanliness and tidiness, not wasting anything, not wearing torn or dirty clothes, putting things in their proper place in an artistic manner, and worshipping God under all conditions.
He advised the householder devotees to keep in mind three things: The first was, Doshay gunay manush, or ‘Man is composed of virtues and vices.’ It means, we have to take a charitable view of people around us at home and in public when they display their negative traits. This will enable us to forgive easily or not even be offended, and thus preserve peace within and without. The second advice was to learn to hiss, i.e., to show one’s mettle while dealing with the world. This is a reference to the parable that Sri Ramakrishna often narrated: A snake which terrorised people was initiated into a mantra by a brahmachari. It soon became so pious that even when cowherd boys thrashed it close to death, it did not resist them. The brahmachari then chided the snake for its foolishness. He advised it to hiss
These and other such teachings for householders given by scriptures and saints are presented in this Special Issue of The Vedanta Kesari. The well-being of Sanatana Dharma, and our whole society, depends upon how the householders evolve in understanding the twin ideals of abhyudaya and nishreyasa, and shoulder with dynamism their responsibility of supporting the other three ashramas – brahmacharya, vanaprastha, and sannyasa.
The Cover Page of this issue, drawn by Sri Gaman Palem of Chennai, presents three stories which highlight the central principles of life – sacrifice, self-control, and renunciation. Swami Vivekananda narrates, in his lecture on Karma Yoga, the story ‘Each Is Great in His Own Place’ to show that the householder and the sannyasi are equally great when they hold on to their ideal. The scene from the story shows a little bird, its wife and their three little ones sacrificing themselves as food for the three guests in their forest. Balancing these householder birds is a sannyasi, not in the scene, who strong in his dispassion rejects the pleasures of a princess and a kingdom. The next picture shows Rama and Sita giving away their wealth before leaving for vanavasa. In the Ramayana, this episode reveals one of the finest moments of Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana’s character when they fulfil their duties as son, husband, wife, and brother. The third picture captures the sublime moment where the divine couple Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi achieve the highest spiritual union after which they bequeathed to their children –householders and sannyasis – both abhyudaya and nishreyasaa. By the Lord’s grace may every householder arise! awake! to ideals in family life.
December 2019
Our scriptures – the shruti, the smritis, the itihasas – and our avatars and saints have explained in detail how the householders should uphold their ideals and fulfil their duties. Again, in recent times, Sri Ramakrishna and his divine consort Sri Sarada Devi recast the mould for householders.
and frighten those who sought to harm it, but without biting them. So Sri Ramakrishna wanted householders to engage with the world in a dignified, heroic manner. The third advice was to stay away from tiger-Narayanas or people who are very crooked and evil.
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PA G E S P O N S O R : K U M . V. D H A R S H A N I H A R I , C H E N N A I
Indeed, nobility begins with conception. Quoting Manusmriti Swami Vivekananda says, ‘a child who is born of lust is not an Aryan. The child whose very conception … is according to the rules of the Vedas, such is an Aryan.’ A child should be born of prayers. And such prayers itself will be possible only when the couple themselves have been nobly married.
Article
Dharma and Mukti SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
December 2019
Selected from The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Vol.5, ‘The East and the West’
The Vedanta Kesari
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W
ith us, the prominent idea is Mukti; with the Westerners, it is Dharma. What we desire is Mukti; what they want is Dharma. Here the word ‘Dharma’ is used in the sense of the Mimamsakas.
Janaka. On the advent of Buddhism, Dharma was entirely neglected, and the path of Moksha alone became predominant…. The central fact is that the fall of our country, of which we hear
What is Dharma? Dharma is that which makes man seek for happiness in this world or the next. Dharma is established on work; Dharma is impelling man day and night to run after and work for happiness. What is Mukti? That which teaches that even the happiness of this life is slavery, and the same is the happiness of the life to come, because neither this world nor the next is beyond the laws of nature; only, the slavery of this world is to that of the next as an iron chain is to a golden one. Again, happiness, wherever it may be, being within the laws of nature, is subject to death and will not last ad infinitum. Therefore man must aspire to become Mukta, he must go beyond the bondage of the body; slavery will not do. This Moksha-path is only in India and nowhere else. Hence is true the oftrepeated saying that Mukta souls are only in India and in no other country. But it is equally true that in future they will be in other countries as well; that is well and good, and a thing of great pleasure to us. There was a time in India when Dharma was compatible with Mukti. There were worshippers of Dharma, such as Yudhishthira, Arjuna, Duryodhana, Bhishma, and Karna, side by side with the aspirants of Mukti, such as Vyasa, Shuka, and
so much spoken, is due to the utter want of this Dharma. If the whole nation practises and follows the path of Moksha, that is well and good; but is that possible? Without enjoyment, renunciation can never come; first enjoy and then you can renounce. Otherwise, if the whole nation, all of a sudden, takes up Sannyasa, it does not gain what it desires, but it loses what it had into the bargain—the bird in the hand is
We have said before that Dharma is based on work. The nature of the Dharmika is constant performance of action with efficiency. Why, even the opinion of some Mimamsakas is that those parts of the Vedas which do not enjoin work are not, properly speaking, Vedas at all. One of the aphorisms of Jaimini runs thus: आम्नायस्य क्रियार्थत्वादानर्थक्यमतदर्थानाम्—‘The purpose of the Vedas being work, those parts of the Vedas that do not deal with work miss the mark.’ ‘By constant repetition of the syllable Om and by meditating on its meaning, everything can be obtained’; ‘All sins are washed away by uttering the name of the Lord’; ‘He gets all, who resigns himself to the Will of God’—yes, these words of the Shastras and the sages are, no doubt, true. But, do you see, thousands of us are, for our whole life, meditating on Om, are getting ecstatic in devotion in the name of the Lord, and are crying, ‘Thy Will be done, I am fully resigned to Thee!’—and what are they actually getting in return? Absolutely nothing! How do you account for this? The reason lies
December 2019
kicked and trodden down by anyone who takes it into his head to do so; your life is a veritable hell here, and so is the life hereafter. This is what the Shastras say. Do your Svadharma— this is truth, the truth of truths. This is my advice to you, my beloved co-religionists. Of course, do not do any wrong, do not injure or tyrannise over anyone, but try to do good to others as much as you can. But passively to submit to wrong done by others is a sin—with the householder. He must try to pay them back in their own coin then and there. The householder must earn money with great effort and enthusiasm, and by that must support and bring comforts to his own family and to others, and perform good works as far as possible. If you cannot do that, how do you profess to be a man? You are not a householder even—what to talk of Moksha for you!!
13 The Vedanta Kesari
PA G E S P O N S O R : I N M E M O R Y O F S WA M I D H YA N AT M A N A N D A , C A LC U T TA S T U D E N T S ’ H O M E , B E LG H A R I A
fled, nor is that in the bush caught. When, in the heyday of Buddhistic supremacy, thousands of Sannyasins lived in every monastery, then it was that the country was just on the verge of its ruin! . . . education, habits, customs, laws, and rules should be different for different men and nations, in conformity with their difference of temperament. What will it avail, if one tries to make them all uniform by compulsion? The Bauddhas declared, ‘Nothing is more desirable in life than Moksha; whoever you are, come one and all to take it.’ I ask, ‘Is that ever possible?’ ‘You are a householder, you must not concern yourself much with things of that sort; you do your Svadharma (natural duty)’—thus say the Hindu scriptures. Exactly so! He who cannot leap one foot, is going to jump across the ocean to Lanka in one bound! Is it reason? You cannot feed your own family or dole out food to two of your fellow-men, you cannot do even an ordinary piece of work for the common good, in harmony with others— and you are running after Mukti! The Hindu scriptures say, ‘No doubt, Moksha is far superior to Dharma; but Dharma should be finished first of all.’ The Bauddhas were confounded just there and brought about all sorts of mischief. Non-injury is right; ‘Resist not evil’ is a great thing—these are indeed grand principles; but the scriptures say, ‘Thou art a householder; if anyone smites thee on thy cheek, and thou dost not return him an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, thou wilt verily be a sinner.’ Many say, ‘When one has come to kill you, there is no sin in killing him, even though he be a Brahmin’ (Manu, VIII. 350). This is very true, and this is a thing which should not be forgotten. Heroes only enjoy the world. Show your heroism; apply, according to circumstances, the fourfold political maxims of conciliation, bribery, sowing dissensions, and open war, to win over your adversary and enjoy the world—then you will be Dharmika (righteous). Otherwise, you live a disgraceful life if you pocket your insults when you are
December 2019 The Vedanta Kesari
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here, and it must be fully understood. Whose meditation is real and effective? Who can really resign himself to the Will of God? Who can utter with power irresistible, like that of a thunderbolt, the name of the Lord? It is he who has earned Chitta-shuddhi, that is, whose mind has been purified by work, or in other words, he who is the Dharmika. Every individual is a centre for the manifestation of a certain force. This force has been stored up as the resultant of our previous works, and each one of us is born with this force at his back. So long as this force has not worked itself out, who can possibly remain quiet and give up work? Until then, he will have to enjoy or suffer according to the fruition of his good or bad work and will be irresistibly impelled to do work. Since enjoyment and work cannot be given up till then, is it not better to do good rather than bad works—to enjoy happiness rather than suffer misery? Shri Ramprasad [a Bengali saint, devotee of Kali] used to say, ‘They speak of two works, “good” and “bad”; of them, it is better to do the good.’ Now what is that good which is to be pursued? The good for him who desires Moksha is one, and the good for him who wants Dharma is another. This is the great truth which the Lord Shri Krishna, the revealer of the Gita, has tried therein to explain, and upon this great truth is established the Varnashrama system and the doctrine of Svadharma etc. of the Hindu religion.
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च। निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ।।
(Gita, 12:13)
‘He who has no enemy, and is friendly and compassionate towards all, who is free from the feelings of ‘me and mine’, even-minded in pain and pleasure, and forbearing’ — these and other epithets of like nature are for him whose one goal in life is Moksha.
क्लैब्यं मास्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते। क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप (Gita, 2:3)
‘Yield not to unmanliness, O son of Pritha! Ill doth it befit thee. Cast off this mean faintheartedness and arise, O scorcher of thine enemies.’
तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व जित्वा शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम्। मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वमेव निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन् ।। (Gita,11:33)
‘Therefore do thou arise and acquire fame. After conquering thy enemies, enjoy unrivalled dominion; verily, by Myself have they been already slain; be thou merely the instrument, O Savyasachin (Arjuna).’
In these and similar passages in the Gita the Lord is showing the way to Dharma. Of course, work is always mixed with good and evil, and to work, one has to incur sin, more or less. But what of that? Let it be so. Is not something better than nothing? Is not insufficient food better than going without any? Is not doing work, though mixed with good and evil, better than doing nothing and passing an idle and inactive life, and being like stones? The cow never tells a lie, and the stone never steals, but, nevertheless, the cow remains a cow and the stone a stone. Man steals and man tells lies, and again it is man that becomes a god. With the prevalence of the Sattvika essence, man becomes inactive and rests always in a state of deep Dhyana or contemplation; with the prevalence of the Rajas, he does bad as well as good works; and with the prevalence of the Tamas again, he becomes inactive and inert. Now, tell me, looking from outside, how are we to understand, whether you are in a state wherein the Sattva or the Tamas prevails? Whether we are in a state of Sattvika calmness, beyond all pleasure and pain, and past all work and activity, or whether we are in the lowest Tamasika state, lifeless, passive, dull as dead matter, and doing no work, because there is no power in us to do it, and are, thus, silently and by degrees, getting rotten and corrupted
And mark you, those things which you see in pusillanimous, effeminate folk who speak in a nasal tone chewing every syllable, whose voice is as thin as of one who has been starving for a week, who are like a tattered wet rag, who never protest or are moved even if kicked by anybody—those are the signs of the lowest Tamas, those are the signs of death, not of Sattva—all corruption and stench. It is because Arjuna was going to fall into the ranks of these men that the Lord is explaining matters to him so elaborately in the Gita. Is that not the fact? Listen to the very first words that came out of the mouth of the Lord, क्लैब्यं मास्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते—‘Yield not to unmanliness, O Partha! Ill doth it befit thee!’ and then later, तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व — ‘Therefore do thou arise and acquire fame.’ Coming under the influence of the Jains, Buddhas, and others, we have joined the lines of those Tamasika people.
…Jesus Christ, the God of the Europeans, has taught: Have no enemy, bless them that curse you; whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also; stop all your work and be ready for the next world; the end of the world is near at hand. And our Lord in the Gita is saying: Always work with great enthusiasm, destroy your enemies and enjoy the world. But, after all, it turned out to be exactly the reverse of what Christ or Krishna implied. The Europeans never took the words of Jesus Christ seriously. Always of active habits, being possessed of a tremendous Rajasika nature, they are gathering with great enterprise and youthful ardour the comforts and luxuries of the different countries of the world and enjoying them to their hearts’ content. And we are sitting in a corner, with our bag and baggage, pondering on death day and night, and singing, नलिनीदलगतजलमतितरलं तद्वज्जीवनमतिशयचपलम् ‘Very tremulous and unsteady is the water on the lotus-leaf; so is the life of man frail and transient’—with the result that it is making our blood run cold and our flesh creep with the fear of Yama, the god of death; and Yama, too, alas, has taken us at our word, as it were—plague and all sorts of maladies have entered into our country! Who are following the teachings of the Gita?—the Europeans. And who are acting according to the will of Jesus Christ?— The descendants of Shri Krishna! This must be well understood. The
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During these last thousand years, the whole country is filling the air with the name of the Lord and is sending its prayers to Him; and the Lord is never lending His ears to them. And why should He? When even man never hears the cries of the fool, do you think God will? Now the only way out is to listen to the words of the Lord in the Gita, क्लैब्यं मास्म गमः पार्थ—‘Yield not to unmanliness, O Partha!’ तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व ‘Therefore do thou arise and acquire fame.’
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within—I seriously ask you this question and demand an answer. Ask your own mind, and you shall know what the reality is. But, what need to wait for the answer? The tree is known by its fruit. The Sattva prevailing, the man is inactive, he is calm, to be sure; but that inactivity is the outcome of the centralisation of great powers, that calmness is the mother of tremendous energy. That highly Sattvika man, that great soul, has no longer to work as we do with hands and feet—by his mere willing only, all his works are immediately accomplished to perfection. That man of predominating Sattva is the Brahmin, the worshipped of all. Has he to go about from door to door, begging others to worship him? The Almighty Mother of the universe writes with Her own hand, in golden letters on his forehead, ‘Worship ye all, this great one, this son of Mine’, and the world reads and listens to it and humbly bows down its head before him in obedience. That man is really अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च etc.
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Vedas were the first to find and proclaim the way to Moksha, and from that one source, the Vedas, was taken whatever any great Teacher, say, Buddha or Christ, afterwards taught. Now, they were Sannyasins, and therefore they ‘had no enemy and were friendly and compassionate towards all’. That was well and good for them. But why this attempt to compel the whole world to follow the same path to Moksha? ‘Can beauty be manufactured by rubbing and scrubbing? Can anybody’s love be won by threats or force?’ What does Buddha or Christ prescribe for the man who neither wants Moksha nor is fit to receive it?—Nothing! Either you must have Moksha or you are doomed to destruction—these are the only two ways held forth by them, and there is no middle course. You are tied hand and foot in the matter of trying for anything other than Moksha. There is no way shown how you may enjoy the world a little for a time; not only all openings to that are
hermetically sealed to you, but, in addition, there are obstructions put at every step. It is only the Vedic religion which considers ways and means and lays down rules for the fourfold attainment of man, comprising Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. Buddha ruined us, and so did Christ ruin Greece and Rome! Then, in due course of time, fortunately, the Europeans became Protestants, shook off the teachings of Christ as represented by Papal authority, and heaved a sigh of relief. In India, Kumarila again brought into currency the Karma-Marga, the way of Karma only, and Shankara and Ramanuja firmly re-established the Eternal Vedic religion, harmonising and balancing in due proportions Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. Thus the nation was brought to the way of regaining its lost life; but India has three hundred million souls to wake, and hence the delay. To revive three hundred millions—can it be done in a day?
‘This is the question: Is not your husband God, your child God? If you can love your wife, you have all the religion in the world. You have the whole secret of religion and Yoga in you. But can you love? That is the question. You say, “I love . . . Oh Mary, I die for you! “ [But if you] see Mary kissing another man, you want to cut his throat. If Mary sees John talking to another girl, she cannot sleep at night, and she makes life hell for John. This is not love. This is barter and sale in sex. It is blasphemy to talk of it as love. The world talks day and night of God and religion — so of love. Making a sham of everything, that is what you are doing! Everybody talks of love, [yet in the] columns in the newspapers [we read] of divorces every day. When you love John, do you love John for his sake or for your sake? [If you love him for your sake], you expect something from John. [If you love him for his sake], you do not want anything from John. He can do anything he likes, [and] you [will] love him just the same.’ —The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Vol. 6 - Divine Love
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Sri Ramakrishna: A Unique Husband and his wife both voluntarily gave up all desires of worldly life and preferred to live continually in the infinite bliss of God-realization, sharing their joy with one and all irrespective of barriers like caste, creed, race, religion, and gender.
In the grand hagiographic record of his teachings called The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, we see him talking again and again about renunciation of ‘woman and gold’. Then how can he be called a ‘good husband’ even, leave alone a ‘unique husband’? But we will not be so surprised when we learn that he used the terms ‘woman’ and ‘gold’ to mean ‘lust’ and ‘wealth’ or in general, gross and subtle enjoyments of body and mind.
Sarada knew that Sri Ramakrishna’s life’s mission was to teach mankind the pure religion of the Vedas which is Self-realization or God realization. This was to be through renunciation of all carnal desires and through intense yearning for God realization. Thus knowing well that her role would be as a nun in his spiritual mission, Sarada replied ‘I have come to help you in your mission.’
The very subject title seems intriguing because Sri Ramakrishna is considered the great spiritual teacher who advocated renunciation of ‘woman and gold’ again and again to his aspirant disciples.
Sri Ramakrishna himself said about his marriage, ‘Just to have gone through the stage called ‘Grihasthashram’, I had to marry.’ Later on, he had to teach by example to the householder disciples that marriage was no bar for God-realization. He thus married in his twenty-third year a five-year old girl (Saradamani), and the next twenty-seven years lived with her a holy life in which their relationship was that of a divine teacher and an ideal disciple. This reminds us of the divine spiritual couple, Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Sri Ramakrishna
For example, Sri Ramakrishna once asked Sarada, ‘Have you come to drag me to the worldly life?’, to which she instantly replied, ‘Why should I? I have come to help you in the mission of your life.’
Though for all superficial observation, Sri Ramakrishna’s life with her was that of a husband, in reality he was her protector, spiritual guide, teacher, and trainer of social, and moral traditions. He groomed her to be a world spiritual teacher and the mantle bearer of his world mission which was to deliver the message – ‘Man is divine’, ‘God-realization is the goal of human life’, ‘Practice of the synthesis of four Yogas and harmony of religions’, ‘Service to man is verily the worship of God’, and ‘The whole creation is one and has a divine origin.’
The author is one of the Vice-presidents of the Ramakrishna Order and also the head of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai.
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I
am glad that The Vedanta Kesari is bringing out a special issue in December featuring ‘Ideals in Family Life’, as the core subject, in which my article is on ‘Sri Ramakrishna: A Unique Husband’.
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To Sri Ramakrishna his wife was his heir Sarada narrated later that he was so kind to her to his spiritual mission of spiritualizing human that he never addressed her as ‘thou’ but only life everywhere. One uniqueness of this great as ‘you’. It is common even today for husbands couple was the lack of any physical attachment to address their wives only as ‘thou’. She also between them. We read that Sri Ramakrishna said, ‘He never hurt me with even a flower.’ He himself proposed Sarada as his bride who was would be worried even if she got slightly a five-year old girl. He started instructing her physically indisposed. When she came to even when she was just Dakshineswar for the first seven years old telling her, time, the special medical To Sri Ramakrishna his wife was ‘If anyone asks you, say aid given to her by the his heir to his spiritual mission of that you were married at Master was an eye opener spiritualizing human life five and not at seven.’ And to everyone regarding the everywhere. again in her fourteenth duty of a husband! ye a r h e t a u g h t h e r Sri Ramakrishna like everything about her a Vedic Rishi helped his duties in social life and also her spiritual goal of wife to attain the height of spiritual god realization. Later on, Sarada said about this, illumination as we read in the days of ‘I felt as if a pitcher of bliss was kept in my Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi. The garden at heart since then. I never in my life knew what Dakshineswar served as an ancient gurukula of suffering was.’ In other words, she had got Vedic times, at the head of which Sri glimpses of the supreme joy of Samadhi or God Ramakrishna presided. realization. Gita refers to such a perennial joy We see the highest achievements in saying यस्मिन्स्थितो न दुःखेन गुरुणापि विचाल्यते spiritual life attained by both sannyasis and ‘established in which one is not perturbed even householders (including women) who had their by great pain.’ (Gita. 6:22) spiritual initiation and rigorous practice under Sarada once narrated that on one of Sri Ramakrishna’s visits to Kamarpukur when she was 14 years, she was asked to sleep with him by her in-laws. But Sri Ramakrishna went on speaking to her about spiritual things throughout the night! Sri Ramakrishna was merged in divine consciousness and she also experienced equally uplifted divine feelings. Sri Ramakrishna was an ordained sannyasi of the Dashanami tradition of Puri. He had no external signs of a sannyasi except perhaps the absence of the tuft of hair which was compulsory for a householder. He never wore saffron robes. Most uniquely he kept his wife with him, allowed her to serve him his special food diet and look after the up-keeping of his room, his clothes etc. He also took care of her physical, social and spiritual well-being.
his protective guidance. If Sri Ramakrishna was moulding the minds of his disciples, Sarada was busy smoothening their hard spiritual life with her motherly care. Sri Ramakrishna never lost any opportunity to direct innocent jokes at her. Once in her presence he asked Gauri-ma, ‘Whom do you love more Gaur-dasi, me or her?’ Gaur-dasi understanding his mood replied that it was the Holy Mother. Holy Mother naturally felt embarrassed. It was an innocent joke that all enjoyed. There were some un-embarrassing jokes also. Once a young man, a distant relative of the Master, was brought by him to the Holy Mother. The Master asked her that she should look at both of them walking towards her from a distance and judge who was brighter in complexion—a strange proposal indeed by a
T h e H o ly m o t h e r s a i d t h a t S r i This unique husband continued to guide Ramakrishna was protecting her from the least his wife even from his celestial abode. Sarada gust of impure thoughts. Once he cautioned Devi narrates how he stopped her from her: ‘Don’t be led away by the talks of some removing her bangles when she became a villagers of Kamarpukur widow and assured her who have come here. that he was ever with her. Those ladies were When she also expressed Sri Ramakrishna gets the credit discussing that the her desire to leave this for grooming Sarada Devi as an Paramahamsa who lived world and follow him, he ideal woman – as an ideal here did not live a natural told her, ‘No, you have to daughter, sister, wife, nurse, householder’s life with his remain on earth to do guide and highest spiritual guru wife. She also narrated many more things’, and how Sri Ramakrishna saw showed how she should - all rolled into one. an old lady talking to her attach herself to her niece and warned her not to be Radhu and keep her mind in her company because she had a bad past life. tied to this world. Thus he made her work for the spiritual upliftment of people all over the We read in The Gospel of the Holy Mother world for thirty-four long years. She in her that Sri Ramakrishna instructed Holy Mother in supreme divine glory guided all his disciples Raja Yoga by drawing the six Yoga chakras on a including the great Swami Vivekananda with paper. She also narrated how the Master taught authority as the powerful voice of Sri her how to massage well by massaging her Ramakrishna himself. forehand! Sri Ramakrishna wanted her motherliness to be known to the inner circle of his devotees. He told them often that Sarada was his Shakti, and without her his mission would not be fulfilled, that she possessed all knowledge — both secular and spiritual, as she was Saraswati herself —, and that she was capable of giving spiritual liberation because she was Sarada, ‘giver of salvation’. Besides, Sri Ramakrishna would consult Sarada on how a particular disciple should be helped. His instructions regarding strict food regime for his disciples was implemented smoothly by Sarada’s discretion and compassion. In many cases, her ‘No’ was a binding order for Sri Ramakrishna. The Master jokingly said ‘She said “No” and I with all my detachment had to accept it! What do you then
Sri Ramakrishna gets the credit for grooming Sarada Devi as an ideal woman – as an ideal daughter, sister, wife, nurse, guide and highest spiritual guru - all rolled into one. He enabled Sarada to be the guiding force — for a long 34 years (1886-1920) — behind the World Order (The Ramakrishna Order) of sannyasis started by him. The role of the highest spiritual head of a monastic order that works for both the secular and spiritual good of humanity, was not an ordinary one. Sarada Devi adorned that position which Sri Ramakrishna had bequeathed to her. Her’s was a silent leadership, full of love, compassion and service. Sri Ramakrishna sent one of his own chosen disciples, Yogendra (later Yogananda), for spiritual initiation from her, thus making Sarada Devi the spiritual head of the new Order
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think of worldly husbands who are led by the nose by their wives?’
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husband to his wife! Holy Mother as a just umpire, declared the young man as the winner!
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of sannyasis (the Ramakrishna Order). Sri We also see Sri Ramakrishna providing Sarada Devi accepted thousands of men and Sarada enough ornaments as is worn by a women as her disciples, assuring all of them no housewife. Perhaps he wanted to fulfil his rebirth! She said, ‘The Master himself had mother’s words to Sarada long ago, ‘My Gadai promised that he will come to them all before will give you better ornaments when you grow their end and lead them to liberation.’ Sri up.’ He further added that Sarada desired to Ramakrishna’s unique husbandship can be wear ornaments because compared only to the she was goddess divine couples of the Saraswati who can never He demonstrated before the Hindu Puranas: Shiva and be without such modern world how a man can K a l i , N a r a ya n a a n d ornaments, and also for transform his family and social Lakshmi, Brahma and the good of humanity. life into a spiritual quest Saraswati, Rama and Sita, A great scholar and Krishna and Radha etc., enjoying infinite peace and joy writer, wrote regarding where both are equally individually and collectively in Sri Ramakrishna’s endowed with the powers society. uniqueness thus: ‘In the o f G o d , o f g ra n t i n g history we see spiritual worldly prosperity as well teachers without as spiritual liberation. marrying and some teachers giving up their They are inseparable parts of the one Brahman. wives for the serious pursuit of spiritual life. It is recorded that Sri Ramakrishna appeared in But Sri Ramakrishna was unique in that he a divine vision to his disciple Swami married with his heart’s consent, kept his wife Vijnanananda and asked him to initiate his with him all his life and yet became the disciples not only with his name but also with unparalleled spiritual Master and Teacher. Thus Sarada Devi’s name, thus showing that without we see the supreme spiritual power that was her, liberation was not possible. Sri Ramakrishna, manifesting in innumerable Once Sri Ramakrishna asked Sarada, ‘How many chappatis do you take in the night?’. Sarada was extremely shy and was at a loss as to what to reply. The purpose of the question was to deposit a sum of money in her name, the interest of which would help her in the days after he would have left this world! What extraordinary concern for the wellbeing of his wife! And perhaps nowhere in the spiritual history of this land we find an equal concern for wife by such a spiritual teacher! Later on Sri Ramakrishna taught his householder disciples that it was the duty of the husband to take care of his chaste wife even after his departure from this world.
roles of human life as an ideal son, ideal husband, ideal student, ideal Guru and an ideal lover of mankind. In every case he alone was his equal.’ In Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna says about Lord Krishna, न त्वत्समोऽस्त्यभ्यधिकः कुतोऽन्यो लोकत्रयऽे प्यप्रतिमप्रभाव, ‘There is none equal to you what to speak of anyone higher than you. You are incomparable in your glory’ (Gita, 11:43) Similarly, Sri Ramakrishna was a unique husband that only a person of the highest spiritual caliber as he could be. He demonstrated before the modern world how a man can transform his family life into a spiritual quest leading to the experience of infinite peace and joy.
Article
enerally, we find four classes of good people. The first category are the moralists. These are people who are honest and try to do good to others but do not believe in God or supernatural power. They generally lead a comfortable and dignified life so long as they are not in any crossroads or have to all of a sudden face some situation which is beyond their control. When forced to face such conditions, they generally lose heart or make wrong decisions.
of their hero, they become a class of people who are generally peace loving, law abiding, sharing, and caring citizens. Jesus describes such people as the salt of the earth.
Arnold Toynbee, the famous historian, terms the fourth category of good people as the ‘creative minority’. They are a small number of people; but their strength lies in their creative faculty. Their life pattern and thought-force gradually spreads and they form a group or organisation. A research done at Harvard The second category of good people university found that as disease is contagious, accept karmaphal, i.e., the workings of the law thought also has a contagious effect. A bad of karma. They know that person living in a locality God is controlling their will influence his life and action. Whenever neighbours and similarly Every good citizen, irrespective misfortune comes, they the presence of a good of his/her religion, colour, or rely on God for solace and p e r s o n w i l l h ave a country will have to abide by redressal. Whether their catching effect. three cardinal principles – Satya, situation changes for Throughout the Samyama, and Paropakara better is a debatable topic; world we find that every but they certainly receive good citizen, irrespective mental support and find a of his/her religion, colour, channel to release their emotions. or country will have to abide by three cardinal Those who follow avatars and great souls, form the third category of good people. The followers of Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, Chaitanya, Sri Ramakrishna and the like fall in this category. They have the advantage of having a life-example of their hero’s struggles, trials and tribulations, spiritual achievements, and responses to various situations of life. Thus following the life
principles – Satya, Samyama, and Paropakara – which will make him/her: and
Satyavadi – be truthful,
Jitendriya – have restraint over the senses, Paropakari – do good to others.
Swami Vivekananda said ‘To be good and to do good is the whole of religion.’
The author is one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order and lives in Belur Math.
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SRIMAT SWAMI SUHITANANDA JI
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Ideal Role-Modelling
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Patanjali in his Yogasutra, presents some cardinal principles of life which are universal सार्वभौम महाव्रतं – Yama and Niyama. Yama has five aspects to it: Ahimsa, non-injury; Satya, truthfulness; Asteya, not coveting another’s property; Brahmacharya, continence; and Aparigraha, non-acceptance of gifts. How to practice these?
As Christopher Isherwood points out, his nationalism ‘was a kind of super-nationalism, a kind of internationalism sublimated.’
In their times, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, and Chaitanya had to work within a framed philosophy and psychology – favourable or otherwise. Compared to them, Sri Ramakrishna lived and worked in a very different context — Modern developments and technological advancements linked people in new ways and social life had undergone a sea change. It is interesting to see how in this changing milieu people lived by the eternal values, and how the creative minority facilitated it. Swami Vivekananda, the chief propagator of Sri Ramakrishna’s message, had one passion – the rejuvenation of India to her pristine glory. As his disciple Sister Nivedita says, India was his dream and India was his nightmare. But his nationalism did not have any narrow trappings.
The point is that the creative minority touched by the spirit of Sri Ramakrishna were universal in all aspects irrespective of their class, colour, religion, and country.
In 1886 Sri Ramakrishna had a vision in which he saw that he had devotees across the ocean whose complexion was white and who spoke in different languages. Not surprisingly, some of those who later formed the ‘creative Here come three important aspects of minority’ associated with the Ramakrishna Niyama – Tapas, to sacrifice for a cause; Movement, had visions of Sri Ramakrishna even Swadhyaya, to observe before they had heard whether I am holding on about him. Sister Nivedita, to my ideal; and Ishvara t h e m o s t pro m i n en t Through their lives, the pranidhana, attunement disciple of Swami householder followers of Sri to God who is the Vivekananda, had seen Sri Ramakrishna upheld sterling fountainhead of all Ramakrishna in a vision qualities before all classes of the energy; we shall have to when she was just 17-year society. link with God to have old; this was more than a power whether worldly or decade before she met heavenly. Swamiji and learnt about his guru. Ellen Waldo, another disciple of When we go through the lives of the Swamiji, had the vision of Holy Mother even disciples of avatars, we are surprised to find before any photograph of Holy Mother was that all of them were established in the above taken! mentioned qualities.
Through their lives, the householder followers of Sri Ramakrishna upheld sterling qualities before all classes of the society. Mahendranath Gupta, popularly known as ‘M’, the author of Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita, stood as a strong moralist for the intelligent, educated middle class society. Suresh Mitra, often addressed as Surendra by Sri Ramakrishna, belonged to the upper middle class, and he modelled a life marked by sincere devotion to God and a plain life style. Another devotee, Balaram Bose was a benevolent, humble zamindar intensely devoted to God and always ready to serve the devotees. Girish Chandra Ghosh a brilliant writer and a theatre
followers, there
I remember an incident in ‘M’s life. One morning, ‘M’ was to conduct a class on Srimad Bhagavatam at our Advaita Ashrama in Varanasi. When he was going to the class, a sannyasi handed him a telegram. ‘M’ read it, kept in his pocket, and conducted the class. The others later came to know that the telegram contained the news of his daughter’s death!
To think of Sri Ramakrishna and serve Him is Vidyamaya, and following the trail of Vidyamaya a person becomes Brahmajnani
In the life of Sri Ramakrishna, we see that some spiritual stalwarts like Totapuri, Bhairavi Brahmani, and Jatadari came to him and fulfiled their sadhana and left. In contrast there was another section of people who came to him and after fulfiling their sadhana stayed with him. They gave their everything for his cause. These were the householders ‘M’, Balaram, Surendra, and Girish as well as renunciates like Naren, Rakhal, Sharat, and Latu.
After the mahasamadhi of Sri Ramakrishna they came together to carry the Cross of Sri Ramakrishna. They started the Sangha and today through its branch centres across the world, and through the Bhav Prachar Parishads, the Yuva Mahamandal, and our initiated devotees, the householder devotees in the main are practicing, preaching, and thus preserving Sri Ramakrishna’s message of ‘serving man as God’ and accepting God as with and without form. This Ramakrishna spirit of universality, culture-building and role-modelling for all
A teenage boy joined one of our ashramas as a brahmachari. He was the only son and naturally the parents were upset. They found some peace by visiting him frequently. Initially, they would bring some eatables for their son. Gradually, they started bringing eatables for the other monastics too. Later, even after that brahmachari was transferred to some other centre, his mother continued to bring eatables for the monastics of the ashrama. Her motherhood had expanded beyond her family!
A young lad wanted to join the Ramakrishna Order. But he had to help his parents in looking after his younger sister who was suffering from a prolonged illness. Finally, when the sister passed away, the boy told his parents about his desire to enter the monastic life. The mother who had seen the vanities of this ephemeral life gave her blessings. Both the parents seriously began to study the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna. They found joy once again in life by adopting Sri Ramakrishna as their son, and Sri Sarada Devi as their daughter! Whatever they cook at home is happily fed to this divine son and daughter. This type of spiritual exaltation is a common feature in India. We can find such
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Among the renunciate w e r e N a r e n d ra n a t h , Rakhal, Baburam and others who came from aristocrat society; and there were Latu, and Gopal representing the lower strata of society. Like Jesus, Sri Ramakrishna made these renunciates, ‘fishers of men.’
strata of society continues to pulsate in all the ashramas of our Ramakrishna Order in India and abroad.
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personality was the bohemian devotee who showed how to cling on to truth fearlessly rejecting all forms of hypocrisy. Nag Mahashay was a poor householder who epitomised the spirit of renunciation in family life. After Nag Mahashay’s demise, Swami Vivekananda visited his cottage and in deep reverence rolled on its ground for it was sanctified by the foot dust of Nag Mahashay!
people among all classes, in almost every block of buildings.
four or five years old, was standing ahead of his mother. When his turn came, he touched my feet and I offered him four toffees. But he picked only one. Then I pressed the other three toffees into his little hand. The small boy became a bit nervous, and the mother more nervous. The boy stood still for a second and then walked towards the photos of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. He placed one toffee each in front of them and ran to his mother with only one toffee in hand!
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A Catholic family in Another occasion. A Argentina who regularly Instead of giving sermons it is small girl 2 or 3 years old attend church services are better to lead the life which the h a d come with her sincere followers of our parents expect from their grandmother. When her Ve d a n t a S o c i e t y o f children. turn came the child Argentina. They help the offered pranams at my centre in all possible feet. There were two ways. When asked how flowers on my feet – probably offered by the they could harmonise the two ideals in their previous person. The little girl picked up the family, their answer was simple: ‘From birth to flowers and showed them to her grandmother. death we are Catholics, but in our spiritual life The grandmother motioned to leave them we are followers of Sri Ramakrishna.’ there. The girl put the flowers back on my feet. In Brazil a leading Cardiac surgeon is the Then slowly she again picked them up, put Vice President of our Vedanta Centre. Once them in her pocket and ran to her when I was talking with him about the centre, grandmother; the happiest grandmother filled he said that he has three sons. Two sons are her with kisses. well settled and running their families. But he It is the responsibility of the house holders to see that their children grow up with good samskaras. Children generally imitate the parents. Instead of giving sermons it is better to lead the life which the parents expect from their children.
was a bit worried about the third son because he was still struggling to settle down. Then he said, ‘the Vedanta Centre is my third son.’
Romain Rolland said Christ came and created the Kingdom of Heaven. In contrast Swami Vivekananda not only created the Kingdom of Heaven but also its citizens. Swamiji predicted that since the advent of Sri Ramakrishna Satya yuga or the millennium has started and new generations would come into the world endowed with Yoga vibhuti or yogic powers for higher life.
The devotees were standing in a line waiting to offer pranams to me. A small boy,
Blessed are the parents who can give such samskaras to their children.
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W h i l e s t ay i n g at C o s s i po re, Sr i Ramakrishna declared that those who follow him are not worldly minded. To think of Sri Ramakrishna and serve Him is Vidyamaya, and following the trail of Vidyamaya a person becomes Brahmajnani.
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I met an Iranian lady who was exasperated by her unmanageable daughter. But after reading the life and teachings of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi she found a solution for the problem. She started addressing her daughter as ‘Radhi’ (Radharani, the intolerably whimsical niece of Holy Mother) and this acceptance of reality brought peace into the family.
Pearls of Wisdom
Taittiriya Upanishad Taittiriya Upanishad, one of the main Upanishads, presents in आचार्योपदेशः the guru’s final advice to his students who are about to enter grihastha ashrama.
देवपितृकार्याभ्यां न प्रमदितव्यम्। मातृदेवो भव । पितृदेवो भव । आचार्यदेवो भव । अतिथिदेवो भव । यान्यनवद्यानि कर्माणि । तानि सेवितव्यानि । नो इतराणि । यान्यस्माकग्ंसुचरितानि । तानि त्वयोपास्यानि । नो इतराणि ।।
There should be no lapse in the duties towards the gods and manes (i.e. obligatory sacrificial rites as Agnihotra etc. and the ceremonies such as Shraddha and Tarpana). Let your mother be a goddess unto you. Let your father be a god unto you. Let your teacher be a god unto you. Let your guest be a god unto you. Let only those works be done by you that are free from blemishes, and not others. Only those actions of ours should be followed by you, that are commendable, and not others (though they are done by us).
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Having taught the Vedas, the preceptor exhorts the disciple with this postinstruction: Speak the truth. Practise Dharma (righteousness). Be not heedless about the study (of the scriptures). Having offered to the teacher the wealth he desires, do not cut off the line of progeny. There should be no inadvertence about truth. There should be no deviation from righteous activity. Do not be careless about (personal) welfare. Do not neglect prosperity. Do not stray away from learning and teaching.
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ॐ ।। वेदमनूच्याचार्योऽन्तेवासिनमनुशास्ति । सत्यं वद । धर्मं चर । स्वाध्यायान्मा प्रमदः । आचार्याय प्रियं धनमाहृत्य प्रजातन्तुं मा व्यवच्छेत्सीः । सत्यान्न प्रमदितव्यम्। धर्मान्न प्रमदितव्यम्। कुशलान्न प्रमदितव्यम्। भूत्यै न प्रमदितव्यम्। स्वाध्यायप्रवचनाभ्यां न प्रमदितव्यम्।।
ये के चास्मच्छ्रेयाग्ंसो ब्राह्मणाः । तेषां त्वयाऽऽसने न प्रश्र्वर्च सितव्यम्। श्रद्धया देयम्। अश्रद्धयाऽदेयम्। श्रिया देयम्। ह्रिया देयम्। भिया देयम्। संविदा देयम्।
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You should, by offering seat etc., remove the fatigue of those Brahmanas who are more superior to, or more praiseworthy than us— whoever they may be— by virtue of their distinction in teachership etc. Gifts should be made gladly with shraddha (honour); never give an unwilling gift. The gifts should be made in plenty according to one’s prosperity, with modesty and fear. The gifts should be given in a friendly way.
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अथ यदि ते कर्मविचिकित्सा वा वृत्तविचिकित्सा वा स्यात्। ये तत्र ब्राह्मणास्संमर्शिनः । युक्ता आयुक्ताः । अलूक्षा धर्मकामास्स्युः । यथा ते तत्र वर्तेरन्। तथा तत्र वर्तेथाः ।
Then, should you have any doubt with regard to your duties or conduct in life, you should behave in those matters just as do those Brahmanas there, who are able to judge impartially, who are experienced in those duties and customs, who are not directed by others, who are not cruel, and who are devoted to Dharma and desirous of merit.
अथाभ्याख्यातेषु। ये तत्र ब्राह्मणास्संमर्शिनः । युक्ता आयुक्ताः । अलूक्षा धर्मकामास्स्युः । यथा ते तेषु वर्तेरन्। तथा तेषु वर्तेथाः ।
And now as regards dealing with persons of ill-fame and accused of some crime, do you deal with them as do the Brahmanas there, who are experienced, and not directed by others, who are not cruel, who are interested in the Law, and desirous of merit.
एष आदश े ः । एष उपदेशः । एषा वेदोपनिषत्। एतदनुशासनम्। एवमुपासितव्यम्। एवमुचतै दुपास्यम्।।
This is the (scriptural) injunction. This is the advice (to sons and others by fathers and others). This is the secret of the Vedas. This is divine behest (the direction by all those are accepted as authoritative). (All this) is to be done thus. And (all this) must be done thus.
Pearls of Wisdom
Rishi Manu
Manu is one of most influential Hindu Law givers. Selected codes for householders from his Manusmriti are presented here.
अद्रोहेणैव भूतानाम् अल्पद्रोहेण वा पुनः। या वृत्तिस्तां समास्थाय विप्रो जीवेदनापदि॥
A wise one should adopt a livelihood where there is no harm to other beings, or if unavoidable, least harm to other beings and live in a safe ambience.
ऋषियज्ञं देवयज्ञं भूतयज्ञं च सर्वदा। नृयज्ञं पितृयज्ञं च यथाशक्ति न हापयेत्॥
One should never miss out making offerings to the sages (by studying the Vedas), gods, fellow living beings, fellow human beings and manes as per one’s capability.
यत्किञ्चिदपि दातव्यं याचितेनानसूयया ।
Something at least has to be given when sought, without ill-feelings.
मातापितृभ्यां जामीभिः भ्रात्रा पुत्रेण भार्यया। दुहित्रा दासवर्गेण विवादं न समाचरेत्॥ तस्मादेतैरधिक्षिप्तः सहेतासज्ज्वरः सदा॥
One should never argue with his father, mother, sister, brother, son, wife, daughter or servants. Even if they scold, one has to tolerate and withstand it always (because they are one’s own and will state things that are for our wellbeing).
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All beings depend on the air for their survival, similarly all stations of life depend on the householder for their survival.
December 2019
यथा वायुः समाश्रित्य वर्तन्ते सर्वजन्तवः। तथा गृहस्थमाश्रित्य वर्तन्ते सर्व आश्रमाः॥
नात्मानमवमन्येत पूर्वाभिरसमृद्धिभिः। आमृत्योः श्रियमन्विच्छेत् नैनां मन्येत दुर्लभाम् ॥
One should never undermine oneself looking at past failures to reach prosperity. As long as one is alive, one should strive for prosperity. Never should one consider prosperity unattainable.
सत्यं ब्रूयात् प्रियं ब्रूयात् न ब्रूयात् सत्यमप्रियम्। प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयादेष धर्मः सनातनः॥
One should speak truth. One should speak in an endearing manner. Never should one speak truth in an unpleasant manner and also endearing falsehood should be avoided. This is the eternal Dharma.
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धर्मं शनैः सञ्चिनुयाद् वल्मीकमिव पुत्तिकाः।
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One should accumulate merit little by little like the mud accumulated (to build the anthill) by the termites.
सर्वं परवशं दुःखं सर्वमात्मवशं सुखम्। एतद्विद्यात् समासेन लक्षणं सुखदुःखयोः॥
All that leads to dependence is suffering. All that leads to independence is happiness. This is in short the definition of happiness and suffering.
Rishi Atri
Rishi Atri prescribed code of conduct for the Vaikhanasas sub-tradition of South Indian Vaishnavism. The ishta, purta, and datta karmas as defined in his Atri Samhita are presented here.
अग्निहोत्रं तपः सत्यं वेदानां चानुपालनम्। आतिथ्यं वैश्वदेवश्च इष्टमित्यभिधीयते ॥
Saluting the fires, austerities, truthfulness, preserving and propagating the Vedas, hospitality and performing Vaishvadeva ritual is called as Ishta karma.
वापीकूपतडागातिदेवतायतनानि च । अन्नप्रदानमारामः पूर्तमित्यभिधीयते॥
Constructing lakes, wells, ponds and temples and gardens and distributing food is called as Purta karma.
शरणागतसन्त्राणं भूतानां चाप्यहिंसनम् । बहिर्वेदि च यद्दानं दत्तमित्यभिधीयते॥
Protecting those who seek refuge, non-injury to living beings, charity that is not part of rituals are called as Datta karma.
Article
Sri Ramakrishna’s Advice to Householders यस्मात् त्रयोऽप्याश्रमिणो ज्ञानेनान्नेन चान्वहम्। गृहस्थेनैव धार्यन्ते तस्माज्ज्येष्ठाश्रमी गृही॥
‘The grihastha is the greatest among the ashramas, because it is only the grihastha who provides food and education to the people of the other three ashramas.’
The society runs on the strength of a grihastha. The quality of a society depends on the quality of the grihastha. So, great care is to be given towards enhancing the strength, quality and value of the householders’ life. In the 19th century the world saw a wonderful incarnation in the sahaja-manush or simpleman Sri Ramakrishna because of the sahaja-jeevan, simple life led by his parents Kshudhiram and Chandramani Devi. Sri Ramakrishna once said about them: ‘My mother was the personification of rectitude and gentleness. She did not know much about the ways of the world; innocent of the art of concealment, she would say what was in her mind. People loved her for open-heartedness. My father, an orthodox brahmin, … spent much of his time in worship and meditation, and in repeating God’s name and chanting His glories. Whenever in his daily prayers he invoked the Goddess Gayatri, his chest flushed and tears rolled down his cheeks. He spent his leisure
hours making garlands for the family deity, Raghuvir.’1
The genetic inheritance governed by rules of biology is equally applicable to animals and human beings. But cultural, moral and spiritual inheritance is possible only in man and this is greatly dependent on the lives of the parents. Today, when we expect moral values among our children, it is the parents who have to take the responsibility of practising these values and then leading their children on the same path. Sri Ramakrishna lived a unique householder’s life and guided countless people from different walks of life — renunciates, religious leaders, social reformers, freedom-fighters, philanthropists, landlords, businessmen, entrepreneurs, professors, doctors, judges, government officials, actors, actresses, housewives, widows, sweepers, vagabonds, and even prostitutes—towards the fulfilment of life which lies in realisation of God. In his conversations, he repeatedly pointed out how householders could achieve this fulfilment even while living in the world. His instructions are available to us in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, the English translation of the original Bengali book Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita written by one of his householder disciples, Sri Mahendranath Gupta, popularly known as ‘M’.
The author is a sannyasi of the Ramakrishna Order serving in Sri Ramakrishna Math, Basavanagudi, Bengaluru. mangalanathananda@gmail.com
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here is a famous verse in Manu Smriti:
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PA G E S P O N S O R : P R O F. S . R A D H A K R I S H N A N N A I R , T H R I S S U R
SWAMI MANGALANATHANANDA
December 2019
Sri Ramakrishna’s advice to householder devotees
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Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings, which are recorded in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna are mostly imparted to men devotees and visitors. This article presents some of these teachings which show the path to a fulfiling life in the world. However, for a detailed understanding of Sri Ramakrishna’s message for both men and women in the world, one should study Sri Sri Ramakrishna Lilaprasanga by Swami Saradananda (with two English translations: Sri Ramakrishna the Great Master and Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play), Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play, The Gospel of the Holy Mother, and The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Advantages of family life Each person is unique. More so in spiritual journey. So great teachers guide an individual according to the person’s stage of evolution. Sri Ramakrishna, who came to establish the Sanatana Dharma, inspired people in the family to take advantage of being in the world and achieve God-realisation — the final attainment of life. Speaking to a group of devotees on 23 March 1884, he said: ‘Why should householders renounce the world? What great troubles the wandering monks pass through! The wife of a certain man said to him: “You want to renounce the world? Why? You will have to beg morsels from eight different homes. But here you get all your food at one place. Isn’t that nice?”… You are leading a householder’s life. That is very good. It is like fighting from a fort. There are many disadvantages in fighting in an open field. So many dangers, too. Bullets may hit you. But one should spend some time in solitude and attain Knowledge. Then one can lead the life of a householder. Janaka lived in the world after attaining Knowledge.’2
On another occasion, he told a devotee: ‘Why do you call the world a deep well or a trackless forest? An aspirant may think so in the beginning; but how can he be frightened by the world if he holds fast to God? Then he finds that— “This very world is a mansion of mirth; Here I can eat, here drink and make merry.” Why should you be frightened? Hold fast to God. What if the world is like a forest of thorns? Put on shoes and walk on the thorns. Whom should you fear?’3 Earning and handling money
Sri Ramakrishna in course of his sadhana renounced money, i.e., wealth. But he had a mature view of money: ‘Money enables a man to get food and drink, build a house, worship the Deity, serve devotees and holy men, and help the poor when he happens to meet them. These are the good uses of money. Money is not meant for luxuries or creature comforts or for buying a position in society.’4 When asked if one could make an effort to earn more money, he replied, ‘It is permissible to do so to maintain a religious family’, and ‘You may try to increase your income, but in an honest way.’5 He once cautioned ‘M’: ‘You no doubt need money for your worldly life; but don’t worry too much about it. The wise course is to accept what comes of its own accord. Don’t take too much trouble to save money. Those who surrender their heart and soul to God, those who are devoted to Him and have taken refuge in Him, do not worry much about money. As they earn so they spend. The money comes in one way and goes out the other. This is what the Gita describes as “accepting what comes of its own accord.”’6 To another lay-disciple he once told: ‘Those who have money should give in charity. The miser’s wealth is spirited away, but the money of the charitable person is saved. He spends it for a righteous purpose… He who
For those who sought to achieve the highest spiritual realisation, Sri Ramakrishna strongly advocated complete renunciation of ‘lust and greed.’ But to householders he advocated: ‘Your path, again, as a married man Managing duties and relationships is to live with your wife just as brother and Sri Ramakrishna asked people to live in sister, after one or two children are born to you, the world and at the same time fix their minds and pray to the Lord constantly that both of you on God. He would say, ‘Fulfil your worldly may have the strength to duties and also think of live a perfect life of God.’ Sri Ramakrishna spirituality and selfService of God does not mean was a Paramahamsa control.’10 He described a merely going to temples and sannyasi. Yet, he did not good wife thus: ‘A good forget to make serving religious places, but it wife, has very little lust arrangements for his wife more importantly means serving and anger. She sleeps after his passing away. He all needy creatures. little. She pushes her kept some money in one husband’s head away of his disciple’s estate from her. She is full of from where she would draw a regular interest. affection, kindness, devotion, modesty, and His mother lived with him at Dakshineswar in other noble qualities. Such a wife serves all, her last days. Every day Sri Ramakrishna would looking on all men as her children. Further, she spend time with her and render some personal helps increase her husband’s love for God. She service. doesn’t spend much money lest her husband One day, Sri Ramakrishna was talking to a should have to work hard and thus not get group of devotees which included Ram, leisure to think of God.’11 Girindra and ‘M’. Ram’s family was passing through an unhappy situation because of his father’s second wife and he made unpleasant comments on his father and step-mother. Accepting the reality, Sri Ramakrishna suggested: ‘Then build them a separate home. That will be a different thing. You will defray their monthly expenses. How worthy of worship one’s parents are!’8 Then to ‘M’, who
‘How long should a man feel obliged to do his duty toward his wife and children?’ asked ‘M’ one day. Sri Ramakrishna replied, ‘As long as they feel pinched for food and clothing. But one need not take the responsibility of a son when he is able to support himself. When the young fledgling learns to pick its own food, its mother pecks it if it comes to her for food.’12
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PA G E S P O N S O R : A D E V O T E E , C H E N N A I
An important point to be noted here is that the goal of life is God realization, not earning money. If we have more wealth, it has to be used in the service of God. Service of God does not mean merely going to temples and serving religious places, but it more importantly means serving all needy creatures. As Swami Vivekananda puts it दीन देवो भव, दरिद्र देवो भव, ‘Let the destitute be your God, let the poor be your God.’
was living separately with his wife and children he said reproachfully: ‘And let me say this to you. Your father and mother brought you up. You yourself are the father of several children. Yet you have left home with your wife. You have cheated your parents. You have come away with your wife and children, and you feel you have become a holy man. Your father doesn’t need any money from you; otherwise I should have cried, “Shame on you!”’9
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gives away in charity achieves great results. He achieves the four fruits: dharma, artha, kama, and moksha.’7
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Mutual love, care and concern is the this, they devote their lives to the service of secret for a happy family life and Sri others.’15 Ramakrishna time and again advised his A lady devotee of Sri Ramakrishna faced a devotees to live in harmony with others. Yet he problem during her meditation and felt emphatically told them that there should be no disappointed. She used to look after her babycompromise if someone stood on their path of nephew and his face would flash during God realisation. To a young devotee who meditation instead of her chosen deity. Sri wanted to lead a spiritual life he said, ‘Show Ramakrishna suggested her to consider the boy great devotion to your parents; but don’t obey as baby Krishna. And this turned an apparently them if they stand in your way to God. You must worldly activity into constant companionship gird your loins with great determination and with the Lord. say, “This rogue of a father!”’13 On another occasion he said, ‘There is no harm in Enlightened citizenship and spiritual disobeying your elders for the sake of God. For illumination Rama’s sake, Bharat did not obey his mother Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar the Kaikeyi. The gopis did not obey their husbands great scholar, educationist, reformer and when they were forbidden to visit Krishna. philanthropist of Bengal was a household name Prahlada disobeyed his father for God. Bali for his charity, generosity and compassion. Sri disregarded the words of Sukracharya, his Ramakrishna visited him teacher, in order to please on 5 Aug 1882 and in the God. Vibhishana went When you feed your child, you course of conversation against the wishes of should feel that you are feeding told him: ‘The activities Ravana, his elder brother, God. that you are engaged in to please Rama. But you are good. … It is very must obey your elders in good if you can perform all other things.’14 Similar was his advice for them in a selfless spirit, renouncing egotism, husband and wife. giving up the idea that you are the doer. Through such action one develops love and Divinising relationships devotion to God, and ultimately realizes Him. … One way to turn our mind towards God, is By these philanthropic activities you are really to divinise our family relationships. Sri doing good to yourself. … There is gold buried Ramakrishna advised the devotees: ‘When you in your heart, but you are not yet aware of it… feed your child, you should feel that you are Go forward… God can be seen. One can talk to feeding God. You should look upon your father him as I am talking to you.’16 and mother as veritable manifestations of God Later Sri Ramakrishna advised a group of and the Divine Mother, and serve them as such. devotees: ‘Remember that daya, compassion, If a man enters the world after realizing God, he and maya, attachment, are two different things. does not generally keep up physical relations Attachment means the feeling of “my-ness” with his wife. Both of them are devotees; they toward one’s relatives. It is the love one feels love to talk only of God and pass their time in for one’s parents, one’s brother, one’s sister, spiritual conversation. They serve other one’s wife and children. Compassion is the love devotees of God, for they know that God alone one feels for all beings of the world. It is an has become all living beings; and, knowing attitude of equality. If you see anywhere an
Be a devotee, not a fool
Though immersed in spiritual ecstasy, Sri Ramakrishna was never careless about matters of life. He would keep his room orderly, things in proper place. He instructed his disciples to Hiss but not bite inspect things thoroughly before they purchase anything and also get the benefits of sale if In this creation of God, people are of available. Once a devotee bought, with one pice, various nature — the good and the wicked, the 6 betel leaves while holy and the unholy. generally 10 were sold. Questions arise about Maya keeps us in ignorance and Sri Ramakrishna scolded, how to deal with this entangles us in the world, ‘Be a devotee, but don’t variety when God dwells whereas Daya makes our hearts be foolish. Don’t get in all. Sri Ramakrishna cheated. If you have extra, pure and gradually unties our gave a very pragmatic distribute it to others but bonds answer: ‘You may be never be cheated.’19 intimate only with good people; you must keep away from the evil-minded. God is even in the tiger; but you cannot embrace the tiger on that account. You may say, “Why run away from a tiger, which is also a manifestation of God?” The answer to that is: “Those who tell you to run away are also manifestations of God— and why shouldn’t you listen to them?”... Some water is fit to be used for worship, some water for washing the face, and some only for washing plates or dirty linen. This last sort cannot be used for drinking or for a holy purpose. In like manner, God undoubtedly dwells in the hearts of all— holy and unholy, righteous and unrighteous; but a man should not have dealings with the unholy, the wicked, the impure. He must not be intimate with them.
Becoming a man and practice of Truth How do we define a human being? Sri Ramakrishna defined thus: ‘Man should possess dignity and alertness. Only he whose spiritual consciousness is awakened possesses this dignity and alertness and can be called a man. Futile is the human birth without the awakening of spiritual consciousness.’20 And practice of truthfulness alone can lead to this spiritual awakening, as Sri Ramakrishna repeatedly pointed out: ‘Truthfulness in speech is the tapasya of the Kaliyuga. It is difficult to practice other austerities in this cycle.… Even those engaged in worldly activities, such as office work or business, should hold to the truth…. God can be realized through truth
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Thus we find that if we expand ourselves in service of the greater society beyond the limited family, we will be ready to see God. A little spiritual discipline will then unlock the treasure within.
With some of them he may exchange words, but with others he shouldn’t go even that far. He should keep aloof from such people…. A man living in society should make a show of tamas to protect himself from evil-minded people…. You must hiss at wicked people. You must frighten them lest they should do you harm. But never inject your venom into them. One must not injure others.’18
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instance of compassion, as in Vidyasagar, know that it is due to the grace of God. Through compassion one serves all beings. Maya also comes from God. Through maya God makes one serve one’s relatives. But one thing should be remembered: maya keeps us in ignorance and entangles us in the world, whereas daya makes our hearts pure and gradually unties our bonds.’17
alone.’ 21 Even in trivial matters, Sri Ramakrishna would hold on to truth as revealed in an incident narrated by himself: ‘Once I went to Ram’s house in Calcutta. I happened to say, ‘I shall not take any luchi.’ When I sat down for the meal I felt hungry. But I had said I would not eat the luchi; so I had to fill my stomach with sweets.’22
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Churn the butter
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One single note we find in the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna is that god-realisation should be the goal of human life. But there are challenges. Comparing the mind with milk, he taught: ‘If you keep the mind in the world, which is like water, then the milk and water will get mixed. That is why people keep milk in a quiet place and let it set into curd, and then churn butter from it. Likewise, through spiritual disciplines practiced in solitude, churn the butter of knowledge and devotion from the milk of the mind. Then that butter can easily be kept in the water of the world. It will not get mixed with the world. The mind will float detached on the water of the world.’23
Butter is the product of milk. The liquid milk naturally gets mixed with water and becomes diluted. But the same milk when boiled and mixed with curd, changes its very nature. In the same way an untrained mind gets mixed with the world, whereas a trained mind lives in the very same world with a saintly detachment. In the example of Dharmavyadha from Mahabharata, we understand that his mind had become butter. Though a butcher by profession, he had a deep spiritual knowledge which is reflected in the Vyadha Gita. In the very beginning of his association with Sri Ramakrishna, ‘M’ asked four vital questions as if on behalf of humanity: ‘How, sir, may we fix our minds on God?’ ‘How ought we to live in the world?’
‘Is it possible to see God?’
‘Under what conditions does one see God?’
Sri Ramakrishna’s replies to these questions provide the methods to churn the butter of knowledge and devotion from the milk of the mind. How to fix our mind on God?
Sri Ramakrishna recommended four spiritual practices to fix our mind on God:24 ‘Repeat God’s name and sing His glories.’
‘Keep holy company— now and then visit God’s devotees and holy men.’ ‘Go into solitude now and then and think of God.’ ‘Always discriminate between the real and the unreal. God alone is real, the Eternal Substance; all else is unreal, that is, impermanent.’
Even as Vedanta prescribes the sadhana chatushtaya, Sri Ramakrishna prescribed these four sadhanas suited to devotees in the modern world. In this world every action produces results, good or bad. Every karma that we do produces karmaphala or fruits of action. From a seed comes the tree. In turn the tree produces thousands of seeds. These seeds in turn give rise to hundreds of trees. In the same way karma and karmaphala form a vicious circle. The only way we can come out of this cycle of karma is by taking the name of the Lord. We have to exhaust all the karmaphala of all the accumulated karmas carried from many births to attain mukti. But this is beyond human effort. Hence God, being kapalamochana, destroyer of sins, will wipe out our sanchita karmas, accumulated karmaphala, and lead us towards mukti. While narrating the demon Raktabijasura’s battle with the Divine Mother,
own. She even speaks of them as ‘my Rāma’ or ‘my Hari’. But in her own mind she knows very well that they do not belong to her at all. The tortoise moves about in the water. But can you guess where her thoughts are? They are on the bank, where her eggs are lying.’27 A famous verse in Hitopadesha says,
‘A person with worldly attachments will experience troubles even in the forest; living at home with all the senses under control is tapas or spiritual austerity. For one who is engaged in u n b l e m i s h e d a c t i o n s a n d f re e f ro m attachments, the very home becomes a tapovana.’ Seeing God: The conditions
Sri Ramakrishna always gave an emphatic ‘yes’ to the question if we could see God. When ‘M’ asked under what conditions one could see God, Sri Ramakrishna answered it with one How to live in the The fledgling and tender plant of word – vyakulata or world? love of God needs fencing before intense yearning. He said: Sri Ramakrishna’s it grows into a big tree. ‘Cry to the Lord advice was: Retreating into solitude and with an intensely ‘Do all your duties, yearning heart and you thinking of God gives this but keep your mind on will certainly see Him. fencing. God.’ People shed a whole jug ‘Live with all— with wife and children, of tears for wife and children. They swim in father and mother— and serve them. Treat tears for money. But who weeps for God? Cry to them as if they were very dear to you, but know Him with a real cry.’28 Then he gives a measure in your heart of hearts that they do not belong of this yearning: ‘God reveals Himself to a to you.’26 devotee who feels drawn to Him by the Then using the similes of a maidservant combined force of these three attractions: the and a tortoise, he explained: ‘A maidservant in attraction of worldly possessions for the the house of a rich man performs all the worldly man, the child’s attraction for its household duties, but her thoughts are fixed on mother, and the husband’s attraction for the her own home in her native village. She brings chaste wife. If one feels drawn to Him by the up her master’s children as if they were her combined force of these three attractions, then
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वनेऽपि दोषा प्रभवन्ति रागिणां गृहेषु सर्वेन्द्रिय निग्रहस्तपः । अकुत्सिते कर्माणि यः प्रर्वतते निवृत्तरागस्य गृहं तपोवनम्।।
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the Durga Saptashati states that from every drop of the demon’s blood that fell on the ground another Raktabijasura was born! Then Mother Kali stretched out her tongue and did not allow the blood drops to fall on the ground and then the demon was finally vanquished. In the same way, God’s name swallows the fruits of our action and leads us to mukti. The company of holy men and devotees begets yearning for God, inspires us to chant t h e h o ly n a m e a n d h e l p s c u l t iva te discrimination between the real and the unreal and handle our desires. The fledgling and tender plant of love of God needs fencing before it grows into a big tree. Retreating into solitude and thinking of God gives this fencing. Sri Ramakrishna advised: ‘If you ask me how long you should live in solitude away from your family, I should say that it would be good for you if you could spend even one day in such a manner. Three days at a time are still better. One may live in solitude for twelve days, a month, three months, or a year according to one’s convenience and ability.’25
through it one can attain Him. The point is, to love God…’29
Sri Ramakrishna did not prescribe leaving home and becoming an ascetic or reading a lot of scriptures or going on pilgrimages or performing religious rituals as conditions to see God. Wherever we may be in society, if we have this vyakulata we are sure to see God. Faith in God’s name and positive attitude
‘Sri Ramakrishna: Have faith in the Divine Mother and you will attain everything. Girish: But I am a sinner.
Sri Ramakrishna: The wretch who constantly harps on sin becomes a sinner.
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Girish Chandra Ghosh, the famous dramatist led a reckless life before coming in
contact with Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna’s touch completely transformed him into a great devotee of the Lord. On 14 December 1884 Sri Ramakrishna visited Star Theatre to see a play on Prahlada, the great devotee of Sri Vishnu. There took place an interesting conversation between Girish and Sri Ramakrishna:
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Sri Ramakrishna standing in ecstasy during a kirtan of Keshab Chandra Sen’s house in Kolkata. He is surrounded by Brahmo devotees, with Hriday, his nephew supporting him. Photo taken on 21 Sept 1879
Sri Ramakrishna always emphasized on keeping faith in the power of God’s name and in the guru and a positive outlook on life. He once told a Brahmo-spiritual leader, ‘Will you tell me one thing? Why did you harp so much on sin? By repeating a hundred times, “I am a sinner”, one verily becomes a sinner. One should have such faith as to be able to say, “What? I have taken the name of God; how can I be a sinner?” God is our Father and Mother. Tell Him, “O Lord, I have committed sins, but I won’t repeat them.” Chant His name and purify your body and mind. Purify your tongue by singing God’s holy name.’31 Message of hope and assurance
Sri Ramakrishna was quite aware of the problems one has to face in family life — disease, grief, poverty, misunderstanding with one’s spouse and children and the like. Of course in addition to them we have now to face the distractions posed by modern media. It is
References 1) The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (Originally recorded in Bengali by M., a disciple of the Master). [hereafter Gospel], Trans. by Swami Nikhilananda, Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 2012, p.3 2) Gospel. p.411 3) Gospel. p.714 4) Gospel. p.285 5) Gospel. p.114 6) Gospel. p.506 7) Gospel. p.696 8) Gospel. p.424 9) Gospel. p.424 10) The Condensed Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (According to M., a son of the Lord and disciple). [hereafter Condensed Gospel]. Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1993, p.280 11) Gospel. pp.701-702 12) Gospel. p.114 13) Gospel. p.755 14) Gospel. pp.722723 15) Gospel. p.326 16) Gospel. p.108 17) Gospel. p.161 18) Gospel. pp.84-86 19) Mahendra Nath Gupta (M.) The Recorder of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Chetanananda, Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2011, p.339 20) Gospel. p.844 21) Gospel. p. 749, 177, 418 22) Gospel. pp.418-419 23) Gospel. p.313 24) Gospel. p.81 25) Gospel. p.313 26) Gospel. p.81 27) Gospel. p.81 28) Gospel. p.83 29) Gospel. p.83 30) Gospel. p.679 31) Gospel. p.159 32) Gospel. p.385 33) Gospel. p.821-822
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Sri Ramakrishna: How can you say that? Suppose a light is brought into a room that has been dark a thousand years; Does it illumine the room little by little, or all in a flash?’30
not always easy to manage all the affairs of life peacefully and snatch time to practice spiritual discipline. To a devotee, who complained of not having time, Sri Ramakrishna compassionately told: ‘Those who have the time must meditate and worship. But those who cannot possibly do so Purify your must bow down whole-heartedly to tongue by God twice a day. He abides in the singing God’s hearts of all; He knows that worldly holy name people have many things to do. What else is possible for them? You don’t have time to pray to God; therefore, give Him the power of attorney. But all is in vain unless you attain God and see Him.’32 Praising another devotee, he said: ‘Though you are a householder, still you have kept your mind on God. Is that a small thing? The man who has renounced the world will pray to Him as a matter of course. Is there any credit in that? But blessed indeed is he who, while leading a 37 householder’s life, prays to God. He is like a man who finds an object after removing a stone weighing twenty maunds.’33 If we have the zeal to lead an ideal life, Sri Ramakrishna is eternally present to help us. With this hope let us walk towards light! The Vedanta Kesari
Girish: Sir, the very ground where I used to sit would become unholy.
Article
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Sri Sarada Devi: The Ideal Sahadharmini
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S
PRAVRAJIKA ATMADEVAPRANA
ri Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother, the Ideal Sahadharmini of Sri Ramakrishna, who literally made the Ramakrishna Ideal more practicable, is perhaps the only known consort of an incarnation of God who did her utmost to translate his message into action and to spread it.
the shell. This is the attitude we need while facing the problems of life.
In Holy Mother’s life, we find exactly this attitude manifested beautifully. Saradamani, an 18-year old maiden came to know that her husband, a priest at Dakshineswar Kali Temple had gone mad. She courageously took a bold Sri Sarada Devi came to guide humanity decision to trek the eighty miles to and she proved through her life that it is Dakshineswar. Reaching there she went possible to lead the happiest, contented, godstraight to her husband and soon found him centred ideal life amidst saner than the sanest, the modern clumsy having undergone intense The special mission of her life consumerist world with austerities, having united its hundreds of exacting seems to be to reveal Divine his mind with the p r o b l e m s . We a r e Motherhood to the world Universal Spirit or inspired by her outlook Consciousness, and poised of turning everything in the Supreme Self. positive, her ’never say die’ spirit, her role in Young, bashful and fresh from village, on filling up the gap distancing us from our her arrival at Dakshineswar, she was asked by spiritual heritage, and her introduction of new her duty-bound husband whether she wanted values for assimilation in householder life. to live a typical married life, whether she Besides all these, the special mission of her life wanted to drag him down into Maya? But seems to be to reveal Divine Motherhood to the Sarada who was more than equal to his world. expectations, promptly replied that she had come to help him in his chosen path, and fully An outlook of turning everything positive understood his noble endeavour. Romain A positive approach in life, braving all ups Rolland, in veneration observed, ‘Little and downs is the first need for everyone. Once, Saradamani was to become the chaste sister of a Sufi saint was strolling along a river bank. A a big friend, who venerated her, the immaculate monkey on a nearby coconut tree hurled a companion of his trails and of his faith, the firm coconut on him. The saint picked it up, drank and serene soul, whom the disciples associated the water, ate the flesh and made a bowl from with his sanctity as the Holy Mother.’1 The author is a senior sannyasini of Sri Sarada Math, Colombo.
ceysara@gmail.com
True sacrifice is an act of courage and joyfulness. Modern women who may try to stamp Holy Mother’s role as subservient and helpless should realise that under the influence of western education, losing faith in spirituality, religion and culture, would surely bring ruin of our total wellbeing. Fascinated by their excessive freedom of choice, independence and minimum discipline and supervision, blindly following the western ways, many already suffer the pressure of lack of close family connections, a sense of meaninglessness, feelings of alienation, depression etc., and the pressures of living in a highly competitive society. So, is it not equally important that a woman who extends her energies into the wide social field must have first learnt to establish peace and orderliness at home? Swami Ranganathananda Ji Maharaj, the 13th President of the Ramakrishna Order
He quotes Swami Vivekananda asking women and men in the modern age to combine these qualities in their personality, ‘Can you become an occidental of occidentals in your spirit of equality, freedom, energy and work, and remain a Hindu to the very backbone in religious culture and instincts?’ Her role in filling up the gap distancing us from our spiritual heritage
A recently married Hindu couple settled in U.K. came and the husband complained of an air of distrust and suspicion, pervading there, surrounding them. In his working place, many of his colleagues though moving with four or five women, and in the course of time becoming
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Though she was destined to live in a small dungeon called ‘Nahabat’ (music room in the Dakshineswar Kali Temple) almost in conditions of imprisonment for years, what was her reaction? Humbly and cheerfully she accepted all troubles, trials and tribulations. She just turned her ‘suffocating’ (as modern women call it) role of cooking, scouring, serving, nursing, etc, as a means of joy. Speaking about her life in Nahabat, she once emphatically declared, ‘I always felt as if a pitcher of bliss was kept in my heart. What a lot of difficulties I had to face while I was living at the Nahabat for the service of the Master and yet there was no consciousness of any inconvenience, the days passed off merrily without notice. Dakshineswar used then to be a mart of joy!’ 2
explains this further. Western education, by strengthening the ego, turns out self-confident individuals, no doubt, but with less and less capacity to communicate with other individuals. The capacity to communicate, to love and to be loved, which is so vital to human happiness and fulfilment, comes to a person only through an education that initiates spiritual growth. This first stage of the development of individuality must lead to the second stage in which individuality grows into character. Here a person consciously begins to achieve ethical awareness and the capacity to love and to be loved by other human beings.
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The ’Never say die’ spirit of Holy Mother
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fathers of some children, are yet undecided whom to marry legally. On legal divorce, man has to part with half of his earnings to his legal wife. This is the cause of the dilemma.
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inspired them to take their stand on the spiritual relationship subsisting between the teacher and his disciple or that between the Divine Mother and her votary, thereby introducing a new value, assimilating which the Sri Sarada Devi, is the Divine Spirit of humanity could move higher up. eternal India, a And we find another repository of inner peace The capacity to communicate, to type of householders in and poise. Her advent is Navagopal Ghosh and his love and to be loved, which is so to accomplish a divine wife Nistharini Devi. The plan, to show how to fill vital to human happiness and couple were blessed with up the gap distancing us fulfilment, comes to a person a spiritual outlook and a from our spiritual only through an education that harmonious marriage. heritage. She stands initiates spiritual growth. During pregnancy before us pointing out the Nistharini prayed if a son way for the modern was born to them, she would dedicate him to society which is searching for a noble direction. the service of Sri Ramakrishna. When the She came to teach humanity the way of love, the couple did bring her new-born son as an art of breaking out of the narrowness of our offering, Sri Ramakrishna assured them that he individual existence into the comprehensive would take the child at the right time. And structure of the wholeness of existence. It is indeed, later when the child grew up as a young lack of love in family and society, that is the lad, he joined the Ramakrishna Order and later cause of all the miseries seen everywhere. came to be known as Swami Ambikananda. Holy Mother demonstrated through her Thus the noble intention of the parents was life the capacity of mankind’s innate strength to fulfiled. love, serve and renounce cheerfully. Introducing new values for householders to assimilate
The householder’s life forms the basis of society. It is the foundation on which the entire society stands and if the foundation is strong and based on high ideals, the wellbeing of the entire society is assured.
For householders of high calibre like Nag Mahashay, the divine couple Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi preached by their unique and wonderful life, that real love finds its fulfilment in the union of souls, as extolled in our scriptures: ‘It is not for the sake of the husband that he is loved, but for the sake of one’s own self that he is loved. It is not for the sake of the wife that she is loved, but for the sake of one’s own self that she is loved.’3 They
Her life: A source of encouragement
In Holy Mother’s dictionary, to love God means to say a whole hearted ‘yes’ to life, to accept without reservation all that God has ordained for it. In short, her motto is For all that has been ‘thanks’
To all that shall be ‘yes, Welcome!’
Holy Mother used to say ‘We only experience the fruit of our actions. Instead of blaming others, one should pray to God and bear with all situations with faith in His mercy. He who endures lasts, and he who doesn’t, perishes.’4 Her life was a source of intense encouragement. One example for this is Vishnupriyangini Devi, wife of Kalipada Ghosh, a terrible drunkard. Kalipada Ghosh refused to
Holy Mother’s universal love – Remedy for modern malady
The world renowned Swami Vivekananda paid his homage to Holy Mother saying, ‘Mother! Hundreds of Vivekanandas may appear in the future by your blessings, but there can be only one Mother like you in this world.’ Sister Devamata recalled, ‘Geographical
demonstrate this motherhood.’6
For isn’t she the Divine mother, whom the Devi Mahatmyam extols as declaring यो मे प्रतिबलो लोके स मे भर्ता भविष्यति, ‘He who is equal to me in prowess alone would be my husband.’7 And didn’t she prove that later when Sri Ramakrishna worshipped her as the veritable form of blissful Mother Shodashi? She accepted with ease in a state of divine mood, his worship and also the result of all the spiritual disciplines practised by him. This inspired her to look upon all beings as manifestations of the Universal Mother. A silent revolutionary of love
In one of his hymns on Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda extolls him as ‘A powerful weapon to encounter the demon of suspicion and distrust’ (सं श य राक्षस नाश महास्त्रं ). Sri Ramakrishna entrusted to Holy Mother and to his disciples the responsibility of encountering this demon by his universal love. As Sister Nivedita meaningfully puts it, Holy Mother is ‘Sri Ramakrishna’s own chalice of his love for the world – a token left with his children.’8
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And the miracle happened at Kalipada’s first meeting with Sri Ramakrishna. Kalipada pleaded with him to give that wine which would make him intoxicated for entire life. Sri Ramakrishna touched him and the transformation came about. He turned a new leaf, repented for his past, took refuge at the Master’s feet thus proving the efficacy of Vishnupriyangini Devi’s faith and prayers. And is her feat lesser than that of Savitri, who snatched away her husband from the hands of G o d o f D e a t h ! O n e s t e p f u r t h e r, Vishnupriyangini Devi, paved way for his l i b e ra t i o n ! H o ly M o t h e r ’ s i n t e n s e encouragement sustained her to persevere in her resolution with faith and prayers.
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give money to his family, spending it on wine boundaries, caste or creed, did not exist for her. instead. But his wife Vishnupriyangini Devi who The same tender welcome awaited all who was very pure visited Sri Ramakrishna seeking sought her, whether from east or west. All alike some kind of medicine that would change her were her children. Hers was an all embracing husband’s tendencies. Sri Ramakrishna sent her mother-heart which wrapped itself in love to the Holy Mother. The Holy Mother sent her about every child born of woman, and her back to the Master. He family was the human again sent her to the Holy race.’ 5 In Holy Mother’s dictionary, to M o t h e r, a n d t h i s Yes. Not only was love God means to say a whole exchange went on three she an unusual wife hearted ‘yes’ to life, to accept times. At last, the Holy renouncing her conjugal without reservation all that God Mother wrote Sri Ramarights and spontaneously has ordained for it. krishna’s name on a bel helping her husband in leaf that had been offered his chosen path, she even to the Lord, gave it to declared the purpose of Kalipada’s wife, and advised her to chant the her advent as: ‘Thakur (Sri Ramakrishna) Lord’s name. Kalipada’s wife chanted the Lord’s regarded all creatures as the manifestation of name for twelve years. Divine Mother and left me behind to
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Especially Mother’s unearthly face beaming love that applies to everyone. It works the same with divine love, shedding divine lustre seems everywhere. Love attracts and unites. It is allto be winning hearts all over the world more powerful. By love the world is conquered. Love than her life and teachings. The overcomes all opposition, all hatred and all hall mark of her life was this manifestation indifference.’ Yet why is such a wonderful of motherhood and everyone who came to characteristic so rare? He continues, ‘Such her always felt they strong love is very rare received an equal share because we love ourselves The highest spiritual realization of her loving concern and so much that little is left to is not a dry knowledge but a care. be given to others.’10
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culmination of love. What one Sister Nivedita, That is why referring gets by renouncing egoism is whose brilliant intellect, to her life as one stillness only love, eternal, everlasting. infinite enthusiasm for of prayer, Sister Nivedita service activities and emphatically declares, ‘If I kind heart was respected ever go to prison for a by even the world renowned poet Sri prolonged period, none of my friends need Rabindranath Tagore, would when sitting near grieve about it – for I shall immediately take to Sri Sarada Devi appear to be a small girl of five meditation and try to climb those wonderful melting totally like a baby when caressed by the heights on which the Holy Mother lives.’11 Mother. Explaining this uniqueness of Mother’s Thus Sri Ramakrishna – who declared Sri love, she says ‘Dear Mother! You are full of love. Sarada Devi, his sahadharmini as his Shakti, Yours’ is not a flushed and violent love, like and she – the Sangha-Janani, the Mother of the ours or the world’s, but a gentle peace that Ramakrishna Order, the sustainer and giver of brings good to everyone and wishes ill to strength to the Order, came to show to none.’9 humanity that love finds its fulfilment in the The highest spiritual realization is not a dry knowledge but a culmination of love. What one gets by renouncing egoism is only love, eternal, everlasting. Extolling the power of such selfless love, Swami Atulananda who was a disciple of Holy Mother, says, ‘It is the law of
union of souls. They wanted us to realise the need to become better step by step, become more conscious human beings, strive to attain peace within ourselves and in the world and ultimately understand our real nature. Freedom is inter-linked with love.
vvv References
1) The Life of Ramakrishna. Romain Rolland. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 1954, p.44 2) Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. Swami Gambhirananda. Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 2001, p.33 3) Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, II.4.3 4) Reminiscences of Sri Sarada Devi. [hereafter Reminiscences] Ed. Swami Purnatmananda. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2004, p.42 5) Reminiscences. p.136 6) Holy Mother. Swami Nikhilananda, New York:
Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center, 1962, p.170 7) Sri Devi Mahatmyam, Chapter V 8) Sister Nivedita of Ramakrishna Vivekananda. [hereafter Sister Nivedita]. Pravrajika Atmaprana. Kolkata: Sister Nivedita Girls’ School, 1961, p.69 9) Sister Nivedita. p.69 10) Prabuddha Bharata. “Reflections on the Bhagavadgita”. Swami Atulananda. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2004, Vol.109, p.20 11) Reminiscences. p.116
Pearls of Wisdom
Maha Nirvana Tantra
Selection from Swami Vivekananda’s talk ‘Each Is Great In His Own Place’. (The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. 1: 42)
I shall read to you a few passages from the Maha-Nirvana-Tantra, which treats of this subject, and you will see that it is a very difficult task for a man to be a householder, and perform all his duties perfectly:
Knowing that mother and father are the visible representatives of God, the householder, always and by all means, must please them. If the mother is pleased, and the father, God is pleased with the man. That child is really a good child who never speaks harsh words to his parents. Before parents one must not utter jokes, must not show restlessness, must not show anger or temper. Before mother or father, a child must bow down low, and stand up in their presence, and must not take a seat until they order him to sit. If the householder has food and drink and clothes without first seeing that his mother and his father, his children, his wife, and the poor, are supplied, he is committing a sin. The mother and the father are the causes of this body; so a man must undergo a thousand troubles in order to do good to them. Even so is his duty to his wife. No man should scold his wife, and he must always maintain her as if she were his own mother. And even when he is in the greatest difficulties and troubles, he must not show anger to his wife.
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It is the most difficult thing in this world to work and not care for the result, to help a man and never think that he ought to be grateful, to do some good work and at the same time never look to see whether it brings you name or fame, or nothing at all. Even the most arrant coward becomes brave when the world praises him. A fool can do heroic deeds when the approbation of society is upon him, but for a man to constantly do good without caring for the approbation of his fellow men is indeed the highest sacrifice man can perform. The great duty of the householder is to earn a living, but he must take care that he does not do it by telling lies, or by cheating, or by robbing others; and he must remember that his life is for the service of God, and the poor.
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The householder should be devoted to God; the knowledge of God should be his goal of life. Yet he must work constantly, perform all his duties; he must give up the fruits of his actions to God.
He who thinks of another woman besides his wife, if he touches her even with his mind — that man goes to dark hell. Before women he must not talk improper language, and never brag of his powers. He must not say, “I have done this, and I have done that.” The householder must always please his wife with money, clothes, love, faith, and words like nectar, and never do anything to disturb her. That man who has succeeded in getting the love of a chaste wife has succeeded in his religion and has all the virtues.
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The following are duties towards children:
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A son should be lovingly reared up to his fourth year; he should be educated till he is sixteen. When he is twenty years of age he should be employed in some work; he should then be treated affectionately by his father as his equal. Exactly in the same manner the daughter should be brought up, and should be educated with the greatest care. And when she marries, the father ought to give her jewels and wealth. Then the duty of the man is towards his brothers and sisters, and towards the children of his brothers and sisters, if they are poor, and towards his other relatives, his friends and his servants. Then his duties are towards the people of the same village, and the poor, and any one that comes to him for help. Having sufficient means, if the householder does not take care to give to his relatives and to the poor, know him to be only a brute; he is not a human being. Excessive attachment to food, clothes, and the tending of the body, and dressing of the hair should be avoided. The householder must be pure in heart and clean in body, always active and always ready for work. To his enemies the householder must be a hero. Them he must resist. That is the duty of the householder. He must not sit down in a corner and weep, and talk nonsense about non-resistance. If he does not show himself a hero to his enemies he has not done his duty. And to his friends and relatives he must be as gentle as a lamb. It is the duty of the householder not to pay reverence to the wicked; because, if he reverences the wicked people of the world, he patronizes wickedness; and it will be a great mistake if he disregards those who are worthy of respect, the good people. He must not be gushing in his friendship; he must not go out of the way making friends everywhere; he must watch the actions of the men he wants to make friends with, and their dealings with other men, reason upon them, and then make friends. These three things he must not talk of. He must not talk in public of his own fame; he must not preach his own name or his own powers; he must not talk of his wealth, or of anything that has been told to him privately. A man must not say he is poor, or that he is wealthy — he must not brag of his wealth. Let him keep his own counsel; this is his religious duty. This is not mere worldly wisdom; if a man does not do so, he may be held to be immoral. (continued on page 56...)
Article
Swami Vivekananda on Family Life: A Glimpse SWAMI KRITARTHANANDA
Great men were born in India to fix the patterns of human life in different eras. These were codified and the books they authored are named Smriti sastras. However, the main purpose involved in these codes of law is to go higher and higher gradually until, to use Swami Vivekananda’s witty remarks, ‘one becomes an “outlaw”, that is, go beyond laws and become spiritual.’4 Jokes apart, he also said in another context, ‘No doubt it is an evil to be bound by laws, but it is necessary at the immature stage to be guided by rules.’5
The author, a senior sannyasi of the Ramakrishna Order, has authored a number of scholarly books and stays in Belur Math. kritarthananda@gmail.com
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ver since the dawn of civilization, the ancient law-givers in India, who were thoughtful people of their times, laid down regimes on the do’s and don’ts for people in order that they might attain to the fullness of human stature, which is spirituality. And those charters were made on the basis of Vedic teachings. As per the changes that took place in the society from time to time, various law-givers wrote a new charter for a new type of society. In Swami Vivekananda’s opinion, ‘When the needs of the times press hard on it, society adopts certain customs for selfpreservation. Rishis have only recorded those customs.’1 But in the long run the various rules framed by the society as an immediate remedy to the then existing problems turn out to be terrible when crystallized into dead customs. These are the outcomes of those temporary means which were resorted to by individuals for self-protection and which proved later to be very harmful. Thus it is that we have a series of
In India, as we know, everything down the ages was built on the firm bed-rock of spirituality. Nothing unspiritual could stand in the way of the Hindu progressive mind. For example, the Hindus do not consider a child materially born to be an Aryan (truly cultured person). In Swami Vivekananda’s language, ‘What is an Aryan? He is a man whose birth is through religion. …The idea is that a man must be born through religion, through prayers.’2 Not only so, but Swamiji went one step further in depicting a clearer picture of the Hindus: ‘In this country men are born according to Shastric injunctions, they eat and drink by prescribed rules throughout life, they go through marriage and kindred functions in the same way; they even die according to Shastric injunctions.’3
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Smriti sastras authored by sages starting from Manu down to Raghunandana from Bengal.
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In view of the restlessness of mind among the modern children, the wayward and unbridled freedom in matters of physical and mental enjoyment leading to unnatural, immature deaths, the unrest in married life due to selfish endeavours, and above all, the blind imitation of the materialist nations leading to the downfall of our national dignity, it is high time to remind our people of their true stature, and frame some rules to abide by at all costs and in high spirits. Swami Vivekananda, the nara rishi for this modern age, looked into the state of affairs in the modern society and like a path-finder he has helped us take a retrospect view of our glorious past lives and apply the necessary corrective measures ourselves in the modern age, so as to rebuild our lives towards a new goal. In doing this he has followed our ancient sages Manu and authors of other Smritis, as also many other injunctions from scriptures like Maha Nirvana Tantra, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Bhagavad Gita. Above all, he wanted that the most wonderful truths confined in our Upanishads, scriptures, and Puranas must be brought out from the books, the monasteries, and the forests, or from the possession of selected bodies of people, and scattered broadcast all over the land.6 At the same time, wherever he found it necessary, he made a number of amendments for the people of the modern era. We will discuss them separately in this article. Rules for householders According to the Hindu system of law, there are four ashramas or stages of life, namely, Brahmacharya or the student life, Garhasthya or the householders’ life, Vanaprastha or the recluse life, and Sannyasa or a life of total renunciation. Sage Manu enjoined that among all the four ashramas the garhasthya ashrama is the sustainer and supporter of the other three. He said, ‘As all creatures draw their sustenance from air,
likewise the people belonging to the other three stages of life depend on the householder.’7 In contrast, in this modern workaday world it becomes impractical to maintain all the norms laid down by Manu as the life pattern of the society has deviated widely from the olden times. So, Swami Vivekananda guided the householders of modern times in the path of work. He said mentioning our old rules, ‘There are five sorts of work, called the fivefold sacrifice. First, study. A man must study every day something holy and good. Second, worship of God, angels, or saints, as it may be. Third, our duty to our forefathers. Fourth, our duty to human beings. Man has no right to live in a house himself, until he builds for the poor also, or for anybody who needs it. The householder’s house should be open to everybody that is poor and suffering; then he is a real householder. No man has the right to cook food only for himself; it is for others, and he should have what remains. When the season’s produce first comes into the market, such as strawberries or mangoes, a man buys some of them and gives to the poor. Then he eats of them. This training will make a man unselfish. Fifth, our duty to the lower animals. It is diabolical to say that all animals are created for men to be killed and used in any way man likes. One portion of the food cooked in a household belongs to the animals also. They should be given food every day; there ought to be hospitals in every city in this country for poor, lame, or blind horses, cows, dogs, and cats, where they should be fed and taken care of.’8 In another injunction he says, ‘The rule for a householder about the expenditure of his income is, one-fourth of the income for his family, one-fourth for charity, one-fourth to be saved, one-fourth for self.’9 Rules for women Women are the pillars of the family as also the society. Swamiji said, ‘The best thermometer to the progress of a nation is its
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treatment of its women. The idea of perfect to be taught to our women. Teaching only rites womanhood is perfect independence.’10 But of worship won’t do; their education must be an what did he mean by ‘perfect independence’ eye-opener in all matters. Ideal characters must here? Did he mean complete licence to act as always be presented before the girls to imbue she pleases? Far from that. Besides, among the them with a devotion to lofty principles of modern women a fad has crept in—to be selflessness.’15 The Indian women in general, ‘trendy’ to use the exact term. That bares open especially from conservative families, evince a the growing tendency to skip boldly everything sort of pessimistic attitude in matters of ancient and blindly imitate celebrities. They progress. Theirs is an attitude of fear of public feel the society would otherwise ostracize calumny and superstitions based on hearsay. them. To clarify the meaning of perfect Swamiji observed this, and to remove that independence Swamiji declared, ‘Any kind of inordinate fear from their mind he drew a education which undermines the faith of the comparison with the attitude of American Indian woman in the past culture of her race, its women which had made them progress so religion and traditions, is not only useless but much within just a decade of woman suffrage. detrimental.’11 He went one step further, ‘Any He wrote to this effect: ‘The American women attempt to modernize our broaden out in sympathy women, if it tries to take with everything that is our women away from good everywhere Any kind of education which that ideal of Sita, is without losing a bit of undermines the faith of the immediately a failure, as their own religion. They Indian woman in the past we see every day. The intuitively know that it is culture of her race, its religion women of India must a question of positivity and traditions, is not only useless grow and develop in the and not negativity, a but detrimental 12 footprints of Sita.’ And to question of addition and accentuate his not subtraction. It is the proposition, Swamiji made a climactic affirmative and positive side of everything that comment, ‘If a woman who learns to read uses shall be stored up, and this very act of the knowledge only for imbibing vulgar, accumulating the affirmative and positive is frivolous, sensational stories, she had better be what destroys the negative and destructive 13 left illiterate.’ elements in the world.’16 In fact there is no alternative left with the women unless they What were Swamiji’s plans about take such affirmative and positive attitude and women’s education? He said, that they ‘must make it the mainstream of their life. Swamiji receive Sanskrit education, imbibe the ancient proceeded to point it out sharply to them. He spiritual culture, and realise in practice all the said, ‘The women must go forward or become spiritual ideals of the Rishis; and then they idiots and soulless tools in the hands of their would take into their hands all questions tyrannical lords. The children are the result of affecting their status and solve them in the light the combination of the tyrant and the idiot, and thrown on them by their knowledge of the 14 they are slaves. And this is the whole history of truths of religion.’ What all did he prescribe as modern India.’17 Again and again, Swamiji went education or training in the other fields? He on eulogizing the women of our motherland showed the way: ‘Religion, arts, science, telling that they are the dynamo of dormant housekeeping, cooking, sewing, hygiene—the powers. He even pointed to the unrestrained simple essential points in these subjects ought
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behaviour found in modern or even postmodern women, saying that it was but the vengeance of nature: ‘Every woman is part of the Divine Mother, the embodiment of Shakti. This Shakti must be roused. If woman’s power is often for evil rather than for good, it is because she has been oppressed; but she will rouse the lion in her nature when her fetters drop. She has suffered throughout the ages. This has given her infinite patience, infinite perseverance.’18 And with this double-edged defence weapon she will overcome the world in a very short time. So Swamiji bade his countrymen, ‘Give me a few men and women who are pure and selfless, and I shall shake the world! No man can do this work. It must be done by women alone.’19 Marriage
As already mentioned, woman is the central pillar in the family. And the central idea of the life of a Hindu lady is her chastity. Swamiji meticulously pointed out that ‘The wife is the centre of a circle, the fixity of which depends upon her chastity.’20 She must remember her great dignity and responsibility at all events and under all circumstances. In India the idea of a woman is motherhood. The mother’s place being on the top of the family, her honour should be protected by the rest of the members at all costs. Quoting from the Maha-Nirvana-Tantra, 8:39, he enjoins the householder to follow the manners towards his wife as chalked out in that scripture, ‘No man should scold his wife, and he must always maintain her as if she were his own mother. And even when he is in the greatest difficulties and troubles, he must not show anger to his wife.’21 With this idea in his mind Swamiji wrote to Mrs. Bull on 14 June 1902, ‘A race must first cultivate a great respect for motherhood, through the sanctification and inviolability of marriage, before it can attain to the ideal of perfect chastity.’22 Swamiji belonged to the rank
of those sages who could see the future unfolding before their inner vision. The purpose of marriage in Hindu life was interpreted by him as ‘A bond thrown by society round two people to unite them together for all eternity.’23 Not only so, but he delved deep into the core of Indian system of marriage in which ‘Each partner acquires half of the merit of the other. And if one seems in this life to have fallen hopelessly behind, it is for the other only to wait and beat time, till he or she catches up again.’24 Nowadays divorce and single parenthood has become almost the slogan of the day among couples. Standing on the bulwark of law people feel no scruple in exchanging their life partners with others, caring so little of their children’s terrible psychological setback at such acts. As a consequence, children also grow up into stubborn, unscrupulous, anti-social types of youth. Their number has grown in alarming proportion. On careful interview with some of such victims, it has been found that they can be corrected when approached with selfless love. What is the injunction of our old scriptures as also Swamiji’s for the modern married couples? Swamiji said, ‘Every husband must look upon all women, except his own wife, in the light of his own mother or daughter or sister.’25 And again, quoting from the Maha-Nirvana-Tantra, he said, ‘He who thinks of another woman besides his wife, if he touches her even with his mind—that man goes to dark hell. Before women he must not talk improper language, and never brag of his powers.’26 In this context the scriptural injunction is very advisable for the modern man. Swamiji quoted from the same scripture, ‘That man who has succeeded in getting the love of a chaste wife has succeeded in his religion and has all the virtues.’27 Attitude towards children H ow s h o u l d b e t h e a t t i t u d e o f householders towards their children? The
All these injunctions and restrictions may appear to some as a life with no freedom. Indeed, how can a person like Swami Vivekananda say all that, while he himself was always in favour of freedom? Let us see what Swamiji says on this pertinent question. In a very terse way he says, “Liberty is the first condition of growth. Just as man must have liberty to think and speak, so he must have liberty in food, dress, and marriage, and in every other thing, so long as he does not injure others.”30 He was not in favour of enjoining vegetarian diet for one and all. In reply to Smt. Sarala Ghoshal, editor, Bharati, he wrote on 24 April, 1897, ‘About vegetarian diet I have to say this—It is undoubtedly sinful to take the life of other animals; but so long as vegetable food is
In fine, this must be said that Swamiji wanted people to understand and utilize liberty in its truest sense. He even went to the extent of saying, “This life is a tremendous assertion of freedom; and this obedience to law, carried far enough, would make us simply matter. Too many laws are a sure sign of death.”32 Yet in another context he clarified and warned against misuse of liberty also: “Liberty does not certainly mean the absence of obstacles in the path of misappropriation of wealth etc., by you and me, but it is our natural right to be allowed to use our own body, intelligence, or wealth according to our will, without doing any harm to others.”33 A householder’s challenge is to maintain this fine balance between creative liberty and obedience to scriptural injunctions and cultural norms.
References
1) Life of Swami Vivekananda. 2:411. 2) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. 9:203. 3) CW. 4:488. 4) Cf. CW. 6:140. 5) Life, 2:134. 6) CW. 3:221. 7) Manu-smṛtiḥ, 3:77. 8) CW. 4:10. 9) CW. 6:114. 10) CW. 8:198. 11) Reminiscences, p.208. 12) CW. 3:256. 13) Reminiscences, p.207. 14) Life, 1:334; Rem.p.63. 15) Life, 2:246. 16) CW. 6:249; Life, 2:272. 17) Life, 1:555. 18) Reminiscences, p.209. 19) Reminiscences, p.209. 20) CW. 8:198. 21) CW. 1:43. 22) CW. 5:180. 23) CW. 8:276. 24) CW. 8:276. 25) CW. 1:68. 26) CW. 1:43-44; Quoted from Mahā-Nirvāṇa-Tantra, 8:40-41. 27) CW. 1:44; MNT 8:44. 28) CW. 1:44; MNT 8:45-47. 29) CW. 3:490. 30) CW. 4:367-68. 31) CW. 4:487. Some missing portions of this text have been supplied from the archives of Belur Math— Author. 32) CW. 5:287. 33) Life, 2:412.
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The question of liberty
not made suitable to the human system through progress in chemistry, there is no other alternative but meat-eating. So long as man will have to live a Rajasika (active) life under modern That man who has circumstances, there is no other way except living on succeeded in meat. Rather let those getting the love of belonging to the upper ten, a chaste wife has who do not earn their succeeded in his livelihood by manual religion and has labour, not take meat. all the virtues Forcing of vegetarianism upon those who have to e a r n t h e i r b re a d by labouring day and night is one of the causes of the loss of our national freedom.’31
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scriptural injunction is: ‘A son should be lovingly reared up to his fourth year; he should be educated till he is sixteen. When he is twenty years of age he should be employed in some work; he should then be treated affectionately by his father as his equal. Exactly in the same manner the daughter should be brought up, and should be educated with the greatest care. And when she marries, the father ought to give her jewels and wealth.’28 Next Swamiji gave another important verdict on matters of polygamy. He said, ‘After 14 years of married life, if there are no children in the family, the husband is allowed to marry another with the wife’s consent, but if she objects he cannot marry again.’29
Article
Rishi Ideal For Spiritualising Family Life
December 2019
SWAMI MUKTIDANANDA
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ndia has many time-tested great ideals to take human life forward towards higher fulfilment. These ideals are not theoretical but very much practical as they have been lived, practised and integrated into our lives as essential features of our culture. Impact of modernity on family life:
teachings of great saints, and especially the great lives and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda which have a special power of transformation. Twin ideals of sanatana culture: Grihastha dharma and Rishi ideal
We all know that family is the building Grihastha dharma and Rishi ideal are two block of society. However, unhealthy forces, important ideals which have governed and reckless addictive entertainment let loose by pervaded the Indian family life and national the electronic media, and culture for centuries. modern civilizational These two ideals have We have to revive our own hazards like urbanization, enabled us to uplift our time-tested Grihastha dharma consumerism, and individual lives and the and Rishi ideal without further permissive life style are society towards higher delay. having a devastating fulfilment, both impact on the family. This materially and spiritually. negative impact is These are in fact the two particularly severe on youngsters and children. supporting central pillars of Indian sanatana Added to this is the domination of secular culture. education bereft of higher values. To counter these developments and protect our sanatana culture and family life, we have to urgently take suitable corrective measures. We have to revive our own timetested Grihastha dharma and Rishi ideal without further delay. To bring about this revival we have to draw inspiration, strength, and guidance from our spiritual reservoirs – scriptures like Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Ramayana, and Mahabharata, lives and
What is Grihastha dharma? Grihastha is part of the ancient Hindu concept called Chaturashrama, which identified four stages of human life, with distinct differences based on natural human needs and drives, as well as how these stages integrated themselves with the fulfiling of the four goals of life called Purusharthas - Dharma (piety, morality, duties), Artha (wealth, health, means of life), Kama (love, relationships, emotions)
The author is one of the Trustees of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, and the head of Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysuru. muktidananda@rkmm.org
‘Brahma taught this knowledge of the Self to Prajapati, and Prajapati taught it to Manu. Manu, in his turn, taught it to all human beings. A young man goes to live at his teacher’s house and serves him, and when he is free he studies the Vedas in the prescribed manner. After finishing all his studies, he goes back home and marries. But he continues to study the scriptures in a sacred place. He also teaches his children and disciples in such a way that they will be religious. He keeps all his senses under control and does not injure any creature other than what is prescribed in the scriptures. This is how he lives his whole life. Then after death he goes to Brahmaloka, and he is not born again, he is not born again.’
A man or woman enters the grihastha stage after a Hindu wedding. They build a home, raise a family, earn wealth, enjoy worldly life, and participate in the society through virtues such as charity. They thus If the family life is not lead a family centred knowledge-centred and dharmic social life with a spiritualised, society cannot be spiritual vision.
Grihastha dharma is t he fou n dat ion al institution of society in which 99% of the population live. Hence, if the family life is not transformed The Chandogya knowledge-centred and Upanishad discusses all spiritualised, society the four stages of life cannot be transformed. To protect and promote student, householder, retired/hermit and Sanatana Dharma in the present day context, it ascetic. It regards grihastha ashram as the is imperative that we find ways to strengthen highest because not only do the householders these two ideals. perform the duties recommended for all four One way to do this is to inculcate in our ashramas, they also have to produce food and children our time-tested religious and spiritual goods on which people in other ashramas values and the Rishi ideal in a graded manner survive. The shared duties of the four ashramas right from childhood. include tenderness for all living creatures (ahimsa), self-restraint, and other such What is Rishi ideal? conduct. When our family life is lived according to तधैतद्ब्रह्मा प्रजापतयै उवाच प्रजापतिर्मनवे मनुः grihastha dharma with a spiritual goal, we tend प्रजाभ्यः आचार्यकुलाद्वेदमधीत्य यथाविधानं गुरोः to become rishis; of course this ascension to कर्मातिशेषेणाभिसमावृत्य कुटुम्बे शुचौ देशे Rishihood is a gradual process. The training स्वाध्यायमधीयानो धर्मिकान्विदधदात्मनि should start from childhood and we should सर्वैन्द्रियाणि सम्प्रतिष्ठाप्याहिंसन्सर्व भूतान्यन्यत्र
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The grihastha stage is preceded by Brahmacharya (student) stage of life, and followed by Vanaprastha (retirement, forest dweller, still an advisor to the next generation) stage. In ancient texts, grihastha stage of life is said to extend from the age of about 25 to about 50.
तीर्थेभ्यः स खल्वेवं वर्तयन्यावदायुषं ब्रह्मलोकमभिसम्पद्यते न च पुनरावर्तते न च पुनरावर्तते ॥ (Ch. Up. VIII.15.1)
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and Moksha (liberation, freedom, selfrealization). Grihastha is considered to be the most intense of all four stages, where a man or woman pursues all four goals of life, with greater emphasis on first three - Dharma, Artha and Kama. In contrast, Sannyasa is the stage where the individual renounces Artha and Kama, and pursues Moksha with a single minded pursuit.
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gradually create in young minds, as much spiritual samskaras as possible by simple methods. We have to train children to live a God-centred life. Their routine should be dotted with remembrance of God like remembering God after bath, before eating, and before going to sleep and even through play like imitation of child Krishna. They should be taught simple meaningful slokas apt to the occasion available abundantly in our Hindu tradition. Grihastha jeevana with adhyatma or family life with spirituality is the Rishi ideal.
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Rishi ideal – An effective family life changer Rishi ideal, given to us by our spiritually awakened ancestors centuries ago, assures the possibility of higher spiritual experiences to a grihastha, who is able to systematically integrate in his/her daily life spiritual disciplines and practices of Dharmic principles right from early childhood. It will be a great life changer if we can invoke our spiritual heritage into our lives and ascend to Rishihood even amidst present day challenges of modern society. So we need to adopt Rishi Ideal and change our family life. But unfortunately we see a decline of both these ideals in present day society. Therefore, how to bring about this much needed uplifting changes in the family life is a vitally important subject for the regeneration of Sanatana Dharma. Ideal of Rishihood according to Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda says, ‘This Rishi-state is not limited by time or place, by sex or race. Vatsyayana boldly declares that this Rishihood is the common property of the descendants of the sage, of the Aryan, of the non-Aryan, or any foreigner. This is the sageship of the Vedas, and constantly we ought to remember this ideal of religion in India, which I wish other nations of
the world would also remember and learn, so that there may be less fight and less quarrel.’ These ancient ideals — Rishi ideal and Grihastha dharma — not only infuse spiritual values in family life, but also fulfil all the legitimate secular aspirations of life and ultimately lead to spiritual fulfilment. It has the power to transform all the members of the family, and consequently the whole society. Grihastha dharma identifies five natural stages of life, namely
These ancient ideals — Rishi ideal and Grihastha dharma — not only infuse spiritual values in family life, but also fulfil all the legitimate secular aspirations of life and ultimately lead to spiritual fulfilment
Balya — childhood and boyhood/girlhood Yauvana — youth
Grahasthya — married life
Vanaprastha — life detached from worldly affairs and profession by living away from family, so as to find time for spiritual practices and increase the intensity of spiritual quest. Sannyasa — life exclusively given to spiritual sadhana.
The initial spiritual sincerity of boyhood gradually gets transformed into deep spiritual yearning as one progresses through these stages of life, and it reaches the culmination in the final stage of sannyasa ashrama. When a person reaches the fifth stage called sannyasa ashrama, he/she becomes a Rishi. Even while living in the family a person can attain the Rishihood by remaining mentally detached from the world and attached to the divine within. Some of the close householder disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, like Mahendranath Gupta (M.), Nag Mahashay, and Gopaler Ma, and many
नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते । स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् ।।
‘In this spiritual yoga there is no loss in any endeavour, there is no diminution of result and even the slightest effort performed righteously saves one from the greatest of danger.’ (Gita 2:40)
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय।
The central focus of grihastha dharma lies ‘Do all your work being established in in learning to practice spiritual sadhana along Yoga with detachment, O Dhananjaya (Arjuna). with secular education, fulfiling the legitimate (Gita 2:48) material needs of the family, following the twin यत्करोषि यदश्नासि यज्जुहोषि ददासि यत् । ideals of dharma – Shreyas and Preyas as per यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरुष्व मदर्पणम्।। the laws of nature. ‘Whatever you do, whatever you eat, So we see that spirituality and secular life whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you are closely intertwined since ages in the flow of give away, whatever Indian sanatana culture. austerity you practise, O This has distinguished son of Kunti, do that as an Inculcating spiritual values by Indian culture from other offering unto Me.’ (Gita well-defined systematic practices materialistic cultures of 9:27) in a graded manner from the world that have risen In this context it is childhood to grihasthya should and fallen throughout worth recollecting the be an integral part of family history. But because of following utterances of this inherent spiritual education. Swami Vivekananda on strength of sanatana Karma Yoga collected culture centred on from The Complete Works spiritualized grihastha dharma, it is still a of Swami Vivekananda: ‘Even the least work living, flourishing culture and a mighty force to done for the others awakens the power within; reckon with. The whole world is drawing ideas even thinking the least good of others gradually and ideals from our Hindu spiritual culture instills into the heart the strength of a lion.’ (CW directly and indirectly. We may or may not be 5:382)
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Inculcating spiritual values by welldefined systematic practices in a graded manner from childhood to grihasthya should be an integral part of family education. Though ideally, training to be a Rishi should begin in childhood, even those who are in the subsequent stages of life can also try and quickly proceed forward towards this ideal. Every step in spiritual movement has its own reward as the Bhagavad Gita says:
aware of it. But this is what our present day youths need to understand. If we closely observe, we will find that the modern literature and life styles are tilting towards Indian spiritual values, and there is also a growing demand for yoga, meditation, and ayurveda in the West. Indeed, our ancient thoughts, our time-tested family bonds, our great traditions and culture are silently and steadily influencing the world – for the good of the world. Following three approaches can quickly spiritualize the family: 1) Karma Yoga and family life Family life continuously revolves around a lot of work and activities. Therefore, it is important to learn the art of spiritualizing day to day work, deriving inspiration from the following teachings of Bhagavad Gita:
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other saints like Gondavalkar Maharaj and Sant Tukaram of Maharashtra, have set forth such examples of the Rishi ideal.
wave lengths of the mind generated by Papa Prajna, sin consciousness, have to be nullified by Punya Prajna or Deva Prajna which is consciousness of the good, the divine in us. This is called sublimation. Sin consciousness has to 2) Cultivating the art of divinising human be sublimated by spiritual consciousness which relationship in family life is naturally abiding Family life is a web within under the veil of of relationships. It is After a certain age and gaining ego consciousness. Sri important to understand knowledge of the world and its Ramakrishna pointed out the psychology of human transitoriness we must reorient to h i s h o u s e h o l d e r relationship. After a our relationship with relatives disciple Girish Chandra certain age and gaining Ghosh that ‘years of and friends based on divine knowledge of the world darkness in a cave can be relationship. and its transitoriness we instantly removed by must reorient our taking light into it’; which relationship with relatives and friends based on implies that no matter how strong a sinful divine relationship. Tuning our mind to notion a person may have due to ignorance, he understand the Divine Will and accepting it is can come out of it and get on to the right path the key. with the light of spiritual knowledge. The Lord यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः। declares in the Bhagavad Gita: तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसंगः समाचर ।।
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‘By means of the constant effort to do good to others we are trying to forget ourselves; this forgetfulness of self is the one great lesson we have to learn in life.’ (CW 1:84)
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‘Work must be done as a yajna (sacrifice) to the Supreme Lord; otherwise, work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your prescribed duties, without being attached to the results, for the satisfaction of God.’ (Gita 3:09) We must be able to accept every happening in the context of the overall scheme of nature and the Will of God. Acceptance, humility, forbearance, discrimination, strengthening of spiritual aspiration, and observance of daily upasana at home, are to be practised for a harmonious family life and to make it gradually oriented towards the divine. All this can go on harmoniously with legitimate aspirations and duties of life to make family life not only a comfortable living place but also a home, school, and a natural great learning centre. 3) Overcoming sin consciousness by spiritual understanding: Overcoming sin consciousness is very important to make spiritual progress. Negative
अपि चेत्सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक् । साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः सम्यग्व्यवसितो हि सः।।
‘Even if the vilest sinners worship Me with exclusive devotion, they are to be considered righteous, for they have made the proper resolve.’(Gita 9:30). Again,
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः। सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि।।
‘Even those who are considered the most immoral of all sinners can cross over this ocean of material existence by seating themselves in the boat of divine knowledge.’ (Gita 4:36)
Swamiji also said that we ascend not from untruth to truth but from lower truth to higher truth. Our mistakes, errors and sins, if properly studied, have subjective lessons for our transformation. They are spring boards of our progress and success. It is important to understand this teaching of Swamiji to forge our march and graduate to spiritual from secular aspect of family life very naturally. It is
like a bud blooming into a flower. It is like milk transforming into butter and ghee out of the same medium. But here only the chemistry and physical form of milk changes because of its inherent potential. Similarly, if we have faith in our divine potential as taught by Swami Vivekananda and our Upanishads, we can also realize our divine potential through grihastha dharma and ascend to the rishi ideal.
6) A spiritual and cultural family library can be setup and all family members should make it a point to read them.
1) Worship is the easiest way of divinising family life. So a simple mode of daily worship should be practised at home led by the head of the family involving all family members.
9) Parents and children can sit together at least for half an hour before or after lunch and exchange knowledgeoriented ideas and freely discuss religious and spiritual knowledge which children ought to know.
2) This simple worship should be performed at a shrine set-up in an appropriate place in the house with photographs of gods and goddesses according to the faith of the family. Children should be taught to recite some scriptures (parayana granthas) everyday according to the family tradition and individual faith, like a few slokas of Gita, Vishnu-sahasranama stotra, Ramaraksha stotra, and Lalita-sahasranama stotra. All the family members should recite Gayatri mantra at least ten times, duly understanding the meaning.
10) The family can have a planned spiritually oriented routine for the whole day to develop good habits and spiritual samskaras in the child. These seeds of light will add strength to their personality and orient their will and intellect towards higher pursuits of life. 11) We need to create a religio-spiritual educational syllabus that will impart to our children at home our spiritual and cultural values in a graded manner. This should synchronise with the secular school education from kindergarten to class 12.
3) Family members can repeat any generally known mantra pertaining to the god of their individual faith, till they receive initiation from a guru. 4) Children can be encouraged to chant, sing, or do bhajans at twilight time sitting in the shrine during arati.
5) This central shrine and daily worship at home will fill the house with a spiritual aura and become a source of spiritual education for the children.
Conclusion
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Thus the spiritual orientation of all the members of the family can transform their lives and help them attain the spiritual ideal. This is the essence of Grihastha dharma and Rishi ideal. This when practised in all families can transform our society.
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Practical tips for spiritualising family life
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8) The family elders can c o n s u l t a n ex p e r i e n c e d spiritual friend or the family guru for spiritual guidance.
Worship is the easiest way of divinising family life. So a simple mode of daily worship should be practised at home led by the head of the family involving all family members
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7) The family can be associated with some good spiritual organisation and also visit temples periodically.
(Continued from page 44...)
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Maha Nirvana Tantra
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The householder is the basis, the prop, of the whole society. He is the principal earner. The poor, the weak, the children and the women who do not work — all live upon the householder; so there must be certain duties that he has to perform, and these duties must make him feel strong to perform them, and not make him think that he is doing things beneath his ideal. Therefore, if he has done something weak, or has made some mistake, he must not say so in public; and if he is engaged in some enterprise and knows he is sure to fail in it, he must not speak of it. Such self-exposure is not only uncalled for, but also unnerves the man and makes him unfit for the performance of his legitimate duties in life. At the same time, he must struggle hard to acquire these things — firstly, knowledge, and secondly, wealth. It is his duty, and if he does not do his duty, he is nobody. A householder who does not struggle to get wealth is immoral. If he is lazy and content to lead an idle life, he is immoral, because upon him depend hundreds. If he gets riches, hundreds of others will be thereby supported. … the householder who struggles to become rich by good means and for good purposes is doing practically the same thing for the attainment of salvation as the anchorite does in his cell when he is praying; for in them we see only the different aspects of the same virtue of self-surrender and self-sacrifice prompted by the feeling of devotion to God and to all that is His.
He must struggle to acquire a good name by all means. He must not gamble, he must not move in the company of the wicked, he must not tell lies, and must not be the cause of trouble to others. Often people enter into things they have not the means to accomplish, with the result that they cheat others to attain their own ends. Then there is in all things the time factor to be taken into consideration; what at one time might be a failure, would perhaps at another time be a very great success.
The householder must speak the truth, and speak gently, using words which people like, which will do good to others; nor should he talk of the business of other men. The householder by digging tanks, by planting trees on the roadsides, by establishing resthouses for men and animals, by making roads and building bridges, goes towards the same goal as the greatest Yogi. This is one part of the doctrine of Karma-Yoga — activity, the duty of the householder. There is a passage later on, where it says that “if the householder dies in battle, fighting for his country or his religion, he comes to the same goal as the Yogi by meditation,” showing thereby that what is duty for one is not duty for another. At the same time, it does not say that this duty is lowering and the other elevating. Each duty has its own place, and according to the circumstances in which we are placed, we must perform our duties. If a man retires from the world to worship God, he must not think that those who live in the world and work for the good of the world are not worshipping God: neither must those who live in the world, for wife and children, think that those who give up the world are low vagabonds. Each is great in his own place.
Pearls of Wisdom
Tiruvalluvar
Saint-poet Tiruvalluvar lived about two thousand years ago in Mylapore, Chennai. Some verses from his Tirukkural, a treasurehouse of ethical maxims, are presented here: (Tamil text with English translation) இருள்சேர் இருவினையும் சேரா இறைவன்
அன்பும் அறனும் உடைத்தாயின் இல்வாழ்க்கை பண்பும் பயனும் அது.
If love aboundeth in the home and righteousness doth prevail, the home is perfect and its end all fulfiled. இயல்பினான் இல்வாழ்க்கை வாழ்பவன் என்பான் முயல்வாருள் எல்லாம் தலை.
Among those that seek after salvation, the greatest are they who lead a virtuous family life, performing aright all the duties that belong to it. தந்தை மகற்காற்றும் நன்றி அவையத்து முந்தி இருப்பச் செயல்.
What is the duty of a father to his son? It is to make him worthy to sit in the front rank in the assembly. மகன்தந்தைக்கு ஆற்றும் உதவி இவன்தந்தை என்நோற்றான் க�ொல்எனும் ச�ொல்.
What is the duty of a son to his father? It is to make the world ask, for what austerities of his hath he been blessed with such a son?
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Behold the men who sing earnestly the praises of the Lord; they will be freed from the pain-engendering fruits of action both good and evil.
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ப�ொருள்சேர் புகழ்புரிந்தார் மாட்டு.
Pearls of Wisdom
Bhartrihari
Bhartrihari (100 B.C. – 500 A.D.), who ruled in Ujjayini sometime and was the brother of King Vikramaditya is famous for three satakas (one hundred verses). Here we present some verses from his Nitisatakam.
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येषां न विद्या न तपो न दानं ज्ञानं न शीलं न गुणः न धर्मः। ते मर्त्यलोके भुवि भारभूताः मनुष्यरूपेण मृगाः चरन्ति॥
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Those in whom is neither wisdom, nor penance, nor charity, nor knowledge, nor good disposition, nor noble qualities, nor dharma (righteousness) may live in this world of mortals in human form, but they pass through the world like beasts encumbering the earth.
दाक्षिण्यं स्वजने दया परिजने शाठ्यं सदा दुर्जने प्रीतिः साधुजने नयो नृपजने विद्वज्जने चार्जवम्। शौर्यं शत्रुजने क्षमा गुरुजने कान्ताजने धृष्टता ये चैवं पुरुषाः कलासु कुशलास्त्तेष्वेव लोकस्थितिः॥
Show consideration and charity towards relatives, show kindness to those under your care, be always cunning with the wicked, have liking for the noble and holy people, always follow the law with regard to the rules or government, show straightforwardness and sincerity before the learned, have valour to face the enemies, be patient in front of the elders and teachers, be alert when dealing with the women. Those, who are experts in the art of handling people of various types and ages are the pillars of society.
निन्दन्तु नीतिनिपुणा यदि वा स्तुवन्तु लक्ष्मीः समाविशतु गच्छतु वा यथेष्टम्। अद्यैव वा मरणमस्तु युगान्तरे वा न्याय्यात् पथः प्रविचलन्ति पदं न धीराः॥
Let the sages blame or let them praise; let the goddess of fortune come or let her go wherever she likes; let death come today, or let it come in hundreds of years; he indeed is the steady man who does not move one inch from the way of truth.
Article
Brahmacharya in Married Life SWAMI PURUSHOTTAMANANDA
take care of their feeding in a special way. So, over and above the regular menu, Sri Sarada Devi had to prepare special delicacies on a daily basis! All this meant that she had absolutely no leisure time at all. For instance, on an average, This historic prayer welled up from the she had to prepare chapattis out of 7-8 pounds heart of Sri Sarada Devi. An intense prayer that of wheat flour daily! But she would do all that she had to be absolutely pure in every possible phenomenal amount of work joyfully, with love, way. When did she make this prayer? When she with an uncommon efficiency, and in a spirit of was at the prime of her youth! Those were the spiritual practice. In the midst of all that days when she lived in the Kali Temple at phenomenal amount of Dakshineswar, where she work, she would also used to serve and nurse relentlessly pray to the her husband Sri O Lord! Make my mind as pure Lord in her own mind. R a m a k r i s h n a . as those rays of light from the Japa and prayer would Simultaneously she also moon constantly flow from her performed japa-dhyanaheart like the perennial tapas and other spiritual river Ganga, on whose p ra c t i c e s u n d e r t h e banks stood her room. On full moon nights, she direction of Sri Ramakrishna. That was the would pray with tears in her eyes, ‘O Lord! time an endless stream of people came every Make my mind as pure as those rays of light day to meet Sri Ramakrishna, to listen to his from the moon.’ amazing words, and to enjoy his heavenly singing. All those devotees, especially those who came from far, had to be fed. So, Sri Sarada Devi had to cook and serve food for all such people. Then, there were the intimate disciples, and the special guests. It was Sri Ramakrishna’s habit to treat them in a very special way. And that again meant Sri Sarada Devi would have to
In this unique prayer of Sri Sarada Devi, we clearly see that her conception of purity has reached its very zenith. When we study her marvelous life, we can feel the divine fragrance of purity wafting out of every fiber of her personality. Was not it because she was so immaculate that the paragon of incarnations,
The author was a prolific writer, a powerful speaker, and a melodious singer. He was the head of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Belagavi, Karnataka when he passed away in 2005.
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‘O
Lord! Even the moon has dark spots; make my mind spotless. O Lord! Make my mind as pure as those rays of light from the moon.’
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Abridged translation from Swami Purushottamananda’s Kannada booklet ‘Pavitrata Svarupini Sharada Maate’.
Sri Ramakrishna, chose her to be his better half?
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A question may arise here: ‘Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi were husband and wife; how can we then call her the embodiment of purity? Or what do we mean when we still call her the embodiment of purity?’
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perceive the distinction between the two sexes, even though he be a very advanced spiritual aspirant, is still very far away from the direct experience of Brahman.’
W h e n S r i S a ra d a D ev i c a m e to Dakshineswar and started living there, Sri Ramakrishna looked upon the situation as an ideal situation for testing the depth of his own spiritual experiences. He True. Sri Ramasaw that living in intimate krishna and Sri Sarada Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada contact with his young Devi were a married Devi have revealed for humanity wife was the acid test of couple. But we cannot his purity of mind, of his a whole new set of values within forget the fact that there knowledge and was absolutely no trace of the institution of marriage dispassion, which had physical intimacy resulted from his being between them. That established in the means, their relation was something that had knowledge of Brahman. Fine. He now allowed transcended the physical realm; their relation his wife to serve him personally to her heart’s was based on one looking upon the other as the content. Not just that; he even allowed her to spiritual Self in oneself; it was the divine live in his own room and share his bed with relation that exists between a Guru and his him. disciple. By leading such a unique kind of married life, we can say that Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi have revealed for humanity a whole new set of values within the institution of marriage. If we have to understand this phenomenon, we will have to study deeply the unique and unprecedented details of their married life.
First of all, Sri Ramakrishna was a perfected soul who had achieved the goal of all kinds of spiritual practices extant in the vast ocean called Hinduism. He had achieved Nirvikalpa Samadhi. He was established in the direct experience of Brahman. Tota Puri, his Guru who had helped him achieve that pinnacle of spiritual experiences had once told him, ‘He who has rooted himself in renunciation, dispassion, discernment and knowledge – which arise from the direct experience of Brahman – even though living with and sleeping next to his wife, will still be established in Brahman. He who can still
One day, looking at his youthful wife who was sleeping next to him, he told his own mind, ‘O mind, look at this; this is what is called a female body. The whole world is mad after this. The world considers this as the supreme object of sense enjoyment. But if you start enjoying this, you will forever get trapped in body consciousness; you will never be able to perceive God who is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute. Now, you tell me, O mind, be not a hypocrite! Don’t desire one thing within you and utter something else outside. Tell me truly, do you want this sense pleasure or do you desire God? If you wish to enjoy a female body, then look here, it is right here next to you. You are free to enjoy it.’ Thinking in this way, he was just about to touch the body of his wife, when all of a sudden his mind retreated with such intensity from his senses that he entered into a very deep Samadhi! That entire night, his mind did not
Human history has not heard of such a thing as this! Husband and wife, maintaining perfect sexual abstinence, even while living together, is something unique in the known history of humankind. On the one hand, it is incredible that Sri Ramakrishna lived in his own Self even while sleeping next to his lawfully wedded wife; and on the other, it is equally amazing that Sri Sarada Devi completely dissolved her own individuality and identified herself totally with her husband’s spiritual ideal. In fact, Sri Sarada Devi’s achievement seems to be the greater of the two because, if she had so wished, she had every right to drag her husband down to the level of
What an answer! Only from a person of Sri Sarada Devi’s stature could come such a reply! There was no un-natural-ness in that reply, no artifice. They weren’t words said in order to please someone either. It was the direct outpouring of the heart that was filled through and through with the purity of the Self! She was therefore not just the legally wedded wife of Sri Ramakrishna. She was also a fullfledged partner in her husband’s unprecedented spiritual endeavors! Hence she was capable of saying, ‘I have come here to assist you in your spiritual endeavors.’ We notice an important feature here: Sri Sarada Devi didn’t arrive in Sri Ramakrishna’s life merely to participate in his spiritual life; she was going to assist him in his spiritual efforts! What does ‘assist’ mean in this context? It means nothing short of ‘Giving a shoulder to the greatest among incarnations in his mission’! What is that mission? Eradicating the sensuality, removing ignorance about one’s own true nature and overcoming indiscretion;
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Even in our wildest imagination, we cannot conceive of attempting such a trial by fire! Of course, Sri Ramakrishna tested his own dispassion and knowledge by means of this unprecedented exercise; and he came out in flying colors. But, what might have been the feelings in the mind of Sri Sarada Devi who lived in such close intimacy with her husband during those days? Could she have secretly hankered for becoming a mother, which would have been quite natural in a girl of her age? Well, it was nothing of the kind! There was not the least trace of such thoughts in her mind. Reminiscing about those wonderful days she spent with her husband, she later said, ‘It is impossible to describe the exalted state in which Sri Ramakrishna lived during those days. Overcome with divine bliss, he would sometimes laugh, and sometimes weep. And quite often he would remain immersed in Samadhi. Sometimes, his body would seem totally devoid of any sign of life! There were times when he would spend the entire night in such a seemingly lifeless state! ...’
normal husband-wife relationship; and she too could have become a biological mother like every other married woman in this world. But, such was not the mind of Sri Sarada Devi. There was no chance of her relating to her husband as other women do. She was pure enough to sympathize and participate equally in the highest ideals that her husband had espoused. There was not even a trace of sensuality in her own heart. So much so that even when once her husband himself raised this issue in discussion with her, her own ideal of personal purity did not quaver! Once Sri Ramakrishna asked his wife, ‘Look here; you are my lawfully wedded wife; you have a right over me, over my body. Now tell me, do you have any wish to drag me down to a sensual life that is concomitant with marriage?’ Immediate came Sri Sarada Devi’s reply, ‘Why would I ever do that? I have come here to assist you in your spiritual endeavors.’
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come down from that supernal state. The next day, his mind had to be brought back to his senses after chanting the name of God repeatedly in his ears.
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for sensuality, ignorance and indiscretion are destroying mankind. Leading mankind towards God – such is the scope of the mission of an incarnation! Which ordinary woman indeed can ‘assist’ an incarnation of God in His divine mission on Earth? None other than the Mother of the Universe, the Primal Energy embodied! Seen in this light, we understand that Sri Sarada Devi’s purity was not something that she had achieved by means of her efforts. Rather, purity itself had embodied as Sri Sarada Devi. The more we meditate on this incredible fact, the more will our heart be purified and so much more will our personality become exalted.
We have seen that Sri Ramakrishna asked his wife ‘Do you have any wish to drag me down to a sensual life that is concomitant with marriage?’ He did this in order to understand his wife’s mind. In a similar way, Sri Sarada D ev i a l s o h a d o n c e q u e s t i o n e d S r i Ramakrishna. It is an interesting incident. Sri Sarada Devi had come to Dakshineswar and had started living with him. Sri Ramakrishna was lying down on his cot one afternoon. The youthful Sri Sarada Devi was massaging his legs. What a romantic situation, indeed! All of a sudden, Sri Ramakrishna was asked by his young wife, ‘How do I look to your eyes now?’
A beautiful and youthful wife is questioning her young husband, ‘How do I look to your eyes now?’ The answer that Sri Ramakrishna gave to this question is something that will remain unparalleled in the spiritual history of humankind. He replied, ‘The Divine Mother who is worshipped in the Temple (Goddess Bhavatarini of Dakshineswar), the lady who lives in the Nahabat (his own biological mother Chandramani Devi), and you who are now pressing my legs – all are the manifestations of the same Divine Mother of the Universe. Truly I tell you, whenever I see you, I see clearly that it is the Divine Mother of the Universe that has assumed your form to be with me.’
What an answer, indeed! These words will certainly stupefy the masses that are immersed in the mire of sensuality! Sri Ramakrishna is equating his lawfully wedded wife with the woman who gave birth to him, and the Deity worshipped in the Temple! These were not calculated words aimed at projecting a manufactured image of oneself. These are sincere words coming straight from the heart of Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna’s entire life is established in utter truthfulness. The spiritual ideals that manifested in his life can be understood only if we study his life and message with an unbiased mind, and if we are capable of understanding his life against the background of the truths revealed in our holy scriptures. Only then will we understand the true value of his extremely exalted life. Against the backdrop of this awareness of Sri Ramakrishna’s unique position in human history, we will realize that it is entirely to Sri Sarada Devi’s credit that she assisted Sri Ramakrishna in manifesting an unprecedented ideal of marriage! Even though living with his wife, he was able to transcend the pull of the senses and remain established in his inner Self. This was a unique achievement of Sri Ramakrishna. And Sri Sarada Devi had an equal share in this achievement of his! Sri Ramakrishna himself praised Sri Sarada Devi’s contribution towards his manifesting the ideal of marriage, ‘If she weren’t so pure, who knows, perhaps my own self-control might have succumbed to the natural temptation of a wife’s conjugal call. After my marriage, I had prayed sincerely to the Divine Mother, “Mother, remove the least trace of sensuality in my wife’s mind.” Later on, when I lived together with her, I realized that the Divine Mother had more than answered my prayer.’ What a marvelous phenomenon we see here! The prayer uttered by Sri Ramakrishna
One can’t help but raise a question here: We have seen how Sri Ramakrishna prayed to the Divine Mother, and how he wholeheartedly praised the purity of his wife. But, was there ever any real danger of his losing self-control in the face of a temptation from his youthful wife? Was he not a perfected person, who had quenched all his physical and psychological hungers, established in the bliss of his own Self? Moreover, should another person pray for
पवित्रं चरितं यस्याः पवित्रं जीवनं तथा । पवित्रतास्वरूपिण्यै तस्यै कुर्मो नमो नमः ।।
‘She whose personality is pure, she whose life is pure, to such a paragon of purity, we offer our repeated salutations.’ This is a most exquisite eulogy, which is today chanted as a prayer; it also reveals a great truth. The veracity of this eulogy will be confirmed by anyone who studies the life and message of Sri Sarada Devi. Her divine bashfulness, uncommon wisdom, perfect selfcontrol in her words and actions, incredible
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Similarly, it was because Sri Sarada Devi was completely immersed in meditation on her husband, as it were, that she was able to meet him on his own exalted spiritual state of mind. Her own mind and heart – they were immaculate! Therefore, Sri Ramakrishna was able to pour out the fruits of his spiritual practices into her even from afar. Quite often, we are unable to make the person sitting right in front of us grasp the subtle truths of spiritual life! If the mind is impure, it is impossible to grasp spiritual truths. And here we see that Sri Sarada Devi was able to grasp the finest strands of feelings arising from the mind and heart of Sri Ramakrishna, notwithstanding the enormous geographical distance separating them. What a wonder this is, indeed! If this isn’t a grand testimony to her great spiritual capability, what else is? It was for this reason that later on, while living with her husband, she was able to say, ‘I have come to assist you in your mission’.
the purity of a soul such as Sri Sarada Devi? Purity has itself incarnated as Sri Sarada Devi! Well, there was no way Sri Ramakrishna’s selfcontrol could have broken down; and no one else need have prayed for Sri Sarada Devi’s purity. This divine couple had to manifest a unique ideal for humanity. That ideal had to be made intelligible for the common masses. Only the spouse can vouch for the character of the husband, or the purity of the wife. Therefore, Sri Sarada Devi elaborates the unprecedented renunciation of her husband, and Sri Ramakrishna sings praises of his wife’s immaculate purity. Until now, we have seen the empyrean heights to which this divine couple raised the standards of their married life. This is just one aspect of purity. Sexual continence alone is not the measure of purity. Unchaste thoughts, possessive thoughts and feelings within one’s own mind, selfishness in one’s own heart – all these too degrade one’s personality. One may safely conclude that selfishness is indeed the supreme impurity. But, when we study how Sri Sarada Devi was able to remain pure in each of these aspects, we can’t but marvel at the wonderfully ideal life she led; we can’t help but feel our own minds and hearts imbibing a little of her immaculate purity. It is for this very reason that Swami Abhedananda sang about her,
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here in Dakshineswar was bringing about changes in the personality of Sri Sarada Devi in faraway Jayrambati. By the intense power of his mind, he was sharing the fruits of his severe spiritual practices with his better half! This is the only way we can infer these developments, discounting the possibility of a coincidence. We have to understand that by his intense prayer, Sri Sarada Devi was absorbing the results of his spiritual practices, although she was at that time, living quite far away from him.
detachment, brilliant spiritual awareness, the terrible austerities such as Pancha-tapa that she performed – if we study all these aspects of Sri Sarada Devi critically, we get a glimpse of her true personality.
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Meditation on the Lord is the path shown to us by the ancient Rishis for purifying our mind and heart, thereby evolving ourselves spiritually. We have to meditate on the ever-pure Lord of the Universe and thereby cleanse ourselves of the dirt of ignorance that we smeared ourselves with, over innumerable lives. Taittiriya Upanishad has a wonderful prayer:
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तं त्वा भग॒ प्रविशानि॒ स्वाहा। स मा भग॒ प्रविश॒ स्वाहा। तस्मिन् सहस्रशाखे। निभगाऽहं त्वयि मृजे॒ स्वाहा।
‘O adorable One, may I enter into you, such as you are. O venerable One, you, such as you are, enter into me. O adorable One, who are greatly diversified, may I purify my sins in you.’ The beginner in spiritual life may find it difficult to conceive of the ever-pure Lord; it will be difficult to conceive and meditate on the Lord, as the ever-pure One. But we need not worry. It is the inherent divine power of the same ever-pure Lord that has incarnated as the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. We have to sincerely study her life, and think about it repeatedly. By doing that, our mind will be able to enter into the personality that was Sri Sarada Devi. When we are thus able to dwell on her immaculate personality, we will cleanse ourselves of all impurities; our entire personality will become divinised. Purity: Three aspects
Pavitra (Pure), Parishuddha (Pristine), Chitta Shuddhi (Mental purity), Shuddha Antahkarana (Mental purity), Shuddha Hridaya (Pure heart), Manas Shuddhi (Mental purity) – these are Sanskrit terms common to most
spiritual aspirants in India. These terms occupy pride of place in the vocabulary of spiritual aspirants. Merely by uttering these words, don’t we feel a certain sense of cleanliness in our minds? These terms also have a reverse psychological effect too. That is, when we utter these words, we may start recalling all the depraved things that we have done in our lives, and we may start shrivelling in fear! But this much is true – the purity that arises from an impeccable life is a rarity in this world today. It is a very rare quality and a priceless acquisition too. The purity that was in Emperor Ambarisha was capable of pacifying the terrible anger of the Sage Durvasa. The immaculate purity of Savitri was capable of wrenching her husband Satyavan from Lord Yama, the god of death! The incredibly powerful King Ravana couldn’t so much as even touch Mother Sita who was imprisoned in his own Palace Garden, could he? The power of immaculate purity is infinite. Its glory is unbounded! When one cleanses one’s mind of all its sins, along with the mind, the entire personality becomes purified, becomes clear like a crystal. Crystal is a transparent material. Similarly, a pure mind becomes transparent. If an object is kept on one side of a crystal, it is clearly visible from the other side. This is because, there is no dirt in the medium. In a similar way, a mind that is free from lust, anger, deceit, hypocrisy, duplicity, etc., is able to project the divine spark that lies inside every living being. That is the reason all spiritual aspirants strive day and night for just one thing – purification of their mind and heart. Sri Sarada Devi is today worshipped and eulogized by not just innumerable devotees all over the world, but also by thousands of sannyasis and celibates as पवित्रं चरितं यस्याः। When Sri Sarada Devi was in the prime of her youth, what was the prayer that welled up from the bottom of her heart? ‘O Lord! Even the moon has dark spots; make my
When we observe all these incidents, a question arises in our minds, ‘Well, then, is married life also a path to achieving purity?’ The answer is simple: The life of righteous marriage is neither an obstacle to purity, nor a hindrance, as is commonly understood today. Sri Ramakrishna-Sri Sarada Devi came to reveal before humanity, the total picture of purity, one of the great ideals sought after by man. Today, when we look at the rampant westernization of Indian society, because of which the common Indian is degrading himself into unimagined perversions and sensual depravities, don’t we see the necessity of holding up before the Indian society a burning example of purity? If the utter disregard for law and order in society continues to grow amidst the burgeoning population, we ought to dispassionately see where this will all lead us to in the near future. What sort of a land indeed is our country? It is the veritable repository of all spiritual ideals ever known to mankind! Man has realized the highest spiritual ideals in this pure and blessed land. Hence, it is the duty of India to disseminate all over the world the ideal of Purity. Bhagavad Gita says, न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते। ‘There is nothing comparable to knowledge that can purify us.’ What does that mean? Man sins because he is ignorant; he doesn’t know and hence he commits mistakes. Ignorance is thus the root cause of sin. Man is unaware of the fact that he is ever-pure, everawakened, ever-free. What does it mean when we say that man is unaware of this fact? Doesn’t it mean he is ignorant? Due to this pervasive ignorance, man tries to find happiness by
The Upanishad may have certainly directed man to do this. But, ignorance does not allow man to approach the knowing ones and learn from them. The strangle-hold of ignorance over man is enormous! The gravitational pull of ignorance over man is so much more powerful than the uplifting attraction of the Guru! Swami Vivekananda was able to discern this terrible fact regarding human nature and said, ‘If the mountain does not go to Mohammad, then Mohammad will have to go to the mountain.’ Similarly, the knowing ones will have to go the common people, live amidst them, move from town to town, village to village and bring them to the Light that they experience. This is because, the dense covering of ignorance in the minds and hearts of people is not something that will get
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What again were the words of praise that Sri Ramakrishna, her husband, said about her? ‘If she weren’t so pure, who knows, perhaps my own self-control might have succumbed to the natural temptation of a wife’s conjugal call.’
resorting to all sorts of wrong and devious means. This further intensifies his ignorance! Again, due to his dense ignorance, he indulges in yet more sins. Not only does he himself commit sins, he actively drags others too into his sinful activities. What is sad in this state of affairs is that he himself is blissfully unaware that he is drowning into a great abyss. His own conscience would have become so feeble. Why would it have become so feeble? Ignorance! Hence Bhagavad Gita proclaims, ‘If man ever wants to rid himself of all his sins and become pure, he has to resort to knowledge; there is no other way.’ Who can bring knowledge to this ignorant man? It is the knowing ones alone that can do that. But, unfortunately, such knowing ones are very rare. Nevertheless, we will have to find out at least one such knowing one, approach him, meet him again and again. We will have to approach him till our dense ignorance melts away and knowledge of our own true nature dawns in us. Katha Up. says: उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान् निबोधत । ‘Arise, awake, approach the knowing ones and learn about your true nature from them.’
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mind spotless. O Lord! Make my mind as pure as those rays of light from the moon.’
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dispelled easily! Hence the pure ones, the knowing ones, instead of merely enjoying their own bliss, should decide to move among the common people.
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careful to ensure that all the feelings that arise in our heart, all the thoughts that come to our mind, all our imaginations are exalted, pure and beneficial to us. This is because, our words and our actions, which are the most important Initially, Swami Vivekananda himself did aspects of our personality, are directly based on not have the mind to do this spreading of light. the feelings, thoughts and imaginations we His desire was to go to the Himalayas and entertain. Hence, urgent attention needs to be remain immersed in the bliss of his Self. But Sri drawn towards purification of feelings, Ramakrishna’s directive brought him out to thoughts and imaginations. This brings forth bring the life-giving light of the Eternal Religion another question: ‘Without our consent, not only among his own countrymen, but also without our volition, involuntarily, gross among the foreign ones. Today, the rays of that feelings and base thoughts arise in our restless light are lighting up the minds and hearts of mind. What can we do about it?’ The first thousands of people and making them pure and answer is ‘Don’t be afraid about your whole. helplessness’. And the final answer is, ‘By Swami Vivekananda preached religion to constantly keeping the people of all mentalities company of the right kind and attitudes; he We have to achieve three kinds of people, constantly preached the four major studying the right kind of of purity: Bhava Shuddhi, paths of spiritual growth literature, and sincerely Vak Shuddhi, and Kriya Shuddhi – the four Yogas; he praying to our Ishta who preached the synthesis of l ive s w i t h i n u s a n d the four yogas; he also constantly observes our preached practical Vedanta for the common mind, we can lift up our mind to whatever people of the present age. At last, he heights we wish.’ summarized all his preaching in the following few words: ‘Try to be pure and unselfish – that is the whole of Religion.’ Christ had said something similar: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for, they shall see God.’
Purifying the heart is the single important teaching that all incarnations of God and saints and sages have emphasized upon. When we read and hear all this, a question starts forming in our mind – what does it mean to be pure? Although this question has a simple answer, this is a topic that calls for a detailed deliberation. Anyway, a brief answer to this question will be that we have to achieve three kinds of purity: Bhava Shuddhi, Vak Shuddhi, and Kriya Shuddhi. Bhava Shuddhi (Purification of feelings, thoughts and imaginations): We have to be
Vak Shuddhi (Purification of speech): As we proceed in purifying our mind as mentioned above, our tendency to gossip and talk meaninglessly reduces. Only useful and necessary words come out of our mouth. And, those words will carry weight. But we should note one thing here. If our words have to be pure and wholesome, purification of our feelings, thoughts and imaginations alone will not suffice. We need to get trained by the right kind of people and we must have developed the habit of deep study of the right kind of literature. This effort bears a two-fold result: Firstly, our language becomes beautiful, meaningful, and clear. We will then be able to express our experiences and thoughts very clearly, without any ambiguity. Secondly,
Kriya Shuddhi (Purification of actions): Aren’t all the actions we perform day-in and day-out but a reflection of our state of mind? The actions of a person derive directly from the power of knowledge a person possesses and the power of will that he has developed. Hence our Real purity We have to overcome every actions, more specifically, The utility and obstacle and temptation by the quality of our actions, necessity of purity, in praying to God who is the root of depend entirely upon our rising to the heights of purity brain-power and willspiritual unfoldment from power. Every act of ours the stage of worldliness, should be: 1) Efficient, 2) c a n n eve r b e ove r Systematic, and 3) Useful. emphasized. But this world is the realm of The great secret is that if a person sensuality. In this realm of sensuality, continually works like this, his personality there are very few people who even know that becomes pure over a period of time. If one there is such a blessed state called ‘purity’. works efficiently, his personal capabilities When such is the case, how many indeed increase. If one works systematically, the will know or appreciate the utility of restlessness of mind gets calm. If one performs purity? Moreover, the rare few that do only useful work, his heart gets filled with a get to hear about this blessed state of purity sense of satisfaction and contentment. His mind generally become afraid that purity will and heart gradually get transformed into a adversely affect their married life. Hence they formidable instrument of power, raising him to avoid any further inquiry into this most the heights of purity. wonderful state that any person could raise oneself to! But then, this is a gross Thus, purity in our personality can be misconception. If we think about it a little, we achieved by gradually working towards Bhavawill realize that this line of thinking – that Shuddhi, Vak-Shuddhi and Kriya-Shuddhi. But purity will destroy marital life – is flawed. For that is not the end. There is a state that is the instance, look at this popular sloka: pinnacle of purity. The direct perception of God requires that highest level of purity in our personality. Swami Yatiswarananda Ji (a
अहल्या द्रौपदी सीता तारा मन्दोदरी तथा । पंचकन्या स्मरेन्नित्यं महापातकनाशनम् ॥
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We must always remember that purification of our speech, and purification of our feelings, thoughts and imaginations lend the distinct fragrance of purity to our entire personality.
disciple of Swami Brahmananda who was one of the direct-disciples of Sri Ramakrishna) used to say that the means of attaining to that highest level of purity is to keep intensely praying to God. God is the basis of purity and the repository of purity that we wish to achieve. We have to overcome every obstacle and temptation by praying to God who is the embodiment of purity. There is no other way, in fact! We have to embrace purity and make it our very nature. The life of Sri Sarada Devi throws a new light on this matter. We just have to make up our mind to study very deeply her entire life, with this end in view; that’s all. Indeed, a price worth paying for the infinite returns in store for our efforts!
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our thinking processes become enriched by the fund of language skills we come to possess. Wild feelings, diverse and erratic thinking are harmful to our mental health, nor do they help us in our efforts at inner purification. They only lead us to a state of impurity!
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‘Ahalya, Draupadi, Sita, Taara and Mandodari – if you remember these five maidens every day, all your sins will be atoned for.’
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Please note that these five women have been called kanyas or maidens here. And it is commonly known that these five were all married women. Moreover, the lives of all these five too were more than a deviation from what is generally considered the normal life of a married woman! Despite all these, it is said that if we remember them every day, we will overcome all our sins. What does ‘overcome all our sins’ mean? Does it not mean that we will become pure? Therefore, it clearly means that living a life of unbroken chastity alone is not the meaning of purity! If this is so, then what is purity? We need to understand the concept of purity in all its various aspects. The Sanskrit word for purity is pavitra. Etymologically, this Sanskrit word is defined as: ‘pavi’ means sin or impurity and ‘tra’ means to go beyond. Therefore, the word purity means achieving inner cleanliness through performing good works by which we overcome old sins and don’t commit fresh sins.
We need to understand what constitutes sin in this context. Which acts are sinful, and which are not? No man who commits a sin has a sense that he is sinning. Since he does not have that sense, he commits sin after sin. Now, the trouble is, if we think properly, it is impossible to classify which acts are sinful and which are virtuous. Such a classification is indeed a moral dilemma. But that act, after doing which, our mind gets peace, balance and joy, is certainly a noble act, a virtuous act. Similarly, that act, after doing which, our mind gets disturbed and gets thrown into choppy waves, is undoubtedly a sinful act, an evil act! A sinful act, whether small or big, does not leave the doer’s mind in peace. We just utter a harmless lie, and see the reaction on ourselves. Our mind will go on experiencing some sort of
disturbance and won’t be in peace! Now, some may point out that habitual, serial liars exist, who go on with their lives happily! But, we ask such persons, are they really able to peep inside the minds of those inveterate liars? Let alone fibbing; there are many who indulge in hundreds of other sinful acts such as cheating, hypocrisy, treachery, robbery, etc. Is it not clear that such people are far, far away from the supreme ideal, the exalting ideal of purity?
But, we need to think and analyze about one important issue in this context. Generally, when we say ‘purity’, the ideal of perfect chastity comes to mind. Or one thinks of ‘sexual’ purity. This is a pervasive tendency. In India, especially, this is so pervasive that even the learned persons who are legally wedded to each other and are good, cultured people in every respect, confess that sometimes they feel a sense of guilt when they hear the word ‘purity’. They confess that often they feel that there is some sort of ‘impurity’ in them. In order to realize that a scripturally enjoined, legally married life is absolutely no obstacle to leading a pure life, we ought to see some of the pure couples that still exist in our society. Their behavior, attitudes, demeanor and dealings must be observed. Then we will experience the cool, soothing effect that their purity has on our hearts!
Yet another incredible fact is that purity is not the monopoly of only the elite of the society, or only the academically educated people of society. Here and there, even in the lower strata of society, we come across glowing examples that diffuse the sweet, enchanting fragrance of purity in the morass of this world! Perhaps we could quote some such instances. But, much better than reading about them will be the impact we feel if we approach them and see with our own eyes these ‘salt of the earth’. That would be more useful, more beneficial and much more meaningful.
It is extremely difficult to answer this question. This is indeed a very tricky question. Even after practicing celibacy if the personality is filled with egotism and arrogance, even after practicing celibacy if the personality shows glaring weaknesses like infatuation and jealousy, even after practicing celibacy if the personality entertains base desires like hankering for name and fame, then who indeed would call such a celibate person as pure? Not only that. Sri Ramakrishna’s monastic disciple Swami Brahmananda says that there are many so-called pure people, who develop a peculiar arrogance by feeling ‘I am pure; I live a pure life; I am heads and shoulders above all these worldly, married people!’ A strange ‘holierthan-thou’ complex is developed in such people. This egotism, this arrogance arising out of purity is very subtle and very intense. Hence removing it also is very, very difficult. The spiritual growth of such people gets arrested, says Swami Brahmananda. When we see all this, don’t we realize that in order to reach the pinnacle of purity, something more than the practice of brahmacharya is needed? Even though Ashwattama practiced unbroken
Holy Mother’s consolation to aspirants
It does not take long for a person to skid from the narrow path of perfection, slip from a position of purity and become a ‘fallen’ man. Jesus Christ said, ‘He that looks at another woman with lustful eyes has already committed adultery in his mind.’ What a terrifying statement this is! The divine incarnation of the permissive west, the land filled to the brim with sensuality, to utter such words! But, all divine incarnations, prophets and saints have uttered statements of similar nature regarding character building and protecting one’s purity. They have all prescribed the strictest rules in this regard. Even though that is the case, spiritual aspirants of this present world find it very, very difficult to maintain such high, uncompromising standards of purity. This is mostly because of the influence of the times we live in today. Realizing this ground reality, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi gave the greatest consolation to struggling aspirants of today. She said, ‘In Kali Yuga (i.e., in today’s world), mental sins will be pardoned.’ These words were uttered by one who is recognized and worshipped all over the world as the Divine Mother Incarnate! Out of her great motherheart, unable to see the nerve-wracking struggle of her children to attain true purity, she gave this great assurance. She found that her children, even though living with the greatest care and following the strictest rules, would sometimes commit a small, inadvertent lapse in their minds. And as a consequence of that mental lapse, their own guilt (for no one else would even come to
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A subtler aspect of the same issue is there. If married people can indeed lead a life of the highest purity, what status are we to ascribe to the purity seen in the life of unbroken celibacy?
celibacy and was the only son of the greatest guru of archery Dronacharya, why is he not hailed as the ideal of purity? On the other hand, don’t we find millions worshipping in various ways and benefitting from it, even today, Hanuman, who was not even a full-fledged human being, but only a simian?
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But, we may broach one serious issue for consideration here, that is worthy of our attention. Just recall the innumerable saints and sages and prophets, of various levels of spiritual achievements and contributions, who blessed this world with their purifying impact; did they all fall from the sky? Or did they just enter this world from another dimension, passing through a membrane? Didn’t they all take birth in some blessed household or the other? The couples that gave birth to these saints and seers and prophets, what were they if not pure?!
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know of it, most of the times) would condemn them as ‘fallen’! In order to protect her children from such a despicable situation, she uttered these words. And what a consolation! She has saved so many genuine aspirants from such a precarious condition!
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But a word of caution is necessary here. Thinking that the Holy Mother has given us such a blanket assurance, it will be our ruin if we go on indulging in all sorts of depravities inside our minds! We have to keep in mind the sense in which she has given this assurance. When we are progressing along the path prescribed by the guru with great sincerity, and trying to lead a pure life, by chance, if the mind wavers once or twice from the ideal, we don’t have to lose heart. That lapse will be pardoned. Using this pardon, pick yourself up, hitch yourself to the ideal again and proceed ahead along your path with great sincerity. That is the sense in which this statement of the Holy Mother has to be understood. Purity of vision
It was the year 1961. I had joined the Ramakrishna Ashrama, Bangalore, as a brahmacharin just the previous year. Srimat Swami Yatishwarananda Ji Maharaj was the President of the Ashrama. He was my guru. This background is necessary to set the incident I am going to narrate now. It was an afternoon around 1.30 pm and we had all finished our lunch. By that time, a couple arrived at the Ashrama. I recall they were a Bengali couple. They were initiated devotees of Swami Yatiswarananda Ji Maharaj. So, I duly informed him of their arrival. When he came out of his room and spoke to them, he learnt that they hadn’t yet had their lunch. Swamiji asked me if any food was left in the kitchen. I readily answered in the affirmative because I was the bhandari or kitchen incharge in the Ashrama. I led the guests to the
Dining Hall. I laid their plates and served them the dishes. Revered Swamiji too had come along. He too sat on the floor in front of them and was speaking to them. It was summer and the dining hall had innumerable house-flies. Revered Swamiji asked me to fetch him a hand fan. When I gave him one, he started fanning the couple with his own hands to drive away the flies, and once in a while, he would fan the couple too since it was quite hot. I said, ‘Swamiji, kindly give me the fan. I will fan them.’ But he didn’t give it to me. He himself went on fanning them. They finished their lunch. After speaking to him for some more time, the couple left, blessed by their guru.
By this time, my mind was slowly getting disturbed. I couldn’t help but think in this way: ‘He is such a great sannyasi. Moreover, he is a guru who initiates aspirants into the spiritual path. Why did he sit in front of that couple and fan them while they had lunch? Why did he have to drive away the flies himself? What could this mean?’ This question started tormenting me. Since I had grown up in a South Indian traditional household, this doubt along with some other associated questions arose in my mind. But I still did not have the courage to openly ask him. But, there was in fact no need for me to ask them, after all! Revered Swamiji himself made a statement at that juncture. He uttered, ‘Veritable Lakshmi and Narayana!’ That was it. Not one more word came out of his mouth. Is not that enough? What more can words convey? It’s been over 40 years since Revered Swamiji uttered those words. But, their impact has grown to gigantic proportions in my mind now, and is still growing! That couple was not just a man and a woman! Not even a husband and wife, as the cultured people say! Veritable god and goddess! Was not this the paradigm of the ancient Rishis? What a pure vision, indeed!
Article
e will not be deliberating about Purity per se in this article, because, most of us already have a rough idea of this concept. But, we have lots of gaps in our understanding of this vital idea. We will try to fill in the gaps in our understanding of this concept. As we noted, we all know sufficiently enough about Purity. Yet we do not seem to grow in this character trait. Why is that? Principle of gradation in ideals
Let us place a KG kid, a school boy, a college student, a post-graduate scholar, and a research scientist, say for instance, Einstein, in a line, all standing one beside the other. We ask each one the same question, ‘What are you doing?’ The KG kid will say, ‘I am studying’. The school boy will say, ‘I am studying’. The college student, let us hope, says, ‘I am studying’, because, now-a-days, most students take admission in colleges, not to study, but to ‘set right’ the college and the university! Let us hope to get a good college student, in which case, he will certainly say, ‘I am here for studying’. Next, we ask a Masters’ student the same question, and we will surely get the same answer. You see where this is going. Lastly, a true research scholar like Einstein will also say, ‘I am studying this universe; I am learning how it works.’ All of them are saying the same thing. But, what a world of difference lies between a KG
kid saying ‘I am studying’ and an Einstein saying ‘I am studying’!
None of them is false. All of them are correct. We know that all of them are correct because we clearly understand there is a gradation in the act of learning. Learning is not an absolute action. It has innumerable steps, innumerable gradations, and innumerable stages. And each of them is indeed called by the same name – learning. We may qualify it with words like lower learning and higher learning, but we agree that each one of them is indeed doing the same thing – learning. Thus, they are all doing same thing, though there is a difference in its degree. We urgently need to understand this concept, especially with regard to ideals such as Purity. There is a clear gradation in ideals. Ideals are not absolute. To some extent we may consider that the lowest end and the highest end (as we understand them now 1 ) are absolute, but there is a spectrum of ideals inbetween. They are graded. So, do we understand that when a student is focussing entirely on his studies, a soldier is focussing entirely on fighting the enemy and defending his country, a doctor is focussing entirely on his surgery saving the patient and healing the sick, a mason is focussing entirely on laying bricks and constructing a building – all of them are essentially as pure and as focused as a monk practicing unbroken Brahmacharya for the sake of God Realization?
The author is a sannyasi of the Ramakrishna Order
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A SANNYASI
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PA G E S P O N S O R : S M T. R A J A M S U B R A M A N I A M , C H E N N A I
Purity: The Graded Ideal
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We do not mean that they are all equal, but, only essentially the same. They are all like that string of KG kid, school student, etc., mentioned earlier.
connection, we will start making progress in manifesting these ideals in our own lives.
Sri Ramakrishna was a married man. He worshipped his own wife as the Divine Mother! We all understand this manifestation of the ideal in Sri Ramakrishna as ‘Purity’. Well, that is one extreme of the spectrum. Can we understand that raising a family, and being loyal to one’s wife the entire life, is the same ideal manifested on a little lower level? Can we understand that when a student rejects a distraction of playing video games and immerses himself in single-minded study of his subjects, that is also a manifestation of the same ideal of purity, of course, on a much, much lower level? When we understand this
questions?’ The young man asked, ‘Sir, what will be the salary?’ The interviewer said, ‘You are a fresher. We will put you on two years’ probation, during which period, we will pay you Rs.10,000 per month. After your probationership is completed, we will put you into the Rs.16,500 scale. Understood?’ The young engineer replied, ‘Yes Sir. I will join after two years.’
A man took his son to be admitted in There are grades in the level of purity each Shantiniketan. He asked in the Office, ‘What all one of us can achieve in our individual life. We do you teach here?’ The officer was proud of his must note that the action, per se, is not related to Institution and explained, ‘We have a school; what level of purity or any other ideal is then we have a multi-disciplinary college, achieved. In fact, Vedanta holds that any action where we teach the Arts, Science and can assist us in manifesting the highest ideal in Commerce; we have Masters in various our personality. We somehow tend to think that disciplines; we also do Research in cutting-edge ideals such as Purity, Self-realization, God-vision, areas such as Microbiology, Nano-technology, etc., are some absolute e t c .’ T h e m a n wa s states of existence. They impressed. He asked his Vedanta holds that any action are not. They have infinite son to be admitted into can assist us in manifesting the grades. We can imagine the PhD course in highest ideal in our personality. them as a continuum, or as Microbiology. The officer a spectrum. On the one wanted to meet his son. extreme, we exist, and on He was a boy of 4 years! the other great souls like Buddha, Swami The father could not understand that his son Vivekananda and Sri Ramakrishna. The inhad to be admitted into the KG School, first of between distance separating us from these great all. He would study diligently, year after year, souls has infinite lower ideals of Purity, Selfpassing each class, moving ahead into college, realization and visions of God, which we all will then Masters and then into PhD course! He have to progressively conquer and move ahead. could not be admitted directly into the PhD Each of these lower ideals can grow into the one course! This is the mistake we all make. above it in the hierarchy, till it culminates in the A young engineer was attending a job manifestation of the ideal we see in these great interview. After the interview was over, the souls. interviewer asked him, ‘Do you have any
Let us do our allotted duty, sincerely and devotedly. We shall continue to do this till the next higher stage opens out to us. This way, stage by stage, we will one day reach the highest.
Right now, if we desire to achieve the highest, it will end in frustration, which is what we see in most people around us. We tend to think in absolutist terms. We aim directly for the final stage. We don’t realize the value of the stages preceding the final stage. There is a reason we fail to do this. From truth to truth, not from error to truth!
Compared to the highest stage, the preceding stages look like errors. Take Purity for instance. We all understand the manifestation of this ideal in a sannyasi’s personality. A sannyasi looks upon all women
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‘It is the worker who is attached to results that grumbles about the nature of the duty which has fallen to his lot; to the unattached worker all duties are equally good, and form efficient instruments with which selfishness and sensuality may be killed, and the freedom of the soul secured. We are all apt to think too highly of ourselves. Our duties are determined by our deserts to a much larger extent than we are willing to grant. Competition rouses envy, and it kills the kindliness of the heart. To the grumbler all duties are distasteful; nothing will ever satisfy him, and his whole life is doomed to prove a failure. Let us work on, doing as we go whatever happens to be our duty, and being ever ready to put our shoulders to the wheel. Then surely shall we see the Light!’2
as his own mother. He is thus able to eschew all sexuality in himself. That is the main reason why people look at him w i t h a wo r s h i p f u l a t t i t u d e . We a l l Let us do our understand this ideal allotted duty, easily. This stage of the sincerely, devotedly. ideal of Purity is called We shall continue to Akhanda Naishtika do this till the next Brahmacharya. Now, the higher stage opens step lower to this is – out to us. This way, looking upon all women, except one, as one’s own stage by stage, we mother. There will will one day reach however be one woman, the highest. his lawfully wedded wife, with whom the person may have physical relations. This is an ideal of Purity, recognized by our scriptures, and called Ekapatni-vrata. Now, compared to the stage of Akhanda Naishtika Brahmacharya, this stage of 73 Eka-patni-vrata appears like a compromise or an opposite state of existence, or degeneration, or even as hypocrisy or ‘adjustment’ as we call it today! Today’s child plays with dolls, and tomorrow he grows up to rule the entire nation as the Prime Minister, let us say. Do we hold the Prime Minister to be a lesser man because he played with dolls as a child? The Eka-patnivrata ideal of purity is indeed a compromise and hypocrisy, and a fall, if a sannyasi were to adopt that ideal. But, if a married man were to realize the Eka-patni-vrata ideal of purity and raise himself to the next higher ideal of Akhanda Naishtika Brahmacharya, wouldn’t that be progress? Recall Sri Ramakrishna’s repeated exhortation as recorded in the Gospel: ‘You should not renounce woman, completely. It is not harmful for a householder to live with his wife. But after the birth of one or two children, husband and wife should live as brother and sister.’3 The Vedanta Kesari
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Swami Vivekananda says, ‘When you are doing any work, do not think of anything beyond. Do it as worship, as the highest worship, and devote your whole life to it for the time being. Thus, in the story, the Vyadha and the woman did their duty with cheerfulness and whole-heartedness; and the result was that they became illuminated, clearly showing that the right performance of the duties of any station in life, without attachment to results, leads us to the highest realization of the perfection of the soul.
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What is most interesting to note is that stands for alignment of thought and deed, a our ancient scriptures speak of this kind of vital point which Sri Ramakrishna emphasized purity also as Akhanda Brahmacharya! In the repeatedly. As and when we are practicing the Ramayana, there is an incident. Ravana’s son ideal, our thoughts, words and deed must be in Indrajit had to be killed in battle. Indrajit had a unison. We can’t have a fractured personality boon that he could only be killed by one who where thoughts are on one path and deeds are was established in the ideal of Akhanda elsewhere. Brahmacharya. And who killed him finally? It Look at the following words of Sri was Lakshmana! He was a Ramakrishna: ‘To sit with married man, and yet he a woman or talk to her a If a married man were to realize was established in this long time has also been the Eka-patni-vrata ideal of high ideal! Purity described as a kind of therefore has many subtle sexual intercourse. There purity and raise himself to the shades. We have Akhanda are eight kinds. To listen next higher ideal of Akhanda Naishtika Brahmacharya, to a woman and enjoy Naishtika Brahmacharya, which means the person her conversation is one wouldn’t that be progress? will be pure in thoughtkind; to speak about a word-deed all his life. woman is another kind; Then we have the Urdhvaretas Akhanda to whisper to her privately is a third kind; to Brahmacharya, which means the person has had keep something belonging to a woman and a couple of kids and thereafter has been pure in enjoy it is a fourth kind; to touch her is a fifth. thought-word-deed. This is the ideal that Sri Therefore, a sannyasin should not salute his Ramakrishna spells out so beautifully in the guru’s young wife, touching her feet. These are passage quoted above. The other name for this the rules for sannyasins. But the case is quite ideal is Eka-patni-vrata, or Pativrata Dharma. different with householders. After the birth of one Then we have the Upakurvana Akhanda or two children, the husband and wife should Brahmacharya, which means the person is pure live as brother and sister. The other seven kinds in thought-word-deed for a certain period of his of sexual intercourse do not injure them much. life, such as a student. This is the reason why A householder has various debts: debts to the every student was called a Brahmachari in gods, to the fathers, and to the rishis. He also ancient India and the words student and owes a debt to his wife. He should make her the Brahmachari were synonyms. This person mother of one or two children and support her doesn’t follow Akhanda Brahmacharya all his if she is a chaste woman.’4 life, which would have made him an Akhanda Many persons who are serious spiritual Naishtika Brahmachari. He follows Akhanda aspirants ask if Sri Ramakrishna is making a Brahmacharya for some time in his life. Then he ‘concession’ here for the married man. Let us marries and begets children. Thereafter, he understand that there can be no concession in again takes up the practice of the Akhanda spiritual life. But there can certainly be more Brahmacharya. And now he raises himself to than one path to achieve the same ideal! So, no t h e i d e a l o f U r d hva r e t a s A k h a n d a matter what the social status of a person is (for Brahmacharya. Note however that in every marriage or monasticism is indeed a social case, the ideal has to be Akhanda, which means arrangement only), the culmination of the ideal ‘unbroken’. How is it unbroken if he can get of purity remains the same. But the path to married and begets children? The Akhanda realizing that ideal varies depending on the
irony of human existence that this heightened intellectual understanding does not enable these millions in understanding the principle of gradation in ideals! Regarding purity, almost every reader clearly recognizes the value of the ideal manifested in Sri Ramakrishna or in Swami Vivekananda. But, most of us are unable to link up our present state of existence with that highest manifestation of the ideal. As a result, we spend our entire lives in frustration. We have witnessed the highest ideal, but we are unable to live up to it. So, our entire life is spent in hating ourselves for not being able to live up to the highest ideal. And that is the bane of Indian society. We have to recognize the validity of each stage of the ideal, and not get caught up in the blaze and glory of the highest ideal only. Swami Vivekananda very beautifully pointed this out repeatedly in his lectures, when he
‘You must remember that humanity travels not from error to truth, but from truth to truth; it may be, if you like it better, from lower truth to higher truth, but never from error to truth.’7 ‘Man never progresses from error to truth, but from truth to truth, from lesser truth to higher truth – but it is never from error to truth. The child may develop more than the father, but was the father inane? The child is the father plus something else. If your present state of knowledge is much greater than it was when you were a child, would you look down upon that stage now? Will you look back and call it inanity? Why, your present stage is the knowledge of the child plus something more. Then, again, we also know that there may be almost contradictory points of view of the same thing, but they will all indicate the same thing.
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particular ideal. We shall ‘I fully agree with in manifesting higher and higher have the maturity to the educated classes in stages of a particular ideal understand that these India that a thorough people have struggled and overhauling of society is succeeded and have not failed. It is progress in necessary. But how to do it? The destructive human evolution even on a personal level, and plans of reformers have failed. My plan is this. not retrogression and therefore not personal We have not done badly in the past, certainly failure. not. Our society is not bad but good, only I want it to be better still. Not from error to truth, nor We say this understanding is urgently from bad to good, but from truth to higher required because, today’s education system and truth, from good to better, best. I tell my new means of accessing information have countrymen that so far they have done well – enabled millions of people to intellectually now is the time to do better.’6 grasp the highest ideals. However, such is the
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said: ‘If one studies the Vedas between the lines, one sees a religion of harmony; One point of difference between Hinduism and other religions is that in Hinduism we pass from truth to truth – from a lower truth to a higher truth – and never from error to truth. The Vedas should be studied through the eye-glass of evolution. They contain the whole history of the What is urgently required is this – people progress of religious consciousness, until should steadily progress religion has reached in manifesting higher and perfection in unity.’5 higher stages of a People should steadily progress PA G E S P O N S O R : A D E V O T E E , V I D YA R A N YA P U R A , B E N G A LU R U
social status adopted by the person. Hence, if one is a sannyasi, a particular path is prescribed. If one is a married man, the path to realizing the very same ideal is a different one. Note that Sri Ramakrishna does not say that the highest ideal itself is different. But, the path for the latter is indeed very different.
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Suppose a man is journeying towards the sun, who puts his hand in the fire will be burned; we and as he advances he takes a photograph of learn only from experience.’10 the sun at every stage. When he comes back, he Spiritual giants like the Avataras and has many photographs of the sun, which he Prophets reveal various stages of the spiritual places before us. We see that not two are alike, ideals. The extreme ideal for the sannyasis was and yet, who will deny that all these are revealed long ago in the Upanishads. There was photographs of the same sun, from different however nothing similar for the married man, standpoints? Take four photographs of this as such, until Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother church from different Sri Sarada Devi revealed corners: how different the extreme stage of the In Hinduism we pass from truth they would look, and yet ideal of Purity for the to truth – from a lower truth to a they would all represent married people. We must this church. In the same higher truth – and never from be very careful not to get way, we are all looking at error to truth confused here. The ideals truth from different for the sannyasi cannot standpoints, which vary be the same as the ideals according to our birth, education, surroundings, for the married man. No, that would lead to and so on. We are viewing truth, getting as social chaos and personal degeneration. much of it as these circumstances will permit, Depending on what lifestyle one wants to colouring the truth with our own heart, follow, different stages of same ideal are understanding it with our own intellect, and applicable. But, there is a clear connection in grasping it with our own mind. We can only these stages of the ideals. One grows into the know as much of truth as is related to us, as other and in the end, they will culminate in the much of it as we are able to receive. This makes monastic ideal, which is indeed the highest the difference between man and man, and manifestation possible. Sri Ramakrishna and Sri occasions sometimes even contradictory ideas; Sarada Devi remained married throughout yet we all belong to the same great universal their life; but they were able to manifest a level truth.’ 8 of purity that was totally monastic in nature. ‘It is too often believed that a person in his progress towards perfection passes from error to truth; that when he passes on from one thought to another, he must necessarily reject the first. But no error can lead to truth. The soul passing through its different stages goes from truth to truth, and each stage is true; it goes from lower truth to higher truth.’9 ‘We do not progress from error to truth, but from truth to truth. Thus we must see that none can be blamed for what they are doing, because they are, at this time, doing the best they can. If a child has an open razor, don’t try to take it from him, but give him a red apple or a brilliant toy, and he will drop the razor. But he
Not only did they manifest it, they were able to get some of their disciples such as Tarak Nath Ghoshal, Rakhal Chandra Ghosh, Jogendranath, Durga Charan Nag, Girish Chandra Ghosh, Ramchandra Dutta and others to manifest the same level of the ideal of Purity. Recall that in the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna declares, धर्माविरुद्धो भूतष े ु कामोऽस्मि, ‘I am that desire in all human beings which is not opposed to Dharma.’11 Sri Krishna has said it very plainly; he is himself manifesting as lust and desire, which are unopposed to Dharma; that means unopposed to a lifestyle which assists in personal evolution of man. In the scheme of evolution of human beings, personal
References
1) We say this because the higher spiritual ideals are
revealed to us in the personalities of Incarnations and Prophets. And with each new Incarnation, we get higher and yet higher ideals. Hence, we say ‘as we understand them now’. We do not know what further ideals will be revealed by the Incarnations who will come later. 2) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Vol-1: Karma Yoga: Ch-IV: What Is Duty? 3) See, for instance: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna: Entry on 23rd Oct 1885: Chapter: The Master and Dr. Sarkar; You will find this same instruction repeated in the following entries: 9th March, 1884: Chapter: Rules For Householders And Monks; 6th Dec 1884: Chapter: Bankim Chandra; 22nd Feb 1885: Chapter: The Master’s Birthday; 23rd Oct 1885: Chapter: The Master And Dr. Sarkar; There are indeed many more places in the Gospel where
Sri Ramakrishna mentions this idea. The constant repetition of this instruction tells us how much of importance Sri Ramakrishna gave to this idea. 4) The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna: Entry on 6th Dec 1884: Chapter: Bankim Chandra 5) Complete Works. Vol-6: Notes Taken Down In Madras 6) Complete Works. Vol-4: A Plan Of Work For India 7) Complete Works. Vol-4: Christ The Messenger 8) Complete Works. Vol-2: Practical Vedanta: The Way To The Realization Of A Universal Religion 9) Complete Works. Vol-1: Vedanta As A Factor In Civilization 10) Complete Works. Vol-9: Sayings And Utterances: Mr. Thomas J. Allan’s reminiscences 11) Dharma is one of those Hindu terms which have multiple layers of meaning. What we have described here is one meaning.
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PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I P U S H K A R M A H A J A N , P U N E
tendencies matter. Some will be able to live enjoying through various senses, procreation, without any of the major human emotions and etc. Ordinay understanding is that all these urges playing any role in their entire life. Many urges constitute impurity and if we wish to there are who seek human emotional support. achieve Purity, we need to eschew all of these. These people constitute human society What Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi everywhere. These people recognize and adopt showed in their lives, what Sri Krishna said in rules and regulations to live by. Human beings the Bhagavad Gita is – we need not eschew all everywhere, at all times, have exhibited this of these urges at once, because for most of us, it ability to conform to rules is impossible to do so at and regulations regarding once. We shall enjoy all personal and social life. these urges, but strictly What Sri Ramakrishna and Sri This sort of existence within the rules and Sarada Devi showed in their leads to concrete personal regulations stipulated by lives, what Sri Krishna said in the growth over a period of every society. We must Bhagavad Gita is – we need not time. That is the Dharma realize that these rules eschew all of these urges at once, that Sri Krishna is a n d re g u l a t i o n s a re because for most of us, it is speaking of here. So, ubiquitous and never impossible to do so at once basically what Sri Krishna universal. is saying is this: there are So, we will be able to well-defined means of transcend the lower ideals experiencing all those urges in our life, which, and reach for the next higher ones by following ordinarily speaking, we would consider as this scheme of life. How do we transcend the ‘impure’. Human beings have innumerable lower ideals? That is another subject matter. urges – hunger, sleep, recognition by peers, Suffice it to say that deification is the central prestige and status in society, possessions, idea in this process.
Pearls of Wisdom
Bhagavan Buddha
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Selection from Dhammika Sutta which presents Buddha’s code of conduct for sannyasis and householders
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Now I shall tell you the household’s rule, by practising which one’s a good hearkener, for by one with possessions it cannot be got— that dharma complete by a bhikkhu attained.
Kill not any beings nor cause them to be killed, and do not approve of them having been killed, put by the rod for all that lives— whether they are weak, or strong in the world.
What is “ungiven”—anything, anywhere, that’s known to be others’, its theft one should avoid. Neither order things taken, nor others’ removal approve— all of this “ungiven” let the hearkener avoid. Let the intelligent person live a celibate life, as one would avoid a pit of glowing coals; but being unable to live the celibate life, go not beyond the bounds with others’ partners. In government assembly, or artisans’ guild, or one to another, speak not what is false, not others compel, nor approve of their lies, all kinds of untruthfulness you should avoid.
Whatever householder this Dharma approves, in maddening drink should never indulge, nor make others drink, nor approve if they do, knowing it leads to a mind that’s disturbed.
Neither necklaces display nor perfumes employ, use the ground as a bed or sleep upon a mat: these are the uposatha eight-factored vows made known by the Buddha gone to dukkha’s end.
With devotion at heart the uposathas kept, completely perfected in its eight parts, on the fourteenth, the fifteenth, and the eighth days, as well the days special in the moon’s half months. Let that one intelligent with devoted heart, having kept uposatha, early next morning, distribute food and drink—whatever’s suitable— to the bhikkhusaṅgha, rejoicing in this act. Support mother and father according to Dharma, do business as merchant to honesty adhering, diligently practising this householder’s rule— then to the self-radiant devas one will arrive.
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Kill not any being, what’s not given do not take, neither be a liar nor addicted to drink, and, let go of sex and the non-celibate life, in the “wrong-time” for food, eat not in the night.
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Fools do many evils because they are drunk, while causing other people to be negligent. This basis of demerit should be avoided, but fools are delighted, confused with mind upset.
Pearls of Wisdom
Bhagavan Mahavira A Jain householder is called a shravaka and the code of conduct for him/her is called shravakachara. Shravakachara consists of: a) 8 basic restraints or Mula Gunas— refrain from taking meat, wine, honey and five kinds of figs; b) 35 qualities of a noble life or Marganusari Gunas, e.g., earns honest livelihood, worshipful to parents, law-abiding; c) 12 vows— 5 Anu Vratas, or vows of limited nature, 3 Guna Vratas or merit vows, and 4 Shiksha Vratas. or disciplinary vows; d) Sallekhana Vrata— to die a glorious death in a state of equanimity by voluntarily giving up food without disrupting one’s inner peace when the body is completely disabled and death is unavoidable, and e) Avashyaka or 6 Essential duties— Deva (Arhat) Puja, Guru Bhakti, Swadyaya (study of scriptures), Samyama (control of mind and senses), Tapas (fasting etc.), and Dana. December 2019
Twelve Vows of Shravakachara
Anu Vratas
Nonviolence
Achaurya Sthula-adattadana-viraman vrata
Non stealing
Satya Sthula-mrushavada-viraman vrata Brahmacharya Sva-dara-santosh vrata
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Ahimsa Sthula-pranatipat-viraman-vrata
Aparigraha Parigraha-parimana vrata
Guna Vratas Dig parimana vrata Restraints of geographical limits Desavakasika vrata Stricter geographical limitations
Shiksha Vratas
Anartha-danda-vrata Avoidance of purposeless activities Samayika vrata Practice of equanimity
Bhoga-upbhoga Parimana vrata Restraint on indulgences Paushadha vrata Practicing the life of a Monk Atithi Samvibhag vrata Discipline of share and care
Truthfulness Celibacy
Non possessive-ness
Not to travel beyond predetermined limits in the 10 directions (to curb passions esp. greed)
To limit one’s movement to a house, a part of it, a village or town for a stipulated period (1 day to 1 year)
Avoiding indecent language, bodily gestures, gossip, hoarding articles of sense enjoyment Sitting quietly in a place for 48 minutes
Retraint on food, perfumes, jewelry, vehicles etc. for 1 hr to 1 year 12/24-hour long Samayika
Sharing with guests, poor etc.
Pearls of Wisdom
Guru Granth Sahib
The ideal life commended by the Holy Gurus of Sikhism is that of the householder engaged in beneficent activity, keeping his/her mind absorbed in contemplation and devotion.
In Sikhism, only God is male and all men and women are female; God is pati and all men and women are Jiva-stri. The Sikh bride and bridegroom enter a Grihastha life by tying the nuptial knot in a ceremony called Anand Karaj solemnised by singing the holy composition in Raag Suhi by the Fourth Guru, Guru Ramdas (1534-1581). The composition has 4 padas corresponding to the 4 stages of (married) life on earth just as the Jiva (stri) has a relationship with parameshwar (pati) God. The word for marriage is Anand Karaj which signifies a ‘blissful union’. The bride and the bridegroom together circumambulate the Holy Granth Sahib 4 times, while each pada is read and sung. The first pada of the composition states: The One God has only become this world and He Himself pervades it. The universe operates within the laws of nature. Husband and wife have to live a life of Truth in this world focussing on one’s duty within the household and looking inward now living a chaste life. At the same time, they should lead a socially responsible life. Seva bhav towards everyone is to be cultivated. Remembering the One God, all duties are to be performed. Together, both the partners
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Gurbani is an integral part of every Sikh household. Members of a Sikh household typically read some portions of Gurbani every day and many of them visit the Gurdwara once every day.
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Sikhs consider the Guru Granth Sahib to be the highest authority within the community, and the Holy Book plays a central role in Sikh devotional and ritual life. The Tenth Guru, Gobind Singh consecrated The Granth Sahib as the Living Guru on 20 October 1708. The hymns and teachings contained in the Sikh Holy Book are called Gurbani or ‘Word of the Guru’.
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have to remember that ultimate goal of life is to attain God, which is possible only with His Grace.
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By thus following the path of karma and keeping constant attention on the One Absolute, the second stage sets in when ego getting subdued; Jiva begins to turn away from the world in dispassion. He or She now is not Manmukh (self-centred) but becomes Gurmukh (following the Guru’s teachings) and takes shelter at the Lotus Feet of God. Jiva now breaks away from the worldly fears and carefully treads the righteous path. Jiva’s respect and reverence for her Pati Parameshwar increases and she begins to see that God exists everywhere, inside this body and outside as well (sarvvyapak). Within the household, husband and wife give up their individual egos and become one following the Guru, there is no discord now and there is a balance of life. Both equally respect each other. They together engage in satsang and sing praises of God; they experience joy in remembering God. Married life is a Pacca Rishta like the one a Jiva has with her Pati Parameshwar. In this way, with Guru’s Jnan, the Jiva becomes one with God. Moving to the third stage, a change is seen in the Jivas. They have vairag or dispassion towards the world. There is a clear understanding that all relationships including one’s body is transient. The detachment begins now. They spend more time in satsang, sings and recites Gurbani in praise of the indescribable God. The Jiva’s tan and man (body and mind) are now imbued with the dye of God. With His Grace, gyan ka diya is lit and the 5 vices – kaam, krodh, lobh, moh, and ahankar break; attachment with relations breaks. The Jiva continues to live in the world with family members, but with the knowledge that nothing is permanent except the One; she continues to perform all duties diligently like a yogi.
Then comes the final state of Atmak Adolta or inner calmness / steadfastness. Now, the Jiva lives in sahaj awastha (knowingly in God’s Will) rising above the states of sukhdukh, laabh-haani. Husband and wife together face the challenges with a poise. Both enjoy equal status and there is no room for worries in such a household. Now God is so dear to the Jiva-Stri that day and night she lives like mastani / diwani of God (intoxicated with love for God). Remembering God, Jiva-Stri does all her duties. She is guided by the knowledge from the word which she gets from Granth Sahib who is her Guru. She gets the support from Guru for worldly as well as spiritual works. A Sikh has to complete his/her journey towards God even while being in this body. In this light, life of a true Sikh is really a pilgrimage.
Article
Grihastha Ashrama: Opportunities and Challenges understood or interpreted as merely ‘living in marital bonds to enjoy pleasures’. The hype created by the cinema and commercial worlds in modern times has misled us to believe in unrealistic ideas of marital life. But in reality, the few pleasures in grihastha ashrama are only the by-products, rather the trivial freebies that come along with the greater responsibilities and ideals.
While the brahmachari or the student/ celibate devotes all his time and energies towards self-introspection, study and preparation for life, the vanaprasthi, who has Thus, we can manifest the best of our fulfiled his duties as a grihastha, hands over all potentials, by remaining wherever life puts us. the duties to his next generation and retires to Adhering to the norms of our family, society, a life of study, austerities, pilgrimage or just culture and background, we can still rise above rest. Yet a very rare few break free from all all limitations and discover the limitless power mortal identifications and this ashrama of the self, the atmashakti, within oneself. sequence to become sannyasins or recluses. The grihastha’s duties are more complex. He In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna explains not only has to pursue his that when done with a own personal study, yajna bhava or the spirit A true grihastha lives not just for career and earn his of sacrifice, every himself and family, the vyashti, livelihood, but also has to thought, word, and action but for the bigger purpose of support and nourish his can become verily an community welfare, the family. He also has the upasana, a karma yoga. samashti. bigger responsibility One of the natural, simple towards the community and beautiful modes of and nation at large. He this type of a karma yoga is the grihastha has to support the brahmacharis, vanaprasthas dharma. Grihastha dharma is unfortunately The author is Chairperson, Vibhu Academy, Bengaluru and is a behavioural and softskills trainer. arathi.vbr@gmail.com
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he Sanatana Dharma, envisions life as a continuous journey towards self-realization. In nature’s scheme each soul is unique by virtue and capability. Therefore, no single ‘only path’ to selfrealization can be or should be imposed upon everyone. Thus Sanatana Dharma encourages every soul to discover its own path in the inner journey to self-realization. Every aspiration and action generates a natural experiential understanding of the inner and outer life. All that culminates into jnana or wisdom says the Lord in the Bhagavad Gita- सर्वं ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते ।
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December 2019
and sannyasins so that their living and pursuits continue unhindered. That is why the grihastha ashrama is called the jyestha ashrama, the elder among all ashramas. This demands not only dedication on the part of the grihastha but also lots of skill, planning, hard work and sacrifice. A true grihastha lives not just for himself and family, the vyashti, but for the bigger purpose of community welfare, the samashti.
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through the grihastha who is explicitly active in these spheres. The cleanliness and orderliness of a community, neighbourhood and a nation, are again dictated by the culture and behavior of the grihasthas who live there. The temple traditions, fine arts, occupations, trades, farming, dairy, and many other features that make a prosperous society are all the contributions of a grihastha. Indeed the list can go on further…!
It is only when the grihastha stands up Thus the grihastha’s life is not merely awakened towards his social responsibilities about earning a livelihood that the society grows and enjoying pleasures prosperous and strong. The two epics Ramayana and with his kith and kin. It is The academic structures, Mahabharata explain through much higher, responsible culture, arts, trades, countless tales and episodes the and complex. It demands social structures, polity nature of dharma and tyaga that a lot of sacrifice, devotion and defense systems of a a grihastha must be always and patience. Life in society are all managed ready for. grahastha ashrama is to mostly by the grihasthas. train and refine our The quality of schooling nature and unfold our best potentials. In this and education in a society depends on the holistic sense, grihastha ashrama is also about grihasthas’ choice, taste and aspirations. The tyaga and yoga, as seen in sannyasa. But the quality of the kingship or government is challenge is to live amidst every pleasure and defined by the grihasthas who live in that social structures and still be detached and society. The kings, leaders and bureaucrats are gradually transcend them! The two epics all those whom the grahasthas elect or Ramayana and Mahabharata explain through nominate. ‘In democracy, people get the countless tales and episodes the nature of government that they deserve.’ It is the corrupt dharma and tyaga that a grihastha must be and greedy grihasthas who eventually open always ready for. The lives of Rama and Krishna, doors to all small and big crimes in the society. the Pandavas, Harishchandra, Pruthu, Economy of a society is nourished and Ambarisha and many more glorious grihasthas sustained by the grihastha. Apart from the describe how they lived their family lives, earnings and profits, there are also the ethics, digesting all the joys and sorrows that came by policies, career opportunities and skills and how they transcended them all eventually involved in an economy. All these depend upon to sublimate into the ultimate experience of the samskara or the nature and habits of the brahma anubhuti. grihasthas involved. Even the social norms, justice, law and order, defense and many other Grihastha ashrama is a means to develop aspects of the society are structures set up by nirlipti, living amidst all the material pleasures the grihasthas in the respective societies. Of and instances that life brings forth. A grihastha course the advice and guidance of the who is adept in this kind of a buddhi yoga, as Sri sannyasins and vanaprasthis may influence Krishna calls it in the Bhagavad Gita, is no way these. But the implementation is always mostly inferior to a sannyasi in worth. The story of
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(i.e., they leave their body being established in yoga and thus are never reborn). Sri Ramakrishna gives the example of the Kalidasa in his Raghuvamsha kavyam coconut that goes on ripening within the shell. extolls the virtues of the kings of the Raghu The kernels of the coconut are initially hard clan. His observations in fact indirectly refer to bound to the inner surface. But as the coconut the virtues that an ideal grihastha must adopt: ripens, the water element diminishes and when यथाविधिहुताग्नीनां यथाकामार्चितार्थिनाम् । fully dry, the coconut separates from the shell यथापराधदण्डानां यथाकालप्रबोधिनाम् ॥ completely. When one holds and shakes the त्यागाय संभृतार्थानां सत्याय मितभाषिणाम् । shell, one can hear the sound of the rattling dry यशसे विजिगीषूणां प्रजायै गृहमेधिनाम् ॥ coconut within! An ideal grihastha life is like शैशवेऽभ्यस्तविद्यानां यौवने विषयैषिणाम् । this. He lives within the वार्द्धके मुनिवृत्तीनां system, experiencing In the modern history of India, योगेनान्ते तनुत्यजाम् ॥ everything that comes his one of the greatest examples for The kings of the way. In course of time he Raghuvamsha perform an adarsha gruhini is Holy ripens with experiential the ahutis or the Mother Sri Sarada Devi. She lived wisdom and develops prescribed vedic a wholesome gruhini’s life, busy nirlipti. Though he ritualistic duties of the almost all the time in endless outwardly appears to be grihastha, regularly. They ‘involved’ in the grihastha tasks; but deep within, she was g ive away g e n e ro u s ashrama, he remains detached, firm, tranquil, and charities to fulfil the detached from its bonds perfectly established in the yoga. needs of those who and identities. approach them. They In the modern punish the offenders according to the nature/ history of India, one of the greatest examples intensity of the offense. They are alert and act for an adarsha gruhini is Holy Mother Sri according to the need of time. They hoard Sarada Devi. She lived a wholesome gruhini’s wealth only in order to be equipped to give life, busy almost all the time in endless tasks; charities in abundance. They speak less so that but deep within, she was detached, firm, their vow of truth never gets breached! tranquil, and perfectly established in the yoga. (Talkative people tend to speak lies, exaggerate Considering that the quality of a society etc., thus restraint over speech is the best way depends very much on the quality of the to uphold truth). They go on expeditions(not to grihasthas who live there, we must train and loot or colonize other kingdoms but only to guide our younger generations to understand obtain noble fame by proving their prowess and the ideals and responsibilities of marital life capabilities time and again). They enter along with its challenges and strengths. There wedlock not merely to have physical pleasures, is also the urgent need to help them out of the but to have good children to continue their stupid and unrealistic dreams of marital life, lineage. They learn well the various vidyas or that they easily fall into, owing to the influences knowledge systems in their childhood. On of cinema and commercials. The stories, attaining youth, they duly enjoy pleasures conversations and insights that the epics and within the limits of dharma. As old age puranas give to us in this matter are most approaches, they detach naturally from all relevant and useful to draw messages on the bonds and take up the munivritti or vows of the ideals of the householder. sages. They give up the body in the yogic way
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Dharmavyadha and Tuladhara in the Mahabharata explains this message beautifully.
Article
December 2019
Grihastha Dharma from Ramayana
The Vedanta Kesari
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M
K. SRINIVASAN
ahabharata, the epic is known as भारतः पञ्चमो वेदः, the fifth Veda. Similarly, Ramayana too is known as the source of dharma, as its protagonist Rama is held to be dharma incarnate. रामो विग्रहवान् धर्मः is the oft quoted statement. But Ramayana presents the dharma in the contextualized setting and is not a text on Dharmasastra. The source of dharma is Veda and the goal of Veda is to reveal the supreme God – the Brahman.
वेदवेद्ये परे पुंसि जाते दशरथात्मजे। वेदः प्राचेतसादासीत् साक्षाद्रामायणात्मना॥
‘When that Paramapurusha incarnated as Rama, the Veda too manifested as Ramayana’ hold Bharatiyas. Ramayana presents the most ideal king, ideal husband and wife, ideal father, ideal mother, ideal servants, and ideal friends who are held as role models down the millennia. The purpose of poetry must be to present the ideal of good character to the public and it is exemplified as रामादिवत् वर्तितव्यं न तु रावणादिवत्, ‘One must be like Rama and not like Ravana.’ In Ramayana, we see Rama in different roles – dutiful son, dutiful king , dutiful brother, dutiful husband etc. From these we have to deduce the dharma of a householder. First about dharma itself.
Rishis are very careful while crafting the definition of dharma. They say न हि धर्माधर्मौ
आकाशे चरतः अहं धर्म अहं अधर्मः इति। यं आर्याः प्रशंसन्ति स धर्मः यं विगर्हन्ति स अधर्मः।
‘Dharma and adharma are not moving about in the sky declaring “I am dharma” or “I am adharma”’. What the elders in the society praise is dharma and what they decry is adharma.’
Let us see an incident in Ramayana: While exiling Sita, Rama is said to have declared in the उत्तररामचरित:
स्नेहं दयां च सौख्यं च यां आदि वा जानकीमपि। आराधनायालोकस्य मुञ्चतो नास्ति मे व्यथा॥
‘I don’t mind even renouncing Sita to serve the people/public as king.’
As a king in order to proclaim his suzerainty he decided to perform the Asvamedha Yajna, the horse-sacrifice. But he asked Lakshmana to abandon the pregnant Sita in the forest and Lakshmana left her in Valmiki’s penance grove. The ideal performer of a sacrifice according to Hindu tradition is a duly married couple (दम्पत्योः सहाधिकारः). The jurisdiction for performance of religious rites lies with husband and wife together and the resultant merit too is attached equally to both of them. In fact, the popular story about the background of Ramayana too emphasizes this aspect. Valmiki, known as Ratnakara, a hunter came to know that the merits acquired by him will be shared by his wife but not his sins. This caused a
The author, a retired Principal of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai, is now serving as President, Madras Sanskrit Academy.
PA G E S P O N S O R : S M T. L A K S H M I D E V N AT H , C H E N N A I
‘All relatives enjoy the results of their own karma. But wife alone shares that of her husband’s karma.’
Ramayana story too is inaugurated in the Asvamedha Yajna – the sacrificial grove of Rama. Lava and Kusa, the young bards were taught Ramayana by the sage Valmiki. They visited Rama’s sacrificial hall. They narrated it in the sacrifice during the intervals.
As husband and wife are together authorised to perform the sacrifices, and Rama is without his wife as she has been abandoned in the forest, Rama sculpts a golden statue of Sita and with the statue as his companion, he performs the sacrifice. It shows the importance to be given to wife and Rama’s conduct, both as king and husband. Here, we recall the famous statement that Rama never swerved from his words, nor his aim failed, nor his duty as husband (the famous Telugu statement is okka bana, okka maata, okka patni – one aim, one word and one wife). Even during the forest life, when Rama was separated from Sita, he would wake from sleep and utter the name of Sita,
सीतेति मधुरां वाणीं व्याहरन् प्रतिबुद्ध्यते.
Ramayana reveals throughout Rama’s attachment to Sita and his duty as husband. Rama had never used the separation from Sita as an excuse for the non-performance of rituals. With the golden statue of Sita, he performed all the sacrifices. The first chapter called सङ्क्षेपरामायण too starts with Valmiki asking Narada about a
Adjusting one’s duty to all, is the primary duty of a householder. Rama says to Sita in Chitrakoota:
अनेन वनवासेन मया प्राप्तं फलद्वयम्। पितुश्चानृणता धर्मे भरताय प्रियम्तथा॥
‘I obtained two things by this Vanavasa. I absolved my father of his indebtedness (boons to Kaikeyi) and pleased my brother Bharata.’
The son must be aware of father’s duties and must help in the performance of it. Rama was aware of the fact that Dasaratha had promised the kingdom to Kaikeyi’s son at the time of marriage with her. He says to Bharata:
पुरा भ्रातः पिता नः स मातरं ते समुद्वहन्। मातामहे समाश्रौषीत् राजशुल्कं अनुत्तमम्॥
The similes used in Ramayana too present different aspects of dharma to us. Ramayana presents the most ideal characters but it presents in Rama the performance of duties of a householder in different situations. Its ideal can be summarised in Kausalya’s blessings to Rama when he was leaving for the forest.
यं पालयसि धर्मं त्वं धृत्या च नियमेन च । स वै राघवशार्दूल धर्मः त्वां अभिरक्षतु।।
‘O scion of Raghu family! Whatever dharma you follow with steadfastness and courage (without swerving), let that dharma protect you.’
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पिता माता तथा पुत्राः स्वानि पुण्यानि भुञ्जानाः। भर्तुर्भाग्यं तु भार्यैका प्राप्नोति॥
person having all the 16 good qualities. Traditionally, the number 16 is held to represent the Supreme Brahman (षोडश कला पुरुषः) and Rama is supreme Brahman only. Thus Ramayana stands for the characteristics one must cultivate and practice. It is also significant that Valmiki did not devote much attention to describe the childhood or studentship of Rama. They were passed over. The entire Ramayana story is woven around Rama in his householder’s stage.
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turning point in his life and he took initiation for penance from the sages. As an ant hill was formed around his body during severe penance, he became known as Valmiki (born of ant-hill) and he composed the Ramayana.
Article
Grihastha Dharma in Mahabharata
December 2019
SWAMI SAMARPANANANDA
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From the Vedas to the Mahabharata he Vedas are the records of spiritual realisations of the sages who lived in the Indian subcontinent thousands of years ago. With time, the Vedas, organised into four, have been revered as the fountainhead of Hindu religious and spiritual ideals.
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Spirituality means to dedicate oneself fully to Self/God realisation, while religion is the application of the spiritual ideals in a society, characterised by do’s and don’ts, dogmas, rituals etc. With the change in a society, its religious ideals may change but the spiritual ideal remains intact. To maintain the twin ideal of static-dynamic in religion, Hindu sages came up with four classes of literature. Vedanta, in all its aspects, took care of p h i l o s o p hy ; I t i h a s a ( R a m aya n a a n d Mahabharata) and Purana took care of mythologies; Puranas and Tantras took care of rituals; and Smritis (books like Manusmriti) took care of the conduct of a devout. Of these, philosophy was unchangeable, while the remaining three were open ended. To distinguish the static-dynamic nature of its sacred books, the Hindu scriptures were classified as Shruti (Veda-Vedanta) and Smriti (remaining three classes of scriptures). Shruti are considered to be Prabhu samhita, whose dictates can never be overruled, while Smriti are suhrit samhita – the counsel by a well wisher.
Through these books, Hindu sages presented before the society the four aims in life: dharma, artha, kama, moksha. These aims in life are meant to liberate a person (man and woman) from different levels of bondages. Artha (wealth) frees a person from worldly wants, Kama (enjoyment) liberates from emotional stress, dharma (religious duties) saves one from being reborn in unwanted species, and moksha (liberation) frees one from the cycle of birth and death. A book is considered a shastra (sacred book) by the Hindus only if it preaches the way to attain one or more of the purusharthas. Valmiki’s Ramayana and Vyasa’s Mahabharata are two famous shastras which are itihasa and hence belong to smriti class of literature. Itihasas are the books that teach the four ideals through the stories of bygone era. Every person needs a personal myth, and every society needs societal myths that help them sustain and propel forward in the tumultuous journey of life. Ramayana and Mahabharata have been doing exactly that for thousands of years. These books have proved to be the ideal and aspirations of the Indian people. However, these books also do much more – they define the parameters of human values, virtues and way of life that help a person rise above animal nature and move towards godliness through human life. Mahabharata by the great sage-poet Vyasa, comes in eighteen sections that have nearly one hundred thousand verses. It
The author is a sannyasi of the Ramakrishna Order serving in Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Belur Math, West Bengal. swami.samarpanananda@gmail.com
Dharma in Mahabharata The Vedas have six auxiliary branches of study (pronunciation, religious manuals, grammar, prosody, etymology and astronomy) like their limbs (anga), and hence are known as Vedanga. These are considered very important for the study of the Vedas. Kalpa (religious manuals) deal with the practical aspect of sacrifices and comprise of two sets of sutras. Of these, the Srauta Sutras deal with the performance of the public sacrifices, and the Grihya Sutras deal with the ceremonies and practices applicable to the domestic life of a person. Dharma, the Hindu way of life, flows out from these sutras. Books that deal with dharma are known as Dhama shastra. Mahabharata is one of the more important dharmashastras. The central message of Mahabharata is यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः, ‘Where there is dharma, there lies victory.’ This great work discusses dharma
values and virtues. Values are the traits that must be cultured by everyone to rise above one’s base nature, while virtues are practised to attain nobility of character.
The non-trivial acts of a person belong to one of these five categories – nitya (daily ritual), naimittika (rites performed on special occasions), kamya (desired), prayaschitta (penances) and nisiddha (prohibited acts). Nitya and naimittika karma must be performed rigorously, kamya karma should be avoided as much as possible, while nisiddha karma must not be done. Practice of penance (Prayaschitta) is preached as the way out from the evil effects of karma. However, it is mentioned that if a person’s acts are deliberate and if he has no remorse, then no penance can ever purify him. Tradition, as also conscience, plays important roles in defining dharma. After all, the religious corpus is too huge, making it impossible for anyone to know all of them. Also, one often comes across conflict in dharma born
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contains every kind of literature available in the in its various hues, dimensions, probabilities then India: itihasa, puranas, akhyana, kavya, and consequences. In Udyoga Parva (72.35-37), dharmashastra, artha shastra, niti shastra, Yudhisthira explains the nature of dharma as, moksha shastra etc. Rightly it has been said — ‘Prajna (Right intellect) makes one adhere to Yad iha asti tad anyatra, yad nehasti na tat kva scriptural instructions, which in turn makes chit, ‘In matters of dharma, artha, kama, and one practise dharma. Hri (lit. modesty, sense of moksha, whatever is here, can be seen shame) is the most important virtue of dharma. elsewhere; what is not here, does not exist A modest person stays away from sinful anywhere else.’ This verse activities. This makes his from Mahabharata wealth, status and The central message of defines the nature of this recognition in the society Mahabharata is यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः , work – it is the ultimate increase. The more one ‘Where there is dharma, there in dharma shastra for the has these, the more he is lies victory.’ Hindus. Whatever one a man. A shameless or a sees as Hindu practices stupid person is neither a today, has come directly man nor a woman. He is from the Mahabharata. The ideals and not fit to practise dharma. He is fallen and parameters, popularly known as dharma, set by wretched.’ it for people belonging to different stations of Dharma deals with achara (rites), life have come to define Hinduism for vyavahara (dealings), and prayschitta thousands of years. (penances and expiation). These three include
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out of unprecedented situation. Mahabharata advises one to follow tradition and one’s conscience, made pure through the practice of dharma. In the section named Yaksha Prashna, Yaksha, the demigod asks Yuddhisthira, ‘What is the way?’ To this the king in exile replies, ‘The way taken by the greats is the way.’ The idea being, in matters of dharma, particularly when a conflict situation arises, one must look for precedence. This is an unusual aspect of Hindu dharma. In the famous episode of Draupadi marrying five husbands, Yuddhisthira quoted precedence and also added that ‘his speech is never untrue,’ implying that his conscience is so clear that whatever comes out of his mouth has to be correct.
One very important aspect of dharma in Mahabharata is the acceptance of a lower kind of dharma in which it is prescribed to act in one way, and a higher kind of dharma where staying away from that very act under certain conditions is considered more meritorious. For example, telling the truth is considered to be meritorious, but not telling the truth (when it is unpleasant) is considered to be more meritorious. Similarly, preaching dharma is meritorious, but not preaching dharma (when it harms or injures others) is considered to be more meritorious. There are many stories in Mahabharata where truth was subjugated in favour of non-violence.
Shanti Parva and Anushasan Parva are more famous for discussions on various kinds of dharma. There are discussions on Raja Dharma, Moksha Dharma, Dana Dharma, Sheela Dharma, Yoddha Dharma, Mitra dharma and other such. By the practise of any of the dharma in full, one can attain the highest. Mahabharata takes every value, virtue, duty and quality to the level of such perfection that it becomes dharma. The great work seems to say, ‘do whatever you may, just take it to the ultimate of perfection, and you will become perfect.’ Later
sages, including Swami Vivekananda, took up this idea to make various noble traits as dharma, when practised in full. Swamiji’s ideal of service to humanity and Gandhiji’s practice of non-violence are examples of this.
Mahabharata also gives freedom of choice by saying that one must not follow a dharma simply because many are following it. One must think of the consequences of an action, good or bad, and only then he should take up that path. That is the right . This great work is an inexhaustible storehouse of gems for the householders, so it is impossible to present all that it has to say by way of instructions to the householders. Here, only a few broad ideas are being presented to give a glimpse of how Mahabharata treats life. The goal
There is the story of the sage Mudgala who went without food for months to stay firm about his dana dharma (charity). At the end the gods came with chariots to take him to the heaven even while in the body. Mudgala wanted to know about the merits and demerits of heaven. On learning that the stay in heaven was temporary and that people fell down from there once their merits got exhausted, he refused to go.
This is an interesting concept regarding dharma: its effects are temporary even in heaven. So, the goal has to be to go beyond both good and bad. Mahabharata repeatedly gets back to this theme – be free from the limitations that have been imposed on you by the nature. The ultimate limitation is the idea that you are a body. Get out of that illusion and be free.
Those who cannot devote themselves fully to the path of mukti, they need to follow one or more of the remaining three aims in life. Mahabharata, however, stresses the need for a balance of dharma, artha and kama for the
PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I K . S E T H U M A D H AVA N , C H E N N A I
Dignity
Whatever be one’s way of life, one has to be conscious of one’s dignity at every stage. The story of Vidula, narrated by Kunti as a message to her sons, shows how staying in one’s dignity is important. Vidula was a queen whose son had lost a battle and had come running home to save himself. The queen mother chided him for this cowardly act and sent him back to the battle, which he won. Kunti wanted her children to get established in their valour after the exile of twelve years and one year of hiding. ‘Be established in your true nature, and your dharma will take care of the rest,’ is the message. During Khandava Vana dahan, the huge forest was being burnt down in which any number of birds and animals got trapped. Amongst them were four sagely birdlings who refused to take shelter in a rat hole, saying that ‘a dignified death (burning in fire) is better than an inglorious one (getting eaten up by a rat).’ The dignity in old age was to be maintained by a systematic withdrawal from the world and worldly affairs. Even kings preferred to leave everything behind and walk alone in forests and mountains till they met their end. Varna – Ashrama dharma
Inequality in the universe is an inviolable fact; equality is possible only at the spiritual level. So, Hindu scriptures did not try to found a society on a theoretical possibility of equality, but struggled to work with individuals and groups that they had in hand. Also, they did not
This principle gave rise to a very precise and clear philosophy of life, individual and social, according to which the universe was perceived as a complete whole, pulsating with different forms of life spread over various spheres of existence. To move from one form of life to another, a person has to have done noble work and acquired liberating knowledge. Katha Upanishd says, yatha karma yatha shrutam – life form evolves according to work done and knowledge acquired. Man is considered to be the highest expression of life simply because he has the freedom to create new karma, while other life forms are meant for working out one’s karma.
This outlook, coupled with five kinds of activities mentioned earlier, concretised the ideal of varna-ashrama dharma that defined an individual’s ideals and duties. Varna-ashrama is the twin term to denote varna and ashrama. Varna consists of four broad classification of various jatis (castes) into Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. These classes were quite dynamic in nature, with jati moving from one varna to another when it could exert influence. The four ashramas of brahmacharya, garhasthya, vanaprastha and sannyasa were meant to be four stages of life that broadly suggested how one should evolve with age. The combined duties born of varna and ashrama came to be known as varna-ashrama dharma. Varnashrama dharma consists of: Varna dharma (general caste duties), Ashrama dharma (general duties related to the station of life),
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However, this freedom does not come in a day. Mahabharata leads individuals through various means to perfection, some of which are described here.
believe the inequality amongst men (the castes) to be real or even presumable. But to perform indispensable functions of the society, each person had to be assigned a fixed role according to certain criteria. These criteria were never fixed with the motive of greed or materialistic outlook. Instead, the existing social pattern and also the ultimate spiritual goal were kept as the guiding principle of every dharmashastra, including Mahabharata.
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householders, while making moksha as the only goal for the sannyasis.
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Varna-Ashrama Dharma (based on the particular station of a particular caste), Nimitta dharma (penances), Guna Dharma (duties born of a particular position, eg., a king’s), and Samanya (duties common to all). They lay down the laws that regulate national, communal, family and individual obligations in general (Samanya) as well as in particular (Visesha). Dharma is the genus of which the varnaashrama dharma is the species. Without the concept of dharma, the relevance of caste and order of life is meaningless for any society. The very uniqueness of the Hindu society lies in its holding on to dharma, which was first raised in this epic. The Vedas and the Upanishads focussed on the universal spiritual values, but Mahabharata detailed the particularised values. Varna dharma encapsulates a person’s duty towards the society, while ashrama dharma is meant to make a person evolve from the state where he/she is. The idea behind setting up of this structure was that a person could improve in life by being what he was, rather than striving to become someone. The mainstay of Hindu scriptures has been the four aims in life and Varna-ashrama dharma. Samanya dharma and Vishesha dharma comprise of values and virtues, thus making every human value integral to varna-ashrama dharma. For fear of making the article too long, the list of the values is not given here. In a sentence it can be said that any habit or practice that makes one inclusive, is dharma. That is the general principle of Mahabharata and Hindu religious outlook. Of the four ashramas, Grihastha dharma is considered to be most important because householders alone take care of the remaining three ashramas. Samskara: The sixteen sacraments
The samskaras, sacraments, cover the entire gamut of a Hindu’s life — from the moment of conception to death. The Hindu
sages realised that an artful life requires constant care, culture and refinement, without which one would degenerate and become a savage. The transformation of the wild into the cultured is possible only through taming and training which has been prescribed beautifully by the samskaras (sacraments) over thousands of years. All the samskaras and allied ceremonies are based on the philosophy that life is a progressive cycle through a series of incidents centring round the desire to live, to enjoy, to think, and to retire. It is with this idea that the rituals and sacrifices evolved which were meant to sanctify one’s life physically, emotionally, psychically and spiritually. Books like Manusmriti detail these samskaras. However, Mahabharata too points at them every now and then.
There are sixteen popular samskaras that range from conception to funeral ceremonies Garbhadhana (conception), Punsavana (ceremony is performed in the second, third and the fourth month of pregnancy), Simantonnayana (performed between fifth and eighth months of pregnancy), Jatakarma (immediately after birth), Namakarana (naming ceremony), Niskramanah (baby is taken out of the house for the first time), Annaprashana (first feeding of cooked rice to the newborn), Chudakarana (tonsuring), Karnavedha (piercing of the child’s ear), Upanayana and Vedarambha, Samavartana (graduation ceremony), Vivaha, Grihasthashrama, Vanaprastha, Sannyasa, Antyeshti. Mahabharata lists eight kinds of marriages and eight kinds of sons. The list is similar to what one gets in Manusmriti. Pancha-mahayajnas
The one common practice of the Hindus has been the performance of five daily sacrifices. In Yaksha Prashna, the Yaksha asks Yuddhisthira, ‘Who is a dead person even though he might be
Conflict in dharma
In its approach towards life, Mahabharata is extremely realistic; its characters seem to spring up from everyday life, with their weaknesses and follies, emotions and stumbles, aspirations and crash landing. The general refrain is that, weaknesses will be there; overcome them by the practise of dharma and become divine.
Every scripture focuses on philosophy of life, making it superior to life itself. Mahabharata, that way, is unique in the sense that at times it treats life as more important than philosophy of life, and definitely superior to any value or virtue. This aspect is justified by apad dharma – the dharma during crisis. Yuddhisthira was made to tell a lie to save his army, and Viswamitra stole the meat of a dead dog to save his life. When challenged, he replied that he will purify himself of his impure deeds through prayaschitta, but if his life goes away for want of food, that would be foolish. Similarly, the killing of Jarasandha and Duryodhana were done unethically. During the great war, a lot of moral violation, as
And yet, there are many instances when means is shown to be more important than the goal. Rukmi’s offer of support was refused both by Pandavas and Kauravas because of his arrogance associated with the offer. The war itself was a dharma-war, in which there was no scope for personal vanity. There are also stories where a person gave up his life and the life of the family only to be true to atithi dharma.
When Draupadi was dragged to the royal court after Yudhisthira had lost everything in the gambling match, she cried piteously and asked everyone present there whether or not adharma was being committed through that act. The responses are very interesting (Sabha Parva). Duryodhana was convinced that the dharma was on his side; his own brother Vikarna believed that it was wrong; and Bhisma added pathetically to Draupadi, ‘Whatever is dictated by the men in power is dharma. In a crisis situation, the words of the weak are overruled by the powerful!’ In the episode of Viswamitra, he as a king had gone to the ashrama of Vashistha to take shelter and rest for himself and his army. When Viswamitra’s soldiers started pulling and beating the sage’s divine cow, Nandini, to take it away with them, the sage refused to intervene telling that he was a Brahmin, and hence established in the dharma of forgiveness. He, of course added that Nandini may defend herself if she wished so.
Karna was convinced by Kunti, Krishna, and Bhishma of his origin as the elder brother of the Pandavas. But, he refused to let down his
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The five daily sacrifices, which are must for a Hindu householder, are known as PanchaMahayajnas (five great sacrifices). The first of these is Brahma-Yajna or the sacrifice dedicated to the Vedas and their seers (Rishis) in the form of regular study (Svadhyaya) of the scriptures and the teaching of it to deserving students (Adhyapana). The second is Deva-Yajna or the sacrifice offered to the celestial in the form of oblations poured into the sacred fire. The third is Pitri-Yajna or libations, etc., offered to the ancestors. The fourth is Manushya-Yajna or the feeding of guests (atithi). The fifth is Bhuta-Yajna or the feeding of animals, especially cows and birds.
understood by a common man, were committed by both the parties, and yet they were justified to be correct by the person concerned. Defeat of Bhishma, killing of Drona, Jayadratha, Bhurishrava, Abhimanyu and many others were done unethically. But Sri Krishna, the supreme director of the whole show, never condemned the acts as unethical.
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PA G E S P O N S O R : S M T. R U C H I K A S I N G H , PA L A K K A D
breathing?’ The king replies, ‘One who does not perform five daily sacrifices.’
friend (mitra dharma) Duryodhana in the hour of crisis. In the process he died, but he did not give up his cherished value system. This is reminiscent of Sri Rama’s obligations towards Sugreeva. Sri Rama killed Vali in an unfair battle simply due to mitra dhrama.
define nobility in life. Keep the sight fixed on your goal, and stay true to what you feel in moment of crisis and conflict — this seems to be the guiding principle of the Mahabharata.
All these discussions and examples show that according to Mahabharata, values are dynamic, both for the individual and the society. There cannot be a fixed set of parameters to define the good and the bad for all persons of all times. Values are dictated by inner impulsions of an individual in various circumstances. The conclusion is straightforward – there is no single yardstick to
wreck. This leads to stress, break ups, failure and suicide. Mahabharata not only guides one towards a better life, it also presents case studies in which the concerned person has been in a far deeper and darker hole than a person of present times can ever be. No wonder that this great work has been the lighthouse for the Hindu society for thousands of years.
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In Adiparva Sharmistha details the conditions when one can tell a lie. These are: in fun, to one’s wife, while arranging marriage, when life is in danger, when one is afraid of losing everything, and to save an innocent person’s life.
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Relevance today
Mahabharata was composed during the period of ferment in the Hindu society when the non-Aryans were being incorporated in the Aryan fold. This had created a crisis for ethical and moral code of the society. The two races Drona knew that had practically nothing in Dhristadyumna, the son Keep the sight fixed on your goal, common to gel them of his friend-turned-foe and stay true to what you feel in together, but the sages of Drupada, was born to kill the period came up with moment of crisis and conflict him, yet he agreed to wonderful solutions, and — this seems to be the guiding teach him in the martial unified all divergent races principle of the Mahabharata. arts. He resolved his into one complete society conflict by telling that if through a common code death was destined then why should he give up of life. Mahabharata thus paves the path for any his dharma unnecessarily. society that is in the melting pot of crossSimilarly, when Savitri’s husband died and civilisation, as India appears to be today. What Yama took away his soul, Savitri kept walking India needs today is a fresh epic which will behind Yama, to follow her dhrama as a wife. contain the core value system as presented in Her persistent effort, prayer and presence of this great work. mind, succeeded in changing the karma of her The Hindu law-givers believed that no one husband, and he came back to life. These two who followed varnashrama dharma can ever examples show that even if one knows the face a mental crisis. That is why despite every destiny, one must not give up one’s dharma – adversity, Yudhisthira, Bhishma and even the right course of action in the form of acts, Arjuna never suffered mentally. Today’s crisis persistence and prayer. The possibility of in the society is the crisis of dharma. People are karma getting changed is always there. Even if not willing to do what they are supposed to do. the destiny does not change, one will have the With the sense of responsibility towards satisfaction of having lived the right kind of life. Dharma gone, they have become a mental
Pearls of Wisdom
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Considereed as an incarnation of Sri Krishna, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534) initiated the Bhakti movement in Bengal and is the chief proponent of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
Calm yourself and repair to home— you ought not to become a ‘baul’. By degrees one reaches the shore beyond the ocean of samsara. Do not make a display of short-lived renunciation in a fit of desperation. Enjoy with restraint without getting mired in the objects of senses. Remaining settled in the deep within, deal with the world as needed. And in no time will Sri Krishna set you free.
গৃহস্থ হয়েন ইঁহ�ো চাহিয়ে সঞ্চয়। সঞ্চয় না হইলে কু টুম্ব ভরণ না হয়।।
A householder, he needs must accumulate wealth. Else, the wants of his relatives he fails to meet.
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স্থির হইয়া ঘরে যাও না হইও বাউল। ক্রমে ক্রমে পায় ল�োকে ভবসিন্ধু কু ল।। মর্কট বৈরাগ্য না করিহ ল�োক দেখাইয়া। যথায�োগ্য বিষয় ভুঞ্জ অনাসক্ত হৈয়া।। অন্তরনিষ্ঠা কর বাহ্যে ল�োক ব্যবহার। অচিরাতে কৃষ্ণ ত�োমায় করিবেন উদ্ধার।।
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(Bengali text with English translation)
Pearls of Wisdom
Varkari Saints
The Varkari saints—Sant Jnanadev, Namdev and others—initiated the Bhakti movement in Maharashtra centered around Lord Panduranga. Some of the Abhangs are: (Marathi text with English translation)
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देवराज आले मंचकी बैसले। भक्तांसि दिधलें अभयदान।। दासहो तुम्ही सकळ सुखी रहा। सुखी राहोनियां आनंद करा।। रात्रंदिवस माझें करा रे चिंतन। यमाचें बंधन नाहीं तुम्हां।। विष्णुदास नामा गाऊनियां गेला। शेजे पहुडला देवराणा।।
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Lord Vitthal is sitting on his bed at the time of shayyan arati, and he is giving his bhaktas the boon of fearlessness. He says: “you are my (householder) devotees, enjoy yourself, be happy—but think of me day and night! then the fetters of death can’t bind you!” After Namdev Maharaj had sung for Vitthal, the Lord went to sleep. —Sant Namdev
दळितंा कांडितां। तुज गाईन अनंता ।। न विसंबें क्षणभरी। तुझे नाम गा मुरारी ।। नित्य हाचि कारभार। मुखी हरि निरंतर ।। मायबाप बंधुबहिणी। तूं बा सखा चक्रपाणी ।। लक्ष लागले चरणी । म्हणे नामयाची जनी ।।
While grinding and pounding I sing your name, Ananta! I don’t forget your name even for a second, Murari! This is my daily task to grind and sing your name! you are my mother and father, my friend and sister, Chakrapani (wielder of the disc) I’m just watching out for your feet all the time says Namadev’s Jani. —Sant Janabhai
हरि बोला देता हरि बोला घेता । हांसतां खेळतां हरि बोला ।। हरि बोला गातां हरि बोला खातां । सर्व कार्य करितां हरि बोला ।। हरि बोला एकांती हरि बोला लोकांती । देहत्यागा अंती हरि बोला ।। हरि बोला भांडतां हरि बोला कांडतां । उठतां बैसतां हरि बोला ।। हरि बोला जनी हरि बोला विजनी । एकाजनार्दनी हरि बोला ।।
During all yours household activites, take the name of the Lord! While giving or taking something—say “Hari”, laughing, playing, singing, eating—say Hari! In solitude and among the people! At the time of death — say Hari! Ekanath says: Hari!
सदैव हे वारकरी। जे पंढरी देखती ।। पदोपदीं विठ्ठल वाचा । तया कैचा संसार ।। दोष पळाले पळाले। पैल आले हरिदास ।। प्रेमभातें भरलें अंगी । निर्लज्ज रंगी नाचती ।। गोपीचंदनाची उटी। तुळसी कंठी मिरवती ।। दुर्बळा या शक्तिहीना। त्याही जना पुरता ।। तुका म्हणे देव चिंती। मोक्ष हातीं रोकडा ।।
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All their faults are just flying off! with limbs filled with love they dance without shame, coloured with the Lord! Even the very weak and powerless, these people are fulfiled and complete! Tuka says if you have God in yours heart, then moksha is in your hand instantly! —Sant Tukaram
The Vedanta Kesari
—Sant Eknath
The Varkaris who see Pandhari are so fortunate! with every step they sing the name of Vitthal—though householders, how can they be bound in samsar?
चोखया म्हणे निर्मळेसी । नाम गाये अहर्निसी । तेणे संसारा सुखावा । इह परलोक साधावा ।। साधन हेचि थोर असे। शांति क्षमा दया वसे । ऐकताचि आनंदली । निर्मळा म्हणे मिठी चरणी घाली ।।
Chokhamela instructs his sister Nirmala:
Sing the Lord’s name day and night! consequently your family life will be happly— heaven is right here! To repeat the name of the Lord is a great Sadhana, qualities like peace, forgiveness and compassion will naturally reside in you! Hearing this Nirmala was filled with joy and says: “I have embraced His feet!” —Sant Chokamela
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Pearls of Wisdom
Goswami Tulsidasa Tulasidasa (A.D. 1496-1622), the poet-saint revived Hinduism in Central India though his magnum-opus Ramacharitmanas written in the Awadhi dialect of Hindi. (Hindi text with English translation)
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Bala Kand
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प्रातकाल उठि कै रघुनाथा । मातु पिता गुरु नावहिं माथा ।। आयसु मागि करहिं पुर काजा । देखि चरित हरषइ मन राजा ।।
Rising at break of day, Sri Raghunatha would bow His head to His parents and preceptor and, obtaining their permission, engaged Himself with the affairs of the state. The king was glad at heart to see His noble acts. Ayodya Kand
बिमल बंस यहु अनुचित एकू । बंधु बिहाइ बडेहि अभिषेकू ।। प्रभु सप्रेम पछितानि सुहाई । हरउ भगत मन कै कुटिलाई ।।
‘The only unseemly practice in this spotless line is that the eldest brother should be installed on the throne to the exclusion of his younger brother.’ May this loving and graceful expression of regret on the part of the Lord drive away all evel tendencies from the mind of His devotees. Lanka Kand
जथा पंख बिनु खग अति दीना । मनि बिनु फनि करिबर कर हीना ।। अस मम जिवन बंधु बिनु तोही । जौं जड दैव जिआवै मोही ।।
“As a bird is utterly miserable without wings, a serpent without its head-jewel and a noble elephant without its trunk, so is my life without you, brother, in case stupid and sensitive Providence compels me to live. (Rama grieving over an injured Lakshmana)
Article
A Day in the Life of a Householder: In the Light of Yajnavalkya Smriti
I
The Text and the section in focus
This text is from the Mithila region and it is attributed to Sage Yajnavalkya whose glory both as a scholar, householder and also a realized soul is known from the Brihadaranyakopanishad. The period of Yajnavalkya-smriti is estimated to be 3rd - 4th century CE. The text is in the form of a discourse by Sage Yajnyavalkya to a group of sages who seek his guidance on Dharma. In legal matters, this text is considered to be very important. In fact, in writing this article, the 1912 edition of the text has been consulted which was edited by SS Setlur who was a reputed advocate of Bombay and Madras high courts. The Grihastha Dharma Prakarana is a short section in the first chapter which is called
Achara Adhyaya (chapter on customs) with 20 verses. Even from among these 20 verses only a few verses that directly deal with the daily schedule of a householder are discussed here.
Though there are other Smriti texts that elaborately deal with the duties of a householder, this is a concise and insightful account on life of a householder. In the process of explaining the verses, the Mitakshara commentary of Vijnaneshvara from 12 th century is consulted with occasional inputs from Balakrida commentary of Vishvarupa (750-1000 CE).
It should be noted at the outset that the intention of the article is not to state that the schedule of the householder as discussed in this third century text has to be followed now as such. The intention is to place before the readers the ideals that existed in ancient times and to suggest that these can be adapted and adopted suitably to improve the quality of our lives individually and collectively. The Approach
Appropriate verses from the text are given with a general translation and in the comments section, inputs from the commentaries are presented and implications to the current day life are discussed.
The author is Director, Research Department, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai. jramanm@gmail.com
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Introduction n line with the theme of this special issue of The Vedanta Kesari, this article explores Grihastha-dharmaprakarana of Yajnavalkya Smriti that briefly discusses the activities that a householder is expected to do in a day – right from waking up till going to bed. As can be noted from verses that have been discussed herein, there are so many valuable insights for improving the quality of our present day life.
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PA G E S P O N S O R : D R . S U B R A M A N I YA B H A R AT H I YA R R . , K A N C H E E P U R A M
DR. JAYARAMAN MAHADEVAN
On what to think on waking up?
1) When to get up in the morning?
ब्राह्मे मुहूर्ते चोत्थाय चिन्तयेदात्मनो हितम्। धर्मारक ्थ ामान् स्वे काले यथाशक्ति न हापयेत्।।११५।।
One has to wake up in Brahma Muhurta. Then one has to reflect (briefly) about what has been done (or what is to be done or any doubts in the meaning of the Vedas/scriptures). Let Dharma, Artha, and Kama not be abandoned. Let them be done at the proper time according to capabilities. Notes and comments:
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Duration of sleep at night
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This verse discusses about waking up. In this context, it would be useful to know the ideal duration of sleep for a householder. Daksha Smriti that has been quoted in Balakrida commentary for this verse, states–
यामद्वयं शयानस्तु ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते। -
A person who sleeps for two yamas (one yama is 3 hours and hence six hours) attains Brahman (bliss indicated by that).
It is worth noting that the current day advice of sleep for adults is almost the same. Brahma Muhurta
Now the next question would be – What is Brahma Muhurta? Brahma Muhurta has been described in the Mitakshra commentary as पश्चिमे अर्धप्रहरे (latter half of the last yama (before Sunrise)). Sadakalpadruma (a 19th century Sanskrit-sanskrit dictionary) clarifies that – it is अरुणोदयकालस्य प्रथमदण्डद्बयम् , the first two dandas ( danda = 24 mins) of the Arunodaya period. Arunodaya means dawn and it is two muhurtas (muhurta = 48 mins) preceding sunrise. If for example - we take 6 am as the sunrise tine, Arunodaya is the duration of 96 mins that precedes it. The first 48 mins of Arunodaya is Brahma Muhurta as per this calculation. (Practically speaking - 4.24 am to 5.12 am is Brahma Muhurta if sunrise is at 6 am).
Regarding thinking about doubts in the meaning of the Vedas in the morning, Mitakshara commentary adds - वेदार्थसंशयांश्च
चिन्तयेत्, चित्तस्य अव्याकुलत्त्वात् तत्त्वप्रतिभासयोग्यत्वात् –
One should think about the doubts on the import of the Vedas, as the mind will be calm, it is a suitable time for the truths to be understood better. It is important to note that on waking up one should not immediately hurry into activities. A householder should pause and contemplate briefly and then mindfully start the day. 2)
What are the early morning duties?
शरीरचिन्तां निर्वर्त्य कृ तशौच विधिर्द्विजः। प्रातः सन्ध्यामुपासीत दन्तधावनपूर्वकम्॥ ९८॥ हुत्वाग्नीन् सूर्यदैवत्यान् जपेन्मन्त्रान् समाहितः। वेदार्थानधिगच्छे च्च शास्त्राणि विविधानि च॥९९॥
After thinking about the (condition of the) body (whether it is healthy or otherwise) one should cleanse oneself including brushing the teeth. Then one has to do Sandhyavandana (daily worship of the Sun God) and perform rituals by making offerings in Agni. After that, mantras related to Lord Surya (Sun God) are to be recited and the study of the meanings of the Vedas and various scriptures are to be done. Notes:
Sharira Chinta
This verse adds that , after the contemplative state of early morning mentioned earlier, one should also think about the state of one’s body. Balakrida commentary while discussing the term - शरीरचिन्ता–states:
शरीरचिन्तां शरीरस्य सामयत्व-निरामयत्व-विषयां चिन्तां निर्वर्त्य
after having observed whether the body is healthy or not. This is mindfulness while commencing the day. We are reminded of a verse from Kumarasambhava (5.33) which emphasizes the
Body is the foremost among the instruments for performing Dharma. A householder should never neglect his health. He should keenly monitor his health and do the needful.
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Sun-centric life
Life on earth is sun-centric. We survive because of the Sun. He is also the inspirer and visible divinity. Hence, Sun salutations and recitation of the Mantras of Sun are enjoined. Householders who are immersed in their daily chores and duties should once in a while look up (at the Sun) and which will help them to raise the head, above the monotony of mundaneness. What to study?
The Mitakshara commentary while explaining the portion on reading texts after the morning rituals, clarifies that
शास्त्राणि...धर्म-अर्थ-आरोग्य-प्रतिपादकानि अधिगच्छेत् -
One should ponder over those portions (every day little by little) that deal with dharma (duties and responsibilities), artha (acquiring and maintenance of wealth), and arogya (health). How thoughtful! Only when a householder equips himself on a daily basis, with these disciplines, can there be progress in life both personal and professional. 3)
Commencement of the day’s transactions (forenoon’s activity)
उपेयादीश्वरं चैव योगक्षेमार्थसिद्धये ।१००- क
(If necessary) then one has to go to the king or a rich person for Yoga (acquiring new things) and kshema (protecting that which has been already acquired). Notes: Does this mean salaried employment?
This verse indicates the commencement of the day’s work. Going to the king or a rich person, indicated in the verse, should not be construed as going for employment. The Mitakshara commentary makes a startling observation. It states –
वेतनग्रहणेन आज्ञाकरणं सेवा, श्ववृत्तितत्त्वेन निषेधात्-
Obeying the commands of someone for a salary is considered as doggish activity and hence it is prohibited. This is not stated to insult anyone. But by this is advised self-reliance for self-sustenance. This presupposes skills/expertise and scholarship in one’s own field. Hence going to a king or a rich person is only to get some help (if needed). It is not to seek employment. One has to work in his agricultural field, rear cattle, practice trade, teach and officiate rituals and thus earn one’s bread. Only those who are not capable of any of these work under someone. The respective professions for various classes of people are described in verses 118-120 of Yajnavalkya Smriti. In the current day context, this statement from the commentary comes as a wake-up call for many professionals who toil day in and day out to achieve the goals of someone else forgetting their own aptitude and worthy goals of one’s life. 4)
Activities in the midday – before lunch
स्नात्वा देवान् पितॄंश्चैव तर्पयेदर्चयेत्तथा॥१००-ख॥ बलिकर्म-स्वधा-होम-स्वाध्यायातिथि-सत्क्रियाः। भूत-पित्रमर-ब्रह्म-मनुष्याणां महामखाः॥१०२॥
After bathing (in the noon) one should do tarpana (water offering) to the departed and also worship Gods. Offering food for the fellow beings (animals, birds and insects etc), making oblations to the departed/ ancestors/manes and worshipping the Gods in homas, studying Vedic texts and serving the guests – these are the five great rituals (for a householder).
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धर्मसाधनम्-
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importance of physical health - शरीरमाद्यं खलु
Notes:
Panchamaha yajnyas daily and not occasionally With regard to the five great rituals mentioned in the verse - the Mitakshara commentary clarifies
एते पञ्च महायज्ञाः अहरहः कर्तव्याः
These are the actions that are to be done every day. Implying that, these are not occasional, optional performances. Such was the commitment of our forefathers to Jiva-seva (service to all beings). Further, the commentary clarifies –
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यत्पुनरेषां फलश्रवणं तदेषां पावनत्वख्यापनार्थम्
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if there is any reference to accruing of any fruits (punya etc.,) due to these actions it is just to highlight their purificatory nature (and nothing more). This implies that, these five performances are not to be taken as some kind of a great service activity that one performs by which one gains punya or merit. These performances are to be seen as an opportunity to protect oneself from being selfish and arrogant, by becoming aware of the needs of fellow beings and serving them. 5) When to eat lunch?
बाल-स्ववासिनी-वृद्धगर्भिण्यातुर-कन्यकाः। सम्भोज्यातिथिभृत्यांश्च दम्पत्योः शेषभोजनम्॥ १०५॥
The householder couple should eat what remains after serving food to the following members of/associated with the family children, Svavasinis (married girls staying with parents yet to go to husband’s house), elderly, pregnant women, ill, unmarried girls, guests and servants. Notes:
Don’t cook only for yourself
Sage Yajnavalkya in this context also adds that - न पचेदन्नमात्मने (Verse 104) – one should never cook food only for oneself. It means that if cooking in the house happens, it is always for
others. Whatever remains is to be eaten by the householder couple. This emphasizes or epitomizes the very purpose of the life of a householder – a life in the service of others. When in the current scenario we see life as only for pleasure, our forefathers saw life as an opportunity to serve others and gain happiness through that. Dignity and respect to the servants
It is remarkable to note that a householder has to ensure that his servant (bhrtya) eats first. Only after that the lord of the house has to eat. Such respect and dignity to servants is unthinkable even now. How compassionate were the sages when they framed these rules! 6)
More on eating!
परपाके रुचिर्नस्यादनिन्द्यामन्त्रणादृते। वाक्पाणिपादचापल्यं वर्जयेच्चातिभोजनम्॥ ११२॥
One should not have desire to eat food at other’s place. But one should accept the invite for a feast from a person who is pious. But, overeating should be avoided. One should avoid fickleness of speech, hands and feet. Notes:
Eating out – No way
The current trend is either eating out or meal ordering services, where no one is aware of the source of preparation of food. In the context, this advice to overcome the tendency to eat outside is worth noting. Though the situation is not worse in India, still it is worsening by the day.
I recently visited a ‘Developed’ South East Asian country and came to know that landlords there do not prefer to let their house to Indians, because Indians cook at home and ‘mess’(?) the kitchen, whereas the trend in such ‘developed’ countries is to eat outside. Coming back, basically, one is not sure of the quality and the hygiene of the food
(Chandogyopanisahd 6.6.5) – the mind is made up of food.
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The bane of overeating It is important to note that, even when accepting a feast invitation from a pious person, one should be mindful of the quantity of food. Over indulgence should be avoided, for an obvious reason, which the Mitakshara commentary also states –
अतिभोजनं च वर्जयेत् अनारोग्यादिहेतुत्वात्-
over eating should be avoided as it leads to ill health. All excesses to be avoided
In the context of avoiding excess in eating food, Sage Yajnavalkya instructs the householder to desist from other excesses also. Fickleness of speech, hands and feet is to be avoided. The Mitakshara commentary adds –
चकारात् नेत्रादिचापल्यं च वर्जयेत् –
Fickleness of the eyes should also be avoided. 7) On hospitality and spending time post lunch
अतिथिं श्रोत्रियं तृप्तमासीमन्तमनुव्रजेत्। अहःशेषं समासीत शिष्टैरिष्टैश्च बन्धुभिः॥११३॥
(After lunch) One should walk behind the departing, content, learned guest till the limits (while sending him off). Rest of the daytime (till evening) one has to pass time with pious and dear friends.
Honoring the Guests On days when there are guests, one has to serve them to their satisfaction. When the guest is leaving, one has to walk behind him till the limits. It is clarified in Balakrida Commentary that the limits may refer to वास्तुसीमा, ग्रामसीमा, क्षेत्रसीमा – limits of the building, limits of the village, limits of the region. D e p e n d i n g u p o n t h e s t a t u re & learnedness of the guest, one can decide the limits to which the host follows the guest. Let us now turn our attention to the present day treatment of the guests. First of all, we do not have atithis these days – those who appear all of a sudden without any pre-announcement. Activities are mostly fixed by appointment or invites. If anyone appears without prior appointment, people are annoyed. At this point, it has to be clarified that the terminology atithi is not coined to give license to people to barge into others’ houses without announcement. It has to be noted that previously Sage Yajnavalkya states (Verse 112), that one should not desire to have food at others’ houses. Hence this verse and the previous one has to be read together. While everyone should strive to cook and eat one’s own food, if due to unavoidable situations or due to travels someone happens to appear without announcement, the householder should not be annoyed. Hence the concept behind atithi in our culture is to promote everready tendency of the host to serve, and does not intend to promote intrusion into others’ houses in an unannounced manner. Who are the pious and dear friends? After sending off the guest, (if time permits and if there is no other professional/ domestic duty) one has to spend time relaxing with friends who are pious and dear. The pious – The Mitakshara commentary clarifies–
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अन्नमयं हि सोम्य मनः
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prepared outside house. Further, at a subtler level, the character and the mood of the person who prepares food also plays a part in the quality of the food. That is why in Indian households, mothers, during their early morning cooking activities chant various Shlokas in praise of the divinity, thereby keeping their minds in a pleasant and Sattvik state. The Vedas also state –
शिष्टैः इतिहासपुराणवेदिभिः –
Pious here refers to those who are well versed in Itihasa and Puranas (epics and mythology). The Dear –
इष्टैः काव्यकथाप्रपञ्चचतुरैः -
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The term dear refers to those who are skilled in poetry and storytelling. From the description above we can see that relaxing here does not mean wasting time in gossip and unwanted discussions. One has to spend time usefully by listening to elevating accounts from the epics and mythology or developing various artistic tastes and skills. In the current context, if one has leisure time, if such friends are not available in person, there are so many videos and audios of lectures available on the internet on these aspects. One can use the worldwide web for such gainful activities also.
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उपास्य पश्चिमां सन्ध्यां हुत्वाग्नीन् तानुपास्य च । भृत्यैः परिवृतो भुक्त्वा नाति तृप्त्याथ सं विशेत्॥ ११४॥
After evening Sun salutations and oblations in Agni and prayers, one has to eat moderately (not to fill), with all the dependents including the servants and then go to bed. Notes:
Think of income-expenditure
The Mitakshara commentary adds that
चकाराद् आयव्ययगृहचिन्तां निर्वर्त्य -
The conjunction ‘ca’ indicates that one has to think about the income and expenditure and other domestic issues and then eat and go to bed. This indicates the necessity of financial prudence for a householder to manage his affairs and make ends meet. Quantity of meal at night
The interesting concept presented with regard to meal at night is that it should not be
heavy. One is reminded of the Bhagavadgita statement - नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति (6.16)। too much eating is not conducive for yoga. Whether or not one practices yoga, from the verse above one understands that eating light at night is generally right for householders. Summary and Conclusion
Sri Ramakrishna in his advice to the householder states, ‘The painter first draws the general outlines and then puts in the details and colours at his leisure. The moulder first makes the image out of clay, then plasters it, then gives it a coat of whitewash, and last of all paints it with a brush. All these steps must be taken successively.’ Sri Ramakrishna states this to the householder, in the context of necessity to follow certain disciplines in life through which one can attain refinement.
The above views from Yajnavalkya Smriti is one such basic set of disciplines which when systematically adhered to, will give a clear structure to life. Beginning from waking up in the morning, planning one’s day, cleansing oneself, connecting with and serving divinity and fellow living beings, studying texts for selfrefinement, being careful about food and finally going to bed at the right time and having sufficient rest - all the fundamental factors of good living are covered in this life. These are the factors that determine quality of life. Adhering to this framework in spirit, facilitates evolution and transformation in due course. Else, unplanned life is planning for suffering and illness. To conclude, let us take a look at a quote from The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda: ‘…the begging excursion would be a great help to a Sannyasin at a time when the householders strictly obeyed the injunctions of Manu and other law-givers, by setting apart every day a portion of their meal for ascetic guests. Nowadays things have changed
considerably, especially, as in Bengal, where no Madhukari (the system of begging one’s food piecemeal from several houses, so as not to tax the householder, as a bee gathers honey from different flowers) system prevails.’ (5: 262)
This comment by Swamiji about householder’s life was in the beginning of 20th century. Nearly a century and half has gone by and we know what the current situation is.
The purpose of the quotation is - when a householder leads his life in a systematic manner as has been outlined in Yajnavalkya Smriti, he not only does good to himself, he also supports all others in the society, including those who aim to achieve self-realization.
आत्मनो मोक्षार्थं जगद्धिताय च
‘For one’s own emanacipation and the good of the world.’
A Day in the life of a Householder
Morning
Forenoon Midday
Post Lunch
Evening till night
Wake up and plan for the day and briefly think about scriptural questions and doubts
Brushing the teeth etc., worship of the Sun god and Vedic Chanting and study of scriptures Commencement of day’s work, including visit to patrons
Bathing and five Maha Yajnas, serving food to all dependents and guests and finally eating lunch. Respectful send off to guests after serving them to satisfaction and listening to scriptures and learning fine arts
Evening worship of the Sun and Agni ritual, domestic stock taking of income and expenditure, light meal and to bed. References
1) Yajnavalkya Smrti (with the Mitakshara Commentary, Balakrida of Vishvarupa, Subodhini and Balambhatta’s Gloss). Edited by S.S. Setlur. Madras: Brahmavadin Press, 1912
2) The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Translated by Swami Nikhilananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, 1974 3) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, Seventh Edition, Vol 5. 1959.
Holy Mother’s Reminiscences of the Master My mother would grieve, “I have married my Sarada to such a crazy husband that she can’t enjoy ordinary married life or have any children and hear them call her ‘Mother.’” One day the Master heard her and said: “Don’t grieve over that, Mother. Your daughter will have so many children, you will see, that her ears will ache at hearing the cry of ‘Mother.’” He was quite right. Everything he said has come to pass. —Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play by Swami Chetanananda, p.123.
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Brahma Muhurta
Activity
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Time of the Day
-Views of Yajnavalkya Smriti and also the commentaries-
Article
December 2019
Saptapadi: Vows with Steps
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I
KASTURI JAYARAMAN
t is a common scene in most of the Hindu marriages, that, once the Mangalya Dharanam (tying of thali by the groom around the neck of the bride) is over, the entire assembly rises to shake hands and greet by sprinkling holy rice grains. An impression seems to have been etched in their psyche that the tying of the knot is the climax of marriage. Of course in a Hindu marriage the most important rite is the Mangalya Dharanam. But the marriage is not complete both ritually and legally without the Saptapadi. In order to have a holistic understanding of the ritual of Saptapadi, one must have a clear view of human life, its goals, and the role of ashramas and samskaras in shaping it, from a Hindu perspective.
gods. It is a universal belief among the Hindus that every aspect of life is sacred. Hence, every significant stage from conception to cremation is regarded as a reminder that life is a gift from God, which should be duly respected and lived according to His wishes.
We are born on this earth with certain obligations called Rina and certain specified missions in life which may be expressed through the purusharthas – life’s eternal goals. The Vedic seers classified these goals into four categories: 1) Dharma – that which leads to abhyudaya or worldly welfare and nishreyas or spiritual illumination; 2) Artha – Wealth; 3) Kama – Enjoyment; and 4) Moksha – Emancipation.
In order to discharge his obligations, fulfil his missions in life, and progress spiritually in The Bhagavad Gita speaks of the mutual a gradual manner, a Hindu has to pass through dependence different stages in between man and life known as the celestials. It It is a universal belief among the Hindus that ashramas. These are every aspect of life is sacred. Hence, every says, ‘You nourish 1) Brahmacharya – significant stage from conception to the gods with this pursuing studies (yajna or sacrifice). cremation is regarded as a reminder that life w i t h s p i r i t u a l Let those gods disciplines and is a gift from God, which should be duly nourish you. chastity; 2) Grihastha respected and lived according to His wishes. Nourishing one – living a married another, you shall life; 3) Vanaprastha attain the supreme good.’ (3:11) This परस्परं – living a detached life as an anchorite with or भावयन्तः is the fundamental purpose of human without the spouse; and 4) Sannyasa - living a life and marriage. life of total renunciation. This human body is not to enjoy pleasures but to perform our duties and worship the
A Brahmachari becomes a grihastha not out of compulsion or tradition. He is given an
The octogenarian author is an active corporate and industry consultant, and a temple lore expert and guide. kajayarama@yahoo.com
Hindu marriage is not a contractual arrangement between two consenting adults. It is not a social contract temporarily entered into under the influence of romance to be dissolved at one’s pleasure. It is the most important religious sacrament necessary for every individual to realize fully his/her potential and also fulfil responsibilities towards self, family, ancestors and society. It is not a lust oriented marital bond with a diminishing value but a spiritual bond that continues till the end and blossoms with age. The four purposes of a Vedic marriage include progeny, physical pleasures, happiness, and companionship in the performance of Dharma. Samskaras
Samskaras are the rites of passage a person performs during the various ashramas of his life, starting from his birth till death. They are connected with his present and future, providing meaning, structure, and order to his life. By performing these obligatory rites, a Hindu acknowledges his religious duties, upholds social institutions and religious values, confirms his obedience to divinities, accepts with humility the consequence of his previous karmas in past lives, earns merit for all, and becomes a refined religious individual qualified to transcend his lower nature. The Gauthama Dharmashastra prescribes 40 outer karma samskaras and eight inner
karma samskaras, all of which have the purpose of empowering men and women to achieve union with the Brahman.
The external samskaras include Garbadhana, Pumsavana, Seemanta, Jatakarma, Namakarana, Nishkramana, Annaprasana, Chudakarana, Karnavedha, Vidyaramba, U p a n a y a n a , Ve d a r a m b a , K e s a n t h a , Samavartana, Vivaha and Anthyeshti. The observance of these samskaras is complete only with simultaneous practice of the eight inner virtues such as compassion towards all creatures, patience, absence of envy, purity, tranquility, positive disposition, generosity, and non-possessiveness. Rituals related to marriage
Engagement ceremony, formal bestowal of the bride, ceremonial honoring of the groom, taking of the bride’s hand and the rite of the seven steps, are the five essential features of an ideal marriage. These have been in vogue for hundreds of years. The divine poetess Andal’s life reveals how the marriage rituals were meticulously observed in those days. On hearing about the greatness of Lord Ranganatha, Andal was convinced that it was verily her Krishna in the form of Ranganatha. She then goes into a trance in which she foresees her divine marriage with Lord Ranganatha.
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Sacrament of marriage
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option either to marry or become a renunciate. This is evident from the Kasi Yatra ritual enacted prior to marriage. A Vedic student well versed in shastras, out of his own volition opts for a married life to contribute to the individual and social goals leading to abhyudaya or secular welfare and nishreyas or spiritual fulfilment.
She relates this vision in her poem Nachiyar Thirumozhi and describes how Ranganatha married her with all the attendant rituals. She refers to ten important steps of the marriage ceremony such as Reception of bridegroom
Announcement of wedding ceremony
Dressing up of the bride by her sister-in-law Tying the protecting band call Kappu Removal of obstacles
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Groom holding the bride’s hand
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Taking seven steps together with wedding vows Stepping on the grinding stone Offering of puffed rice
Visiting friends and relatives, and taking holy bath This age old custom is followed religiously even today. The intricate stages of the actual Hindu wedding ceremony enforce the seriousness of what a marriage entails through the various rituals and mantras. Every ritual has its own significance and cannot be done away with. All these ceremonial rituals revolve around the main vivaha samskara – the Saptapadi. Saptapadi Saptapadi consists of seven steps and seven vows taken by the newly married couple in the presence of the sacred fire. These vows can be seen as the crux of an ideal Hindu marriage. Agni, the fire God is the sustainer of life. He carries to the gods the oblations of the yajna performed by us. Therefore, he becomes the witness of the seven vows.
In the Ramayana, Hanuman in order to seal the agreement and friendship between Sri Ram and the Vanara King Sugreeva, lights a fire around which holding each other’s hands they
walk seven times. Thus bound by the ritual the two were obliged to be faithful to each other.
In the marriage, the groom bending down, This age old custom is lifts his bride’s feet one followed religiously by one and slips the even today. The silver toe ring (metti) intricate stages of the another symbol of actual Hindu wedding marriage into the second ceremony enforce the toe of each foot. The seriousness of what a bride and the groom marriage entails with their outfits tied through the various with a holy cloth bonding them, take rituals and mantras. seven steps signifying health, wealth, good luck, love, strength, food and offspring. They not only evoke the blessings of the Almighty and pray for each other’s health and well being, but also pray for their families and the whole universe. Manu declares, ‘The nuptial texts are a certain proof that a maiden has been made a lawful wife; but the learned should know the marriage to be complete with the seventh step of the married pair walking hand in hand around the sacred fire.’ (Manu Smriti VIII 227) The seven sacred vows
By taking the seven vows, in right earnest, in the presence of Vedic priests, invoking Lord Vishnu’s mercy with the Agnideva or Lord of Fire as their divine witness, the couple demonstrate that two souls are joined for seven lifetimes and will strictly adhere to the solemn vows. In the first vow, the groom swears,
‘O Bride, you have walked one step with me, so we have become friends, hence you be my provider of food. Help me to fulfil my vratas, vowed religious observances. May we have many sons and may they have a long life.’
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‘You have walked two steps with me, hence may you become one who will give me strength.’ The bride in return promises, ‘I will be by your side your courage and strength. I will rejoice in your happiness, in return you will love me solely.’ In the third vow, the groom says,
‘May we grow wealthy and prosperous and strive for the education of our children and may our children live long.’ The bride in return promises, ‘I will love you solely for the rest of my life as you are my husband. Every other man in my life will be secondary. I vow to remain chaste.’ In the fourth vow, the groom declares,
‘You have walked four steps with me, you have brought sacredness into my life and have completed me. May we be blessed with noble and obedient children.’ The bride in return replies, ‘I will shower you with joy, from head to toe. I will strive to please you in every way I can.’ In the fifth vow, the groom says,
‘You are my best friend and well wisher. You have come into my life enriching it. May you give birth to children.’
To this the bride replies, ‘I promise to love and cherish you as long as I live. Your happiness is my happiness and your sorrow is my sorrow. I will trust and honour you, and will strive to fulfil all your wishes.’ In the sixth vow, the groom asks,
‘Now that you have taken six steps with me, you have filled my heart with immense happiness. Will you do the same kindness for all times?’
says,
The bride replies, ‘I will always be by your
In the last and seventh vow, the groom
‘We are now husband and wife and are one. You are mine and I am yours for eternity.’
The bride accepts the proclamation and says, ‘As God is witness. I am now your wife, we will love, honor and cherish each other forever.’
The essence of these vows can be condensed as follows:
With the first step, we will provide for and support each other. With the second step, we will develop mental, physical and spiritual strength. With the third step, we will share the worldly possessions. With the fourth step, we will acquire knowledge, happiness and peace.
With the fifth step, we will raise strong and virtuous children. With the sixth step, we will enjoy the fruits of all seasons.
With the seventh step, we will always remain friends and cherish each other. Before asking the bride to step on the grinding stone, the groom declares:
‘I take thy hand in mine, yearning for happiness. I ask thee, to live with me, till both of us, with age grow old.
Know this as I declare that the Gods have bestowed thy person upon me
That I may fulfil my Dharma of the householder with thee. I am the Sky, you are the Earth;
I am the Thought, you are the Speech; I am the Fire, you are the Fuel; I am the Song, you are the Verse; I am the Ocean, you are the Shore;
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In the second vow, the groom says,
side.’
109 The Vedanta Kesari
The bride complies in return, ‘I am responsible for the home and all household, food and finance.’
I am the Strength, but you are the beauty; I am the Purush and you are the Prakriti;
Let us live together lovingly and bring up our progeny. Let us lead a joyful life of hundred years.’
Wedding vows in other cultures
In every culture, wedding vows outline the same goals, lifelong commitment, devotion and mutual respect.
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is:
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The common wedding pledge in a Church
I ___ take you ____ to be my wife/ husband to have and hold from this day forward for better, for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part according to God’s Holy Law. In the presence of God I make this vow and thereto I pledge thee my faith (or) pledge myself to you. The Priest declares:
You have declared your consent before the church. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with His blessings. What God has joined, men must not divide. Amen. The Muslim wedding pledge is as follows:
Bride : I ___ offer you myself in marriage and in accordance with the instructions of the Holy Koran and the Holy Prophet - peace and blessing be upon him, I pledge in honesty and with sincerity to be for you an obedient and faithful wife.
Groom: I pledge in honesty and sincerity to be for you a faithful and helpful husband. Saptapadi and Grihasta dharma
Before entering into family life which is a vast ocean, the groom has to have a clear idea of the nuts and bolts of family life. He needs a mental rectitude, a moral commitment, and a
spiritual conviction to undertake the onerous responsibilities of a householder. The Saptapadi vows provide him an opportunity to know beforehand that it is given to the householder alone a) to look after the interests of the members of the other three ashramas,
b) to perform, in the company of his spouse, yajnas and homas to discharge his five debts to the celestials, rishis, manes, self and all living beings, c) to contribute to the society children of character, skill and virtues, and d) to earn, distribute and share wealth generated by honest means. Saptapadi and law
The Madras High Court, after examining all the relevant texts, came to the conclusion that in reality for the ceremonial validity of a Hindu Marriage only two ceremonies are essential, One consists of the secular element i.e., the gift of the girl (including Sampradana and Kanyadana), and
The second consists of religious element i.e., the performance of Panigraha and Saptapadi
According to section 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act,1955,
A Hindu marriage may be solemnized in accordance with the customary rights and ceremonies of either party thereto where such rites and ceremonies include the Saptapadi (taking of seven steps by the bridegroom and the bride jointly before the sacred fire) the marriage becomes complete and binding when the seventh step is taken. If the bride and the groom are made to read and understand the Saptapadi before the actual ritual, it will strengthen the moral and spiritual dimension of marriage.
Article
mong the pillars that have successfully held up the glory and good of India’s Sanatana Dharma, observing a vrata has been of vital importance. The observation of a vrata is not confined to women alone. A vrata is actually a vow undertaken with a particular aim. Some are regularly observed throughout the year with the aim of purifying the body and mind like Ekadasi vrata.
As a child growing up in a village, the observance of a vrata at home always came with interesting stories from grandmother. How I used to laugh when she described the trials of Sage Durvasa as he was chased by the Sudarsan Chakra of Vishnu in the Ambarisha Upakhyana. When the Savitri Vrata (known as Karadaiyaan Nonbu in our Tamil families) was observed, grandmother’s description of the growing child Savitri and the marriage festivities in the forest was always a joy, as were the sweet cakes (kaaradai) that were specially made for this vrata. Often the vratas were accompanied by a katha kalakshepa (spending time in listening to sacred tales); this helped conserve traditional beliefs and life histories from being totally eclipsed by foreign invasions and religious intolerance of the invaders. Even the recital of the story for an exclusively women-oriented Savitri vrata, the members of the house and their relations listened to with humility and devotion. I have heard of the ‘Savitri Paadam’,
or poetry, being used for this purpose in Tamil homes long ago. It is tailored to the Tamil Brahmin community. While the essentials remain the same, the details are given a local habitation and the poetry has the sing-song, dramatic quality of folk music. The chosen time for this tri-ratra vrata, three-days vow, however, remains the same: ‘The damsel with soft tresses remained silent
During the three days; she took no food either...
On the first of Phalguna month, Savitri worshipped Parvati; as devotion is of vital importance …’
On a personal note, I consider my finding this slim booklet, Savitri Paadam in a wayside book shop serendipitous and was amazed that the work had been printed and published by R.S. Subbulakshmi Ammal, a pioneer in educating child widows.1 What surprised me was that a widow who was trying to help others condemned by fate to lead a life of misery gave such high importance to vratas. So, what is it that she found that would give strength of mind to an ordinary human being?
Her brief introduction to ‘Savitri Paadam’ transmits the age-long belief that performing this vrata by women (maidens or married) assures one of long and happy married life. But widows? Obviously Subbulakshmi Ammal felt that meditation upon the Universal Mother and
Dr. Prema Nandakumar is a devotee from Srirangam, Tamil Nadu and has several publications to her credit. premnand@gmail.com
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A
PREMA NANDAKUMAR
111 The Vedanta Kesari
PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I D I B Y E N D U M O N D A L , V I D YA M A N D I R A , B E LU R M AT H
Significance of Vratas: Savitri Vrata
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her child Savitri would infuse in the young girls a deep faith and spiritual strength to face any calamity in life. So, the Sister encouraged the reading (or listening to) of the glorious tale. That explains the basic philosophy of a vrata: it gives us courage and self-confidence to face life. It may be mentioned here that the slender book carries an advertisement for Vratakalpa Manjari, which describes the methodology of performing twenty-seven vratas.
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As the years went by, my portfolio of random notes (from what I read and what I watched, and as a Hindu bride learnt to do) became sumptuous. Here was God’s variety! They were all called vratas, but each had a distinct end in view and a system of its own to follow. The vrata-idea was obviously an important component of Sanatana Dharma and all religions engaged themselves in vratas. Reading the ancient Tamil epic, Jeevaka Chintamani with Nachinarkiniyar’s commentary, I was amazed by the major and minor vratas in the Jain religion, the Mahavratas and Anuvratas. The ancient Tamils had their own vows to be followed. In this context the ‘Ramzan Nonbu’ observed by the followers of Islam also may be mentioned here.
But ever youthful as we are now,
Even after our seventh stage of life.’2
Known as ‘Thai Neeradal’ (Bathing in the month of Thai, December-January) and ‘Pavai Nonbu’ as the girls make images of Mother Goddess on the sandbanks for worship, this One interesting ancient Tamil vrata is the ancient Tamil vrata would give rise to the ‘ T h a i - N e e r a d a l ’. We Tiruppavai songs of Goda understand from the Meditation upon the Universal Devi and Tiruvempavai Paripadal that this vrata ve r s e s o f M a n i c ka Mother and her child Savitri concluded with prayers to vachakar during the would infuse in the young girls a Vaigai for gifting them Bhakti Movement (6th to deep faith and spiritual strength good husbands. The 9th century CE). These to face any calamity in life. prayers indicated in the poems are used even work are quite today, of course, with the interesting. Having connotation changed. It is the vrata of the performed the ‘nonbu’, the young girls pray to jeevatman to reach the Supreme Lord and gain the river Vaigai for good husbands, and of spiritual fulfilment. However, in the Tiruppavai course, eternal youth: Nonbu food restrictions are also listed: ‘We ‘May we never come to be called shan’t take ghee, nor drink milk.’ At the fulfilment of the vrata, Andal’s Tiruppavai Decrepit old men and aged crones,
Thus it is clear that the vrata idea is quite ancient. According to some scholars, the Vedas speak of vrata as a resolve to perform some action perfectly. It could be a sacrifice, a responsibility or guardianship. However, the term as we understand it today, is a prayerful vow for achieving something as we saw in the song Paripadal. Retelling the story of Krishna long, long after His presence in the Dwapara Yuga, the Bhagavata written in recent times (10th CE?) speaks of the Katyayani vrata. The gopikas perform a vrata to gain the grace of Goddess Katyayani (Durga) to obtain Krishna as their husband. The ritual is strikingly similar to the one described in Paripadal which belongs to earlier times and is dedicated to obtaining good husbands. The vrata of the gopikas in the Bhagavath is to obtain the guardianship of Krishna, the Supreme Lord. ‘At the beginning of Hemanta (winter season) the maidens of Vraja observed the vows connected with the worship of Katyayani, subsisting only on sacrificial food. O King!
There is God’s plenty if we proceed to list the many vratas that are followed today in India. Each is an experience, an interesting and often a chastening experience; a lesson in simple living and high thinking. Not only men and women, rich and poor, but even sannyasins (Hindu, Buddhist, Jain) have to observe vratas like the Chaturmasya vrata. This vow, followed annually, is spread over four months of the rainy season. Single-day vratas like Varalakshmi puja, Karva Chauth, and three-days vrata like Vat-Savitri – all give attention to detail, be it drawing a rangoli or preparing the utensils and plates to hold offerings. But whatever the variety and differences in observance, two components are the same to all these vows: controlling the intake of food, and a faultless devotion to the Divine. The problem with us is that we take for granted a ritual like the vrata and observe it almost mechanically. But is that all there is to it? For instance, as I write this essay (in September-October), I am observing a vrata called Maa-vilakku, ‘Lighting the Rice-flour Lamp’. When I entered this house as a bride six decades ago, my mother-in-law initiated me into this vrata. With her generosity of understanding towards a young girl, all that she taught me was how to prepare the lamp with freshly ground rice flour, jaggery and coconut milk after a ritual head bath and wearing the sari in the orthodox way, put ghee and a piece of cotton in the aperture of the rice-flour lamp, light the wick of the new lamp placed in a plate with fruits and flowers and fast till the light in the lamp withdraws. Then I should say ‘The Lord has gone back to His mountain abode’ and
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With the mind-boggling number of vratas followed all over India (and now by Indians abroad as well), we come back to the question: What is a vrata? Is it a sure pathway to achieve one’s desire? If so, what are its components? This much was visible to me. A vrata immediately turns us to some of our great heroes and heroines who have observed a vow and gained an illimitable strength in internal and external life. We realise that here is a unique combination of the physical and the mental-spiritual, the outer and the inner, the open supplication for a gift, and a wider appeal for the good of all others, one’s family, one’s countrymen, humanity itself; so well syllabled by the Hindu entreaty to the Divine, lokah samasthah sukhino bhavantu, ‘May all beings everywhere be happy and free.’
Bathing in the river at sunrise, they installed a sand image of the Devi on the banks of Kalindi and worshipped Her with sandalpaste, garlands of sweet-smelling flowers, incense, light, sprouts of leaves, fruits, cereals and food offerings of various kinds.’3
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PA G E S P O N S O R : S M T. N I R M A L A U N N Y, E R N A K U L A M D I S T.
describes the fulsome feast of partaking rice ‘cooked with milk and overflowing with ghee.’
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do pranam to the lamp which had been the abode of the Lord for the past one or two hours. She also said that for that time, Lord Venkateswara Himself comes down the mountain and resides in our house. This must be one of the easiest vratas observed in India; harsh rules could make a young bride rebel, at least within! Whatever it may be, two points of the vrata left a mark on my psyche: fasting, and a total faith in the Supreme whose love for his creation brings Him down to us and fulfils our desires.
tasteless. People following the vrata had to sleep late at night. It is probably a good way to give rest to the body’s organs that often go into high-gear for most of the year. This way one was trained to gain life-long self-control of the body. The sannyasins in India continue to observe the chaturmasya vrata even now, and they remain in their Mutts and do not travel.
Youth of today have, thanks to availability, made eating out a way of life. They would perhaps do well to undertake a chaturmasya vrata which was followed by our ancients including brahmacharins and sannyasins. During the four months of monsoon, one was asked to take a single meal a day with just one serving. One had to mix everything and eat, so that the taste buds will not be flattered, nor was one allowed to say that an item was tasty or
I began this essay with the Savitri vrata, which was for me, as a child, important only for the sweet cakes (kaaradai) my grandmother made as an offering to Goddess Savitri. More than seven decades have passed by me, and now, perhaps, I am a little nearer to the truth about vratas in general, helped by my study of Sri Aurobindo’s (1872-1950) epic poem, Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol. Widely revered as a Mahayogi, Sri Aurobindo meditated upon
If fasting or such physical controls helped people to gain a healthy body, the constant underlining of faith in the Divine helped them To reiterate once again, the two important control their mind from straying on components of a vrata are unnecessary thoughts and fasting and an unswerving gain one-pointed The two important components faith in the Divine. For concentration within. of a vrata are fasting and an instance, the story of King Perhaps controlling the unswerving faith in the Divine. Rukmangada and the body is not as difficult as Ekadasi vrata when he controlling the mind. comes forward to cut Hence the persons doing down his own son so that the vrata can be vrata were asked to spend their time reading saved, used to confuse me in earlier times. Is scriptures or listening to scholars expounding the observance of a vow more important than them. We have an enormous amount of Puranic one’s own dear child? Was it all but blind faith? literature which deal with various vratas. Obviously not. Such tests do strengthen the Speakers have always lectured on them for sinews of the human being, for essentially he is appropriate vratas. Between perfecting the a soldier in the battle of life and must remain physical and controlling the mind, a vrata prepared at all times. For, fasting ensures pure becomes an amazing catalyst for the yoga of physical well-being. If the body were not strong, self-perfection. The vrata remains the same as what service can man do for his family, country it was ordained by a Rishi of yore; but the or humanity? Thus, a vrata puts a welcome person who follows it in the right manner break on our easy-going ways and turn for literally achieves a transformation to superior indulgence. states of being.
PA G E S P O N S O R : C H I . M O K S H I T K O K K U, H Y D E R A B A D
‘Therefore he resorted, with the concern of getting a child, to holy, austere practices: only at fixed time, he ate a little, and he observed continence, and restrained the senses fully. Daily a hundred thousand oblations he, the most excellent among the kings, offered to Savitri, and it was only in the sixth part of the day, that he took a small quantity of food.’4
Sri Aurobindo transforms this eighteen years’ vrata to propitiate Goddess Savitri into the discipline of yoga practised by the king as described through eighteen cantos in the epic. It is an amazing reformatting, since an enlightened king would not have repeated the mantra (also known as the Gayatri mantra) as if he were a machine. When a human being takes up a vrata, there does occur an inner transformation for his good or for the good of his people. Sri Aurobindo’s Aswapati achieves such a transformation. His thoughts, his view of life around, the need to work for the good of his people and his aspirations for the future of humanity must have blossomed million fold as he sat absorbed in the meditative repeating of the mantra. When the Divine Mother appears before him, instead of asking for a child to continue his line, he prays for an avatar to help humanity. The Divine Mother gives him the assurance: ‘O strong forerunner, I have heard thy cry.
One shall descend and break the iron Law,
Change Nature’s doom by the lone spirit’s power.’5
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The epic poem retells the same story but now the significance of the vratas stand unveiled. Vyasa says Aswapati performed a vrata of praying to Goddess Savitri for eighteen years and restricted his food intake in a phased manner:
In the same manner, Sri Aurobindo’s own meditations on the tri-ratra vrata observed by Savitri to save Satyavan from death, springs up as Savitri’s yoga. She observes the traditional vrata but we see its contours as Savitri’s yoga through seven cantos. If Vyasa refers to Savitri as standing like a piece of wood, not moving but totally indrawn in her silent prayer, Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri sits unmoving, is first attacked by a sense of hopelessness, the easy way to overcome by committing sati, and then gains other experiences inwardly including the rising of the Kundalini Shakti and finally gains a rare strength of mind to face Death who is expected on the morrow. So what is a vrata or a niyama but the pathway to gain strength of body, mind, and spirit? Swami Vivekananda had told us sharply: ‘Strength is life, weakness is death.’ If periodical fasting and avoiding indulgence in food assures physical and mental strength, faith in the Divine or sheer faith in oneself assures us of spiritual strength to face any calamity. This is indicated by the vrata of Savitri in Vyasa’s narrative. Vyasa refers to Savitri’s tri-ratra vrata as a very tough one and indeed, her father-in-law, Dyumathsena tries to convince her that she should avoid it. Three days of total fasting by this young girl? Oh, it is ‘parama dushkaram’, ‘extremely difficult’! Savitri answers him simply and with humility: ‘Be not disturbed about it, please; I shall be able to carry the vow without blame; only a firm resolve makes it go through successfully and I have initiated it with that resolve.’6 The child of Aswapati, Savitri is deeply devoted to the Divine Mother. But what is the use of mere devotion to us without the backing of self-confidence to ‘achieve’ one’s high aim? This has been a lesson for life imparted by Vyasa and all those who have retold Savitri’s story in words, with the painting brush and on the screen.
115 The Vedanta Kesari
the life of Savitri found in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata.
Wandering for decades in the healthy forests of Sanatana Dharma’s varied literature, I have learnt this much: each vrata, brief or long, easy or hard, is actually a yoga that inspires you to do it perfectly योगः कर्मसु कौशलं and with self-confidence about achieving your aim by stilling the mind योगः चित्तवृत्ति निरोधः. That ‘calm of mind, all passion spent’ assures us of a vrata’s victory. Thus, it is not surprising at all when one sees vratas being performed even by the younger generation. It provides a
kind of anchor especially when one seems to be running all the time in today’s world. It becomes a reason to pause and take comfort in carrying out something that appears to have an orderly sequence of activities. It is a kind of discipline when done individually; it gives a sense of collective when done in groups. It gives the doer an indescribable sense of belonging – perhaps it is something to do with a kind of a sense of continuity to carry out a vrata that has been repeated over time, over generations.
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References
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1) Subbulakshmi Ammal (1886-1969) was widowed as a child of nine; her enlightened father braved social opposition to educate her and she became the first Hindu woman from the Madras Presidency to become a graduate. She established the Sarada Ladies Union in 1912 which would branch out as educational and guardianship institutions for widows and abandoned women.
2) Paripadal,Two:ll. 120-123. Translated by K.G. Seshadri 3) Srimad Bhagavata, Skandha X, chapter 22, verses 1-3. Translated by Swami Tapasyananda 4) Vana Parva, Canto One, verses 8-9. Translated by R. Y. Deshpande 5) Savitri: Book III, Canto IV 6) Vana Parva, Canto IV, verse vi. Translated by R.Y. Deshpande
Holy Mother’s Panchatapa Sometime after the passing away of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi often had a vision of a bearded sannyasin who asked her to perform the panchatapa ceremony. This severe austerity is observed by sitting for japa and meditation from dawn to dusk, surrounded by four fires and the blazing sun above. Initially, she did not pay heed to it. But when the sannyasin insisted she put her mind to it. Also, as Holy Mother’s mind was grief-stricken at the passing away of Sri Ramakrishna, a Nepali sannyasini adept in various kinds of sadhana had advised Holy Mother to perform the panchatapa to calm her mind. In July or August 1893, Holy Mother performed the panchatapa, or the austerity of five fires, on the roof of Nilambar’s house. A thick layer of earth was laid on the roof of Nilambar’s house and four blazing fires of dried cow-dung were lighted in a square, seven and a half feet apart from each other. Recalling her experience, Holy Mother later said, ‘After a morning bath in the Ganges, I approached the fire and found the flames up. I was seized with a great fear and I wondered how I could enter the area and remain seated there until sunset. After repeating the Master’s name, I entered the area surrounded by fires. It felt as if they had lost their heat. Thus I practised this discipline for seven days.’ Later, when an intimate disciple wanted to know the real reason that she went through this ordeal she said, ‘My child, I went through it for the sake of all of you. Can you practise austerities? This is why I had to do it.’ — Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play, p 189
Pearls of Wisdom
Purandaradasa Considered as the father of Carnatic Music, Purandara Dasa (14841564), a great devotee of Sri Krishna, is said to have composed about 4,75,000 songs.
ತಂದೆ ನೀನೆ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ತಾಯಿ ಇಂದಿರೆದ�ೇವಿ ಪೊಂದಿದ ಅಣ್ಣನು ವನಜಸಂಭವನು ಇಂದುಮುಖಿ ಸರಸ್ವತಿದ�ೇವಿಯೇ ಅತ್ತಿಗೆಯು ಎಂದೆಂದಿಗೂ ವಾಯುದ�ೇವರ�ೇ ಗುರುವು You are my father, O Krishna, Lakshmi is my mother. Creator Brahma is my elder brother, His consort Sarasvati, my sister-in-law. Vayudeva is my guru for ever.
ಭಾರತೀ ದ�ೇವಿಯೇ ಗುರುಪತ್ನಿಯು ಎನಗೆ ಗರುಡ ಶ�ೇಷಾದಿಗಳ�ೇ ಗುರುಪುತ್ರರು ಹರಿದಾಸರೆಂಬುವರೆ ಇಷ್ಟ ಬಾಂಧವರೆನಗೆ ಹರಿಭಜನೆ ನಡೆಯುತಿಹ ಸ್ಥಳವೆ ಮಂದಿರವು Bharati, his consort, is one whom I adore. Garuda and Sesha are the sons of my guru. Haridasas are my closest relatives. That place is a temple where Hari’s glories are being sung. ಸರುವಾಭಿಮಾನವನು ತ್ಯಜಿಸುವುದ�ೇ ಸುಸ್ನಾನ ಹರಿಯ ನಾಮವೆ ಇನ್ನು ಅಮೃತಪಾನ ವರದ ಪುರಂದರವಿಠಲ ನಿನ್ನ ಪಾದ ಧ್ಯಾನ ಕರುಣಿಸಿ ಅನವರತ ಕರ ಪಿಡಿದು ಕಾಯಾ Renouncing all the vain glories is the real bath, indeed. Uttering the name of Hari is drinking the nectar. O Purandara Vitthala, bestow upon me the boon of Contemplation of your holy feet! Protect me always by holding my hands!
117 The Vedanta Kesari
ಸಂಸಾರವೆಂಬಂಥ ಭಾಗ್ಯವಿರಲಿ ಕಂಸಾರಿ ನೆನೆವೆಂಬ ಸೌಭಾಗ್ಯವಿರಲಿ Let us have the fortune of family life; Let us be blessed with the fortune of remembering the Lord.
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(Kannada text with English translation)
Pearls of Wisdom
Basavanna Basavanna, a 12 CE statesman, philosopher and Virashaiva socio-religious teacher in Karnataka, is the founder of Lingayata movement and originator of Vachana Sahitya.
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(Kannada text with English translation)
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ಮನೆ ನ�ೋ�ಡಾ ಬಡವರು, ಮನ ನ�ೋ�ಡಾ ಘನ; ಸ�ೋ�ಂಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಶುಚಿ, ಸರ್ವಾಂಗ ಕಲಿಗಳು; ಪಸರಕ್ಕನುವಿಲ್ಲ, ತತ್ ಕಾಲಕೆ ಉಂಟು; ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗನ ಶರಣರು ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರಧೀರರು. Look at their houses, They are poor; Look into their minds, They are rich. Their touch is pure, It is devoid of lust. In their senses they are upright. They hoard not, The day’s bread is enough. The devotees of Kudalasanga Are free and courageous In their own right.
ಆರಾಧ್ಯ ಪ್ರಾಣಲಿಂಗವೆಂದರಿದು ಪೂರ್ವಗುಣವಳಿದು ಪುನರ್ಜಾತನಾದ ಬಳಿಕ ಸಂಸಾರಬಂಧುಗಳೆನ್ನವರೆಂದಡೆ ನಂಟುಭಕ್ತಿ ನಾಯಕನರಕ ಇಂತೆಂದುದು ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗನ ವಚನ. Once you realize the worshipful Lord as your life And renounce your earlier traits And thus be born again, Still to consider your kith and kin as yours is hell indeed, So says the Lord Kudalasanga.
Pearls of Wisdom
Kavi Kshemendra
Kavi Kshemendra (11 CE) was a Kashmiri Sanskrit poet. Selected verses from his Charucharya, a collection of ethical verses are presented here.
न बन्धुसम्बन्धिजनं दूषयेन्नापि वर्जयेत् । दक्षयज्ञक्षयायाभूत् त्रिनेत्रस्य विमानना ॥
One should neither offend nor abandon one’s family and relatives. Insulting the threeeyed (Shiva, his son-in-law), resulted in the destruction of Daksha’s sacrifice.
बन्धूनां वारयेद् वैरं नैकपक्षाश्रयो भवेत् । कुरुपाण्डवसङ्ग्रामे युयुधे न हलायुधः ॥
One should try to check enmity among relatives. One should never take sides among them. In the battle between Kauravas and Pandavas, Balarama didn’t take sides.
बिभृयाद् बन्धुमधनं मित्रं त्रायेत दुर्गतम् । बन्धुमित्रोपजीव्योऽभूदर्थिकल्पद्रुमो बलिः ॥
One should support one’s poor relatives; one should protect a friend who is in difficulty. Because Bali was the supporter of his relatives and friends he was veritably like a mythological wish-fulfiling tree.
नात्यर्थमर्थार्थनया धीमानुद्वेजयेज्जनम् । अब्धिर्दत्ताश्वरत्नश्रीर्मथ्यमानोऽसृजद् विषम् ॥
A wise man should never agitate anyone by begging from him wealth again and again. Even after gifting an excellent horse, gems and goddess of wealth, as the ocean was churned, he started emitted poison.
आपत्कालोपयुक्तासु कलासु स्यात् कृतश्रमः । नृत्तवृत्तिर्विराटस्य किरीटी भवनेऽभवत् ॥
One should have the knowledge of many arts which will help him in his difficulties. As Arjuna had the knowledge of dancing, it came to his use in the palace of Virata (to live incognito).
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Blinded by arrogance one should not indulge in arguments with others and should not behave indignantly with others. By his speech filled with harshness, Shishupala’s head was severed by Shouri (Krishna).
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न विवादमदान्धः स्यान्न परेषाममर्षणः । वाक्पारुष्याच्छिरश्छिन्नं शिशपालस्य शौरिणा ॥
Pearls of Wisdom
Yogi Vemana Vemana, the Telugu poet-philosopher, is known for his teachings on Yoga and householder’s life. Some of his teachings are: (Telugu text with English translation)
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When a mean person gets shelter in the house, the householders will get into trouble. It is like a fly entering your stomach and stirring the guts causing discomfort.
Presence of a virtuous person in the family makes it famous and great. It is like having a sandalwood tree in a big forest whereby the entire forest smells like sandalwood.
What is the use of following the rituals and customs without inner purity? What is the use of making special dishes in unclean vessels? What use is the worship of Shiva without purity of mind and devotion?
What good is it to bathe in water, to offer treasures and to pay obeisance to gods, when the mind is filled with impurity of hypocrisy.
Article
Living Together: Responsibilities and Challenges
Goals of Individuals and Marriage
If a person is given 10 lakhs rupees and asked how he would like to spend it, he would give answers like ‘I will invest it’, ‘I will go on a travel’, ‘I will buy a car’, ‘I will give in charity’, etc. He may even say, ‘I will not take it.’ All the answers can be broadly grouped under four heads: 1) wealth creation, security, livelihood, health, etc. 2) entertainment, luxuries, enjoyment, fun, adventure, leisure, hobbies, etc.
3) charity, social service, protection of environment, etc. 4) knowledge, devotion, renunciation, freedom, etc.
This applies not only to spending money. If a person is asked how he would like to spend a paid vacation of three months, the answers can be grouped into the same heads. If a person is asked why he is working or why he is doing a certain action, the answers also will fall under one or more of these groups. This applies to any human pursuit. These groups are called Purusharthas or ‘human goals’. The four goals are artha, kama, dharma and moksha. These are mentioned several times in our scriptures. Even the colours in the Indian flag – green (artha and kama), white with the wheel of dharma (dharma) and saffron (moksha) – points to these categories. As every individual has these as his or her goal, every social institution is designed to enable people to help each other in the pursuit o f t h e i r i n d i v i d u a l g o a l s . Fa m i l y, neighbourhood, city, country, corporates, government, social service institutions, religions, schools and colleges are all designed to help people pursue their goals. Of these, the family is a very important social institution. Even among all the relationships in a family, the relationship between the husband and wife is a unique one. It is the closest in all ways. Husband and wife help and support each other in all the four pursuits. To a husband, his
The author is a software engineer in Bengaluru.
gokulmuthu@gmail.com
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W
ith the changing dynamics between individuals and social structures like family, society, religion, and country, and between men and women, marriage is being seen more as an option than as a mandate. This has raised the eyebrows of people who want to adhere to traditions. This article, tries to explore the situation without being judgmental. The attempt is to understand the institution of marriage and family, the changing paradigms of society and the challenges going forward.
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wife is saha-artha-charini, partner in pursuit of artha, saha-kama-charini, saha-dharma-charini and saha-moksha-charini. They share and support each other in their wealth, home, friends, entertainment, travels, charity activities and spiritual pursuit. The social conventions, legal system, financial system, religious rituals, and other such entities are fully aligned to this close relationship between husband and wife.
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Unique relationship
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Of the relations that we have, some are friends and some are family. Friends are the ones that we choose. We choose our friends based on common interests and pursuits. As we chose to have the relationship, we have the freedom to terminate the relationship anytime. Family comes to us without any freedom of choice. We do not have the freedom to choose our parents, brothers, sisters, children, uncles, aunts and cousins. As we did not choose the relationship, we have no option to drop it. We may stay away from people with whom we don’t get along well, but we cannot deny or disown the relationship. Amidst these, the relationship between husband and wife is unique. In most cases till a few decades ago and even today, it is an ‘arranged marriage’. Thus, it directly falls under the ‘family’ category instead of the ‘friend’ category. Just as a person does not choose his parents, siblings or children, he does not choose his wife too. The same applies to the woman also. Husband is also a choiceless relationship. The marriage is not between two individuals. It is an alliance between two families. It is the two families that decide to form a relationship with each other through the marriage. This has its advantages like quicker adjustment by the couple and more stability. A stable marriage gives peace of mind and a conducive environment to young children and
old people. It also has its problems if the couple are not well suited.
From time immemorial, the other way is also in practice. The relationship starts as a ‘friendship’. Initially, they choose to spend time together based on their common interests and pursuits. When they find that they want to continue this relationship lifelong and want to extend this relationship to more domains of life, they decide to get married. Then is the crucial moment of converting a ‘friendship’ into a ‘family’. The families of both should agree. More important than that is this: both individuals should completely drop the idea of ‘choice’ and move into a mindset of a ‘choiceless’ relationship. If this conversion of attitude is not done, it is always a threat to the stability of the marriage. When the relationship is accepted as choiceless, automatically the couple will do mutual adjustments and compromises in the areas where there is a mismatch of personal interests and conveniences. Most breakdowns of marriage happen when this conversion of attitude is not done. Thus, the fundamental secret of a successful marriage is the attitude and practice of compromising individual personal conveniences and preferences for the welfare and happiness of the spouse and family. Collectivism vs Individualism
Collectivism is the social philosophy that the interests of the whole is more important than the interests of individuals. There is a popular saying: ‘The interests of an individual can be sacrificed for the family. The interests of a family can be sacrificed for the city. The interests of a city can be sacrificed for a country. The interests of a country can be sacrificed for the world.’ In his famous speech given in 1961 John F. Kennedy says: ‘Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.’ Individualism is
People became fascinated by the free spirituality and ascetic life of Hinduism and
Rising individualism in India
A similar counterculture is now knocking the doors of Indian society, though, thankfully, not as revolutionary, but more evolutionary in nature. Many youths of India are proudly proclaiming themselves as anti-institution and as ‘left liberal’. The Indian society has been known to adapt, though at times slowly, to changing times. The economic liberalization of 1991 has psychologically opened up liberalization in other fronts also. The caste barriers could not be broken easily by previous laws and enforcement. Today, the vibrant city-based economy is breaking those barriers. Joint families have become exceptions than the norm. Many couples are choosing not to have children. Couples do not want to take care of their parents and grandparents, resulting in mushrooming of old-age homes. This results in dependency on children’s day care centers for children to stay when both parents are working. A large number of young people stay away from home to work in big cities. This results in huge number of bachelor accommodations in cities. This changes the demography and culture of various pockets of big cities. Multinationals pay huge salaries to very young people, who do not know how to spend the money. As they stay away from family as bachelors, they have a lot of time in their
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Collectivism wants individuals to follow set norms to serve the cause of the society by sacrificing their individual freedom. In the West, the society gives a lot of freedom to the individual. But religion tries to fit people into straight jackets. In the East, the society tries to restrict people’s freedom. But religion and spirituality are individual pursuits. In the words of Swami Vivekananda, ‘There cannot be any growth without liberty. Our ancestors freed religious thought, and we have a wonderful religion. But they put a heavy chain on the feet of society, and our society is, in a word, horrid, diabolical. In the West, society always had freedom, and look at them. On the other hand, look at their religion.’ (CW-IV-367) Even the relatively free society of the West was found suffocating by many people of US and Europe. They realized that governments had pushed innocent common people to fight in two World Wars and others like the Vietnam War. There wa s a s t ro n g m ove m e n t f o r B l a c k empowerment. People lost faith in the religion as propagated by the Church. Corporates were seen as sucking the life out of their employees and money out of their customers. Overall, there was a strong revolution against all kinds of institutions. People were looking for a way to break out of all these.
Buddhism. This made Yoga, Vedanta, Bhakti movements and Buddhism very popular among the people of the counterculture. Many people who were initially attracted by the counterculture, including a few famous people like George Harrison, John Lennon and Steve Jobs, found their way through Indian spirituality. Many Indian gurus traveled to the West to cater to the lost people of the counterculture. Many Westerners came to India in search of spirituality.
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the social philosophy that the interests of the individual is more important than the interests of the whole. Post-modern liberalism is characterized by a huge emphasis on individualism. The counterculture that started in US and Europe during the 1960s was a huge movement to move away from collectivism. It brought huge changes in the societies all over the world. Many creative geniuses were a product of the movement. However, they were mostly exceptions than the norm. Many people’s lives were wasted away in aimless travel, sex, drugs, and diseases because of them.
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hands. This results in rampant consumerism and inflation in cities. Restaurants and food delivery have increased. Cities provide various entertainment like standup comedies, theatre, movies, concerts, trekking, adventure, classes on cooking, pottery, music, dance, painting, reading, writing, etc. Still, there has been an increase in partying and consumption of alcohol. When young men move alone from conservative villages to progressive cities, they find it difficult to face the shock of sudden exposure to the progressive city culture. This results in increased crime against women. Heavy competition to get a good job and within the workplace is making people more and more individualistic. As a part of this huge liberalization movement, decriminalization of live-in relationships, unconventional sexual orientations and adultery have been some of the recent judgments of Indian courts. All this is changing the face of Indian society, especially in the cities. Effect of individualism on society Extreme individualism makes a person pursue only personal goals without having any sense of obligation to the society. This is a very selfish attitude. No one can claim to be a selfmade person. Biologically, no human child can survive without the loving care during the initial several years. No one can claim freedom from obligation to the society unless he is a Mowgli or Tarzan! Even in that case, he would be obliged to wolves or apes. Of the four purusharthas, if a person seeks only the first two, he is no different from an animal. He has no place in a human society. Even an animal society expects the individuals to give back to the society. Soft individualism has its benefits. It makes the society to progress faster by breaking free of the binding old restrictions. It has resulted in a lot of youth getting charged up
against the old institutions and their ways. The breakdown of the old forced collectivism has given rise to a new voluntary collectivism. Rallies for environment, anti-corruption movements, youth’s support for new experiments in politics, cleanliness drives, tree plantation drives, donation drives during calamities, etc. have resulted from the new collectivism. Social media has acted as a great catalyst in this. People who are extremely individualistic do not typically get into any relationship, including a live-in relationship. They cannot commit to anyone else. In case they get into a relationship, whether a marriage or a live-in, it will not last long. Any relationship needs a certain amount of selflessness. Commitments of living together
When a couple get married, they are making commitments to various entities. Every commitment gives them some responsibilities and some benefits:
Legal commitment – Marriage is a legal process. This gives the legal right to raise children – own or adopted. It gives the framework to the couple to jointly own wealth. This gives the laws governing inheritance of wealth. It gives legal assistance if the couple are not keeping up with their commitments. In case of separation, it ensures alimony, support for children, etc. v
v Social commitment – Marriage is a social commitment to take care of old people and children. Family is the smallest unit of a society and this is founded on marriage. The family gives old people and children a safe, nurturing, and caring environment. Taking care of financial, physical, educational, medical, emotional, moral, psychological, etc., needs of the old people and children is the responsibility of the couple who are at the center of the family.
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v Mutual
commitment – The couple have a commitment to each other. They support each other financially, sexually, emotionally, and psychologically. They help each other running the household. They also help each other in the pursuit of their respective individual goals. Chastity is a mutual commitment. When a couple decide to live together without marrying, they are foregoing the legal, social and religious commitments. They want to stick only to the mutual commitment. Although today the law gives almost the same legal protection to even live-in relationships, the couple who decide on this don’t usually seek it. They feel separation is easier without a legal process. The trend of individualism has separated the individuals from their families. So, they want the marriage to be only between the two of them and not between their two families. They don’t want the ‘free gift’ of inlaws along with the spouse. They want to ‘try out’ the relationship before committing their respective families into it. In the West, often after living together for a few years, the couple get married when they decide to extend the relationship and want to have children. Many youths have no faith in religious rituals. So, they have no stigma in dropping the religious commitment. Even if they forego the legal, social and religious commitments, they stick to the mutual commitment. They support each other and are loyal to each other. Without this commitment, the live-in relationship cannot exist. They can
Challenges of living together The Indian society has not yet accepted live-in relationships fully. It is still an exception. This creates problems in other social circles like family, workplace, and neighbourhood. For example, getting a house on rent may be challenging. In a closely-knit family system like in India, it can affect the marriage potential of siblings and cousins. Government documentation like Aadhar, Passport, Visa, Family card, etc., depend on a legally registered relationship. The biggest challenge is conversion of the relationship from ‘friendship’ to ‘family’. Both individuals should completely drop the idea of ‘choice’ and move into a mindset of a ‘choiceless’ relationship. Without this conversion, the relationship rests on a weak foundation. Mutual commitment can be stronger with a family member than with a friend. If the couple want to support their parents, it can create problems of acceptability. If they want to have children, a stable family is essential for the wellbeing of the children. A potential instability in marriage can psychologically affect the children in a very bad way. Considering all these factors, a person can think and decide his or her position on this important social trend which may become more prevalent in the future.
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v Religious commitment – In most traditions, the vows of marriage are made in a religious ceremony. Thus, marriage becomes a religious commitment. Marriage entitles the couple to participate in religious rituals together. Some rituals are exclusively for couples.
participate in social service activities also. Often it is a common social cause based on a new collectivism that brings the couple together. They would want to support their parents, if the parents are fine with it. In fact, they want to lead a normal social life in all other respects. Thus, it is a not a completely random relationship without any commitment. It is the result of individualism where commitments are chosen instead of being imposed.
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In return, the couple get their own emotional, medical, and physical needs taken care of.
Article
Mindful Parenting: Be a Neurosculptor
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Introduction nurturing their physical, emotional and arenting is the most challenging, intellectual needs while inculcating universal exciting, perplexing, stimulating, values of love, compassion, benevolence, stressful and yet inspiring part of integrity with an eternal love for learning, thus one’s life especially in today’s scientific and ensuring our world’s future lies in kind, technological era. The significance of parenting confident and competent hands. lies in the enduring influence it has on the life of the child and his parents. Introduction to Mindfulness This is the conventional way of looking at There have been parenting. new parenting trends and Can we also start approaches for every Mindful living or a mindful looking at parenting in a generation. In 2009, the approach is to attempt to live slightly atypical manner? Mindful Parenting fully in the moment and to Can we look at parenting approach took hold based experience each moment as it is as a way to grow and on the book that was happening evolve as parents? Rather written by Jon Kabat Zinn than just raising a child as in 1997. To understand a part of our duty or what mindful parenting is, it is important to responsibility, becoming Neurosculptors – both first understand what it means to be mindful. for ourselves and our children? Children’s home environment shapes the Mindfulness initial attitudes they develop toward learning. Mindfulness to express in simple terms, When parents nurture their children’s natural means three important concepts - (i) to be fully curiosity about the world by welcoming their present in the moment, (ii) to be aware of one’s questions, encouraging exploration, and state of mind in a non-judgmental manner and familiarising them with resources that can (iii)to be not reactive, in any situation. enlarge their world, they are giving their children the message that learning is Mindfulness also means accepting the worthwhile, fun, satisfying and fulfiling. reality as it is and not the way we want it to be. Mindful living or a mindful approach is to Parenting, if YogaKshema were to think of attempt to live fully in the moment and to defining it, is the art and science of evolving experience each moment as it is happening. To ourselves as parents through raising children,
P
Yogakshema, a Bengaluru based NGO is working to improve the lives of the survivors of chronic illnesses, their caregivers, and the general public. yogakshema.india@gmail.com
Neurosculpting through Neuroplasticity The term Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change its structure and function, by expanding or strengthening circuits that are constantly engaged and by shrinking or weakening those that are hardly used. Neurosculpting is the process of remoulding and restructuring our brain by thought, aligning our thoughts with action, and actively practicing some of the tools that slowly chip away our unwanted reactive habits and develop our ability to properly respond and thus sculpt a new brain through increased self awareness.
Taking another example, when we are eating, we need to be fully focussed on all aspects of eating - chewing, taste, smell, colour and texture of food, while being aware of the mindbody responses to food. In other words, both body and mind together have to be present in the same place and time and without being judgmental about the task on hand. As one tries There is ample research to show that one to practice mindfulness even for simple and can fundamentally remodel and restructure the mundane tasks of our daily life like brushing brain by changing our thoughts, feelings and our teeth, bathing, actions through a process walking, and driving we called neuroplasticity. The principal tenet of Mindful start seeing ourselves Training our minds to be Parenting is that we can only becoming more aware present in the moment is give to our children what we and thus are in a better one of the ways to have given first and position to respond even achieve this process. fundamentally to ourselves. to challenging situations of life. Mindfulness Habit It is essential that mindfulness is cultivated as a habit in all walks of life like mindful eating, mindful walking, mindful communicating, mindful cleaning, mindful cooking, mindful driving et.al. For example, when we are cooking, we need to be highly focussed on cutting the vegetables and not on thinking about the week-end plans or on wondering when this chore is going to be over.
Mindful Parenting
Mindful parenting is a lifelong practice and it carries with it immense, immeasurable benefits, for the short and long terms, for both parents and children.
As a prerequisite, the principal tenet of Mindful Parenting is that we can only give to our children what we have given first and
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be mindful means that, instead of thinking about the past or the future, one is completely focussed in a non-judgmental manner on what is happening in the present moment – ‘Here and Now; Now and Here’. To be mindful means to slow down and become aware of one’s thoughts and feelings.
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Research in neuroscience in the last few decades, has shown that neuroplasticity is not only possible but that it is also constantly occurring; the brain is always changing. Neuroplasticity is how we adapt to changing conditions, how we learn new facts, and how we develop new skills, at any and all ages.
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128 fundamentally to ourselves. The cultivation of As we address our innate and deepest kindness, self-compassion, love, healthy selfneeds, we also understand and address the a c c e p t a n c e , deepest and genuine self-awareness and selfneeds of our children. understanding are Rather than getting To give our full presence to every essential elements of mindlessly caught up in moment while interacting with skilful and effective h ab i t u al , au to m at i c , our child is the only truly mindful parenting. reactive, regretful invaluable gift we can give to our behaviours, we need to The main purpose children. address them mindfully. in instilling mindfulness It does not mean that one into parenting is to should or would not get angry or upset. It is mutually enrich the experience of raising natural for a parent to feel negative emotions, children. To give our full presence to every but acting on them in a deliberate and mindful moment while interacting with our child is the manner is what mindful parenting is all about. only truly invaluable gift we can give to our children. It entails us to become less attached to outcomes and more mindful of what’s unfurling in our life and our children’s lives. As a parent, It means walking our talk in each and every way. It also means being a role model to our child rather than being a preacher.
Reacting vs Responding
Mindful parenting also teaches parents to become less reactive to the trials and tribulations of parenting. It is about pausing before responding. When a child behaves in an
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(ii) by responding in a calm and kind manner, being fully aware that every action will have consequences.
Parents often tend to motivate the children through extrinsic means (fear of exams, candy, pizza, movie, screen time and so on) rather than use intrinsic motivational methods, such as arousing the natural inquisitiveness innate in a child. Extrinsic motivation should be used with extreme caution, as they have the potential for decreasing innate intrinsic motivation. These extrinsic methods can also be seen as a ‘carrot and stick’ method, which only makes the child conform to adult prescriptions for want of carrot or due to the fear of sticks. It comes in the way of the child tapping into his inner potential, and growing into an independent thinking and evolving human being.
Our kids, no matter what their age, are capable of setting off a wide range of emotions in parents, which often trigger unresolved issues from the parents’ own past. Mindfulness is about letting go of past guilt and shame and focussing on the present moment. Often, parents’ reactions to children’s behaviour stem from their personal childhood experiences and expectations. However, the same parenting trend is unlikely to work in the current technological era, as times and circumstances are different. In such stressful moments, reactions of parents, based and justified on their own past experiences, are mostly inappropriate and inadequate to address the current situations. Very often, we are on ‘autopilot mode’ mindlessly driven by our previously-set brain patterns, preoccupied with a future that may never happen, and a past that is gone forever.
If and when our brain perceives any threat whether real or imagined, it signals the amygdala, the body’s ‘alarm’ system, which tells our body to act without thinking to protect us. The amygdala, the ‘emotional/irrational brain’ reacts to such threats, through a ‘fight, flight and freeze’ response referred to as the Stress Response.
In everyday parenting, our stress response often gets triggered unnecessarily by events that are not actually life threatening. Inspite of non-threatening life situations like a child spilling milk, refusing to get dressed on time, spending too much screen-time, consuming too much junk food, our body reacts as if in a life-threatening situation.
When we are going through a stress response, we have difficulty thinking in a mindful manner as well as being attentive to people around us. When our ‘alarm system’ is activated (amygdala hijack), we are unable to be objective in our responses. We have trouble staying focused, and our ability to solve problems is diminished. Under such stressful moments, we ‘lose control’ and let our emotions rule. Depending on individual experiences and memories, the stress response may be triggered more easily for some, than others. When children perceive this on a regular basis, they make judgments. They conclude that this is how grown-ups react to stress and they emulate the same behaviour. However, if we choose to be more mindful by pausing before reacting, we are demonstrating that they too can respond by pausing instead of reacting. Being mindful can thus help one to break out of autopilot ‘survival’ mode and to be in a responsive ‘evolving’ mode.
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(i) not allowing our emotions to dictate our response to a situation, but
As a result, more often than not, we feel stressed, anxious, depressed and exhausted.
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inappropriate and unacceptable manner, we can manage a child’s mistake by
Reacting vs Responding Reacting is mindless: Our brains are naturally wired to react. Reactions happen too fast. We are often unaware of how our children are perceiving us; sometimes, our reactions can be very scary to kids. They tend to get the impression that this is the grown-up way of reacting to stress.
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Responding is mindful: It requires one to take a moment to be aware of one’s reaction, and why it has happened, in order to enable us to form an appropriate response. If we choose to respond more mindfully by pausing, we can be better role models to our kids demonstrating that they too should respond, rather than react.
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Mindful parenting practices 1. Give yourself a few minutes to do basic mindful practices every day. 2. Use time-tested plans to calm down when you are stressed. 3. Accept that you too make mistakes sometimes. 4. Respect your kids. 5. Be kind and promote kindness and compassion in your actions. 6. Be aware of what and how you feel if and when you argue with your child. 7. Aim to halt your actions momentarily before retorting angrily. 8. Be able to tap into the power and potency of gratitude. 9. Always be attentive to what your child has to say – even if you are against it. Mindful communication with children is an extremely important aspect of mindful parenting. 10. Never ignore children. Spend quality time with them. 11. Be a good listener (especially when they want to tell you something). 12. Totally avoid name-calling. Children are very sensitive. 13. Being overly permissive is not good. 14. Supervise them and be aware of their goings and comings.
Benefits of Mindful Parenting for both the parents and the child Ø Parents become less critical of one’s self and one’s child. Ø Less critical parenting behaviour and fewer hostile emotions, lead to more favourable and positive traits in children. Ø One moves from autopilot, reactivemode to a well thought-out, mindful, responsive mode.
Ø Both parents and children learn to be calm, collected and composed when the situation is stressful. Ø It leads to reduced anxiety and rebelliousness in children.
Ø Lets parents focus and enjoy the process of parenting, rather than only on end results.
Ø Encourage behaviours like accepting and learning from failure in children. Ø Builds resilience and conflict handling in children and parents.
Ø B o t h p a re n t s a n d c h i l d re n , become aware of their own thoughts, emotions and feelings and are better able to regulate the same. This self awareness and self regulation will help them to choose how they want to behave in any particular situation.
Mindful Parenting: Perspectives in spirituality
Mindful Parenting, in effect, describes how to comprehend and implement the serenity prayer, slightly modified as given here below: Let me cultivate the Serenity and Mindfulness to
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accept and deal with the things I cannot change. Let me draw on my Courage and Develop Skills and Abilities and
to change and Influence the things I can;
Let me develop Wisdom and Innate Intelligence to know the difference. The above sublime prayer encompasses the entire gamut of parenting through a lifetime. It could be renamed as the ‘Mindful Parenting Prayer.’
Every situation in life is an opportunity to transform ourselves. Parenting is the most long lasting of these opportunities. Using neurosculpting, mindful Mindfulness parenting can transform helps us to anyone. Neuroplasticity, break our old, the ability of the brain to unwanted change, persists through habits and adulthood. It gives hope to form new, all parents to promote beneficial compassion, kindness, and resilience in their personal habits through lives and also in the neuroplasticity. bringing-up of their children. Mindfulness helps us to break our old, unwanted habits and form new, beneficial habits through neuroplasticity. We can neurosculpt our way through our ‘biases’ and 131 ‘emotional triggers’. December 2019
Ø The overall relationship between parents and child improves.
Mindful Parenting as an opportunity to evolve
Conclusion
Mindful Parenting fundamentally helps us to reflect and nurture ourselves to see what we are giving to ourselves and our children. Are we
Negativity Biases
Negativity Bias is a psychological phenomenon that exists in every individual without exception. It has an evolutionary significance. It is the tendency of the mind not only to register negative events or stimuli more readily, but also to dwell on these events for a much longer time. This means that our brain is simply built with a greater sensitivity to unpleasant things and that this is an automatic reaction. Although this negativity bias is very essential to our very survival, it also, prevents us from ‘evolving’. This bias in spiritual parlance is nothing but our ‘Ari Shad-Vargas’. Overcoming or transcending these Ari Shad-Vargas through the process of Neurosculpting is the way to evolve. Due to this bias, we tend to learn negative things more easily than positive ones. So, it is even more essential for parents to recognize and keep overcoming this bias within themselves.
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Ø Affects both emotional and relational development of the child.
constantly cultivating self-compassion? Are we continuously working towards increasing selfawareness? Are we calmly and serenely accepting our mistakes and striving joyfully to overcome them? If we are, this is the message we give to our kids. Then we are on the way to becoming neurosculptors.
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Becoming neurosculptors empowers parents to nurture their children in an optimal manner so that their children, and they themselves, can realize their full potential throughout their entire life-time .
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Research evidence shows that children grow up to be grounded, functional and more resilient in dealing with their own emotionally charged situations, when they see that their parents are present in a more emotionally balanced and mindful way.
We need to recognize that: Ø Mindfulness is a life-long practice. Ø Simple steps are needed to be practised in order to make mindfulness integral to parenting. Ø Mindful-parenting is an opportunity for Neurosculpting. Ø Neuroplasticity is at work throughout life. It is never too late to start mindful parenting. FAQs
Below are some of the frequently asked questions that were discussed at Mindful Parenting workshops conducted by YogaKshema. Besides the workshop, YogaKshema strongly feels that frequent group discussions are vital in being able to implement the concepts mentioned in this article. Each of these concepts need to be put into practice in different ways by parents depending on the age of the child. Ultimately, the parents need to set an example by being role models, be it in enjoying the hard work they put in towards parenting, use of electronic gadgets, judicial use of screen-time, healthy
living habits which includes nutrition, physical activity, sleep hygiene, emotional hygiene and daily mindfulness practices. Q. My child spends too much time on the phone / tablet A. Setting aside specific time for leisure activities including smartphone usage with risks and rewards is the standard parenting approach. Mindful parenting would mean setting personal examples on technology usage and working together with the child on mutually agreed specifics, leading to improvement for both. Working together and being mindful of challenges faced and treading them jointly will provide opportunities to coown the solution. Q. My child does not work hard at his studies, he is not striving for excellence and takes things very easily. A. Inculcating work ethic involves making hard work a joyful exercise and needs parents to find ways to overcome the stresses related to their own working life. A parent should be mindful of his/her own personal and professional work balance and cultivate the attitude to enjoy their working habits. Working with the child on the balance between study habits and play or relaxation habits, then becomes more joyful and fulfiling rather than striving. Q. My child is stressed to meet people, she refuses to meet anybody and refuses to talk to me. She has also reduced her eating. My child is not concerned about my family and society, she is a loner immersed in her books, it is worrying me. A. Mindfully addressing the parenting challenge of social behaviours involves being mindful and observing and learning that each child has a unique set of needs and exhibits different and varying levels of liking and comfort in social situations. Mindful communication involves understanding the
Q. My Child is picking up bad habits like lying, stealing, how do I correct him?
A. Being mindful involves accepting the situation and not being judgemental about the child. Lying and Stealing are incorrect as per ethical norms of society, of which either the child is unaware, or, is ignoring due to his/her motivations. Mindful parenting will require parents to observe the child non-judgementally,
Q. My child and my husband are always emotionally reacting to each other and hence are constantly in conflict, while I can be mindful, how do I make everybody mindful.
A. Mindfulness is a personal practise and sets the individual on a path to evolve. Family members have to take up the personal practice based on the stage of their evolution and a mindful parent’s goal is not to react based on a preconceived judgement of other family members’ stage and desire of evolution. The best impact is had when one is focussed on one’s response and lets those responses be mindful.
Swami Vivekananda’s message: A neuroscience perspective
We can look at mindful parenting from Swami Vivekananda’s ultimate Vedantic message to the whole of humanity. v We are all divine beings going through a human experience. v The goal of life is to manifest this divinity that is already within us. v The purpose of life is to help manifest this same divinity in others too.
We can look at Swamiji’s above message from a scientific perspective: v As human beings, we are born to evolve. v Parenting using Neurosculpting, is another way to help us evolve. v by developing our inner potential to the maximum extent, we evolve as parents.
helping children become Neurosculptors and thus evolve, we help them to realize their own inner potential.
v by
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Mindful communication with our children p l ay s a n ex t re m e ly i m p o r t a n t ro l e in mindful parenting. Most often, parents’ reactions to their children’s behaviours stems from their own childhood experiences and adults’ expectations of their times. However, the same parenting trend is unlikely to work in the current scientific and technological era.
understand the various motivations that she is subject to, and help train the child to observe her actions and her motivations in these actions. It may be that the child has been deprived of certain items forcefully and unconvincingly, that makes the child to steal. Once the cause for the behaviour is understood, the change in behaviour will follow as an acceptance of changes desired.
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stated and unstated reasons behind the child’s behaviour, agreeing with the child if any changes are required, and supporting the child through the process of change in a nonjudgmental manner.
Article
Why Connection Is the Key to Parenting NALINA RAMALAKSHMI
December 2019
A strong parent-child connection keeps the lines of communication between parent and child open and clear. It helps the child feel understood, loved and secure.
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I
n a recent conversation I had with Dr Laura Markham, author of Peaceful Parents, Happy Kids and founding editor of www.ahaparenting.com, I was particularly struck by one thing she said, ‘Connection is 80% of parenting. Guidance is only 20%.’ That really got me thinking.
Bad phone signal = poor communication = misunderstanding and frustration. Importance of a strong Parent-Child connection
Just like the phone connection has to be strong for clear communication to happen over Remember the phones tethered by wire the phone, there has to be a strong parent-child to the telephone jack? If the phone lines were connection so that the parent and the child can bad, the conversations you had were worse. have clear conversations, listen to each other, You listened and enjoyed conversations only understand each other and trust each other. when the lines of When the connection is communication were strong, the child is more Connection is 80% of parenting. clear. Today, instead of willing to listen and Guidance is only 20% l a n d l i n e s , w e h ave c o o p e ra t e w i t h t h e wireless connections, parents. The child feels dominated by Wi-Fi and loved, understood, safe and secure. 4G. When there is clear reception, there is a When the baby is inside the mother’s wonderful flow of conversation. A drop in womb, it is attached to the mother through the signal, and your conversations are interrupted, umblical cord. The baby derives all its nutrients frustrating and abrupt. Let’s see what can and energy through the cord. If the mother eats happen when phone connections are weak: healthy food, thinks positive and regulates her One evening, Ruchira is talking to her emotions, the baby thrives and grows. On the daughter, Ramya, who is away in college. The other hand, if the mother has unhealthy eating phone signals are weak and they can barely hear habits, is anxious, stressed, or sad during her each other. Ruchira tells her daughter, “I saw pregnancy, it negatively impacts the growth of your picture on FaceBook. I do like it.” Her the unborn child. daughter responds, “What? You saw my picture Then, the moment a baby is born, the cord and you don’t like it. Oh! Mom! You just don’t get is cut. Now, the baby receives all care and it do you?” Ramya hangs up the phone in anger communication from the parents wirelessly – and frustration. The author is Founder and MD, ParentCircle, a leading magazine on Parenting published from Chennai. nalinar@parentcircle.in
You need not be physically present with your child 24x7 to build a strong parent-child connection. But, when you are there with each other, you need to be there for your child without any distractions. Your child needs to know you are paying full attention to him during those moments. For example:
When you are all eating together, if the phone rings, do you answer the phone? Or do you wait till you finish your meal before you call back?
When your child is talking to you and you hear a ‘ping’ on your phone notifying you of a message, do you check your phone and respond to it right away? Or do you wait till you are done conversing with your child before you check your messages? Do you let your child watch TV or mobile while she eats, while you are doing something else? Or do you share stories and chat with each other while the child is eating? In all the above cases, you may be physically present with your child. But, if you are constantly being distracted by other things, you are not mentally present for her. Instead, when you spend quality time with your child listening, chatting, engaging, without any
Additionally, when you converse with your When you spend child, the words you use, quality time with your tone of voice, your your child listening, body language and facial chatting, engaging, expressions can either without any boost your connection distractions, even if with your child, or dampen it is for a few it. When you talk to your child in a calm, gentle minutes a day, it voice, the connection gets strengthens the a boost. On the other hand, parent-child when you scream at your connection child or shame your child, the connection drops. Remember it isn’t the amount of time you spend with your child that strengthens your parent-child connection, rather it is what you do and what you say during the few moments you are together that boosts or dampens the 135 connection. December 2019
Boosting the Parent-Child connection
distractions, even if it is for a few minutes a day, it strengthens the parent-child connection.
20 Simple Tips to Build Daily Connections
Here are 20 simple tips to help you strengthen your connection with your child that can be easily built into your daily or weekly routine:
1) In the morning when your young child wakes up, let her cuddle up with you for a few minutes. The warmth of your hug energises her for the rest of the day. 2) Look into your child’s eyes and greet him with a smile when he comes to have his breakfast. Your child knows you are happy to see him and he feels loved. 3) Send your child off to school with smile and a hug. Your smile adds an extra spark to her day.
4) When you see your child again in the evening, greet him lovingly with a smile, no matter how you are feeling. When you show
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without the cord that once connected the child to the mother. This wireless parent-child connection gets a boost with every gentle and loving touch, every attuned response and every vibrant interaction by the parent. If this parentchild connection is strong, there is better communication and understanding between parent and child, and the child thrives. On the other hand, if the connection is weak, the communication signals the child receives from the parent are feeble and therefore, he will not listen or cooperate. Parents too will have no idea about what their child is thinking, feeling or trying to say. This will only lead to misunderstandings, conflicts and frustrations.
you are happy to see your child, he feels loved and special.
5) When your child is hurt or in pain, let her know you understand how she feels – ‘Oh, that must hurt so much’. Your child feels understood and safe with you. 6) When your child is talking to you, switch off all phones and gadgets and focus on what your child is saying to you. Your child knows you care.
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7) Have at least one meal together as a family. Make sure you switch of all your phones and gadgets during this time. Your child feels secure that she belongs to a loving, caring family.
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8) Set aside gadget-free time every day for the whole family, so you can spend time with your child without the distraction of calls, messages, likes and comments. Your child feels important and valued. 9) Set aside a few minutes of special time to spend with each child every day - play together, paint together, sing together, read together, or just simply chat and get silly. Let your child lead the way. Your child feels special and in control.
10) When you greet your child in the evening, take a few moments to just sit down and chat, before either of you rush off to do the next task on your lists. Your child has the opportunity to share her experiences and feelings. She feels seen, heard and connected to you. 11) Before your child settles in for the night, thank your child for one thing – for helping you with a chore, for finishing his work by himself, for being kind and helpful to a friend, or for just giving you a big hug. Your child knows you noticed and feels encouraged. 12) Have a night-time ritual – where you spend a few minutes either reading to your young child or chatting over a glass of warm milk with your older child, before they settle in for the night. Little moments like this create fond memories for your child.
13) When you have to correct your child, don’t raise your voice and shout. Instead, keep your cool and talk in a calm voice. Your child is more willing to listen to what you have to say.
14) Give your child a pat on the back or a Hi-Five to show your appreciation for something she has done. It builds confidence and motivates your child to do more. 15) Go on nature walks and together explore the world around you. Remember to leave your phones behind so you don’t get distracted. Your curious child feels safe to explore and learn. 16) Play board games and games such as hide-and-seek as a family. It creates fun memories for your child.
17) Share stories of your own childhood. Your child will love to hear them. She feels a stronger connect to you as she experiences your childhood. 18) Do a project or volunteer together. Do chores or cook together. She understands the value of working together and supporting each other. Your child knows you are a team.
19) Have a weekly outing as a family – either going out to eat at a restaurant, or going out to play in the playground, or going on a picnic etc. Only conditions – no phones or gadgets, no nagging, no advising. Your child enjoys your company and this strengthens her bond with you. 20) Pray together. Your child feels a connection not just to you, but also to God. This gives your child hope and a sense of security.
These are just a few ideas on simple ways to connect with your child. You don’t need to be there 24x7 connecting to your child. All it takes is a few minutes a day, or a few hours a week to keep the connection strong between you and your child. So, go ahead and build-in special connecting moments into your daily life and experience the joy of parenting.
Article
he grihasthashrama or the stage of the householder is considered by most of our canonical texts as the base of the society and therefore the most significant of the four ashramas. The word grihastha itself means ‘one who is established in a home.’ Therefore, the Griha and the grihastha are inseparable and for a person to lead a proper householder’s life a real residential building is essential. It is through the grihasthadharma which the person observes, that this residential building becomes a ‘home’. Constructing a new house and entering it was one of the most important rituals of the grihasthadharma. Whether it is welcoming and serving guests or giving bhiksha to a Brahmachari or a Parivrajaka, the grihastha’s home was the centre of all these activities. Most of the Shodasha Samskaras also had to be performed within the home. This article focuses on the relation between the Griha and the grihastha and is divided into three parts: 1) Literary references to residential structures 2) Archaeological evidences and residential structures 3) Interpretation and conclusions. Literary references to residential structures
Many of our ancient texts like the Vedas, Grihyasutras, Itihasa-Puranas, Ashtadhyayi, Kautilya’s Arthashastra as well as classical
Sanskrit literature have references to residential structures. Here we have chosen three main texts: Matsya Purana, Brihatsamhita, and Samaranganasutradhara. The Matsya Purana
The Matsya Purana (c. 4th CE) is one of the earliest texts which deals with architecture and has four adhyayas (254, 255, 256 and 257) dedicated to this subject. The discussion on architecture starts with the description of various kinds of prasadas, the most common being the catuhshala prasada. A catuhshala prasada is a house which has an open courtyard in the centre and is surrounded by residential wings on all the four sides. A residential wing is known as a shala. A catuhshala prasada which has residential wings, verandahs (alinda) and doors on all the four sides is known as the sarvatobhadra as is considered ideal for the residence of a king or a temple. (254:1,2) The text also lists other kinds of catuhshala prasadas like Nandyavartam, Vardhamana and Svastika. This classification is based on the absence of an entrance door in a particular direction. The text also gives details of trishala, dvishala and ekashala prasadas. Further details about residences of the king, other members of the royal family, commander-in-chief, ministers as well as the royal astrologer, guru, vaidya, sabhapati and purohita are also given. The Purana also specifies the dimensions of houses
The author is Assistant Professor, Centre for Extra Mural Studies, University of Mumbai. sneha.itihaas@gmail.com
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SNEHA NAGARKAR
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The Griha and Grihastha in Indian Culture
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as per the varnas. Along with the data regarding the various architectural components of a residential building, the Matsya Purana also furnishes us with information regarding the process of constructing a house. The kind of land to be chosen for a house, its location – being away from a temple or square, material used as well as the dana to be given to a Brahmana during the ritual are all enlisted in this text and repeated in later texts as well. All these rituals as well as regulations were laid down so that the residential structure is infused with positive vibrations and the grihastha and his family members can lead happy, prosperous lives. All these regulations emphasise on having the components of the house in particular directions to bring in auspiciousness. The grihastha must truly benefit by living in that vastu and be blessed with wealth and progeny. The science of construction of residences also brings in an ecological dimension. Since the early historic period (6 th BCE) most residential buildings were made of wood with only the foundation made of stone or brick; and procuring wood was a major task. The Matsya Purana clearly states that avoiding nakshatras like dhanistha the person building the house had to consult his astrologer for an auspicious day and collect the wood from the forest only on that day. The tree which was to be cut was worshipped. Even the orientation of the tree which had fallen was crucial and only a tree which had fallen in the northern direction was suitable and auspicious for the house to be constructed. Also trees which grow near the cremation ground, on the confluence of rivers, trees cut from temple complexes etc., were to be avoided. These details indicate that our ancestors not only cared for and valued the environment but also made regulations which would ensure the welfare of the grihastha and his family. As the protector of the other three Ashramas and the support of the society, the
happiness and prosperity of the grihastha was very essential and this could be achieved by constructing the house according to the canonical texts which guaranteed wealth and contentment. The Brihatsamhita of Varahamihira
The Brihatsamhita is an encyclopaedic work approximately dated to the 5th CE and authored by the multi-faceted scientist and scholar Varahamihira. The Brihatsamhita deals with almost every aspect of human life and offers us a glimpse of the cultural life of the people in the Gupta period. This text has a section called Vastuvidya which deals with the science of architecture. Varahamihira has provided a lot of attention to both residential buildings as well as temples and this work is considered the forerunner to all later works on the same subject. The science of architecture reached new heights during the Gupta period which also witnessed two styles of construction emerging – nagara and dravida. The Brihatsamhita defines the term vastu as a place of residence. In Sanskrit lexicons this term is used for the house site as well as the house itself (Ibid). Varahamihira uses the term vastu to indicate a residential building only. The text enumerates different components of the residence like shala (hall or wing), alinda (verandah), vithika (pathway outside the house), bhumis (floors), walls and the doorways. In order to allow more light and air and to facilitate better hygienic conditions the text lays down that the door should not face a road, tree, corner, well, pillar, temple, a Brahmana’s house and a water sluice. These rules were also aimed at privacy and peace which are highly required in the life of grihastha. The Brihatsamhita covers all details regarding the construction of residences from the selection of a site to the final plastering. Burnt bricks, wood and stone are given as the main materials for construction.
The Samaranganasutradhara (SS), an early medieval text on the science of architecture, town planning and iconography is ascribed to the Paramara ruler King Bhoja (1010-1055 CE) who was a great connoisseur of art and learning and composed a number of other works in Sanskrit like the Sarasvatikanthabharana. Based on earlier works like the Brihatsamhita which we have just discussed, Bhoja’s text is one of the most exhaustive treatises on the science of architecture and town planning. The SS gives 24 different names to denote a house: avasaḥ,
Remains of Residential Structures, Rajghat, Varanasi, Gupta Period
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The Samaranganasutradhara of King Bhoja
sadanam, sadma, niketam, mandiram, matam, samsthanam, nidhanam, dhishnyam, bhavanam, vastih, kshayah, agaram, samsraya, nidam, geham, saranam, alayaḥ, nilaya, layanam, vesma, griham and pratisryah (SS, 18.8,9). The term griha was meant for the entire structure and was distinct from the shala or the main part of the house. The text also discusses the various components of the house like angana, shala, alinda, upasthana, kosthaka and apavarka which respectively mean a courtyard, residential wing, verandah and the last three mean different kinds of rooms. The upasthana could be the reception room where guests were greeted by the host and duly honoured. Kosthaka could mean an inner room. Similarly, a component called the sudhanta has been mentioned which has been interpreted as the ladies’ apartments which were the most secured and private sections of the catuhshala house. The Mahanasa or the kitchen is also mentioned but its exact location is not indicated. Like the older texts, the SS also provides different dimensions for the houses of the four varnas. According to the SS a residential structure had to have the following features: The ground plan of the house was to be rectangular, similar to a square.
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The injunctions and values of Sanatana Dharma played a key role in the construction process as well. Numerous rituals were performed during the construction process. Worship was offered to the Vastunara and the site of the house was chosen on the basis of religious considerations and the deities were invoked right at the start. Every architectural component was looked upon with sanctity. The construction would be left incomplete if certain inauspicious omens like breaking of the measuring string and the sthapati forgetting something would be observed.
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Each house was to have a courtyard and one to four shalas. The catuhshala residences were the most common residences in cities.
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The ceremony of grihapravesha
Grihapravesha means entering a house, generally a new house, and our scriptures assign a lot of significance to it. The The centre of the house was always left Grihyasutras, Dharmashastras and the open to the sky or covered with a vapi or well. Ramayana give a detailed procedure of this ceremony. The Ayodhyakanda of the Ramayana The measurements of the different gives the detailed description of Grihapravesha components of the residence are stipulated. ceremony when Lord Rama, Devi Sita and The height of the building and the number Lakshmana entered the newly built hut at of storeys depended on the varna of the person. Chitrakuta during their exile (56:22-35). The The text also gives measurements of the grihastha and his wife had to perform this residences of kings and ministers. ceremony together at an auspicious time. The details of the Sanatana Dharma has laid site of the house are also a lot of emphasis on Sanatana Dharma has laid a lot given and the positive Grihapravesha because if of emphasis on Grihapravesha and negative conseit is performed as per the because if it is performed as per quences of selecting a Shastric norms, the the Shastric norms, the grihastha particular site are also grihastha can perform his enlisted. Depending on can perform his grihasthadharma in the the site, the house itself grihasthadharma in the house house without any will be imbued with without any impediment and he impediment and he along certain qualities which along with his entire family can with his entire family can must contribute towards not only prosper but not only prosper but through t h e w e l f a re o f t h e through their home also their home also serve the society. grihastha. Based on the serve the society. position of alindas or verandahs, a house is deemed to have Archaeological evidences and residential auspicious and inauspicious features. For structures example, if the house has one alinda on either Man in the Palaeolithic Age (Old Stone side the grihastha will gain wealth, grain, and Age) lived in natural caves and rock shelters. good fortune. This indicates that our ancestors Rock shelters are found in large numbers in had paid attention to every detail of the Central India and man continued to use rock residential structure so that the grihastha and shelters right till the Mesolithic Age (Middle his family who inhabit the house benefit and Stone Age). In the Mesolithic Age he began to the grihastha is able to fulfil all the duties of the lead a semi-settled life and started constructing grihasthashrama. His wife and sons will also temporary dwellings out of wattle and daub prosper. Such a vastu will foster the material with bamboo poles. Evidences of such wellbeing of the grihastha. According to a sloka structures have been found at sites like Chopani in the SS, a vastu built as per the canonical Mandu and Sarai Naharai in Uttar Pradesh. The injunctions will help in the growth of dharma, true need and significance of a permanent kama and artha in the form of fame, a long life, dwelling place was realised by man once he success and strength: Dharmakamasca took to agriculture and domestication of vardhante kirtir ayur yaso balam (20.22)
the Ganaa Valley around the 6th BCE and baked bricks were back in use in the Mauryan period (4th-2nd BCE). The dwellings of the ShungaKusana (2nd BCE – 3rd CE) period were at times two storeyed with balconies, columns and terraces. Though we hardly have any actual evidence of such houses, their models can be seen on the sculptures at Bharhut, Sanci and Mathura. Also the contemporary rock-cut architecture was an emulation of the wooden structural residential architecture. Even early temples of the Shunga-Kusana and Gupta periods were modelled on residential structures. Excavations in Maharashtra have revealed catuhshala floor plans of houses of the Satavahana period (circa 30 BCE - 225 CE). This plan continued till the end of the Gupta period. The houses of the Gupta period were built of both stone and burnt bricks. A good understanding of the Gupta-Vakataka period houses can be sought from the murals at the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra and Bagh Caves in Madhya Pradesh. Many of these relief sculptures and paintings show the householder
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animals in the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age). A settled life intensified the institution of the family and nascent grihasthadharma which revolved around the home. Remains of Neolithic houses are found at sites in India, specially Kashmir, the Ganga Valley and South India. The cities of the prosperous SindhuSarasvati Civilisation (SSC) were very well-planned. The SSC people used baked bricks of standard ratios (4:2:1) for the construction of their houses. The houses either had one or two storeys and most houses were equipped with a bathroom and well. This highlights the developed sense of hygiene possessed by the people. The size of an average house was equivalent to a modern two or three bedroom flat. Two floored dwellings had staircases and the entrances to the homes never faced the main road. The Bronze and Iron Age cultures following the SSC were essentially rural and used mud and unbaked bricks for the construction of houses. Multi-roomed houses were a rarity. Construction of houses received a new impetus with the Second Urbanisation in
Residences, Sanci, 1st century CE
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Residences, Sanci, 1st Century CE
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couple (Dampati) leading their grihasthajivana in their homes. The presence of multi-storeyed structures indicates the prevalence of the joint family system.
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duty of the king or the state to see to it that every grihastha adhered to a minimum standard while constructing the house. The structures of houses were an integral part of town planning which was also to be superintended by the king and the state Interpretation and conclusion officials. The tenates of architecture were In spite of having a very enlightened considered so vital by our society that they tradition of the science of architecture in India, were regarded equal to religious canons most modern architects and builders because the house which is inhabited by a completely ignore this branch of knowledge family is the basic unit of any society and the which was developed by our forefathers health of the family has its effect on the entire keeping in mind the sustainability of the social structure, polity and economy. For the environment, the climatic conditions as well as physical, emotional and spiritual health of the the physical and spiritual family, the house and the well being of the people. environment in which it All basic features Planning and organisation of the lives should enable them essential to make life house to the minutest detail was to cultivate a positive fulfiling are taken into the hallmark of our Indian outlook for life combined account while charting culture with concern and service out the house plan. As to society as enjoined by experts like D.N.Shukla the Shastras. Gardens or point out, the principle groves like kunja and nikunja also formed a very underlying the traditional Indian house plan is important part of the house. These groves purity. This idea of purity incorporates helped in keeping the air around the residence sanitation, ventilation and light. Indeed, all the cool and fresh. modern housing amenities and designs can be made as per the house plans given by our traditional sources like the Samaranganasutradhara. Moreover, more natural materials should be used for construction purposes and the use of cement and concrete should be kept to the minimum if not fully avoided. The Shala kind of houses prescribed by our ancient and early medieval texts can be a step in this direction. It was the Remains of a Hosue, Lothal
As we have seen, planning and organisation of the house to the minutest detail was the hallmark of our Indian culture. Today however, in order to get maximum financial gains, housing complexes are built at any random place, including near a cemetery which is strictly prohibited by the Shastras. Our cities have just grown randomly with no planning and order and we are all facing the adverse Chief’s House, Mohen-jo-daro
effects like epidemics, pollution, water and conjugal life, from cooking food to performing electricity shortages and most unfortunately a worship of the gods – there was a place disturbed state of mind. Nature is totally assigned for every function in the house. The discounted while constructing new buildings grihasthadharma was to be extended to all and false ideas of luxury and high living animate beings including animals and birds. It inspired by overtly materialistic ideas are was for this reason that cowpens were a d r iv i n g t h e s o c i e t y t o d ay. C o l o s s a l necessary component of the ideal household. constructions are blocking proper circulation Storage rooms or at least a small area of air and light. Many of our modern urban demarcated or pit for storing grain was also a problems are arising because of wrong part of the household. p l a n n i n g a n d fa l s e , This was held true from excessive material values. the royal palaces or It is the need of the hour to
prasadas to the home of a O u r fo re fa t h e r s amalgamate traditional and commoner. The king and envisaged the home of modern principles of the common man were the grihastha as the architecture in the construction equally obliged towards backbone of the entire of homes and making the home the society to fulfil their society. Sanatana Dhrama the medium through which grihasthadharma. It is the has always considered service to the society at large can need of the hour to both material and be extended amalgamate traditional spiritual wellbeing of an and modern principles of individual. Architecture architecture in the construction of homes and also becomes a part of the Dharma. Texts like making the home the medium through which Kautilya Arthashastra comment elaborately on service to the society at large can be extended. town planning which established a certain Our forefathers laid equal stress on one’s order in the urban areas. Today unfortunately personal as well as the society’s wellbeing as we have forgotten our own sublime traditions man was always seen as indivisible part of the and blindly adopted western models of town society and ecology. The foremost ideal of the planning and architecture. The home was the grihasthashrama was a happy and contented place where the sacrificial fire was kept home and the science of architecture was permanently lit. It was the place which took developed to fulfil this noble objective. care of all our needs – from personal hygiene to
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Royal Pavilion, Mahajanaka Jataka, Cave 1, Ajanta, 5th century CE
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Scene of a house from Vessantara Jataka, Cave 17, Ajanata, 5th century CE
Pearls of Wisdom
Ramana Maharshi
December 2019
Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950), one of the greatest spiritual giants of modern India, has given succor and solace to millions of people.
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Why do you think you are a grihastha? If you go out as sannyasi, a similar thought that you are a sannyasi will haunt you. Whether you continue in the household or renounce it and go to the forest, your mind goes with you. The ego is the source of all thought. It creates the body and the world and makes you think you are a grihastha. If you renounce the world, it will only substitute the thought sannyasi for grihastha and the environments in the forest for those of the household. But the mental obstacles will still be there. They even increase in the new surroundings. There is no help in change of environment. The obstacle is the mind. It must be got over whether at home or in the forest. If you can do it in the forest, why not at home? Therefore, why change your environment? Your efforts can be made even now— in whatever environment you are now. The environment will never change according to your desire. Why should your occupation or duties in life interfere with your spiritual effort? For instance, there is a difference between your activities at home and in the office. In your office activities you are detached and so long as you do your duty you do not care what happens or whether it results in gain or loss to the employer. But your duties at home are performed with attachment and you are all the time anxious as to whether they will bring advantage or disadvantage to you and your family. But it is possible to perform all the activities of life with detachment and regard only the Self as real. It is wrong to suppose that if one is fixed in the Self one’s duties in life will not be properly performed. It is like an actor. He dresses and acts and even feels the part he is playing, but he knows really that he is not that character but someone else in real life. In the same way, why should the body-consciousness or the feeling ‘I-am-the-body’ disturb you, once you know for certain that you are not the body but the Self? Nothing that the body does should shake you from abidance in the Self. Such abidance will never interfere with the proper and effective discharge of whatever duties the body has, any more than the actor’s being aware of his real status in life interferes with his acting a part on the stage.
Pearls of Wisdom
Deify Your Day Spirituality is the science of right living for peace, prosperity, and spiritual fulfilment. The ideal of Vedanta, as Swami Vivekananda puts it, is ‘Deification of the world.’ He further clarifies: ‘So work, says the Vedanta, putting God in everything, and knowing Him to be in everything. Work incessantly, holding life as something deified, as God Himself, and knowing that this is all we have to do, this is all we should ask for. God is in everything, where else shall we go to find Him? He is already in every work, in every thought, in every feeling.’ We present here some simple traditionally recommended daily practices, which our readers can follow to orient their life to this ideal of spiritual living.
After waking up, turn to your right side and then sit up. Look at your palms and recite this sloka:
कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मी करमध्ये सरस्वती । करमूले तु गोविन्दः प्रभाते करदर्शनम् ॥
This prayer for wealth, knowledge and health is addressed to Lakshmi, Saraswati and Sri Vishnu, who reside in the fingers, at the centre of the palm and around the wrist respectively; we thus remind ourselves of our potential divine powers.
Then imagine your chosen deity or family deity or your Guru seated in front of you in a nicely bedecked simhasana (throne) and bow down to Her / His feet. Chant respective pranammantras and sincerely pray:
ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः । सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् । सर्वस्तरतु दुर्गाणि सर्वो भद्राणि पश्यतु। सर्वस्सद्बुद्धिमाप्नोतु सर्वः सर्वत्र नन्दतु॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
‘May all be happy and healthy. May all see what is auspicious and good. May no one suffer. May all be free from dangers. May all be motivated by noble thoughts. May all rejoice everywhere. May I hurt no one be hurt by my thought, word or deed. May I remember you constantly throughout the day.’ While praying specially remember your family members, people of your locality and your work place. Now before stepping on the floor, bow to Mother Earth and chant:
समुद्रवसने देवि! पर्वतस्तनमण्डले । विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्व मे ॥
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The ideal time for spiritual practices like japa and meditation is brahma muhurta (the period between 3.30 am and 6.00 am; precisely it begins 1 hour and 36 minutes before sunrise, and ends 48 minutes before sunrise). So wake-up before five in the morning, and avoid sleeping after sunrise. Do not remain in bed after you wake up, for it increases laziness and dullness.
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‘O Mother Earth! You are the consort of Sri Vishnu. The ocean is your clothing, and the mountain, your bosom. I salute you. I am about to step on You, so please forgive me.’ Be grateful to God that He has blessed you with another day of life.
Exercise
‘You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of the Gita’ says Swami Vivekananda. The meaning is that we should be physically fit for any endeavour in life. So some physical exercise should be done daily. Regularly practise Yogasanas like Suryanamaskar with guidance from qualified teachers. Bathing
Before bathing, touch the water, and invoke in it the presence of all the holy rivers chanting
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गंगे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति। नर्मदे सिन्धु कावेरि जलेऽस्मिन्सन्निधिं कुरु॥
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Pray to God that this act of bathing should cleanse your mind along with cleansing of the body. Your body is the grandest of all temples and your chosen deity resides in it. While bathing imagine that you are bathing the deity. You can chant your Ishta mantra or the following mantra:
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् । उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात् ॥
Swami Akhandananda, one of the direct-disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and the 3rd President of the Ramakrishna Order, ran an orphanage in Sargachhi, West Bengal. While giving bath to the orphans, he would chant this mantra. So mothers can chant this mantra while bathing their children. Before wearing your clothes touch them respectfully, be grateful to the farmers and weavers, thank God that you have clothes to wear while millions don’t have proper clothes. Worship
Every home should have a shrine. If you cannot afford to allot a separate room for shrine, set-up a shrine in a prominent location in the house. With a soft clean cloth wipe the images, burn a few incense sticks, light an oil or ghee lamp, offer flowers chanting the dhyana and pranam mantras of the deity. Offer food cooked in home and lovingly invite the Lord to accept your offering. Offer some kumkum or sandal paste daily and then apply it on your forehead. Devotees of Sri Ramakrishna can follow a booklet Devapuja by Swami Harshananda to get a quick glimpse about puja, or read Meaning and Significance of Worship by Swami Achalananda Saraswati for a deeper understanding of the puja ritual, especially the worship of Sri Ramakrishna. Japa, meditation, parayana
The method of japa and meditation should be learnt from a proper guru by a process called initiation. In the Ramakrishna Order, selected senior sannyasis bestow spiritual initiation to interested men and women irrespective of caste-colour-creed and religion. The same tradition is followed in Sri Sarada Math. If you have not received initiation yet from a guru, pray to your beloved deity for a guru. Think of the deity seated in a lotus in the heart-region and repeat the
name of the deity or simply ‘OM’. You can also repeat the Gayatri mantra. If one has not received any mantra to do japa and does not know specific mediation techniques, one can do parayana of some texts or stotras. Some popular texts for parayana are: Bhagavad Gita, Devi Mahatmyam, Vishnu sahashranama, Lalita sahashranama, Hanuman Chalisha, Rama Raksha Stotra, Mukundamala Stotra, Tiruppavai, Aditya Hridayam, and Sundarakandam from Ramayana.
There is also a tradition of writing the deity’s name in a notebook daily for a predetermined number. Sri Mahendra Nath Gupta, a householder disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and the chronicler of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna advised many people to daily write in a notebook Sri Sri DurgaSri Sri Sarada-Ramakrishna Sharanam.
Try to sit as a whole family for the daily morning and evening prayers. Devotees of Sri Ramakrishna should learn the songs sung during the evening aratrikam in the Ramakrishna ashramas. At sunset, light a lamp and along with the other members of the family, sing hymns of the Lord and meditate a while.
Do not waste food. The Taittiriya Upaniasad instructs: अन्नं न निन्द्यात्। तद्व्रतम्।…अन्नं न परिचक्षीत। तद्व्रतम्। ‘One should not speak ill of food; that is the vow. One should not discard food; that is
food.’ The body, which is the portal of all our endeavours, be it worldly or spiritual, depends on food for its sustenance. So the food should not be belittled in any way. Sri Krishna declares in the Gita,
अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः। प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ।।15:14।।
Becoming the digestive fire, Vaisvanara, I function within the bodies of all living beings. In union with inward (Prana) and outward (Apana) breath, I digest the four kinds of food.
Before beginning to eat close your eyes and pray for a few moments: ‘O God, let this food give me the strength to do Your work and to realize You.’ Then chant the Gita verse
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम्। ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ।।4:24।।
Brahman is the instrument to offer with; Brahman is the oblation. By Brahman is the oblation offered into the fire of Brahman; Brahman alone is to be reached by him who meditates on Him in his works. Always sit and eat. Avoid talking while eating. Apart from paying attention to the taste and nature of the food, imagine that with each morsel of food, you are gaining shakti, balam, virya,
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Think of the kitchen as a place of worship, where you prepare to worship the Divine Mother in the form of hunger. The kitchen should always be clean and organised. Keep a picture of Mother Annapurna or Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi in your kitchen. In the kitchens and dining halls of the Ramakrishna ashramas, we keep a specific photograph of Holy Mother, which was taken when she sat watching her children eat. While preparing food, chant your mantra or any name of God. Swami Ranganathananda, as a young brahmachari, served as a cook in Mysore Ashrama. He used the time available when the rice or vegetable was cooking, to memorise Gita and other scriptures. Offer all the food-items to God before serving.
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Food
tejas, ojas, and pavitrata. As often as possible, the family should eat together and at fixed times. Feed the pet animals or birds in your house before you eat. Greet the Lord within everyone
When you meet someone, greet with the name of God such as Hari Om, Jai Ramakrishna, or Jai Ma. Teach your children to do so.
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How to work
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Every work should be done with shraddha. If you develop a habit of remembering God while working, you will be able to work without exhaustion or boredom. In 1920s, Swami Vireswarananda, who later became the 10th President of the Ramakrishna Order, had to write hundreds of address labels to post a magazine. It was tiresome. But he took it as an opportunity to remember various names of God as most of the Indian names are names of gods and goddesses. But it may always not be possible to think of God throughout the work. Swami Brahmananda, a direct-disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and the 1st President of the Ramakrishna Order, gave an easier alternative: Remember God at the beginning of a work, in the middle, and at the end.’ While working even for an employer, don’t think that you are a mere paid staff. Swami Ranganathananda, the 13th President of the Ramakrishna Order, would often advice people: ‘Do a clerk’s work, but not with a clerk’s mind, but with the mind of a free citizen of India. A small mind converts a big work into smallness; and a big mind transforms all small work into big work.’ What a change in attitude and dignity! An executive in a big NGO in Karnataka, who is a medical doctor by profession and has to face countless challenging, irritating issues every day, keeps a small slip on his table with the simple words: ‘In spite of’. These words remind him to seek ways of serving the person in front of him in spite of his own tiredness or the other person’s irritating behaviour. Holy reading
Swami Brahmananda, once advised a devotee: ‘I am giving you the knowledge of Brahman in just one sentence. Read Kathamrita (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna) regularly every day. If you read Kathamrita daily, the distractions of worldly life, attachment to the worldly life, and all that will slowly decrease and intense longing for God-realisation will dawn.’ Some time in a day, read any scripture or biography of saints and devotees. In this digital age, you can also listen to online discourses. Sleep
Have a light supper. Cultivate the habit of writing the meaningful events of the day in a diary. This record will tell you how you are progressing and also guide you to correct yourself. Try to sleep at the same time every day. Before going to bed at night, sit on your bed and meditate for few minutes, bow down to your Ishta devata, and your Guru; mentally take handful of your favourite flowers and offer them at their feet along with all the results of all your day’s works. Pray to God to pardon you for any mistakes committed and pray for strength to refrain from repeating them; pray for strength to forgive and forget the wrong done to you. Pray for the welfare of all as in the morning. While lying, imagine that you are on the lap or at feet of the Divine Mother. Chant your mantra or the name of the Lord as you slip into sleep.
Pearls of Wisdom
Stepping on the ground: Before leaving the bed and stepping on the ground, we remember Varahavatara, and then seek forgiveness of Bhooma Devi for placing our feet on her.
Ablutions: Teeth is brushed only with neem sticks and mango leaves. Tooth brush and tooth paste are never used. Morning bath is done 1½ hrs before sunrise. Bathing is never done after nightfall. Seven types of snanam are mentioned in the scriptures: Mantra, Bowwma, Agneya, Vayavyan, Divyan, Manasan and Varunan. Tap water is never used for bathing. Bathing should preferably be in the flowing water of a river or in the sea. If river or sea are not nearby, temple tanks and well can be used. Water used for bathing should have contact with bhoomi (earth) and sun rays should fall on it. Water level in river, tank etc., should be such that we can bend down and immerse our full body. Sankalpam must be done before taking bath, and we should imagine that Ganga water is flowing from the feet of Lord. While pouring water on the head, water from the mouth should not fall on the body. It is better if someone, who has already taken bath, pours water on our head instead of we directly pouring water on ourselves. While taking bath we must always have some
vastram (cloth) on our body. But we must not wipe our body with that wet vastram. No soap should be used for bath. Only natural items like rice flour, besan, green gram powder, Shikakai powder, mud are to be used. We must not take bath after returning from temple, shubha karyams (auspicious occasions) and after performing Puja. We must take bath after returning from inauspicious occasions like attending a cremation. While travelling when we cannot get water in the prescribed manner, we can do Mantrasnanam. Vastram: Both married men and women must wear dhoti/saree with kacham.
Puja and Vratam: Only men can pluck Tulasi. Tulasi should not be plucked on amavasya, pournami, Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, Dwadasi, first day of month and year and in the afternoons. We should observe Ekadasi Vratham and upavasam on the night of Krishna-Paksha Ashtami, Chaturdasi, Amavasya, and Poornima.
Food preparation : Food should be cooked only after taking bath. For cooking, only river/lake/well water is to be used. Water should be in direct contact with earth and sun light must fall on it. Water should be drawn directly from the source and not though pipes. No steel vessel should be used to store water. Only mud, silver, copper or brass vessels are to be used. Water stored for more than 24 hrs turns impure. Only firewood or coal should be used for cooking. Partaking of food: Food must be eaten sitting on the ground. Food must be had only on leaf. Milk shall be taken only at night time. Only satvik food should be eaten.
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Waking up in the morning: We wake up in the Brahma muhurtham, before 4:30 a.m. While getting up, we chant ‘Hari’ seven times. While still in the bed, we remember Sri Vishnu and the episode of Gajendra Moksham and pray to him and seek his blessings that all our works during the day go on smoothly.
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A Day in a Traditional Sri Vaishnava Family
Article
Readers’ Voice
December 2019
Story of My Mother
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I
A DEVOTEE, CHENNAI
n 1967 my parents Smt. Umayal A. and Sri Arunachalam were blessed with their first child, my elder brother, Ramasamy. When Ramu was hardly 2 years, he suddenly fell ill with high fever. It was a polio attack. After 13 days when Ramu opened his eyes his hands and legs were paralysed. My religious parents prayed to Lord Muruga to cure him and vowed to go on pada yatra to the Murugan temple in Palani. Meanwhile, medical treatment and physiotherapy continued. After a few months of treatment, the hands and the right leg became functional, but the left leg remained paralysed. Ramu slowly learnt to walk with caliper shoes.
The pada yatra is done every year during the Thai Poosam festival in the month of January. For at least 40 days prior to the yatra, the devotees take a vow to lead a disciplined pure life. They begin the yatra from their village temple with only a single set of dress and a blanket, keep no money and entirely depending on God for food and shelter. On reaching the foot of Palani hillock, preferably the day before Thai Poosam, the devotees climb 700 steps to the hilltop and have darshan of Lord Dhandayudhapani. As an offering devotees carry various types of Kavadi (i.e., burden) like tender coconut, paddy and other grains, goat, a specially designed and decorated wood or steel frame.
To keep their vow, my parents did their first pada yatra in 1971. As a preparation, for 40 days my mother took food without salt and prayed to Lord Ganapathy and Mother Kali to give her the strength to carry Ramu all the way. While Ramu walked with his shoes in the day, at night my parents carried him on their shoulder. During the yatra my mother would not talk with anyone; she would repeat ‘Hara Hara Sankara, Shiva Shiva Sankara’ and walk alone. Sometimes they had to suffer from terrible pangs of hunger for want of annadhanas (places where food is given to pilgrims). They walked for 6 days continuously covering 165 kms from their village and reached the foot of the hilltop on the 7th day, a day before Thai Poosam.
After some years, my mother went alone on the yatra. By the Lord’s grace, Ramu finished higher education and worked as a Tamilnadu Government employee before settling down in a private business. My mother in gratitude continued to go on the yatra every year to thank the Lord. This year (2019) was her 49th yatra in her 76th year!
Before this year’s yatra, my parents and I had gone on pilgrimage to Belur Math, Kamarpukur, Jayrambati and Varanasi. Though my parents were tired, nothing could stop my mother from keeping her vow. Walking barefoot when she was nearing Palani, she experienced severe chest pain. She also had a deep bleeding wound in her feet. When my aged father reached Palani by bus, she told him only about the wound and took some first aid treatment. On the way back to Chennai she again experienced terrible chest pain. But she did not disclose it to my father not wanting to trouble him. The next day when we took her to a hospital to treat her foot wound, she told the
doctor about her chest pain. Tests revealed that she had had severe heart attacks! She was immediately admitted to ICU. There were several blocks and she underwent bypass surgery in February. By Lord Muruga’s grace she is recovering well.
My mother served as a school teacher for 37 years before retiring as a headmistress in 2001. Interestingly, while studying in Lady Willingdon Teachers Training College she lived for two years in the women’s hostel run by Sister Subbalakshmi at the Vivekanandar Illam, where Swami Vivekananda stayed for 9-days after his triumphant return from the West in 1897. My mother was also an ideal teacher who regularly invited home her poor students for food and also provided them uniforms, notebooks etc. v Get up before dawn and pray to God; offer pranams to elders; light lamp before Tulsi plant. v Patiently bear with all and live harmoniously adjusting with different situations and people. v Respect elders and obey their orders. Be humble and practise self-discipline. v Do household work and help other family members. v Before eating, see that others are fed.
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v Feel for others and serve them as your own; be always hospitable to guests and visitors.
v Live with dignity and be independent.
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v Take care of parents and elders in their old age. v Feed animals and grow trees. v Constantly remember God.
v Develop self-confidence and tremendous willpower. v Serve others and forget about it completely.
v When we die we will not carry this body with us, so use it fully for the welfare of others. v Do not be greedy or covet others’ things. v Always be positive.
v When there is work, always be the first to volunteer.
The scriptures declare matru devo bhava ‘May your mother be a God unto you’. I am blessed to see God in my mother.
My Daughter – My Inspiration
I
GUNJAN CHATTOPADHYAY, PURULIA
am an alumnus of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur Math and am currently working as an English teacher in a government school in Purulia district, West Bengal. I was blessed to spend my days in Vidyamandira when Srimat Swami Gautamananda Ji, one of the present Vice-presidents of the Ramakrishna Order was its Secretary. I was blessed again to receive mantra-diksha from Srimat Swami Ranganathananda Ji Maharaj.
I am a proud father of my daughter, Suravi, now studying in 8th standard. It has been my constant endeavour to take her for sadhu-sanga so that she imbibes good samskaras; and Suravi
The Vedanta Kesari
PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I R A M A K R I S H N A YAT H R A S E R V I C E S , C H E N N A I
To her students and to us, her regular teachings were:
too is happy to interact with the swamis. I strongly feel holy company is indispensable to keep the ideals of love, tolerance, and forbearance alive at home. Youngsters appear to grow wiser than elders. I recollect how I was mildly reprimanded by Suravi for using rude words to her mother. I confide in her to dispel the cloud of conjugal turmoil, one of the common occurrences in family. Suravi offers pearls of wisdom to both sides.
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Upkeep of ideals in a nuclear family is quite challenging. Undesirable peer group influence, enticing multi-media, working parents’ short temper – all add up to regularly create an atmosphere of confusion and disturbance. I personally feel studying The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is a great help in cultivating family ideals and it also provides solutions to the challenges of family life. The Gospel is replete with parables, which enable one to also develop soft-skills. Both Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi have repeatedly stressed on learning the art of mind management, for, mind can make or mar our life depending on how we handle it.
Patriotism Begins at Home
S
B. VIJAYALAKSHMI, MUMBAI
wami Vivekananda’s message that every human being has a divine potential in her/him and everyone should aspire to realise it, inspired me when I was 35 years old. I had then just settled into a family life with my husband and two sons. Swamiji’s words guided me in carrying out my duties diligently. Another source of culture were my in-laws who lived with us. I learnt from them all the household chores and the ways of following our family traditions and festivals.
I strongly feel that children should be taught the realities and values of life at the early age so that they can face the problems and challenges with proper mind-set. I taught my children about Swamiji’s ideals right from their childhood. We ensured that they received Upanayanam at a young age. They grew up with a strong pride in being born in this great land of saints, philosophers, and avatars. My experiences in life have convinced me that our cultural and spiritual tradition is a great help in facing the tough challenges of life. My younger son who is a classical Carnatic musician, inspired my elder son to develop a fine taste for the same. Now, our family as a whole turn to Carnatic music to beat the stress of the materialistic life in Mumbai metropolis.
I am proud that in our own small way, my family recognises our indebtedness to our country and our responsibility towards our culture and tradition. This is our understanding of patriotism. If Sister Nivedita could come leaving behind the comforts of England to serve her Guru and ‘her India’, can we not stand up to do the same?
PA G E S P O N S O R : D R . A LO K K . R . PA U L , C L R I , C H E N N A I
December 2019
Last year, when I announced at home that a sannyasi would visit our house, Suravi’s happiness was very palpable. When Maharaj (as swamis are addressed) did not savour the sumptuous dishes on the dining table, Suravi was surprised. Noticing it, Maharaj remarked, ‘Many dishes make many diseases.’ While taking leave of her, Maharaj offered her another piece of wisdom through a simple formula: ‘Remember ABC; A for avoid, B for bad, and C for company.’
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Volume 106
The Vedanta Kesari - Annual Index 2019
Features Index
C Chiselled Narratives
Dr. Chithra Madhavan
Ghatika – An Ancient Educational Institution (Sculpted Narratives)
Aug.
46
Ancient Vedic Institution, an
Oct.
Nov.
34
Ancient Centre of Learning at Bahur
Sept.
Important Educational Centre of the Chola Times, An
Cover Story
Ramasubramanian
Singing to the Divine: The Sopana Sangeetham of Kerala
Sulini V. Nair
December 2019
Sant Tukaram
Grow and Design your Life
E
Arpana Ghosh Swami Shantachittananda
Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan for Swachh Swami Ekagamyananda Bharath
Jun. Jul.
Aug. Oct.
Nov.
33 11 11 11 11 11
Editorial
The Vedanta Kesari
154
Seeds and Indian Ethos of Conservation, Sharing and Freedom
35
Solitude
Jan.
9
Rama Rajya
Jun.
9
The Task Before Us
Enlightened Electorate Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva
Feb. Swami Mahamedhananda
The Water Story
Sept.
Know It to Be Your Foe
Oct.
Swachh Bharat: Our Pride - Our Responsibility
Nov.
Arise! Awake!
Editorial, Guest
Ramakrishna of the Heart (Guest Editorial) Swami Tyagananda O
Order on the March, The
Jul.
Aug.
The Voice
Japa: Chanting of a Mantra (Guest Editorial)
May
Swami Brahmeshananda
9 9 9 9 9 9 9
Dec.
10
Apr.
9
Mar. Jan. -Nov.
9
51, 52, 52, 52, 50, 53, 52, 52, 52, 52, 53
P Jan. -Nov.
Pocket Tales The Ghost in the Tree
Hanuman, I'm Waiting for you
Gitanjali Murari
Shiva’s Demon
Poorva: Magic, Miracles and the Mystical Lakshmi Devnath Twelve
Sept. Oct.
Nov.
24 25 25
A Curtain Raiser
Jun., Jul.
31
Roots in the Air and Shoots in the Soil
Oct. Nov
31
An Era Begins
Reminiscences of Sargachhi
Swami Suhitananda
Aug., Sept.
Jan. -Nov.
S Scriptural Prayers Dakshinamurti Stotra Atmarpanastuti
Special Report
Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission: Synopsis of the Governing Body Report for 2017-18
Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Smriti Mandir, Khetri T
22, 25, 25, 31, 34, 33, 33, 34, 46, 47, 43
125th Anniversary of Chicago Addresses : Concluding Programme
Sri Shankaracharya Sri Appayya Dikshitendra
31 11, 11, 12, 13, 11, 17, 18, 16, 18, 17, 15
Jan - Oct
7
Feb.
31
May
52
Nov.
24
Nov.
7
Topical Musings
A Message to Garcia What Are We Now? What We Truly Are Our Sadhana V Vedas: An Exploration, The
Jan., Feb., 49, 46, Mar. 50 Apr.
May
50 48
Jun., Jul., 51, 50, Aug., 50, 50, Sept, 51, 45 Oct., Nov.
December 2019
Swami Tapasyananda
155 The Vedanta Kesari
Pariprasna
The Braahmanas The Aaranyaka
Upanishads: The Acme of Philosophical Literature
Lakshmi Devnath
Gods of the Vedas Vedic Society
It is the Youth who will transform this nation
Believe in Yourself
December 2019
Be bold and fearless
The Vedanta Kesari
156
Expand your heart
Be open to learning from anyone Develop a gigantic will Y
India – the Punya Bhumi
India – the giant awakens
Yugavani
May
46
Apr.
Feb.
Illumine Knowledge Catalysts, Mumbai
Mar. Apr.
May Jun. Jul.
Aug.
Sept. Oct.
Nov.
46 46 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27
Incarnation
Jan.
8
Meditation
Apr.
8
Guru
Prayer
Self-surrender Worship Ego
Vidya Maya - Avidya Maya Yearning for God Suffering W
48
Jan.
Take up an ideal and give your whole life to it Awaken the spirit of 'rajas' within you
Mar. Jun.
Vivekananda Way
Stand on your own feet
Jan., Feb. 46, 49
Money
Mother’s Counsel
What is Religion?
What is Religion?
The Thirst for God is Religion Religion is a Necessity
Feb. Mar
May Jun. Jul.
Aug
Sept. Oct.
Nov. Dec.
Jan. Apr. May Jun.
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 48, 48, 47, 49 43 49
Religion is Common Sense
Jul.
48
My Ideal of Religion
Oct.
49
Religion: Being True to Your Own Nature
Aug.
Realising Spirit as Spirit
Religion Is Between You and Your God
Sept.
Articles Index
Nov.
48 48 48
A
‘As’-‘Is’ Hybrid, The
Swami Satyapriyananda
Bishop John J. Keane: In Defense of Swami Vivekananda
Asim Chaudhuri
Dharma and Mukti
Swami Vivekananda
An Amazing Maze
Swami Satyapriyananda
Brahmacharya in Married Life
Swami Purushottamananda
Defining Moment in Swami Vivekananda’s Monastic Life, The
Asim Chaudhuri
B
D
G
Go Forward!
Swami Brahmeshananda
Grihastha Dharma from Ramayana
K. Srinivasan
Grihastha Ashrama: Opportunities and Dr. Arathi V. B. Challenges Grihastha Dharma in Mahabharata
Swami Samarpanananda
Ideal Role-Modelling
Swami Suhitananda
Just Read the Gospel
Swami Medhasananda
Living Together: Responsibilities and Challenges
N.Gokul Muthu
Guru, The—Compilation
Swami Vivekananda
If Swami Vivekananda Were Here Today
William Page
I
J
L
Life in the Kingdom of Heaven in Indian and Western Thought
Gopal Stavig
Lyrics in Terracotta – Ratneshwar Temple of Bhattamati
Devashis Nandy
Dec.
99
Sept.
43
Jul. Jul.
Dec. Dec.
35 24 59
December 2019
Dr. Jayaraman Mahadevan
12
157
Aug.
18
Dec.
86
The Vedanta Kesari
A Day in the Life of a Householder: In the Light of Yajnavalkya Smriti
Sept.
Dec. Dec. Jul.
Dec. Jun.
Mar.
11
83 88 46 21 35 16
Apr., May 17, 16 Dec. Jul.
121 21
M Mapping Actions to Fire Sacrifice Meditation on the New Year
Mindful Parenting: Be a Neurosculptor
Swami Satyapriyananda Swami Chetanananda YogaKshema
Taittiriya Upanishad
Dec.
25
Maha Nirvana Tantra
Dec.
43
Rishi Manu
Dec.
Rishi Atri
Dec.
Tiruvalluvar
Dec.
Bhartrihari
Dec.
Bhagavan Buddha
December 2019
17
126
Pearls of Wisdom
Dec.
Bhagavan Mahavira
Dec.
Guru Granth Sahib
Dec.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Dec.
Varkari Saints
Dec.
Goswami Tulsidasa
Dec.
Purandaradasa Basavanna
The Vedanta Kesari
Jan.
38
Dec.
P
158
May
Ramana Maharshi
A Day in a Traditional Sri Vaishnava Family
N. Gokul Muthu
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda in ‘The Land of Five Rivers’
Swami Atmashraddhananda
Purity: The Graded Ideal
A Sannyasi
R
Reader’s Voice
Rishi Ideal For Spiritualising Family Life
Swami Muktidananda
Saptapadi: Vows with Steps
Kasturi Jayaraman
S
Saiva Religion and Philosophy: A Glimpse
Dr. R. Gopalakrishnan
Self-Effacing Nature of Sister Nivedita, The
Pravrajika Bhavaniprana
Seeing God Everywhere
N. Gokul Muthu
78 80 81 95 96 98
120
Dec.
Philosophy of Bhagavad Gita
58
Dec. Dec.
Deify Your Day
57
117
Dec.
Yogi Vemana
28
Dec. Dec.
Kavi Kshemendra
27
Dec.
Aug. Dec.
118 119 144 145 149 25 71
Jan., Feb., 32, 31, Mar. 35 Dec.
150
Mar.
22
Dec. Dec. Jun. Jun.
50
106 41 19
Special Gift by Subhas Chandra Bose, A
Swami Surarchitananda
Sister Nivedita and the Hindu Society
Dr. Purba Sengupta
Sri Ramakrishna’s Advice to Householders
Swami Mangalanathananda
Sri Sarada Devi: The Ideal Sahadharmini
Pravrajika Atmadevaprana
Some Thoughts on Spiritual Life
Swami Satyapriyananda
Sri Ramakrishna: A Unique Husband
Srimat Swami Gautamananda Ji
Story of a Locket, The
Dr. Hironmoy N. Mukherjee
Sukesaa: A Less Known Seeker of Truth from Dr. M. Jayaraman a Popular Upanishad
Swami Vijnanananda and the Ramakrishna Swami Balabhadrananda Order Swami Vivekananda on Family Life: A Glimpse Swami Kritarthananda
Swami Vivekananda in Sri Lanka: New Dr. Shyamali Chowdhury Findings T
The Griha and Grihastha in Indian Culture
Sneha Nagarkar
Two Poets: Hafiz and Vivekananda
Suman Bhattacharyya
Value of Discipline, The
Prof. Sudha Shastri
Two Versions of Swami Vivekananda’s First Chicago Speech
William Page
Vivekananda’s Visit to Shillong, Swami
Asim Chaudhuri
V
Visual Portrayal of Swami Vivekananda in American Media, The
Diane Marshall
Why Connection Is the Key to Parenting
Nalina Ramalakshmi
W
When Indians Meet… : An Encounter with Ramasubramanian the Native America as part of an engagement with the Parliament of World Religions
Authors Index
Dec.
111
Aug
43
Feb. Jan
Dec. Dec
Dec. Feb.
May
16 40 29 17 38 21 13
Oct., Nov. 36, 35 Dec.
45
Dec.
137
Mar.
31
Jun.
Jan.
22
24
Apr., May 21, 21 Jul.
43
Apr.
33
Dec.
134
Sept, Oct 19, 19
A Arpana Ghosh
Sant Tukaram—Cover Story
Asim Chaudhuri
The Defining Moment in Swami Vivekananda’s Monastic Life
Asim Chaudhuri
Swami Vivekananda’s Visit to Shillong Bishop John J. Keane: In Defense of Swami Vivekananda
Jul.
Apr., May, Jul.
Sept.
11
21, 21
24 11
December 2019
Prema Nandakumar
159 The Vedanta Kesari
Significance of Vratas: Savitri Vrata
Arathi V. B., Dr.
Grihastha Ashrama: Opportunities and Challenges
Atmashraddhananda Swami
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda in ‘The Land of Five Rivers’
Bhavaniprana, Pravrajika
The Self-Effacing Nature of Sister Nivedita
Atmadevaprana, Pravrajika Sri Sarada Devi: The Ideal Sahadharmini B
December 2019 The Vedanta Kesari
Dec.
Jan., Feb., Mar.
Balabhadrananda, Swami
Swami Vijnanananda and the Ramakrishna Oct., Nov. Order
Brahmeshananda, Swami
Japa: Chanting of a Mantra— Guest Editorial
Chetanananda Swami
Meditation on the New Year
Go Forward!
C
160
Dec.
Chithra Madhavan, Dr
Ghatika – An Ancient Educational Institution (Sculpted Narratives) Ancient Centre of Learning at Bahur
Apr.
Aug. Jan.
Aug.
Sept.
Important Educational Centre of the Chola Oct. Times, An Ancient Vedic Institution, an
D Devashis Nandy
Jun.
Lyrics in Terracotta – Ratneshwar Temple of Bhattamati
Nov. Jul.
Diane Marshall
The Visual Portrayal of Swami Vivekananda in American Media
Ekagamyananda, Swami
Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan for Swachh Nov. Bharath—Cover Story
E
G
Gautamananda Ji, Srimat Sri Ramakrishna: A Unique Husband Swami The Ghost in the Tree—Pocket Tales
Sept, Oct
19 9
18 17 46 35 34 33 21
20, 19
11
25
Philosophy of Bhagavad Gita
Gopal Stavig
Life in the Kingdom of Heaven in Indian and Apr., May, Western Thought
Nov. Jun.
Aug.
Living Together: Responsibilities and Challenges Dec. Saiva Religion and Philosophy: A Glimpse
36, 35
Oct.
Sept.
Gokul Muthu, N
Gopalakrishnan, R. Dr.,
32, 34, 35
17
Hanuman, I'm Waiting for you—Pocket Tales Seeing God Everywhere
38
Dec.
Gitanjali Murari
Shiva’s Demon—Pocket Tales
83
Mar.
24 25 41 25
121
17, 16
22
H Feb.
21
A Day in the Life of a Householder: In the Light Dec. of Yajnavalkya Smriti
99
Jayaraman, M., Dr.
Jayaraman Mahadevan, Dr. K
Kasturi Jayaraman
Kritarthananda, Swami
Sukesaa: A Less Known Seeker of Truth from a May Popular Upanishad
Saptapadi: Vows with Steps Swami Vivekananda on Family Life: A Glimpse
L
Dec. Dec.
Poorva: Magic, Miracles and the Mystical Jun., Jul. Twelve: A Curtain Raiser
Poorva: Magic, Miracles and the Mystical Aug., Sept Twelve: An Era Begins Lakshmi Devnath
Poorva: Magic, Miracles and the Mystical Oct. Nov Twelve: Roots in the Air and Shoots in the Soil The Vedas: An Exploration: The Braahmanas The Vedas: An Exploration: The Aaranyaka The Vedas: An Exploration: Upanishads: The Acme of Philosophical Literature The Vedas: An Exploration: Gods of the Vedas The Vedas: An Exploration: Vedic Society
M Solitude The Task Before Us Enlightened Electorate Rama Rajya Mahamedhananda, Swami
Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva The Water Story The Voice Know It to Be Your Foe Swachh Bharat: Our Pride - Our Responsibility Arise! Awake!
Medhasananda, Swami
Just Read the Gospel
Muktidananda, Swami
Rishi Ideal For Spiritualising Family Life
Mangalanathananda, Swami
Sri Ramakrishna’s Advice to Householders
Jan., Feb. Mar. Apr.
May
June Jan.
Feb.
May Jun. Jul.
Aug.
Sept. Oct.
Nov.
13
106 45 31 31 31
46, 49
48 46 46 46 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
Dec.
10
Dec.
50
Mar. Dec.
16 29
December 2019
J
161 The Vedanta Kesari
Hironmoy Mukherjee N. Dr. The Story of a Locket
N Nalina Ramalakshmi
Why Connection Is the Key to Parenting
Purba Sengupta, Dr.
Sister Nivedita and the Hindu Society
P
Prema Nandakumar
Significance of Vratas: Savitri Vrata
December 2019 The Vedanta Kesari
134
Feb.
16
Dec.
111
Purushottamananda, Swami
Brahmacharya in Married Life
Ramasubramanian
When Indians Meet… : An Encounter with the Native America as part of an engagement with the Parliament of World Religions
Apr.
33
Ramasubramanian
Seeds and Indian Ethos of Conservation, Sharing Jun. and Freedom—Cover Story
11
Samarpanananda, Swami
Grihastha Dharma in Mahabharata
Dec.
88
May
38
R
162
Dec.
S
Sannyasi, A
Purity: The Graded Ideal
Satyapriyananda Swami
An Amazing Maze
Some Thoughts on Spiritual Life Mapping Actions to Fire Sacrifice The ‘As’-‘Is’ Hybrid
Shankaracharya, Sri
Dakshinamurti Stotra— Scriptural Prayers
Sneha Nagarkar
The Griha and Grihastha in Indian Culture
Shantachittananda, Swami
Grow and Design your Life
Srinivasan, K.
Grihastha Dharma from Ramayana
Dec.
Dec. Jan.
Sept. Jul.
Jan. - Oct. Aug.
Shyamali Chowdhury, Dr.
Swami Vivekananda in Sri Lanka: New Findings Jun.
Sudha Shastri, Prof.
The Value of Discipline
Suhitananda, Swami
Reminiscences of Sargachhi
Ideal Role-Modelling
Suman Bhattacharyya
Two Poets: Hafiz and Vivekananda
Tyagananda, Swami
Ramakrishna of the Heart— Guest Editorial
Surarchitananda, Swami
A Special Gift by Subhas Chandra Bose
T V
Vivekananda, Swami
Guru, The—Compilation Dharma and Mukti
Dec. Dec. Jul.
Jan. -Nov. Dec.
Mar.
Aug. Mar. Jul.
Dec.
59
71 40 43 35 7
11 22
137 86 43
11, 11, 12, 13, 11, 17, 18, 16, 18, 17, 15 21 31 43 9
46 12
W 24
Mindful Parenting: Be a Neurosculptor
126
If Swami Vivekananda Were Here Today
Y
YogaKshema
Book Review Index
Book and author / publisher
Jun.
35
Dec.
Reviewer
A Light to the West by Pravrajika Anandaprana
Swami Tapoyajnananda, Poonampet
Oct.
41
Brahmasutra Shankarabhashyam Chatussutri Tr. and Commentary by Swami Shuddhabodhananda Saraswati.
Swami Brahmeshananda, Varanasi Feb.
45
Caturyuga Calendar of Vaisvasvatha Manvantara (Puranic Chronicle) by R. Parthasarathy
Prof. R. Gopalakrishnan, Chennai
Jan.
44
Classical Yoga Philosophy and the Legacy of Samkhya: by Gerald James Larson
Mar.
44
Concept of Cow in the Rigveda by Doris Srinivasan
Pravrajika Vrajaprana, Santa Barbara, US and Wade Dazey, Prof. Emeritus, University of Wisconsin—Whitewater
K.Panchapagesan, Bengaluru Jayanthi Varma , Chennai
Sept. Aug.
40
Dashavatar : Ten Incarnations of Lord Mahavishnu narrated by KV Gayathri.
Prema Raghunath, Chennai
Jun.
44
Facets of Vivekananda published by Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, Dakshineswar
Prema Raghunath, Chennai
Nov.
41
A Story of Self-Sacrifice by Shri Kumud Ranjan Roy Chowdhury Translation by Prof. Shirshendu Chakrabarti
Concept of Spirituality in Art: Past, Present and Future. Published by Swami Suparnananda, Secretary, RMIC. Essentials of Hinduism—A Practice Guide by G.S. Nilakantan Gita Bodh by Uday Karanjkar
Human Values in Indian Literature by N.S.Anantha Rangacharya and others
Human Values in Religions by M.A. Jayachandra and others Indian Cultural Unity Edited by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya
Vijaynath Bhat, Mysore
Prema Raghunath, Chennai Gokulmuthu, Bengaluru Gokulmuthu, Bengaluru
Prema Raghunath, Chennai Prema Raghunath, Chennai
Aug.
Oct.
Aug.
Sept. Jan. Jul.
40
40
42 42 41 45 40
December 2019
William Page
Two Versions of Swami Vivekananda’s First Jan. Chicago Speech
163 The Vedanta Kesari
William Page
Indian Epigraphy by D.C. Sircar
Dr. Santanu Dey, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira
Jun.
44
Indian Traditions in Search of Unity through Music. Published by Secretary, RMIC., Gol Park, Kolkata -
Jayanthi Varma , Chennai
Sept.
40
Indian Philosophy of Nada and its Vocal Applications by Justice B.S.Raikote
December 2019 The Vedanta Kesari
Jul.
41
Living Imprints of Indian Culture by Swami Atmashraddhananda
Jayanthi Varma , Chennai
Nov.
42
Rethinking the Cultural Unity of India Edited by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya.
Prof. R. Gopalakrishnan, Chennai
Mar.
46
Pictorial Ramayana by Swami Raghaveshananda
164
Prof. R. Gopalakrishnan, Chennai
Prema Raghunath, Chennai
Science Universe Expansion in India published Prema Raghunath, Chennai by Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, Dakshineswar
Jun.
Nov.
See God with Open Eyes : Meditation on Ramakrishna by Swami Chetanananda
Prof. Sumita Roy, Hyderabad
Sri Padukasahasram of Sri Vedanta Desika-Vol-1 & 2. Transcomposition in Tamil by Sri R Kesava Ayyengar and English Translation by Sri D. Ramaswamy Iyangar
Prof. Mohan Ramanan, Hyderabad Apr.
Siva I am Siva I am Published by Adi Shankara Vedanta Pratishtanam
N. Hariharan, Madurai
May
Nov.
44 41 40 41 44
Sri Ramakrishna’s Stories published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai
Prema Raghunath, Chennai
Jun.
44
Swami Vivekananda’s Relevance in Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century published by RMIC, Gol Park
Prema Raghunath, Chennai
Apr.
44
Swami Subodhananda by Swami Chetanananda & Swami Vimohananda
Swami Shantivratananda, Mysuru
Jan.
44
Swami Vivekananda’s Vision of Future Society published by Secretary RMIC
Prema Raghunath, Chennai
Jul.
40
The Patityagramanirnaya by Stephen Hillyer Levitt
Dr. Ruchira Mitra, Hyderabad
Sept.
41
Uniqueness of the Ramakrishna Incarnation and Other Essays by Swami Bhuteshananda. Edited and Translated by Swami Vimohananda
Prema Raghunath, Chennai
Oct.
40
K. Panchapagesan, Bengaluru
Nov.
The Divine Vaishnava Alwars. Tamil original by Kurinji Gnana Vaidyanathan. Trans. by Kasturirangan Jayaraman
The Upanishads A Study of the Oriental Texts By N.Jayashanmugham What The Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula
Varsha Sundararajan, Chennai
Sept.
Swami Brahmeshananda, Varanasi Jun.
42
43
42
RAMAKRISHNA MATH, UTTARKASHI Ganganagar, P.O. Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, 249193 Mobile: 9447051231; Email: uttarkashi@rkmm.org Offering to Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna: An Appeal Dear Devotees & Friends,
An estimated cost of Rs. 2 crores is required to set up and develop this additional unit of our Math. We request our friends and devotees, trusts and corporate bodies to contribute liberally to complete this project of welfare and spirituality at the earliest.
165
Donations can be made by NEFT/RTGS to the account given below: A/C Name: Ramakrishna Math, Uttarkashi Bank Name: Union Bank of India Branch Name: Uttarkashi Branch A/C No.: 601802010006696 IFSC: UBIN0560189 Foreign contributions may kindly be sent through the headquarters at Belur Math (Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, Howrah-711202; email- accounts@rkmm.org) requesting it to credit the fund in Uttarkashi Math A/c. Kindly send us email (to uttarkashi@rkmm.org ) or SMS (to 9447051231) after the transaction intimating the purpose of your donation as “Donation for purchase of land and development of the Math.” Please also send your PAN and full postal address. Donations towards our Math are exempted from IT under 80G Act. May Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada, Swami Vivekananda bless you all. Yours in the Lord, Swami Amaleshananda Adhyaksha
The Vedanta Kesari
In view of expanding Swami Vivekananda’s ideal of service and spirituality among the masses we plan to purchase some land measuring at least one acre around Harsil Valley, near Gangotri. Along with retreat centres for sadhus and devotees, some welfare activities for the benefit of the poor and underprivileged will be taken up after acquiring and developing the land.
December 2019
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math declared open a Math centre at Uttarkashi, an ancient holy town in the Garhwal Himalayas on 20 Oct 2017. There was already an ashrama, named “Ramakrishna Kutir”, on a small piece of land since 1963. It was maintained directly by the Belur Math, and sadhus of our Order used to stay for intense tapasya in the traditional monastic way, begging food from outside and living a simple austere life. The same tradition continues till date.
Ramakrishna Math, Halasuru 113, Swami Vivekananda Road, Halasuru, Bengaluru – 560008, India Mobile: +91-8025367878, 9845764016, Email: halasuru@rkmm.org
December 2019
Installation of Swami Vivekananda’s Statue
The Vedanta Kesari
166
An Appeal Swami Vivekananda traversed for seven long years through the length and breadth of India as an itinerant sannyasi before he went to the West. During this period, he visited Bengaluru from 3rd to 7th November 1892. He stayed in Kalappa Dharma Chhatra, a charitable choultry in the Tulasi Thota locality. This locality is close to Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Bengaluru City Railway Station. So, it is certain that Swamiji moved around this area during his stay. To commemorate Swamiji’s holy stay in this historic city, on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of his addresses at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago, USA, Ramakrishna Math, Halasuru has initiated the effort to create a National Monument by installing a 12 ft. bronze statue of Swamiji outside the new 3rd entrance to KSR Bengaluru City Railway Station. The Indian Railway Board and the General Manager of the South Western Railways have happily issued necessary approval and permission to carry out the task on a 125 x 65 ft plot at this new entrance. The estimated cost is about Rs. 60 Lakhs as per the details given below: Swamiji’s statue
16 lakhs
Maintenance
4 lakhs
Construction of Mantapam Fencing Total
30 lakhs 10 lakhs
60 Lakhs
We humbly appeal to devotees, admirers, general public, corporate bodies, and philanthropists to contribute to this noble work of honouring the patriot-saint of India. All donations to the Ramakrishna Math are exempt from Income Tax under Section 80G of the IT Act, 1961. Donations can be made in favour of ‘Ramakrishna Math’ stating the purpose as Vivekananda Statue at KSR Railway Station. The bank details are: Bank name : HDFC Branch name : Indira Nagar Branch A/C No. : 01841110000036 IFSC Code : HDFC0000184 May Swami Vivekananda bless us all. Yours sincerely Swami Tattwarupananda Adhyaksha
SRI RAMAKRISHNA MATH, THANJAVUR A NEW SUB-CENTRE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA MATH, CHENNAI An Appeal Dear Devotees, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission centres across the world motivate people to come together & serve humanity as a form of worship in the fields of Health Care, Education & Spirituality. Ramakrishna Vivekananda Educational Trust run by the devotees of Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna at Mariyamman Kovil (near Thanjavur) is rendering service in the rural areas of Thanjavur District for the past 26 years. This trust is now taken over by the Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, Belur, Kolkata & is functioning as a sub-centre of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai from July 2019. To expand the service activities, a new Math of this sub-centre is being started in Thanjavur town. We seek your generous contribution for these activities:
AN APPEAL TO DEVOTEES AND WELL-WISHERS Dear Friends, Namaste. We pray for you and your family. Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai has been rendering service for over 120 years to the society in the fields of Health, Education, Publication of Spiritual & Inspirational books and magazines both in English & Tamil, cultural activities, relief work etc. In order to execute the projects on hand, we appeal to you for contribution. Service activities in brief
Expenses
Maintenance of Vivekananda Centenary Girls Hr. Sec. School for under privileged (900 students) Maintenance of Sri Ramakrishna Math National School for under privileged children (350 students) Rehabilitation Service to Leprosy afflicted persons – 120 beneficiaries
Rs.8000/-
Per student Rs.800/-
For 10 Students
Monthly Rs.2,80,000/-
Rs.8000/-
Per student Rs.800/-
For 10 students
Monthly Rs.1,20,000/-
Rs.10,000/-
Per beneficiary Rs.1000/-
For 10 beneficiaries
Monthly Rs.5,40,000/-
Rs.9,000/-
Per patient Rs.900/-
For 10 patients
Medical Service to 600 - 800 poor patients daily Nursing Assistants Training for poor rural girls
Per batch Rs.7,50,000/-
– 30 students per batch of 1 year Rural development – Education, Women Welfare & Medical Help, Alcohol de-addiction – 100 beneficiaries
Your support needed
Monthly Rs.7,20,000/-
Monthly Rs.1,00,000/Per beneficiary Rs.1000/-
Sri Ramakrishna Daily puja, Neivedyam and Arathi
Rs.25,000/Per student Rs.5000/For 5 people Rs.10,000/- Per day
Daily Annadhanam for 200 devotees
Rs.10,000/-
Sadhu Seva per day for 50 members
Rs.5,000/-
Donations for both Thanjavur & Chennai Math may please be sent by cheque / DD favouring “Sri Ramakrishna Math”. For Online donation please visit https://donations.chennaimath.org Transfer directly & intimate us along with PAN details through email. Donations are exempted from Income Tax under Section 80G. May the blessings of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna be on you is my earnest prayer to Him.
Sri Ramakrishna Math 31, Sri Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai-4. & : 24621110. email : mail@chennaimath.org website : www.chennaimath.org For more details : 98409 87307
Yours in the Service of the Humanity, Swami Gautamananda Adhyaksha
December 2019
4. Renovation of the existing Temple Rs. 20 lakh 5. Rural development projects Rs. 1 crore 6. Endowment for Sadhu Seva Rs. 50 lakh
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1. Getting land for the Ashrama Rs.80 lakh 2. Establishing the Ashrama with a new Temple Rs. 3 crore 3. Nitya Pooja of Sri Ramakrishna Rs. 50 lakh
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With Best Compliments Apollo Hospital Enterprise Ltd. Ali Towers, 55, Greams Road, Chennai - 600 006
wicked, as I am the mother of the virtuous. Whenever you are in distress, just say to yourself “I have a mother”. To a mother a son is always a son.’ –Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi
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‘I am the mother of the
December 2019
Tel: 28294203, 28293333. Fax: 28292026
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Southern Electronics A Fully Defence-oriented Unit 16-A, Peenya Industrial Area Phase I, Bangalore - 560058 December 2019
Phone: 080-8394292 / 2252708;
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Fax: 2264828
‘Remember one thing. If you want peace of mind then give up fault-finding. If you would search for fault at all, find out your own faults and shortcomings. Learn to accept everyone as your own. No one is alien to you, the whole world is yours.’ —Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi
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December 2019
With Best Compliments
Prime Academy
December 2019
In Pursuit of Academic Excellence New No. 20, old No. 10, Justice Sundaram Road Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Phone: 2467 1478, 2467 1298 Email: primeacademy.com, primeacademyindia@gmail.com
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‘First of all, our young men must be strong. Religion will come afterwards. Be strong, my young friends; that is my advice to you. You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of the Gita. These are bold words; but I have to say them, for I love you. I know where the shoe pinches. I have gained a little experience. You will understand the Gita better with your biceps, your muscles, a little stronger. You will understand the mighty genius and the mighty strength of Krishna better with a little of strong blood in you. You will understand the Upanishads better and the glory of the Atman when your body stands firm upon your feet, and you feel yourselves as men.’ —Swami Vivekananda
Shri Guru Kripa Learning Centre (A Unit of Taxpayer Plan Pvt. Ltd.,)
‘Shri Guru Padhuka’ 27, Akbarabad 2nd Street, Kodambakkam, Chennai - 600 024. Tel : 044 - 24837667 / 24847667 / 24803737 / 24801372 Email : padhuka@shrigurukripa.com
‘Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested, all your life. We must have life-building, manmaking, character-making assimilation of ideas. If you have assimilated five ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education than any man who has got by heart a whole library.’ —Swami Vivekananda
December 2019
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With Best Compliments
December 2019 The Vedanta Kesari
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SIFY The mind is like milk. If you keep the mind in the world, which is like water, then the milk and water will get mixed. That is why people keep milk in a quiet place and let it set into curd, and then churn buter from it. Likewise, through spiritual discipline practised in solitude, churn the butter of knowledge and devotion from the milk of the mind. Then that butter can easily be kept in the water of the world. It will not get mixed with the world. The mind will float detached on the water of the world. —Sri Ramakrishna
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December 2019
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Pranams to Holy Trio
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Wholesale dealers: Premium Stationery from ITC Class mate & Paper Craft Note Books SPB Success Note Book / Examination Paper Ruled / Unruled
177 The Vedanta Kesari
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December 2019
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December 2019
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December 2019
December 2019 The Vedanta Kesari
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‘Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy — by one, or more, or all of these — and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details.’ —Swami Vivekananda
With Best Compliments
City Union Bank Never mind failures; they are quite
life be without them? It would not be worth having if it were not for struggles. Where would be the poetry of life? Never mind the struggles, the mistakes. I never heard a cow tell a lie, but it is only a cow— never a man. So never mind these failures, these little backslidings; hold the ideal a thousand times; and if you fail a thousand times, make the attempt once more. —Swami Vivekananda
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life—these failures. What would
December 2019
natural, they are the beauty of
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December 2019
With Best Compliments
The Vadasery Handloom Weavers’ Store New No. 25, R.K. Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Head Office: Nagercoil Tel No: (044) 2464 1746
For
High Quality 10 x 6, 9 x 5, 9, 8, 4 Dhoties and towels
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December 2019
With Best Compliments 1. Sri Ramakrishna Trust, 2. Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, 3. Sri Ramakrishna Mat.Hr.Sec.School, Chengam – 606 701. Tiruvannamalai Dt.,
December 2019
E-mail: srktrust.chengam@gmail.com Phone: 04188 - 222252
‘The powers of the mind are like rays of light dissipated; when they are concentrated, they illumine. This is our only means of knowledge.’ —Swami Vivekananda
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With Best Compliments
Scope Software Pvt. Ltd., Regd. off.9, (Old No.4), 10th Street, Nanganallur, Chennai - 600 061. Phone : 2267 2449 Email: sspl1985@gmail.com
‘Let positive, strong, helpful thought enter into their brains from very childhood. Lay yourselves open to these thoughts, and not to weakening and paralysing ones.’ —Swami Vivekananda
With Best Compliments
Krishna Agencies & Services Company 163, 37th Cross, 7th main, Jayanagar, Bangalore - 560 041 Phone : 080-2663 0927/2663 0370
Whatever you think, that you will be. If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be. —Swami Vivekananda
December 2019
E-mail : kpadegal@vsnl.com
189 The Vedanta Kesari
Fax : 91-80-2663-0927.
With Best Compliments
HINDU MISSION HEALTH SERVICES,
December 2019
100 FEET ROAD, HINDU COLONY, NANGANALLUR, CHENNAI - 600 061. Ph: 2224 3709 / 2224 3026 / 2224 0668. Fax: 2224 1285. Visit us @www.hmhealthservices.in
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With Best Compliments If one is without kindness, how can one be called a human being? —Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi
Shree Jayalakshmi Binding Works Account Books and School Note Books Manufacturers Dealers in Paper & Stationary # 3/30, Badrian Street, Chennai - 600 001 Phone: Off: 25386661, 42326661. Cell: 9940097705
E-mail: shreejbw@yahoo.in
Location
Phone
15
AB15a
Madipakkam
48689668
1
AB1
Adyar
42607045
16
AB16
Perungalathur
48575939
2
AB2
Thiruvanmiyur
42134438
17
AB17
Kotivakkam
43590926
3
AB3
Ashok Nagar
42134441
18
AB20a
48564096
4
AB4
Mahalingapuram
42134442
Dhandeeswaram Nagar Velachery
5
AB5a
RTO
48570921
19
AB21
Medavakkam
48564095
6
AB6a
Thiruvanmiyur - II, Kalachetra Road
48568394
20
AB22a
Agaram
7397327429
21
AB23
Adambakkam - II
48564094
7
AB7
KK Nagar
42616027
22
AB28a
DLF - Chemanchery
48569331
8
AB8
Nanganallur
43586241
23
AB29
Valasaravakkam
48565757
9
AB9b
Nolambur
48576939
10
AB10b
Vananthurai
48564027
24
Pammal - 1
42873141
11
AB11
Vijayanagar
42134691
25
Sriperumbadur
9994225330
12
AB12a
AGS Colony - Velacherry
48564098
26
Ullagaram
7358605021
13
AB13
West Anna Nagar
42645121
14
AB14
Ambathur - I
42134839
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December 2019
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191 The Vedanta Kesari
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December 2019
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M.N. ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL ‘Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was the only man who ever had the courage to say that we must speak to all men in their own language!’ —Swami Vivekananda
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