1 TheVedanta Kesari

रामो विग्रहवान्‌ धर्뤃 Sri Rama Navami

A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly 1 `15 April of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914 2021 2

1 April - Swami Yogananda Jayanti April 2021

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The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta “Time is running out. You have neglected a beautiful thing — your own inner development. You were busy with your achievements, name, fame and all that. That won’t do. Reduce stress on them and concentrate on enriching your inner life.” — Swami Ranganathananda With Best Compliments

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The Vedanta Kesari A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of The Ramakrishna Order

CONTENTS Vol. 108, No. 4 108th ISSN 0042-2983 Year of Publication APRIL 11 2021

Swami Vivekananda and the Concept of Freedom in Indian Culture Swami Bhajanananda 46 19 FEATURES 8 Atmarpanastuti Erskine Mason Phelps: Mahasamadhi of 9 Yugavani Swami Vagishanandaji Swami Vivekananda’s First 10 Editorial Host in America 17 Reminiscences of Sargachhi Asim Chaudhuri 25 Vivekananda Way Rabindranath Tagore on 33 Pariprasna Look on the Bright Side Karmayoga 35 Special Report Gitanjali Murari Shubhra Jyoti Das 37 Lessons from Swamis 44 Book Reviews P o c 47 The Order on the March k e t T a l 40 e 23 s

Manomohan Mitra Poorva: Magic, Miracles Dr. Ruchira Mitra and the Mystical Twelve Lakshmi Devnath

s all C d o G

n e 31 29 h

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Editor: Swami Mahamedhananda Published by Swami Vimurtananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, No.31, Ramakrishna Math Road, 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] Ph: 6374213070 TheVedanta Kesari

One hundred and seven years

First issue of and going strong…. He was a much-celebrated and much-feted Swami. His Brahmavadin, Septemberfamous 1895 address at The World’s Parliament of Religions, Chicago in 1893 had catapulted him to the status of a super star. But Swami Vivekananda was not one to bask in chaffy glory. A letter to one of his trusted followers, from the USA, dated 12 Jan 1895, read, ‘I want to preach my ideas for the good of the world. …What work have you done in the way of advancing the ideas and organising in India? …My life is more precious than spending it in getting the admiration of the world. I have no time for such foolery.’

April 2021 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 4 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.

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta 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.’

have borne the name of Alasinga Perumal. Brahmavadin If selflessness and devotion would have a form, it would from a press in Broadway, Chennai on 14 September 1895.became The Alasinga’s magazine calling included and a the poem first of issue Swamiji rolled out First issue of The Vedanta Kesari, May 1914 specially composed for the occasion. It was titled, ‘The Song of the Sannyasin’. One verse ran thus: The One hundred and seven Vedanta Kesari years and going strong….

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

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

For fetters, though of gold, are not less strong to bind; April 2021 (Handwritten words in Swamiji’s own hand) 5 With this message that marked its mission, Brahmavadin made a determined entry into the strife-ridden climate of pre-independence India. The birth of the magazine was certainly an occasion for celebration but the struggles were far from over. One of Swamiji’s letters to Alasinga read: ‘I learnt from your letter the bad financial state that Brahmavadin is in.’ This was followed by another letter that carried the line, ‘I pledge myself to maintain the paper anyhow.’ The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta 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

It was at this crucial juncture, that the Ramakrishna Mission stepped in to revive it. The demise. In May 1914, the magazine, tottering as it was, floundered and ground to a halt. 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 realised. 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. Appeal For the last 107 years, without missing a single issue, the magazine has been carrying the invigorating message of Vedanta and alongside, continuously revamping itself to meet the changing needs of the times. The relevance of Vedantic wisdom to everyday life is all the more pertinent today than ever before. ‘Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached,’ is the thundering motto of Swami Vivekananda. The Ramakrishna Mission, as you all know, is a unique organisation where sannyasis and lay people come together and endeavour for the common good. Let’s join hands in taking forward our revered Swamiji’s vision and mission for The Vedanta Kesari.

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Atmarpanastuti Sri Appayya Dikshitendra

Sloka - 44 विविधमपि गुणौघं वेदयन㔤्र्थादाः परिमितविभवानां पामराणां सुराणाम् । तनुहिमकरमौले तावता त्वतरत्व कति कति जगदीशाः कल्पता नो भवेयुः ॥४४ Let the arthavadas (statements of praise) in the Vedas attribute various kinds of merits to the other gods who are of limited power and glory. O Lord with the crescent moon on Your forehead, in this way how many lords of the world are being (wrongly) imagined as superior to You!

April 2021 Sloka - 45 8 विहर पितृवने वा विश्वपारे पुरे वा रजतगिरितटे वा रत्सानुस्ले वा। दिश भवदुपकण्ठ देहि मे भृत्भावं परमशिव तव �रीादुकावाहकानाम् ॥४५ O Paramashiva! Sport in the cremation ground or in an abode beyond the universe, or on the Silver Mountain (Kailasa), or in the valley of gems. Make me the servant of those who carry Your sacred sandals and bless me with proximity to You.

Sloka - 46 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta बलमबलममीषां बल्जानां विचिन㔤्य कथमपि शिव काल啍षेमात्रप्रधानैः । निखिलमपि रहस्य नाथ निष्啃ष् सा啍षत् सरसिजभवमुख्यै साधितं नः प्रमाणम् ॥४६ The strength or weakness of these weak ones (the various gods) may be a matter of discussion among those whose object is only to spend the time, O Lord Shiva, for us, what has been established by Brahma and others after delving into the secrets of the scriptures is what is valid.

Translated by Sri. S.N. Sastri. Yugavani

Tmenhe three under gunas―sattva, their control. Theyrajas, andare tamas―havelike three brothers: As long as sattva exists, it calls on rajas for help; and rajas can get help from tamas. Tamas kills and rajas binds. Sattva no doubt releases man from his bondage, but it cannot take him to God. It is said in the Purana that Ravana had an excess of rajas, Kumbhakarna of tamas, and Vibhishana of sattva. That is why Vibhishana was able to

receive the grace of Rama. The April 2021 truth is that unless a man has got rid of rajas and has acquired sattva, 9 he cannot steadily dwell in God; he cannot love God and realize Him. Beyond the Three Bondage is of the mind, and freedom is also of the mind. When Gunas you say that a certain person has become impure, you mean that PAGE DONOR : SRI. R. CHINTHAIAH, CHENNAI CHINTHAIAH, R. SRI. : DONOR PAGE impurity has coloured his mind. The mind will take the colour you dye it with. It is like white Kesari The Vedanta clothes just returned from the laundry… They will take only the colour you dip them in, whatever it may be…If you are in bad company, then you will talk and think like your companions. On the other hand, when you are in the company of devotees, you will think and talk only of God. Even pictures may prove harmful. You see, it is good to keep pictures of sannyasis and holy men in one’s room. When you get up in the morning you should see the faces of holy persons rather than the faces of other men. People with rajasic qualities keep ‘English’ pictures on their walls—pictures of rich men, the King, the Queen…That shows their rajasic temperament. Work for the good of others belongs to rajas, yet this rajas has sattva for its basis, and is

disinterested action sattva mixed with rajas gradually turns into pure sattva. not harmful…It is highly beneficial for a person to try to perform such action…Through — The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Editorial

Our Duties in Life n his Tirukkural, Thiruvalluvar writes, “He alone lives who knows (and determine what constitutes good action in these Idischarges) the proper duties (of life). relationships.external circumstances, Again, we it becomeswrongly difficultinterpret to He who knows them not shall be reckoned among the dead.” One personality who knew or greed for wealth and gain as our duty. Truly, sometimesfulfilling morbid Maya attachment comes in theto sense guise pleasure, of duty. exemplary manner was Sri Ramachandra. However, from Sri Rama who performed his Therefore,his duties Ramanavami and fulfilled coming, them we in thewould most do duties as son, brother, husband, friend, warrior, king etc., in the most ideal manner, we learn that What is our duty in life? While it is not our family and social duties will lead us Godward well to reflect on our duties in life. if those actions are truthful, non-injurious, yet from the subjective side, as Swami Vivekanandapossible to give points an objective out, we definitionsee that “certainof duty, Another important duty we have is unselfish, and unattached. acts have a tendency to exalt and ennoble us, towards Sanatana Dharma which preserves the while certain other acts have a tendency to highest universal truths discovered by man. April 2021 degrade and to brutalise us.” Therefore, “any Our work is to experientially realise the great 10 action that makes us go Godward is a good Vedantic truths and share it with the whole action, and is our duty; any action that makes world. Swami Vivekananda says, “For a us go downward is evil, and is not our duty.” complete civilisation the world is waiting, How does an action become good? waiting for the treasures to come out of India, Swamiji again tells us, “When you are doing any waiting for the marvellous spiritual inheritance work, do not think of anything beyond. Do it as of the race…” worship, as the highest worship, and devote your whole life to it for the time being.” various duties, then understand how to The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta The challenge is to first recognise these When our actions are thus divinised they carry them out in the best possible way perform them in a dharmic manner, and finally senses, overcome the restlessness of our mind, become efficient instruments to tame our to engage in actions that help to manifest our overcoming all difficulties. In short, our duty is by the strength of rightly performed actions we inner divinity and simultaneously bring about evolveand burn even our selfishnessto the highest and sensuality. realisation Thus of the good of the world. When duties are so spiritual perfection. While this is duty towards performed, it is called dharma. ourselves, we have other duties which stem This dharma was the strength of Sri Rama. from our relationships in society. When he is about to leave for vanavas, his In society we have multiple personal and mother Kausalya blesses him saying, “The duty social identities like son, daughter, brother, sister, which you are carrying out with courage and husband, wife, friend, neighbour, employer, self-discipline, O tiger among the descendants employee, citizen, and so on. In each of these of Raghu, will alone protect you.” May “dharma incarnate” Sri Rama awaken differences in human nature and varying roles we have duties to fulfill. But given the in us the strength to fulfill all our duties in life. Focus

Swami Vivekananda and the Concept of Freedom in Indian Culture SWAMI BHAJANANANDA This article was presented as a paper at the seminar on ‘Man and Freedom’, jointly sponsored by the Indian Academy of Philosophy and the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture (RMIC) on 22 January 2000. It is being reproduced here from RMIC’s journal Bulletin where it was published in July 2006. wami Vivekananda was one of those liberated man, Swamiji’s words on freedom rare great men who strove to extend have the ring of authenticity and authority. Sthe frontiers of human freedom by His three main contributions heightening man’s faith in the eternal verities. Human freedom is generally regarded as He has been regarded by eminent Western having two dimensions: external and internal. scholars like A. L. Basham as “one of the External freedom includes political freedom moulders of the modern world,”1 although and social freedom. Internal freedom includes

intellectual freedom, moral freedom, and April 2021 on world thought has not been widely spiritual freedom. recognizedmuch of the as influence his. Swami that Vivekananda Swamiji has was exerted also 11 one of the builders of modern India, and this All these realms of freedom are generally fact has been openly acknowledged by almost treated as if they were independent of each all the great leaders of modern India. Swamiji revitalized the religious consciousness of the thinker to show that all these types of freedom other. Swami Vivekananda was the first great Indians, gave them a sense of unity, pride in the are expressions of a single existential urge for freedom derived from the intrinsic freedom of towards the poor and the downtrodden, and the Atman or true Self. PAGE DONOR : SRI CHALAPATI RAO K.V., HYDERABAD K.V., RAO CHALAPATI SRI : DONOR PAGE couragepast, self-confidence, to face the a challengesense of responsibility of Western Secondly, Swamiji showed that religion Kesari The Vedanta culture. based on universal principles such as the innate Here we are concerned only with Swami freedom of the Self can exert a tremendously Vivekananda’s contribution to the understanding and furtherance of freedom in Many modern people tend to look upon religion the context of Indian culture. It may be asliberating an obstacle influence to social on harmony the minds and of progress. people. remembered here that Swamiji was a liberated Karl Marx referred to religion as “the opium of soul. A Catholic father belonging to the Don the people”, and Freud regarded it as the “chain Bosco Order, in his doctoral dissertation on of illusion”. Swami Vivekananda did not say that Swami Vivekananda, has described Swamiji as these views are entirely wrong, but he pointed a “man without frontiers”2 and Dr Radhakrishnan has described Swamiji as “a of religion. Religion in its true, experiential spokesman of the Divine Logos”.3 Being a essenceout that theyis a constructiverepresent only force a superficial which fosters view

Swami Bhajananandaji is a senior sannyasi and a Trustee of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission and lives in Belur Math. enlightenment, freedom, progress, and which is the cause of all suffering. The ultimate harmony. goal of life is to break this bondage and attain Thirdly, Swami Vivekananda showed that the freedom of pure consciousness. Thus, this view of religion as a liberating, constructive freedom in traditional Hindu philosophy is an and harmonizing force is not a utopian ideal ultimate goal or value. It can be attained only but an immensely practical proposition. Karl through great struggle and is meant for a few Marx said, “The philosophers have only individuals who choose the path of nivritti or interpreted the world in various ways; the renunciation. point is to change it.” This was precisely what Swami Vivekananda looked upon freedom Swami Vivekananda attempted to do—to as a basic, existential urge underlying all life change the world. Swamiji activities. Swamiji argued was not a speculative that, since pure conscious- philosopher but a prophet The identification of pure ness is the substratum of consciousness with mind and life, its freedom percolates gospel of social service. He body is known as bondage through mind and body. and pathfinder with a new called his system of thought which is the cause of all Freedom is thus an Practical Vedanta which was suffering. invariable attribute of life. intended to help every Swamiji illustrates this truth person, even the poorest by the example of a worm April 2021 and the most ignorant, in all situations of life to and a locomotive. He says: 12 A huge locomotive has rushed on over the line and a small worm that was creeping upon attainMeaning freedom, of freedom dignity, strength, and fulfilment. one of the rails saved its life by crawling out of One of the most important discoveries the path of the locomotive. Yet this little worm, made in ancient India, at least two thousand

moment, is a living something, while this is a self-existent reality in itself independent of locomotive,so insignificant so huge, that so it canimmense, be crushed is only in an a mindfive hundred and body. years Prajnanamago, was that brahma consciousness, “The engine, a machine. You say the one has life and The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta ultimate Reality is pure consciousness”—this is the other is only dead matter . . . . How can we statements ever made. In the whole of Western make the distinction between the living and the thoughtone of the consciousness most significant is regarded metaphysical as an dead, then? In the living there is freedom, there attribute or function of the mind or of the body, is intelligence; in the dead all is bound and no never as an independent entity. In the freedom is possible, because there is no mainstream of Hindu philosophy, known as intelligence. This freedom that distinguishes us Vedanta, consciousness is considered to be from mere machines is what we are all striving primary, and mind and matter are secondary for. To be more free is the goal of all our efforts, derivatives of it. Mind and matter are created for only in perfect freedom can there be 4 things and are bound by the laws of the perfection. universe. Pure consciousness, known as cit, is Although the ever-free, pure uncreated, self-existent, and ever free. consciousness is our true Self, or Atman, we don’t feel this freedom because of the with mind and body is known as bondage The identification of pure consciousness identification of the Self with the body and mind which are unfree, being governed by the behind evolution, the elan vital of Bergson. “What is the cause of evolution?” Swamiji asks, caused by ignorance, ajnana. Swami and then answers, “Desire. The animal wants to Vivekanandarigid laws of thehas universe. compared This ignorance identification to a dark is screen with a small hole which covers a source environment favourable, and therefore of light which is the Atman. Through the hole a developsdo something, a new body. but Who does develops not find it? The the little light of the Atman manifests itself. This is animal itself, its will. You have developed from the source of the urge for freedom we all feel. the lowest amoeba. Continue to exercise your As the hole becomes larger and larger, more will and it will take you higher still.”7 “From and more light comes out. In the same way, as mollusc to man it has been a continuous more ignorance is removed, the Atman manifests itself Therefore the limited soul more and we feel greater Moral actions and spiritual canexpansion be styled towards an individual infinity. freedom within. According practices help in the which is continuously to Swami Vivekananda, manifestation of the Atman expanding towards the 8 moral actions and spiritual and make us free. practices help in the mani- In matter there is no Infinite Individual.” festation of the Atman and freedom. Freedom begins to make us free, whereas throb in the amoeba. Greater and greater April 2021 immoral actions and ignorance obstruct the freedom emerges as evolution proceeds from manifestation of the Atman and make us bound. 13 Another idea of Swami Vivekananda is that, since the individual self is a part or assumesworms and a mental molluscs dimension to fishes and and self-direction. birds and Bymammals the exercise and finally of mind,to man. the In man,human evolution being potentially divine. That is to say, all the attains greater and greater freedom until he reflection of the Supreme Self, each soul is knowledge, power, beauty, strength, and glory becomes the fully liberated individual known as that we seek outside are already within us in a the jivanmukta. The main aim of society should potential form. These capacities manifest PAGE DONOR : DR. RAMYA S., CHENNAI S., RAMYA DR. : DONOR PAGE be to produce more and more of such liberated The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta themselves when the obstacles are removed. individuals. This takes us to Swami Swamiji gives the example of irrigation. There Vivekananda’s concept of social freedom.

soon as the farmer removes a part of the Social freedom in Indian society is water flowing in the irrigation channel.5 The As Swami Vivekananda’s love for humanity, urge for freedom that we all feel within is the and his concern for his motherland and its urgeembankment, to break the water obstacles rushes to into the hismanifestation field. people made him think deeply about Indian of the divinity within. As Swamiji has put it, “. . society and its problems. Swamiji did not merely think about social problems, he also and bolts and different circumstances shut him travelled all over India as a mendicant sannyasi in;.each but man as soon is infinite as they already, are removed, only these he rushes bars and saw with his own eyes the utter poverty out and expresses himself.”6 and backwardness of the Indian people. Swami Vivekananda saw in this existential There are three points in Swami urge for freedom the primary motive power Vivekananda’s approach to social problems in India, which need special mention here. In the their own fate. We are to put the chemicals together, the crystallization will be done by in India to point out that the cause of India’s nature according to her laws.”9 downfallfirst place, was Swamiji the suppression was the first and religious exploitation leader Swami Vivekananda knew that the only group of people in Hindu society who were free society was so rigidly governed by caste rules from social rules and obligations and caste andof the local masses. customs Even that people fifty years belonging ago Hinduto the restrictions were the sannyasins. Swamiji lower strata of society had no freedom to move decided to make use of their freedom for social upward in social status. Exploitation prevented uplift. He brought into existence a new order of them from overcoming their poverty and ignorance. Swamiji saw that what poor and also work for the welfare of society as free downtrodden people needed most was a individuals.monks who, With while these they monks seek final as the liberation, core, a message of strength which will enable them to new community of liberal-minded people has break the bonds of priestcraft, social tyranny, come into existence and is steadily growing. injustice and exploitation. Swamiji found this message of strength and freedom in the Intellectual freedom in Indian culture In no other country was there so much Vedanta. intellectual freedom as in ancient India, and in Secondly, Swamiji made religion a no other country was there such an astonishing liberating force, instead of being a restraining

April 2021 variety of intellectual creativity as in ancient force. This he did by separating the life-giving, India. But after the 11th century of the second eternal and universal spiritual truths of religion 14 millennium much of this freedom and creativity from the non-essential outer forms, and also by in intellectual life was lost. Some of the best separating true religion from social institutions. Spiritual concepts such as divinity of the soul, interpreting scriptures and writing seeing God in all people and so on can liberate commentaries,brains in India glosses, remained and satisfiedtreatises. with For the minds of people from fear, hopelessness, centuries philosophical thinking in India was governed by scriptural authority. In order to society of enlightened individuals. The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta selfishness, etc., and bring into existence a new counter the Mimamsaka claim that the Vedas The third point is, Swamiji held that are the highest authority because ritual injunctions and prohibitions can be known only he never advocated a steamroller model of from the Vedas, Sri Shankaracharya asserted “Liberty is the first condition of growth,” and so socio-economic reform as Lenin and Mao Tse that the nature of Brahman, the ultimate Tung did. The beginnings of socialism had Reality, can be known only from the Vedas. In already been made and Swamiji was aware of Hindu philosophy reasoning (tarka or yukti) it, but he never favoured the totalitarian refers to either inference (syllogistic or approach. He always upheld the freedom of the analogical) or hermeneutical arguments.10 Sri individual and believed that social problems Shankaracharya rejected inference as a means could be solved in a democratic way by of knowing the true nature of Brahman because spreading education. He stated, “My whole the Buddhists had tried to prove the non- ambition in life is to set in motion a machinery existence of Atman through inferential which will bring noble ideas to the door of reasoning. For Shankaracharya true reasoning everybody, and then let men and women settle is that based on the Vedas (sruti- anugrihita) and its purpose is only to clarify, interpret, and The one principle is that we know by referring strengthen scriptural truths which are already the particular to the general, and the general to established by sruti.11 the universal. And the second is that anything Inferential reasoning was developed in of which an explanation is sought is to be India mainly by the Naiyayikas. One of the explained so far as possible from its own drawbacks of syllogistic inference is, as the nature.15 word anu-mana indicates, it is knowledge is inductive reasoning which forms the basis of It is clear that Swamiji’s first principle based on previous perception. This restricts the the method of science. Swamiji’s second scope for abstract thinking. principle is what is known as ‘naturalism’ By contrast, in Western thought, which is opposed to ‘supernaturalism’. reasoning is an independent intellectual Without going into the details of Swamiji’s activity based on logical consistency. Any views on the role of reason in religion we may statement is true if it follows the ‘Laws of say that, by introducing rational thinking into Hindu religious thought, Swamiji liberated the believe it. This gave untrammelled freedom to eternal and universal truths of religion from the speculationThought’ and which there led is to ‘sufficient the development reason’ toof hands of a privileged few, made them available formal logic, advancements in mathematics and to common people and made them acceptable the proliferation of different schools of to modern people in the East as well as in the philosophy.12 West. April 2021 Swami Vivekananda boldly advocated the Moral freedom use of reason in establishing the validity of Morality, as it is understood and practised 15 13 religious concepts, practices, and experiences. in most parts of the world, is based on In a lecture on ‘Reason and Religion’ delivered compulsion and fear—fear of God or the law of in London, Swamiji asked, “Is religion to justify karma in religious societies and fear of public itself by the discoveries of reason, through opinion or the police in secular societies. This

the same methods of investigation, which we the question, ‘Why should we be moral?’ Moral

PAGE DONOR : A DEVOTEE, MISSION RD., BENGALURU RD., MISSION DEVOTEE, A : DONOR PAGE which every other science justifies itself? Are apply to sciences and knowledge outside, to be Science,becomes developedclear when by we Western try to find thinkers answer as toa Kesari The Vedanta applied to the science of Religion? In my branch of philosophy, deals mostly with the opinion this must be so, and I am also of question, ‘What is morality?’—that is, with the opinion that the sooner it is done the better. If standard or criterion of moral judgement. And a religion is destroyed by such investigations, it conventional morality as it is practised by was then all the time useless, unworthy people deals with, ‘How to be moral?’ The superstition; and . . . its destruction would be question why the best thing that could happen. All that is raised by the Chinese Confucian philosopher dross will be taken off, no doubt, but the Mencius (or Meng-tzu) we should of the be 4 moralth century was BCE first essential parts of religion will emerge What is the answer given by traditional triumphant out of this investigation.”14 religions to this question of Mencius? The What did Swami Vivekananda mean by answer found in the Judeo-Christian and ‘reason” in this context? He himself answered Islamic traditions is that we have to be moral this question on more than one occasion. He because that is God’s commandment and, says that there are two principles of knowledge. should we behave in an immoral way, we would be disobeying God and He would punish us. answer, he could not clearly state what that Immanuel Kant tried to develop a theory of true or original nature of man is. According to ethics independent of Christian theology, but Swami Vivekananda, our true nature is the his ‘categorical imperative’ also implies a sense Atman which is eternally pure, awakened and of compulsion. In the Indian tradition (Hindu, free (nitya-suddha-buddha-mukta). This view Buddhist, and Jain) morality is conformity to had originally been held by the sages of the the moral order of the universe known as Upanishads no doubt, but it was Swami Dharma and violation of Dharma would bring Vivekananda who applied it to morality and retribution according to the law of karma. ethics. Morality in traditional religions is thus based Swamiji’s view makes morality a free and on fear or compulsion. spontaneous expression of the innate goodness The answer given by Mencius was that we and purity of the true Self of man. According to have to be moral and good because goodness is it, I am good not because somebody compels our true or original nature. To be good is the me to be so, not because I am afraid of natural state; to be bad is a fall from that state. punishment, but because goodness is the Thus morality involves no compulsion; it is only natural expression of my true, innate nature. regaining our natural state.16 Needless to say, this view of Swamiji can bring In modern times Swami Vivekananda also about a radical change in the moral attitudes raised the same question, “Why should we be and behaviour of people in the modern April 2021 good?” The answer that he gave was that we permissive society. It can have an immediate

16 should be good because goodness is our true appeal, especially to modern youths, who rebel

against compulsion and restriction of freedom. t nature. Although Mencius had given a similart (To be concluded) Notes and References

10) See M. Hiriyanna, ‘The Place of Reason in Advaita’ 1) Swami Vivekananda in East and West. A.L. Basham. in Mysore: Kavyalaya London: Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre, 1963, p. 210. Indian Philosophical Studies Publishers, 1957, p.45 f. 2) Man Without Frontiers (Doctoral thesis). Maria

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta 11) Shakaracharya says, “Once the truth that Brahman is the cause of this universe is established by the University, 1988 Arokiam Kanaga. Rome: Salesian Pontifical , to strengthen this understanding we may 3) ‘Swami Vivekananda: A Spokesman of the Divine sruti have recourse to reason which is not opposed to Logos’ article by Dr S. Radhakrishnan in The Vedanta scripture.”—Commentary on Brahma-Sutra, 1.1.2. Kesari, August 1963. 12) This difference between Indian thought and 4) ‘What is Religion’ The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (henceforth CW). Kolkata: Advaita philosopher Beneditto Croce. Ashrama, 1: 333. Western thought was first pointed out by the Italian 13) For a comprehensive study of Swamiji’s views 5) CW. 5: 298. It may be mentioned here that Swamiji’s on reason vis-a-vis scripture, see Anantanand idea of ‘manifestation’ is derived from Patanjali’s idea Rambachan, The Limits of Scripture. Honolulu: Prakriti’ [see Swami Vivekananda’s University of Hawaii Press, 1996. comments on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras in the Complete of ‘infilling of 14) CW. 1:367. Works, 1: 29l-93]. 15) CW.1:369-72. 6) CW. 5: 298. 16) For a discussion of Mencius’s theory see Philip Ho 7) CW. ‘Practical Vedanta’ 2:356. Hwang, ‘What is Mencius Theory of Human Nature?’ 8) CW. ‘Practical Vedanta’ 2:346 in Philosophy East and West, April 1979, p.201 9) CW. 5:29. Reminiscences

Reminiscences of Sargachhi SRIMAT SWAMI SUHITANANDA JI (Continued from previous issue. . .) 59

16.2.1961 (cont’d…) Mahapurush Maharaj (Swami Shivananda, Maharaj: This world is like an exhibition. one of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna We go around visiting it. It’s like a game of and the second president of the Order) gave three sticks – sattva, rajas, and tamas. What a sannyasa to the son of a carpenter. People like variety of things it has for us to see! We gaze him were full of kindness. His idea was ‘Let the for a long time at whatever is pleasant to us. boy try and see if he can succeed.’ This is grace. What is unpleasant is left out. We don’t need to But can grace be bestowed on all and sundry? buy anything – we are just witnesses. Sri Ramakrishna came. He used to attract There are some people who are rogues by anyone in whom he could see a little spark – nature. There is rubbish and dirt all over their that is why he went to the house of Ishan. If he home. But they have a room set apart as their was full of grace, why did he not bestow his April 2021 grace on everybody? The fact of the matter is, 17 about Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother. Even if the sun has risen in the sky. If the glass is clean, theyshrine. are And unaware that room of it, is that filled shrine with conversationsroom is their the sun out of kindness is giving its light. This the sun will reflect on it. The glass thinks that yogamaya. As soon as the topic of Sri Ramakrishna “grace” business is like that. ---- ispredominant broached, a rogue corner. becomes This isa different the influence man. of A novice had an ulcer on his hand. Premeshanandaji Maharaj told him, “A person I met a man who had met Baburam is considered to be impure if he has a wound or

PAGE DONOR : A DEVOTEE, MISSION RD., BENGALURU RD., MISSION DEVOTEE, A : DONOR PAGE Maharaj (Swami Premananda, one of the direct sore on his body and in that condition he is not Kesari The Vedanta disciples of Sri Ramakrishna) in Dhaka. He allowed to worship the deity. Once when Sri talked about many things related to the Mission, Ramakrishna was in samadhi, Nitya Niranjan like the availability of food. Then he suddenly tried to hold him. Immediately, Sri Ramakrishna said, “Your Baburam Maharaj came here once. I was startled out of his samadhi. Nitya Niranjan went with our teacher and saluted him. He had a tumour on his head which had been touched my back with his hand. Oh! How cool operated on.” of yogamaya. How can a hand be cool? Baburam and soothing was his hand!” This is the influence of people in society? Maharaj had bestowed his grace on him. At the Attendant: Why do we find diverse types time of death that man will recall this feeling of Maharaj: By practising truthfulness, joy and get liberated. Perhaps these people had control of the senses, purity, and contentment not been exposed to education, but they had not for a long time, a group of people called committed any evil acts, either. brahmanas became highly cultured. Their only

The author, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order, presents here his conversations with Swami Premeshananda (1884-1967), a disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. mind becomes absorbed in yoga, it means might develop and give advice accordingly. In knowledge and devotion are proceeding along the exchangeobjective wasthey to would reflect get on their how thesustenance country right path; otherwise, they are not. Besides, the without doing any other work. Society used to paths of knowledge, devotion, and yoga are not provide for them. actually separate. The yogi too has to know about Another group of people were physically the nature of the Atman and Paramatman and strong; they said that they would protect the their relationship; and he has to discriminate by country and save it (traṇa) from injury (kṣata); the method of negation—neti, neti “not this, not this”—to concentrate the mind; and what else is upon themselves the task of restraining devotion than the impetus required to make the misdeedsthey came in to society; be known and as in kṣhatriyas. return, they They started took mind concentrated? receiving from society one sixth of all produce Without devotion and yoga, even the man as tax/tribute. They came to be known as kings. of knowledge cannot keep his mind on God. The vaishyas took upon themselves the And if the devotee does not know the responsibility of agriculture, protection of relationship between God and the jiva, and does cattle, and commerce. In this way there grew a not have the knowledge of Truth, then towards strictly organized society. whom will he direct his devotion? Also, With the passage of time, as the spirit whenever he keeps his mind on God, does he deteriorated, the kings became despotic, the not become united with Him? April 2021 brahmanas resorted to unholy practices, and However, karma yoga belongs to the 18 the vaishyas became deceitful. During the time external aspect. As long as I am not prepared , and I am unable to free myself from desires, I k and vaishyas became well have to go on doing work. As soon as I am free of Rama the division of society into brahmaṇas established. That is why people refer to the from desires, “inaction is said to ṣhatriyas, शमः कारणमुच्ते reign of Rama as an ideal society. be the way.” (Gita 6:3). In this context we may The terms etc., do recall that Sri Ramakrishna told Swamiji, ‘You not refer to heredity. The Lord Himself said, are such a great receptacle and you say such brahmaṇa, kṣhatriya, “The four castes words! I thought you would be like a big banyan

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta चातुर्वर 봂 मया सृ� ट गुणकर्विभागशः, were created by Me according to differences in tree, and thousands of people would take aptitudes and actions.” (Gita 4:13). If you notice, shelter under your shade! Instead of that, you ask for only your own liberation!’ These words are applicable only to Swamiji – his mind was you will find that among the inhabitants of naturally inclined to samadhi. If, like him, we every village, surely there will be brahmaṇas, also have an equal right to the path to liberation say that we will lay down our lives for the sake kṣhatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras. The shudras स्रियो वैश्यस्ता शू饍रस्तऽपि यान्त परां गतिम् “ of the world, it will be a joke. If someone among “Women, vaishyas, as also shudras, attain the us can sincerely remain engrossed in highest goal.” (Gita 9:32). meditation and japa, he will verily be a blessed Raja yoga is a practical manual for the soul – provided there is no hypocrisy. We spiritual path. Man proceeds towards God along remain on a lower plane, and we cannot stay the path of knowledge and the path of devotion there without work. We need to do work. We too – but raja yoga represents the process, the are controlled by work, whereas Swamiji had science and the method of advancement. If the control over work. (To be continued. . .) Article

Erskine Mason Phelps: Swami Vivekananda’s First Host in America ASIM CHAUDHURI In 1893, Swami Vivekananda set sail to America to participate in the World’s Parliament of Religions with just one introductory letter to a high-society couple. This article draws attention to Sri Varada Rao who gave that letter.

Introduction Prior to Swami Vivekananda’s departure from India in 1893 to attend the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, one Mr. Varada Rao from

Madras gave him a letter of introduction to a April 2021 high-society couple in Chicago. This is how the as the Swami wrote on 20 August 1893, ‘so put it: Life very kind to me.’” Someone eventually 19 One of his Madras friends, Varada Rao, realized that it could not have been Mr. and wrote to a lady of his acquaintance in Chicago Mrs. Milward Adams, whom Swamiji came to about the Swami. She and her husband know much later. The couple to whom Varada belonged to the highest Chicago society, and Rao had introduced Swamiji was Mr. and Mrs. were very kind to the Swami. Thus began a Erskine Mason Phelps. It took over one friendship that lasted as long as the Swami 2 PAGE DONOR : DR. SUBRAMANIYABHARATHIYAR R., KANCHEEPURAM R., SUBRAMANIYABHARATHIYAR DR. : DONOR PAGE lived. All the members of the family came to Whereas the identity of the “socially Kesari The Vedanta love him dearly, to appreciate his brilliant gifts, prominenthundred years Chicago to finally couple” solve was the established, mystery. and to admire the purity and simplicity of his owing to the serendipitous discovery of a character, to which they often bore loving letter that a Unitarian woman had written to a Chicago divine, that of Varada Rao’s wasn’t; their names; but in the opinion of some it has been haunting some resolute testimony. We, however, do not definitely know researchers they were Mr. and Mrs. Milward researchers ever since.3 Regardless of .1 Adams whether Swamiji enjoyed his stay at the In the Life’s electronic version (Swami Phelps residence or not, Rao was singularly Vivekananda: Life, Works, and Research) later, this statement has been replaced by: “One of his accommodation in an American home. That Madras friends, Varada Rao, introduced him to wasinstrumental a big deal, in which arranging deserves for Swamiji’s Varada Rao first a a socially prominent Chicago couple, who were, place in history.

The author, a well-known researcher who has written a number of books on Swami Vivekananda, lives in USA. [email protected] Going back a little, it has been alleged that Life Swamiji never revealed the couple’s name in the trail had become too cold (Perumal died in came out with its first edition in 1912-14 any of his letters, which was why nobody was 1909) and the unknowns too many; Varada able to determine their identity.4 But that is not Rao’s name wasn’t even mentioned in that entirely correct. In a letter he wrote to Prof. J. H. edition. It was ultimately mentioned, probably Wright on September 4, 1893, he seems to have mentioned a name “Theles.” He wrote, “I have by Advaita Ashrama in 1979. Looking through for the first time, in the fifth edition, published received a letter from Mr. Theles of Chicago the local government papers from that era, the giving me the names of some of the delegates and other things about the Congress.”5 It was with respect to one Tumalapalli Varada only reference to a Varada Rao one could find appears that Swamiji wrote “Phelps,” but it was Rao, who rose to a position of Sub Judge in transcribed incorrectly as “Theles” in the Madras in 1899. He was a probationer for the Complete Works. Swamiji had been with the Civil Service in July 1885 and rose to the Phelpses less than a month ago, and apparently position of Assistant Collector and Magistrate was corresponding with them, at least for a in December 1886. He also seemed to have short period after he had left Chicago for New been the Acting Head Assistant Collector of England. According to the Chicago Historical Tirunelveli in 1890.7 The “India List and India Society, many prominent Chicagoans failed to leave their personal papers behind—Erskine information about Varada Rao’s credentials: April 2021 Office List” gives us some additional Mason Phelps being one of them. Here was a VARADA RAO, Tumalapalli, B.A., B.L., 20 Statutory C.S. (sub-judge Mcuiras [Madras]). letters. — Educ at Madras Univ. ; probr. for the civil lost opportunity to find some of Swamiji’s service, July, 1885 ; asst. collr. and mag., Dec, Who was Varada Rao? In a letter to Alasinga Perumal in August Aug., 1887; sub-judge, Mar., 1899.8 1886; confd. [confirmed] in civil service, 17th India after arriving in America, he actually used How did Varada Rao come to know Varada1893, which Rao’s wasname Swamiji’s twice. First, first itknown was “The letter lady to Swamiji?

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta to whom Varada Rao introduced me and her When Swamiji arrived in Madras in husband belong to the highest Chicago society, January 1893, he met with many prominent and they were so very kind to me,” and second, Indian businessmen, civil servants, and literary “And the gentleman, to whom Varada Rao introduced me, is one of the directors of the of them intimately. He was a guest at Manmatha Fair.”6 That was the extent of it. The only Bhattacharya’sfigures in that regionhouse, whoand camewas then to know the Deputy some inference one can draw from the tone of the Account General of Madras, a rather high statements is that Perumal knew who Varada position in the Government circle. It is quite Rao was. It is hard to understand why Perumal, possible that Varada Rao met Swamiji there. or others who were privy to the contents of Varada Rao was also a civil servant of high Swamiji’s letter and knew Rao, did not contact ranking, and probably knew Mr. Bhattacharya Varada Rao to identify the Chicago couple and personally in that capacity. The Life gave an reveal how the former came to know them. extensive account of Swamiji’s time at Maybe it wasn’t too important to them at that Manmatha Bhattacharya’s house on Beach time since they all knew the story. When the Road, St. Thome, and how he interacted with the local people from all walks of life.9 Varada wife, H. M. Kinsley, and W. S. Hutchinson. Mr. Rao could have been present at one or more of and Mrs. Phelps are at the Windsor and Mr. the “conversaziones” at the Literary Society of Cummings is at the Holland House. They will Triplicane that Swamiji held and became have completed a trip around the world when friendly with him. In one of these meetings, it they reach Chicago, which will probably be the was probably decided that “Swamiji should be sent to the Chicago Congress.”10 “We have all enjoyed the best of health during ourlatter trip part of of nearly this or eight the first months,” of next said week…. Mr. How did Varada Rao come to know Erskine Cummings. We took our time, and a jolly good Mason Phelps? time it was, too. But we are glad to be back after so long an absence. We left Chicago Sept 17, to be correct, and that we have established a spent a week in San Francisco, then a month in Assuming the identification of Varada Rao plausible Swamiji-Varada Rao connection, the Japan, another month in China; went from question that remains is: how did Varada Rao come to know Mr. Phelps, the CEO of Phelps, and started from there across India for Bombay Dodge & Palmer, an enterprise that enjoyed onSingapore New-Year’s to that day magnificent [January island,1, 1892]. Ceylon, We both local and national fame as a premier shoe journeyed on elephants in India. We were a and boot manufacturing company in America? month in India and another month in Egypt. Mr. Phelps was no ordinary business executive. The rest of the time was spent in Europe….

He was instrumental in electing Grover Mr. Cummings was deeply touched by the April 2021 Cleveland to the presidency of the United States extreme poverty of India. In India he says the 11 How did an condition of the natives under British rule is 21 Assistant Collector from Madras come to know going from bad to worse. The merchants in the and was his confidant and advisor. this important American from thousands of Orient are in a bad way owing to the miles away? depreciation of the value of rupee paper, which To answer that, we have to look at the is payable in silver. The latter commodity May 5, 1892, issue of the Chicago Tribune depreciated 10 percent, Mr. Cunningham says, newspaper. It seems that Mr. Phelps, when he during their short stay in Asia. PAGE DONOR : DR. SUBRAMANIYABHARATHIYAR R., KANCHEEPURAM R., SUBRAMANIYABHARATHIYAR DR. : DONOR PAGE became a member of the World’s Columbian The newspaper report does not mention Kesari The Vedanta Exposition Commission, went on an eight- their route from Ceylon to Bombay, or any other month world tour with his wife in 1891-1892 details of their sojourn in India. in the interest of the Commission. One could Swamiji had heard about the Parliament call it a “World’s Fair promotion tour.” He was of Religions towards the end of 1891, or early accompanied by, among other prominent 1892, while traveling through Western India. Chicagoans, Columbus R. Cummings, a The editor of The Hindu (published from millionaire banker from Chicago who was Mr. Madras), Mr. Ganapathy Dikshitar Subramania Phelps’ neighbor on Indiana Avenue. The Iyer, was a member of the Advisory Council of Chicago Tribune reported as follows: the Parliament of Religions. In that capacity he NEW YORK, May 4,—[Special]—Among must have received all the announcements and the Chicagoans who arrived in New York from literature concerning the Parliament. It is quite Europe today on the Teutonic were Columbus possible that the news about the Parliament R. Cummings, Erskine M. Phelps and wife, was published in his newspaper around that Charles L. Hutchinson, ex-Senator Farwell and time.12 It is conceivable that the Phelpses had would be leaving for Chicago in May 1893, made a beeline for Madras to play the role of Varada Rao presented him with the letter of the “traveling ambassador” of the World’s introduction to Mr. and Mrs. Erskine Mason Columbian Exposition of which the Parliament Phelps, whom he had presumably met a year of Religion was an auxiliary part. If Erskine earlier. That must have happened before mid- Mason Phelps and his team wanted to publicize April 1893, when Swamiji left Madras for and promote the World’s Fair in India, meeting Khetri; from there he proceeded to Bombay and a prominent newspaper editor in Madras who was already clued-in to the event would have A few days after his arrival in Chicago, finally left for America on May 31, 1893. been a necessary prerequisite. Moreover, Swamiji contacted the Phelpses and they Madras was then a prominent city in Southern welcomed him to their home; that was how India, the capital of the Madras Presidency. It is then also conceivable that the Varada Rao- they became Swamiji’s first host in America. Phelps connection was established during some documentary proof that that was what exactly happened,One cannotbut the circumstantial yet find a conclusiveevidence is Madras in early1892. They could also have met reception for the influential American guests in quite strong. If it walks like a duck, quacks like in connection with shoe or leather import- a duck, looks like a duck, then it must be a duck. export since Phelps was in shoe manufacturing A look into the copies of The Hindu or other business. Madras was then India’s premier Madras newspapers from the early part of April 2021 leather exporter. Swamiji was an itinerant 1892 may put an end to the speculation, and monk then, spending time at various places in 22 the author challenges future researchers to do Gujarat; he hadn’t yet met Varada Rao. that. Conclusion (The author is grateful to Mr. Karthik Bhatt Swamiji arrived in Madras in January for providing him with the information on Varada Rao.)

1893, and when it was finalized that Swamiji The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta References

1) The Life of Swami Vivekananda by His Eastern and 8) https://archive.org/stream/ Western Disciples. Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, Sixth Edition, 1:402. indialistandind00offigoog/ 2) Swami Vivekananda in Chicago-New Findings. Asim 9) Life of Swami Vivekananda. pp. 361-370. indialistandind00offigoog_djvu.txt Chaudhuri. Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, pp. 62-63. 10) Life of Swami Vivekananda. p. 367. 3) Ibid., pp. 148-150. 11) http://archive.org/stream/ 4) New Discoveries, 1:18. chicagoitshisto02currgoog/ 5) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 7:449. 6) Ibid., 5:11-19. 12) Swami Vivekananda in Chicago - New Findings, chicagoitshisto02currgoog_djvu.txt 7) Private communication with Mr. Karthik Bhatt of pp.46-47. Chennai. Pocket Tales

Look on the Bright Side GITANJALI MURARI A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Swami Vivekananda.

aren’s voice rose to the highest note of the raaga before gently descending the scale and fading away. Ahmed Khan nodded, “Bravo! You held the top note very Nwell…there is a big improvement in your singing from the last class.” “Thank you Khan saab,” Naren smiled happily, “my father gave me some tips.”

your talent from him.” Turning to leave, he gently tugged his young pupil’s ear, “Your ear for music“Ah! Youris even father better is athan fine some singer,” experts…I the teacher hope exclaimed, you’re practising getting onto thehis feet,esraj?” “you get When Naren shook his head, the teacher sighed, “Ah, it’s for your own good, son.”

leaving for Fort William…I need money for the carriage fare.” April 2021 A little while later, Naren hurried into his father’s office, “Baba,“Is your my classfriends with and Khan I are saab over already?” 23 Vishwanath Datta asked. “What is he teaching you nowadays?” “Bhajans in Persian, Hindi and

PAGE DONOR : DR. SUBRAMANIYABHARATHIYAR R., KANCHEEPURAM R., SUBRAMANIYABHARATHIYAR DR. : DONOR PAGE Bangla, but…I’ve The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta disappointed him.” “How’s that?” “He wants me to play the esraj but after tabla practice, I don’t get the time.” “Esraj stirs the soul,” Vishwanath said, handing Naren the money, “make time for it as you do for your other activities.”

The author is a media professional and writer. The Crown of Seven Stars is her first novel. She lives in Mumbai. [email protected] Illustrator: Smt. Lalithaa Thyagarajan. [email protected] Twenty excited boys clambered into several hired carriages. Chattering incessantly,

the fort. Hopping out eagerly, none of them noticed that Ranjan appeared pale. When the groupthey didn’t entered notice through time thefly and gates, were he complainedsurprised when of tiredness they halted and atsat the down imperious on a bench. gates “An of hour’s drive has aged you so much,” his friends laughed, “you’ve become an old man!”

fountains. As they made to climb the steps to the main building, he looked around. “Ranjan isn’t withNaren us,” strode he frowned down the and gravel retraced path, his pointing steps partout intricateof the way. carvings “I see him…he’son the magnificent near the gate,” he cried and turning to his friends, added, “He’s really not well…why don’t you carry on with the tour while I take him home?” “No, no,” the group protested, “we’ll go with you…we can come back another day.” But Naren would hear none of it. “There’s no need to cancel the plan…go on now… enjoy yourselves.” When he reached Ranjan, he saw him shivering uncontrollably. “I’ve a terrible body ache,” Ranjan whispered, “I don’t know what’s come over me.” Naren touched Ranjan’s face, “You have high fever,” he said with concern, “can you

Walking slowly down the street, Naren at last spotted an empty carriage and waved April 2021 franticallywalk a little to until the driver. we find Within a carriage? a few minutes, Here, take the my boys arm were for support.”seated inside and riding along 24 at a brisk pace. “I’m sorry to ruin your day,” Ranjan said in a small voice. Naren grinned, “This morning Khan saab, my music teacher, told me I must practice the esraj…thanks to you, I’ll be able to do it today!” “You always look on the bright side,” Ranjan said gratefully. “That reminds me of a song,” Naren exclaimed, his eyes twinkling, “about a lazy bull

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta giving the same advice to his long-suffering master.” Clapping his hands, he began to sing, changing his voice for the bull and the farmer. Ranjan smiled weakly and then despite the fever, giggled. “This is very odd, Naren” he laughed, “but I swear I’m feeling better already.”

In happiness, in misery, in famine, in pain, in the grave, in heaven, or in hell who never gives me up is my friend. Is such friendship a joke? A man may have salvation through such friendship. — Swami Vivekananda PULLOUT FOR REFERENCE

In this issue, we cover Part 4 −Swami Vivekananda's Plan of Action In this issue of Vedanta Kesari we complete the third and final instalment of “My Plan of ISSUE 37 ISSUE 10 Campaign”. After examining the motives and approaches of various reformers, developing the principles of change, and presenting a landscape of reform movements in India, focus in this issue: Swami Vivekananda outlined his own plan or strategy for bringing about reform in India. My Plan of Campaign - 3

4.1 What is the inspiration for Swami Vivekananda's approach to reform?

My plan is to follow the ideas of the great ancient Masters. I have studied their work, and it has been given unto me to discover the line of action they took. They were the great originators of society. They were the great givers of strength, and of purity, and of life. They did most marvellous work. We have to do most marvellous work also. April 2021

25 4.2 What is the lever for social reform in India? –– According to Swami Vivekananda, each nation, –– Swami Vivekananda says that India’s very like each individual, has one theme in this life, nature is – intense faith in another world, which is its centre, the principal note around intense hatred for this world, intense power which every other note comes to form the of renunciation, intense faith in God, and harmony. In one nation, political power is its intense faith in the immortal soul. PAGE DONOR : DR. SUBRAMANIYABHARATHIYAR R., KANCHEEPURAM R., SUBRAMANIYABHARATHIYAR DR. : DONOR PAGE

vitality (as in England), artistic life in another, and Kesari The Vedanta so on. In India, religious life forms the centre, the keynote of the whole music of national life. I have seen that I cannot –– If any nation attempts to throw off its national preach even religion to vitality — the direction which has become its Americans without showing own through the transmission of centuries — that them its practical effect on nation dies if it succeeds in the attempt. social life. I could not preach religion in England without showing the wonderful –– India has made its choice ages ago, where it has political changes the Vedanta would bring. chosen to think not of matter but of spirit, not of So, in India, social reform has to be man but of God. preached by showing how much more spiritual a life the new system will bring; and politics has to be preached by showing Designed & developed by how much it will improve the one thing ILLUMINE that the nation wants — its spirituality. Knowledge Resources

® www.illumine.in 4.3 What is the broad strategy to be followed?

a. Bring out the truths scattered across our country

The first work that demands our attention is that the most wonderful truths confined in our Upanishads, in our scriptures, in our Purânas must be brought out from the books, brought out from the monasteries, brought out from the forests, brought out from the possession of selected bodies of people, and scattered broadcast all over the land, so that these truths may run like fire all over the country from north to south and east to west, from the Himalayas to Comorin, from Sindh to the Brahmaputra.

b. Our primary activity should be the diffusion of spirituality and spiritual knowledge

–– Swami Vivekananda says that in the Kali Yuga, Everyone must know of sacrifices and tremendous Tapasyas are of no them, because it is said, avail. Rather one karma remains – the Karma of "This has first to be heard, Giving. then thought upon, and then meditated –– There are multiple kinds of Gifts – the highest upon." Let the people hear first, and being the gift of spirituality and spiritual whoever helps in making the people April 2021 knowledge, and the next being the gifts of secular hear about the great truths in their own knowledge, the gift of life, and last being the gift 26 scriptures cannot make for himself a of food. Of these, Swami Vivekananda exhorts better Karma today. us to take up the energy of the first charity – the diffusion of spiritual knowledge. –– This diffusion of spiritual knowledge must take

c. The diffusion of spiritual knowledge should take place not only within the bounds of India, but across the world

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta place not only within the bounds of India, but go The gift of spiritual knowledge is given in silence, out all over the world. not through trumpets, cohorts, fire and sword. –– This is not the first time this has happened. Whenever the world has required it, the Gifts of political knowledge perennial flood of spirituality from India has can be made with the blast overwhelmed and deluged the world. of trumpets and the march –– While gifts of political knowledge and secular of cohorts. Gifts of secular and social knowledge can be given through knowledge and social knowledge can force, and conquering other races, spiritual be made with fire and sword. But knowledge can be given only in silence, spiritual knowledge can only be given bringing forth thereby great good in the receiver. in silence like the dew that falls unseen This has been India’s gift again and again. and unheard, yet bringing into bloom masses of roses. 4.4 How is the diffusion of spiritual knowledge to be carried out?

–– Whenever there has been a great conquering been linked in such a fashion as has never race, bringing the nations of the world together, before been done. making roads and transit possible, immediately –– Immediately, consciously or unconsciously, India arose and gave her quota of spiritual power India rises up and pours forth her gifts of to the sum total of the progress of the world. spirituality; and they will rush through these –– The diffusion of spiritual knowledge has roads till they have reached the very ends of happened before Buddha and during the the world. Greek invasion, and now this opportunity has –– Speaking about himself, Swami Vivekananda come once again. Immediately, consciously or says that his own visit to America was not his unconsciously, India is rising up to pour forth her or anyone else’s doing but the guiding hand gifts of spirituality to the whole world. of God in India. –– The power of England has linked the nations of –– Therefore, Swami Vivekananda exhorts us to the world together as was never done before. preach the truths of our religion, preach it to English roads and channels of communication every nation and to every people. Only after rush from one end of the world to the other. this preaching will come secular and every Owing to English genius, the world today has other knowledge.

4.5 Who will carry out the preaching? April 2021

–– Swami Vivekananda announces his plan to 27 Men, men, these are wanted: start institutions in India to train young people everything else will be ready, but as preachers of the truths of our scriptures. strong, vigorous, believing young men, sincere to the backbone, are wanted. A hundred –– He points out that even a handful of such such and the world becomes revolutionized. strong visionary, believing young people can revolutionize the world. PAGE DONOR : SRI DEEPAK GOPALAKRISHNAN, CHENNAI GOPALAKRISHNAN, DEEPAK SRI : DONOR PAGE The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta 4.6 What must be preached? Let them hear of –– Swami Vivekananda points out, that for centuries people the Atman — that have been taught that they are nothing – not even human even the lowest of beings – as a result they have been frightened for centuries the low have the Atman within, till they have become animals. which never dies and never is –– They need to develop faith in themselves. The difference born — of Him whom the sword between an Englishman and an Indian is this – the cannot pierce, nor the fire burn, Englishman believes he can do anything and brings out nor the air dry — immortal, the power within, while Indians have been told you can do without beginning or end, nothing and non-entities you are becoming every day. the all-pure, omnipotent, and omnipresent Atman! –– Therefore, what India needs is strength and self-belief. We need to become strong with muscles of iron and nerves of steel. –– This will be done by a man-making religion, rejected. We need to stop resorting to with man-making theories and man-making mysticism, which may have some grain of education all round. truth, but is gradually weakening. –– The test of truth is strength. Anything that makes a person weak – physically, intellectually, and spiritually must be

4.7 What are the three qualifications needed to accomplish the task?

–– First, we must go beyond the intellect and reason, and feel from the heart. The heart is the source of Feel, therefore, my inspiration – we must feel intensely for millions of our would-be reformers, fellow countrymen. my would-be patriots! –– Second, we need to go beyond frothy talk and find Do you feel? Do you solutions, (instead of judging and condemning others), feel? Do you feel that millions and and provide a human touch to help our countrymen millions of the descendants of gods come out of their living death. and of sages have become next-door neighbours to brutes? Do you feel –– Third, we need to build will and steadfastness. Even that millions are starving today, if we face mountain high obstructions, and resistance and millions have been starving for from the world, can we do what we think is right? Can ages? Do you feel that ignorance has April 2021 we proceed steadily, transcending our attachments to come over the land as a dark cloud? family and wealth? Does it make you restless? Does it 28 –– Swami Vivekanda says that if you have these three make you sleepless? Has it gone into things, then even if you do not write in newspapers your blood, coursing through your and give lectures, your thoughts will go on vibrating veins, becoming consonant with your until they connect to some brain and are worked out, heartbeats? Has it made you almost since such is the power of thought, of sincerity, and mad? purity of purpose.

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta 4.8 Do not criticise our country, rather take up the responsibility for making it great again

This national ship, my countrymen, my friends, my children — this national ship has been ferrying millions and millions of souls across the waters of life. For scores of shining centuries, it has been plying across this water, and through its agency, millions of souls have been taken to the other shore, to blessedness. But today, perhaps through your own fault, this boat has become a little damaged, has sprung a leak; and would you therefore curse it? Is it fit that you stand up and pronounce malediction upon it, one that has done more work than any other thing in the world? If there are holes in this national ship, this society of ours, we are its children. Let us go and stop the holes. Let us gladly do it with our hearts' blood; and if we cannot, then let us die. We will make a plug of our brains and put them into the ship, but condemn it never.

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 a nd lve the Mystical Twe

LAKSHMI DEVNATH

Roles Reversed The Story of Periaazhvaar (Continued from the previous issue. . .)

yummy breakfast of crisp dosais with coriander chutney, and sweet tender- Tcoconuthe next morning,water. Half Poorva an hour woke later, up she to letfind out that a big the burp. Swami “Excuse had whipped me,” she said,up a April 2021 and noticed with fascination her new pattu paavaadai. 29

“SelvaSoon Nambi, the twomy honourablewere at the palaceminister, in pleaseMadurai. advise The Pandyanme as to flag,what with I should its emblem do in this of two life sofish, that was my flying next aboveone is it.taken Poorva care stepped of. Ever into since the I heardroyal hallthe wordsin time of to a hearpilgrim the last king night, say, my mind has not been at rest.” “May I make a suggestion, my Lord?” The minister paused for the royal approval and PAGE DONOR : SRI. R. KRISHNAN, CHENNAI KRISHNAN, R. SRI. : DONOR PAGE then continued, “Your Majesty may be pleased to convene a meeting of the most learned Kesari The Vedanta people in the land. Let them debate the issue in this assembly. It may also be announced that the winner will be rewarded with a bag of gold coins. The bag can be tied to a post and placed in the hall.” “Excellent idea,” applauded the king. “Proceed to make arrangements for the grand event.” The assembly broke up and the king retired to his chambers. Poorva saw Selva Nambi instructing his assistants to draw up a list of the scholars in the land. Realizing that nothing of great interest was going to happen shortly, she looked around for Swami Thaatha. On the way, she passed through a door marked ‘ROYAL TREASURY. ENTER ONLY WITH PRIOR PERMISSION’.

The author is a researcher and writer with various books and articles on Indian music and culture to her credit. [email protected] Illustrator: Smt. Lalithaa Thyagarajan. [email protected] The armed sentries standing at the door looked positively unfriendly. While she was trying to imitate their expressions, Poorva found herself inside the treasury. “Oh my God, how did I walk through this huge door? Am I a ghost or a human?” She heard the jingle of coins. A man was picking up handfuls of gold coins from a huge drum. He then bundled them in a rectangular piece of silk cloth. “This must be the reward,” Poorva surmised. Eager to dip her hands into the

April 2021 heap of gold coins, she moved towards

30 herself once again outside the sealed doors. the large“Pity,” container. she sighed, In and a flash,moved she along. found A few minutes later, she was outside the palace doors. The day was downing its shutters. Once again, Poorva looked around for Swami Thaatha. A bullock cart transporting a few people halted near her. The driver shouted, “Cart to Srivilliputhur.” A couple standing beside her got in, and Poorva decided to jump in too. The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta territory,” she thought. She“I’m jumpedsure I can in findand myfound way herself to Vishnuchitha’s face-to-face garden. with Swami Srivilliputhur, Thaatha! at “Oh least, … Iis thought known that you had deserted me.” He merely said, “It appears that quite a few scholars are coming to the palace tomorrow. I suggest we stay on at Madurai for the night.” “How did the message get across so quickly to different parts of the kingdom? They don’t have telephones, e-mails, and stuff like that.” The next moment, she rapped herself on the head for being dumb. “Of course! It’s the same time-jump phenomenon at work.” The gait of the bullocks gently bounced her up and down on the hay seat. The bells tied to their horns tinkled softly.

did not respond. She looked up and found herself staring at a heavily decorated golden chair.“Swami It was the Thaatha king’s …” throne! she began again, absent-mindedly fingering a piece of straw. He (To be continued. . .) When God Calls

Manomohan Mitra DR. RUCHIRA MITRA This is the tenth story in the series on devotees who had a role in the divine play of Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna.

यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्य It is attained by him alone whom It chooses (Kathopanishad. 1.2:23)

t was a Saturday night in 1879. Manomohan Mitra had a dream in This strange dream can be regarded as a Iwhich he saw the whole world being turning point in the divine play of Sri Ramakrishna, because it brought to him his including the Ochtorloney Monument1 were sweptflooded! away All by the the terrible tall buildings current. ofHe Calcutta,saw only pining away in Dakshineswar!

first disciples, expecting whose arrival he was April 2021 water in all directions. He couldn’t see anyone The next day Manomohan told about his and was drifting helplessly on the water. When dream to his cousin Ramchandra Datta. Ram 31 he worried about his mother, wife, sisters, and interpreted the dream as a revelation of the fact daughters, he heard a voice say, “No one is alive that all beings are submerged in maya and in this world. All are dead.” The voice then everyone was the living dead! Both felt the need continued to answer his every thought: to meet a realised soul and have their questions “What is the use of my living then?” answered. Manomohan, an ardent follower “Suicide is a great sin.” of the Brahmo Samaj, had read in the Brahmo magazines about the intense spiritual life of Sri PAGE DONOR : SRI VINAYAK SUTAR, BELAGAVI SUTAR, VINAYAK SRI : DONOR PAGE “When none is there, with whom shall I The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta spend my days?” Ramakrishna. So, they decided to visit Sri Ramakrishna who lived at the Dakshineswar “Only they have survived from this deluge Kali Temple. When they reached Dakshineswar, who have realized God. You will meet them very Sri Ramakrishna opened the door of his room soon and live with them.” and came out as if he was expecting them! “What shall I eat?” Manomohan and Ram had a long conversation “See below your chest.” with Sri Ramakrishna. Manomohan was averse Manomohan was surprised to see a to image worship. Understanding his attitude, At that Sri Ramakrishna told him, “As an imitation moment he woke up; but as the dream was custard apple reminds one of a real custard powerfullywooden plank realistic, keeping he lay him on the afloat. bed greatly apple, so the divine images enkindle the perplexed. He asked his wife, “Who are you? presence of God. God is all powerful. It is Where am I?” possible for him to manifest in anything.”

The author is a devotee and researcher on Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature. Her doctoral thesis was on the life stories of Sri Ramakrishna. [email protected] Charmed by his loving words, cordiality and Manomohan desired to renounce the world and become a sannyasi. But Sri and joy. Ramakrishna advised him to develop kindness, they returned home filled with peace Manomohan was born in September 1851 dispassion and take care of his family, living in at Konnagar, in Hooghly district of West Bengal. it as a lotus in water. Thereafter, Manomohan His father Bhubanmohan Mitra was a physician and well versed in History, Science, and English family. made Sri Ramakrishna the central figure of his literature. In spite of his Western education, he Once, Manomohan angrily scolded a was an ardent follower of traditional Hindu person who criticised his guru Sri culture. Manomohan’s mother Shyama Sundari Ramakrishna. But, when Sri Ramakrishna Devi was very pious and regularly practiced pointed out that anger is a vice second only to spiritual disciplines. To test the genuineness of lust, Manomohan renounced anger for ever! her absorption in meditation, once a relative Every weekend, Manomohan would dropped a scorpion on her lap! But that did not spread Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings in his native place Konnagar. He was so successful in parents, Manomohan too practised this that the people of Konnagar would join his disturb her. Under the strong influence of his spiritual disciplines; but without proper music (keertan) party in hundreds. They would guidance he was unable to make any spiritual also often visit Dakshineswar and sing keertans progress. in Sri Ramakrishna’s presence. April 2021 When Sri Ramakrishna developed throat 32 Ramakrishna, his life took a different turn. He cancer, Manomohan curtailed his family From the time of his first visit to Sri accepted Sri Ramakrishna as an incarnation of spending so that he could contribute towards God and encouraged his extended family, the expenses of Sri Ramakrishna and the young relatives and friends to visit Dakshineswar and disciples who served him. After Sri Ramakrishna’s passing away, Manomohan Ramakrishna. In this process he brought his continued to support the monastic disciples, benefit from the blessed company of Sri sister’s husband Rakhal to Sri Ramakrishna. Sri and his home became a meeting place for the Ramakrishna recognised Rakhal as the spiritual The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta devotees of Sri Ramakrishna. son promised to him by the Divine Mother. Later in life he had many divine visions of Rakhal, later known as Swami Brahmananda, Sri Ramakrishna. Once, seeing Sri Ramakrishna on the altar of Puri Jagannath Temple, he loudly Math and Ramakrishna Mission. became the first President of the Ramakrishna cried out Jai Ramakrishna-rupi Jagannath er jai! Once, Manomohan told Sri Ramakrishna, “Hail Lord Jagannatha in the form of Sri “I do not know God. But I have taken refuge in Ramakrishna!” Finally, in 1903 Manomohan you. Please accept my responsibility.” Sri entered into mahasamadhi incessantly Ramakrishna replied in an ecstatic mood, “He repeating the name of Sri Ramakrishna. He who comes here for God realisation or to attain demonstrated how to live a Ramakrishna- intoxicated life while being engaged in the duties of the world! knowledge, his desire will be fulfilled. Let me say again: his desire will definitely be fulfilled.” References: 1) The tallest building in Calcutta then; situated in Esplanade area it is now known as Shahid stambha. 2) They Lived with God by Swami Chetanananda 3) Sri Sri Ramakrishna Bhaktamalika by Swami Gambhirananda Questions & Answers 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.

QUESTION: Can the mind of a man comprehend the witness who is not revealing Himself? What is the way? MAHARAJ: The witness cannot be comprehended as an object by the mind. Because, immediately it is seen as an object it ceases to be witness or the seer. It is just like the eye. We see all things with the eye, but the eye

cannot see itself in the way in which it sees other things. Yet its April 2021 existence is not doubted. So also there is a centre of consciousness which is not the object of perception, but through whose power all perceptions are possible. If we are to have an 33

mind,experience the intellect, of it in itself, the wewill, have etc. to The eliminate luminosity from itsof fieldthe seerall perceptions is percolating and allthrough the instruments all of the with which it is in identification in the process of perception. For example, there are the senses, the recognize his autonomy. instrumentsNow to ofrealize perception the separateness and thus the of seer the isinstruments in identification and recognize with all of their them separateness and is not able from to PAGE DONOR : SRI VINAYAK SUTAR, BELAGAVI SUTAR, VINAYAK SRI : DONOR PAGE The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta

thishimself, could it isbe a done very anddifficult the witnessexercise recognizedin inward concentration, in his isolation, and then so thethere Upanishads will be comprehension compare it to ofthe one’s separation essential of a nature very subtle as the stalk unaffected of a blade witness. of grass Of from course the itfibrous is not materials the mind adhering that ultimately to it. If

comprehension for them. The witness has to be realized as pure Self-awareness, which is another namecomprehends, for Samadhi. because all the mental faculties have to be objectified and then there is no power of QUESTION: How did the Jivatma originate? When one becomes a Jivanmukta has he got to take any future birth? When one becomes a Mukta, what becomes of the Atman, the ‘I sense’? MAHARAJ: The Hindu spiritual tradition has two metaphysical positions. One is the pure absolutist point of view for which everything objective is a mere appearance, the pure subject alone being the real. An appearance means something that is experienced, but does not exist none the less in the way it is experienced. From this point of view, the universe, inclusive of the Jiva, is an appearance only. It does not actually exist, and the reason for its origination as also of the world, does not therefore arise. Now this way of answering may have some show of logic but does not satisfy a man for whom his Jivahood is a fact, a lived experience. So it is better for him to leave aside the absolutistic tradition and think in terms of the realistic, in which Jiva and Prakriti (the world) are real, but dependent for their existence on God. The nature of that dependence may be described as that between soul and body or between power-holder and power. In this view Jiva becomes an aspect of the Sakti or the body of God. From that Jiva-Sakti, which is a part and parcel of His being,

particular time or reason for its origination. It is a part of His being and is therefore eternal. individualThe Jiva,centres along of consciousnesswith Prakriti, areemerges thrown during out as creativesparks from cycles, a conflagration. and in Pralaya But it there becomes is no dissolved, or shrunk and exists only in a subtle condition as trees in the seed. The emergence at the opening of a creative cycle may be called the beginning of a Jiva in a way, but when it is remembered that it might have passed through several such cycles, it has to be taken that the Jiva has no beginning in the sense we understand it. It is a part and parcel of the structure of the divine and it has therefore existed always either in a latent condition or in an emerged state, either as shrunk and contracted to a state indistinguishable from matter or freed and liberated and shining in its blissful nature. God’s creative activity and the emergence of Jiva are sometimes stated as relative without admitting that the Jiva is something created without any prior existence. The creative process, consisting of the cycles of manifestation and dissolution, is the divine sport in the process of which April 2021 the Jiva comes into fuller and fuller manifestation. Originally almost one with matter owing to the 34 consciousness.shrinkage of consciousness Ultimately the by process the influence of evolution of Tamas brings or outInertia, the consciousthe Jiva is andgradually blissful stimulated nature of theinto Jiva activity into fullby themanifestation. process of Thesematerial are evolution the theories until regarding it becomes the origina full-fledged of Jiva. It centre has no of origin Self- in terms of our time-sequence. All that can be said is that it has always existed either in a latent condition or in a manifested state. The doctrine of Jivanmukti, or liberation even when the physical body is alive, is accepted only by the pure Advaitin, whereas according to the other schools of Vedanta, only a very high state of The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta spiritual awareness is reached in the living condition, full liberation being attained only on the death of the physical body. According to both these schools of Vedantins there is no rebirth for the liberated one. In pure Advaita it is said that one who mistakenly considered himself as an individual, recognizes his oneness in essence with the Supreme. Figuratively it can be said that he is dissolved in God. The other schools will say, the Jiva is conveyed to transcendental realms from where there is no fall. It is however maintained that if the Jiva has some noble desire like serving or liberating fellow beings, he may again come to the world as an Adhikarika, a prophet with a divine commission or as a partner in the mission of a Divine Incarnation. As for what becomes of the I-sense of a Jivanmukta, the answer is the same as for what becomes of his physical body. The physical body of every man dying dissolves into the material elements. But the subtle body has its continuity, no doubt with changes, through the whole of the transmigratory existence. I-sense, is the core of the subtle body. It continues through the whole transmigratory existence, and when ultimately knowledge dawns, it dissolves into its corresponding cosmic whole. Then the individual I-sense will dissolve into the Cosmic I-sense. So individuality as the pure Jiva persists, for the Jiva is a monad having always a dependent existence on God. Special Report

Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission Synopsis of the Governing Body Report for 2019-20

The 111th Annual General Meeting of the Ramakrishna Mission was held at Belur Math on Sunday, 7 March 2021, at 3.30 p.m. A synopsis of the report presented in the meeting is given below. The Ramakrishna Mission won the following recognitions: (i) The University Grants Commission (UGC): (a) selected RKMVERI (deemed university), the College of Education (of Coimbatore Mission Vidyalaya) and the Sikshanamandira (of Saradapitha centre, Belur, Howrah ) as Mentor Institutions for helping other higher education institutions to improve their quality and get NAAC accreditation and (b) extended the autonomous status of Vivekananda College of Chennai

of Science and Technology (MST), Government of India recognized Vivekananda Centenary College Vidyapith for 10 years and (ii) the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry New branch centres of the Ramakrishna Mission were started in: (i) Kasundia in Howrah,

Westof Rahara Bengal centre, (ii) Rourkela,Kolkata as Odisha a Scientific and (iii)and Villupuram,Industrial Research Tamil Nadu. Organisation A new branch (SIRO). centre of the April 2021 Ramakrishna Math was started at Purnea in Bihar. Ramakrishna Math (Kathamrita Bhavan), which 35 branch centre. The ancestral house of Swami Trigunatitananda Maharaj in Kolkata was taken over bywas the functioning Ramakrishna as a sub-centreMath and ofnamed Ramakrishna as Swami Math Trigunatitananda (Shyampukur Bati),Memorial. was made The Ramakrishnaa full-fledged

inVedanta Pinon SocietyHills, USA, of the was Philippines made a sub-centre in Manila ofwas Hollywood affiliated toVedanta Ramakrishna Society. Mission. Vedanta Centres in Vancouver (Canada) and Curitiba (Brazil) were affiliated to Ramakrishna Math. The retreat centre PAGE DONOR : SRI MANISH SHUKLA, PALGHAR SHUKLA, MANISH SRI : DONOR PAGE The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta automobileIn the educationaland computer field, engineering. the following (ii) new Coimbatore developments Vidyalaya deserve started special an mention:incubation (i) centre Chennai in itsStudents’ Arts and Home Science started College a Skill to create Development an industrial Centre working to train environment students in in the the fields college. of mechanical, (iii) Ranchi Morabadi centre was nominated by the Government of Jharkhand to start a ‘Value-based Multi Skill Development Training Course’ under the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) for minorities.

centre added an operation theatre complex, ICU, surgical ward, dialysis unit and CT scan facility to its hospital.In the medical(ii) Manasadwip field, mention centre may built be a newmade dispensary of the following building. new (iii) developments: Vrindaban centre (i) Kankhal added to its hospital, a state-of-the-art Sarada Block. It is built as per NABH standards and has two modular operation theatres, a cancer ward and MRI and CT scan facilities.

Morabadi centre brought 644 acres of fallow land under cultivation and trained farmers of 25 villagesIn theunder rural the development Seed Village field, Programme the following to new produce projects quality deserve seeds. special (ii) mention: Sargachhi (i) Ranchicentre conducted 5 On-Farm Trials (OFT) on 55 farms, published 4 research papers and provided veterinary training to 690 people in treating simple disorders/injuries in animals. A number of our centres took forward Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan by holding cleanliness drives and awareness campaigns. The work done by the following centres require special mention: (i) Mangaluru centre held (a) 26 cleanliness drives in and around Mangaluru, (b) magic shows on cleanliness theme at 99 schools in Udupi district, (c) cultural competitions and workshops in 236 schools in which 23,736 students participated. The centre also guided 130 schools to observe Cleanliness Day in which 13,000 children took part. (ii) Salem centre conducted a special programme for sanitation workers of Salem Municipal Corporation. Under the Ramakrishna Math, the following developments deserve special mention: (i) Kalady Math added a new division in its primary and higher secondary schools. (ii) Barisha Math started

House on Swami Vivekananda’s wanderings in India. (iv) Koyilandy Math built a multipurpose hall. an allopathicThe Mission dispensary. and Math (iii) undertook Chennai Math several started relief a and 4D virtualrehabilitation reality filmoperations show at in Vivekananda the wake of

Karnataka, the North East and other parts, and cyclonic storms such as Fani, Vayu and Bulbul which affectedthe outbreak Odisha, of COVID-19Gujarat and pandemic, West Bengal. natural The calamities operations including involved devastating an expenditure floods of inRs. Kerala, 38.24

During the year, the Mission and the Math undertook general welfare work by way of providingcrore and benefittedscholarships 8.24 to lakh poor people. students and pecuniary help to old, sick and destitute people. Expenditure incurred was Rs. 29.42 crore. April 2021 Medical service was rendered to more than 83.11 lakh people through 10 hospitals, 87 dispensaries, 39 mobile medical units and 985 medical camps run by the Mission. Expenditure 36 incurred was Rs. 272.31 crore. Nearly 2.66 lakh students studied in Mission’s educational institutions ranging from kindergarten to university level and also in non-formal education centres, night schools, coaching classes, etc. A sum of Rs. 396.19 crore was spent on the educational work. A number of rural and tribal development projects were undertaken by the Mission with a

The year-long celebrations of the 125th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s Addresses at the

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta total expenditure of Rs. 131.62 crore, benefiting about 5.73 lakh people. organized by the headquarters and the branch centres. A two-day All India Alumni Meet of RamakrishnaWorld’s Parliament Math andof Religions Ramakrishna in Chicago, Mission USA, educational had a grand institutions finale withwas heldvarious at Belur programmes Math in December 2019. Some of our centres in the USA and other countries also held public meetings, lectures and cultural events. Outside India, the following developments deserve special mention: (i) With the initiative of Headquarters, Belur Math, a bronze statue of Sister Nivedita was installed at her family cemetery in Great Torrington, United Kingdom. The project was funded by the Government of West Bengal. (ii) The newly built Vivekananda Bhavan at Dhaka centre, (Bangladesh) was inaugurated. We take this opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to our members and friends for their kind cooperation and help in carrying forward the service programmes of the Ramakrishna Mission and Ramakrishna Math. Swami Suvirananda General Secretary 07 March 2021 Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Reminiscences

Lessons from Swamis The Dec 2020 Special Issue of The Vedanta Kesari was on the topic ‘Lessons from Swamis’. New content on this topic is being serialised this year. Swami Jagadananda t was sometime in 1916. Ramani Mohan Bhattacharya from Dulari, Sylhet (presently in Bangladesh), a scholarly Headmaster in a Government High School was expounding Ia passage on renunciation from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad which states: “One must renounce the moment one feels dispassion.” In support of this statement Ramani Mohan repeatedly stressed that with tremendous will-power one can break the bonds of householder’s life. But his listeners refused to accept that it was possible to leave wife and children so easily. A heated discussion ensued. Ramani Mohan then roared, “Surely, one can renounce the world any moment, if he so desires.” The next moment he got up and walked away to join the Ramakrishna Order. He was married, but did not even go home to meet his wife or settle his worldly affairs. Ramani Mohan had received mantra-diksha from Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi in 1910. In

1920 he received ochre robes from Holy Mother and sannyasa- April 2021 diska from Swami Brahmananda. His new name was Swami Jagadananda. Once Holy Mother told him, “In your 37 previous birth you were a Rishi. In your heart of hearts there was a little hankering for enjoyment, so you had to be born again. Now the enjoyment is over, so you have become Rishi again.” Highly respected for his intuitive knowledge of Vedanta, and considered a Jivanmukta, Jagadanandaji translated Sri Sri PAGE DONOR : SRI MANISH SHUKLA, PALGHAR SHUKLA, MANISH SRI : DONOR PAGE Ramakrishna Lila Prasanga into English as Sri Kesari The Vedanta Ramakrishna The Great Master ,— the authoritative biography of Sri Ramakrishna. He attained mahasamadhi in December 1951 aged 72 at the Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Vrindavan.

Passing away of a Rishi I had many opportunities to live with Jagadananda Maharaj and study scriptures. It was a rare opportunity to study Vedantic scriptures with him, because he was a living example of the spirit of Vedanta. In 1951, after the passing away of Swami Virajananda Maharaj, the 6th President of the Order whom I served as a personal attendant, I got a long leave. I went to Kishanpur where I practiced tapasya and studied scriptures under Jagadananda Maharaj and also rendered him a little service. Suddenly, he had a heart-attack. As there were no good medical facilities in Dehradun, he was taken to our Vrindavan Sevashrama Hospital for treatment. I accompanied him and continued my spiritual practices while serving him. Maharaj too continued to conduct classes for me and 2-3 other sannyasis. He was explaining Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. One day there was a great excitement in the class. He was explaining ब्रह्म सत्य जगन्मथ्य, “Brahman alone is real, the world is illusory”, because 饃श्यत्त् स्प्饃श्यत् “whatever we see is illusory as in a dream.” He declared that the argument ब्रह्म सत्य जगन्मथ्य is invincible and continued to explain it for a long time. I was a

said this Truth, Brahman cannot be known by argument or logic etc. But now you say 饃श्यत्त् सstudent्प्饃श्य ofत् .philosophy You are contradicting and knew a yourselflittle about Maharaj!” how to Heargue. became So, as furious; he finished, his appearance I said, Maharaj became you

Well! You hear, you hear, you hear from me now (patting his chest), I have known this truth, I have knownblood-flushed. this truth He notsaid, by “You! argument You are not doing by logicmischief! but by You Mother’s understand, grace.” but The yet greatyou argue. Vedantin Well! ended Well! by saying ‘Mother’s grace’! But he was so excited that later in the evening he had an heart-attack. The doctors declared that the end would come very soon. In those days, there was no proper treatment for heart patients in our hospital. The next day towards the evening when his last moment drew near, Maharaj began to gasp for breath with his eyes closed. His legs were turning ice-cold. The doctors advised me to massage his legs with brandy. I started massaging his legs. Suddenly he opened his eyes, looked furiously at me and exclaimed in his native Sylhetian Bengali dialect, “Kita karo? Kita karo?—What are you doing? What are you doing?” I answered in a low voice, “Your legs are turning cold, so I am massaging them.” But in a high pitched voice he asked me, “वि煍ञनमानन्द ब्रह्म, Do you understand that? Do you remember that? If you don’t, everything is meaningless, futile. This knowledge and eternal joy is Brahman! If you haven’t known this, then it April 2021 (i.e., this messaging) is futile. Have you known वि煍ञनमानन्द ब्रह्म?” 38 My God! In that condition, he did not talk of his pain, but asked me “What are you doing?” and shouted वि煍ञनमानन्द ब्रह्म. He repeated the great statement in such a manner that the sound appeared

Then reclining on my shoulder and uttering “Maa, Maa” he passed away! to arise churning his body and mind. When the final attack came, he forced me to make him sit-up. On his face there was no sign of the pang of death. On the contrary, after a little while the face started beaming with light. Though his body became ice-cold, the body and face were radiating light. When his body was being taken to Yamuna for immersion, an elderly sannyasi protested, “Why

The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta are you taking a living man?” We said, “He is no more.” But he did not believe and madly protested again and again. Finally according to the North Indian tradition, we immersed his body in the Yamuna tying it to a long fat stone. — Srimat Swami Atmasthananda Ji Maharaj, 15th President of the Ramakrishna Order (Sources: A talk delivered by Revered Maharaj available at https://www.rkmstudentshome.org/audio- gallery/ & Centenary Commemorative Souvenir, Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Vrindaban, 2008)

Swami Purushatmanada disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi Swami Purushatmananda (also known as Jnanendra Maharaj) joined the Ramakrishna Order in 1920 at the Habiganj A Asharma (now in Bangladesh) of which he was one of the founder members. He received sannyasa-diksha from Swami Vijnanananda in 1937. He served as the first Secretary of Silchar Ashrama, Assam from 1939 till his passing away in 1962 aged 67. Mother, wait a little, I am coming! Swami Purushatmananda Maharaj was so close to Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi that he would freely express his pique with her and sulk at her. Once during the Durga puja it rained in the night and the road in the Silchar Ashrama was reduced to a squelchy mud track. The next morning, Maharaj started fetching water from the pond and pouring it on the road making it more splashy! When a devotee asked why he was doing so, Maharaj, expressing his anger at Mother said, “Since Mother does not want anyone to come to her well-dressed, I am pouring more water on the road— let all come splattered with water and mud.” In July 1962 Purushatmananda Maharaj was admitted to the P. G. Hospital, Kolkata, due to aneurysm of aorta with no chance of recovery. Later he also developed cancer in the lungs. On 21 December, just a few minutes before passing away at 4.35 A. M. he, though physically extremely weak, suddenly sat up on his bed and began to utter the name of Sri Ramakrishna. A little later he said, “O Mother, you have come, wait a little, I am coming.” Saying this he looked at the patients around him and told them, “Brothers, are you awake? My time has come, I am now going.” After this he lay down on his bed never to rise again. — Swami Nareshananda, Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission, Imphal

Swami Saswatananda April 2021 disciple of Swami Shivananda, Swami Saswatananda joined the Ramakrishna Mission 39 A Home of Service, Varanasi in 1919. He received his sannyasa-diksha from his guru in 1923. From 1925 to 1928 he served in Ramakrishna Mission Students’ Home, Chennai and from 1936 to 1944 as the President of Chennai Math. In 1947 he was made a Trustee and Assistant Secretary of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna PAGE DONOR : SRI AJAY BHARADWAJ, CHENNAI BHARADWAJ, AJAY SRI : DONOR PAGE Mission in which capacity he served till his end in August Kesari The Vedanta 1963 aged 69.

Keeping the word even at the last hour Swami Saswatanandaji, as an Assistant General Secretary of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, was in charge of posting monastic workers. One brahmachari, ‘Junior Ravi’ as he was called, was serving as assistant to Bhandari in the main Temple. He approached Saswatanandaji for a change of centre. The swami promised to give him the change. But Saswatanandaji suddenly fell very ill and had to be taken to the hospital in haste. It was uncertain if he would return alive from the hospital. At the moment when he was being carried out on a stretcher, he remembered

about his promise and strongly requested that he arrange for the brahmachari’s transfer and report tohis him promise when to it wasthe brahmachari. done. That was He his immediately steadfastness sent to for truth. a swami from the Main Office, told him — Srimat Swami Gautamananda Ji, Vice-President, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Article

Rabindranath Tagore on Karmayoga SHUBHRA JYOTI DAS The term karmayoga literally means ‘union through action’. Here union stands for unification of the jivatman with the Paramatman. This article presents Rabindranath Tagore views on karmayoga which are founded on the Upanishads.

ccording to Tagore, human life Upanishad describes as तच्流땍र ज्योतषां ज्योति consists of three states – natural, and is called Brahman in the Upanishads. 1 Aethical-religious and spiritual. Tagore notes that the Western civilisation Our natural disposition is matter-oriented. We has focussed on achieving material prosperity tend to accept the world of sense-objects as the and developing the external only reality; and hence, all our aspect of human existence. efforts are directed towards Even God has been treated as the world outside, and we a developing phenomenon.2 April 2021 measure success in terms of On the contrary, Indians have tangible parameters. concentrated on developing 40 In the second state, the inner dimension of human resorting to religious and life. Tagore attempted to ethical codes of conduct, we bridge this gap by combining material and spiritual well- being, taking help from the offensive,mark a a definite particular river ritual as profound Upanishadic productiveauspicious, aand specific so on. food We as insights. The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta consider even God as an Tagore strongly opposes external object and try to the view that karma creates appease Him through various the bondage of the soul, as Rabindranath Tagore propagated by the jnanayogins discover the limitations of these acts. in India.3 He rejects the proposition acts of sacrifices. But soon we In the spiritual state, we resort to our that liberation means acquiring freedom from inner world and put our best efforts to all forms of activities. He observes that a set of eradicate all our tendencies for external karma as an growth. We control those desires which obstacle to liberation - in the same way as some otherwise control us in the other states, and we mistakepeople havea disciplined wrongly life identified to be an impediment start discovering the great source of bliss and to happiness. Brahman is the substratum of all light within us: the Truth which Mundaka activities as the Taittiriya Upanishad declares,

The author is Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Comparative Religion at Visva-Bharati, a central research university located in Santiniketan. [email protected] “Crave to know well that from which all these greater darkness they enter who revel in beings take birth, that by which they live after passive inaction”, he remarks that karma being born, that towards which they move and without Brahman is darkness but Brahman into which they merge. That is Brahman.” But without karma is void as well. then, how is karma related to Brahman? We can The solution lies in the combination of neither say that they exist as parallels without any interaction, nor can we think that Brahman has अविद्यया मृत्यु तीर्त् विद्ययाऽमृतम�नते। “jiva attains become bound in His karma like a spider in its immortalityaction and knowledge, through as Ishopanishad knowledge affirms: after web. overcoming death through action.” To quote Tagore again cites Taittiriya Upanishad Tagore, “Whatever it may be, if activity is the which declares, “From Bliss, indeed all these essence of bliss, then by means of action itself beings originate; having been born, they are there can be union with the blissful Brahman. 5 sustained by Bliss, they move towards and merge This is called karmayoga in the Gita.” He maintains that the mind of a karma yogi is comparable to that of a devoted housewife who anandasvarupa. Thus, in Tagore’s view, actions into Bliss” and affirms that Brahman is performs her day-to-day activities out of sheer

are of two kinds – one springs from deficiency Consequently, man has been prescribed kind of act binds us but the second doesn’t, rather joy and not to fulfil any of her selfish ends. itand sets another us free. from Thus sufficiency for him, action i.e., bliss. is the The essence first “whatever act

यद्यत्‌ कर् प्रकुर핀त तद्‌ ब्रह्मणि समर्येत्‌ April 2021 of bliss; and bliss expresses itself through various you perform, dedicate it to Brahman.” This attitude helps to get rid of jealousy, hatred, 41 the bliss of Brahman is substantiated greed, and cravings; and consequently, we are continuouslyactivities. Infinite through bliss various has infinite activities. expressions, Brahman so able to transform our acts to pure bliss by is blissful through His acts, and through acts only giving up their fruits thereof. According to He is free.4 We too, in our daily life, become free Tagore, had this bliss not been already present through blissful activities alone. in nature, no one would have made any effort to attain this bliss. Besides, by aligning our efforts Ishopanishad declares that it is with that blissful source of all exertions, we PAGE DONOR : SRI SRINIVASARAMAN GOVINDARAJAN, CHENNAI GOVINDARAJAN, SRINIVASARAMAN SRI : DONOR PAGE

impossible for anyone to abandon actions Kesari The Vedanta become absolutely fearless. completely. It therefore prescribes – कुर्ꅍनेेह कर्माण जिजीविषेच्तं समाः। “one should desire to Tagore maintains that our activities are live for a hundred years by performing primarily kindled by external stimulants, and activities.” Tagore highlights that it is problems arise when they overpower us; and the recommended by those rishis who have fully Upanishads have talked about shreyas only to experienced the bliss of Atman. They neither avoid such overshadowing. Different kinds of proclaim karma as producing bondage of the external desires (vasanas) work as a source of soul nor see life as a synonym of pain. So, we distraction for us. They have to be regulated by can neither pronounce action as a product of bringing them under one purpose (iccha or passion nor set its rejection as a precondition uddeshya). Vasana is external and overwhelming; for entering into the path of sadhana. For but iccha is internal and integrating. Tagore, it won’t at all be wise to dissociate As for example, if someone has different ourselves from these two. Referring to the materialistic vasanas like owning a good house, Ishopanishad’s passage which reads, “Into a car, clothes etc., he will have to bring them under one iccha of earning money. Wealth, in For Tagore, a garden created by cleaning a landscape is verily an expression of the he has to control many of his petty desires. The beauty latent in human mind. Just as a poet internalthis case, purpose will fulfil must all the rule desires. over Additionally,the external follows the rules of meter while composing a desires for enhancing productivity and poem, knowing that rules are not hindrances to creativity and not vice-versa. But an individual his expression of joy, karmayoga too is not might also have a variety of purposes. Apart opposed to freedom. In fact, work should be from material possessions, he might have non- treated as instrumental and not an impediment material or subtle purposes like attaining name, for liberation. Simple inactivity too is not fame etc. Consequently, the internal purposes freedom. may also create a distraction similar to one Tagore makes a very interesting remark created by the external desires. about the nature of attaining Brahman, the goal Therefore, all the internal purposes must of karmayoga. He notes that Brahman cannot also be brought under one be another object added to our list of wishes.8 Brahman disruption. Welfare of all Sadhana is feeling has to be realized not as (goalmangal-iccha to avoid the final the unity with the Truth something separate from us, aspiration which should in all activities, all thoughts but as the existence of all give orientation) is that finalto that exists – as is mentioned

April 2021 and all efforts. everything else. For Tagore, in the Ishopanishad, “All this 42 this must be the universal is to be covered by God.” purpose of all work and a solution to all the This implies that every small entity of the

all undertakings is in the welfare of everyone. Workproblems gets created transformed by desires. to Brahmopasana The fulfilment6 orof evenuniverse in small is filled achievements. by the presence of that Truth. worship of Brahman through this means. This attitudeFurther, the gives Upanishads us a feeling say that of fulfilment Brahman This mangal-iccha prompts us to make is already attained by all of us. Why then do we not realise that Truth? Tagore observes that it The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta renunciation. Nature does not support is because we have not surrendered ourselves stagnationsmall sacrifices and hence and subsequently our desired objects leads us will to completely.9 In Tagore’s vision sadhana is willy-nilly slip out of our hands. Therefore, the feeling the unity with the Truth in all activities, practice of letting things go, on a daily basis, all thoughts and all effort . will help us overcome this situation. This Who is the best among the knowers of freedom, this mastery over an action can be Brahman? Looking for an answer to this gained only through renunciation. He writes, “If question in the Upanishads, Tagore discovers we want to become performer of actions, we that one who abides in the bliss of Brahman, have to be free. That is why only detached who acts in Brahman and remains active, is the actions have been called karmayoga in the Gita. best among Brahmavids. The way an artist We gain mastery over actions by doing them in rejoices in his creations and a poet in his poetry, non-attached way; or else we become a part of a Brah the action through attachment and never beauty and goodness through all his big and become performer of them.” 7 small acts.mavid Escapism expresses is ruled the Infinite out as bya way truth, to emancipation. For Tagore, sadhana is not through all our activities, we can be more rejection, but dedication of each act to Brahman. productive and creative. Unalloyed happiness is In this way the self keeps on surrendering itself accessible to everyone. Further, Tagore’s proposal to combine the connect with the Truth. That is perfection, best of East and West has become most relevant to the Infinite, and every act becomes a means to freedom and heaven since the world gets in the 21st century. None can overlook the impact 10 transformed to an abode of bliss. of globalization nor should anyone get uprooted Conclusion from his own culture. In the busy modern life, if Rabindranath Tagore gives a down-to- we can implement Tagore’s formula by earth interpretation of karmayoga. He rightly practicing self-surrender, each of our little efforts points out that a proper understanding of made on a daily basis will take us to perfection. In a nutshell, Tagore presents the modern man a distinction we have drawn between work and realistic blueprint of how to practice karmayoga pleasure.karmayoga By candevoting help toourselves erase theto the artificial Truth nce. and reap its benefit by rising to excelle

References

1) ‘Tintala’. Rabindra Rachanavali. [hereafter 5) Ibid., p.446

Rachanavali] R.N.Thakur. Kolkata: Pashchibanga 6) Ibid., p.702 April 2021 Bangla Academy, 2015 , Vol.16, p.485 7) ‘Tyaga’. Rachanavali Vol.16, p.169 2) ‘Karmayoga’. Rachanavali Vol.16, p.697 8) ‘Akhanda Pawa’. Rachanavali Vol.16, p.543 43 3) Ibid., p.445 9) ‘Atmasamarpan’. Rachanavali Vol.16, p.544 4) Ibid., p.700 10) ‘Karmayoga’. Rachanavali Vol.16, p699

Tagore on Sri Ramakrishna PAGE DONOR : SRI SHUBHRAJYOTI DATTA, HYDERABAD DATTA, SHUBHRAJYOTI SRI : DONOR PAGE The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta

To the Paramahamsa Ramakrishna Deva

Diverse courses of worship from varied springs of fulfillment have mingled in your meditation. The manifold revelation of joy of the Infinite has given form to a shrine of unity in your life where from far and near arrive salutations to which I join mine own. —Rabindranath Tagore Glimpses of The Upanishads by Maj Gen Purushotam Vig AVSM, VSM (Retd). Published by Unistar Book Books Pvt.Ltd., 301, Industrial Area, Reviews Phase-9, SAS Nagar Mohali-Chandigarh. For review in The Vedanta Email:unistarbooks@gmail. Kesari, publishers need to send com. 2017, pp.xxvii+246, us two copies of their latest Hardbound, Rs.495. publication. t was Swami Vivekananda’s mission to unlock the Vedantic treasures of the IUpanishads and make them available to the common people in English and vernacular soul in Kaushitaki, policy doctrine on education languages. Here is a book penned by one who in Taittriya and so on. had access only to the English commentaries on This book gives a simple and good Upanishads and who courageously dived deep introduction to the treasures of the Upanishads. into them to collect pearls of wisdom to share ______SWAMI TATPURUSHANANDA, VARANASI with his readers. April 2021 A casual visit to legendary Nachiketa lake Bhagavad Geeta near Uttarakashi during his service in the army by Chilukuru Venkateswarlu. 44 ultimately led Major General Purushotam Vig to engage in an intensive study of the Upanishads. Published by Sri Ramakrishna The result is “Glimpses of the Upanishads”. The Tapovanam, 20, Race Course book has three sections. Road, Guindy, Chennai - 600 032 Mob: 9884708559.

time, and the myths surrounding the Upanishads. Email:chvekateswarlu30@gmail. BELAGAVI MUTHANE, NITIN SRI : DONOR PAGE The SecondFirst Section Section briefly is a simple introduces study ofthe all content, the ten com, paperback, pp.135, Rs.110. principal Upanishads as well as Maittrayanya, his book has Maxims from Swami The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Svetasvatara and Kaushitiki Upanishads. The Vivekananda, Yogi Vemana, Third Section gives an account of six minor TBhartruhari’s Neeti Satakam, Upanishads Kaivalya, Atma, Amrita Bindu, Jabala, Bhaskara Satakam, Sumati Satakam, Kumari Tejobindu and Paramahamsa upanishads. Satakam and Sri Ramakrishna. Except for the Though Major Vig admits to his inability maxims of Sumati Satakam and Kumari Satakam, to make an in-depth study of original the others are good. Through these two, we get commentaries in Sanskrit language, his deep a glimpse of the society two centuries back. However, they are very outdated to be of any a sincere presentation in a poetic language. Each moral value today. These two could have been study of the available English translations finds skipped without any loss of value to the book. The others are good and are applicable even today. theUpanishad end of each is dealt Upanishad briefly coveringpresents itsonly essence the core as In these times, when people do not have wellpoints as under its relevance suitable to sub-titles. the contemporary His reflections society. at the patience to read big books, this small book In this section, the author underlines the origin of gives short snippets of wisdom from great saints universe in Brihadaranyka, the glory of Aum and and thinkers. As each snippet is independent, a power of truth in Chandogya, transmigration of

person can even randomly read and benefit. It will encourage the reader to read more about these analogical argumentation that makes the most thinkers and saints. complicated theses simple and understandable. ______GOKULMUTHU N, BENGALURU in ending the evils on this earth and establishing Thus Spake The Divine dharmaThe significant are very role well played elucidated. by the Hindu pantheon The work is a handbook for every spiritual Published by Giri Trading(Vol-I) Agency Pvt. Ltd, 372/1, aspirant who seeks to progress in the path shown Mangadu Patturkoot Road, by Sanatana Dharma. Mangadu, Chenna i- 600122. ______PROF.R. GOPALAKRISHNAN, CHENNAI Ph.+914466939393. Email:[email protected]. 2018, What Then? paperback, pp.776, Rs.450. by JP Vaswani he title of this book under review is Publised by Gita Publishing really fascinating since the contents House, Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Tcontain the revelations of the divine 10, Sadhu Vaswani Path, soul, the Mahaswamigal—the religio-spiritual Pune - 411 001. Email:gph@ exemplar of the recent past who adorned the sadhuvaswani.org. 2017, spiritual throne of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. paperback, pp.200, Rs.150 The concept of dharma with its multifarious he eternal question asked by Acharya denominations and connotations is the central Sankara in the Guru Ashtakam “Tatah April 2021 subject matter of this work. The Mahaswamigal TKim?” is the title of this small book by has given nectar-like teachings on the entire the renowned author J. P. Vaswani. This question 45 gamut of human existence covering the physical, posed by his mentor Sadhu Vaswani is applied mental, spiritual, social, religious and cultural wealth, fame, and power” and “what after death?” national and international levels. These teachings to findIn out 27 “Whatchapters after the one author acquires presents education, in arerealms presented with specific under reference177 themes to regional,like The a lucid manner the essence of the message Auspicious Beginning, Advaita, Vedic Religion, given by the scriptures like Upanishads and Universal Codes of Dharma, Social matters, Bhagavatam. Anecdotes from Sri Shankaracharya, PAGE DONOR : SRI PAVAN SAI DESHMUKH, HYDERABAD DESHMUKH, SAI PAVAN SRI : DONOR PAGE Culture, Karma Marga: The Path of Duties, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and from Kesari The Vedanta Bhakthi, Avatara and Mangal Aarati. This great Buddhism and Bahai faiths support the roadmap yogi exemplar of Hindu faith and philosophy has to life’s journey that the author presents before us. offered solace to the highly traumatized modern Each chapter ends with a simple, powerful man by suggesting appropriate remedies for all suggestions for self-introspection. And the last human maladies. six chapters present six practical suggestions to The special characteristic features of these the shadow chasers of the modern world: ‘Take holy utterances are: Apt and accurate citations charge of your life’, ‘Never forget that you are a from the sacred as well as secular scriptures traveller here on earth’ ‘Pain and pleasure are of Hinduism; philosophical interpretations to two sides of the same coin’, ‘Develop the spirit most of the view-points especially from the of detachment’, ‘Self-effort is the best effort’ and Advaitic perspective; usage of simple, but elegant ‘Remember: This too shall pass away’. expressions to elucidate the chosen theme; This is a good book for those who seek interpretative account of puranic episodes, poems the wisdom of the scriptures to lead life etc; explaining through illustrative anecdotes and “meaningfully, consciously, purposefully.” enchanting stories with logical substantiation; and ______SWAMI TATPURUSHANANDA, VARANASI Mahasamadhi of Srimat Swami Vagishanandaji one of the Vice-Presidents of Ramakrishna Order

wami Vagishanandaji, one of the Vice-presidents of the Ramakrishna Order attained mahasamadhi Son 12 March 2021. He was 91. Born in Chittagong district (now in Bangladesh) on 12 January 1930, he received his mantra-diksha from Swami Shankaranandaji Maharaj. He joined the Ramakrishna Order at the Saradapitha centre in 1954, and received sannyasa-diksha from Swami Vishuddhanandaji Maharaj in 1962.

April 2021 In the course of over six decades in the Order, he served in various capacities including as Assistant 46 Secretary of the Institute of Culture, Gol Park, and head of Morabadi, Malda, Kamarpukur, Mumbai and Cossipore centres. He also participated in migrant (East Pakistan) relief work at Taki for six months in 1970. In March 1990, he was appointed a Trustee of Ramakrishna Math, Belur, and a Member of the The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Governing Body of Ramakrishna Mission. From July 2011 he began to give mantra diksha to devotees in India. In June 2014 he was elected as Vice-President of the Ramakrishna Order in which capacity he served till the end. During his spiritual ministry, he initiated many devotees all over India and also in Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius and Japan. His understanding, affection, and sympathy touched the hearts of countless devotees. The Order on the March News & Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission The birthday (janma-tithi) of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated at Belur Math on Thursday, 4 February with special worship, homa and music. Swami Balabhadrananda presided over the meeting held in the afternoon. As Belur Math was closed to devotees on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, devotees watched the programmes online. Belur Math gates, which had remained closed for more than six months due to the pandemic, were opened to devotees and visitors on 10 February. Visiting hours, however, have been restricted, and April 2021 necessary safety measures have been put in place as per the government guidelines. Nagar Nigam of Haridwar presented a certificate of recognition to Kankhal for its contribution towards 47 making Haridwar clean and green. The Mission hospital stood first among the healthcare facilities in Haridwar. Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, marked the 125th anniversary of the publication of Prabuddha Bharata by bringing out a special issue of the magazine in January. It also held an online programme in YouTube on 31 January in which besides other speakers there were pre-recorded talks by Srimat Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj, President of the Ramakrishna Order, Srimat Swami Gautamanandaji, one of the Vice-presidents of the Ramakrishna Order, Swami Suviranandaji, General Secretary of the Ramakrishna Order, and Sri PAGE DONOR : SRI UMA MAHESHWAR KIRAN ATI, OSHAWA ATI, KIRAN MAHESHWAR UMA SRI : DONOR PAGE Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India. Kesari The Vedanta The off-campus centre of RKMVERI (deemed university) in Coimbatore Mission Vidyalaya held its 15th Convocation on 3 February. In all, 210 successful candidates were awarded certificates and degrees. The Governor of Tamil Nadu Sri Banwarilal Purohit and the General Secretary of the Order addressed the students through recorded video messages. Relief Work Covid-19 Relief: The Phoenix centre in South Africa continued to render Covid-19 pandemic relief work by distributing food grains and grocery items. The centre also provided counselling service to healthcare professionals and sponsored 32 dialysis sessions for some patients. Winter Relief: 16 centres in India and 03 centres in Bangladesh distributed 5590 blankets/shawls, and 200 jackets to needy people. Distress Relief: 17 centres of the Order distributed 5164 saris, 246 dhotis, and assorted garments as distress relief among the needy people. April 2021

48 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta April 2021

49 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta April 2021

50 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta 51 April 2021

51 The Vedanta Kesari The Vedanta Vol.108. No.4 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) April 2021. Regd. 52 with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 1957. Postal registration number: TN / CH (C) / 190 / 2021-2023. Licensed to Post without prepayment TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-259 / 2021-2023. Date of Publication: 24th of every month

Our ancestors were great. We must first recall that. We must learn the elements of our being, the blood that courses in our veins; we must have faith in that blood and what it did in the past; and out of that faith and consciousness of past greatness, we must build an India yet greater than what she has been. — Swami Vivekananda

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