FEBRUARY - JULY 2003 Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No. R.N.21643/71 VIVEKANANDANDANDAAA A DISTINCTIVE KENDRAKENDRAKENDRA CULTURAL MAGAZINE OF INDIA PPPAAATRIKATRIKATRIKA ( A Half-yearly Publication) FEBRUARY ‘03 — JULY ‘03 — Vol. 32 No. - 1 63rd Issue Founder-Editor : EKNATH RANADE EPIC IMPRINTS Editorial Board: Editor : Impact of the characters G.VASUDEO P.PARAMESWARAN of the Epics and the Puranas on the N.KRISHNAMOORTI Life of India EDITORIAL OFFICE : SUBSCRIPTION RATES : Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan Trust, Life (20 Years) : Rs.2000/- + Rs.45/-* 5, Singarachari Street, Triplicane, Annual : Rs.250/- + Rs.30/- * Chennai - 600 005. Single Copy : Rs.125/- + Rs.30/- * Phone : (044) 8442843, 8440042 E-mail : [email protected] Postage Extra * For Outstation Cheques Printed at : Hi-tech Offset (P) Ltd., Chennai - 600 014. Phone :2 848 4681, 2848 2697 . Fax : 044-2848 0727 About contents :- Views, approaches and information collected and presented as articles in a comprehensive volume. An official organ of Vivekananda Kendra, an all-India service mission with service to humanity as its sole motto and with Headquarters at Kanyakumari. The views expressed by the authors are not necessarily the views of the journal. 1 VIVEKANANDA KENDRA PATRIKA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Vivekananda Kendra Patrika would like to thank the following publishers from whose publications, extracts have been included in this issue. 1. Advaita Ashrama – Dehi Entally – Kolkata 1. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda 2. Myths and Legends of the Hindus and Buddhists Nov.2001 2. Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla The Mahabharata in the Tribal and and Seagull Books-Kolkata Folk traditions of India—1993. 3. The Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi 1. A History of Indian Literature-1994 2. The Ramayana Tradition in Asia – 1989 4. The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of The Cultural Heritage of India-1993 Culture, Kolkata 5. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry The Foundations of India Culture-1968 6. The International Institute of Tamil Sangathamizharin Vazhipadum Studies, Madras 113. Chadangukalum 1996. 7. The Anthropological Society of India and Ramakatha in Tribal and Folk Traditions Seagull books, Kolkata. in India 1993 8. The National Book Trust of India, New Delhi 1. Nagaland – 1981 2. Folklore in India 1980 3. Folklore of Kerala 1991 9. Sarvodaya Press Patamata, Vijayawada The growth of the personality of Mahatma Gandhi 1988 10. Ramanashram, Tiruvannamalai Spiritual stories as told by Ramana Maharshi 1986 11. Vanati Publishers, Madras 17. Deivathin Kural II 1978 12. Triveni Sangham, Language Dept., Pune Proverbs of India 1978. The Cover page Pictures showing Sri Rama embracing Guha the hunter, and Sri Krishna hugging Kuchela the poor Brahmin, reveal the fact that our epic heroes transcended differences of caste and status. 8 FEBRUARY - JULY 2003 SYNOPSIS VIVEKANANDA KENDRA PATRIKA August 2003 – January 2004 Vol.32 No.2 Next issue 64th Issue BALA BHARATAM Child in India; its Past, Present and Prospects A perfect Jnani is compared to a child in the Upanishads, because of its purity and innocence. Worshipping Sri Krishna, Ganesha, Kartikeya and Devi as a child is a Puranic tradition. Prahlada, Dhruva, Jnanasambandha, Adi Shankara, Lava and Kusha and a number of child prodigies find place in our history and mythology. India has a special way of looking at the factors that go to make a healthy child. Pre-Natal and Post-Natal samskaras (rituals) help children grow healthily in the physical, emotional, social and spiritual spheres. In free India, education, nutrition and health programmes for children, special opportunities for their growth and for nurturing their talents have grown. Child prodigies, special children, girl children etc. receive focussed attention. Child labour problems, partly true, partly exaggerated, have caught the attention of the media. What prospects does the future India hold for its children, interms of environmental cleanliness, job, educational and employment opportunities and health facilities? All these topics are sought to be dealt with, in the forthcoming issue of the Vivekananda Kendra Patrika 9 VIVEKANANDA KENDRA PATRIKA INDEX FOR ADVERTISERS 1 Agarwal Bhavan, ------------------------------------------------------------------- 05 2 Amrutanjan Ltd., -----------------------------------------------------------------246 3 Assab Sripad Steels Ltd., --------------------------------------------------------216 4 Brihans Natural Products -------------------------------------------------------213 5 City Union Bank Ltd -------------------------------------------------------------215 6 Deejay Plastics Pvt.Ltd. ----------------------------------------------------------- 03 7 Entyce Textile Corporation------------------------------------------------------240 8 G.Pulla Reddy Sweets, ------------------------------------------------------------ 10 9 Ganesh Investments --------------------------------------------------------------245 10 Hyderabad Industries Ltd., -----------------------------------------------------215 11 Indian Leaf Tobacco Dev.Dir ---------------------------------------------------243 12 J & J Dechane ---------------------------------------------------------------------242 13 Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd., -----------------------------------------------------211 14 Kothari Phytochemicals International ----------------------------------------210 15 Kumar Properties -----------------------------------------------------------------212 16 Lakshmi General Finance Ltd., ------------------------------------------------- 04 17 Lakshmi Seva Sangam -----------------------------------------------------------214 18 Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ltd. --------------------------------------------------------241 19 Larsen & Toubro Ltd -------------------------------------------------------------- 07 20 MADRAS CEMENTS------------------------------------------------ 2ND WRAPPER 21 Mangalore Ganesh Beedi Works ------------------------------------------------ 06 22 Sales Service Co. -------------------------------------------------------------------209 23 Sharon Veeners Ltd. --------------------------------------------------------------248 24 Shree Vasundra Textiles----------------------------------------------------------243 25 SOFIL Information Systems ----------------------------------------------------245 26 Southern Electriks, ----------------------------------------------------------------180 27 Sundaram Finance Ltd., ---------------------------------------------------------- 02 28 Sundram Clayton Ltd. -----------------------------------------------------------244 29 TVS Sundaram Motors, ---------------------------------------------------------- 78 30 Ucal Fuel Systems Ltd. -----------------------------------------------------------148 Published by N Viswanath on behalf of Vivekananda Kendra from 5, Singarachari Street, Triplicane, Chennai-5. Printed by N Viswanath at M/s. Hi-Tech Offset (P) Ltd., Anghamuthu Naickan Street, Royapettah, Chennai - 600014. Phone: 28484681. Editor: P. Parameswaran. 247 FEBRUARY - JULY 2003 Invocation vfgalk çFkea iq"ie~ iq"ia KkusfUnzz; fuxzge~A loZHkwr n;k iq"ie~ {kekiq"ia fo'ks"kr%A 'kfUriq"ia ri% iq"ie~ /;kuiq"ia rFkSo pA lR;a v"Vfo/ka iq"ie~ fo".ks% çhfrdja Hkosr~AA Ahimsaa prathamam pushpam Pushpam jnaanendriya nigraham Sarvabhoota dayaa pushpam Kshamaapushpam visheshatah Shaantipushpam tapah pushpam Dhyaanapushpam tathaiva cha Satyam ashtavidham pushpam Vishnoh preetikaram bhavet. The eight flowers pleasurable to Lord Vishnu are: Non-violence, Control over the organs of perception Love towards all beings, Forgiveness, Peace of mind Austerity, Meditation and speaking Truth. - Padmapurana 11 VIVEKANANDA KENDRA PATRIKA CONTENTS Editorial 17 Section – I The Epics 1. The Epics and the Puranas - C.P.Ramaswamy Aiyar 33 2. The influence of the Ramayana and The Mahabharata on the Life of Indians - Nilmadhav Sen 36 3. Indian Mythology - R.N.Dandekar 38 4. The Tirukkural and the Hindu Mythological lore - N.Krishnamoorti 39 5. Religion for the common Man - Sri Aurobindo 41 6. Impact of Vedic Mythology, Epics and Puranas on the Life of Literature of Sangam Tamils - Prof.M.Shanmukham Pillai 42 7. Myths and Legends of the Hindus and Buddhists - Sister Nivedita 45 8. Mythology of India as a source for study of Mythology everywhere - Sister Nivedita 46 9. The Motives of Religion and their Records in Epics and Puranas - Sister Nivedita 47 10. Western Interpretations of Psychological Phenomena - Dr.Shivaram Karikal 48 11. Relevance of our Twin Epics - Swami Kritarthananda 49 12. Festivals, Fasts, Vows and Pilgrimages are inspired by the Epics and the Puranas - 54 13. Puranas and observances - Kanchi Paramacharya 55 14. Vows, observances and Festivals - Compiled 56 15. The Epics and the Puranas Teach Mankind the Ecological Principles - 57 16. Two Epics and one Purana - Dr.K.V.N.Raghavan Smt.K.Amruthavalli 59 12 FEBRUARY - JULY 2003 17. Understanding the Common Thread of Hindu Philosophy, Mythology and Ritual - Swami Vivekananda 64 18. Myths and Modern Indian Literature The Popularity of the Pauranika - Sisir Kumar Das 66 19. All India Character of Myths - Sisir Kumar Das 68 20. Epic Characters and the Ethical System - Sisir Kumar Das 70 21. Epic Metaphor in the Modern Context of Indian Society - Jawaharlal Handoo 71 Section II Ramayana 1. Ramayana in the Arts of Asia - Kapila Vatsyayan 81 2. Brahmarshi Vishwamitra - K.R.Krishnamurthi 86 3. Pilgrimage of Vishwamitra from Greed to Enlightenment - T.Raghunandan 89 4. Bharata,