rd 1 103 Price: ` 10 YEAR OF PUBLICATION The Vedanta Kesari THE LION OF VEDANTA A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914 Ganga Arati, Haridwar July 2016 2 INDIA’S TIMELESS WISDOM Seeing a grinder in action, Kabir laments, no grain remains intact that come between the two grinding stones! Editor: SWAMI ATMASHRADDHANANDA Managing Editor: SWAMI GAUTAMANANDA Printed and published by Swami Vimurtananda on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna Math Trust fromThe No.31, RamakrishnaV edanta KMathesari Road, ~ 2 Mylapore, ~ JULY Chennai 2016 - 4 and Printed at Sri Ramakrishna Printing Press, No.31 Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 4. Ph: 044 - 24621110 3 The Vedanta Kesari 103rd YEAR OF PUBLICATION VOL. 103, No. 7 ISSN 0042-2983 A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER Started at the instance of Swami Vivekananda 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 JULY 2016 Gita Verse for Reflection 245 Editorial The Practice of Prayer—A Perspective 246 Articles Youth and Their Problems: Lessons in Coping with Life from Swami Vivekananda 261 Swami Satyapriyananda Holistic Development through Religious Harmony :The Vision and Mission of Swami Vivekananda 256 T V Muralivallabhan Reminiscences Reminiscences of Sargachhi 252 Swami Suhitananda Travelogue A Pilgrimage to the Monastery of Sri Totapuriji—Dera Baba Ladana in Haryana 267 A Monastic Sojourner New Find Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda 275 The Order on the March 277 Book Reviews 280 Feature Simhâvalokanam (On Meditation) 251 Cover Story: Page 6 The V edanta K esari 4 JULY 2016 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 inquiries: [email protected] TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS You can subscribe to The Vedanta reaching us before this or after one Kesari from any month. month (for overseas subscriptions, On your address slip, the number two months) of posting of the jour- on the left of the first line of add- nal are not entertained. ress is your subscription number. 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This will go a long way in placing this 100 years old magazine on firm financial footing to continue its service to the cause of a holistic and meaning- ful life. Your contributions (minimum of Rs.1000/- or US$ 25) by Cheque/DD/ MO should be sent to Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai, along with a covering note stating that it is meant for Vedanta Kesari Permanent Fund. Every contribution will be gratefully acknowledged and the donor’s name will be pub- lished in the Vedanta Kesari. All donations to Sri Ramakrishna Math are exempt from Income Tax under section 80G of the [Indian] I.T. Act, 1961. We accept online donations also. The V edanta K esari 5 JULY 2016 Vedanta Kesari Library Fund Scheme Do you wish to join in spreading the message of Vedanta and of Ramakrishna- Vivekananda to larger number of people? Do you feel that India’s timeless heritage You are welcome to of spirituality, values and culture need to join us in these efforts reach a wider section of youth? by contributing to our Library Fund Scheme. Your initiative in promoting this scheme will help a noble cause. And the cause awaits your involvement. The Vedanta Kesari Library Fund Scheme aims at a wider reach among the youth, especially in high schools, colleges / universities and other institutions of learning in India. Sponsorship for one library is Rs.1000/-. Under this scheme, donors can sponsor libraries, including public libraries, which would receive The Vedanta Kesari for ten years. The sponsors can mention the libraries which they wish to enroll, or The Vedanta Kesari would select the libraries on their behalf. The name of the sponsors, along with the libraries enrolled, will be published in The Vedanta Kesari. This scheme is valid for libraries in India. We invite you to join hands with us in this valuable scheme. You can send your sponsorship by cash or through a DD drawn in favour of ‘Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai’ and send it with a covering note to The Manager, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 Email : [email protected] Website : www.chennaimath.org ‘Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work.’ —Swami Vivekananda The V edanta K esari 6 JULY 2016 N Cover Story N Ganga Arati, Haridwar Held as one of the most sacred centres of pilgrimage, Haridwar or Hardwar draws thousands of pilgrims every day. Situated in the state of Uttarakhand, it is also known by its ancient names of Mayapuri and Gangadwara. Mayapuri refers to the temple of Mayadevi, a form of the Divine Mother, and Gangadwara indicates that the sacred Ganges, after flowing for 253 kilometres from its source at Gaumukh, enters the plains of North India first at Haridwar. Haridwar is regarded as one of the seven holiest places (Sapta Puri) to Hindus and a bath in Ganga is believed to relieve one of all sins and impurities. According to the Hindu tradition, during samudra manthana, the churning of oceans, Haridwar along with Ujjain, Nashik and Prayag is one of four sites where drops of Amrita, the elixir of immortality, inadvertently spilled over from the pitcher while being carried by the celestial bird Garuda. To mark this, the Kumbha Mela, which draws millions, is held every 12 years in all these four places. Brahma Kund, the spot where the Amrita fell, is located at Har Ki Pauri (literally, ‘footsteps of the Lord’) and is considered to be the most sacred ghat of Haridwar. Every evening, arati, the waving of lights, is performed to Mother Ganga at Har Ki Pauri and other ghats along the Ganga in Rishikesh and elsewhere. Thousands witness the Arati with devotion and a sense of sanctity, inspiring an atmosphere of awe, peace and religious fervour. THE VEDANTA KESARI PATRONS’ SCHEME We invite our readers to join as patrons of the magazine. They can do so by sending Rs.2000/- or more. Names of the patrons will be announced in the journal under the Patrons' Scheme and they will receive the magazine for 20 years. Please send your contribution to The Manager, The Vedanta Kesari by DD/MO drawn in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai with a note that the enclosed amount is for the Patrons' Scheme. (This scheme is valid in India only). DONORS Late Smt. Ram Pyari and Sri Gopinath Allahabadia Rs.3100 Mr. Ravi Sharma Rs.2000 The Vedanta Kesari Library Scheme SL.NO. NAMES OF SPONSORS AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS 6115. M/s. Merino Panel Products Ltd., W.B. Goethals Memorial School, Darjeeling Dist., W.B. - 734 203 6116. -do- Gobind Ram Karuka, Purulia, W.B. - 723 101 6117. -do- Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary School, Mussoorie, U.P. - 248 179 6118. -do- Hansraj Morarji Public School, Maharashtra - 400 058 To be continued . The Vedanta Kesari VOL. 103, No. 7, JULY 2016 ISSN 0042-2983 EACH SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE. T HE GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN. 7 Gita Verse for Reflection Tr. by Swami Tapasyananda —Bhagavad Gita, 15. 3-4 For one involved in worldly life, the form of the World-Tree is not visible, nor its origin, nor its end, nor its foundation. Cutting asunder the firmly rooted Asvattha (World-Tree) with the powerful axe of non-attachment, and saying, ‘I seek refuge in that Primeval Person from whom this eternal cosmic activity has streamed forth’, man should seek that Status, attaining to which there is no more return to this life of Samsara. Who can work without any attachment? That is the real question. Such a man is the same whether his work succeeds or fails. His heart does not give one false beat even if his whole life- work is burnt to ashes in a moment. ‘This is the sage who always works for work’s sake without caring for the results. Thus he goes beyond the pain of birth and death. Thus he becomes free.’ Then he sees that this attachment is all delusion. The Self can never be attached. .Then he goes beyond all the scriptures and philosophies. If the mind is deluded and pulled into a whirlpool by books and scriptures, what is the good of all these scriptures? One says this, another says that. What book shall you take? Stand alone! See the glory of your own soul, and see that you will have to work.