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th 1 104 Price: ` 15 Year of Publication The Kesari THE LION OF VEDANTA A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Order since 1914

Ramakrishna Math, Antpur, West

February 2017 The V edanta K esari 2 FEBRUARY 2017 2 Shivaratri in

Editor: Swami Mahamedhananda Managing Editor: Swami Gautamananda Printed and published by Swami Vimurtananda on behalf of Sri Trust from No.31, Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 4 and Printed at Sri Ramakrishna Printing Press, No.31 Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 4. Ph: 044 - 24621110 3 The Vedanta Kesari 104th Year of Publication VOL. 104, No. 2 FEBRUARY 2017 ISSN 0042-2983

A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE Started at the instance of in 1895 as Brahmavâdin, it assumed the name The Vedanta Kesari in 1914. For free edition on the Web, please visit: www.chennaimath.org

CONTENTS

FEBRUARY 2017 Hastamalakiyam 38 Editorial  Inner Demonetization 39 Articles  With Swami Brahmananda 44 Swami Tejasananda  Sri Ramakrishna in the light of ’s Letters 48 Swami Suvirananda  Sri Ramakrishna and Hiranand Shaukiram: Interface of Bengali and Sindhi Culture 51 Tapan Kumar Ghosh  Healing the Hills 56 Swami Dhyanasthananda  Universal 61 Swami Tattwamayananda  Swamiji’s Nine Days at Castle Kernan 66 Monastic Sojourner Reminiscences  Reminiscences of Sargachhi 41 Swami Suhitananda Our Heritage ~ Our Heroes 46 Annual Report  Ramakrishna Math and Synopsis of the Governing Body Report for 2015-16 72 The Order on the March 74 Book Reviews 78

Cover Story: Page 5 The V edanta K esari 4 FEBRUARY 2017 The Vedanta Kesari Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 h (044) 2462 1110 (4 lines) Website : www.chennaimath.org For all authors and contributors : [email protected] For all subscription related enquiries: [email protected]

TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS The Vedanta Kesari New Subscription Rates (effective from Jan 2017 issue onwards) Increase in production cost and supporting infrastructure has forced us to increase the price of the magazine by ` 5/-. From the January 2017 issue the price of each copy is ` 15/-. Annual subscription is for 11 months of regular magazine and a Special Issue in December. We have also introduced a separate slab for the benefit of our readers in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. We hope this will help more subscribers in these countries to read The Vedanta Kesari. The new subscription rates are as given below: Rates are Inclusive of Postage & Annual Special Issue Annual 3 Years 5 Years PATRON (10 Years) ` 175 ` 500 ` 900 ` 2300 Nepal / Sri Lanka ` 1200 ` 3500 — — Bangladesh Other Countries ` 2700 ` 8000 — — Patron Scheme is valid only in India. Patron's name will be announced in the magazine. Please send your subscription to The Manager, The Vedanta Kesari by DD/MO drawn in favour of ‘Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.’ Payments can be made Online using your Master or Visa Cards. Please visit our Website: www.chennaimath.org

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The Vedanta Kesari is one of the oldest cultural and spiritual magazines in the country started under the guidance of Swami Vivekananda. All through these 103 years, every month, the magazine has been carrying the invigorating message of Vedanta with articles on , culture, philosophy, youth and personality development, holistic living, family values, science and corporate values. Over the years the production and publication costs have increased manifold, putting a heavy strain on our finances. A non- commercial magazine like this can continue its good work only with the generous financial support and active assistance of well-wishers. We request our readers to help in making this magazine self-supporting. Please send your donations to the Vedanta Kesari Permanent Fund by Cheque/ DD/MO/addressed to ‘Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, VKPF’ along with a covering note stating that the contribution is towards the Vedanta Kesari Permanent Fund. For Online donations using your Master or Visa Cards please visit our Website: www.chennaimath.org. Names of donors contributing more than Rs.2,500/- or $50 will be published in the magazine. All donations to Sri Ramakrishna Math are exempt from Income Tax under section 80G of the [Indian] I.T.Act, 1961.

N Cover Story N Ramakrisna Math, Antpur, The Ramakrishna Math temple at Antpur is built on the birth- place of Swami Premananda, one of the direct-disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. The activities of the Math are centred around the ancestral house of Premanandaji. Around 50 kms away from Belur Math, the place is sanctified by the stay of Holy Mother Sri Sarada and the direct-disciples. Sri Ramakrishna too had visited the village as a teenager. After the mahasamadhi of Sri Ramakrishna, the young disciples visited Antpur in Dec 1886 and while staying there, inspired by Swamiji’s burning words of renunciation, they took the solemn oath of renouncing the world and living as a brotherhood. The V edanta K esari 6 FEBRUARY 2017

Vedanta Kesari Sponsors can mention the libraries in India which Library Fund Scheme they wish to enroll, or The Vedanta Kesari will select the Do you feel that India’s timeless heritage libraries on their behalf. The of spirituality, values and culture needs to name of the sponsors, along reach a wider section of youth? with the libraries enrolled, will be published in The Come, join us Vedanta Kesari. in spreading Sponsorship for one the message of library is Rs.2000/- Vedanta and of Donors can sponsor libraries You can send your Ramakrishna- in high schools, colleges / sponsorship by Cheque Vivekananda universities and institutions / DD in favour of ‘Sri of learning in India, including Ramakrishna Math, public libraries, which would Chennai VKLF’ with a receive The Vedanta Kesari covering note / e-mail to The for ten years. Manager, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 04. For Online donations using your Master or Visa Cards please visit our Website: www. chennaimath.org

DONORS PATRONS Rev. Swami Gautamanandaji Maharaj, Chennai Rs.100000 736. Ms V. Subramaniam, Chennai Mr. Ketheeswararajah C, Australia Rs. 20750 737. Mr. Gaurang H.Kalkoria, Nagpur Mr. Satyanarayana K, Hyderabad Rs. 10000 738. Mr. Ramalingam, Coimbatore MS. Renganayaki V, Chidambaram Rs. 2000 739. MS.Vama, Nagpur ER. Purna Chandra Patnaik, Odisha Rs. 1500 Mr. Venu Rs. 1300 The Vedanta Kesari Library Scheme

SL.NO. NAMES OF SPONSORS AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS 6175. IIMM, Chattisgarh Reg. Inst. of Education, Mysor, Karntaka - 570 006 6176. -do- Saradavilas Teachers College, Mysore, Karnataka - 570 004 6177. -do- City Central Library, Mysore, Karnataka - 570 001 6178. -do- National Law Institute University, Bhopal, M.P. - 462 003 6179. -do- Jiwaji University, Gwalior, M.P. - 474 011 6180. -do- Sir M. Visvesvaraya Inst. of Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka - 562 157 6181. -do- To be continued . . . 7

Hastamalakiyam In the introduction to his commentary on Hastamalaka’s 12 verses, Acharya Sankara says: All the creatures in this world wish to experience only happiness. But, worldly happiness born out of the contact between the senses and the objects has two defects: 1) it is always attended with unavoidable misery, and 2) it is not eternal. Some rare virtuous people comprehend this fact and regard worldly happiness as misery itself. So they develop dispassion and try to come out of the cycle of repeated birth and death which is caused by the ignorance of the Self. Therefore, Hastamalaka teaches the Knowledge of the Self. The first verse is as follows:

nimittaṃ manaścakṣurādi pravṛttau nirastākhilopādhirākāśakalpaḥ | ravirloka ceṣṭānimittaṃ yathā yaḥ sa nityopalabdhisvarūpo'hamātmā || 1 ‘I am the Atman, who is eternal and is of the nature of Knowledge-Absolute, who is the impartial cause for the actions of mind, eye etc. just as how the sun is the impartial cause of the actions in the world, and who is like the space devoid of any limitations.’ Nature and all the living beings in the world work by the power of the resplendent sun. But the sun is not the direct cause of their functioning, and is not affected by their right or wrong actions. It is only an impartial cause of their actions. Similarly, the Atman is the impartial cause of the four faculties of the mind, the five sense organs, and the five organs of action. It is not affected by their actions and remains unconditioned by them just as space remains undivided though present inside and outside a room. B B ‘The world consists of the illusory duality of knowledge and ignorance. It contains knowledge and devotion, and also attachment to 'Woman and gold’; righteousness and unrighteousness; good and evil. But is unattached to these. Good and evil apply to the jiva, the individual soul, as do righteousness and unrighteousness; but Brahman is not at all affected by them. ‘One man may read the Bhagavata by the light of a lamp, and another may commit a forgery by that very light; but the lamp is unaffected. The sun sheds its light on the wicked as well as on the virtuous. You may ask, “How, then, can one explain misery and sin and unhappiness?” The answer is that these apply only to the jiva. Brahman is unaffected by them. There is poison in a snake; but though others may die if bitten by it, the snake itself is not affected by the poison.’ – Sri Ramakrishna

Translated and explained by Swami Suprajnananda

The V edanta K esari ~ 38 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 8 Editorial

Inner Demonetization Srimad Bhagavata tells us that on the to have more than 20,000 tonnes of unofficial banks of River at Kurukshetra, gold!! Not only do people deck themselves King Parikshit once saw a man torturing with gold, they hoard it in their homes and an enfeebled cow and a bull with one leg. even load it on gods as is seen in any temple. Greatly shocked, he found out that the bull The scriptures repeatedly point out that was or Righteousness, the cow was wealth can become an impediment in man’s Mother Earth, and the man was purusha, inner journey. In the Kathopanishad Lord the embodiment of vices in Kali Yuga, our Yama declares, ‘The means for the attainment present age. Kali had cut off Dharma’s three of the other world does not become revealed legs representing austerity, purity, and to the non-discriminating man who blunders, fellow-feeling leaving it tottering on one being befooled by the lure of wealth.’2 In the leg representing truth. Fearing punishment Bible we find Jesus saying, ‘It is easier for a from the angry king, Kali surrendered at his camel to go through the eye of a needle than feet. The king then ordered him to restrict for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of his influence to four places—places where God!’ Again, the tells us that a gambling, drinking intoxicants, debauchery spiritual aspirant who desires to go beyond the and slaughter take place. But Kali pleaded sway of the three gunas should, ‘regard a clod for one more place of residence and received of earth, a precious stone, and a piece of gold ‘gold as the fifth seat.’ as being of equal worth.’3 And thus, gold became ‘the source of all Why does wealth hinder spiritual forms of Adharma—of deceit, pride, sexuality, progress? It is because wealth and lust are cruelty, and … enmity.’1 so connected that one follows in the wake This ‘bewitched’ gold, just a yellow of the other. And as Sri Ramakrishna would metal, has strongly defined the course of repeatedly say, greed for wealth and lust for human history. It is behind individual sense pleasures swerves men and women struggles, interpersonal conflicts and wars from the path of and drags them into between countries. The 19th century saw major worldliness. gold rushes across the world where newly Unrestrained wealth accumulation discovered gold drew thousands of miners is plainly unhealthy for it is a kind of and wrought immense changes upon the psychological disorder. While greed for sense land and society. People, who were content to pleasures is at least satiated for some time, accumulate their fortunes year by year, learnt greed for money is insatiable. It is a hunger to dream of instant wealth. This golden dream driven by inner discontent brought about by is a prominent aspect of modern society. The alienation from oneself, from fellow beings and official gold reserves in top 40 countries are from nature. Rightly has it been said, ‘Money estimated to be 31,461 tonnes! And India, not only changes hands, but also changes the world’s top gold consumer, is estimated man.’

The V edanta K esari ~ 39 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 9

Sri Ramakrishna explains this intoxi- Is it then a sin to earn and possess cating influence of money through a fable. A wealth? No, it is not if we acquire wealth frog found a rupee which he kept in his hole. through righteous means, remain unattached One day an elephant stepped over the hole. to it, and use it as suggested by Sri - The frog immediately came out and in a fit of : ‘For householders money is a means anger, raised his foot as if to kick the elephant of getting food, clothes, and a dwelling place, and said, ‘How dare you walk over my head?’ worshipping the Deity, and serving holy The choice of the frog, a subhuman species, men and devotees.’5 Swami Vivekananda’s and its foolishness perfectly highlights the advice to those who are unable to give up the delusory powers of money. desire for lust and wealth, is, to satisfy smaller When the mailman delivered money sent desires and be done with them for ever, and to by devotees for Holy Mother Sri ’s relinquish the greater ones by discrimination. living expenses, she would not count the In an interesting correspondence with money. Once, when an attendant was about Mary Hale, Swamiji expressed his views on to count the money, she cautioned him, ‘My the ‘silver question’ - an economic debate on child, the tinkling sound of the coins generates demonetization that was raging in the United greed in the minds of human beings. And the States in the last decade of nineteenth century. money has such power that even a wooden The letter opening with a biblical cadence, doll opens its mouth to take it.’4 reads in part: ‘”Silver and gold”, my dear Sri Ramakrishna’s solution to this Mary, “have I none; but such as I have give I powerful influence of money was in renoun- thee” freely, and that is the knowledge that the cing it not just mentally, but also physically. goldness of gold, the silverness of silver, the Sitting on the bank of the Ganga near the manhood of man, the womanhood of woman, Panchavati, he once took some coins and clods the reality of everything is the Lord… .’6 of earth in his hands and threw them one Truly, ‘the Lord’ is our only true wealth. after another into the river, saying repeatedly, May the all-renouncing Lord burn our ‘rupee is clay; clay is rupee.’ base desires and may we have shraddha in these That was his unique way of demoneti- words of Sri Ramakrishna: ‘I swear that those zation!! Demonetizing not just high currency who think of me will attain my spiritual wealth, but all false values. just as children inherit their parents’ wealth.’7 v v v References 1. Srimad Bhagavata, 1.17.38-41 5. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, 870 2. Kathopanishad, 1.2.6 6. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 6.378 3. Bhagavad Gita, 14.24 7. SDDP, 257 4. Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play, (SDDP) 525 If the desire to do charitable works arises in the mind of a rich man, it shows that his heart has started to feel for the poor. God tests a man by making him wealthy, and that is a hard test to pass. . . God may give plenty of riches to one man, but so delude him by that he will never in his life desire to be charitable. Again, God may give a generous heart to another person, but not give him much money. Blessed indeed are they who are rich and yet feel for the poor. —Swami

The V edanta K esari ~ 40 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 10 Reminiscences

Reminiscences of Sargachhi SWAMI SUHITANANDA (Continued from the previous issue. . .) Swami Premeshananda (1884–1967) was a disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. For over two decades, he lived at Ramakrishna Mission , Sargachhi, first as its monastic-in-charge and later as a retired sannyasi. He inspired countless people to lead a life of spirituality and service. Influenced by him many young men and women entered into monastic life. His conversations and teachings were noted by his attendant novitiate who is now Swami Suhitananda, General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. These spiritual dialogues were serialized in (the Bengali monthly of the Ramakrishna Order) and later published as a book titled Sargachchir . Sri Shoutir Kishore Chatterjee has translated these reminiscences into English. English words and expressions which appear in the original have been retained and shown within single inverted commas.

|| 13 || happens. In sleep, there is activity due to the 31.12.59 ‘momentum’ of the vital force, and also after Attendant: Maharaj, restlessness for God sleep all the earlier ‘association’ continues to realization does not come until desires for remain. But in death, the vital force remains enjoyment are satisfied. Again it has been said potential in a seed form in the mind and the – Na jatu kamah kamanamupabhogena samyati intellect and forgetting the ‘past association’ it (never is desire quenched by the gratifica- attaches itself with a new ‘association.’ tion of desire). How can these two be At the time we were born the society had reconciled? become rotten. That is why Sri Ramakrishna Maharaj: For now simply listen; later came. on you will understand it yourself. Because The doctor came and said, ‘Maharaj, who the statements have been made from two are the real children of Sri Ramakrishna? Are ‘separate angles’, they seem to be ‘apparently we also his children?’ contradictory’ — but in reality they are not so. Maharaj: Yes, whoever feels a relation- ship with him are his children. Swami 01.01.60 Brahmananda was his son, and you too are In another context Maharaj said, ‘How his son. compassionate was Jesus! Although healing Doctor: But Maharaj, the son is unable to ailments is not so important, we have to recognize his father! consider his great .’ Maharaj: Even then, he is his son. Question: What is the difference between Attendant: Does ajapa mean articulating sleep and death? the sounds Hamsa, Soham? Answer: In sleep awareness merges in Maharaj: If someone continuously chants ignorance, and in death too the same thing ‘Hari, Hari’, will that not be ajapa?

The V edanta K esari ~ 41 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 11

The attendant was reading Swamiji’s to say was – Sri Ramakrishna will stay in the composition hrim ritam. subtle body for hundred years; then he will Maharaj: You see, there are other pass into the causal body. That means as long readings of this. There were some ‘gramma- as he remains in the subtle body he is easily tical mistakes’ in what Swamiji wrote. Those accessible. It won’t be easy to access him when have been rectified. You will find at one place he goes into the causal body. in Talks With Swami Vivekananda, Swamiji says, Attendant: It will be possible to see Sri ‘Check the composition and if there are any Ramakrishna, even to the extent of pressing mistakes rectify them.’ At this, Saratchandra his body like Vijay Goswami did. But will Chakravarty replies, ‘We will consider your it be possible to also similarly see Swami mistakes as arsha prayoga (usage by a seer).’ and Swami Visuddhananda? Hence we too give value to the original writing Maharaj: Why not? One will see the of Swamiji and regard the mistakes as arsha Parabrahman in just the way one meditates prayoga. upon It. Ye yatha mam…. (In whatever way do men worship me… – Bhagavad Gita 03.01.60 4/11). However, to see Thakur and to see On the occasion of Swamiji’s birth-day Swami Shivananda are not the same. These celebration, a devotee had organized a seminar are things of another world. These visions are kind of meeting. seen only when one attains pure intellect by Maharaj: Very good; the boys have to transcending the body, the vital force and the be enlightened. Will it do to only observe mind. a festival and distribute the food-offering? Attendant: Was there later any change in Nothing endures if there is no preaching. I Nandalal Bose and Jadulal Mallick? also used to organize celebrations. Just as one Maharaj: Certainly. Whomever Sri Rama- has to shake a plum tree and then pick up the krishna has seen will be liberated. ripe plums that have fallen, similarly in the Attendant: Is mere seeing enough? celebration all sorts of boys used to gather; Maharaj: ‘vikshane moha jay.’ A mere look from among them I would carefully pick up from the avatara is enough. some boys and try to infuse Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swamiji’s ideas into them. 05.01.60 The name ‘Ramakrishna’ is bound to appeal Attendant: Maharaj, will even those who to those whose minds are pure. It is for were with Sri Ramakrishna at this reason that Swamiji has said – create a Temple be liberated? sensation. Maharaj: No. Only those who were recipients of Sri Ramakrishna’s look of grace 05.01.60 will be liberated. Attendant: In the rules and regulations of Attendant: Did his look of grace fall on the Math it is written that Sri Ramakrishna will Jadulal Mallick? stay in this body for a hundred years. Will he Maharaj: Did it not? Sri Ramakrishna then not be visible after hundred years? himself went to his house. Jadulal, for Maharaj: I won’t be able to answer this sometime, became inclined towards properly. But I think what Swamiji intended enjoyment. But he later changed. But that

The V edanta K esari ~ 42 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 12

enjoyment- he doesn’t take anything to his head. Now experience also he tries to avoid me. I tried for the boy who was based on cuts vegetables and washes utensils. Now dispassion. A he bows down to Sri Ramakrishna in the little enjoy- morning and evening. I had a photograph of ment was pend- Sri Ramakrishna brought for him. Perhaps he ing, and it was will not marry. Even sandal wood has to be finished. What- cut to give it a nice shape. I point to the legs of ever work we do my cot and that of my bench—the same wood is for diminishing has assumed two different shapes. Hari is . It is action there within everyone. But everyone cannot be oriented towards wear-off. changed. Look at that boy – he does whatever Such work will bring liberation in this very he thinks is right. If we can show him his birth, or at the most, in the next birth. virtues, it will help him to find out his path of Attendant: Maharaj, this expansion of progress. activities that is happening in our Order – is it In the afternoon Swami Sankarananda good or bad ? of Vedanta Math came. He was acquainted Maharaj: It is good. If we truly had with Premesh Maharaj; he would visit Maharaj dispassion, then in no way could there be now and then when he was in Sylhet. He had so much work. Actually there is dearth of done a lot of research in history and had joined dispassion. So this type of work oriented Vedanta Math after taking initiation from towards wear-off is beneficial. Swami Abhedananda Maharaj. Attendant: In doing such work, if Swami Sankarananda: Will you somebody achieves the objectives by making please say something about Sarat Maharaj’s some ‘compromise’ in Sri Ramakrishna’s description of how Swamiji transmitted power ideals–what will happen to him? into Abhedananda Maharaj ? Maharaj: He will have to suffer the Premesh Maharaj: Liberation is assured consequences of his personal acts. for those to whom Abhedananda Maharaj gave initiation. He had to remain in America 07.01.60 in ‘apostolic mood’ for a long time. Staying for Attendant: Can one forcefully do good 25 years in the company of extroverted people to anyone? had affected his body – just as it had affected Maharaj: Listen. Take the case of that the bodies of Sri Ramakrishna, Mother and servant boy – I thought I would do good to Swamiji. Swamiji has said somewhere that this him. By repeated encouragement, I made him reaction can go beyond the gross body and to appear for even the ‘Test’ examination. But even attack the subtle body. (To be continued. . .)

Before the coming of Thakur, Maa and Swamiji, people did not realize that Jnana, , yoga and karma were not separate paths. We see today in the life of Sri Ramakrishna the four joined together in a beautiful harmony. This is our spiritual discipline. —Swami Premeshananda

The V edanta K esari ~ 43 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 13 Article Continued from the previous issue...

With Swami Brahmananda SWAMI TEJASANANDA Swami Tejasananda (1896 – 1971) was initiated by Swami Brahmananda in 1917. This reminiscence is translated from Brahmanander Smriti Katha in Bengali.

I am recording below some incidents and shut the door. The kids started shouting. we witnessed at the times we visited Balaram Inside the room Maharaj disguised himself. Mandir. These will give some idea of Maharaj’s There was a frightening face mask in his room simplicity, love of humour, and other aspects used to frighten children. Now Maharaj put of his personality. on that mask, covered himself head to foot One evening when I was seated in a black cloak, threw open the door, and in ’s hall I saw Sri Lalit rushed into the midst of the children roaring, Chattopadhyay (who was known to everyone ‘Hum!’ Seeing the fierce, black form, the as ‘Kaiser’ because of his big moustache) children began to shriek. Even I was a little enter the hall, prostrate before Maharaj, frightened and did not know what to do. But and sit down.1 He was accompanied by Sri when Maharaj removed the mask and revealed Aparesh Mukhopadhyay, the famous theatre himself, there was laughter all around. This personality of those times. It should be childlike mood of Maharaj will remain etched mentioned that Sri Mukhopadhyay’s neck was forever in the hearts of those who were slightly bent towards the right side. After some fortunate to witness it. talk, Sri Chattopadhyay in his natural simple One day, feeling very restless, I went to manner asked Maharaj, ‘Maharaj, if you wish Balaram Mandir and told Maharaj, ‘Maharaj, you can do anything. Aparesh’s neck is a little something has happened to me. I always feel crooked and it is a big inconvenience for him like coming and sitting in your presence. So I on the stage. Can you straighten his neck?’ am unable to study.’ Maharaj replied, ‘What Maharaj gently laughed at these words and do you mean? Without studying, do you want turned the conversation to another topic. This to remain an ignoramus? Study well from incident is an example of how people could now onwards.’ I returned to the hostel with talk with Maharaj without any hesitation. his blessings. Surprisingly, my mind soon The ever-blissful Maharaj had a child- became calm and I was able to study with like, innocent nature. He so joyfully played full attention. After this incident I didn’t go with little children that he became just like to see Maharaj for a long time. Following his one of them. One day when I went to Balaram instruction, I remained very busy with my Mandir, I saw Maharaj playing very happily studies. The exams were fast approaching. with the children. He was playing hide-and- Once, perhaps two days after Shivaratri, I seek between the big hall and the veranda; went to Belur Math. After offering my pranams the group of children were running behind in the shrine (the old shrine), I sat there for him. Suddenly Maharaj entered his own room meditation. There was no one else there. While

The V edanta K esari ~ 44 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 14 meditating, I sensed that from inside the shrine things for me. But when he saw the shopping someone had come with heavy steps and was list, he realised that I was going to be initiated. standing in front of me. When I opened my He then told everything to another friend of eyes, I saw revered Maharaj standing before me! mine, and the necessary things were purchased Surprised and overjoyed to see most revered for his initiation too. On the specified day, Maharaj like this in the shrine, I was about to we both went to the Math. Three of us were bow down at his feet. But Maharaj stopped me, to be initiated that day. The initiation was to saying, ‘No. Not in the shrine.’ After I came out be conducted in the room to the west of the and offered my pranams at his feet, he said, old shrine. The three of us sat on the eastern ‘Why didn’t you come all these days?! Long veranda. We each had fruits, flowers, cloth, absence! And why have you become so thin?’ etc., arranged on a tray. One by one the other Before I could answer, he told me, ‘Go, go. two were called in. Then it was my turn. I Ramlal Dada is downstairs. Offer your pranams entered the room with trepidation and sat to him.’ Experiencing Maharaj’s deep love, my on the specified mat in front of Maharaj. On eyes filled with tears of joy. that day, a lady had been initiated first, and a Maharaj was staying at Belur Math. I was had been performed for her sake. The in a terrible state of mind, as I had still not been room was filled with the aroma of the bilwa initiated. Furthermore, my father had asked leaves and other offerings used in the homa. me to return home. Not knowing what to do, I bowed down to Maharaj and steadied my I silently shed tears, sitting on the vacant steps mind to receive initiation. And I held on to the of the Ganga bathing-ghat, which is right in thought of surrendering myself completely front of the old Math building. With the Ganga at the crimson feet of Maharaj. The initiation as a witness, I took the vow not to receive was soon over, and Maharaj reminded me initiation in this life from anyone other than to give him the gurudakshina (a nominal fee Maharaj. Even if this meant that I would never offered to the ). The moment I thought be initiated, I would not be sorry. Maharaj alone that I had offered myself as gurudakshina, he was my guru. Then I thought, ‘Let me for the said, ‘No, my boy. You have to also give fruits last time ask Maharaj for initiation.’ or something else as gurudakshina.’ I was Maharaj was sitting on the veranda on astonished as to how he could know what I the first floor, smoking his hubble-bubble. was thinking. I picked up a fruit from the tray I slowly approached him and with tears in and offered it to him. He blessed me by placing my eyes broached the topic of initiation. He his hand on my head and doing japam. That in immediately replied, ‘You will be initiated. But front of the sacred homa kunda, I had received don’t tell anyone about it.’ I returned to the the grace of the all-knowing, God-realised hostel with great joy. But because Maharaj had great soul filled me with boundless joy. He had forbidden me to tell anyone about my initiation, accepted forever an insignificant youth like me I had to face a problem. How would I make the as his own! What greater fortune could there necessary preparations and purchases? be than this? The sacred memory of that day Without referring to initiation, I asked in Belur Math is permanently etched in my Nirode (later, Swami Akhilananda) to buy some memory.

Reference: 1. A German word meaning ‘emperor.’ Kaiser Wilhelm II, the emperor of Germany during World War I, had a large moustache.

The V edanta K esari ~ 45 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 15

Our Heritage Our Heroes FEBRUARY 2017 Mahashivaratri The deity -Shiva is mentioned in . The Shiva cult and thus dates from very ancient times. The 14th day SOME SPECIAL DAYS 1 Sri Saraswathi of the dark half of every month— Krishna caturdasi—is called 10 Swami Adbhutananda Jayanti Shivaratri or Masashivaratri. The one in the month of Magha 24 Mahashivaratri (February-March) is called Mahashivaratri, since it is the greatest 28 Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna Jayanti of all. About the origin of Mahashivaratri, there are several myths. When (the four-faced god of creation) and Visnu were disputing each other's greatness to establish their own supremacy, a huge linga or pillar of fire appeared suddenly between them and a voice from the void declared that he who would find the extremities of this linga would be considered the greater one. Neither of them succeeded and were hence obliged to accept the greatness of Shiva who had manifested as that pillar of light. This was the origin of Shivalinga and Mahashivaratri. According to the second myth, Mahashivaratri is the day on which Lord Shiva, drank the halahala poison that emerged out of the milky ocean (kshira sagara) when it was being churned by the gods and demons and thus saved the worlds from destruction. A third myth attributes its greatness to its being the day of marriage of Shiva with , the daughter of the mountain king Himalaya. A fourth myth describes this day as the day on which Lord Shiva, out of joy, burst forth into a great dance which has since been known as Shivatandava nrutya. The basic disciplines to be kept up on this day are: (non-injury), (speaking the truth), daya (compassion), (continence), ksama (forgiveness) and anasuyata (absence of jealousy). Devotees fast throughout the day and night and stay awake the whole night engaged in worshipping Lord Shiva and chanting the mantra om namah shivaya. Mahashivaratri is celebrated all over India and Nepal and in some other countries. Some of the widely known celebrations in India are at the Vishwanath temple in Varanasi; the Bhootnath temple at Mandi in Himachal Pradesh where a week-long International Mandi Shivaratri Fair is held; Neelkanth Mahadev temple in Rishikesh, Sri Kalahasteshwara temple at Srikalahasti; Bhramaramba Mallikarjunaswamy Temple in Srisailam; Umananda temple in , Matangeshwar temple in Kajuraho where a 10-day fair is held; Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain; Lokanath temple in ; Nataraja temple in Chidambaram; and Aluva Mahadeva temple near Ernakulam.

Swami Adbhutananda Swami Adbhutananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was known amongst devotees as Latu Maharaj. Born to poor shepherds and orphaned at a young age, he by divine providence took shelter at the feet of Sri The V edanta K esari ~ 46 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 16

Ramakrishna. Speaking of him Swami Vivekananda once said, ‘Latu is Sri Ramakrishna’s greatest miracle. Having absolutely no education, he has attained the highest wisdom simply by virtue of the Master’s touch.’ Another brother disciple Swami gave this charming description, ‘Many of us had to go through the muddy waters of intellectual knowledge before we attained God, but Latu jumped over like .’ Latu maharaj was often seen muttering in self-reproach whenever people irritated him, or even when he counseled devotees. It was his way of taking himself to task, to remove the least trace of ego and its forms like anger or self-importance. He would say, ‘This human mind is a rogue of the first magnitude. It is always prone to get twisted in the wrong way. So it needs hard counter-twisting every now and then… when anger comes its opposite forgiveness supplants it; greed is supplanted by charity, sex urge by love of God, cruelty by non-injury. If you can continue this practice for some time your mind calms down of itself.’ When a devotee asked how one could love God or surrender to Him without seeing Him, Latu Maharaj answered, ‘Don’t you send your application for a job to the manager of a company without ever having seen him? ... ‘Similarly, you can send an application to the Lord. However, this application is not to be written on paper, but on the pages of one’s mind: “O Lord, may I never forget Your name. I take refuge in You. Please assign me to Your service and destroy my ego and doubts. You are , guru, father, mother, and all in all. I am Your child. Make me Your instrument. Do not delude me with Your bewitching maya. O my sweet Lord, I have not seen You; I have only heard Your name. Please make me Your own.” You will have to pray like this daily. Only then will He choose to bestow His grace on you.’ Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj was born on 19 Feb 1627 at Shivneri Fort, 60 kms from Pune. He was strongly influenced by his pious and patriotic mother Jijabai. His father Shahaji , was a jagirdar who aspired to create an independent kingdom. Shivaji thus grew up as a fearless leader with a keen desire for independence. His life was marked by a high standard of morality. Intensely religious, he was all through his life abstemious, free from vice, and respectful towards holy men of all sects including Muslims. He was a fearless military leader as well as a responsible administrator. He had a true leader’s gift of judging character and in choosing his men. He time and again out-manoeuvred vastly bigger armies. He brought revolutionary changes in military, fort architecture, society and politics. He laid the foundations of the modern Marathi identity and infused it with strong martial, moral and chivalric traditions. His reign brought peace and order and assured women’s honour. He promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit. By the time Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj died in 1680 he had carved out of the Bijapur Sultanate, an independent kingdom which later grew into the mighty Maratha Empire. He constructed a chain of over 300 forts running over a thousand kilometres across the rugged Western Ghats. The V edanta K esari ~ 47 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 17 Article

Sri Ramakrishna in the light of Swami Abhedananda’s Letters SWAMI SUVIRANANDA

The spiritual atmosphere of describe Him. He has neither a beginning Dakshineswar, Shyampukur and Cossipore, nor an end. He is beyond relative measure. places sanctified by the austerities of Kali- Yet we speak of Him. We worship His form. Tapasvi, were vibrating in tune with the hymn We meditate on Him as our own soul. ‘From – ‘Who has entered my temple / the whole whom all the previous incarnations of yore have sky has become a firmament of immortality emanated, as partial manifestations, He Himself / the evil nights have submerged in has come to Dakshineshwar’2 Lotuses all quarters / all doors opened with hundred and thousand up automatically / all lamps petals have effloresced in the have lit themselves / all heart-lake by His prodigious veenas are rendering new tenderness and clement tunes.’1 What a wonderful breath. Ignorance has been spiritual ambience it was! washed away. He has As if the doorway of showered His grace on all restrained consciousness – on one hand he blessed endeavoured to unfold Girish and Ram, on the gently like petals of lotus. other the elite freethinker All the lamps lit up, the veenas Narendranath and the rustic started resounding. The rhythm illiterate Rakhturam. His grace and the tempo was refreshing. As extended even to the famous the young Kali proceeded slowly, Swami Abhedananda dramaturge Binodini. ‘Who can know charmed by an immaculate tune of you, O Lord, if you do not reveal spiritual rejuvenation, he came across a new Thyself!’ He revealed himself to Chinu personality. Why is that personality new? Sankhari, the poor oyster-shell trader. He is the For He is ‘the monarch of renunciation’. He apple of the eyes of the people of ; cuts asunder the bonds of the Kali Yuga; and for He is none other than their Gadai. To yet His humility touches the ground! The the devotees He is the Absolute Godhead! Noumenon behind this worldly phenomenon, Envisioned in the mirror of conscience of a single beatific glance of His washes away a Vivekananda, He is Sri Ramakrishna - the thousand sins. He disseminates love among ‘sovereign of all Incarnations’. all impartially, renouncing all pride of birth Each and every flower that bloomed and caste. Who is He? It is very difficult to on Sri Ramakrishna plant is fascinating and

The author is Assistant General Secretary, Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math

The V edanta K esari ~ 48 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 18 gorgeous, fabulous in affability and fragrance, God). You have reached the last limit of vision ravishing and resplendent. The mind leaps in of Gods and Goddesses. From now onwards joy at their sight. One of these outstandingly you are uplifted to the stage of the formless.”’4 marvellous flowers was Kali-Tapasvi, later Kali’s Thakur and Thakur’s Kali – we can known as Swami Abhedananda. What was find the essence of this feeling in the preceding his experience of Sri Ramakrishna? In his own incident. In many of Swami Abhedananda’s words, ‘Sri Ramakrishna came this time in the letters his intense devotion towards the disguise of an individual, as an expression Master has been clearly expressed. He writes of the condensed spiritual fervour of all the to Chunilal Bose, a neighbour of Sri Balaram earlier avataras, essentially the incarnation of Bose, ‘Do not be anxious; wait and pray. harmony.’3 Unless the time is ripe, nothing will click. Call After Sri Ramakrishna blessed Kaliprasad, on God day and night. He will eliminate all he had two wonderful divine visions. He your afflictions. He is very compassionate. experienced the essence of the mantra ‘Diviva He never can watch anyone’s suffering. Chakshuratatam’. He got a direct insight into Whoever wants whatever from Him, He the words of the Gayatri mantra. Another bestows that to him.’ Each and every word of day he had a miraculous vision which he later this statement signifies the eternal message of explained thus, ‘One night during the small Sri Ramakrishna. In another letter to Swami hours when I was in meditation, I lost sense- he writes, ‘I am sorry to consciousness and it seemed as though my soul learn about Miss Glenn’s illness. Tell me, why came out of the cage of the body and began to should I be annoyed with her? She is shielded roam about in the sky above like a free bird. by Thakur… “Mother, it is nobody’s fault.”’ Gradually it flew high towards infinity. While This is the acme of Swami Abhedananda’s viewing scenery of great beauty I entered that love for Sri Ramakrishna. ‘Whoever worships place… I was charmed to see the different ideals Gauranga, he is dearest to me.’ On 29 June 1937 and emblems of Shakta, Shaiva, Vaishnava, he wrote to a devotee, ‘You can get peace by Ganapatya, Christianity, Islam, and other sects. surrendering yourself to His will.’ His letters Gradually, as if charged with inspiration by provide a compendious view of The Gospel some disembodied spirit, I entered into a big of Sri Ramakrishna. What is that? That is – hall and saw all the Gods and Goddesses, all ‘surrender, surrender, and surrender.’ Incarnations of God and founders of religion… He writes in a letter dated 3 July 1934, in the centre of the hall Paramahamsadeva ‘Have deep faith in your heart that Sri Sri was standing. I was looking at this strange Thakur is your saviour…. He is Kalpataru, the scene when Paramahamsadeva’s form became wish-fulfilling tree. Whatever you seek from luminous and assumed immense proportions him with one-pointed devotion, He will give and all gods and goddesses… started entering you. He only can give you strength to perform into Paramahamsadeva’s body. Having failed austerities and fortitude, to go ahead in your to understand the significance of that vision spiritual life. We are only his instruments.’ I hastened to Dakshineswar and narrated the Truly, as a devotee says, ‘Who can know You, whole story to Paramahamsadeva. On having heard me Paramahamsadeva said, “You have had vision of Vaikuntha (the heavenly abode of

The V edanta K esari ~ 49 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 19 to know Him.’5 The same emotion has Whoever wants Sri Ramakrishna with inner- been manifested in every stanza of Swami longing, he does not need to search outside. Abhedananda’s letters. Like father, like son! Because Sri Ramakrishna Himself has said, From the life of father (Sri Ramakrishna), from ‘Who has here, he has there also.’ After his his uttered sentences, we get the teachings passing away, he appeared to Sri Sarada Devi of discrimination and dispassion, study of and told her, ‘See I am here itself, I have gone scriptures, renunciation, service and overall nowhere. It is like this room and that room surrender to God for realizing Him. Looking only.’ There is no doubt that even today, through the prism of Swami Abhedananda’s whoever seeks to realize Sri Ramakrishna, letters we get the same words – realizing God, will realize His burning presence. Although company of holy men, solitude, surrender and He is present everywhere, yet at some places obviously, faith. his manifestation is prominent. The essence of The anxious call of Sri Ramakrishna a cow is prominent in its teats; Ganga water is from the roof of the Kuthi6 is still vibrating present all along its bank, but it is prescribed in the air. He cried ‘O my children, where to take bath only in some particular ghats. are you? Come forth!’ ‘Days are passing. Similarly, His manifestation is conspicuous When will you realize God? Days are at certain places. Once the Master had told passing. Everything will go in vain unless Naren, ‘Wherever you will carry me on your God is realized...Thought of that makes me shoulders, I will stay there.’ After He passed perturbed.’ away Swamiji carried His Atmaram (sacred —‘Having known thus, one stays in the relics of the Master kept in a copper vessel) on Truth. By not knowing thus one is at a great his shoulders and consecrated it grandly on loss!’7 How intense is his wistfulness, agony the bank of the Ganga at Belur Math. Thus, this and pain for us! How great is his suffering place is extremely holy. due to our inability to realize God! Few In the end, we shall pray to God only are able to hear his call. Whatever it be, with folded hands to unfold our inner- Sri Ramakrishna is eternal, perennial. consciousness. For He is the pole-star of our However, life; the vessel of peace for our thirsty souls. So —It is far and likewise near. It our final offering to Him is, ‘O Lord! You are is inside all this and also It is outside all this.8 mine, I am yours.’

References 1. English translation of ’s song 4. Complete Works of Swami Abhedananda, [hereafter – Gitabitan, Rabindranath Tagore, Vishwabharati, CWSA] Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, Calcutta, , 2005, page 182 1970, Vol. 10, page 629-630 2. Sangitartha Sangraha, Probationers’ Training 5. , 1.2.23 Centre, Belur Math, 2006, page 56 6. A bungalow in the Dakshineshwar Temple 3. English translation of ‘Vishwachetanay Sri complex Ramakrishna’, Swami Prameyananda & others, 7. , 2.5 Udbodhan Office, Kolkata, 1993, page 66 8. Isa Upanishad, 5

The V edanta K esari ~ 50 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 20 Article

Sri Ramakrishna and Hiranand Shaukiram: Interface of Bengali and Sindhi Culture

TAPAN KUMAR GHOSH

The message of universal harmony was no other than the maestro of symphony, orchestrated by Sri Ramakrishna on his Sri Ramakrishna, in whose strings Hiranand spiritual lyre in the second half of the became one important addition. Their several nineteenth century Bengal, a time of religious meetings later became history, as it has been dissension and reformist debate, had recorded by Sindhi scholars like Dayaram probably something in common with the Gidumal, Mangharam Udharam Malkani, mid-Victorian confusion and uncertainty in and Virumal Beghraj, a freedom fighter, England. Industrial Revolution and discovery who was imprisoned along with Mahatma of the railways, closely succeeded by Darwin’s Gandhi in Yerwada prison of Pune. Mention theory of evolution that questioned man’s should also be made of Gobindu Malhi, a divine origin shattered the old faith without prolific writer of Sindhi language, involved replacing anything new in the bargain.1 actively with the Nationalist Movement for Reading Hamilton, John Stuart Mill, Herbert independence; Mohan Gehani, and above all, Spencer and others, intellectuals in colonial Sri , the chronicler of Sri India, especially in Calcutta, liked more to Ramakrishna Kathamrita, a classic by its own question than to adopt and accept. Before the right. arrival in Calcutta of Hiranand Shaukiram The unique cultural interface we are Advani of the then Sind, to pursue his talking about in this narrative was made education on the advice of his elder brother possible by Sri Ramakrishna’s subtle and Navalrai and the encouragement of Keshab unobtrusive playing of the music of harmony, Chandra Sen, the had witnessed binding together both Hiranand and Keshab its first major schism in 1866. Navalrai was Chandra Sen; influencing, and controlling already attracted to the principles of Keshab’s the whole system of thought prevalent at the Brahmo Samaj, and he had a strong influence time, and even after. Hiranand lived on earth on Hiranand’s upbringing. Hiranand’s stay in only thirty years (1863-1893), rendering intense Calcutta from 1880 to 1884 till he completed service to humanity, and exactly thirty years graduation from Presidency College became after his exit Rabindranath Tagore visited momentous so far as the interface of two Sindh in 1923, completing a circle, as it were, cultures, separated by more than two thousand of profitable cultural exchange, initiated by Sri miles, soon took place. The man behind this Ramakrishna much earlier. The author is a retired Professor of English based in Kolkata.

The V edanta K esari ~ 51 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 21

Let us look at the glorious cultural enthusing and radiating spirituality of the heritage shared by both Sindh and Bengal. The highest order. Orthodox , jealous tinkle of bells on camels’ ankles in the desert Christian missionaries, and the enlightened of Sindh and the gale chasing the mirage in section of the Brahmo Samaj avidly reading the distance made travellers listen wistfully to western philosophies, left a warring scenario. the other-worldly music. And, like the great There was also the militant leader Dayanand Sindhu river having a long cultural history Saraswati, who founded in Bombay his first behind it, Bengal too had the sacred river Arya Samaj, laying down the principles at Ganga, entering into the veins of man and Lahore and spreading the network over nourishing trade and commerce with motherly Northern India, though Punjab remained his care and affection. The wandering minstrels of chosen land. Sri Ramakrishna, who knew Bengal, trudging along the green paddy fields, Dayanand and had met him, was acutely may remind one of the Sufi poets that were in aware of how some of the best minds of the abundance in Sindh right from the beginning. time were divided, nearly everyone being in Jethmal Parsram Gulrajani, a significant prose conflict with the other. writer of Sindhi Literature, has written a whole The situation in England was no better, book titled Sindh and its Sufis in 1924. Like in fact a little worse, as the Victorians were Bengal, inundated by Bhakti cult of Chandidas desperately trying to find answers to Darwin’s and Chaitanya, Sindh too was enlightened by frontal attack in The Origin of Species (1859) the Sufi scholar and poet, Shah Abdul Latif on the divine existence of man. Colonial Bhittai, the greatest Muslim poet in Sindhi expansion and unprecedented growth of language, and one who is credited to be technology forced religion to a down-hill slide generating Rumi’s spirituality in South Asia. toward the end of the century, fomenting The interesting saga of survival of the Sufi Thomas Hardy’s pessimism in the ‘90s, saints has been traced by Sarah F. D. Ansari morbidity and angst, which in their turn led in Sufi Saints and State Power: The Pirs of Sindh to the First World War. In Bengal, on the 1843-1947, explaining why ‘Sufism as opposed other hand, a spiritual awakening was taking to more “orthodox” forms of Muslim practice place, dismissing the qualms and anguish of came to dominate Sindh.’2 people languishing in a colonized land. This The Baul-tradition too has survived in was a strange phenomenon, hardly noticed, Bengal despite long political turmoil. by the postcolonial scholars of the academia What started after Hiranand’s arrival in in India and abroad. The unique revival in Calcutta in 1880 and his subsequent intimate Bengal, shaking off colonial hangover and relationship with Sri Ramakrishna made a humility, was replaced by the Vedantic definite echo in the desert of Sindh. Unlike awareness of the hidden potentialities of the trouble-ridden Victorians in England man. This also had its influence in shaping that had her Matthew Arnold and George even the freedom movement. Sindh was Eliot, Bengal, experiencing the inevitable rift quick to respond eagerly to the national in Brahmo Samaj, and yet another schism surge that in reality confirmed individual in 1878, following the marriage of Keshab’s solidarity. The fundamental tune was played daughter before the age established by the law by a layman at Dakshineswar, possibly a of the Brahmo Samaj, had her Ramakrishna, replica of what happened once in

The V edanta K esari ~ 52 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 22 and under the inspiration of a mere cowboy. The best cultural minds during Ramakrishna’s time flocked around the sage at Dakshineswar, everyone feeling awestruck and rejuvenated by his simple and yet wise aphorisms. Later, across the seas, it attracted a German philosopher and thinker, Max Muller, who felt a spiritual kinship with the Eastern prophet and published Ramakrishna, His Life and Sayings in 1895. Sri Ramakrishna’s contribution to the national zeitgeist and the desire for freedom, both internal and external, makes a moving spectacle that needs Hiranand Shaukiram to be recycled again and again for our own Victorian morality. Female writers had to use sake, newer perspectives bouncing out of pseudonyms; Mary Ann Evans taking the the frames on every occasion. Remember the name of George Eliot; Emily Bronte, known for people Ramakrishna met—Iswar Chandra her masterpiece Wuthering Heights, using the Vidyasagar, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, pen name Ellis Bell, while Charlotte Bronte, the Madhusudan Dutt, , eldest of the three Bronte sisters, writing Jane Dayanand, Aswini Kumar Dutt, Shibnath Eyre, still held to be a classic, with the nom de Shastri, Keshab Chandra Sen, and so on. The plume Currer Bell. In all cases, female identity question is not who he met and talked to, but had to be held back. who he didn’t, among the leading minds of It was therefore little surprise that, the day. Many went to him, while he himself nestled smugly against the citadel of strange visited some at their places, being a gentleman pride and confidence of the colonized, and par excellence, which indeed was another seated on the chariot drawn by horses tamed facet of his multi-dimensional personality. by Sri Ramakrishna, the charioteer, Swami Possibly a whole treatise can be written on Vivekananda, the modern Arjuna of the this alone. Let us remember his hallowed visit battlefield ‘where ignorant armies clash by to the Bengali theatre, headed then by Girish night’ (Matthew Arnold’s last lines of the Chandra Ghosh, who was yet to become his poem ‘Dover Beach’), would later conquer disciple at the time. He blessed everyone there, the aristocratic and elitist minds of Europe including Binodini Dasi, a talented actress, and America. Vivekananda was aware of the and other women of the theatre, considered reports circulated by the Christian missionaries to be fallen from the traditional norms of about how in India women were burnt and society. The theatre was good, Ramakrishna how they threw their children into the Ganga. said emphatically, because it was a vehicle True, India had earned notoriety by being of education and awareness. Remember called an exotic land, and befittingly it was in this context there wasn’t anything that generously accorded with exotic stories. could properly be called Victorian theatre, Vivekananda, the lion of Vedanta, emphasized and acting by women couldn’t normally the glorious past of India and emphatically be thought of within the tight ambience of denied all idle stirring up of stories. Walking

The V edanta K esari ~ 53 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 23 along the streets of Chicago, New York and Park, Kolkata, titled The History of a Humble other places, he felt that Sri Ramakrishna had Soul: Being the Life and Letters of Hiranand probably visited this foreign land before him. Shaukiram, which provides the earliest and This may not be an exaggeration, though it is most authentic record about Hiranand’s beyond the scope of sensory knowledge, being spiritual upbringing. Written by Hiranand’s somewhat akin to what says, intimate friend Dayaram Gidumal, a judge talking about the authenticity of his masterly by profession, and an avid reader of literary account, ‘All knowledge of reality is an classics, this book was published from inversion through the mind and the senses.’3 Karachi in 1903. One great merit of this And before this, in April 1886 - excellent biography is that it contains letters nanda, then Narendranath, was stomping written by Hiranand to Dayaram, who fully with his sword removed from its sheath in the empathized with his noble mission and deep presence of Sri Ramakrishna and Hiranand, earnestness. the eclectic mind from Sindh, when he came When Hiranand, leaving his busy all the way to see the ailing Master. Sri schedule in Sindh, went to Calcutta to see Ramakrishna lovingly describes Hira as a Sri Ramakrishna, he was deeply impressed, ‘fine boy’: ‘I wish he be ever present near me,’ remembering the fond memories of the past. says the Master. Hiranand stayed full four Mahendranath’s memorable account of this years in Calcutta and must have been aware intimate meeting is marked by few words of Sri Ramakrishna’s visits to Vidyasagar on and more meaning, which left its echo even 5 August and the Brahmo Samaj of Sinthi in after Hiranand left. Sri Ramakrishna says North Calcutta on 28 October, both events with deep affection that Hiranand’s nature taking place in 1882. He must have heard also is very sweet and his earnest desire is to take of how Keshab Chandra Sen was gradually him to Sindh. Previously, Mahendranath leaning towards Sri Ramakrishna before finally tells us that Hiranand’s words sound sweet surrendering to him and accepting Hindu like honey, as it were. The significant part idolatry as ‘nothing but the worship of divine of this meeting is that when Sri Ramakrishna attributes materialized.’4 When everyone asks Mahendranath if he knows Hiranand, deserted Keshab at the hour of crisis in his the former answers in the affirmative, and life, Sri Ramakrishna stood behind him. Was towards the end speaks of Hiranand’s Hiranand looking at all this with microcosmic previous stay in Calcutta, his association with knowledge from his eerie? He, along with the Keshab Chandra Sen, and how he used to stay other boys, was indeed staying then at a place often with Ramakrishna in Dakshineswar. called ‘An Eagle’s Nest.’ At the end that gives details of persons The spiritually exhilarating and intensely mentioned in the Gospel, we are also told that communicative conversation between Hiranand, even after the passing away of Narendranath, Sri Ramakrishna, Hiranand, Sri Ramakrishna, used to see his disciples at and Mahendranath Gupta can be read from Math whenever he went to Calcutta. the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna when Thakur Every interested reader will be immensely was taken ill.5 It has also been reproduced in profited by reading the April 1886 entries in an excellent publication on Hiranand by the the Gospel and getting a glimpse of the cultural Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Gol exchange between Sindh and Bengal.

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No surprise that after going back to Sindh, spellbound and enraptured, just as he had once Sri Ramakrishna’s ‘fine boy’—Hiranand— held Hiranand quiet and enthralled by singing should be actively engaged with the social Koupinpanchakam and Jo kuch hai sab tuhi hai in service in Karachi, along with his elder brother presence of Sri Ramakrishna and Mahendranath Navalrai, apart from editing two newspapers: Gupta. Sindh Sudhar (Sindhi) and Sindh Times (English) The point to notice in this story of from Karachi. Deciding to work in the field cultural interface where Sri Ramakrishna of social reform, Hiranand came back to stands as the focal point is that there was a Hyderabad where in 1888 he and Navalrai growing interest in Sindh about whatever founded the Union Academy for modern was happening in Bengal. The partition of education. They also opened the first girls’ Bengal that triggered the school in Hyderabad. His other social work buoyed up freedom movement in Sindh, like included the establishment of a centre for the elsewhere in the country. When Khudiram treatment of leprosy at Manghopir, Karachi, Bose was hanged in 1908, his portrait found and an orphanage in Shikarpur. Hiranand’s its way into the patriotic homes of Sindh. In stay with Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar the same year, Virumal Beghraj (1874—1955), temple, as reported by Sri Mahendranath who had a special liking for Hiranand, set up Gupta, must have been a turning point in his a swadeshi store in Sukkur. The upshot of all spiritual journey. Female education was very these was that when Rabindranath Tagore close to Hiranand’s heart; so he wanted his visited Sindh in 1923, Sindh accepted him own daughters, and Rami, to get the as one of its own. Even before he reached best education available at that time in India. Sindh, was translated by Beghraj in He took them in 1893 to Bankipur to admit Pune prison. Much to his pleasure, the poet them to Prakash Chandra Roy’s Aghor Kamini found that the ground for his visit to Sindh Girls’ School. The three of them, accompanied was already prepared. Tagore was highly by his friend Promotho Lal Sen, the priest, went impressed by the performance of some parts of through Sukkur, Lahore, and Lucknow to arrive his plays, translated by him, by M.U. Malkani finally in Bankipur, where Hiranand, fighting and others at Hyderabad College. He called diligently with the epidemic of cholera in the the performers to have breakfast with him the locality, himself fell ill and died on July 11, 1893. following morning. Meanwhile, the music of Only two months after on the same day Swami harmony was played by Ramakrishna, and the Vivekananda held the vast audience in Chicago lead later was taken up by others.

References 1. This aesthetic-philosophical debate of mid- 2. Sarah F. D. Ansari, Sufi saints and State Power, Victorian England has been brilliantly narrated by Cambridge University Press, 1992, p.7. Basil Willey in his seminal book More Nineteenth 3. Romain Rolland, The Life of Ramakrishna, Advaita Century Studies: A Study of Honest Doubters, Ashrama, rept. 2014, Note 1, p.5. Columbia University Press, New York, 1956. 4. Ibid. p. 83. Keshab’s article is dated August 1, What Prof. Willey writes about skeptics is also 1880: “The philosophy of idol-worship.” significant in an Indian context, having relevance 5. The two entries in the Gospel are dated 22 and 23 to what Sri Ramakrishna often said about the April, 1886. Before Hiranand leaves, Sri Ramakrishna youth of Calcutta in his time. asks him when he would come again.

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Healing the Hills

SWAMI DHYANASTHANANDA

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

This is a personal account of the relief work undertaken by the Ramakrishna Mission in the wake of unprecedented devastation caused by flash floods in Uttarakhand in June 2013.

Govindghat truck accident exact place where we had previously parked At Govindghat we experienced an event our vehicles. Had Thakur not guided us to that shook us all. In accordance with our park our vehicles little behind the turn, we schedule, two days after returning from the would have been hit by the truck and would Neeti relief we were going to a village named have fallen into the deep gorge below. There Lam Bagar, which had been badly affected was no way we could get down into the by the flood. On our way, there was a steep gorge directly; we had to walk back several road, newly carved out. The old road had been kilometres before we could find a place where totally washed away by the flood. Somehow we could manage to start to climb down people were managing to travel on the new, to the riverbed to rescue the driver. Before steep road. As we were proceeding with one doing that, we called over a cell phone for an truck and a Tata Sumo, we were stopped by ambulance which had to come from Joshimath. one of the workers who were blasting the hills The descent was extremely difficult; the above to carve out the new road, because the path was very steep and filled with thorny JCB was clearing the stones and mud on the bushes; on our way we sustained bruises on path. We were very close to a sharp turn from our bodies, and it took us 45 minutes to reach where the new road was to begin. The path the driver. All the relief supplies were strewn was so narrow that no vehicle was able to get about everywhere, and it took us some time through unless the traffic was cleared from one to locate the truck. It was completely crushed, side. By the grace of Thakur, we told our driver and the driver was trapped inside. We had no to back up and park a little behind the sharp stretcher or anything else we could carry him turn so that the JCB vehicles could get through. on. He was semi-conscious, covered in blood, All of a sudden, a big truck loaded with and groaning in pain. We managed to carry relief supplies overtook us and tried to climb him on a large polythene sheet we found in the steep slope. But due to bad conditions and the supplies that were still left in the crushed its heavy load, it could not manage to go up truck. the slope. Consequently, the driver could not The lack of a path up to the main road control the truck, and it slipped backward and 300 metres above made it very difficult to carry fell into the 300-metre gorge below. We were the injured driver and climb the steep slope. dumbfounded. The truck had fallen from the The driver kept slipping from the makeshift

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stretcher every time we tried to climb the hills. We were cut off from other areas, like nearly vertical slope. We were wearing people stranded on an island, with neither ordinary sandals, which made climbing even food nor enough water. more strenuous. With great difficulty, after Seeing our condition from a distance, a about an hour, our team managed to carry the few villagers came to us late in the day with injured driver to a nearby farm above. Once some big cucumbers so that we could eat we got there, other people helped us carry the something. It was as if they had been sent to driver to an ambulance. We had to postpone us by God. We experienced such situations our distribution plans for that day due to this many times. incident. In a few cases we had to wait two to three All the villagers who were supposed to days to carry out our distribution schedule. receive the relief supplies had walked two It was heart-wrenching to realize that people kilometres from their uphill village down to were waiting for relief supplies because they the roadside. They had to go back without were cut off and their village had been wiped anything; the supplies were all scattered at out, and we were forced by bad weather to the bottom of the gorge. When we returned wait with relief supplies, unable to reach to our base camp at Joshimath in the evening, them. Such was our test! We were helpless and we could not sleep at night because of that realised that we were at the mercy of Mother tragedy. Early in the morning we got the sad Nature. Then sometimes, after enduring such news that the driver had succumbed to his hardships, when we reached the villages, we injuries and left his mortal body. saw villagers quarrelling among themselves about caste and other petty issues. Then we The Lord tests our patience could only marvel at human nature and say to There were many occasions when we ourselves, ‘See the fun!’ had to wait the entire day to carry out our Some villages were so remote that they relief work due to heavy rains and sudden could be reached only by helicopter. After landslides. At times, on our way to remote getting permission from the military, we villages where there were no houses or shops, managed to enter the helipad, which was fully we had to go without food. We usually under army control. Some days we had to take planned to eat after getting back to the base all the supplies to the helipad and wait there camp. Generally we left our camp in the early for the weather to clear. On a few days we had morning after having some tea and biscuits. to sit at the helipad the whole day, since we There were times when we were stuck and didn’t know when the sky would clear and we had no alternative but to wait. We couldn’t go could fly. There were days when we waited forward and we couldn’t go back. Although for the entire day, and got a window of only the JCB worked to clear the road, sometimes thirty minutes to an hour in the evening to use stones, debris, and muddy water were the helicopter and drop relief supplies to the constantly flowing down from the surrounding isolated villages.

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Tehsil sometimes by helicopter. There are remote While distributing relief materials, we villages where even basic necessities are witnessed many incidents that revealed some still a dream for the inhabitants. To reach a of the unpleasant aspects of human nature. motorable road, villagers had to walk 18 to 20 Usually these were driven by politics and kilometres, cross a dozen bridges, and walk self-interest. To execute our relief service in an through the forest on makeshift pathways. effective manner, we had to coordinate with The place was so remote that their children various government officials. We had to visit had never seen any vehicle. Due to their the Tehsil office frequently to get the number inaccessibility, the villagers could not get any of villages and villagers affected in the hilly sort of higher education, and were forced to region. Sometimes we had to wait there for join the army as cooks or attendants. hours at a time to get even basic information. With the climate changing, the villagers Sometimes the villagers would gather also had problems cultivating their crops, and protest against the government’s because they were highly dependent on rain. inefficiency. Many times, the pony owners Unable to cope with all these problems, the (khaccharwalas) surrounded the Subdivisional younger generation had left the villages and Magistrate (SDM) and informed him that 1000 settled in Dehradun and other towns because ponies were stuck on the other side of the river of better job opportunities. Only the old people Alaknanda on the road to Hemkund Sahib. lived in the villages. The government was not taking sufficient It is painful to know that while our steps to bring the animals to the safer side. neighbour China has built a railway line even With each passing day, ponies were dying due to remote , we have not been able to build to lack of help. There was regular agitation even a road to connect the Himalayan villages in front of the SDM’s office by people who after 60 years of independence. had lost their farms or cattle and felt that the officials were not extending enough help. The Across the Mandakini SDM fell ill due to the pressure. A new SDM We covered this part of the had to be appointed to manage the situation. during winter, amidst biting cold and heavy Most of the government officials only snowfall. This was the second phase of our made empty promises; there was no action to relief work. Here we found that people were be seen on the ground. But there were a few flocking to our camp and were trying to take as who were sincere and helpful. Without them, many relief supplies as possible, since they felt the relief work wouldn’t have been possible. that it would be difficult to get a steady source of income. It would take a minimum of five to Poor infrastructure development six years to restore the region’s usual economy. To carry out our relief work, we had As their economy was totally dependent on to visit many remote Himalayan villages— the Char Dham yatra, there were many jobless sometimes by vehicle, sometimes on foot, and people whose livelihoods were affected by this

The V edanta K esari ~ 58 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 28 devastating flood. People were fighting among local political leader and demanded that he themselves for the slightest monetary or apologise to us immediately if he wanted a material gain. Even when they had something successful political career. This cooled him for their sustenance, they were still forming down, and he came early the next morning gangs and troubling the people carrying out asking for forgiveness. When this news spread, the relief work. people from the remote villages criticised In one such area the villagers had formed him and thanked the Ramakrishna Mission a gang and forced the local political leader to for carrying out the relief work with utmost collect relief supplies on their behalf. They dedication and for demonstrating high ethical warned him that if he didn’t manage to get standards in handling problems. They also enough, they wouldn’t vote for him in the invited us to their villages to show their love next election. So he and his followers came to and gratitude. us and literally threatened us to do what he wanted. are natural Advaitins ‘There is no need for any survey. Give us At Ukhi Math there were some problems all the relief materials, or else we will not allow during distribution. We had to distribute the you to conduct any relief activities in this area,’ relief supplies immediately. So we divided they threatened. ourselves into teams of two or three, targeting We calmly and firmly replied, ‘Whatever some selected areas for peaceful and quick happens will happen. But we will not give execution of the work. Eventually we managed even a grain of relief material without doing to make the necessary arrangements and our own survey.’ started for our destination. After distributing They retorted, ‘This is our area; you are the supplies to various villages, we reached a outsiders. Unless we are satisfied, you cannot village, which was most likely the last in that do any work here.’ area. Out of curiosity, some volunteers and To fulfill their purpose, they submitted I were moving around to just have a look at many petitions signed by the common people the tiny village. We didn’t have much time to to the local authorities, saying that the NGOs spare, because we had to descend to another were not doing proper relief work, and unless village where our noon meals had been their demands were met, the relief work would arranged. be stalled. To our surprise, in that village, in the We sensed that something bad might midst of scenic beauty, surrounded by hills, happen if we didn’t take corrective measures, we came across a small house where we found so we approached higher government an old lady who most probably lived alone. authorities and explained everything that was She was about to take her noon meal. One of happening and asked for assistance. Then they our volunteers said to her in the local dialect, took necessary measures and deployed some ‘Mother! We have come to your house for our police personnel to enable us to carry out the noon meal!’ She immediately replied, ‘Take relief service unhindered. it, my dear—here is your food.’ Lovingly and This news spread like wildfire in the without any hesitation, she was ready to give higher levels of government. The higher us her own meal! Then we told her that the officials and top leaders directly called that volunteer was only joking—we already had

The V edanta K esari ~ 59 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 29 our food arranged elsewhere. She became hadn’t saved me, my obituary would have serious for a while and said, ‘Never mind been printed in the Belur Math bulletin.’ about my food, my child. Suppose God comes to my door and asks for food from me. Could Charm of the Himalayas I restrain myself from giving Him food? Take, In the course of our service in the dear, something from me.’ I was awestruck Himalayas, which was three months at a at hearing this and stood embarrassed for a stretch and then between two to four weeks while, thinking to myself, ‘Yes, every Hindu is at a time, we came across many holy places actually an Advaitin!’ of pilgrimage associated with great sages and avatars. The scenic beauty of the snow- capped The Lord is always merciful mountain ranges, the beautiful valleys, the There is a place called Urgam Valley, distinct flora of the region, the multitude of where the temple of Lord Kalpeshwara, one of streams and rivers were always a pleasure and the Pancha Kedar, is situated. The valley was source of fascination that inspired serene bliss. partly affected by the devastating flood, and it The atmosphere itself was so vibrant that the was included in our area of relief operations. mind automatically rose to a higher plane. In In accordance with our routine, we had gone spite of all the hardships and tribulations, the to survey the vicinity to estimate the number natural beauty of the surroundings and the of villages, their population, and their most charm and simplicity of the hill people was so urgent needs. Some people went by jeep and appealing that we realised why our scriptures others on foot. While climbing up to the hilly always speak highly of the Himalayas. villages, some of our team members went There were some places where we ahead, and some were left behind. could feel the condensed spirituality that had At one point I felt a little tired and stood accumulated over centuries by the austerity near a tree on a steep hill. While I was standing of saints, sages, and devotees. We also came there, from somewhere (I cannot recall now), a to know that most people of the hills are herd of cattle passed through that narrow hilly simple and pious, with great reverence for road and clambered uphill. I thought, ‘What is renunciation. During and after the relief work this? Even standing here is difficult. It is better we were completely exhausted; but when to go elsewhere and take rest than stand in this we looked at the vast, magnificent, calm, and place.’ No sooner did I go a little distance than seemingly infinite range of the snow-capped the whole hillside, trees and all, collapsed with peaks, we could only feel peace. All our fatigue a loud rumbling noise and went tumbling 300 vanished. Forgetting ourselves, we found a metres down into the gorge. Tears rolled down new spirit within us. Beholding the vastness my cheeks. I prayed to Thakur, ‘O Lord, it is of nature, we felt humbled and insignificant. It your mercy, you only protect your child and was as if, compared to us, a single stone of the do your work, we are measly babies. If you Himalayas has more value. (Concluded.)

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Universal Hindu Temple SWAMI TATTWAMAYANANDA

like Aparajitaprichcha (a well-known text on traditional ) present the temple structure itself as the form of creation or as the physical body of God. Purana, on the other hand, considers the sanctum sanctorum alone as the body of the presiding Temples in India have a long History. deity. All rituals performed in temples Building a temple in the Hindu tradition was symbolize different stages in our spiritual considered to be a spiritually meritorious act journey to discover the presence of the that brought spiritual merit to the builder and immanent divine reality, or God, as residing sanctity to the place. As a religious institution, in our own heart. temples have always played an important It is said that the history of God and role in the history of religious practices in religion is the evolution of the human Hinduism, where traditionally a temple is consciousness of the divine, the history of our conceived as a symbol or a combination of ideas and concepts of God. In the history of various symbols and, much like a human Hinduism, especially after the Vedic age, temples organism, is considered to be the abode of were centres of religious life. But conventional God, the immanent divine spirit. temple worship did not have anything to do A temple is also a symbol of the with religious universalism as understood today. omnipresent, cosmic, and transcendental Credit should go to Swami for dimension of God. The Brihat states giving a universal dimension to the very concept that a temple is a microcosm of creation. of temple worship by building the Hindu Temples were conceived to be everlasting Temple in San Francisco that has stood out as a spiritual symbols of human effort and picturesque landmark in the urban landscape of devotion (Yaavat chandraarkamedini—‘as San Francisco. long as the moon, the sun, and the earth Swami Trigunatitananda’s universal exist’). From the standpoint of the individual Hindu Temple was built as a symbol (pratika) spiritual seeker, a temple represents the of the great Vedantic ideal that the ultimate subtle body with the seven psychic centres reality is one and that every religion is an mentioned in the Tantrik texts. A temple, in equally valid path leading to the same spiritual essence, is the link between man and God goal. Every religion represents an expression which helps us to evolve from the earthly of the same eternal, transcendental truth. This level to the transcendental divine realm. Texts integral view of the ultimate reality and the The author is a sannyasi of the Ramakrishna Order and is serving as the Minister-in-charge of of Northern California, USA.

The V edanta K esari ~ 61 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 31 diverse human attempts to reach that goal, of deities, diagrammatic symbols like yantras, as taught by Sri Ramakrishna and Swami the Shiva-linga and the Salagrama, the Vivekananda, formed the philosophical lotus, the different elements and rituals of and spiritual symbolism of the Hindu formal worship of various deities, especially Temple of San Francisco built by Swami in the temple installation ceremony, the Trigunatitananda. upachaaras (five, ten, sixteen, sixty-four, or one A whole lifetime could have been spent hundred eight items, ceremonially offered in building a structure like this; but Swami with appropriate mantras to the deity invoked Trigunatitananda seemed to be always in in the temple image), and the elaborate cele- a hurry. Immediately after landing in San brations, like the Car Festival of Lord Jagan- Francisco, he set himself to work. He had a nath of the Puri temple, all these have a deep clear idea about his mission. He reorganized symbolic significance. the Vedanta Society and established it on a The symbolism of temples, as well as of all secure, traditional spiritual foundation. Every aspects of temple worship, are meant to help us act of his remaining twelve years seemed to to eventually realize the immanent presence of have spiritual significance, as evidenced, for God in our own heart, because the light in the instance, by the planning and building of the temple ultimately represents the light of our Hindu Temple in 1905. own soul, the atman. Thus, symbolism helps spiritual aspirants to transcend external rituals Symbolism in Temple Worship and ceremonies. A devotee experiences the fact Symbols represent our efforts to that God, whom he worships in the temple, is, understand the invisible and the abstract in reality, the divine spirit present in his own through the visible and the concrete. They help heart. Finally, this living presence of God then us to conceive of a higher and transcendental vividly manifests in one’s everyday life. idea through concrete representations. Symbolism plays a very important role Symbolism in the Features of the Old in Hinduism, especially in the construction Temple and Its Architecture of temples and the rituals performed therein. All the distinguishing features of the San Every act of worship and every form of Francisco Hindu Temple, or the Old Temple, the deity is raised to a higher level through as it is now referred to, are symbolic of a philosophical and spiritual reinterpretation. basic concept which Swami Trigunatitananda The whole idea of temple worship is built on expressed in these words: ‘This Temple may symbolism. Sound symbols, such as OM, the be considered as a combination of a Hindu Gayatri-Mantra, Bija-Mantras, and the sacred temple, a Christian church, a Mohammedan mantras chanted in various ceremonies, as well mosque, a Hindu Math or monastery, and an as the form symbols of different conceptions American residence.’ The large round tower at the northeast corner of the building is fashioned after some of the modern provincial temples of Shiva of Bengal, complete with the usual emblems common to Shiva temples.

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The next tower, west of it, is a model of spiritual tradition. This tower has also a little one of the twelve small Shiva temples along similarity with the top of the temple of Mother the Ganga at Dakshineswar, near Kolkata, Kali at Dakshineswar, as mentioned earlier. where Sri Ramakrishna lived and Swami The small tower farther west, high above Vivekananda and the other disciples of Sri the entrance to the temple, is a miniature, Ramakrishna first came under his influence and modeled after the Taj Mahal at Agra in North training. This middle tower is surmounted by India. On the southeast corner of the building a combination of three symbols. First, it has a is a crenelated round tower modeled after crescent form at the bottom, which is a Turkish some of the old castle towers of Europe, which or Mohammedan symbol, but this is also the belong to the medieval era of Christianity. The type of symbol used by some Hindu devotional veranda that runs along the third floor on the sects, as well, and represents the spiritual path north and east sides of the building is lined of devotion to God. Second, the middle sign with sculpted arches in Moorish style. looks like the sun: Without sunlight and heat, Over the entrance door to the temple we cannot grow, and, therefore, this symbol is a canopy with further symbolism to indicates the path of work or karma. The third illustrate the soul’s rise to spiritual insight symbol, in this group of three, is the trident, and illumination. It also contains a mosaic which in Hindu tradition is the scepter of inscription in Sanskrit which reads: Om Namo Shiva, who destroys ignorance, and, therefore, Bhagavate Ramakrishnaya, which means: ‘OM, it symbolizes the path of knowledge or of salutation to the blessed Lord Ramakrishna’; spiritual inquiry and philosophy. OM being a word indicative of divinity in The particular order of these three its most universal aspect, namo or namah symbols on one staff has additional meaning: refers to salutation. The word bhagavate or Generally speaking, one must have a little bhagavan, signifying Lord, implies that the holy faith and love to start some real kind of work. personality, Sri Ramakrishna, named in this Therefore, the sign for the path of devotion verse, is considered to have a divine, rather has been put first. Then through love and than a merely human origin and function. faith comes a true sense of duty or work. The metal canopy above the entrance Therefore, the path of karma has been put door is decorated around its edge with a fringe next. Then when we finish all our karma or of lotus petals, symbolizing the inner mental work, and, when we become pure, we pierce lotuses of increasing beauty seen by mystics through the veil of ignorance. Therefore, the in meditation. The whole is surmounted, sign of the path of knowledge has been put as though protected, by an American eagle last. Another meaning can also be derived, as with wings outspread. The eagle seems to follows: Unless our spiritual culture transcends fly beyond this world, which is the realm of in greatness the sun, moon, and everything, we creation, preservation, and destruction—the cannot reach the ultimate truth. realm of relativities. The eagle can also be seen The next tower to the west, with its as expressive of the Hindu mythological bird, cluster of multiple small, pointed domes Garuda, the symbol of great strength, spiritual surrounding a large central dome, is a replica devotion, and of steady and rapid progress.1 of one of the principal temples of Varanasi, Swami Trigunatitananda, while answering the most ancient centre of Hindu learning and a question as to whether one had to believe in

The V edanta K esari ~ 63 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 33 rebirth or in any such doctrine, in order to reach in the field of religion and spirituality. New the highest spiritual goal, said: ‘There are many concepts and movements like Theosophy, faiths and religious sects in the world, which Christian Science, and Unitarianism were do not believe in nor care to believe in such becoming popular among the social elites in the doctrines; according to Vedantism, they, too, United States. Higher Hinduism, or Vedanta, reach the very highest; one should simply go had just been introduced to American society by on sincerely, ardently, and steadily along one’s Swami Vivekananda in the World’s Parliament own faith, with one’s own beliefs, with a view to of Religions at Chicago in 1893 and subsequently advance to the very highest.’2 through his lectures and classes. Its catholicity, Swami Trigunatitananda wanted to rationality, and especially its open acceptance construct a building in San Francisco that of other faith-systems were in sharp contrast would be an architectural representation of the to the narrow dogmatism of the contemporary message of religious harmony, a medium for Christian church. The intellectual challenges of communicating the Vedantic universalism that Darwinist, humanist, and atheistic movements, was the central theme of Sri Ramakrishna’s as well as the criticism of the admirers of the message to the modern world, as so ably latest scientific discoveries, posed a great threat expounded by Swami Vivekananda. That to exclusivist claims of established religions. partly explains his decision to build a temple In conclusion, the earliest temples of so unlike the traditional Hindu temples in North and central India belonging to the Gupta India, yet incorporating many of their aspects period (320-650 A.D.), the rock-cut temples like the pointed towers, domes, etc. The of South India belonging to the periods of the message of the Old Temple was the message Pallavas, Chalukyas, and Rashtrakutas, as well of religious harmony, based on the fact that as the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, are spiritual experience knows no barriers of race, marvels of ancient Hindu architecture, as are nationality, or external practices. the temples belonging to the Vijayanagar period Perhaps the most remarkable thing about and the great ancient Indian temples that exist the whole work was the amazing speed of the in places like Kashi, Vrindavan, and Mathura. construction of the temple—an astonishing From an architectural point of view feat accomplished within less than five the San Francisco Hindu Temple is different months! Swami Trigunatitananda installed from both the South Indian or Dravida and the cornerstone on August 21, 1905, and the Chalukya temples with their characteristic dedication ceremony was held on January tiered vimana shrines, their axial and 7, 1906. This original structure had only the peripheral mandapa adjuncts, and towering tower at the northeast corner of the building. gopura entrances (gates), as well as from That tower was removed in 1908, and an the North Indian temples with their own additional floor was added to the building. distinctive features like a square plan and Along with all the other towers now seen, the curvilinear towers, representing the nagara corner tower was reinstalled. style. Also, there is no evidence to show that These events were historically significant Swami Trigunatitananda fully adhered to the when we remember the cultural and spiritual principles of temple construction as laid down landscape of America during this period. The in the traditional texts on Vastu like the country was undergoing a radical transformation Brihat Samhita.

The V edanta K esari ~ 64 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 34

Swami Trigunatitananda, a great traditi- The universal Hindu Temple of San onalist, must have performed all the rituals Francisco has a special significance in the before the temple construction, like sanctifying present age which is characterized by a the earth, Vastu puja, garbha-nyasa, etc. But, widespread urge for anything universal. Unity since the Temple did not have a traditional in variety is the theme for our times. This inner sanctum sanctorum like the traditional urge for universality, especially in the field orthodox Hindu temples in India, many of the of spirituality, is bound to prompt thinking rituals were perhaps not required. people everywhere to study the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and his ideal of universal A Spiritual Saga of Dedication and Service religious harmony symbolized in the universal Considering the circumstances under Hindu Temple of San Francisco. which he was deputed by Swami Vivekananda Was the building of the Hindu Temple to take up the Vedanta work in San Francisco, an accident? If Swami Turiyananda had Swami Trigunatitananda knew it was to be a not left San Francisco in 1902 and Swami heroic task. The reorganization of the Vedanta Trigunatitananda had not arrived in 1903, Society, keeping the congregation together, probably it would never have been built. But, and carrying on the task of spreading the when we look back after more than a century, message of Vedanta in northern California— we can see that there was a divine hand and all these endeavours demanded exceptional divine plan behind it. organizational skills, spiritual insight, moral Swami Trigunatitananda experienced strength, ingenuity, drive, iron determination, this as a fact, as he revealed from time to time. and, above all, a blending of the dedicated On one such occasion, he said, regarding this action of a missionary and the profound first Hindu Temple in the West: ‘I shall not live spirituality of a saint. to enjoy, others will come later who will enjoy.’ It was remarkable that, even in the midst With reference to his own motivation, he of Swami Trigunatitananda’s active dynamism boldly stated: ‘Believe me, believe me, if there on display throughout his more than twelve is the least tinge of selfishness in building the years of spiritual ministration in San Francisco, temple, it will fall, but if it is the Master’s work, there were always glimpses of his monastic it will stand.’3 And it has stood, weathering humility and contemplative nature. About this more than a century, including the catastrophic builder of the Hindu Temple, one may well 1906 earthquake and the fire ignited by it, say what William Arthur Ward stated about which was fanned by unrelenting winds an ideal teacher: ‘The mediocre teacher tells. to within six blocks of the Temple, before The good teacher explains. The superior suddenly being diverted by a providential teacher demonstrates. The great teacher reversal of wind direction. inspires.’ Swami Trigunatitananda’s sense The story of the universal Hindu Temple of dedication was an inspiring example for of San Francisco is not just the story of a all those who worked with him to build the temple. It is the saga of a saint—a humbling, Temple. inspiring model for all spiritual seekers.

References: 1. Swami Trigunatita: His Life and Work, , San Francisco, Vedanta Society of Northern California, 1997, 198-203. 2. Ibid., 37 3. “The Work of Swami Trigunatita in the West,” His Western Disciples, , March 1928, 132.

The V edanta K esari ~ 65 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 35 Article

Swamiji’s Nine Days at Castle Kernan

MONASTIC SOJOURNER

Every year from 6 to 14 Feb a Celebration is held in Swami Vivekananda House, Chennai. This is in commemoration of Swami Vivekananda’s 9-day stay in Castle Kernan (now Swami Vivekananda House) after his triumphant return in 1897 from his first visit to the West. In the course of these nine days Swamiji interacted with a number of people and delivered four talks which gave a new direction to India. A day-wise account of this historic Navaratri is presented here.

Day One (6 February, Saturday) Literary Society on ‘The Work Before Us’; and At about 7.30 am the train carrying there were to be two morning sessions at the Swamiji arrived at the Egmore railway station Castle when people could put questions to him. where he was received by the Reception The Raja of Khetri, devoted disciple of Committee members, Swamis Swamiji, sent his Private Secretary, Munshi and Shivananda, and some western disciples of Jagmohanlal, all the way to Madras to present Swamiji. He was brought to Castle Kernan in a an address of welcome on his behalf. From the huge procession marked with unprecedented first day to the last of his visit he was besieged enthusiasm. After the Swami had taken at all hours by visitors of all classes, both men food and had a short rest, Professors K. and women. There were crowds constantly Sundararama Iyer and M. Rangacharya met waiting in front of the Castle at all hours of the him to arrange a programme for his stay in day and even after dusk. Madras. The Swami asked them to arrange the The Indian Mirror, a Calcutta paper which programme between themselves and simply carried excerpts from Madras papers, gave this inform him of the subjects he was to speak on. account of the scene at Castle Kernan, with It was settled that his first appearance special reference to February 6 and the early would be to reply to the main address of morning gathering on the 7th: welcome presented on behalf of the people of Castle Kernan, where Swami Viveka- Madras by the Vivekananda Reception Committee. nanda is lodged, presented a picturesque scene Afterwards there were to be four public on Saturday evening [February 6]. The Castle lectures devoted to his message to the world itself is beautifully decorated and fitted up and to India, and to the means of building up a for the reception of Swami and party.... Two national spiritual life in India suited to altered magnificent pandals have been put up, one conditions. The following subjects were chosen: at the entrance, which is intended to serve a (1) ‘My Plan of Campaign’ (2) ‘The Sages of purely ornamental purpose, and another in India’, (3) ‘Vedanta in its Application to Indian the compound, which serves the purpose of Life’, (4) ‘The Future of India’. a meeting hall, where the Swami patiently At Alasinga’s request, the Swami also undergoes the severe cross-examination to consented to deliver a lecture at the Triplicane which he is subjected on the technicalities

The V edanta K esari ~ 66 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 36 and subtleties of the Vedanta. A large number already in the chair; and the Swami took the of gentlemen waited upon the Swami at the seat by his side. pandal that evening, when an acrostic poem Meanwhile, loud and continuous shouts in Sanskrit in honour of the Swami was read of ‘Open-air meeting’ from outside interrupted out by Mr. R. Sivasankara Pandiya. The the proceedings within. The Swami’s heart was Swami then offered to answer any questions touched; he felt that he could not disappoint the that might be put to him. Someone set the ball countless, eager young men assembled outside. rolling by asking the Swami to point out the He suddenly burst out, saying, ‘I am a man of difference between karma and fatalism.... the people. They are all outside. I must go and Mr. P. L. Narasu then heckled the Swami meet them’, and rushed from the hall. As soon on the essential tenets of the Vedanta. A most as he appeared outside, thundering applause interesting passage-at-arms then followed, the broke forth. Then there was a stampede. Since Swami dealing with his interrogator’s various no prior arrangements had been made for him points with admirable lucidity, force, and aptness... to address the people in the open air, he got on a landau [a four wheel covered carriage with a Day Two (7 February, Sunday) roof—front and back—divided into two parts In the same issue of the Indian Mirror is that can be let down separately] and tried to another report which would seem to relate speak from that. The noise was so deafening to a session between 7.30 and 9 a.m. on the that he could not make himself heard. So he following morning, Sunday the 7th: climbed into the coachman’s seat, and spoke Nearly two hundred persons assembled in Gita fashion, as he put it. He had in mind, of this morning... at Castle Kernan to question course, Sri Krishna’s delivering his message in Swami Vivekananda on various topics of a chariot ages before. interest. Some asked him to explain the ‘Man proposes and God disposes’, he difference between ‘mind’ and ‘matter’, began. ‘It was arranged that I should address some others wished to know whether God you in occidental fashion; but it was ordained had a human shape. Swamiji patiently and by the Lord that I should address you in Gita- courteously answered all his questioners.... fashion, standing in a chariot. . . .He went on In the evening, about 4 p.m. he set out to tell his hearers that he was intensely pleased from Castle Kernan. It was a day of high with their enthusiasm: only let them ‘keep it expectations for everyone. Over ten thousand up’; let them give him all the help he required, people had assembled in and around the ‘to do great things for India’. Victoria Hall. The scene in front of it, and At this stage the crowd became so along the roads and streets leading to it, defied unmanageable that the Swami could not make description. The carriage taking the Swami himself heard. He finally said, ‘You have and his party could scarcely pass; so dense seen me today: you will hear me some other was the crowd. As they alighted, there were day.’ And it was true that, though there was loud cries of ‘Open-air meeting’ from the vast disappointment at the sudden termination of throng that had assembled. The arrangement the meeting, those who had come had had the was that the address would be presented in satisfaction of having seen the Swami. the hall. This, of course, was filled to capacity. After this meeting, the Reception With great difficulty the Swami made his way Committee, with the consent of the Swami, to the platform. Sir Bhashyam Iyengar was decided that, as it was impossible to control the

The V edanta K esari ~ 67 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 37 big crowd, admission to his remaining lectures Day Five (10 February, Wednesday) should be regulated by tickets to be issued on In the evening, Swamiji attended an payment; admission will be by tickets to be had at-home held in his honour at the premises from Messrs Srinivasa Varadachari and Co. of the Social Reform Association, in Black Rates of admission: Rs. 2 for the platform and Town. A handsome fan was presented to him Re. 1 for the Hall. The proceeds were aimed to as a memento of his visit. In his conversation be used for Swamiji’s work in India. with the members, he gave little or no encouragement to the revolutionary views Day Three (8 February, Monday) entertained by the society’s leaders, but At about noon, Swamiji briefly spoke to ‘admitted the need for social reforms’, such as Prof. P. Lakshmi Narasu, a scholar and Mr. N. K. the removal of untouchability, the restoration Ramaswamy Iyer, and in the afternoon, a group and rearrangement of the caste system so as to of Shaivites from Tiruppattur in Tamilnadu. recover its ancient rationale, and so on.

Day Four (9 February, Tuesday) Day Six (11 February, Thursday) In the morning Swamiji visited the In the morning, Swamiji went on invi- Triplicane Literary Society at the request of tation to the house of Dr Subrahmanya Iyer, its members. An address of welcome was in Luz Church Road. Prof. Sundararama Iyer, read by T. V. Seshagiri Iyer, Vice-President, in who was present, writes: which Swamiji’s attention was drawn to the ‘We met in the room upstairs, and fact that before to his departure for America the Swami explained to us his plans for a his first public appearance had been in the vast religious reformation and revival in hall of the Society. It was because of that that India which would serve to bring Hindus, the citizens of Madras had been able to value Christians, Mohammedans, Buddhists, and the Swami at his true worth. After thanking all under a common flag of brotherly union the Society for having afforded him the and serve as a star of hope and harmony, and opportunity of making himself known to the a ceaseless incentive to the striving by men of people of Madras in 1893, he spoke of the need all creeds and colours after a common goal of giving up narrow mindset and reaching out of national aspiration. He wanted a new sort to western nations with the gift of spirituality and style of temple with a hall in the front and wisdom which India has. The subject of containing statues of the sages and prophets this talk was ‘The Work Before Us’. Although no of all great religions, and behind it an inner notice had been given of it in the press, a very precinct containing a pillar with the letter (or large crowd thronged the Society’s premises. letters) Om inscribed on it and underneath the That very evening in the Victoria Hall, open sky....’ the Swami gave the first of his four public In the evening, Swamiji delivered his lectures: ‘My Plan of Campaign’. He said: ‘My second public lecture, The Sages of India, in the plan is to start institutions in India, to train Victoria Hall. The place was crowded to capacity. our young men as preachers of the truths of our scriptures, in India and outside India. Day Seven (12 February, Friday) Men, men, these are wanted’—sincere to the In the morning itself, the pandal at the backbone. . . A hundred such and the world Castle was full to overflowing, when Swamiji becomes revolutionized.’ took his seat on the platform. There came a

The V edanta K esari ~ 68 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 38 young European lady of high intelligence, boys conversed with one another in Sanskrit who put to him various questions on Vedanta. on Arya Dharma. The Swamiji’s resources of knowledge and Then the Founder-President, Brahmasri exposition were fully brought out to the wonder R. Sivasankara Pandiya, read an address on of all present. The lady thanked Swamiji, told behalf of the trustees, teachers and boys of the him that she would be leaving for London school. The Swami congratulated the Founder- to resume her social work in its slums, and President on his noble endeavours. He hoped that it would be her great privilege exhorted the public to encourage the school in to meet him again. As she left, Swamiji rose, every way, and wished for similar institutions advanced a few steps to see that a way was to come up all over India. The Hindu Moral made for her, and remained standing while Association also presented an address. she bowed and retired. In the afternoon she In the evening, the Swami presided over returned with her father, who was engaged the annual meeting of the Madras Chennapuri in Christian missionary work in Madras. She Annadana Samajam, held in Pachaiyappa’s sought and obtained for him an interview Hall. After the usual proceedings the Swami which lasted nearly an hour. On being asked spoke a few words on charity. by Prof. Sundararama Iyer how he found the strength for such incessant activity, the Day Eight (13 February, Saturday) Swami said, ‘Spiritual work never tires one in In the evening, Swamiji addressed a very India.’ large audience in Pachaiyappa Hall on ‘The On the same day a Vaishnava pundit, Vedanta in Its Application to Indian Life’. He said speaking in Sanskrit, raised a difficult point that Hindu religion is a collection of various in the Vedanta for discussion. The Swami religions, of various ideas, of various ceremonials patiently listened to the pundit, then turned and forms, all gathered together almost without to the audience and said in English that he did a name, and without a church, and without an not care to waste time in fruitless wrangling organization. The only point where all the sects over doctrinal details of no practical value. The agree is that they all believe in the . No pundit then asked the Swami to say clearly man can be called a Hindu who does not admit whether he was an Advaitin or a Dvaitin. The the supreme authority of the Vedas. The Vedanta Swami replied in English: ‘Tell the pundit that covers Dualism, Qualified Monism, and Monism so long as I have this body I am a Dualist, but or Advaita, and even takes in part of Buddhism not afterwards. This incarnation of mine is to and Jainism too. help to put an end to useless and mischievous Prof. Sundararama Iyer relates an quarrels and puzzles which only distract amusing incident that happened during the the mind, and make men weary of life, and lecture just summarized. Among those on the even turn them into sceptics and atheists.’ platform was G. Subrahmanya Iyer, who was The pandit then said in Tamil, ‘The Swami’s later to become editor of The Hindu. At one statement is really an avowal that he is an point, particularly addressing the students in Advaitin.’ The Swami rejoined, ‘Let it be so.’ the audiences, the Swami said: ‘First of all, our The matter was then dropped. young men must be strong. Religion will come In the afternoon at about 4.30 p.m., afterwards. Be strong, my young friends;... Swamiji and friends visited the Hindu You will be nearer to Heaven through football Theological High School of Madras. First, two than through the study of the Gita.... You will

The V edanta K esari ~ 69 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 39 understand the Gita better with your biceps, zeal in the holy cause you have undertaken, your muscles, a little stronger...... ’ Even while have won already the admiration and respect the Swami was speaking, Subrahmanya Iyer of the civilized American and the large brained exclaimed in Tamil to those near him, ‘I have European and unmistakably point out to one said the same thing often, but none would give conclusion that you are the fittest and greatest ear. The Swami says it now, and you all cheer!’ spiritual Hindu teacher for bringing the whole The same evening, after the lecture, the world under the banner of one religion you Swami attended an entertainment given in his preach, with the motto written in glittering honour by L. Govindas, at Patters Gardens, gold, of universal love and brotherhood. It Royapettah. The large gathering included is no exaggeration to say and to urge that in quite a few Europeans. After addresses had this age of philosophical doubt and obstinate been read out, there was a recital by two well- perversity, you have established a name in the known musicians. Swamiji was presented with Eastern and Western hemispheres of the world ochre-coloured silk cloths, garlanded, and (which none but those hallowed by holy touch served with refreshments. of heaven could achieve). To be brief, in you The biography of Lodd Govindas who is realised the existence of the connecting link was an eminent businessman belonging to between , the North and Gujarati community in Madras, and a well- the South, for spiritual development breaking known public figure, records Swamiji’s visit down the prejudices, passions, and errors of the to his place thus: different established religionists from one pole When His Holiness Swami Vivekananda, to the other. who has acquired a world-wide fame for his India is a land of diverse religions with thrilling eloquence in preaching Hinduism, manifold divisions and sub-divisions. The arrived in Madras from England, Mr. great religious luminaries that have flourished Govindas gave him an entertainment in his in the land, left behind them doctrines and bungalow ‘Patters Gardens,’ and presented tenets they held and preached in the form him with an address which contained of Dvaita, Advaita, Visishtadvaita and many valuable and practical suggestions in Suddhadvaita. connection with the furtherance of unanimity Besides, there is jarring differences in among Hindus as a whole in point of religion, religious observances among the inhabitants which virtue is now a rare commodity among occupying the nook and corner of this vast them. We subjoin the address: peninsula. It is hardly necessary to mention ‘With due regard and pious holiness, that such petty feuds and differences have I beg to approach your Holiness. You have wrought and are yet to work out many woes undertaken a duty at once most pious, among mankind. thoroughly unique and highly exemplary. The It is, therefore, humbly suggested that most heavy task you have self-imposed with an the conception of a plan and the adoption of utter denial of the inner cravings of all comforts a contrivance to bring the Hindu religionists of man, you have discharged so creditably to of heterogeneous views to one focus and to the Arya Varta that persons of all clime, caste, one common centre, will achieve the greatest colour, and creed, bear abundant testimony to good to the greatest number of people. A the same. The commanding genius you possess, Parliament in the form of a Hindu Religious the thrilling eloquence you display, the fiery Congress may be held annually in some

The V edanta K esari ~ 70 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 40 centre. The members of the Parliament shall Iyer and others were all seated round the form the representatives of the various sects, Swami, discussing future action in Madras. who, in their turn, should hold meetings On the last day, V.Krishnaswamy Iyer, in their respective localities with a fair and sometime member of the Madras Executive impartial criticism; one great object being Council, requested Swamiji to send someone to eliminate all the petty differences and to who could continue the work he had begun. restore harmony, and peace between man Swamiji replied: on one hand, and the centre of moral and I shall send you one who is more spiritual universe on the other. Proceeding on orthodox than the most orthodox this broad basis, constitution may be formed of the South and who is at the same time with an everlasting ambition of peace and incomparable in performing worship, goodness ever resting and depending for scriptural knowledge and meditation on God.4 success or failure upon the Supreme Will, “the Later, Swamiji sent Swami Ramakrishna- great spring of love, beauty, order and nanda, his brother disciple and a direct disciple intelligence”.’ of Sri Ramakrishna. Needless to say, Swami Ramakrishnananda was a worthy messenger Day Nine (14 February, Sunday) of his guru whose contribution to the spread of In the evening Swamiji gave his last Ramakrishna Movement in South is immense. public lecture in Madras, on ‘The Future Swamiji’s Departure from Madras: of India’. Over three thousand people had On Monday February 15, he embarked on assembled in the Harmston Circus Pavilion to S.S. Mombasa of the B.I.N.S. Company. A hear him. The Hon’ble N. Subba Rao Puntulu Shamiana (a canopy) had been put up on was in the chair. Prof. Sundararama Iyer says: the harbour pier, which had been beautifully ‘I never saw a more crowded scene or a more decorated, and Messrs Binny and Co. had enthusiastic audience. The Swami’s oratory arranged for a farewell gathering. was at its best. He seemed like a lion traversing Swamiji reached the pier at 7.30 a.m. and the platform to and fro. The roar of his voice was conducted to the Shamiana, where some reverberated everywhere, and with telling leading citizens had assembled to say goodbye effect.’ That there was something special to him. A group of merchants of the Arya- about this lecture, and that the Swami’s voice caste (known as Komatis) met him and had a special power on this occasion is also presented an address of thanks for his services suggested by C. Ramanujachari’s words: ‘That to the holy motherland. At 8 a.m. he entered one was a wonderful lecture and Swamiji’s voice of the pier carriages and was pushed along to was heard throughout distinctly, even in the the T-end, where he was met by the Reception corners. Those were days when there were no Committee and other friends. On alighting, he loud-speakers. The effect of that speech was was garlanded, and then the Hon’ble Subba thrilling.’ Rao, of Rajahmundry, on behalf of everybody Almost from the commencement of his present, wished Swamiji god-speed and a safe visit to Madras Swamiji was being pressed voyage. The Swami bowed in acknowledgement, by his disciples and admirers to remain in the and said that his silence would best express city and open a centre there. The topic was his feelings. He proceeded to embark amidst broached on his return to Castle Kernan from deafening cheers from those assembled on the the abortive Sunday meeting. S. Subrahmanya pier and from the crowds on the beach.

The V edanta K esari ~ 71 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 41 Annual Report

Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Synopsis of the Governing Body Report for 2015-16 The 107th Annual General Meeting of the Ramakrishna Mission was held at Belur Math on Sunday, the 18th December 2016 at 3.30 p.m.

The Government of West Bengal ‘IJAPEY’ (International Journal of Adapted selected Ramakrishna Mission for the Banga Physical Education and Yoga), a monthly Bibhushan Award, 2015, in recognition of its online journal, (ii) The service to the betterment of society. ‘Sound granted permission to start Vivekananda of Joy’, an animation film based on Swami Centre for Research to conduct M.Phil/ Vivekananda’s childhood, produced as a Ph.D courses in Narendrapur centre, (iii) project by the Headquarters to commemorate ‘Swami Vivekananda Centre for Multi- Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary, disciplinary Research in Basic Science & Social was adjudged the Best Animation Film by the Sciences’ started to function at Vivekananda jury of the 62nd National Film Awards. Centenary College of Rahara centre, (iv) 150th birth anniversaries of Swami Ranchi Morabadi centre started Secondary , Swami Trigunatitananda and Sister and Senior Secondary courses affiliated to Nivedita were celebrated in different centres. National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) New branch centres of the Ramakrishna In medical field, the following new Mission were started at Gurap in West Bengal, developments deserve special mention: (i) Imphal in Manipur, Kailashahar in Tripura, Agartala centre conducted Mobile Medical and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The sub- Outreach camps under NUHM in the slums centres at Bamunmura and Mekhliganj were of Agartala Municipal Corporation, (ii) made full-fledged centres of Ramakrishna Telemedicine facility at Lucknow hospital was Math. Lalgarh Ashrama, which was a declared open, (iii) Pratishthan, Kolkata, retreat centre under the supervision of the constructed a six-storey diagnostic & cardiac Headquarters, was also made a full-fledged care centre building with Catheterization branch centre of Ramakrishna Math. Outside Laboratory, CCU, HDU, CTVS-ITU. The centre India, a new combined branch centre of the introduced ‘Emergency Trauma Care Life Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Support’ course. was started at Rangpur in Bangladesh. In rural development field, the following In educational field, the following new new projects deserve special mention: (i) developments deserve special mention: (i) Narainpur centre converted 10 Anganwadis to Coimbatore Mission started three short-term one-teacher pre-basic school (Ekal Vidyalaya). add-on courses for third-year students as a (ii) Narendrapur centre initiated a Green part of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana College at Santuri village of Purulia district (PMKVY) Scheme, commenced Bachelor of covering 12 courses focusing on various Vocational Degree courses and launched issues of Green Sector, (iii) Purulia Vidyapith

The V edanta K esari ~ 72 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 42 installed 11 tube-wells in 8 villages and Outside India, the following new conducted 6 agricultural camps, (iv) Ranchi developments deserve special mention: (i) (Morabadi) centre constructed 7 recharge The Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Bhava Prasar tanks, 27 percolation tanks, 1 gravity irrigation Samsad was started in Bangladesh. Dhaka system and 2 bora-bunds for soil & water (Bangladesh) centre held the concluding conservation and irrigation, (v) Sargachhi function of the centenary celebration of its high centre constructed a Greenhouse (Poly house) school, (ii) Sarada Kindergarten of Singapore and a Seed net house for demonstration and centre received Reading Innovation Award production of high value crops, (vi) Silchar (Distinction) from National Library Board, centre started a tailoring training centre Ministry of Communications and Information, for women at village Maynagarh in Cachar Singapore, (iii) Sri Narendra Modi, Prime district. Minister of India, unveiled the bronze statue of The different centres took forward Swami Vivekananda at Malaysia centre. Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan (launched by the During the year, the Mission undertook Government of India) by holding cleanliness Welfare work by way of providing scholar- programmes, the following deserve special ships to poor students, pecuniary help to mention: (i) The polytechnic of Chennai old, sick and destitute people, etc. No. of Students’ Home held five cleaning programmes beneficiaries: 22.70 lakh; Expenditure incurred: in which several public places were cleaned, Rs. 16.85 crore. (ii) Mangaluru centre launched Swachchha Medical service was rendered to more Mangaluru, and conducted 40 cleaning than 61.02 lakh people through 10 hospitals, programmes, (iii) Lokasiksha Parishad of 77 dispensaries, 42 mobile medical units and Narendrapur centre with the support of 910 medical camps; expenditure incurred Rs. UNICEF launched a WASH (Water, Sanitation 191.48 crore. and Hygiene) programme in Purulia. Nearly 3.12 lakh students were Under the Math, following new studying in our educational institutions from projects deserve special mention: (i) The kindergarten to university level, non-formal newly constructed vocational-training-cum- education centres, night schools, coaching production centre of Baghbazar Math located classes, etc. A sum of Rs. 284.96 crore was at Pranakrishna Mukherjee Lane, Kolkata, spent on educational work. was inaugurated, (ii) A holographic film A number of rural and tribal develop- on India’s cultural history was released at ment projects were undertaken with a total (Vivekananda House) expenditure of Rs. 58.66 crore benefiting about of Chennai Math, (iii) Ghatshila Math 86.51 lakh rural people. constructed a dispensary building, (iv) The Mission and Math undertook several Gourhati Math built a dispensary building, relief and rehabilitation programmes in (iv) Thiruvananthapuram centre renovated different parts of the country involving an the hospital building and added a Panchakarma expenditure of Rs. 36.78 crore, benefiting 7.28 centre & Kalari, a traditional form of treatment lakh people of 2.21 lakh families. to the department, (v) Antpur, We take this opportunity to express our Baghbazar and Nagpur centres held Swachcha heartfelt thanks to our members and friends Bharat programmes. for their kind cooperation and help.

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The Order on the March News & Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Headquarters The 107th Annual General Meeting of the Ramakrishna Mission was held at Belur Math on Sunday, 18 December. Swami Smarananandaji chaired the meeting. In all, 135 monastic members, 53 lay members and 82 associates attended the meeting. The birthday of Holy Mother was celebrated at Belur Math on Tuesday, 20 December. Thousands of devotees attended the celebration throughout the day. Cooked Prasad was served to about 30,000 devotees. Swami Suvirananda chaired the public meeting held in the afternoon. Three students of Veda Vidyalaya, Belur Math, secured the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes in three Sanskrit literary competitions conducted by Samskrita Bharati at Varanasi on 11 December. Mr Richard Verma, USA Ambassador to India, visited Belur Math on 13 December. Celebration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Baghbazar Math held a devotees’ convention on 11 December in which 650 devotees took part. Barasat centre conducted a youths’ convention on 26 December which was attended by 560 people. Bengaluru centre held a programme comprising speeches and cultural events on 26 November. In all, about 2900 people attended the programme. Chennai Math conducted a short story competition in which 700 people took part. Prizes were distributed to the winners on 20 December. Dhaka (Bangladesh) centre held a programme comprising special worship, two public meetings and cultural events, on 23 December which was attended by about 1000 people. An art competition for children was also held. Kankurgachhi Math conducted a seminar on 20 November which was attended by 510 people. Mymensingh (Bangladesh) centre held a public meeting on 23 December which was attended by about 100 people. Port Blair centre conducted a self-improvement programme on 3 December in which 450 girls and teachers from different educational institutions took part. Puri Mission Ashrama conducted a written quiz competition in which 150 students participated, and a youths’ convention on 25 December attended by about 400 students. Purulia Vidyapith held cultural programmes on 8 and 28 November and a devotees’ convention on 11 December attended by 473 people. Rahara centre, in association with Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi, conducted a national level seminar on ‘Sister Nivedita and Her Contribution to India - a Historical Perspective’ on 9 and 10 December. Sri Tathagata Roy, Governor of Tripura, Mr Brian McElduff, Ireland Ambassador to India, and many other dignitaries addressed the audience. About 1000 people took part in the seminar. Sarisha centre held a public meeting on 25 December which was attended by 205 devotees.

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Swamiji’s Ancestral House held two lectures on 28 November and 14 December which were attended altogether by 1050 people. On the centre’s initiative, seven public meetings were held in and around Kolkata from 27 November to 17 December. In all, about 3100 people attended the meetings. Thiruvananthapuram centre held a lecture series on Sister Nivedita from 21 to 24 September. The centre also conducted a programme on 28 October in which some distinguished people spoke. It was attended by about 200 people. Vadodara centre conducted a youths’ convention on 25 December in which 150 youths took part. Varanasi Home of Service held a music programme on 25 December which was attended by 250 people. News of Branch Centres (in India) The newly constructed kitchen-cum-dining-hall on Babupara campus of Imphal centre was inaugurated on 8 December. On 9 December 1916, Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj had laid the foundation stone for the temple at Nettayam sub-centre of Thiruvananthapuram Ashrama. In commemoration of that event, the Ashrama held a five-day spiritual retreat programme from 9 to 13 December 2016 in which about 100 devotees took part. As a part of the first phase of its centenary celebration, Garbeta centre held a six-day programme from 16 to 21 December which included a devotees’ convention, a fair, an exhibition on the Holy Trio and a colorful procession. Thousands of people attended the programmes. Calcutta Students’ Home, Belgharia, held the concluding phase of its year-long centenary celebration from 24 to 26 December with public meetings, cultural programmes and narayana seva (feeding poor people). The General Secretary presided over the public meeting held on 25 December. A good number of monks, hundreds of devotees, and about 300 alumni attended the celebration. Students of Purulia Vidyapith won 5 gold, 8 silver and 2 bronze medals in the Purulia District Annual School Athletic Meet held on 22 November. The Vidyapith team was adjudged the best participating team. Two teams representing Tamil Nadu state, which had two students of Coimbatore faculty centre of Vivekananda University, won the under-19 and above-19 national level football tournaments conducted by the Rural Games Federation of India at Meerut from 9 to 13 November. The teams also won the Rural Games International Football tournaments held at Bhutan from 1 to 4 December. A student of Katihar school secured the gold medal at the state level weightlifting competition conducted by Art, Culture and Youth Department, Government of Bihar, at Sitamarhi on 7 and 8 September. Another student stood first at the state level in a painting competition conducted by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. The Telegraph Education Foundation presented the Award for Excellence in Academics to Narendrapur Vidyalaya in a function held in Kolkata on 26 November. Blind Boys’ Academy of Narendrapur centre won the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, 2016, for its comprehensive services to persons with disabilities. The braille press of the Academy also won the same award for its work in the field of empowerment of persons with disabilities. Sri Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, handed over the awards, comprising certificates and a total sum of three lakh rupees, in a function held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on 3 December, International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Indian Adult Education Association, New Delhi, awarded Nehru Literacy Award, 2014, to Lokasiksha Parishad of Narendrapur Ashrama for its contribution to adult literacy. Sri Ram Naik, Governor of Uttar

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Pradesh, handed over the award, comprising a plaque and 21,000 rupees in a function held at Lucknow on 5 December 2016. Twenty-one students of class 11 of Narendrapur Vidyalaya who participated in the Junior Scholarship Test, 2016, conducted by Jagadish Bose National Science Talent Search, Kolkata, were awarded junior scholarship and 10 others received junior encouragement award. Besides, the school won the Best School Award for the excellent performance of its students in the competition. The following centres conducted free eye camps: 18 centres conducted free eye camps in which patients were tested/given spectacles/operated: Bankura centre treated 349, operated 71 patients; Chennai Math treated 115, operated 18; Delhi treated 312, operated 51; Halasuru treated 250, operated 53; Jamshedpur treated 269, operated 193; Kamarpukur treated 498, operated 57; Khetri 159, operated 50; Lucknow treated 2765, operated 415; Madurai treated 269, operated 43; Medinipur treated 194, operated 17; Porbandar treated 131, operated 43; Rajamahendravaram treated 205, operated 17; Rajkot treated 114, operated 64; Salem treated 241, operated 21, Saradapitha treated 862, operated 216 patients; Seva Pratishthan treated 150, operated 23; Silchar treated 392, operated 97; and Vadodara treated 215, operated 22. Ranchi Morabadi centre conducted an eye care programme from 21 November to 17 December in which eye check-up of 2212 children and 166 adults was done and 21 patients were operated upon for cataract. Values Education and Youth Programmes Delhi centre held a values education programme on 29 and 30 November in which 160 school teachers were trained. On 23 December, Kanpur centre conducted a seminar on values in teaching profession in which about 250 principals, teachers and teacher-trainees took part. Vadodara centre conducted a programme on 7 December in Gandhinagar which was attended by 150 students. Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Campaign) As a part of the third phase of Swachchha Mangaluru, Mangaluru Ashrama conducted 65 cleaning drives in and around Mangaluru on four Sundays between 4 and 25 December. In all, about 7000 volunteers participated in these drives. Varanasi Home of Service carried out a cleanliness drive on 18 December in which 50 people took part in cleaning public streets around the centre. A rally, attended by 350 people, was also taken out to create awareness about cleanliness. News of Branch Centres (Outside India) Swami Gautamanandaji unveiled the newly installed statue of Swamiji at the Ladysmith sub-centre of Durban (South Africa) centre on 27 November. On the same day a programme was held as a part of the centre’s platinum jubilee and in commemoration of Sister Nivedita’s 150th birth anniversary which was attended by about 500 people. Relief Work 1. Winter Relief: 9998 blankets were distributed to poor people through the following centres: Allahabad 428; Bamunmura 500; Barasat 312; Barisha 300; Bhopal 300; Chandipur 275; Chapra 1000; Cuttack (Bhubaneswar) 200; Guwahati 300; Jalpaiguri 300; Jammu 272; Khetri 50; Muzaffarpur 200; Narottam Nagar 1219; Ponnampet 333; Purulia 300; Rahara 874; Ranchi Morabadi 400; Saradapitha, The V edanta K esari ~ 76 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 46

Belur 300; Sikra Kulingram 300; Silchar 500; Swamiji's Ancestral House 300; Tamluk 700; Vadodara 35; Varanasi Home of Service 300 Besides, the following centres distributed various winter garments, mentioned against their names, to needy people: (a) Allahabad: 992 sweaters; (b) Bhopal: 618 sweatshirts and 400 mufflers; (c) Chandipur: 49 mufflers; (d) Chapra: 960 jackets; (e) Indore: 35 coats; (f) Jamtara: 255 sweaters; (g) Kanpur: 1015 sweaters; (h) Khetri: 1005 sweaters; (i) Lalgarh: 1992 sweaters, 1016 sweatshirts and 1000 jackets; (j) Malda: 465 sweaters; (k) Naora: 1730 sweatshirts, 158 sweaters, 625 jackets and 1000 mufflers; (l) Narottam Nagar: 771 sweaters and 100 sweatshirts (m) Purulia: 550 sweaters; (n) Rahara: 14 sweaters; (o) Sikra Kulingram: 40 shawls; (p) Tamluk: 512 sweaters, 611 jackets and 205 mufflers 2. Cyclone Relief: Tamil Nadu: In the wake of the Cyclone Vardah which struck a major portion of coastal Tamil Nadu, Kanchipuram centre distributed 131 tarpaulins among an equal number of affected families in 7 villages of Kanchipuram district 3. Disturbance Relief: Bangladesh: On 10 December, Dhaka centre distributed 560 corrugated tin sheets among 70 families affected by social disturbance in Nasirnagar Upazilla in Brahmanberia district. 4. Distress Relief: The following centres distributed various items, as shown against their names, to needy people: (a) Allahabad: 1061 shirts, 1010 pants and 931 T-shirts; (b) Bamunmura: 139 saris, 490 shirts, 971 pants and 460 tops; (c) Bhopal: 1217 shirts, 589 pants and 800 pairs of socks; (d) Chapra: 5811 saris and 5227 dhotis; (e) Ghatshila: 989 saris, 940 dhotis, 265 lungis and 421 children’s garments; (f) Indore: 250 shirts, 250 pants and 60 saris; (g) Jamtara: 520 tops, 490 shirts and 755 pants; (h) Kanpur: 1056 shirts, 1016 pants and 1022 T-shirts; (1) Lalgarh: 2015 shirts, 1410 pants, 450 tops, 817 saris, 1940 dhotis and 104 bedsheets; (j) Malda: 870 shirts, 1200 pants and 1083 tops; (k) Naora: 2900 shirts, 1402 tops, 5436 pants and 1500 pairs of socks; (l) Narottam Nagar: 829 shirts, 1392 pants, 563 tops, 348 pairs of socks, 210 toiletry kits and 210 stationery sets; (m) Ponnampet: 30 saris and 95 solar; (n) Purulia: 500 saris, 3128 shirts and 3509 pants; (o) Rahara: 25 kg baby food, 194 saris, 147 chaddars, 14 lungis, 28 churidars, 283 bedsheets, 880 mosquito-nets and a bicycle; (p) Raipur: 620 saris; (q) Salem: 3152 shirts, 3037 tops, 3979 pants and 991 frocks; (r) Sarisha: 346 saris, 67 dhotis and 25 children’s garments; (s) Silchar: 1 lakh halogen tablets and 300 mosquito-nets; (t) Tamluk: 1745 shirts, 2865 pants, 805 tops and 1470 pairs of socks. 5. Flood Rehabilitation: Tamil Nadu: Chennai Students’ Home handed over the newly built Sister Nivedita Community Hall to the people of Thathaimanji village in Thiruvallur district on 20 December. 6. Economic Rehabilitation: The following centres distributed necessary items to poor and needy people: (a) Khetri: 67 sewing machines. (b) Rahara: 8 sewing machines, 4 rickshaw vans and 2 cycle-rickshaws.

The V edanta K esari ~ 77 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 47 Book Reviews For review in The Vedanta Kesari, publishers need to send us two copies of their latest publication.

Swami Vivekananda in San of religion, definition of spiritual ideals and the Francisco ways and means by which a man can become free and realize his lost divinity. However, the by , same topics bore a kind of strength, openness and Published by Sri Ramakrishna decisiveness while he preached in San Francisco Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 advocating ‘Worship of the Spirit by the Spirit’, 004. E-mail: mail@chennaimath. and propounded his Gospel of Manliness and org, 2015, Pp. 70, paperback, emphasized Monistic Vedanta in an unalloyed Rs.35. form. Swami Ashokananda calls these talks This book is the Indian Edition of ‘exploding bombshells’ because they bypassed the the book published by the Vedanta Society of Personal God, and uncompromisingly declared the Northern California, San Francisco, U.S.A. in 1969 infinite strength in human beings. Quoting Swami to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of Vivekananda’s remarks that ‘I have given my Swami Vivekananda’s visit to California. During highest teaching in California’, the author concludes his second visit to the West, Swamiji had stayed in that the lectures delivered in San Francisco reached San Francisco for three months from the last week the culmination of his teachings. of February to the end of May 1900. The reader remains awe-struck at the great- The author, Swami Ashokananda led the ness of Swami Vivekananda and his soul-stirring Vedanta Society of Northern California for more teachings. The book is a precious treasure for Swami than 30 years (1932-1969). He was a brilliant Vivekananda devotees. speaker, a Vedantist to the core and a powerful ______DR. CHETANA MANDAVIA, JUNAGADH (GUJARAT) spiritual guide. Swami Ashokananda delivered these lectures extemporaneously at the Vedanta Society in San Hindu Rashtra by Prof. Francisco and the book contains them. V. Rangarajan Giving an enlightening portrait of Swami Published by Author, Sister Vivekananda and his association with his Guru Nivedita Academy, Sri Bharat Sri Ramakrishna, the author gives a pen picture Mandir, Srinivasanagar, Kithaganur of Swami Vivekananda—walking the streets of Road, Krishnarajapuram, San Francisco—dignified and regal in bearing, Bengaluru - 560 036. E-mail: sadhu. merged in God-Consciousness, at the sight of whom [email protected], Ph.080- people were transported into the realm of light and 25610935, Cell: 94482 75935, joy. The author also describes the Swami’s dress, 2015, pp.80, Rs.60, U.S. $ 3 manners, appearance and impact on the audiences revealing the boundless power and magnetism of This small book is a good compendium of Swami Vivekananda. Pointing out that Swamiji the ideas of various great leaders on spiritual and then lived in a high state of awareness, the author cultural nationalism. tries to explain that condition. Then he proceeds There are two distinct words used in the to elucidate the uniqueness of his teachings in Vedic literature. Rashtra or nation is the cultural San Francisco. During his first (1893-1896) and entity and Rajya or state is the political entity. second (1897-1900) visits to the U.S., Swamiji India has been defined as a spiritual and had spoken exhaustively on topics like nature cultural entity continuously from Vedic times to

The V edanta K esari ~ 78 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 48 this day. ‘Dharma’ or spirituality or religion in its richest stories of the and 3. Cementing broadest sense is the essence of India’s nationality. the non-symmetrical relationship between India This vision of the Motherland is expressed in the and the Hellenic world through a comparative Vedas, Bhagavata, purana, Padma purana, assignment so that the readers will comprehend that , Mahabharata, Manusmriti, sastra both the sub-continents had influenced each other and Kumara sambhava. and enriched in this venture. The same vision of India can be seen in the The ten chapters in this magnificent work aspirations and campaigns of kings like Shivaji, consist of varied themes incorporating the entire Rana Pratap and the Sikh . Then this was gamut of the subject matters of the Indian grand expressed through lectures and writings by Raja epic and the Greek mythological tenets as well. , Swami , After the invasion of India by Alexander the Great, Keshab Chandra Sen, Bankim Chandra Chatterji Indian, Egyptian, Roman and the Greek worlds and Swami Vivekananda. , had several prosperous and adverse interactions Sir John Woodroffe and Anne Besant also spread like trade, culture, military etc., according to the India’s spiritual wisdom in the West. historians whose hypotheses have been subjected The leaders who fought for India’s freedom to scrutiny in the beginning. The contributions like , Sister Nivedita, Brahmabandhav of eminent authors such as W. Doniger, R.A. Upadhyaya, Lokamanya , Bipin Jairazbhoy and U.P. Arora are elucidated especially Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Vinayak Damodar in focusing on the main theme of this work that Savarkar, Dadabhai Naoroji, Mahadev Govind ‘Indian myths and legends during the period Ranade, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, following Alexander the Great contain Greek and Netaji Subash Chandra Bose have emphasized elements.’ on spiritual nationalism. Poets like Rabindranath The author tries to emphasise that despite Tagore, Sarojini Naidu and Subramania Bharati the Hellenic influence, the Mahabharata is a ‘new sang of India as a spiritual and cultural entity. and original work of magnificent craftsmanship, Protecting and nurturing this spiritual and a masterpiece that recounts those stories and cultural nationalism is the service that is expected others in a style that, without exaggerating, from every Indian. could be defined as brilliant’. Both the Illiod and This book is an M.A. dissertation and so has the Mahabharata centre round the great wars of a lot of quotations from and about the leaders listed Trojan and Kuruksetra, but the massacre in these above with copious references and bibliography. wars are attributed to divine design supported ______GOKULMUTHU, BANGALORE by supernatural powers, acting upon kings and warriors. The descent of divine force and its The Mahabharata and Greek active role on the human lead to the legendary execution of certain lessons to humanity through Mythology various scenes, acts and characters which by Fernando Wulff Alonso, will entertain and entice lovers of ancient wisdom Translated by Andrew even today. In both epics the entire story is built Morrow. upon the son of Goddess, Bhisma and the mortal Published by Motilal Banarsi- Achilles. dass, 41, U.A Bungalow Road, The other common phenomena that bind Jawahar Nagar, Delhi – 110007, these two epics with exciting sensitivity and E-mail: [email protected]; 2014, emotional appeal are the violation of decent Hardbound, pp.523, Rs.1495 conduct and justice by the kings and generals Both the author and the translator of especially the malfeasances meted out to women the book under review are to be unhesitatingly by the so called royal dynasts. Their reprehensible appreciated for: 1. Bringing out the cultural behaviour unjustly censures their army’s warriors. heritage of two different literary traditions together In a chapter on the End Game of the epic, the author 2. Employing systematically the mythological highlights the cities, camps and horses wherein materials of the Greek with the captivating and the scintillating episodes occur in both the epics. At

The V edanta K esari ~ 79 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 49 night the camps where soldiers and innocent people ‘A Simple and Easy Way to sought asylum in cities great massacre takes place God And Other Heart-to through wooden horses technique in the Illiod Heart Talks’ and the reference to the term ‘horse’ through the by J. P. Vaswani. utterance of ‘Asvattama’ as well as the ritualistic uses of the horse. Powerful women characters in Published by Sterling Publishers the two epics have exceptional and supernatural Private Ltd., origin. The offences initially undergone by them Available at Gita Publishing and their subsequent revenges converge around House, 10, Sadhu Vaswani these women characters. The extra-ordinary roles Path, Pune - 411001. Email:gph@ of Krishna to the Pandavas and Dionysus to Hercles sadhuvaswani.org. Paperback, Pp vi + 153. are elaborately exemplified by the author with Price Rs. 175/-. dramatic precision and literary zeal wherein the ‘Pilgrims are we all upon this earth...caught entire episodes of the two epic masterpieces have up in the Vanity Fsair that is the world...’ Nothing twists, thrills and exciting moments. in this world is ‘ours’. Treat this station as ‘the Towards the concluding chapter and in the arrival and departure lounge in an airport...’ With Epilogue the author endeavours to substantiate his these words, the revered author provides a list of original claim that the Mahabharata contains the ten marks of a pilgrim; pilgrimage to the ‘eternal... ubiquitous elements directly drawn from the Greek our true home’. epic, but rather than a mere accumulation it has Contents of this book are sourced from the constituent, structural and original presence. In discourses held by Dada Vaswani. The book offers his own words, ‘In both cases, the war is followed several steps to mould a spiritual way of life. We by a series of misfortunes which affect the victors may be familiar with them but spiritual leader Dada and survivors, further deepening the tragedy(as Vaswani elegantly presents them with a Guru’s touch. massacre), and which ultimately give rise to an To begin with, one should choose either the apathetic attitude, a sorrowful and acrimonious spiritual path or worldly life as the two cannot co-exist. retrospect of the hardships and deaths dealt out (Chapter ‘The Choice is Yours’). ‘Satsang’, ‘naama ’, during the war, and the jarring realization of gods’ unselfish service, and above all, bhakti are among the role therein.’ (p.433) essential characteristics of spiritual life. The revered The original skill, the intellectual acumen author emphasises the importance of bhakti. of the author, especially in a analogical method ‘God-fearing’ is a negative attitude. One based on essential resemblances and absence of should love God. Dada Vaswani recalls the vital differences and vast knowledge of the things restlessness of a devotee who thought that her compared are revealed in the Epilogue. He not inadvertent omission to perform a ritual invited the only does analyse but evaluates the events with wrath of the Almighty, evidenced by her husband’s historical accounts, literary sources, mythological sudden illness. As the author mentions, her developments, cultural contacts, scholarly husband would have been ill regardless of her vrat. reflections, divine fervours, royal patronages, civil (page 130/1). Sri Ramakrishna ridiculed the concept elements, structural presentation etc. Almost all the of a frowning God. minute details are portrayed with critical appraisal The title of the book should not be mis- and consistent examination of the chosen theme. construed as an instant passage to God. Milk has On the whole, this brilliant work is an to undergo a process before ghee is found as Sri outstanding example in the arena of the emerging Ramakrishna observed (page 25). Dada Vaswani cultural and social realities throughout the outlines the basic requirements for a spiritual life world. It is a repository of dramatic edition in an and these are indeed ‘Simple and Easy’. A very astoundingly meticulous fashion. commendable book. ______R. GOPALAKRISHNAN, CHENNAI ______P. S. SUNDARAM, MUMBAI Once the mind tastes sweetness in the thought of God there is nothing to fear. Seek the association of the holy so that you may acquire that taste. —Swami Brahmananda

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Ramakrishna Sarada Ashrama, Devaprayag

An Appeal The incessant rain in Uttarakhand has brought about destruction on a large scale this year. However, with the grace of Sri Sri Thakur and Sri Maa the ashrama has been spared from any damage. Meanwhile in this ancient land of pilgrimage this ashrama carved out in Shi Shri Thakur’s name has found a place in the hearts of many devotees. Lovers of pilgrimages, the Himalayan people, have accepted this new place of worship (established in 2014) dedicated to Thakur Maa Swamiji with love, respect and devotion. Therefore, taking the future into consideration the need is to earmark the sliding zones and build strong retaining walls. For this purpose, the estimated cost will be approximately 30 lakh rupees. We appeal to all devotees to please donate generously towards this venture. May Thakur Maa Swamiji shower their choicest blessings on each one of you. This is my heartfelt prayer. Yours in the lord Swami Sarvatmananda Secretary Communication Ramakrisha Sarada Ashrama, Dak Banglow Road, PO Devaprayag Tehri Garhwal Uttarakhand. Pin- 249301 Phone - 09410520939, 9897452084 E-mail id: [email protected] Cheque / D.D May Please Be Drawn in Favour of Ramakrishna Sarada Ashram. Devaprayag For online Donation: Our CBS A/C Punjab National Bank, Devaprayag A/C 0625000100098104 (IFS code - PUNB - 0062500) State Bank of India Devaprayag A/C No 30932831669 (IFS code - SBIN 0014135 ) All donations are exempted from Income Tax U/S 80G of the I.T. Act 1961 The V edanta K esari 54 FEBRUARY 2017 55The V edanta K esari 55 FEBRUARY 2017 As long as you suffer from a sense of want, you cannot sincerely call on God. And man has no end of wants. This sense is so peculiar that the more you think of it, the intenser and wider it becomes. Therefore it is that those who want God should tread the path of renunciation. — Swami Adbhutananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna.

Everyone wants to exhibit his good side and conceal his defects. s The Old Temple at the Vedanta Society of not easy to confess one’s Northern California was weaknesses. If anyone the first Hindu Temple can, know that he has in the western world. worth in him. Consecrated by Swami —Swami Turiyananda Trigunatitananda on 7 January 1906, the temple is a symbol of interfaith harmony. It was extensively renovated and rededicated in October 2016.

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Teach yourselves, teach everyone his/her real nature, call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything that is excellent will come, when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity. —Swami Vivekananda

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