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. (Continued from previous issue. . .) 47

23.11.60

Maharaj: However much you may engage in spiritual practices like meditation, japa, and reflection on God, unless you once a day still the mind and free it from all thoughts, it is impossible to get rid of lust and anger.

Sharat Maharaj was a person of refinement; he did not have an iota of defect. How wonderful were his dealings! Often he used to say, ‘First be a gentleman, and then be a sadhu.’ If someone comes here to be a sadhu, we must consider these things: 1) appearance, 2) education, 3) behaviour, 4) parents, and 5) upbringing, i.e., the environment in which he grew up.

25.11.60

Maharaj: God is like a collective body and the living beings are His individual cells. Each cell has to undergo the states of asti, jayate, nashyati, ‘existence, birth, and death.’

Question: How do the worshippers of God with form explain how God can be omnipresent?

Maharaj: They manage it somehow. We know only the One: Nirguna Brahman. It can be seen through the round opening [in a wall, with an infinite landscape on the other side]; it is like water pouring down from the roof through the lion’s mouth; or like bathing in the Ganga at a ghat. Without Advaitic knowledge it is not possible to look upon every living being as Narayana [God]. Those who frequently say ‘as the Lord wills’, ‘as Mother wills’, are confused about things. But we have to be convinced that through the body-mind-intellect of every living being, the one Hari [God] sports, donning various appearances. Only then can we serve people by knowing them as Narayana. If a leper comes to me, I serve him – that’s all. I’m not concerned with whether he lives or dies. My purpose is to serve him. Who knows, perhaps this time He is acting as a leper and next time He will disguise Himself as a King.

Question: Is the work we do presented as लोकसङ्ग्रहार्थम्, the good of the world?

Maharaj: We cannot live without doing work; that is why we try to perform work as worship. Working thus, we gradually attain knowledge सदृश चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृत …, “All beings act according to their nature.” (Gita 3:33) Work then is no longer mere work, but worship. Again, work as worship can also lead to a state where work comes to an end. Among us there are some who have attained knowledge, yet they still have to perform work.

Assume that you are a teacher. Trying to do your allotted work as worship, you achieve realisation. You will then no longer see your duty as teaching, but truly as the worship of Sri Ramakrishna. You should have firm knowledge about: Who is God? Who is the individual jiva? What is life? What is my relation to it? Along with this you have to generate momentum by making the mind subtle through worship. With that subtle mind you work to target and hit Brahman. Only then is yoga attained. (प्रणवो धनुः शारो ह्यात्मा ब्रह्म तल्लक्ष्य मुच्यत े । अप्रमत्तेन वेद्धव्यं श रवत ् तन्म यो भवेत् ॥ “Om is the bow; the atman is the arrow; Brahman is said to be the target. It is to be struck by an undistracted mind. Then the atman becomes one with Brahman, as the arrow with the target.” Mundakopanishad. 2.2:4)

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Question: We are very broadminded in our views. But won’t this attitude dilute our steadfastness? Also, shouldn’t a sannyasin be very loving because he beholds the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self, सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि । ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शनः।। (Gita6:29)?

Maharaj: What fun! Someone says so’ham (I am He),andwe chime in with him. Someone else says daso’ham (I am the Lord’s servant), and we at once say, ‘Yes! How can an individual soul claim “I am He”?’ In our eyes, worship of Allah, Krishna, or Jesus—and even kishori bhajana (the Vaishnava sadhana of imitating platonic love between a young boy and girl) — is not wrong. We know that all are worshipping that same Nirguna Brahman. Why should we stick to only one aspect of God? Sri Ramakrishna has demonstrated to us through his own practice that God can be worshipped through all spiritual disciplines. He said, ‘Why should I be monotonous? I will enjoy the same fish cooked in different ways.’

I went to an ashrama of the followers of Ramanuja. I found an 80-year old sadhu who was silent and quite inward oriented. The people there know that usually sannyasins comment a bit adversely if they hear the names of Krishna and Narayana. He said that apart from Narayana there is no one who can grant liberation. With folded hands I said, ‘Yes, Yes. Who else can grant liberation other than Narayana?’ When people say there is no one who can grant liberation other than Krishna, or Allah, or Jesus, we say, ‘Yes, Yes.’ This is because we know that the same Nirguna Brahman is appearing in various forms.

But as our spiritual capacity is limited, we should avoid practices like kishori bhajana; there is risk of downfall in those paths.

Question: Action begets karmaphala, or the fruits of action. Is there no way out from this ignorance which has no beginning?

Maharaj: I am already free. But by mistake I have taken up the burden of body, mind and intellect on my shoulders. Thus forgetting my true identity, I suffer and cry. Now, to regain my true identity I have to throw away this burden. Until now I have served the body-mind-intellect as a slave; but no more. But how will the tendency to work end? No problem! You will see that the more you give your mind to God, the more the workload will lessen; and work also will no longer remain mere work, but will transform into Karma-Yoga योगःकर्म सु क ौश लम् “Yoga is skill in work”(Gita 2:50), or selfless work. When you continue to perform actions in this way, work will eventually come to an end and you will become what you were.

So it transpires that one doesn’t attain liberation or knowledge through work. Knowledge is already there; as soon as your work is exhausted, knowledge is realised. You don’t have to work to purify your mind; knowledge dawns as soon as you develop the skill of finishing your prarabdha karma. (to be continued...)

Should India Be a Wholly Secular State?

SWAMI MADHAVANANDA

With the independence of our country, many problems, political and other, are exercising the minds of our leaders. Among them not the least important is the question of India’s being a secular or any other kind of State. It is being repeatedly declared from the highest quarters that India will be a secular State. The reason adduced for this decision is that in that case the State can advance unhampered by the communal troubles that any admixture of religion in politics is calculated to bring in its train. Of course they are at pains to point out that in a secular State it is not meant to stifle any religion, but that the sole purpose of making the State non-religious is to give equal opportunities to all. Everyone will admit that the motive is all right, and considering the state of development of religions in most countries, the position may hold good. But in a country like India, which from time immemorial has been primarily religious, such a choice may prove altogether disastrous. For no nation can live, much less thrive, if it goes counter to the main current of its life-stream. As Swami Vivekananda has time and again said, India’s main function, the rationale of her life, is “the spiritualisation of the human race”—“the regeneration of man the brute into man the God.” She has played this role effectively in the past, and, through the Lord’s grace, she is going to do so again.

The word ‘religion’ is a bugbear to many because of the excesses committed in the past in its name in different countries, not excluding India. But does the remedy lie in going to the opposite extreme and banning religion from nation-building undertakings? Would that not be like killing both man and mosquito in order to get rid of the pest? Carefully analysed, it would appear in most cases that it is not religion that is at fault, but the failure of its followers to understand it properly and act up to its principles. If the State takes no cognisance This is an article from the treasure-chest of The Vedanta Kesari. It was published in May 1949, soon after Indian independence, by Swami Madhavanandaji when he was the General Secretary of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission; he later became the Order’s 9 th President. In this article, he analyses the implications of India choosing to be ‘secular’, wherein the State does not patronise any particular religion. In practice this policy has led to crass materialism, selfishness, and decay of higher values in individual and social life. Madhavanandaji presents Vedantic principles as a better alternative to ‘secularism’ as understood and practised now. The article is as relevant today as it was when written.

of religion as a factor in moulding the life and character of a nation, and minds only the secular interests of the people, will it not be neglecting one of the most potent forces of life, which, if properly harnessed, might do wonders? From non-religion it is but a step to irreligion. Granting that religion is often misused by its purveyors, will the withholding of State recognition from religion in any form, irrespective of its improving the moral tone of the people and thereby promoting peace and brotherliness among the different sections, contribute to the future well-being of the State? Quite the contrary, we think. Religious influences of the right type should permeate the life of every citizen; the earlier the better. It is high time for our leaders to ponder on the subject.

Man is essentially a spiritual being. However much he may be preoccupied with physical concerns, catering for these alone cannot satisfy his inner cravings. It is only in the lower stages of evolution of the human mind that creature comforts play an allimportant part. Higher up in the scale, things that make for peace of mind have the upper hand. A cultured man would rather have mental peace with poverty than restlessness with wealth. Otherwise there would be no suicide among the millionaires. Hence for every country the goal must be clearly set according to its characteristic trend and potentiality, and the paths to the attainment of that goal chalked out so that the nation may proceed along them with unfaltering steps. Fortunately for us, our forefathers settled this problem ages ago. We have only to know their solution and apply it to our needs.

If we reflect for a moment on why there is so much conflict in the world, we shall find that it is mostly due to too much stress being laid on the material side of life, such as comforts, power, fame, and all else that brings these things. And since these are limited in the world, there is keen competition for them, often leading to mortal wars. As a result of this the world has ceased to be a place for decent people to live in. The way out, as may easily be imagined, is just the opposite. Instead of apotheosising matter, we should strive to proceed through it to the spirit, on which the whole world is centred — through lower forms of enjoyment to higher and higher forms, till all the shackles of nature are broken, and supreme bliss is attained. It is here that religions come in. Of course, there are religions and religions, but all the great religions of the world—-those that have stood the test of time and can satisfy our higher cravings just as well to-day as they did thousands of years ago—are pretty unanimous on the point that it is by subordinating our lower appetites to the higher yearnings that we can aspire after happiness. Not by self aggrandisement, but by self-abnegation can we fulfil our destiny. Those who seek to obliterate strife and jealousy from the world solely by efforts on the material plane, seem to us to be chasing a will-o’-the-wisp. We must take a realistic view of things, and seek the help of religion to remove some of the evils which are besetting the world to-day. If the word ‘religion’ frightens us by evoking ugly memories, let us substitute the word ‘spirituality’. Man, society, nation, all must have a spiritual outlook to thrive and manifest the best that is in them. This is the truth that is too often lost sight of. It will not help us to turn away from the only course that can make for universal peace and happiness. We must know the truth and follow it fearlessly. There should be no compromise. For, in the words of Swami Vivekananda, “Truth does not pay homage to any society, ancient or modern. Society must pay homage to truth—or die!” Man, society, nation, all must have a spiritual outlook to thrive and manifest the best that is in them. 17 The Vedanta Kesari March 2020

Fortunately, in Vedanta, India has just the religion which will solve not only her own problems but those of other countries too. Unity in diversity is the theme of Vedanta. The whole universe, including man, is essentially one, not merely on the physical plane, as science is demonstrating today, but on the spiritual plane also. Everything is spirit. We are all spirit. Mind and matter are just our vestures, inner and outer. It will not do to sneer at the idea, saying it is Theology! To attain a genuine solution of our problems, we must make ourselves conscious of the reality, and then try to adjust our environment and all our concerns to that central fact of life. Man is an epitome of the world. There is fine correspondence between the microcosm and macrocosm. As the mind and body are to the human soul, so are the worlds of mind and matter to the Universal Soul—the Principle that we call God. The supreme merit of Vedanta is that it is singularly free from the disadvantages we usually associate with religion. For, unlike any other religion, it is the synthesis of all religions. It has a place in the world for all, literally all, because according to it every being, and everything, is a manifestation of the Divinity, nothing less than that. Hence the Vedantic conception of life safeguards the interest of every community and section of people, for it believes that the parts of a society or nation are, like the parts of a tree, integrally connected with one another. They constitute the society or nation. Vedanta, too, recognises differences, but these are not fundamental, but only on the surface, analogous to the waves of an ocean. Like the notes of a flute, they add richness and variety to the melody. For who cares to listen to a monotone? But they must be properly coordinated to produce the soul stirring symphony. Hence there is nothing to be afraid of in the Vedantic principle of oneness being applied to all spheres of life. Rather it is exactly what the strife-torn world needs today to heal its wounds. Keeping in view the particular goal of each country, and with “help and not fight” as its motto, it will give scope to every individual and group to realize their highest potentialities. Is that not the best way to ensure the common good of humanity? And India can begin the experiment right now, with sincerity and steadfastness. The minorities have nothing to fear from an application of the assimilative principles of Vedanta. For, as Swami Vivekananda put it, there s h o u l d b e e q u a l opportunities for all; and if any distinction is to be made, it should be in favour of the underprivileged.

We are hearing a good deal about communism nowadays. All sorts of claims are made on behalf of it, so much so that it is held out to be an Aladdin’s lamp to solve all the problems of the present-day world. Certainly some good things have been done by it in Russia, and that has caught the fancy of our young men and women. But have they stopped to think that what is good for Russia may not be good for India? Besides, it is worthwhile to reflect on the evils communism has produced both in Russia and elsewhere. In Russia there is no individual freedom, even of speech. And the Communist thinks nothing of creating serious trouble in other countries, so that he may make capital out of it. It is superfluous to mention the unpatriotic attitude of people in a country always taking their cue from Russia, even in the most vital matters. Above all, the Communist’s

If the State takes no cognisance of religion as a factor in moulding the life and character of a nation, and minds only the secular interests of the people, will it not be neglecting one of the most potent forces of life, which, if properly harnessed, might do wonders?

open avowal of a thoroughly materialistic view of life, with all that it connotes, is something which is totally against the hoary traditions of India. It is easy for those who are ignorant of this precious heritage to set up Russia as the ideal for our country to follow. They forget that it is the soul, and not the body, that is the fundamental part of a man’s life. Without caring for that, if we care only for the body and for things that contribute to physical comforts only, wemay turn out to be prize animals, but shall forfeit the richest treasure which a man is capable of achieving. Neither individually nor collectively is a merely material upbringing of any substantial help.

It is a perverse philosophy that leads Communists to believe, or pretend to believe, that they can bring about peace on earth by sowing the seeds of dissension everywhere. To gain true and lasting wellbeing, the means too, mustbe as pure as the end. We cannot wash dirt with dirt. Certain moral principles are universal in their application. Virtues such as non-injury, truthfulness, non-covetousness and chastity belong to this category. No man or nation can live or grow without observing them to the best of its ability. A nation is great in proportion as it possesses men and women who have dedicated themselves to the cultivation of these virtues. And there is a valid reason for this, viz., that in helping others we help ourselves, and in hurting them we only hurt ourselves, because we are all spiritually one. Like the conservation of energy in the material sphere, in the realm of the spirit also, every action produces a corresponding reaction. We all believe in doing the greatest good to the greatest number, but if we are asked why we should do so, we cannot explain it on material grounds. For unless we believe in the abiding omnipresent soul, we might as well do the greatest harm to the greatest number. It is the Vedantic conception of the oneness of existence that truly explains the utilitarian standpoint. So it is not Communism, but Vedanta, that will ultimately solve the world’s problems. Communism is sure to set the forces of reaction against it, as it has already done, and God help us if the present political rumblings lead to another armed conflict. It will do nobody good if the wealth and energy of different nations are frittered away in the wholly needless task of piling up destructive weapons of amazing power. The way out of the menacing cataclysm lies in their trying t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e wholesomeness of the Vedantic truths and adopting them as the common views of life for all nations. India can take the lead in showing the way, for it is on her soil that Vedanta has flourished. It will be a sorry spectacle if she, too, copying the West, chalks out a wholly secular programme of national regeneration, as she seems intent on doing. From the Vedic ages down to our times, she has produced seers whose spiritual magnitude is without parallel in the world. Let her not try to give the lie to her pristine culture just to appear fashionable.

The Vedantic truths are not the exclusive property of any particular person, country or age. Time and again they have been tested and found to be true. Even in the last century Sri Ramakrishna realized them in his life in diverse ways, and declared them to be absolutely true and capable of verification, by any sincere soul. Armed with this realization, he was, as is wellknown, catholicity personified, and withal so pure, so loving and so dedicated to the service of all. From the spiritual standpoint, he harmonised the most discordant phases of life and society. To us it seems that free India has Our political constitution, our education, our social structure, our foreign policy, our home life, all should be framed on the Vedantic outlook of spiritual oneness. (Continued on page 35...) 19 The Vedanta Kesari March 2020

Swami Vivekananda’s First Chicago Speech in Major Local Newspapers

ASIM CHAUDHURI

Introduction S ince it was first delivered, Swamiji’s iconic “Response to Welcome” speech on September 11, 1893, at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago has been read, re-read, dissected, analyzed, and its every word scrutinized ad infinitum. Most people who were involved in these activities sought out the first volume of the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda as the authoritative source. 1 Another version of the speech appears in volume nine of the same series. This second version is a combination composed by Marie Louise Burke, who took the reports of the speech from four major Chicago newspapers and synthesized them to arrive at what the vast audience might have actually heard from Swamiji’s lips. 2 . A recent article in The Vedanta Kesari has compared the two versions in details by conflating the texts and then discussing the relative merits of each version. The author calls the first one “the short version,” and the second “the long version.” 3 That is how they will be referred to hereafter.

This article will document the sources of the two versions for present and future use. It will also present some background information on the sources and analyse them to help the readers understand the how’s and why’s of the process that led to the two versions.

Chicago newspapers of 1893

Before we go into the various reports of the speech, let us look at the “major” daily newspapers in Chicago at the time, keeping in mind that the names of the newspapers had a tendency to change slightly within a short span of time due to mergers or for other reasons: 4 Newspapers Time published

Chicago Daily News Evening The Chicago Dispatch Evening The Chicago Evening Journal Evening The Chicago Evening Post Evening Chicago Daily Globe Morning The Chicago Herald Morning The Daily Inter Ocean Morning Chicago Mail Evening The Chicago Times Morning The Chicago Daily Tribune Morning The Chicago Record Morning

The five morning papers whose microforms are presently available in the key Chicago libraries are: The Chicago Herald, The Chicago Daily Tribune, The Daily Inter Ocean, The Chicago Record, and Chicago Times. For brevity, these will henceforth be referred to as Herald, Tribune, Inter Ocean, Record, and Times. These covered the Parliament of Religions proceedings with varying degrees of detail, and frequently reported on Swamiji and his speeches; the Herald was undoubtedly the most comprehensive of them all; the Inter Ocean was next. All of them had one thing in common— they were all morning newspapers. The evening newspapers gave the Parliament only a cursory coverage. Since the evening papers were usually published by 5 p.m., they mostly reported on the morning programs, and that

too in a rather perfunctory manner. Since most of Swamiji’s Parliament and Scientific Section speeches were during the late morning, afternoon, or evening sessions, the evening papers rarely mentioned them.

On September 12, four out of the five newspapers mentioned above reported on Swamiji’s maiden speech. We will get to those later. The Times, which had devoted to the Parliament proceedings three columns on September 12 under the heading “Men of Many Faiths,” reported on the morning session, but had only this to say about the afternoon session, when Swamiji spoke: “In the afternoon another session was held, and many addresses were made by distinguished representatives of the religions of the world.” In describing the representatives on the platform, the Times, however, wrote the following:

“The face and dress which attracted the most notice, especially from the ladies, was that of Suami [sic] Vivekananda, a young man exceptionally handsome and with features which would command attention anywhere. His dress was bright orange, and he wore a long coat and regulation turban of that color. Vivekananda is a Brahmin monk, and Prof. Wright of Harvard is quoted as saying that he is one of the best educated young men in the world.”

The Times didn’t even care to report on the speech by “one of the best educated young men in the world” who “would command attention anywhere.” The loss is theirs, but what is intriguing is how they came to know about the John Henry Wright quotation. Swamiji had Prof. Wright’s introductory letter (his only credential) with him, which probably mentioned in it the quoted words. But how did the reporter get hold of it? Swamiji was in circulation in Chicago only for a little over a day! We may never know the answer to that. The speech as reported by four newspapers (September 12, 1893)

The Herald Most Ancient Order of Monks

Swami Vivekananda, of Bombay, India, was introduced after Rev. A. W. Momerie, of England, had spoken briefly. When Mr. Vivekananda had addressed the audience as “sisters and brothers of America,” there arose a peal of applause that lasted for several minutes. He spoke as follows:

It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of the millions and millions of Hindoo people of all classes and sects.

My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who have told you that these men from far off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to the different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions to be true. I am proud to tell you that I belong to a religion into whose sacred language, the Sanscrit, the word seclusion is untranslatable.I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, a remnant which came to southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by

millions of human beings: “As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, Oh, Lord, so the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.”

The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in Gita. “Whosoever comes to me, through whatsoever form I reach him, they are all struggling through paths that in the end always lead to me.” Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have possessed long this beautiful earth. It has filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for this horrible demon human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But its time has come and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention be the death knell to all fanaticism, to all persecutions with the sword or the pen and to all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal. vvv

The Tribune Is a Deathknell to Persecution. Swami Vivekananda was next introduced [after Rev. Momerie]. He said:

It is my unspeakable joy to rise in response to the grand words of welcome given to us by you. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks the world has ever seen. I thank you in the name of the mother religion of which Buddhism and Jainism are but the branches. I thank you in the name of that ancient monastic order, and I thank you finally in the name of the millions and millions of the Hindoo people of all castes and sects. My thanks to some of the speakers on this platform who have told us that these men from the various nations will bear to the different lands the idea of toleration which they may see here. My thanks to them for this idea.

Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human gore, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations into despair. Had it not been for this horrible demon society would have been much farther advanced than it is. But its time has come and I fervently believe that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of the representatives of the different religions of the earth, in this parliament assembled, is the death-knell to all fanaticism [applause], that it is the death-knell to all persecution with the sword or the pen, and to all uncharitable feelings between brethren wending their way to the same goal, but through different ways. [Applause]. vvv

The Inter Ocean Suami Vivekenda [sic]

Said the chairman: “Great Britain is great indeed, great on the floor of this parliament. We are to hear again from the empire of India, and I am glad to present to this assembly Suami Vivekenda [sic]” [Applause.]

Suami Vivekenda said:

Sisters and brothers of America. [Great applause.] It is my unspeakable joy to rise in response to the grand words of welcome given to us by you. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks the world has ever seen. I thank you in the name of the mother religion of which Buddhism and Janish [Jainism] are but the branches. I thank you in the name of that ancient

monastic order, and I thank you finally in the name of the millions and millions of the Hindoo people of all castes and tects [sects]. My thanks to some of the speakers on this platform who have told us that these men from the various nations will bear to the different lands the idea of toleration which they may see here. My thanks to them for this idea.I am proud to tell you that I belong to a religion in whose sacred language, the Sanscrit, constitution is untranslatable.[Applause.] I am proud to belong to a nation whose religion sheltered the persecuted and the refugees from all parts of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have carried in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny.

I will quote to you, brothers, a few lines from a hymn which every Hindoo child repeats every day. I feel that the very spirit of this hymn, which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions and millions of men in India, has at last come to be realized. The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies as ever held, is in itself an indication, a declaration to the West of the wonderful doctrine preached in India.

Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, has filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human gore, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations into despair. Had it not been for this horrible demon society would have been much farther advanced than it is. But its time has come, and I fervently believe that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of the representatives of the different religions of the earth, in this parliament assembled, is the death knell to all fanaticism. [Applause.] That it is the death knell to all persecution with the sword or the pen, and to all uncharitable feelings between brethren wending their way to the same goal, but through different ways. [Applause.] vvv

The Record

Swami Dviva Kananda [sic], India: “I thank you in the name of the most ancient religion; I thank you in the name of that ancient monastic order of which Gautama was only a member, and finally I thank you in the name of the great Hindoo people.I claim a religion in which the word persecution is untranslatable. I am proud to belong to a nation which has been the refuge of the persecuted. The bell that tolled this morning was the death-knell of all fanaticism, the death-knell to persecution with sword and pen of brethren who are wending their way to the same good, but by different ways. vvv

The speech as reported in Barrows’ book (“Barrows version”)

Swami Vivekananda, of Bombay, was next introduced. When Mr. Vivekananda addressed the audience as “sisters and brothers of America,” there arose a peal of applause that lasted for several minutes. He spoke as follows: Speech of Mr. Vivekananda

It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.

My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to the different lands the idea of toleration.

I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions to be true. I am proud to tell you that I belong to a religion into whose sacred language, the Sanskrit, the word exclusion is untranslatable.I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, a remnant which came to southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy Temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: “As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to thee.”

The present Convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: “Whosoever comes to me, through whatsoever form I reach him, they are all struggling through paths that in the end always lead to me.” Sectarianism, bigotry and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have possessed long this beautiful earth. It has filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for this horrible demon, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But its time has come, and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death knell to all fanaticism, to all persecutions with the sword or the pen, and to all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal. 5

Discussion of the reports

Now that we have here all the four available reports on the speech (readers can consult the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda for the “short” and the “long” versions), we can address them individually and compare them with each other and the “short version,” which is the generally accepted version. It is important to mention here that, based on the existing hard copies and microforms, these were the only four newspapers that reported on the speech.

The Herald report is the longest and the most important one, because that was the mother-source for the “short version” of the speech. However, Barrows’ book, The World’s Parliament of Religions, published in 1893, first included this report with very minimal editing, as we can see. The significant difference between the two is one word in the sentence (see the Herald report): “I am proud to tell you that I belong to a religion into whose sacred language, the Sanscrit, the word seclusion is untranslatable.” The word is “seclusion” in the Herald version and “exclusion” in the Barrows version. The two words are somewhat similarsounding but, between the two, “exclusion” definitely makes more sense in the context. It is interesting to note that the Inter Ocean used in that place the word “constitution”, which doesn’t make any sense, and the Record “persecution.” This brings up the question: “What exact word did Swamiji say that was untranslatable in Sanskrit?”

It appears that he said “persecution.” According to the Inter Ocean, there was applause at the end of the sentence in question (there could have been applause after the previous sentence that ended with: “we accept all religions to be true”), so it is possible that

the representatives of the Herald and Inter Ocean didn’t hear the word properly (the Tribune had that word in its headline) due to noise from the audience, but the representative of the Record did. Phonetically, “persecution” is closer to “seclusion” and “constitution” than is “exclusion.” Moreover, according to the three reports that mentioned the sentence, Swamiji went into the subject of the “persecuted” and “refugees” (“of all religions and all nations”) next. In that context, by “persecution” he must have meant religious persecution.

Eminent Sanskrit scholars have been contacted to find out if there is an equivalent word in Sanskrit for “religious persecution.” After considerable research into the matter, one such scholar concluded: “Sanskrit language as such—right from the period of the Vedas—did not have a word for religious persecution.” *

We therefore conclude that what Swamiji said was: “I am proud to tell you that I belong to a religion into whose sacred language, the Sanskrit, the word persecution is untranslatable.” And he was right.

When the “short version” was compiled years later, around 1907, by further editing the Barrows version, the sentence in question was included, but was eliminated later. 6 The decision to eliminate it was probably prompted by the uncertainty surrounding the “untranslatable” word, which had four significantly different versions floating around in the media, although there could have been other reasons.

The Tribune report is considerably shorter than the Herald’s, but it has a reference to Buddhism and Jainism that is absent in the latter. The Inter Ocean report, which is closer to the Herald report in its length and content, also had a similar reference.

The Record’s report is totally inadequate. First, it massacred Swamiji’s name (and so did the Inter Ocean). Second, it brought up Gautama’s name, which was not in the other three reports (although two of them referred to Buddhism). Dropping items that are in the other reports is understandable, but adding something that is not in the others is questionable. Since it is a live speech that is being reported, you edit things out, not in. But the Record, however, did get the word “persecution” right!

Interestingly, in the “long version,” Marie Louise Burke used for her synthesis materials that are both common and unique in the four newspaper reports, as she had proposed to do, but used the word “exclusion,” which none of the reports used; it was taken from the Barrows version. For reasons best known to herself, Burke didn’t mention the other three versions of the word.

Concluding remarks

One wishes that there had been arrangements to record the speeches on wax cylinders, a technology that was then available. Then we could hear Swamiji’s sonorous voice as he spoke, with all the correct inflections, syntax, and tone. But there is no indication that there was any such arrangement. Even if the speeches had been recorded, the shelf life of the cylinders would have been short, or there could have been other technical issues. ** It is unfortunate that more newspapers didn’t follow the Herald’s lead in reporting on the speech. Even if they had done so, it is also unfortunate that the hard copies of all extant newspapers of that date (September 12, 1893) are no longer available; some were never microfilmed before they disintegrated or disappeared. So, we have to be satisfied with the “short” and the “long” versions, along with their sources. Both versions reflect the mastery of the speaker in terms of organization, sentiment, train of thought, poise, confidence, and, finally, eloquence.

Does the Sanskrit language have a word for ‘persecution’? From among the major Sanskrit-English dictionaries, Monier Williams Sanskrit Dictionary has this entry: To PERSECUTE, v. a. बाध्(c. 1. बाधते -धित ुं), प्रबाध्, परिबाध्, प्रतिबाध्, बाधार्थम् or द्रोहार्थम् अनुमृ (c. 1. -सरति -सर्त्तुं, c. 10. -मारयति -यित ुं), द्वेषपूर्व्वम् अनुसृ, द्रुह् (c. 4. द्रुह्यति, द्रोहित ुं), क्लिश ् (c. 9. क्लिश्नाति क्लेशितुं), क्लेशं or द्रोहं क ृ, अभि द्रोहं क ृ, उपद्रव कृ. But is the word connected to persecution based on religion? The Apte Sanskrit dictionary gives असचद्वि ष्. – Persecuting those who are not (his) worshippers. For the same entryMonier Williams quoting a Rig Veda mantra states the following: असचद्वि ष्/ अ-सचद्विष् mfn. hating or persecuting the non-worshippers ([ BR. Gmn. ]) or not persecuting worshippers([ NBD. ]) RV. viii , 20 , 24 (voc.) This term appears just only once in the entire Rigveda Samhita in the 8 th Mandala 20 th Sukta and 24 th Mantra of the Rigveda. This is a mantra on the Maruts. The Maruts are praised as असचद्वि षः When read with the Sayana Acharya Commentary, which is the traditional authority in understanding the Vedas, the meaning of the mantra appears as: असचद्वि षः असक्तश त्रवः शत्रु रहिताः –Those who are bereft of enemies or Those about whom the enemies are disinclined (to fight). Hence, the meaning given by the dictionaries to the term असचद्वि षः is incorrect. Unless we find other contradicting evidences, we can conclude that Swamiji was correct in stating that the Sanskrit language as such – right from the period of the Vedas – did not have a word for religious persecution. Monier Williams and Apte, probably merely looked into the etymology-root meanings and arrived at the meaning. But in determining the meaning of the Vedas, the meaning approved by the traditional commentators (who look into all the six Vedangas) carry more weightage than only grammatical analysis. Furthermore, the roots of the Vedic-Sanskrit words have many meanings, which may not be accounted fully in grammatical texts. — Dr. M. Jayaraman, Director, Research Department, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai; Member, Expert panel for Yoga, TKDL-CSIR, Govt of India

** That, of course, didn’t stop the enthusiasts from making stuff up and putting it on the Internet (https:// www.latestly.com/lifestyle/festivals-events/swami-vivekanandas-iconic-1893-speech-in-chicagowatch-full-video-audio-of-the-historic-address-at-the-us-parliament-of-worlds-religions-584029. html.) This article, further supported by Marie Louise Burke’s “long version,” clearly indicates that the Internet version of Swamiji’s first speech is counterfeit.}

1) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. 1:3 2) Ibid., 9: 429-430. 3) “Two Versions of Swami Vivekananda’s First Chicago Speech,” William Page. The Vedanta Kesari, January 2019, pp. 24-26. 4) Authentic Visitors’ Guide to the World’s Columbian Exposition and Chicago. Richard J. Murphy. Chicago: The Union News Co., 1892, p. 50. 5) The World’s Parliament of Religions. John Henry Barrows. Parliament Publishing Co., 1893, Vol 1, pp. 101-102. 6) Personal communication with Swami Atmarupananda of Houston, TX. References