The Vedanta Kesari – January 2020 issue

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Vedanta Kesari January 2020

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A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914

J anuary 2020

The Vedanta Kesari

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T he V edanTa K esari A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of The Ramakrishna Order

Vol. 107, No. 1 ISSN 0042-2983

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107

Year

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CONTENTS

Publication

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JANUARY 2020

to r y

JANUARY 2020

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The Sannyasi as a Probabilist Brahmachari Subodha Chaitanya

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47 Sri Ramakrishna and the Pilgrimage Mindset Swami Chidekananda

8 9 10 27 40 42 51 53

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A Get-Together of the Gods in a Temple-College Dr. Chithra Madhavan

C his

Reminiscences of Sargachhi Swami Suhitananda

FEATURES

ves a ti rr

Atmarpanastuti Yugavani Editorial Vivekananda Way Book Reviews What is Religion?

Pariprasna The Order on the March

Women Saints of Varkari Tradition Arpana Ghosh

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19 Poorva: Magic, Miracles and the Mystical Twelve

Snake! Snake!

Gitanjali Murari

Lakshmi Devnath Poc ke t s

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le Ta

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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 - 600014.

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Vedanta

He was a much-celebrated and much-feted Swami. His famous address at The World’s Parliament of Religions, Chicago in 1893 had Brahmavadin 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.’

January 2020

First issue of

The Vedanta Kesari

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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.

Swamiji’s panacea for this lay in India’s very own practical and ennobling Vedantic wisdom.

Vedanta recognises no weakness. It 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:

First issue of The Vedanta Kesari

Kesari

One hundred and seven years and going strong….

“Strike off thy fetters! Bonds that bind thee down,

Love, hate — good, bad — and all the dual throng,

January 2020

For fetters, though of gold, are not less strong to bind;

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 May 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 nothing could come in its way of reviving the Brahmavadin. For, had not their beloved Swamiji repeatedly said, ‘The Brahmavadin is a jewel – it must not perish!” And so, the very same month when 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.

ECO-FRIENDLY Trees are the life-breath of our world. To support environment conservation The Vedanta Kesari is printed on paper prepared mainly from sugarcane bagasse.

5 The Vedanta Kesari

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.

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Sloka - 2 क्षित्यादीनयामव्ववतयां क्नक्चितं जनम तयावत् तन्यासत्येव क्वचन कक्ितं कर्त्रक्िष्यानहीनम् । नयाक्िष्यातुं प्रभवक्त जडो नयाप्नीशचिभयावसतसमयादयाद्यसतवमक्ि जगतयां नयाथ जयानये क्वियातया ॥२॥

The Vedanta Kesari

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2) The earth and other things which are made up of parts certainly have an origin. They are nowhere found to be without a creator and a material cause.

Neither an inert object nor one who is powerless (like the jiva) is capable of creation. Therefore I know that You, Who alone existed before creation (aadhyah), are the creator of the universe, O Lord.

Sloka - 3

इनद्ं क्मर्ं वरुणमक्निं पद्मजं क्वषणुमीशं प्रयाहुसतये तये परमक्शव तये मया्​्या मोक्हतयासतवयाम् । एतैसियािधं िकिमक्प ्च्छक्ति​ियेशये िमयाप्ं ि तवं दयेव श्ुक्तषु क्वददतः शमभुदरत्यादददयेवः ॥३॥ 3) O Paramashiva! Deluded by Your maya, people speak variously of Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Vayu, Brahma, Visnu, as the cause of the universe. Everything, including these, is but a fraction of Your power. O Lord, You are known in the vedas as Shambhu, the supreme Lord.

Sloka - 4

आननदयाबियेः कमक्प च घनीभयावमयासथया् रूपं शकत्या ियािधं परममुम्या शयाश्वतं भोगक्मच्छन् । अधवयातीतये शुक्चददविकृतकोदिदीप्ये कपददत्रन् आद्यये सथयानये क्वहरक्ि िदया ियेव्मयानो गणयेशैः ॥४

4) Taking on an indescribable solidified form of the ocean of Bliss, desiring eternal supreme enjoyment with Your consort Uma, O Lord with matted hair, You ever sport in the primordial place, beyond the reach of speech and mind, which shines like a crore of suns and moons, served by the lords of the gaṇas. (The idea brought out here is that Brahman who is pure Bliss and without form takes a form by his maya for blessing devotees, as stated in Shankara Bhagavatpada’s bhashya on Brahma Sutra 1. 1. 20.)

Translated by Sri. S.N. Sastri.

Yugavani

Scriptures

January 2020

9 The Vedanta Kesari

PA G E S P O N S O R : S A N J U K TA S E N G U P TA , K O L K ATA

O

nce several men were crossing the Ganges in a boat. One of them, a pundit, was making a great display of his erudition, saying that he had studied various books— the Vedas, the Vedanta, and the six systems of philosophy. He asked a fellow passenger, “Do you know the Vedanta?” “No, revered sir.” “The Samkhya and the Patanjala?” “No, revered sir.” “Have you read no philosophy whatsoever?” “No, revered sir.” The pundit was talking in this vain way and the passenger sitting in silence, when a great storm arose and the boat was about to sink. The passenger said to the pundit, “Sir, can you swim?” “No”, replied the pundit. The passenger said, “I don’t know the Samkhya or the Patanjala, but I can swim.” … What will a man gain by knowing many scriptures? The one thing needful is to know how to cross the river of the world. God alone is real, and all else illusory.

The Divine Mother has revealed to me the essence of the Vedanta. It is that Brahman alone is real and the world illusory. The essence of the Gita is what you get by repeating the word ten times.

The word becomes reversed. It is then tagi, which refers to renunciation. The essence of the Gita is: “O man, renounce everything and practice spiritual discipline for the realization of God.” One understands the scriptures better by hearing them from the lips of the guru or of a holy man. Then one doesn’t have to think about their non-essential part.

It is true that many things are recorded in the scriptures; but all these are useless without the direct realization of God, without devotion to His Lotus Feet, without purity of heart. The almanac forecasts the rainfall of the year. But not a drop of water will you get by squeezing the almanac. No, not even one drop.

How long should one reason about the texts of the scriptures? So long as one does not have direct realization of God. How long does the bee buzz about? As long as it is not sitting on a flower. No sooner does it light on a flower and begin to sip honey than it keeps quiet.

It is one thing to learn about God from the scriptures, and quite another to see Him….

To explain God after merely reading the scriptures is like explaining to a person the city of Banaras after seeing it only in a map.

You may speak of the scriptures, of philosophy, of Vedanta; but you will not find God in any of these. You will never succeed in realizing God unless your soul becomes restless for Him. You must practise tapasya. Only then can you attain the goal. It will avail you nothing even if you learn the texts of the scriptures by heart. You cannot become intoxicated by merely saying “siddhi” over and over. You must swallow some.

—Sri Ramakrishna

Editorial

Break the Cage

January 2020

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The Vedanta Kesari

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ityananda and Haridas as directed

by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were once going around the streets of Navadwip, spreading the name of the Lord.

Jagai and Madhai, two drunkards who were the terror of the town, opposed these messengers of love. Once, Madhai attacked Nityananda and wounded him grievously. The saint only replied, “Shall I stop giving you love, because you have hit me?” This merciful love transformed the ruffians and they became the disciples of Sri Chaitanya.

One day while walking in Cairo, Swami Vivekananda and his companions, engrossed in some discussion, lost their way. They found themselves in a squalid, ill-smelling street where half-clad women sat at doorsteps and peeped out from windows. Swamiji initially did not notice them until a group of noisy women began laughing and called out to him. Though his companions tried to quickly usher Swamiji away from there, he gently disengaged from them and approached the women on the bench.

Standing in front them he said, “Poor children!

Poor creatures! They have put their divinity in their beauty. Look at them now!” and began to weep. The women were silenced and abashed.

Swamiji’s compassion awakened them to their pitiable condition and turned their thoughts towards God. One of them leaned forward and kissed the hem of his robe, murmuring brokenly in Spanish, “Man of God! Man of God!” Another lady covered her face with her arm in modesty and fear. Slowly, Swamiji and his companions walked away from there.

Swami Turiyananda, a direct-disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was once explaining Vedanta to a Western disciple as they walked along a fashionable avenue in New York. As he went deeper into the subject, the faster he began to

walk and the louder his voice became. Then suddenly, he halted in the street and with one arm raised in air told the disciple almost shouting, “Be a lion, be a lion, break the cage and be free! Take a big jump and the work is done!” It was a call that the surprised fashionable New York people heard in wonder.

Indeed, down the ages, men of God have always given the call for love, compassion, and spiritual courage. But somehow, we, the people on the street, have chosen to be deaf and we continue to live in our multi-layered cages: the cage we are born with – body, mind, ego, and samskaras; the cage we have constructed for ourselves – identities born of relationships with people, ideas, things, and places; and the cage forged for us by the world – situations, and circumstances. The consequence of living in these cages are violence, debased sense gratifications, and false sense of happiness and goodness.

The irony is that most of us do not even recognise the cage as an imprisonment. We accept our condition as a natural state of life and are happy to enjoy the ‘freedom’ of pacing around in the cage! We spend our energies in polishing the cage, defending it, and glorifying it with euphemistic names. Our individual cages, then together shape new cages for our whole society.

It really requires a lion’s courage to break free from all these cages. We have to take ‘a big jump’, a leap of faith – faith in our innate divinity, faith in the divinity of others, and faith in God – to awaken ourselves and others to a life of true freedom.

Let us begin this new English calendar year with a prayer and a vow to recognise and break these cages.

Cover Story

The Sannyasi as a Probabilist

Prologue

E

nglish qualifiers bearing on greatness might well be vying with each other to represent the manysplendored personality of Swami Vivekananda.

Be that as it may, Swami Vivekananda defies superlatives. Had he only delivered that supremely felicitous speech in Chicago on 11th September’1893, his place in the religious history of the world would have been assured.

Had his only contribution to the world-thought been the unique presentation of four Yogas – Jnana, Bhakti, Raja, and Karma and their integration, he would be acclaimed as the prophet of synthesis. Had he only founded the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, he would have been immortalized as the creator of a new face of monasticism. Had his only gift to the world literary been his celebrated travelogue written in colloquial Bengali, he would be hailed today as the originator of a new style in Bengali literature.

That he gave us all these and more – so much more – is our great good fortune and is a testament to the power of an extraordinary soul-force being brought to bear upon diverse domains of human endeavors. No wonder, this ‘prophet of infinitude’1 appears in a mind

-boggling multiplicity of roles – religiousteacher, philosopher, historian, patriot, social & economic thinker, litterateur, humorist, singer, sportsman ……. indeed the list could go on. Can we possibly see a ‘Probabilist’ somewhere down the list? Or, is it too farfetched to be true? Well, not really. Let us read on.

Dice-Playing, Immortality, and the Sannyasi While the great theoretical Physicist Albert Einstein - for fear of vitiating Nature’s determinism – would not have God playing dice with the universe, Swami Vivekananda – arguably the greatest champion of God – found the creator to be a c o n s u m m a te dice-player!

The author serves in Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur, as a faculty in the Dept. of Economics and as the Coordinator of Swami Vivekananda Research Centre. Cover page designed by Anudatto Mallick, M.Phil student at Vidyamandira. brsubrata5433@gmail.com

January 2020

Swami Vivekananda’s luminous mind probed virtually every domain of human excellence to its depth and came up with astounding revelations. Little known however is his mastery of the nuances of probability theory in Statistics. This article gives us a peep into this hither-tounknown aspect of Swamiji.

11 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

BRAHMACHARI SUBODHA CHAITANYA

the same combination must come. Now each particle, each atom, that is in this universe, I take for such a die, and these are being thrown out and combined again and again. All these forms before you are one combination.

Here are the forms of a glass, a table, a pitcher of water, and so forth. This is one combination; in time, it will all break. But there must come a time when exactly the same combination comes The context of Swamiji’s reaching out to again, when you will be here, and this form will the theory of Probability is as exciting as it can be here, this subject will be talked, and this possibly get. He was talking on ‘Immortality’ to pitcher will be here. An an American audience. infinite number of times Decidedly the topic was this has been, and an While the great theoretical such as to have all the infinite number of times listeners hanging on his Physicist Albert Einstein - for this will be repeated.’2 words. Who does not

The Vedanta Kesari

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fear of vitiating Nature’s

want to live forever?

The thoughtful determinism – would not have While various theological reader will not fail to God playing dice with the traditions might well recognize that the whole universe, Swami Vivekananda – expatiate on the ‘implied’ argument above rests on arguably the greatest champion meaning of ‘Immortality’ the large repetitions of the of God – found the creator to be (i.e. it is the spiritual Self dice-throwing experiment a consummate dice-player! that is immortal), it is idle and the assurance of the to deny that it’s the recurrence of a set of ‘ l i t e ra l ’ m e a n i n g o f outcomes that occurred at ‘Immortality’ that holds the fascination for man. a specific throw. Now, the conclusion of the None can help wondering: can I continue living certainty of recurrence of a specific set (i.e., forever as the ‘person’ that I currently am? ‘there must be a time when the same numbers Theological traditions, having no answer to will come again’) in a series of random provide, at best promise a heaven after death. occurrences is something that a person with a But, Swamiji took up the gauntlet. Using an fair degree of acquaintance with probabilityargument which is a logical tour de force in theory can make. We might as well try to trace itself, he proceeded to show how even the Swamiji’s thought process here with regards to ‘formed’ beings, by way of continuation, can h i s exa m p l e o f t h row i n g fo u r d i c e recur – albeit at certain periodic intervals. Like simultaneously and observing an outcome an accomplished ‘Probabilist’ he marshalled {6,5,3,4}. This outcome, the Probabilist in his facts: Swamiji asserts, must occur again if the experiment of throwing the four dice is ‘In one sense bodies and forms even are repeated very many times (‘We take the dice up eternal. How? Suppose we take a number of and throw them again and again.’). How did he dice and throw them, and they fall in this ratio — 6 — 5 — 3 — 4. We take the dice up and arrive at this? Here is the little calculation along throw them again and again; there must be a with certain a-priori assumptions that might time when the same numbers will come again; have raced through his phenomenal intellect:

PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I R AV I C H A M U T U R I , H Y D E R A B A D

January 2020

Interestingly enough, Swamiji’s ascription of dice-playing to God does not make Him (God) a capricious Being – rather, in and through God’s created universe, what shows through is a ‘specialized’ deterministic pattern, powered by the ‘law of chance’. Surely, never before or since had the secular science of Probability been placed on such a sacred footing!

immortality of the soul.’

In the above science of chance (at least example, Swamiji, in it was so during 19 th addition to saying that the century) to make some die combination {5,4,3,2} is sure to occur hither-to unheard-of remarks on ‘Immortality’ somewhere down the line, goes on to comment of bodies and forms, hastening to point out on the number of throws that one might however that ‘that is not the immortality of the possibly require to have the same combination soul.’3 Anyway, as the purpose of this article is once more. This observation quoted above is to understand Swamiji as the ‘Probabilist’, we worth being relooked at: It cannot be asserted will confine our discussion to ‘Immortality’ of in how many throws they will come again; this is bodies and forms upon which Swamiji so the law of chance. We can venture to suggest adroitly brings to bear the ‘Law of Chance’. In that these printed words as they appear in the yet another lecture, ‘The Atman: Its Bondage Vol-II of the Complete Works might be a shade and Freedom’, Swamiji illustrates the same idea insufficient representation of what the using almost the same example, with an Probabilist-sannyasi conveyed. We’ll try to additional idea of Probability-theory thrown in: reason it out based on logic and evidence, make ‘All the forms which we are seeing now an educated guess and leave it at that. have been manifested again and again, and the world in which we live has been here many times before. I have been here and talked to you many times before. You will know that it must be so, and the very words that you have been listening to now, you have heard many times

For one thing, the sentences ‘It cannot be asserted in how many throws they will come again’ and ‘this is the law of chance’ are somewhat oxymoronic with respect to one another. If a ‘law’ is operative, then it’s ipso

January 2020

13 The Vedanta Kesari

PA G E S P O N S O R : C H I . S O H A M B A K S H I , I I T M A D R A S , C H E N N A I

Assuming (a) each die is fair i.e., its six before. And many times more it will be the same. Souls were never different, the bodies faces are equally likely to occur (b) the have been constantly dissolving and recurring. experiment of casting four dice simultaneously Secondly, these things periodically occur. is repeated ‘n’ times (c) the outcomes of each of Suppose here are three or four dice, and when the four dice in any experiment are we throw them, one comes up five, another independent (d) all the ‘n’ experiments are four, another three, and another two. If you independent, the probability that the outcome keep on throwing, there must come times when {6,5,3,4} does not occur in any of the ‘n’ 4 n n those very same numbers will recur. Go on experiments is (1 - 1/6 ) i.e., (1295/1296) . throwing, and no matter how long may be the Now, the chance that the set {6,5,3,4} occurs at interval, those numbers must come again. It least once is {1 - (1295/1296)n}. As ‘n’ gets cannot be asserted in how larger and larger, the many throws they will probability of the set come again; this is the law {6,5,3,4} occurring at least It’s truly amazing how Swamiji of chance. So with souls once tends towards 1 i.e., made use of this nascent science and their associations. certainty! (In fact, with n of chance to make some hither-to However distant may be = 10,000, this probability unheard-of remarks on the periods, the same is approximately 0.9995).

‘Immortality’ of bodies and combinations and Vo i l a ! I t ’ s t r u ly forms, hastening to point out dissolutions will happen amazing how Swamiji however that ‘that is not the again and again.’4 made use of this nascent

January 2020

facto true that the number of throws can be asserted. To say the reverse is to go back on logic. Granting that it’s the ‘law of chance’, not a deterministic law - even then an emphatic ‘cannot be asserted’ runs counter to the notion of ‘predictiveness’ implicit in the word ‘law’.

The Vedanta Kesari

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More importantly, we’ve reason to believe that Swamiji’s ‘spoken’ words (presumably taken down almost verbatim by Mr. J.J.Goodwin) bearing on this theme are quite different and are indeed closer in spirit to the specific aspect of Probability theory that he was espousing. Here goes a portion of Mr. Goodwin’s transcript of the same lecture ‘The Atman: Its Bondage and Freedom’ which varies in places from the same passage in the Complete Works: ‘Suppose there are three or four dice, and when we throw them one comes up five, and another four, and another three, and another two, and you keep on throwing and throwing.

There must come times when those very same numbers will recur. Go on throwing, and no matter how long may be the interval, those numbers must come again. It can be mathematically asserted in how many throws they will come again; this is the law of chance.’5 If, in the italicised sentence above, we care to read ‘mathematically’ as ‘probabilistically’ (with Probability theory yet to be recognized as an independent discipline distinct from Mathematics, Swamiji must have been using these two words almost interchangeably as a matter of loose convention), it would clearly convey the sense in which Swamiji meant ‘the number of throws’ required to have the repetition of the outcome {5,4,3,2}. To all intents and purposes, Swamiji implied the ‘expected value’ of throws – rather than the exact value. Now, in a random process (a process in which ‘law of chance’ is operative) it is not possible to come up with the exact number of throws – it is however possible to

find an ‘average’ number of such throws based on the law of probability. In probability parlance, this is known as the ‘expected value’.

Let us try to wrap our minds around what Swamiji was hinting at: Here we’ve the situation of throwing four dice simultaneously. The outcome of the first throw happens to be {5,4,3,2}. In the subsequent throws, let us designate this outcome as a ‘success’ and any other outcome as ‘failure’. Let’s further assume the probability of success is p. The probability of failure is therefore (1-p). Given this set-up, we are interested in knowing the throw-number at which the next success occurs. Now, defining the variable (rather, random variable as the underlying experiment is random) X as the throw-number at which the next success occurs, the required probability that the next success happens at X=x , conditioned on the fact the first success occurred at the first throw is : P (X=x|The first throw is a success) = p(1-p)x-2 ; x=2,3,……∞ It’s easy to verify that the above is a probability mass function as

And, the expected value of X is E(X)

Now, it’s this expected value (1+1/p) that would act as a fair representation of the throw number at which the second success occurs. If we consider each die to be fair, then p = 1/64.

In that case, the average value of the throw number at which the second success takes place is (1 + 64) = 1297. In conclusion, our educated guess is that Swamiji meant this expected value of throws when he said ‘it can be mathematically asserted in how many throws they will come again; this is the law of chance.’

Epilogue As we reflect on Swamiji’s exceptional ability to master even a secular science such as Probability-theory, we simply are mystified as to the source of such power. Sister Christine makes an exegetical comment on this

That settles it then! Living as he did in the resplendent glory of the Self, Swamiji’s ‘luminous’ mind was ever in touch with the fount of knowledge and he was thus able to master anything and everything with unstudied grace. His life is indeed a great object lesson that establishes that the Atmajnani (knower of the Self) can easily attain to any knowledge, if he so wishes. Small wonder, his exhortation in this regard (as always) comes laden with his own experiential certitude: ‘Try to manifest this Atman, and you will see your intellect penetrating into all subjects. The intellect of one who has not realised the Atman is onesided, whereas the genius of the knower of Atman is all-embracing. With the manifestation of the Atman you will find that science, philosophy, and everything will be easily mastered.’8 Let us put forth our best energies in manifesting this Atman in every walk of life – academic or otherwise. Then alone can we count ourselves as worthy followers of this master Probabilist-sannyasi for whom the only ‘ c e r t a i n t y ’, a m i d s t t h e p ro b a b i l i s t i c uncertainties of phenomenal existence, is ‘Atman’ which he never tired of pointing out: ‘The soul endureth forever.’9

References 1) Reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda by His Eastern and Western Admirers [hereafter Reminiscences].

Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama,Mayavati, Fifth Edition, pp.302 2) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda [hereafter CW]. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, Mayavai Edition, 2: 229-230 3) CW. 2:231 4) CW. 2:260

5) Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries.

Marie Louise Burke. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 3:555-556 6) Londone Swami Vivekananda. [Bengali] Mahendranath Datta, The Mahendra Publishing Committee, pp.43-44 7) Reminiscences. p.329 8) CW. 2:138 9) CW. 4:246

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extraordinariness of Swamiji: ‘Others may be brilliant; his mind is luminous, for he had the power to put himself into the immediate contact with the source of all knowledge. He is no longer limited to the slow process to which ordinary human beings are confined.’7

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PA G E S P O N S O R : A D E V O T E E , M I S S I O N R D. , B E N G A LU R U

The foregoing discussion is surely indicative of the effortless ease with which Swamiji handled some of the important concepts in Probability theory. Against the backdrop that this rather abstruse theory was confined to the rarefied academic circles during nineteenth century, it is all the more extraordinary that a sannyasi could master this almost to the point of expertise. This expertise was such as to have brought out unstinted compliment from no less a Logician-cumProbabilist as Dr. John Venn of University of Cambridge, England. While not much is known about Swamji meeting any great Mathematician or Probabilist in the West, we know for a fact that in England Swamiji met Dr. John Venn – the celebrated authority on Logic and the author of ‘Logic of Chance’. The ‘Venn diagrams’ inseparable part of Probability theory are named after this great logician. According to the account of Mahendranath Datta (Swamiji’s younger brother): ‘Swamiji impressed the professor very much and he was most pleased with the encounter.’ 6 Given this mutual admiration, one would not be far out in saying that it was the meeting of a Probabilist from the East with a Probabilist from the West!

Reminiscences

Reminiscences of Sargachhi SWAMI SUHITANANDA

Swami Premeshananda (1884 – 1967) was a disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. For over two decades he lived at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Sargachhi, West Bengal. Under his inspiration countless people led a life of spirituality and service, and many young men and women entered into monastic life. His conversations – translated from Bengali and presented below – were noted by his attendant who is now Srimat Swami Suhitananda, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order.

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(Continued from previous issue. . .)

The Vedanta Kesari

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Q

45

uestion: Sometimes things happen in an unexpectedly fortuitous way for which we can claim no credit.

Can we regard such occurrences as manifestations of God’s grace?

sheer hypocrisy in the name of religion. Ten fanatics set up a person as an incarnation and a large number of people obey him out of fear.

Thus an avatar is created! Atheists are better than these people.

Maharaj: No. These beneficial developments are perhaps due to some good deeds that we performed in an earlier life. However, if we have God’s grace, we will develop the faith that they are in accordance with the will of the Lord.

Question: Sri Ramakrishna has said that Brahman includes all living beings and the world; i.e., our experience of Brahman is incomplete without them, just as the weight of a wood apple will be less if we leave out its shell and seeds. Does this make Sri Ramakrishna a Vishishtadvaitin (qualified monist)?

If we analyse this from the standpoint of a jnani (a man of knowledge), we shall find that we live within this body just as within our shirt – I take off the shirt and wash it when it becomes dirty, sew it when it’s torn, and throw it away when it wears out. But this is experienced only by the ripe ‘I’, not the ‘unripe I’. These ideals are for educated and refined people, for those seeking liberation. They are not for the common people. For them there is no other way than dualism. How many personalities like Buddha and Jesus have come! Were they able to accomplish anything? Also, what will even Swamiji do? However, those eager to attain liberation will benefit. पदरर्याणया् ियािूनयां “For the protection of the good.” (Gita 4:8)

How much commotion has happened in this world because of this dualism! There are numerous sects among the Muslims, Christians, and Hindus. The worshippers of Krishna, Shiva, and Kali fight with one another to death. This is

Maharaj: Sri Ramakrishna demonstrated that Nirguna Brahman (Brahman without attributes) is true. But does this mean that those who worship God with form do not see Brahman? Of course they see Brahman. And the qualified monists also verily see the same Brahman.

Sri Ramakrishna climbed to the highest spiritual state, and then coming down revealed that all spiritual states are true. The material that constitutes the roof is the same that constitutes the staircase. Coming down from the state of non-duality, Sri Ramakrishna would stay in the states of the qualified monists or the dualists; but this was unlike other qualified monists and dualists who think that theirs is the only true state. Read the verse ्येऽप्न्दयेवतया भतिया ्जनतये श्द्ध्याऽननवतयाः… “Even those who are devoted to other divinities with faith in their

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

Question: If I realise Brahman, then for sure I will possess all powers; can I then do whatever I want?

Maharaj: “I am Brahman” is true; but unless I prepare myself, how will I be aware of my powers? All the huge mansions which were built in the past can be built again if the building material and other necessary things a re ava i l a b l e [ p re p a ra t i o n p re c e d e s manifestation]. The kshatriyas pursued Brahmavidya. It requires immense power. नया्मयातमया बिहीनयेन िभ्ः “This Atman cannot be attained by the weak.” (Mundakopanishad 3:2:4) The brahmins preserved culture by performing sacrifices, reciting the Vedas, and leading a well-regulated life.

Question: Isn’t it enough to mentally repeat the Ishta mantra (the mantra of the Chosen Deity)?

Maharaj: Yes, provided the mind dwells on the Chosen Deity. We are not even conscious of where our mind dwells. Just as it is necessary to keep our mind on our Chosen Deity, we should in a more intense manner keep a sharp eye on what is happening inside us, in our mind. Without this, you cannot be a sannyasi.

Try to visualise this: I am speeding through space and slowly the sheaths (koshas) are dropping off my body one by one. Can you infer what remains at the very end?

In the causal body (karaṇa-sharira) you can taste the bliss in two ways – either by savouring the joy of God’s disport, or by being the witness of body-mind-intellect. But a sadhaka may fall even from the highest state of devotion if he has not detached himself from the body-mind-intellect complex. Mathura Das’s body was shivering from cold; yet he was saying, “I am not trembling inside.” Even if you

न मयां कमयात्रक्ण क्िमपननत न मये कमत्रफिये सपपृहया । इक्त मयां ्ोऽक्भजयानयाक्त कमत्रक्भनत्र ि बध्तये।। “Actions do not taint Me, nor have I any thirst for the fruit of action. He who knows Me thus is not bound by actions.” (Gita 4:14) It is possible to succeed if you work after knowing this divine truth. However, when you work, you are bound to experience the fruits.

But he who wants to be free, though working, always tries to realise नैषकम्त्र, actionlessness.

Such action cannot be called work; this is just his effort to finish his work; it is worship of God. Suppose I have gone as far as Berhampore, and then want to return to Sargachhi. What is the way? I have to walk back to Sargachhi from Berhampore. This walking back is not the same as going to Berhampore. Similarly, this kind of work is not action; it is worship. As long as you cannot remain without doing work, you work; after that you sit in yoga.

आरुरुषिोमुत्रनये्योगं कमत्र कयारणमुच्तये । ्ोगयारूढस् तस्ैव शमः कयारणमुच्तये ।। “For the sage who desires to attain to yoga, action is said to be the means. For the selfsame person, when he has attained to yoga, inaction is said to be the means.” (Gita 6:3) Sri Ramakrishna has said that whatever work comes to your lot, perform it selflessly and pray: “O Lord, please reduce my hankering for work.” At first, hold on to God with one hand and keep the other hand on work. Afterwards, work will end and every action of yours will become worship – just as the monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna used to do. (to be continued...)

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constantly remember and repeat the name of God, you may have a fall. Nowadays there are many who don’t observe their own mind carefully; consequently, they start accepting disciples and keep female companions.

Therefore, unless a spiritual seeker habitually acts after due introspection, discrimination, and deliberation, he is at great risk and he will not have liberation from karma.

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hearts, worship Me alone, O Arjuna, though by the wrong method [not understanding the truth].” (Gita 9:23)

The Vedanta Kesari

18 January 2020

Article

Women Saints of Varkari Tradition ARPANA GHOSH

Consequently, women who lived relatively ordinary lives as wives, mothers and sisters easily integrated into the tradition. They did not fling off worldly responsibilities and restrictions and wander off alone like a Mirabai or Akka Mahadevi. The tradition gave them space to evolve as teachers and sants or saints.

They are referred to with the same honorific prefix ‘sant’ as their male counterparts: Sant Janabai being one of the most prominent.

The black murti of Vitthala or Pandurang is believed to be the saguna form of the One Supreme pervading the whole universe. Great saint-poets like Sant Jnaneshvar, Namdev, Ekanath, and Tukaram proclaimed that nothing but a longing heart full of love was needed to reach God and cross over the ocean of samsara.

And the way to attain this love was through bhajan or chanting of the Lord’s name ‘Ram Krishna Hari’! This bhava, to speak to God with an intense love was the key to reach Him. We come across nearly 15 women sants as listed in the Sakala Santa Gatha, a compendium of the abhangs of all the Maharashtrian devotee-saints. This article highlights four of the most popular women saints hailing from very different social backgrounds.

Sant Muktabai Muktabai, whose name means ‘liberated, was the younger sister of Sant Jnaneshvar, that ‘Ocean of Knowledge’ who is credited with laying the foundation of this Vitthala Bhakti Marga, the Varkari Sampradaya. Altogether they were four siblings – Nivrittinath, Jnaneshvar, Sopan and Mukta - each two years apart in age from the other. Their father, a devout Brahmin had left his wife to become a sannyasi in Kashi and was later ordered by his guru to return to the householder’s life and fulfil his duties. The brahmins however did not accept this and ostracized the whole family. They had to suffer many torments and injustices. The parents eventually drowned themselves as the advised

Arpana Ghosh, a German by birth, is settled in Chennai for 27 years. She has embraced Vitthal Bhakti and is Vitthal’s German Varkari. arpana-ghosh@hotmail.com

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T

he Varkari Sampradaya or the bhakti movement centered around Lord Vitthala of Pandharpur swept over the region of Maharashtra between the 13 th and 17 th C.E. Its tradition of allencompassing love for God included everyone breaking the barriers of gender, caste, and status and threw up numerous saint-poets and exemplary householder devotees. The ideal was to spiritualise one’s family-life and practice bhakti within one’s home.

19 The Vedanta Kesari

PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I R AV I C H A M U T U R I , H Y D E R A B A D

In the earlier issues we presented the life and teachings of Sants Jnaneswar, Namdev, Eknath, and Tukaram. This article on the women saints concludes this series on the Varkhari tradition of Maharashtra.

means of expiation (prayaschitta) and the four children were orphaned at a very young age.

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Mukta must have been just a tiny girl of three! The children continued to be outcastes until they proved their intellectual and spiritual brilliance in a debate with the brahmins of Paithan, where the young Jnaneshvar made a buffalo recite the Vedas to prove that God is not different from his creation. From then on people respected the children as divine and blessed.

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supernatural powers through years of tapasya and who had many followers, was humbled by Jnaneshvar and he eventually became a disciple of the very young Mukta – a woman – a yogini!!

Muktabai composed about 50 abhangs.

Her main theme is taking God’s name in order to acquire the divine qualities, experience God’s omnipresence and become liberated. In her abhangs she signs off simply as ‘Muktai’.

Popular among her abhangs are her eleven ‘Songs of the Door’ (tatiche abhang). As they were treated as outcastes, Mukta’s life was Jnaneshvar, fed up with entirely bound up with the derogatory and vile Sant Janabai performed all her that of her brothers; comments of the people, household chores together with wherever they went, they locked himself in his hut. stayed together like a Vitthala.

With these songs Mukta small family, all of them cajoled him to open the unmarried. The eldest door. She sang Santa teci Nivrittinath, was their guru and he initiated jana jagi,daya kshama jyace angi “People can them into the Nath Sampraday, an esoteric recognize a sant by his forbearance and Shaiva tradition, and later, when they came to compassion, one whose mind has no greed and Pandharpur, they became the strongest conceit, one who has attained bliss here on proponents of Vitthala bhakti; thus they earth, one who bestows pure knowledge! Put amalgamated two traditions. Mukta even aside false doubts, open the door Jnaneshvar!” witnessed and experienced Sant Jnaneshvar’s As can be noted she does not adopt the servile samadhi sohala or celebration in Alandi – a tone of a younger sister pleading with an older sublime 5-day event of bliss and grief, brother; it is one self-realized soul addressing witnessed by thousands, where her brother another.

Jnaneshvar, endearingly called Maoli (mother) took sajivan samadhi. Having fulfilled his life’s purpose and with a great longing to unite forever with the Supreme he had himself entombed in an underground chamber beneath the Siddheshvar Shiva temple in Alandi at the tender age of 22!

Muktabai is depicted as a beautiful and brilliant young girl, spiritually very advanced and learned. The fact that she didn’t get married puts her above the norm. Unlike many other women bhaktas, she never emphasizes her womanhood. She dwells entirely in the spirit and is very confident. The great yogi C h a n ga d ev wh o h a d a c q u i re d m a ny

All the four siblings were divine incarnations who came to spiritually uplift m a n k i n d . T h e i r m i s s i o n c o m p l e te d , they followed their brother Jnaneshvar and within six months all of them took sajivan samadhi in various places. Of Muktabai it is said that she disappeared in a flash of lightning. Her age must have been at that time just 18!

Muktabai is greatly revered and admired and people believe she is an incarnation of the Adi Shakti, but she is not the typical example of a bhavik Varkari sant. As a person she almost seems intangible; her life is miraculous, full of wisdom and mysticism.

Sant Janabai

As Namdev Maharaj grew up, got married and had children, there were 14 members in his house! And Janabai would call herself the 15th member! There was a lot of work and grinding to be done! At a time when flourmills did not exist, women would get up very early – when other family members were still asleep – and immediately sit down for grinding. It was an inevitable hard work, and women would preferably sit in pairs while rotating the heavy millstone, and they would sing in an urge to

Sant Janabai

unburden their hearts, expressing their worries, their family concerns, confiding in the millstone! The rhyme and rhythm of their songs and the sound of the mill brought about the ‘ovi’, a verse form for grinding and lulling infants.

The image of Janabai grinding together with Vitthala at dawn is etched in the mind of the Maharashtrian people. She calls Vitthala ‘The one hungry for love’, and her bhakti was so pure that Vitthala was there with her almost every day, helping her in all the household chores. Her abhangs are full of such descriptions: Vitthala grinding in his pitambara, yellow dhoti, telling Jani to simply watch and sing; Vitthal fetching water with her from the river – allowing her not even to get her feet wet; Vitthala carrying the trash after the courtyard is broomed; and both of them together making cowdung cakes.

She sings, Dalitam kanditam, tuj gaina ananta, “While grinding and pounding I sing

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She arrived in Pandharpur as a small lower caste orphan girl having lost her way.

There she came under the care of Damsheti, the father of the great Vitthalbhakta Sant Namdev.

In this saintly home she grew up and spent all her life as a maidservant. She was a few years elder to Namdev, and took care of him as a young boy and later became his disciple. In her abhangs, she very often mentions her good fortune to have been guided by Namdev Maharaj, and she makes it a point to sign her abhangs as ‘Nama’s Jani’ (namayachi jani). In some of her songs she tells Vitthala that she would gladly be born again and again –only if it was in Pandharpur in the house of Namdev!

Her songs show the same style and images as her guru’s. When he sings: ‘With a sling of love I caught Gopala!’, Jani says with even greater confidence dharilam Pandaricha chor, ‘I caught the thief of Pandhari! I bound a rope around his neck and confined him in my heart – I will not let him go anymore!’

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PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I H E M A N T D. VA K I L , M U M B A I

Of all the Maharashtrian women sants, Janabai is the most popular and her abhangs are sung widely. The way she performed all her household chores together with Vitthala, giving to her daily drudgery a n e w re s p e c t a b i l i t y a n d m e a n i n g , i s unparalleled! She is indeed the purest example of Vitthala bhakti!

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your name, infinite one, not even for a second I forget to sing your Name! In all my daily chores I have your name on my lips! You are my father, mother, friend and sister, Chakrapani! While grinding I am totally immersed in your feet – says Nama’s Jani.” In these few lines she reveals the secret of her bhakti: to take God’s name every moment uninterruptedly and to keep him embraced in the heart!

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Vitthala appeared to her in various forms, as a friend, as a father, but mostly as a female friend, sister or mother – Vithabai, Vithai, Pandurangi. Her life was one of constant remembrance of the Lord similar to Gopaler Maa and Kururamma who lived in this sacred land in recent times. It is a noteworthy step in the development of the bhakti movement that women bring God into the kitchen, but it is even rarer to speak of God becoming a woman serving his bhaktas! Being an orphan, instead of fretting about her life, Janabai gave herself entirely to God. In another abhang she sings Maya meli bapa mela, ata sambhali Vitthala, “Mother is dead, father is dead - now take care of me Vitthala! Don’t neglect me, I’m your child! I’m your servant, ignorant and simple-minded give me a place at your feet! Who else but you can protect me? How much longer will you just look on – I’m so weary! Life of all Life! Jani calls on you!”

Vitthala’s labour of love for Janabai doesn’t stop here. He helped her in bathing and oiled and braided her hair, because “Jani is all alone, no one else to take care of her!” When Jani feels that Vitthala neglected her or failed to appear, she calls out to him in an intimate language.

Songs and legends tell us that Janabai was painfully aware of her position as a maidservant, a woman and an orphan of a low caste. During her initial years in Sant Namdev’s house, we hear that Vitthala had visited for a

festive dinner, but Janabai had been left outside, crying, longing. Feeling her pain, Vitthala lost his appetite and stopped eating. At night he went stealthily to Janabai’s cottage where she could offer him nothing but his own leavings which had been given to her. Here occurs also the famous story of the exchanged blankets, where Jani almost got into a huge trouble when they found Vitthala with Jani’s torn old blanket in the temple and his costly silk shawl in her cottage.

Though sometimes vexed with her repetitive chores and her being a woman, she comes to terms with it Strijanma mhanavuni na vhave udasa, “I should not feel sad to be born a woman, the sadhus and sants taught me this.

I’m serving in the house of the sants, Vitthala gave me the essence of love!”

When Namdev Maharaj had vowed to compose one billion abhangs for the Lord, Jani was also allotted a certain number. Her 350 verses appear as an annexure to the Namdev Gatha. As she was unlettered, Vitthala himself came to write them down for her and he found them exceedingly sweet. Since that time she was fully integrated into the group of sants around Namdev and had the wonderful opportunity to have their association. She was especially fond of Sant Jnaneshvar and composed moving abhangs on him.

Legend tells that she was also one of the 14 family-members who left their body at the same time with Sant Namdev in 1350, and that they were all buried beneath the ‘Namdev Payari’, the steps to Vitthala’s temple gate. The dates of her life must have more or less overlapped with those of Namdev (1270 1350) and it seems she was in her eighties when she left her body.

Janabai’s abhangs allow women to identify with her easily, and they sing her songs even now. But mostly their minds remain caught up in the worries, hopes and difficulties

Sant Kanhopatra

Whereas other women bhaktas, whether married or unmarried, were somehow integrated into a family, Kanhopatra was all by herself with Vitthala as her protector. Upon hearing about Kanhopatra’s great beauty, the king of Bedar of the Bahamani dynasty requested her to come to his palace as a concubine. When she refused, he sent messengers to take her by force. She took refuge in the temple and pleaded with Vitthala to save her, and in this precarious situation she died right there before the sanctum.

Kanhopatra was the very Did she merge into beautiful daughter of the Vitthala? Did she commit courtesan Shyama. They lived suicide? Did her heart stop in Mangalvedhe, not far from over-powered by emotion?

Pandharpur in the 15 century.

One can only guess. Her body Shyama taught her daughter to was placed at Vitthala’s feet sing and dance and hoped to and hurriedly she was buried make ample money out of her right there within the temple performances and services. precincts. On this very place Though forced into this fallen from beneath the stone slabs of p r o f e s s i o n , K a n h o p a t ra Sant Kanhopatra the temple, unfed by water, a rebelled against it and vowed strange tree sprang up - the Tree of Kanhopatra not to accept any suitor unless he was equal in worshipped by the pilgrims. She is the only beauty to herself. sant who has her samadhi within the temple of One day a group of varkaris passed her Vithoba. house on their way to Pandharpur, singing There are about 25 extant abhangs sung Vitthala’s praises. Hearing about Vitthala’s

by Kanhopatra. Many of her abhangs refer to beautiful, blissful image in the temple, and her debased social status. She calls herself learning that He was called Patita Pavan, the impure, fallen, unworthy of God’s grace; but she ‘purifier of the fallen’, she developed a great reminds Vitthala that He has liberated many longing for His darshan. She soon visited great sinners. There is a certain physical Pandharpur and when she saw the divine vulnerability coming through in many of her image, she was so filled with admiration and songs, a desperate cry for protection, feeling love, that she decided to stay in Pandhari and her body in danger which the other women surrender her life at the Lord’s feet. Most of the sants don’t show; Muktabai for example never depictions of Kanhopatra show her holding a mentions her body as a woman! This body

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PA G E S P O N S O R : A D E V O T E E , M Y L A P O R E , C H E N N A I

Sant Janabai’s life and her abhangs are practical lessons in remembering and living in the Lord’s company even as wo m e n g o a b o u t t h e i r monotonous daily chores.

veena near the image of Vitthala; so it is believed that she sang abhangs and did bhajan in and around the temple.

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of their samsar, hardly anybody reaches the state of surrender of a triumphant Janabai who sings Mi to samarthachi dasi, mithi ghalina payapasi, “I’m the dasi of the All-Powerful and I will embrace His feet! This is my firm decision: I will make a festival of the Lord’s name and I will sing His names with all my chores! At His feet lies all bliss – Vitthala is speaking with Jani!”

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consciousness must have arisen from her hated profession of being the object of desire of men.

The Vedanta Kesari

24

saw Vitthala’s feet! Kanhopatra would gladly take birth again and again if she could see in every life the feet of Vitthala!”

She says patita tu pavana, mhanavisi Narayana, “You are called The following lines Without you there is no place to purifier of the fallen, are said to be Sant hold on to in all the three worlds.

Narayana, keep your Kanhopatra’s final verses Mother Vithabai run fast! Come! promise, stand up for your before leaving her body.

I am hopeless. Take Kanhopatra Name! My caste is not nako devaraya anta ata into your heart. clean, neither my faith, I pahu, “Please don’t test have a vile behaviour and me! Already my breath is character! Not even your leaving me! The doe’s name is on my lips – Kanhopatra seeks refuge little fawn is caught by a tiger, this is just how at your feet!”

I’m feeling, Lord! Without you there is no place to hold on to in all the three worlds, Mother In varma vairiyache hati,deu nako Vithabai run fast! Come! I am hopeless.

Shripati she pleads “Don’t give my Take Kanhopatra into your heart!” inner essence into the hands of the predators, Shripati! You are the Lord of those who have nobody, you are merciful, compassionate to the low – all the Vedas and shastras proclaim that! Your feet carry that label! Now stand by it and your devotee, don’t abandon me begs your dasi Kanhopatra.”

Giving instances of how God lowered himself for the sake of his bhaktas, she calls on Him to do likewise with her.

In a beautiful abhang she eventually describes Vitthala’s darshan janmantariche sukrita aji phalasi ale, “The good deeds of all my past lives have borne fruit today – I have seen Vitthala’s feet! Blessed my good fortune that my eyes beheld today –I have seen Vitthala’s feet! Blessed my feet walking this sacred path to Pandhari – and I saw Vitthala’s feet! By coming here my body became blessed hence I

Her desperate last appeal leaves us pensive that the only option to transcend her female body as an object of desire was by giving it up. It reinforces the concept that the loving relation between bhakta and God is eternal, birth after birth or as Namdev Maharaj vows deha javo athava raho Pandurangi dridha bhavo, “No matter if the body goes or remains – my love for Vitthala is firm!”

Kanhopatra’s tree in the temple, venerated for centuries, also given up its life in 2015. No new leaves are sprouting anymore, only the slant overhanging stem remains. Is it due to the torture the pilgrims inflicted on the tree over the years in the name of bhakti by plucking off pieces of this ‘blessed bark’ to take home, or is it Vitthala’s lila? (to be continued…)

The highest concept is to think that everything is He. Failing that it is best to think that he is the real agent behind all actions and He is causing us to act. —Swami Turiyananda

Pocket Tales

Snake! Snake!

GITANJALI MURARI

A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Swami Vivekananda.

The author, a media and television professional for over 20 years, is now a writer of fiction. She lives in gitanjalimurari@yahoo.com Illustrator: Smt. Lalithaa Thyagarajan. lalithyagu@gmail.com Mumbai.

January 2020

25 The Vedanta Kesari

PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I S U M A N T H T I M M A D A S A R I , B E N G A LU R U

‘H

ari, Shibu,’ Naren called his playmates urgently, waving his hand. The boys had just entered the big courtyard of Naren’s home. ‘What are we playing today,’ they asked, running towards him. In answer, Naren took them up a flight of stairs to a big attic. ‘It is a new game,’ he said, his large, brown eyes sparkling as he locked the door.

The room was dank and dreary with hardly any sunlight peeping through the one window. ‘This is scary,’ Hari said in a slightly shaky voice, looking at the shadows on the walls. ‘It is perfect for our new game,’ Naren declared. ‘The game of meditation…’ ‘What!’

Sitting down on the bare floor, Naren crossed his legs. ‘My sister says if you close your eyes and sit quietly for a long time, the hair on your head grows to touch the ground,’ he explained to his amazed friends. ‘I want to see if that is true…’

Hari and Shibu sat down, excited by the new game. All three boys closed their eyes and crossed their hands in their laps, just like the rishis of olden times. After five minutes,

January 2020 The Vedanta Kesari

26

Shibu peeked at his friends. Naren and Hari were quite still, so he once again squeezed his eyes shut. Barely had five minutes elapsed, when Hari opened his eyes, scratching his arm.

‘Mosquitoes,’ he complained. ‘Hush,’ Shibu scolded. ‘Be quiet…’

Quite soon, the two boys began to feel uncomfortable, frequently changing their position on the hard floor but Naren remained like a statue, his face calm and glowing.

Suddenly Hari whispered, ‘What is that?’ ‘Don’t disturb,’ Shibu muttered. ‘I am serious… look…’ Shibu’s eyes flew open, ‘Could it be that your hair has started to grow?’ But when he peered in the direction of Hari’s pointing finger, his eyes widened in horror. ‘It is a snake,’ he screamed jumping to his feet, staring at the black rope slithering towards them.

‘Get up,’ the boys shouted, tugging at their friend but Naren didn’t flinch, his body rigid like a rock. ‘What do we do?’ Shibu wailed, his terrified gaze locked on the approaching snake. ‘Let’s get help…’ and Hari leapt for the stairs, Shibu following close behind. They returned quickly, bringing Naren’s parents and sisters.

‘Stay back,’ Naren’s father commanded, standing just inside the door. Everyone gasped.

With its hood fanned out and its tongue flickering, the snake hissed at Naren. ‘Let me go to my baby,’ his mother cried out. But Vishwanath Datta shook his head. ‘It is a cobra…we must remain here or it may get startled and bite our boy…’

The group remained at the door, their eyes riveted on Naren and the snake. ‘Shiva, Shiva,’ his mother prayed, her eyes wet with tears. All of a sudden, the cobra lowered its hood and crawled out through a hole in the wall. With a sigh of relief, everyone rushed to Naren, afraid to touch him. After some time, his body relaxed and he opened his eyes, looking wonderingly at the anxious faces. ‘What happened? Why are you all here?’

‘It was a snake, Naren,’ Hari said. ‘It was about to strike you…didn’t you hear us scream?’ Naren shook his head. His mother caressed his soft chin. ‘What were you doing my child?’ ‘Meditating ma,’ he smiled. ‘It was wonderful…I felt so happy…only…’ He touched his head and frowned at his sisters. ‘My hair has not grown at all…’

Meditation means the mind is turned back upon itself. The mind stops all the thought-waves and the world stops. Your consciousness expands. Every time you meditate you will keep your growth. Work a little harder, more and more, and meditation comes. You do not feel the body or anything else. When you come out of it after the hour, you have had the most beautiful rest you ever had in your life. That is the only way you ever give rest to your system. Not even the deepest sleep will give you such rest as that. The mind goes on jumping even in deepest sleep. Just those few minutes in meditation your brain has almost stopped. Just a little vitality is kept up. You forget the body. You may be cut to pieces and not feel it at all. You feel such pleasure in it. You become so light.

This perfect rest we will get in meditation. —Swami Vivekananda

PULLOUT FOR REFERENCE

Series 5: Issue 3: Understanding India

- through Swami Vivekananda's eyes Swami Vivekananda gave a wonderful

ISSUE ISSUE 24 10

talk at Jaffna on 24th January 1897.

(Refer, Lectures from Colombo to Almora,

focus in this issue:

introduced Hindus in the subcontinent to

Vedantism - part 1

and most fundamental building blocks

An outline of the talk is presented here:

important ideas on Hinduism and will be

their own religion in terms of its simplest and principles. This talk is rich in several covered in this and the next issues of

Defining Hinduism Swami Vivekananda begins by defining Hindus as Vaidikas or Vedantists - people whose religion is rooted in the Vedas and the Vedanta.

II

Books of the Hindus Swami Vivekananda then describes the books of the Hindus - from the revelations of timeless truths encoded in the Vedas and the Upanishads down to the mass of stories & myths with their numerous interpretations.

III

The Core Principles of Hinduism Swami Vivekananda goes on to describe the core principles of Hinduism, including the ideas of Srishti, Brahman, the law of Karma, the Infinite Soul, the meaning of various Deities, Mukti or freedom and the pathways to achieve it, the ideas of God, and the theory of Ishta.

IV

The Practices of Hinduism Based on the core principles, Hinduism has developed several practices, for example, the practice of each person following his/ her own personal God/Ishta; the practice of inclusion of everyone & exclusion of none; the practice of mercy - to the poor, animals, everybody; and building institutions which stand the test of time.

V

The Task Ahead Swami Vivekananda then concludes the extraordinary presentation of Hinduism with "action steps" for each of us. He proposes that 'Dana' or 'Service' is the great Tapasya of the modern age.

Sections

I

&

II

covered in this issue>>

Designed & developed by

ILLUMINE Knowledge Catalysts

ÂŽ

www.illumine.in

January 2020

Vivekananda Way.

I

27 The Vedanta Kesari

PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I S AYA N TA N G A N G U LY, K O L K ATA

Complete Works, Vol. 3). In this talk, he

An alternative word for Hindus: Vaidikas or Vedantists The word Hindu, by which it is the fashion nowadays to style ourselves, has lost all its meaning, for this word merely meant those who lived on the other side of the river Indus (in Sanskrit, Sindhu).

Thus this word has come down to us; and during the Mohammedan rule we took up the word ourselves. There may not be any harm in using the word of course; but, as I have said, it has lost its significance, for you may mark that all the people who live on this side of the Indus in modern times do not follow the same religion as they did in ancient times. The word, therefore, covers not only Hindus proper, but Mohammedans, Christians, Jains, and other people who live in India. I therefore, would not use the word Hindu.

January 2020

What word should we use then? The other words which alone we can use are either the Vaidikas, followers of the Vedas, or better still, the Vedantists, followers of the Vedanta.

The Vedanta Kesari

28

The books of the Hindus - a visualization ETERNAL TRUTHS

ACCESSIBLE TO SOCIETY

Vedas (Not the utterance of persons, exist without beginning or end - revealed to the Rishis through a process of spiritual discovery)

There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda

(Essence of the knowledge of the Vedas - contain the universal unchangeable principles - the absolute authority to be adhered to by all sects of Hinduism)

Smritis (Codes & Regulations specific to time & context)

Examples of Smritis include, the six Vedangas, Ithihasas (Mahabharata & Ramayana), Sastras pertaining to each station of life, such as Dharma-sastras, Arthasastra, Yoga-sastra, etc.

Vedanta & the Upanishads

ESSENCE

Puranas & Tantras (Religion for the people)

Examples of Puranas include Markandeya Purana, Shiva Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Agni Purana and Padma Purana, etc.

Tantra Agamas are the most important texts on the diverse philosophies of the Tantric traditions

There are more than 200 known Upanishads, one of which, the Muktika Upanishad, predates 1656 CE. Examples of major Upanishads are the Aitareya Upanishad, Taittiriya Upanishad, Kausitaki Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad, Prasna Upanishad, Brihadaryanaka Upanishad, Chandogya Upanishad and Katha Upanishad

Vedas are revelatory truths, eternal, without beginning or end This mass of writing called the Vedas is not the utterance of persons. Its date has never been fixed, can never be fixed, and, according to us, the Vedas are eternal. ...They were never written, never created, they have existed throughout time; just as creation is infinite and eternal, without beginning and without end, so is the knowledge of God without beginning and without end. And this knowledge is what is meant by the Vedas (Vid to know).

All the other religions of the world claim their authority as being delivered by a Personal God or a number of personal beings, angels, or special messengers of God, unto certain persons; while the claim of the Hindus is that the Vedas do not owe their authority to anybody, they are themselves the authority, being eternal — the knowledge of God.

THE CEREMONIAL

January 2020

Vedas THE SPIRITUAL

Karma Khanda

Jnana Khanda

(work portion)

(knowledge portion)

The main ideas of the Karma Kânda, [such as] the duties of man, the duties of the student, of the householder, of the recluse, and the various duties of the different stations of life, are followed more or less down to the present day.

The spiritual portion of our religion is in the second part, the Jnâna Kânda, the Vedanta, the end of the Vedas, the gist, the goal of the Vedas. The essence of the knowledge of the Vedas was called by the name of Vedanta, which comprises the Upanishads.

All the sects of India that dare to come within the fold of Hinduism must acknowledge the Upanishads of the Vedas.

Vedas were revealed to the Rishis - who were spiritual discoverers The mass of knowledge called the Vedanta was discovered by personages called Rishis, and the Rishi is defined as a Mantra-drashta, a seer of thought; not that the thought was his own.

Uddalaka Aruni

Yajnavalkya

Whenever you hear that a certain passage of the Vedas came from a certain Rishi never think that he wrote it or created it out of his mind; he was the seer of the thought which already existed; it existed in the universe eternally. This sage was the discoverer; the Rishis were spiritual discoverers.

Gargi Maitreyi

Shvetaketu and many more...

29 The Vedanta Kesari

PA G E S P O N S O R : S M T. S H U B H A R A N G A N AT H A N , C H E N N A I

Vedas are divided principally into two parts, the Karma Kânda and the Jnâna Kânda

The ideas of the Upanishads have permeated through Indian society So deeply have these Upanishads sunk into our race that those of you who study the symbology of the crudest religion of the Hindus will be astonished to find sometimes figurative expressions of the Upanishads — the Upanishads become symbolised after a time into figures and so forth. ...Thus the various symbols now used by us, all come from the Vedanta, because in the Vedanta they are used as figures, and these ideas spread among the nation and permeated it throughout until they became part of their everyday life as symbols.

January 2020 The Vedanta Kesari

All the philosophers of India who are orthodox have to acknowledge the authority of the Vedanta; and all our present-day religions, however crude some of them may appear to be, however inexplicable some of their purposes may seem, one who understands them and studies them can trace them back to the ideas of the Upanishads.

Smritis are scriptures that convert the eternal principles of Vedanta into contemporary customs 1.

Smritis 1.

30

THE AUTHORITY OF THE VEDANTA IS ABSOLUTE

Smritis have been written by particular sages; in that sense they are the same as the scriptures of other religions.

Principles of Vedanta

Comprises the principles of religion that are in the Vedanta.

2. They are built upon the eternal principles that are in man and nature; they can never change.

2. Smritis, as mainly regulating the manners and customs of the nation, had also to be changed from time to time.

In modern times the Smritis must change, but the principles of our religion must remain intact.

Puranas & Tantras illustrate the eternal principles to the people Puranas were written in the language of the people of that time. Not meant for scholars, but for ordinary people. [Covered various topics, for example] history, cosmology (with various symbological illustration of philosophical principles).

Tantras are similar to Puranas in some respects. Some of them dealt with the sacrificial ideas of the Karma Khanda.

TO BE CONTINUED...

If you have any questions on this lecture, do post your queries on

www.vivekanandaway.org You can also access previous issues of Vivekananda Way here.

Ma

gic ,M ira cle s

and the

e Mystical Twelv

LAKSHMI DEVNATH

Roots in the Air and Shoots in the Soil The Story of Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar

The author is a researcher and writer with various books and articles on Indian music and culture to her credit. lakshmidevnath@gmail.com Illustrator: Smt. Lalithaa Thyagarajan. lalithyagu@gmail.com

January 2020

T

he visitors left, and Poorva wondered where Swami Thaatha was. She stepped into the muddy lane, and a cool breeze wafted past her. It swept her worries away, and she decided to explore the countryside. As she skipped through the lush green fields of Thirumazhisai, she noticed little streams of cool, crystal-clear water flowing at various places in the village. Poorva knelt down, cupped some of the water in her small palms and splashed it on her face. “Heavenly,” she sighed, and closed her eyes.

Sugarcane plants, wells, tanks, canals – “Wow, Thirumazhisai does look prosperous. I wonder who the king of this place is.”

Some monks with shaven heads and saffron robes passed by. She heard them say, “God bless this Pallava king. He takes such good care of his kingdom and his people.”

Well, there is my answer, thought Poorva, as she did a hop, skip and jump and landed near the window of a little cottage. Out of idle curiosity, she peeped through the window and was surprised to recognize the couple inside. They were the same old man and old woman who had turned young, but who was that beside them?

“Kanikannan … don’t cry, son,” Poorva heard husband and wife soothe their child. A baby had been born to them and he had already grown into a toddler!

Poorva took a deep breath, once again puzzled by the number of years that must have gone by. Curious now about the adopted child of Thiruvaalan and Pangayachelvi, she sprinted towards Thiruvaalan’s house. There she found a young lad absorbed in a palm-leaf manuscript. Looking at him, Poorva chuckled, “For sure, this young man is a bookworm, or should I say, manuscript-worm!”

She watched with amazement the constant stream of visitors coming to pay their respects to him. They were addressing him, with great reverence, as ‘Shivavaakkiar’. Poorva

31 The Vedanta Kesari

PA G E S P O N S O R : A D E V O T E E , T E Y N A M P E T, C H E N N A I

(Continued from previous issue. . .)

January 2020 The Vedanta Kesari

32

heard one of the visitors say with utmost respect: “He is indeed Shivavaakkiar. He repeats the name of Shiva continuously, all the time.”

Poorva looked keenly at the youth. “Wait a minute. Isn’t this young man Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar? Of course he is! Then why are people calling him …?” Poorva was totally confused. Tugging at her hair, she muttered, “Swami Thaatha, save me before I become a nutcase.”

“I can’t guarantee that!” joked the Swami, walking in from nowhere.

Poorva did not even hear him, caught up as she was in solving the puzzle of Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar. She came straight to the point. The Swami listened attentively as she told him all that had taken place in his absence. When she finished, he remarked, “You are right. Shivavaakkiar and Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar are one and the same. You wanted to know more about Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar and I thought you would enjoy watching a ‘movie’ rather than simply listening to a story. That’s why I brought you to Thirumazhisai from Mylapore. I hope you had a nice time.”

“No doubt about that, Swami Thaatha, though I must say I’m going bonkers with babies appearing from nowhere, old people turning young …”

“And young people turning crazy!” the Swami smiled. Poorva grimaced, annoyed that he was making fun of her when she was being serious.

“Incidentally, do you like your new dress?”

“Gosh! Did you really pick that out, Thaatha? I must say you have good taste. I suppose it’s no use asking where it came from – with you, things just come, or they just happen.”

The Swami smiled mysteriously in reply.

“I have one more question,” Poorva continued briskly. “Who are the Aazhvaar’s real parents and why did they abandon him?”

“You’re really sharp. Let me try and clear yo u r c o n f u s i o n ,” s a i d t h e S wa m i .

“Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar is an incarnation of Sudarshana, the discus of Vishnu. He was born to Sage Bhargava. The parents, obviously unaware of who he was, abandoned the child because it was only a lump of flesh, without any limbs. God, however, blessed the baby, and it became normal. And as you saw, it was found by the hunter.”

“I thought that he was a kidnapper,” Poorva laughed. “Still, you can’t deny it was pretty mean of those parents. At least

www.lakshmidevnath.com

January 2020

This story book is available through

33 The Vedanta Kesari

PA G E S P O N S O R : A D E V O T E E , K O C H A D A I , M A D U R A I

God is not hard-hearted. Tell me, Thaatha, why is this Vishnu devotee – an Aazhvaar – being called Shivavaakkiar?”

“Good question,” complimented the Swami, and he continued, “Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar was indeed a worshipper of Shiva till his meeting with Pey Aazhvaar changed all that. Such was his devotion to Vishnu thereafter, that Shiva honoured him with the title ‘Bhakthisaara’, meaning ‘essence of devotion’.”

A short pause followed. The Swami chose his words with care as he tried to put things across clearly to Poorva. “Listen carefully. You first saw Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar at Mylapore. From there, I took you back by a few years so that you could see for yourself the interesting events of his childhood. Now, I’m going to zoom forward again to let you experience the extraordinary life of Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar after he became a devotee of Vishnu.”

Anticipating another round of miracles, Poorva stretched out her arms like a bird in flight. (to be continued. . .)

Chiselled Narratives

A Get-Together of the Gods in a Temple-College DR. CHITHRA MADHAVAN

January 2020

This section presents less known but enlightening nuggets of information about our ancient culture as revealed in our temples, images, symbols, and inscriptions.

The Vedanta Kesari

34

T

hirumukkudal, an ancient and historic village in Tamil Nadu is about 25 km from the famous temple-town of Kanchipuram. Thirumukkudal which in Tamil means `the confluence of three holy streams’, is thus named as it is situated at the confluence of River Palar and its tributaries the Cheyyar and the Vegavati. A temple for Vishnu wherein this deity is worshipped as Appan Venkatesa Perumal is situated here. It was in existence from at least the 9th C.E. if not earlier, as there is an inscription on the wall of this temple of a king named Nripatungavarman of the Pallava dynasty who ruled in the 9th C.E. There are a number of other inscriptions here which reveal that the deity of this hoary shrine was known by different names during the rule of the the Pallava dynasty and subsequently of other dynasties like the Cholas and Vijayanagara. He was known as Tirumukkudal-Azhvar, Vishnu-Bhattara, Mahavishnu, Venkatesvara Swamin and Venkatesa Perumal.

The temple enshrines a grand image of Lord Venkatesa seen in a standing posture,

carrying the Sankha and Chakra in the upper hands with Sage Markandeya and Goddess Bhudevi at His feet. It is believed that this deity is a combination of the aspects of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. The utsava-murti of this shrine is known as Srinivasa.

Unique Festival Tirumukkudal is famous as the place where a unique festival is held in the Tamil month of Thai (mid-January to mid-February) on the Maatu Pongal day immediately after Pongal or Sankranti. On this occasion, many Vishnu images like the famous Varadaraja Swami from Kanchipuram travel to the temple of Lakshmi Nrisimha at Pazhaiya Seevaram (on the opposite bank of the Palar) and both these deities visit the Venkatesa temple at Tirumukkudal. Here, all the three deities, along with two others from temples close by give Darshan to devotees from the numerous mandapas in this temple. A large number of people gather on this occasion every year to worship all the deities at once in a same place.

The author is a historian focussing on temple architecture, iconography and epigraphy. She is a recipient of two post-doctoral fellowships, and author of nine books and several research papers. She lives in Chennai. drchithra@gmail.com

There was a hostel attached to this temple-college where the students lived and sixty people were fed here everyday.

Interestingly, there was also a hospital attached

Appan Venkatesa Perumal temple, Thirumukkudal

January 2020

A long Tamil inscription found on a wall of this temple, belonging to the reign of emperor Vira-Rajendra Chola of the 11th C.E., provides very interesting information about a Vedic pathasala or college which functioned inside the premises of the temple. This record mentions in detail the different subjects taught here, the number of teachers and students studying each subject, the salary paid to the teachers, etc. The Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, vyakarana (grammar), the Rupavataara (an elementary text on grammar), the Agamas such as the Saiva Agama, Pancharatra and Vaikhanasa Agama were taught here. The famous hymn, Tiruvaymozhi of Nammalvar (who was the foremost of the twelve Azhvars or Vaishnava devotees of the Tamil country) was recited at this temple.

to this educational institution where the students, teachers and the servants of the temple could be treated. This hospital called `Vira-Cholan’ had fifteen beds and was under the charge of a physician called Kodandarama Asvattama-Bhatta who prescribed medicines for the patients under his care. Besides him, there was also a surgeon in this hospital to conduct operations which might have been necessary. Two people for procuring medicinal herbs, three people who supplied fire-wood and also assisted in the preparation of medicine, two nurses to attend on the patients and also a barber, who probably assisted in minor operations plus his regular duties were employed in this hospital. The inscription goes on to say that twenty Ayurvedic medicines were stored in this hospital and their names are also clearly given. The inscription thus reveals that this Vishnu temple must have been a very important religious centre in the Chola times and equally well-known as a centre of education as well.

35 The Vedanta Kesari

PA G E S P O N S O R : S M T. N A N D I N I N . , C H E N N A I

Ancient temple-college at Tirumukkudal

The Vedanta Kesari

36 January 2020

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.

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

37 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.

January 2020

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.

The Vedanta Kesari

38

unselfish and

January 2020

A New Sri Ramakrishna Math at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu (A Sub-Centre of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai) AN APPEAL TO SERVE GOD IN MAN Dear Devotees and well-wishers, We pray that Sri Ramakrishna may shower His blessings on all your endeavours.

Thanjavur is a historically and culturally important city, famous for its art and ancient architecture, especially temples.

l Youth Camps - to develop self-confidence, awareness of health and yoga etc. l Balaka Sangha - to train children in cultural and spiritual traditions, etc. l Spiritual Practices - daily puja, bhajans, japa yajna, parayanam, discourses. l Spiritual & Cultural Literature - promotion and sale. l Seminar/Workshops - for teachers, doctors and other professionals.

January 2020

It was Swami Vivekananda’s earnest desire to install Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna in every town and spread the culture of worship and service. We now propose to begin a centre in Thanjavur and initiate various activities:

39

To establish a new centre and conduct the above activities, an amount of Rs. 7 Crore is required. We invite you to contribute whatever you can and be a part of this noble mission.

Names of those who contribute Rs.10,000/- and above will be inscribed in the Math premises.

Donations are exempted under Section 80 G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Donations may be sent cheque/DD in favour of “Sri Ramakrishna Math”.

For Online donation please visit https://donations.chennaimath.org After online payment please intimate us by email your address, and PAN number.

Yours in the Service of the Lord, Swami Gautamananda, Adhyaksha.

Sri Ramakrishna Math 31, Sri Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai-4. & : 24621110. email : mail@chennaimath.org Website : www.chennaimath.org For more details - Mob : 98409 87307

The Vedanta Kesari

l Medical Services - for the poor and needy.

Knowing the Knower

by Swami Tyagananda

Published by Secretary, RMIC.,Gol Park, Kolkata - 700 029. E-mail: rmicsale@gmail.com.

2017, paperback, pp.

153+x, Rs.60.

January 2020

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Book Reviews

his is a meticulously orgainised handbook of five chapters along with a preface and end notes section. ‘Preface’ presents a crisp synopsis that facilitates easier grasp of the concepts and instructions in the book. The source citations, mainly drawn from Swami Vivekananda’s lectures, authenticate the argument of course; but their greater significance lies in their potency to inspire the reader to passionately engage herself/ himself with yoga.

The manual opens with the Upanishadic sage Saunaka’s query, ‘What is that by knowing which everything becomes known?’ This question sets the tone for the whole book. It is termed as the ‘master key’ or ‘master password’ that opens all passwords.

Chapter one reflects on the origin, nature and possibilities of knowledge, and distinguishes between indirect/lower knowledge (paroksha/ apara vidya) that is merely informative, and direct/higher knowledge (aparoksha/para vidya) that is revelatory. The relation between the knower and the known is discussed without the burden of technical, epistemological jargon.

The rendering of the abstract in clear, concrete terms is an obvious strategy adopted in manualwriting; yet it is a surprising feature of Knowing the Knower, because the substance and the material instruments to be handled (the mind and the senses) here are of a subtle category. And, the goal, the objective is attainment of the highest knowledge, awareness of atman, the non-material aspect of self.

Chapter two pertains to ‘ignorance’ which is what thwarts knowledge. It is described as not just ‘absence of knowledge’ but as a ‘presence

For review in The VedanTa Kesari, publishers need to send us two copies oF their latest publication.

that exists and doesn’t’. The concept of maya introduced at this appropriate point is explained as that ‘translucent screen’ with power to conceal (avarana shakti) and to project (vikshepa shakti).

One’s real identity as atman is concealed and a new, false identity gets projected due to the power of this veil. Maya is comprised of space, time and causality (desha, kala and nimitta). Since all our knowledge is framed or conditioned by these three categories, the challenge for the jnana yogi is to go beyond this frame. The chapter also traces samsara-chakra, the cycle of death and ephemeral life: desire that prompts karma which in turn gives scope to birth and sorrow and so on. The cycle elucidates the manner in which the identity of self as the undifferentiated ‘One’ descends to assume multiple identities. The best way to get out of this Karmic cycle is to strike at the weakest link—the desire-karma link—in the chain, which can be done, according to the manual, by fearlessly questioning every assumption. The argument at this stage ushers in the notion of discernment which is the title of chapter three.

‘Discrimination’ is defined as the practice of looking ‘carefully and deeply’ and not accepting anything at face value. Every idea, notion, concept, regarding the self, the world and god, every assumption including reason is to be examined thoroughly. One understands to an extent why the handbook takes the reader through paradoxical statements (‘Knowing the Knower’, ignorance

An excellent daily companion to seekers of knowledge, the ‘manual’ sends invigorating echoes of Swami Vivekananda’s voice. ___________________________ DR.R. RAMACHANDRA, MYSURU

Spiritual Legacy of Ramakrishna Order: Brief Life Stories of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Direct Disciples

by Swami Satyaprabhananda

T

his slim volume is an easy-to-read and eminently accessible account of the lives of Sri Ramakrishna, the Holy Mother and the sixteen direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna who had the great good fortune of coming in contact with him as young boys and having their lives transformed forever such that they grew to be stalwarts who inspired generations of people.

The accounts are simple and short and would be very valuable to anyone who wants a brief history or make a first acquaintanceship with a religious movement which has only grown with time. The one difference in the narration, however, is (as the title suggests) that emphasis has been laid on the spiritual content of the lives of the subjects, rather than the biographical details. The boxed items at the end of each account is a very good idea and puts in a nutshell the main teaching of each of them. _________________________ PREMA RAGHUNATH, CHENNAI

Instead of sitting idly waiting for an illumined soul to become your Guru, make an effort to do these three things which are necessary for spiritual life: 1) Contemplate on God, 2) Study the scriptures, and 3) Associate with the holy.

—Swami Saradananda

January 2020

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004.

E-mail: publication@chennaimath.org 2016, paperback, pp.126, Rs.45.

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‘exists and doesn’t’, and so on). Since ‘Truth’ or ‘Truth Knowledge’ lies beyond the realm of reasoned thought, all communication regarding it must inevitably employ paradoxical statements.

The next chapter, ‘Practice’ is about applying in practical life, the key concepts thus far elaborated. The manual lists three basic practices—hearing (sravana), reflection (manana) and meditation (nidhidhyasana) in relation to the three types of aspirants: the extraordinarily gifted (uttama), the moderately gifted (madhyama) and the lowest (kanishtha). The book then proceeds to suggest ways for ‘atman remembrance’ (atma smrita) Concrete steps to stay connected with the ‘Self’, from the moment of waking up till one goes to bed are proposed, not in the spirit of a conventional book on morals but with the gentle caution that practice should not become a ritual, or a ‘chore to the hurried through.’ The call is to be alert and creative every moment.

The concluding chapter elaborates further on the significance of Saunaka’s question and ponders over the meaning of self-knowledge or atma-jnana.

It is a remarkable feat to narrate the story of cosmic boredom or monotony (‘the never-ending circular journey of repeated birth and death’) all the while ensuring the listener’s (a more appropriate word than ‘reader’ for the one who participates in the narrative process here) involvement, without lapsing into despair or frustration. Images such as wave-ocean, serpent-rope etc., which have been employed any number of times in the discussion of Vedantic ideas reappear in this work too, but with a startling freshness.

What is Religion?

The Religion Which Is Oneness

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n the Jan-Nov 2019 issues, we have tried to present Swami Vivekananda’s conception of religion under this series: ‘What is Religion?’ There are at least 60 different ‘definitions’ of religion peppered across Swamiji’s lectures and writing! Each month, we took up one such definitive statement and tried to explain it using his own utterances, as far as possible. This month we will wrap up the series.

While some people say that religion is losing its relevance in our lives, at least in our daily lives, there are others who say that religion is growing stronger in its relevance in our daily lives. Some say that religion is an historic relic, a sad remnant of the dark past, completely out of sync with the modern world.

Many others say that never before in human history did religion have as much significance or relevance than it has at present. Some people say that religion will be phased out from daily life, since it has outlived its utility for mankind. Many contend that we need to urgently factor religion into our lives if we need to maintain our sanity and grow as individuals.

Caught in this crossfire of opinions, man looks askance at anyone who can resolve this dilemma for him.

Swami Vivekananda provides the much needed resolution. Hidden in his lectures and writing, we find four predictions he makes about religion. We shall attempt to explain each of these in this article.

Religion will be scientific Science rests on two principles1; Occam’s razor applied to all knowledge; and the principle of perception-generalizationuniversalization of all knowledge.

If we have multiple explanations for a phenomenon, that explanation will be chosen which is the simplest. In other words, the explanation must proceed from within the nature of the things involved and newer entities must not be unnecessarily brought in to explain them. This is Occam’s razor.

All that we perceive can be categorized under two groups – things outside us, things within us. Religion has attempted to explain these two groups of perceptions. Religion has always recognized a third category – the perceiver. Science is a much better way of explaining the former two categories of perception, which are the external world and the internal world. For centuries, Religion was the only means of answering any questions that naturally arose in our minds, be it regarding the external world or internal world, or about the perceiver itself. Religion now ought to relinquish its interference, nay, hegemony on these two categories. Religion will confine itself to explaining the perceiver alone, for Science is unable to enter that area with the tools presently in its armory.

All religions speak of a divine being, God. All religions have a unique theory of how God created this universe. Now, no one in any of

The reality accessible to us really has two distinct aspects – the infinite external universe, and the largely unknown inner universe. This world within us is really amazing. A huge portion of the inner world too, especially the body, the nerves, and many layers of our mind, is better dealt with by those ‘godless’ science guys. But there is one aspect of the inner world that will forever remain the domain of religion – Consciousness. Every religion has dealt with consciousness, although some of them couch their findings in a strange language, which is largely theistic in its syntax. Consequently, they have all become largely theologies today.

The moment you apply Occam’s razor to these theologies, something magical happens with all religions! Each of these religions will reveal an Impersonal divinity enshrined in their core teachings. The Impersonal God does not negate the personal god. In fact, the Impersonal God is the only justification you can have for all the personal gods that are posited by various

They all disappeared from the face of Earth only because they did not enshrine these two ideas within them. In fact, the whole of religion can be summed up in these two concepts: The Personal-Impersonal God, and divinity of man.

The sooner the world religions do this homework, and refine these two ideas from within their body of truths, more will those religions become relevant in the lives of their followers, just as they were supremely relevant in the lives of the people during their periods of origin.2 Religion will be entirely personal Historically, religion performed social, economic and political duties. Society has reached its present stage of development as a result of the contribution that religion made in all these fields. But, society no longer needs religion to perform these functions. If you remove all social, economic and political activities from religion, what remains in

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these religions ever saw God in the act of religions. Thus, with the revelation of this creating the universe. We must realize that it is Impersonal divinity, we come to comprehend merely a plausible theory posited by the that divinity is Personal-Impersonal. Then we founding fathers of these religions. We are apply the 2nd principle on these theologies and asked to implicitly believe in these theories, lo & behold! We get another magical thing from which are basically stories! When we apply each of these religions! We are divine!

Occam’s razor to these theories, we end up Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, concluding that positing a divine being engaged Christianity, Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Taoism, in creation of this universe is not necessary at and every religion that has survived ups and all. Let us have the intellectual maturity to downs till the present, did so only because it acknowledge that if we do away with this contained these two vital ideas in its aspect of any religion, not labyrinthine mass of one religion will vanish, teachings: The Personalfor such theories are The whole of religion can be Impersonal God, and indeed irrelevant to any summed up in these two concepts: D i v i n i t y o f m a n . world-religion! The Remember that many The Personal-Impersonal God, theories of origin and religions just vanished and divinity of man sustenance of this from history. They did so universe are better left to not because of military the scientists. We must reasons or socioacknowledge that they really do a better job of economic or political reasons, although such dealing with that aspect of the world. may indeed appear to be the immediate cause.

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religion? The essence alone remains! Religion essentially dealt with the relation of man with God. Religion will continue to perform this vital function of bringing man to God. Everything else will be taken care of by secular principles of modern, democratic government. In many religions, the secular leadership and spiritual leadership are conflated. This is the root of most of the social and political problems in human history. The time has come for that to end. The democratic organizing of social life is a necessary growth which dissolves this ‘unholy’ nexus of secular and spiritual leaderships.

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Once every aspect of social, economic and political life is taken care of by secular government, religion will provide spiritual leadership on a personal basis. Each individual will approach religion directly, not as part of a group, not as a community, but as an individual establishing his own direct relationship with the divinity within himself. Of course, this kind of spiritual leadership cannot be given by priests. We need persons who have established such a direct relationship in their own lives. We obviously mean realization and not just belief in dogmas. Men of realization alone can provide the leadership we speak of. And religion will become customized to each individual.

Religion will inform all aspects of human life Once we have learnt to make religion entirely personal, we will then be able to bring religion into every aspect of our life. Making religion entirely personal means realizing the truths of religion; it means perceiving that I am divine. Once that perception has been achieved, then and then alone starts the great job of divinizing every aspect of our life.3 Any attempt to do so before this realization will only end up in regressing to, and espousing, the social, economic and political aspects of religion. But, as humanity progresses, this is the direction all the world religions will take.

When religion will become scientific, and when religion will become entirely personal, then will dawn a glorious epoch in human history when people will be able to live truly spiritual lives.

Religion will break down barriers and bind us all together If such indeed is the destiny of religion, if such Making religion indeed be the destiny of the entirely personal human soul, does it behoove means realizing us to fight amongst the truths of ourselves in the name of religion; religion? Does it make sense it means to convert the other person perceiving that into ‘our’ religion? Does even the term ‘our religion’ I am divine make any sense anymore?

When religions will be based on scientific principles, when religions will mature into personal religions, customizing itself to the needs of the individual practicing it, where will different religions exist anymore? A grand consolidation of religion will occur in the world, something that is most essential for survival of the human race. Then will spontaneously dawn real brotherhood amongst the people of this world. All attempts to forge bonhomie between followers of different religions have been futile because these attempts were never informed by recognition of the scientific, personal religion, the essential religion; all such attempts retained the individuality of each religion, making one incompatible with other religions by its very nature. True harmony of religions proceeds from realizing these two truths: the PersonalImpersonal God, and divinity of man. Thus, we can foresee, through Swami Vivekananda’s eyes, a time when religion, having lost its divisive character and merged into a unity through personal spiritual experience, will really bind people together.

All of these religions are as good a starting point to reach here as any other religion of the world. We all will have our freedom to start from any point and forge ahead to culminate in More importantly, what will happen to the our experience of this solidarity of all existence. different religions that exist now? What will Note that once we render religion as scientific, happen to the priests that make a living by and make it personal, and start incorporating peddling the opium of religion? Will personal divinity in every action and moment of our life, gods not remain? What about temples, the natural outcome will be a perception of the mosques, churches?

Oneness of all existence. If this entire world is Just take another look at the religion of divine, and if I too am divine, doesn’t it the future, as distilled from the thoughts of naturally follow that there is no difference in Swamiji that we have described above. Is it essence between anything here? This Islam? Is it Hinduism? Is it Christianity? Of perception of Oneness has tremendous course, it is not Islam in its entirety; nor is it ramifications for human society. But, the Hinduism or Christianity or any of the world ramifications arise only from spiritual religions entirely. perception of Oneness, and not from an You may point out that it is Vedanta, but is intellectual or conceptual understanding of Vedanta a recognized religion, independent of Oneness. Swamiji says, It is here in India that its mother-religion, Hinduism? Despite the Hindus have built and are still building complete blossoming of Vedanta, hasn’t churches for Christians and mosques for Hinduism retained all its various forms starting Mohammedans. That is the thing to do. In spite from the grossest animistic ideas of religion? It of their hatred, in spite of their brutality, in is indeed a wonder that some of the greatest spite of their cruelty, in spite of their tyranny, brains of India applied the and in spite of the vile above mentioned language they are given to principles of Science to The spiritual perception of uttering, we will and must Hinduism, made Oneness is immediately go on building churches Hinduism utterly personal associated with a tremendous for the Christians and and came up with boost of strength in personality. mosques for the Vedanta. But never before Mohammedans until we did anyone appear, in conquer through love, India or elsewhere, who until we have demonstrated to the world that had the heart to broadcast such a scientific, love alone is the fittest thing to survive and not personalized religion to one and all! This same hatred, that it is gentleness that has the exercise that Hinduism performed on itself, as strength to live on and to fructify, and not mere a result of which Vedanta came out of it, will brutality and physical force.4 The spiritual now have to be performed by all other world religions, in order to bring out their own perception of Oneness is immediately equivalents of Vedanta hiding now within their associated with a tremendous boost of strength bosoms. And when that happens, all the in personality. This is not strength that

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religions, will regain their relevance for mankind.

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You will certainly appreciate that this is indeed a grand conception of religion, with the most practical outcomes we can expect from religion in our lives and society. When will it happen? Will it happen in our lifetime? What is the timeline we are looking at?

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manifests itself as violence. It is strength that manifests as gentleness, yet, is capable of protecting one’s temporal existence from the onslaughts of barbaric manifestations of strength that may emanate from others. Not just protect oneself, but it can transform the barbaric manifestations on others into benign forms of strength. Notice that Hinduism, which is a non-proselytizing religion, has the strength to build mosques and churches for Muslims and Christians, while Islam and Christianity lack that strength, in the sense, you don’t find Muslims and Christians building places of worship for other religions. These things will change in the future as a result of Swamiji’s contribution to religion.

Things of the past will indeed remain.

Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and all the other religions will remain. Temples, churches, mosques and other places of worship will remain. Newer ones will be added. Puja, Mass, Namaz, Roza, festivals, Vrata and other rituals will remain. Newer ones will be added.

Personal gods will remain. Innumerable more personal gods will be added to the existing pantheon. Then, what new change did Swamiji bring into religion?

Each religion will come to recognize that they all have two distinct phases – the lower religion, and the higher religion. People will perforce start from any one of the existing religions. They will utilize the resources that belong to their religion – places of worship, scriptures, personal gods, rituals, etc. Each religion will inaugurate and herald a higher echelon in itself, into which each of their followers will graduate. All the rudiments of all religions will be understood to serve one and only one purpose – bring spiritual realization to each of their followers. Religions will be ranked and graded in society not according to the number of followers they boast of, but by the number of followers who have graduated into spiritual realization. Religions of the world have

to accommodate these persons whose eyes have opened into the perception of Spirit.

Unless religions produce such persons, the existence of those re l i g i o n s w i l l h ave n o Each religion relevance. will come to

All the religions of the recognize that world will come to recognize they all have that the higher echelon of all two distinct religions is actually the same. phases – the While there will always lower religion, remain tremendous diversity and the higher in the lower religions, the religion higher religion will be one. It m ay b e l i ke n e d to t h e education system we have in the world today. The millions of schools all over the world are engaged in preparing its multitudes of students to qualify for higher education. The cutting-edge research institutions all over the world are melting pots of the very best from all countries, all cultures, all races, and all geographies. Similar developments are already occurring in business and governance all over the world. While each country is sovereign in its own right, the political and business policies of the world are now decided in international forums. The formation of UNO and WTO has not undermined the sovereignty of any nation, has it? Something similar will be the outcome in religion as a result of Swamiji’s contribution.

We must note one more important thing here: All this violence that this world has seen, in the name of religion – how will this ever end?

Who will listen to whom? Will any religion be able to establish its superiority over others? Is it not clear that the only way religions can live in peace with one another is by discovering common elements amongst their constituents?

But, at the lower levels, can common elements ever be found? When the differentiating elements in the religions are exactly what (Continued on page 52...)

Article

Sri Ramakrishna and the Pilgrimage Mindset SWAMI CHIDEKANANDA

Sri Ramakrishna visited numerous places in the city of Kolkata. Many of them are now teertha kshetras for thousands of devotees. Beginning with this article we will explore these places sanctified by his foot-dust.

In the next few issues, we will explore in detail these and other hidden or lesser known places sanctified by Sri Ramakrishna.

We can begin with a fundamental question: Even though scriptures claim that

The answer is that we fail to follow Sri Ramakrishna’s systematic preparation and approach prior to, during, and after visiting places of pilgrimage. He not only preached these principles but practiced them in his own life. He repeatedly warned that merely visiting places of pilgrimage—or even witnessing his own spiritual ecstasies—was not sufficient to bring about transformation in spiritual life.

This article series focuses on Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings and the necessity for the pre-pilgrimage mindset. It will attempt to answer the questions: What do the scriptures say about the sanctifying power of teerthasthaanas or places of pilgrimage? What are Sri Ramakrishna’s warnings about visiting places of pilgrimage without cultivating a “spirit of bhakti?” How can we cultivate this spirit of bhakti? What are the kinds of external and internal distractions that we may encounter at the teerthas? And how will the spirit of bhakti help to overcome these distractions?

Scriptural support for pilgrimage Sri Ramakrishna often eulogised the spiritual significance of teertha-sthaanas:

The author is a sannyasi of the Ramakrishna Order and is serving at Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata. swamichidekananda@gmail.com

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visiting holy places associated with saints can deeply transform one’s spiritual life, why does this transformation happen so rarely even for serious spiritual aspirants?

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Introduction ri Ramakrishna first arrived in Kolkata in 1853 at the behest of his elder brother to assist him in starting a Sanskrit tol school. From 1853 to 1886, apart from intermittent visits to Kamarpukur and other places of pilgrimage, he remained in the Kolkata city (earlier spelt as Calcutta) his whole life. During this period, he visited over 100 places in the Kolkata. These places can be grouped into 6 categories: 1) places celebrating festivals of various Hindu religious denominations, including different branches of the Brahmo Samaj and other denominations like Vaishnava or Tantric sects; 2) diverse non-Hindu places of worship including churches and mosques; 3) various temples of Mother Kali and other aspects of the Divine Mother; 4) numerous places associated with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; 5) residences and institutions of prominent personalities like Ishvarchandra Vidyasagar, Bhagavan Das, Keshab Chandra Sen, and other Brahmo devotees, etc.; 6) residences of devotees who had intense bhakti, or hosted religious festivals, pujas, etc.

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“Throughout the ages many monks, devotees, and perfected souls have visited sacred places to see God and call on Him wholeheartedly, shunning all other desires. That’s why there is a special manifestation of God in those places.”1 As the scriptures claim that God is allpervading (sarvavyaapi), then what is the necessity for visiting places of pilgrimage?

Anticipating this argument, Sri Ramakrishna— in the very next sentence—provides a simple analogy (digging for water) to explain that though God exists everywhere, the spiritual aspirant need not put in much effort in teerthasthaanas: “God exists everywhere equally. If one digs deeply enough, one can find water in any place. But one does not need to dig for water where there is a well, a pool, a pond, or a lake.

One can get water there at any time.”2 In the Srimad Bhagavatam Yudhishthira eulogises Vidura and describes how great souls enliven holy places:

भवद्-क्विया भयागवतया: तीथत्र-भूतया: सव्ं क्वभो I तीथथी-कुवत्रननत तीथयात्रक्न सवयानत:-सथयेन गदयाभपृतया॥

(1.13.10) “O Great One! Lovers of God like you, having risen to the height of holiness, sanctify the holy places you visit, by bringing the presence of Narayana who resides in you.”

Swami Vivekananda further explains that “sages and holy persons, who have much of this sattva quality, can send it out and exert a tremendous influence day and night on their surroundings. A man may become so pure that his purity will become tangible. Whosoever comes in contact with him becomes pure.”3 Such is the case with the places visited by Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swamiji.

Even incarnations—such as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Ramakrishna, and Sri Sarada Devi—were eager to visit places associated with previous incarnations as an opportunity to engage in the sadhana known as Leelaacintana. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, along with his

disciples, visited Vrindavan and revitalised it as a place of Krishna Bhakti. Similarly, Sri Ramakrishna visited places in West Bengal associated with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and sites in Vrindavan sanctified by the leelas of Sri Krishna. Sri Sarada Devi, spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna, too journeyed to Vrindavan to assuage her grief after her husband’s passing.

Nonetheless, Sri Ramakrishna repeatedly cautioned spiritual aspirants that merely visiting a holy place without devotion will not be spiritually beneficial: “Look, one who has it here (in the heart), has it there; one who has it not here, has it not there either….For one who is endowed with devotion, devotion increases with the influence of holy places. And as for one who does not have that, what can be derived?”4 This is further supported by the Sri Jaabaala Darshana Upanishad:

आतमतीथधं िमुतिपृज् बक्हसतीथयात्रक्न ्ो व्रजयेत्। करसथं ि महयारतनं त्कतवया कयाचं क्वमयागतत्र ॥ये (4.50) “One who, having forsaken the teertha of the Self, merely visits the external teertha is a person who, having forsaken the invaluable jewel in hand, goes in search of mere glass.”

In this regard, Sri Ramakrishna went to the extent of stating that “without this spirit of devotion,” witnessing his spiritual ecstasies will not bring much benefit. On 14 July 1885, Ratha Yatra was being celebrated at Balaram Bose’s house (a close householder devotee of Sri Ramakrishna). It was a day full of spiritual festivity and divine intoxication. Girish Ghosh had “brought with him a bespectacled friend” who had witnessed first-hand all of Sri Ramakrishna’s ecstatic moods amidst the singing and dancing of the joyous devotees. At the end of the day Girish’s friend remained unmoved and “quietly left the place without comment.” Sri Ramakrishna then said to Girish, “I say this to you and to everyone: Please do not force anybody to come here. Nothing happens except at the right time.”5 (emphasis added).

External and internal distractions in places of pilgrimage One of the reasons why Sri Ramakrishna placed so much emphasis on cultivating a spirit of devotion prior to visiting teerthas is that there are many distractions—both external and internal—in places of pilgrimage which have the potential to hijack a spiritual aspirant’s mind and prevent him from utilising time in a proper way at the pilgrimage site. One of the common external distractions which pilgrims encounter is that they must devote an inordinate amount of energy and time planning and organising the minute details of the trip from start to finish, including the mode of transportation, lodging, clothes to carry, etc.

Sometimes for weeks or even months together before the actual pilgrimage, pilgrims will

Another external distraction is the common problem of encountering worldliness at pilgrim centres. For instance, pilgrims are often accosted by avaricious priests who will not allow them to have darshan in peace until they extract a large sum from them. Even an incarnation like Sri Ramakrishna acknowledged these external distractions in teerthas. During his visit to Varanasi in 1868, he was deeply anguished by Mathur Babu’s worldly mindset as well as the general preoccupation with “lust and greed” of the people there. Despite his spiritual experiences in Kashi, Thakur nearly regretted having visited Varanasi at all.

Afterwards he lamented, “Mathur Babu had taken me with him on pilgrimage. We stayed for many days in Raja Babu’s house in Kashi. One day I was sitting with Mathur Babu in the drawing room. Raja Babu was also there with his men. I noticed that they were talking about worldly things: so much money was lost, and so on. I began to weep, ‘Mother, where have you brought me? I was so well off in Rani Rasmani’s temple. That I should hear of lust and greed even in holy places!’”7

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Some spiritual aspirants may believe that their spirit of devotion is already sufficient, and that further preparation is not necessary prior to visiting places of pilgrimage. However, in the Gospel, Sri Ramakrishna emphasises that the spirit of devotion includes not only love of god but also vyakulata or spiritual yearning. He repeatedly says, “Nothing whatsoever is achieved in spiritual life without yearning.”6 He further emphasises that this yearning for the divine is not a fixed quantity and must be constantly intensified through prayer and other spiritual activities. In other words, whatever may be the spiritual aspirant’s level of bhakti, it must be given further momentum and a particular focus prior to embarking on pilgrimage or going to an isolated place for tapasya. For this reason, before visiting a place of pilgrimage Sri Ramakrishna would cultivate a “specific mood” (this will be discussed in a subsequent issue).

direct all their energies into planning to the exclusion of everything else. Hence, when they finally leave and arrive at the holy place, their minds will Nothing remain occupied and active in whatsoever is this planning mindset. They achieved in will have difficulty turning off spiritual life this planning mindset and without thinking of spiritual things. Sri Ramakrishna often said, “If a yearning man thinks of worldly things day and night, then his words are coloured by his thoughts.” Similarly, if a spiritual aspirant’s mind is constantly preoccupied with worldly thoughts prior to visiting holy places, then his/her mind will naturally drift toward mundane things even in a spiritual setting.

49 The Vedanta Kesari

PA G E S P O N S O R : S M T. G . K A M E S WA R I D E V I , H Y D E R A B A D

Why does Sri Ramakrishna place so much emphasis on cultivating a “spirit of devotion” prior to visiting places of pilgrimage?

January 2020

Internal distractions: The dichotomous nature of the human mind

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External distractions like lust and greed in teerthas become even more problematic because of the dichotomous nature of the human mind. The idea is that all human minds, including those of a spiritual aspirant, possess opposite tendencies (spiritual and mundane), and that environment dictates which samskaras are activated. Sri Aurobindo explains this in detail: “… everyone possesses in a large measure...two opposite tendencies of character, in almost equal proportions, which are like the light and the shadow of the same thing. Thus someone who has the capacity of being exceptionally generous will suddenly find an obstinate avarice rising up in his nature, the courageous man will be a coward in some part of his being and the good man will suddenly have wicked impulses. In this way life seems to endow everyone not only with the possibility of expressing an ideal, but also with contrary elements representing in a concrete manner the battle he has to wage and the victory he has to win for the realisation to become possible.”8 An interesting example of the emergence of “two opposite tendencies in almost equal proportions” in places of pilgrimage is found in the life of Mathur Babu during his visit to Varanasi with Sri Ramakrishna. As we have already mentioned, Sri Ramakrishna lamented Mathur Babu’s worldly talk in Kashi. On the other hand, Sri Ramakrishna praised Mathur Babu’s wonderful generosity during the same trip. He recalled, “Mathur spent more than 1,00,000 rupees on the pilgrimage to Varanasi.

After arriving at Varanasi, Mathur arranged a feast for the local brahmin pandits; [on] another day he invited their entire families, fed them sumptuously, and gave a cloth and a rupee to each one of them.”9 Unfortunately, since Sri Ramakrishna’s visit to Kashi more than 150 years ago, the external obstacles at teerthas have multiplied. In addition to money-minded priests, worldly-minded tourists, and travel companions with varying temperaments, there are now modern distractions such as mobile devices and internet.

These technologies further prevent spiritual aspirants from going inward and upward. In her book Rapt, Winfred Gallagher accurately describes the explosion of external stimuli in the 21st century internet age: “At any one moment, your world contains too much information, whether objects, subjects, or both, for your brain to represent, or depict clearly for you. Your attentional system selects a certain chunk of what’s there, which gets valuable cerebral real estate and, therefore, the chance to affect your behavior. Moreover, this thin slice of life becomes part of your reality, and the rest is consigned to the shadows or oblivion.”(italics added)10 To counter these external and internal distractions and make a spiritual pilgrimage as fruitful as possible, Sri Ramakrishna teaches that three mindsets must be cultivated prior to, during, and after completion of the pilgrimage: 1) the pre-pilgrimage mindset, 2) the pilgrimage mindset, and 3) post-pilgrimage mindset. This three-fold methodology will be discussed in subsequent issues.

(To be continued)

References 1) Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play. [hereafter Divine Play] Swami Chetanananda. p. 605 3) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. 1:252 6) Gospel, p. 86

7) Divine Play. p.119

4) Divine Play. p.606

8) Integral Education. Sri Aurobindo

2) Ibid.

5) The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. p. 809 9) Divine Play. p.608

10) Rapt, p. 9

Pariprasna Srimat Swami Tapasyananda Ji (1904 – 1991), was one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order. His deeply convincing answers to devotees’ questions raised in spiritual retreats and in personal letters have been published in book form as Spiritual Quest: Questions & Answers. Pariprasna is a selection from this book.

A person whose ideas of God, soul and the hereafter remain at the mere conventional level cannot attach to these the same importance and put forth the same earnestness in his striving for them as he will attach and put forth towards questions relating to his property, relatives and other worldly concerns. But in one in whom Sraddha has dawned, the attitude changes and gets reversed completely. He is ready to devote his time, service, efforts and resources and also to risk dangers and suffer worldly losses, for the sake of his cherished spiritual values. The intensity of our spiritual life will depend upon the depth and sincerity of our Sraddha. On it too depend our application to spiritual practices and our success in them. Sraddha itself is established in the mind through contacts with persons who lead a really holy life, through reflection and discrimination and through lessons taught by intense sufferings in life. Of all these factors, contact with holy men, i.e., persons who live their lives taking God as the pivot of their lives, is the source of all spiritual inspiration.

A spiritual aspirant who has work to do as a part of his duty, should look upon them as a trust from the Supreme Being and then discharge them with Him in view. Only thus can the sense of opposition or discord that one feels between his work and spiritual life be overcome and an integrated spiritual life built up.

Sri Ramakrishna advises all aspirants engaged in various activities in the outside world to take a holiday for a day or two once in a while and go into some solitary place, where one can be in congenial surroundings away from one’s usual environment and spend one’s time at a stretch for spiritual practices. It is maintained that this will refresh the spirit, and help one maintain an attitude of detachment.

January 2020

MAHARAJ: In the intensification of spiritual life, whether we are at work or not is not a very important matter. It comes to be of importance only at a later stage of spiritual life. The most important point is whether we have spiritual aspiration or not, and how intense it is. To what extent do we feel life to be utterly meaningless without the thought of, and striving towards, the Lord coming into it? This is what determines the intensity of our spiritual life. To the extent that ambitions and pleasures prove satisfying to us, to that extent our spiritual aspiration will not gain strength. As long as these worldly values continue to give us meaning for our life and our strivings, our spiritual life remains at the mere conventional level. The cessation of this state of mind is called the dawn of Sraddha—the state when we take God and spiritual life as very serious concerns in our life.

51 The Vedanta Kesari

PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I M O H A N M . V. , C H E N N A I

QUESTION: How can we intensify our spiritual life even when we are engaged in work?

Attempt must also be made to keep constant remembrance of the Lord by taking his name silently in the mind while engaged in work. By long practice such constant repetition can even become effortless. Impressing the mind with the transitoriness and pettiness of worldly values through the discipline of discrimination, will also help one to keep an attitude of detachment in work.

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distinguish one from the other, how can we even think of finding common elements at this level?5 It is only by inaugurating the higher phase of religion, in each of the world religions, that the common ground can be found. Don’t the different rivers, which fight for right of passage while on land, mingle peacefully and harmoniously once they enter the ocean?

Similar will be the case in religions as a result of Swamiji’s contribution.

I will go to God direct; let Him talk to me. I cannot take belief as a basis; that is atheism and blasphemy. If God spake to a man in the deserts of Arabia two thousand years ago, He can also speak to me today, else how can I know that He has not died? Come to God any way you can; only come. But in coming do not push anyone down.7 All we know is the projection of the Self.

Teach this to the children, they can grasp it. Every religion has worshipped the Self, even though unconsciously, because there is nothing else.8

Such is the religion that Swamiji conceives. Such is the religion Swamiji has bequeathed to us. It is now up to us to take up this challenge and realize it. For, our ancestors expect that from us, and the future beckons us to achieve this in our lives.

Go to the direct source. Ask God what He is. Unless He answers, He is not; but every religion teaches that He does answer.6

(Continued from page 46....)

t

We want to lead mankind to the place where there is neither the Vedas, nor the Bible, nor the Koran; yet this has to be done by harmonizing the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran.

Mankind ought to be taught that religions are but the varied expressions of THE RELIGION, which is Oneness, so that each may choose that path that suits him best.9

t

January 2020

The Religion Which Is Oneness

References 1) Strictly speaking, they are more heuristics than principles. But we will not enter into semantics here. For the purpose of this article, it is sufficient to consider these ideas as foundational principles of Science.

2) This section is actually a synopsis of the two lectures Practical Vedanta-II and Practical Vedanta-III . The conclusions we have presented in this section follow from the ideas Swamiji has presented in these two lectures.

3) Cf: According to the Vedanta, when a man has arrived at that perception, he has become free, and he is the only man who is fit to live in this world. Others are not. The man who sees evil, how can he live in this world? His life is a mass of misery. The man who sees dangers, his life is a misery; the man who sees death, his life is a misery. That man alone can live in

4) 5)

6) 7) 8) 9)

this world, he alone can say, “I enjoy this life, and I am happy in this life”, who has seen the Truth, and the Truth in everything. Complete Works: Vol-2: Practical Vedanta-II Complete Works: Vol-3: Lectures from Colombo to Almora: The Mission of the Vedanta: Kumbakonam Complete Works: Vol-7: Inspired Talks: Sunday, August 4, 1895: All the different religions are but applications of the one religion adapted to suit the requirements of different nations.

Complete Works: Vol-7: Inspired Talks: Sunday, August 4, 1895 Ibid Ibid Complete Works: Vol-6: Epistles – Second Series: CXLII: Written to Mohammed Sarfaraz Husain of Naini Tal from Almora, 10th June, 1898

The Order on the March January 2020 The Vedanta Kesari

Values Education and Youth Programmes The following centres conducted value education workshops, conventions, camps, lectures etc: Delhi Math:13 workshops in Ajmer, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune (126 principals and 686 teachers);Haripad Math: workshops (553 students in 3 schools); Kanpur Math: Convention (240 youth);Koyilandy Math: Convention (70 students);Rajkot Ashrama: 9 programmes (682 students Satya from 5 schools); Vadodara Math: T a sa

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at

Pa

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i ak t Bh a

i Ah

Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, Barrackpore, presented the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Award to our centre in Sargachhi on 2 Oct, in recognition of its service activities.

Bhubaneswar Ashrama began its year-long centenary celebrations with a two-day programme from 31 Oct. Srimat Swami Gautamananda Ji, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Order, inaugurated the celebrations. Swami Suvirananda Ji, General Secretary of the Ramakrishna Order, Sri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel, 500 sannyasis and brahmacharis, devotees and admirers participated in the programme.

Srimat Swami Gautamananda Ji dedicated two new exhibits in theVivekananda Exhiition of Delhi ashramaon 12 Oct. The new exhibits are use virtual reality and augumented reality technology.

Sri Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, inaugurated the Sarada Block of Vrindaban hospital on 28 Nov in an

es h

News of Branch Centres

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D

Sri Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, visited Vrindavan ashrama on 28 Nov. Governor of Meghalaya Sri Tathagata Roy visited the Shillong ashrama on 13 Nov. Sri Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Tamil Nadu, visited Chennai Math on 19 Nov. Dr K Kasturirangan, Chairman of the Committee for Draft National Education Policy visited Belur Math on 7 Nov. Dr Bhushan Patwardhan, Vice-Chairman of the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, visited Belur Math on 20 Nov.

impressive function which was also attended by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh Smt. Anandiben Patel and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Sri Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries. The new state-of-the-art block houses MRI and CT scan facilities, two modular operation theatres, a cancer ward, and a number of other departments and facilities.

Jiva Seva

Guests of Honour

Shraddha

ya

Nirbhaya

PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I S U B R A M A N I A N N . , C H E N N A I

News & Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

ga

January 2020

Health Services

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Aalo Mission held a medical camp at Humoli, a remote village, in which 60 patients were treated.Asansol Math conducted a blood donation camp in which 101 of its ITI students donated blood.Bajepratappur Math in Bardhaman held a medical camp in which 850 patients were treated, and a blood donation camp in which 84 people donated blood.

Guwahati centre conducted a medical camp at Makaria village in Morigaon district of Assam in which 384 patients were treated. Kailashahar Ashrama held a blood donation camp on 2 November in which 64 people donated blood.

Swami Gautamananda Ji inaugurated the newly set-up MRI scan facility at Vrindaban hospital on 14 November.

17 centres in India conducted eye camps in which 12,991 patients were treated, 907 were given spectacles, and 1,798 were operated.

Commemoration of the 125th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s Addresses at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago, USA Bamunmura Math: Devotees’ convention attended by 365 devotees; Kochi Ashrama: Students’ Convention for 150 High School students; Mumbai Mission: A day-long programme attended by 900 college students and others. Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose, Lokpal of India, inaugurated the programme, and Swami Suvirananda Ji and others participated. Lusaka centre in Zambia: A public meeting in which Srimat Swami Gautamananda Ji and others addressed a gathering of 83 people.

Relief Services Flood Relief: In response to flooding in Katihar district of Bihar, Katihar Ashrama distributed 4000 kg chira (rice flakes)

and 500 kg gur (molasses) among 1333 families.

Cyclone Relief: In the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Bulbul in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Medinipur districts in India and in some parts of Bangladesh, the following centres conducted relief operations as given below: India: West Bengal: Manasadwip centre provided shelter to 230 persons on 9 November and served cooked food to 7522 persons from 10 to 12 November.

Sarisha centre distributed 23,360 kg rice, 5490 kg dal, 7100 kg potatoes, 1398 kg cooking oil, 1978 blankets, 3000 saris, 800 dhotis, 1800 lungis and 800 uttariyas among 1996 affected families in South 24 Parganas district from 18 to 21 November.Taki centre distributed 2000 kg chira, 750 kg sugar, 4032 packets of biscuits and 2160 candles among 2412 cyclone-affected persons in North 24 Parganas district from 12 to 17 November.

Bangladesh: Bagerhat centre distributed 1000 kg rice, 100 saris and 100 lungis among 100 families in Satkhira district on 15 November.

Distress Relief: 21 Math and Mission centres in India and 3 centres abroad distributed: 16,778 shirts, 12,629 trousers, 5,461 saris and 1,335 dhoties.

Winter Relief: 13 centres in India distributed to the needy 2,732 sweaters/jackets, and 4,144 blankets.

Cyclone Bulbul Relief

Vrindaban

Coimbatore

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

Programmes in 11 schools (3755 students) The off-campus centre of RKMVERI (deemed university) in Coimbatore Mission Vidyalaya held the 14th Convocation on 9 November. 202 successful candidates were awarded certificates and degrees. Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, delivered the convocation address.

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Vol.107. No.1 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) January 2020.

Regd. with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 1957. Postal registration number: TN / CH (C) / 190 / 2018-2020. Licensed to Post without prepayment TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-259 / 2018-2020.

Date of Publication: 24th of every month; Posted on 26 December 2019

If you cannot attain salvation in this life, what proof is there that you can attain it in the life or lives to come?

— Swami Vivekananda

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