SingaSpeaks – Roar 62

SingaSpeaks A PERIODIC NEWSLETTER FROM THE RAMAKRISHNA MISSION, SINGAPORE

ROAR 62 | SINGAPORE | SATURDAY | 27 MAY 2017

Swami Shiveshwarananda passes away…

We are extremely sorry to inform devotees and friends that Srimat Swami Shiveshwaranandaji Maharaj, who was President of the S i n g a p o r e Ramakrishna Mission from 1985 to 1988, passed away at the Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratisthan in Kolkata, India on 19 May 2017 at about 9.30 am. He was 87 years old. Owing to some acute health problems

he was shifted from Bhubaneshwar Math to Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan (our Hospital in Kolkata) on the 18th night and was admitted into ICU there.

During his tenure here in Singapore, he had endeared himself to many who had come into contact with him through his affectionate nature. He had given initiation (mantradiksha) to a few devotees.

We will be holding a Memorial Meeting of the late Swami at our Temple on Sunday, 4 June 2017 after evening arati at 7:30 pm.

All devotees, friends and followers of the Mission are cordially invited to attend the Memorial Meeting.

A ‘bhandara’ (supper prasad) will be served after the programme.

179 BARTLEY ROAD | SINGAPORE 539784

PH: +65 6288 9077 | FAX: 6288 5798

singapore@rkmm.org

PERIODIC NEWSLETTER ROAR 62

PAGE TWO

SATURDAY, 27 MAY 2017

Significance of Shodasi Puja Sri Phalaharini Kali Puja was observed in Belur Math this year on the night of Thursday, 25 May 2017. Swami Saradananda, a Direct Disciple of Sri Ramakrishna convincingly explained the auspicious episode that happened in the lives of Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi in his original Bengali Book “Sri Sri Ramakrishna Leelaprasanga�. This is a translated version of it.

A little more than half of the Bengali month of Jaishtha1280 [mid-May to midJune] had passed.

It was the new moon night, an auspicious occasion of Phalaharini Kali Puja. This special f e s t iva l i s a l s o observed in the Kali temple of Dakshineswar. The Master made s p e c i a l arrangement for p r i v a t e l y wo r s h i p i n g t h e Divine Mother as Shodasi in his room rather than performing it in the temple. At the right side of the worshiper's seat, a low wooden seat, beautifully painted with rice powder pigment, was placed for the goddess to sit on during the worship. The sun had set and the new moon night arrived in a veil of deep darkness. Hriday was performing the worship in the Kali temple that night, so he helped with the preparations for the Master's worship as much as possible and then left for the temple. After the priest Dinu had finished the evening worship service of RadhaGovinda temple, he came to help the 179 BARTLEY ROAD | SINGAPORE 539784

Master prepare for the worship, and then left. It was 9:00 in the evening when the preparations for the mystical worship were c o m p l e t e . Th e Master had sent a message to Sarada (Holy Mother) beforehand to be present during the worship, and now she arrived in the Master's room.

The Master sat for worship.

The Master finished the preliminaries and sanctified the articles of worship by repeating mantras. He then beckoned for Sarada to sit on the decorated wooden seat. While she was watching the worship, Sarada had already entered a semiconscious spiritual state. So without fully knowing what she was doing, she moved like one who is spellbound and sat facing north on the right side of the Master, who was seated facing east. According to the scriptural injuncions, he repeatedly sprinkled sanctified water on her from the pitcher placed in front of him. He then uttered mantras and invoked the deity

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PERIODIC NEWSLETTER ROAR 62

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SATURDAY, 27 MAY 2017

with the following prayer:

semiconscious state, the Master also went into deep samadhi. Thus, the worshiper "O Divine Mother Tripura-Sundari! and the worshiped became fully united O Eternal Virgin, possessor of all power! and unified in the Atman, the ExistencePlease open the gate of perfection. Purify Knowledge-Bliss Absolute. her body and mind, and manifest Yourself through her for the welfare of all."

Some time passed in this way. It was long after midnight when the Master gradually He then performed the ceremony of nyasa regained partial consciousness of the in accordance with the injunction of the world. In that semiconscious state he scriptures, and worshiped Sarada with offered himself to the Devi manifest in the sixteen items as a veritable manifestation person of Sarada, and then forever of the Devi. After offering food, he took surrendered at her feet himself, the result some of it and put it in her mouth. Sarada of his sadhana, his rosary, and everything lost outer consciousness and went into else. He then bowed down to her with samadhi. While uttering mantraas in a this prayer: 179 BARTLEY ROAD | SINGAPORE 539784

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singapore@rkmm.org

PERIODIC NEWSLETTER ROAR 62

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SATURDAY, 27 MAY 2017

"O Consort of Shiva, the most auspicious of all auspicious beings!

O Doer of all actions! O Refuge of all! O three-eyed goddess of golden complexion! O Power of Narayana, I salute you again and again."

The worship was completed. The Master's sadhana culminated in this worship of the Divine Mother in the body of a woman who was an embodiment of spiritual wisdom.

Both his divine and human aspects had achieved ultimate perfection. ~ Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play Translated by Swami Chetanananda from Sri Sri Ramakrishna Lilaprasanga in Bengali Sri Lalita Sahasranama is an important stotram occuping a profound place in the hymnal literature. This work is dedicated to the worship of Divine Mother. She is conceived as Tripura Sundari manifesting Herself in various forms.

This book is unique in that every verse of this is considered a mantra and chanting of the entire one Thousand names would not only fulfil all worldly desires (bhukti) but also bestow spiritual ultimate goal (mukti).

The original work in Sanskrit is transliterated into English with lucid translation by Swami Tapasyananda. Anyone not well versed with Sanskrit can also read and chant.

This book is available at our Book Stores at a cost of S$ 5/179 BARTLEY ROAD | SINGAPORE 539784

PH: +65 6288 9077 | FAX: 6288 5798

singapore@rkmm.org

Sri Lalita Sahasranama is an important work occuping a profound place in the hymnal literature. This work is dedicated to the worship of Divine Mother. She is conceived as Tripura Sundari manifesting Herself in various forms. This book is unique in that every verse of this is considered a mantra and chanting of the enrire one Thousand names would not only fulfil all worldly desires (bhukti) but also bestow spiritual ultimate goal (mukti). The original work in Sanskrit is transliterted into English with translation by Swami Tapasyananda. Anyone not well versed with Sanskrit also can read and chant.

Sri Lalita Sahasranama is an excellent appreciative but also critical study of the Sahasranama as a piece of Stotra literature and as an exposition of the philosophy of the Mother cult.

It is both a historical and a doctrinal study of this worship of the Supreme Being as the Mother Tripura Sundari which is current all over India in different forms.

The Introduction to this edition of Lalitasahasranama is taken from the now out-of-print translation of it by Prof. D. S. Sarma.

Swami Tapasyananda the translator of this book has transliterated the original text in English accompanied by a lucid English translation which will make the chanting possible for those who have no access to Sanskrit.

179 BARTLEY ROAD | SINGAPORE 539784

PH: +65 6288 9077 | FAX: 6288 5798

singapore@rkmm.org