Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai - 600 004 and Cover Page Recaptures That Day
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1 TheVedanta Kesari February 2019 1 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly 1 `15 February of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914 2019 2 PRIVATE LIMITED Regd. Off. & Fact. : Phone : 04172 - 244820, 651507, Plot No.88 & 89, Phase - II, Tele Fax : 04172 - 244820 (Manufacturers of Active Pharmaceutical Sipcot Industrial Complex, E-mail : [email protected] Ingredients and Intermediates) Ranipet - 632 403, Tamil Nadu. Web Site : www.svisslabss.net Ratha Saptami - Vasant Panchami 12 February 2019 10 February 2019 COVER STORY On 6 Feb 1897, Saturday, people of Chennai gave a euphoric welcome to Swami Vivekananda on his triumphant homecoming from the West. Streets were lavishly decorated, triumphal arches were erected, mottoes were blazoned on all sides, and there was a perpetual shower of flowers at every point on the route to Castle Kernan (now Vivekananda House) Editor: SWAMI MAHAMEDHANANDA where Swamiji was lodged. The whole Hindu society stood awakened and invigorated. The Published by SWAMI VIMURTANANDA, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai - 600 004 and Cover Page recaptures that day. 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. Website: www.chennaimath.org E-mail: [email protected] 3 106th THE VEDANTA KESARI YEAR OF PUBLICATION A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of The Ramakrishna Order FEBRUARY Vol. 106, No. 2 2019 CONTENTS ISSN 0042-2983 11 16 Reminiscences of Sargachhi Sister Nivedita and the Hindu Society Swami Suhitananda Dr. Purba Sengupta FEATURES T h e V 49 21 e d 7 Dakäiëàmùrti Stotra as 8 Yugavani The Braahmanas 9 Editorial The Story of a Locket Lakshmi Devnath 25 Pariprasna Dr. Hironmoy N. Mukherjee 27 Vivekananda Way 31 Special Report Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna What is Religion? 45 Book Reviews Mission:Synopsis of the Governing Body Report for 2017-18 46 Topical Musings 49 The Vedas: An Exploration 52 The Order on the March 48 31 Ramakrishna- A Message to Garcia Vivekananda in ‘The Land of Five Rivers’ Swami Atmashraddhananda s ng si u M l a c i 46 32 34 p o T 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. Website: www.chennaimath.org E-mail: [email protected] TheVedanta Kesari Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 h(044) 2462 1110 e-mail: [email protected] Website : www.chennaimath.org Dear Readers, The Vedanta Kesari is one of the oldest cultural and spiritual magazines in the country. Started under the guidance and support of Swami Vivekananda, the first issue of the magazine, then called Brahmavadin, came out on 14 Sept 1895. Brahmavadin was run by one of Swamiji’s ardent followers Sri Alasinga Perumal. After his death in 1909 the magazine publication became irregular, and stopped in 1914 whereupon the Ramakrishna Order revived it as The Vedanta Kesari. Swami Vivekananda’s concern for the magazine is seen in his letters to Alasinga Perumal where he writes: ‘Now I am February 2019 bent upon starting the journal.’ ‘Herewith I send a hundred 4 dollars…. Hope this will go just a little in starting your paper.’ ‘I am determined to see the paper succeed.’ ‘The Song of the Sannyasin is my first contribution for your journal.’ ‘I learnt from your letter the bad financial state that Brahmavadin is in.’ ‘It must be supported by the Hindus if they have any sense of virtue or gratitude left in them.’ ‘I pledge myself to maintain the paper anyhow.’ ‘The Brahmavadin is a jewel—it must not perish. Of course, such a paper The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta has to be kept up by private help always, and we will do it.’ For the last 105 years, without missing a single issue, the magazine has been carrying the invigorating message of Vedanta with articles on spirituality, culture, philosophy, youth, personality development, science, holistic living, family and corporate values. Over the years, production and PERMANENT FUND publication costs have gone up manifold. 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Bank Transfer in India: Name of the Bank : United Bank of India Bank Code No. : 600027009 Name of the Branch : R.K. Math Road, Chennai - 4 IFSC : UTBI0SRM842 Name of the Account : Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai {here ‘0’ is zero} Account Number : 1511010100001 Swift Code : UTBIINBBMBS of UBI 4. Donate Online: https://donations.chennaimath.org 5. After any donation please e-mail transaction details to : [email protected] a) In the e-mail / covering letter mention purpose of payment: VK Subscription / VK Permanent Fund / VK Sponsor a Page / VK Gift to Libraries. b) Kindly mention your postal address and contact number. c) Please give your PAN Number for donations `10,000 and above. d) All donations are exempt from Income Tax under section 80G of the [Indian] I.T.Act, 1961. February 2019 PATRONS: Pragati Offset, Hyderabad ` 25,000.00 6 PERMANENT FUND DONORS Ms.. Savithri Natarajan, Coimbatore ` 10000 Sri. Harish Ranganatha Shastri, ` 1000 Dr.. Vayu Naidu, Kanchipuram Dist ` 5000 Bangalore Sri. Sumanth Timmadasari, Bengaluru ` 3000 Sri. Pranab Pal, Mumbai ` 1000 Sri. Chaithanya Mudupalavemala, A.P. ` 2116 Smt. Nagalakshmi S, Trichy ` 1000 Sri. Kartik Shankar M, Chennai ` 1008 Smt. Vijayalakshmi Muthalagan, ` 1000 Chennai The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Sri. Chandrachoodan Kathiresan, ` 1000 Madurai REACHING 1946 LIBRARIES.... LIBRARY SCHEME SL.NO. NAMES OF SPONSORS AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS 1. Dr. R. Subramaniya Bharathiyar, Vivekananda Foundation, Mysuru, Karnataka 2. -do- Ramakrishna Seva Sangha, Ramakrishna Nagar, Mysuru 3. -do- Badarikashrama, Madehalli, Turuvekere, Karnataka 4. -do- Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Ashrama, Kunigal Road, Tumkur, Karnataka 5. -do- Swami Vivekananda Athmajnana Sevalayam, Udupi, Karnataka 6. -do- Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Davanagere, Karnataka 7. -do- Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Ashrama, Harihar, Karnataka 8. -do- Sri Sharadashrama, Hiriyur, Karnataka 9. -do- Ramakrishna Tapovan, Kariangala, Bantwal, Karnataka 10. -do- Sri Sharadashrama, Challakere, Karnataka 11. -do- Sadhanashrama, Davanagere, Karnataka To be continued . Verse 2 बीजस्봾न㔤रिव봾敍啁िो जगरििं ꥍ봾ङ्ꄿरव픿कल्ं ्ुꄿः म봾्봾कङल्㔤िेशक봾लकलꄿ봾वैरि配्रि配ीकृ㔤म् । म봾्봾वीव रवजृम㔭्त्र् मह봾्ोगीव ्ः सवेच㔛्봾 㔤समै �ीगु셁मू㔤픿्े ꄿम इिं �ीिर�ण봾मू㔤픿्े ।। २ ।। 2. Obeisance to him, Árì Dakäiëàmùrti, who is the Guru, who, out of his free will, like the magician or a great yogi, manifests this world, which was, before creation, undifferentiated even as the sprout was within the seed and became variegated later, on account of its association with space and time brought forth by màyà. This verse forms the basis for the presentation of the Advaitic view of creation. Incidentally, the other schools are brought in and refuted. Whereas most of these schools depend upon two methods of knowledge, viz. pratyakäa (direct perception) and anumàna (inference), laying great emphasis on the intellect and reasoning, the Vedànta school depends primarily February 2019 on àptavàkya or áabda (verbal testimony of the scriptures), using logic also, to meet the 7 other schools on their own grounds.