rd 1 103 Price: ` 10 YEAR OF PUBLICATION 1 The Vedanta Kesari THE LION OF VEDANTA A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914 Ramakrishna Math, Contai, West Bengal April 2016 2 India’s Timeless Wisdom Serve the Lord with attributes; contemplate the Lord without attributes. Our goal is to reach the State beyond attributes and no attributes. —Sant Kabir 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, ~ APRIL 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. 4 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 APRIL 2016 Gita Verse for Reflection 125 Editorial The Charm and Grace of Sri Ramakrishna’s Gospel 126 Articles Sri Ramakrishna’s Two Vyasas 130 Pravrajika Virajaprana How Hinduism Came to America 137 Umesh Gulati Memories of Swami Parameshwarananda A Disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi 144 A.K. Dey Understanding Samvega or ‘Intensity’: In Yoga Perspective 149 Swami Brahmeshananda Reminiscences Reminiscences of Sargachhi 134 Swami Suhitananda New Find Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda 152 Travelogue Mahashivaratri in Taiping, Malaysia 154 Shiuli Mukherji The Order on the March 156 Book Reviews 160 Feature Simhâvalokanam (Sri Ramakrishna, the Great Master) 129 Cover Story: Page 6 The V edanta K esari 4 APRIL 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. To ensure continuity, please renew your Always mention this in your corres- subscription well in advance. pondence. For fresh subscriptions, renewals, plac- Your initiative in promoting this scheme will help a noble cause. If you do not receive your ing advertisements in The Vedanta And the cause awaits your involvement. copy by 2nd week of a month, Kesari, please write to The Manager, please intimate us. Complaints The Vedanta Kesari Office. Vedanta Kesari Subscription Annual 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years Rates (inclusive of postage) India Rs.100 Rs.290 Rs.475 Rs.1000 Other Countries All overseas dispatch by Air Mail. Rs.2000 Rs.6000 Rs.10000 --- Please send your subscription to The Manager, The Vedanta Kesari by DD/MO drawn in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Payments / donations can be made Online using your Master or Visa Cards. For Online subscription rates, please visit our Website. We invite our readers to liberally contribute to the Vedanta Kesari Permanent Fund. 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 APRIL 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 APRIL 2016 N Cover Story N Ramakrishna Math, Contai, West Bengal Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama at Contai, is a branch of Belur Math. Situated in rural and coastal area, Contai (also called Kanthi) centre was started in 1913 and affiliated to Belur Math in 1928. The foundation for the temple of Sri Ramakrishna featured on this month’s cover was laid in 1959 by Swami Madhavananda, the ninth President of the Ramakrishna Order. The work began in 1979 and the temple was consecrated in 1986 by Swami Gambhirananda, the 11th President of the Ramakrishna Order. Approximately 200 devotees can be accommodated inside the temple. Sanctified by the visits of Swami Abhedananda and Swami Vijnanananda, two of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, the Contai centre conducts a number of spiritual, cultural, educational and medical activities. Besides regular Puja, Vedic chanting, evening Arati and observing sacred days in the temple, Contai Ashrama runs a boys’ hostel, charitable dispensary, vocational training and non-formal primary education centres, mobile medical service, village development work, disaster relief work, among others. 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 Sri Subash Menon, Kerala Rs. 10,500 Prof. Gopal Chandra Bhar, West Bengal Rs.1,00,000 The Vedanta Kesari Library Scheme SL.NO. NAMES OF SPONSORS AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS 5918. Prof. Gopal Chandra Bhar, W.B. Govt. Degree College, Lohaghat, Uttarakhand - 262 501 5919. -do- Govt. Degree College, Dwarahat, Almora, Uttarakhand - 262 653 5920. -do- Govt. Degree College, Mainila, Almora, Uttarakhand - 263 601 5921. -do- Govt. Degree College, Narayannagar, Uttarakhand - 262 501 5922. -do- Govt. Degree College, Syalde, Almora, Uttarakhand - 263 601 5923. -do- Govt. Girls Degree College, Haldwani, Uttarakhand - 263 139 5924. -do- Govt. Post Graduate College, Ramnagar, Nainital, Uttarakhand - 244 715 5925. -do- Govt. Post Graduate College, Ranikhet, Almora, Uttarakhand - 263 645 To be continued . The Vedanta Kesari VOL. 103, No. 4, APRIL 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, 12. 20 Whosoever even seeks to follow the virtuous path to Immortality thus set forth, with a mind full of faith and acceptance of Me as their supreme goal—exceedingly dear to Me are men who are thus devoted. Doing good to others is virtue (Dharma); injuring others is sin. Strength and manliness are virtue; weakness and cowardice are sin. Independence is virtue; dependence is sin. Loving others is virtue; hating others is sin. Faith in God and in one’s own Self is virtue; doubt is sin. Knowledge of oneness is virtue; seeing diversity is sin. The different scriptures only show the means of attaining virtue. —Swami Vivekananda, CW, 5:419 The V edanta K esari ~ 125 ~ APRIL 2016 8 Editorial The Charm and Grace of Sri Ramakrishna’s Gospel Simplicity of the Gospel book. I had never thought religion could be Sri Ramakrishna was, and will ever such a fun! The book is full of laughter, jokes, continue to be, a ‘phenomenon’. What is a songs and yet all that is interwoven with phenomenon? A phenomenon is a fact or profound wisdom and insights. It is simply situation that is observable but not always unbelievable and wonderful!’ Rightly did possible to explain. Sri Ramakrishna was Kuvempu, the most towering figure of the indeed a phenomenon. He was born and grew modern Kannada literature, write: up in a village and later was a temple priest ‘M’ has recorded the words of the Master as he in the city of Kolkata, but he was no ordinary pronounced them.