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TheVedanta
Kesari
A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914`15 M arch
2020
Cover StoryBengaluru’s
Floral Tribute to Swami Vivekananda
page 11
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Vivekananda Navaratri, 2020 in Vivekananda House, Chennai
Swami Vivekananda’s 9-day stay in Castle Kernan, Chennai, now known as Vivekananda House is
celebrated every year as Vivekananda Navaratri by
Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai
Editor: Swami mahamedhananda
Published by Swami Vimurtananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai - 600 004 and
Printed by B. Rajkumar, Chennai - 600 014 on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna Math Trust, Chennai - 600 004 and Printed at M/s. Rasi Graphics Pvt. Limited, No.40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600014.
Website: www.chennaimath.org E-mail: [email protected] Ph: 6374213070
Editor: Swami mahamedhananda
Published by Swami Vimurtananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai - 600 004 and
Printed by B. Rajkumar, Chennai - 600 014 on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna Math Trust, Chennai - 600 004 and Printed at M/s. Rasi Graphics Pvt. Limited, No.40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600014.
Website: www.chennaimath.org E-mail: [email protected] Ph: 6374213070
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Should India Be a Wholly Secular State?Swami Madhavananda
Bengaluru’s Floral Tribute to Swami Vivekananda
Suresh Moona
Swami Vivekananda’s First Chicago Speech in Major Local NewspapersAsim Chaudhuri
Allama PrabhuShivanand Shahapur
Sri Ramakrishna and the Pilgrimage MindsetSwami Chidekananda
Sri Yogananda-Dashakam Swami Japasiddhananda
FEATURES
8 Atmarpanastuti 9 Yugavani10 Editorial14 Reminiscences27 Vivekananda Way33 Pocket Tales52 Pariprasna53 The Order on the March
Poorva: Magic, Miracles and the Mystical TwelveLakshmi Devnath
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Year of Publication
Vol. 107, No. 3 ISSN 0042-2983
Cover
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The VedanTa KesariA Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of The Ramakrishna Order
CONTENTSMARCH 2020
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TheVedanta Kesari
He was a much-celebrated and much-feted Swami. His famous address at The World’s Parliament of Religions,
Chicago in 1893 had catapulted him to the status of a super star. But Swami Vivekananda was not one to bask in chaffy glory. A letter to one of
his trusted followers, from the USA, dated 12 Jan 1895, read, ‘I want to preach my ideas for the good of the world. …What work have you done in the way of advancing the ideas and organising in India? …My life is more precious than spending it in getting the admiration of the world. I have no time for such foolery.’
Swamiji, as Swami Vivekananda was fondly addressed, loved and revered his motherland as his own mother. Every breath of his aspired for her well being and every cell in his body yearned that she regain her lost glory. She had been a beacon light for the world until repeated invasions pillaged her ruthlessly and left her not just poverty-stricken but also psychologically drained. The latter struck at the very core, underlying the urgency for immediate redressal. Swamiji’s panacea for this lay in India’s very own practical and ennobling Vedantic wisdom. Vedanta recognises no weakness. It proclaims that in every individual lies a mine of strength. All that is needed is an effort to draw from it.
Swamiji started looking for the right channel to propagate the powerful message of Vedanta. He opted for the print medium and decided to bring out a journal, giving it the name Brahmavadin. In February 1895, he sent from USA $100 and a letter to his trusted disciple Alasinga Perumal. The letter read: ‘Now I am bent upon starting the journal. Herewith I send a hundred dollars… Hope this will go just a little in starting your paper.’
If selflessness and devotion would have a form, it would have borne the name of Alasinga Perumal. Brahmavadin became Alasinga’s calling and the first issue rolled out from a press in Broadway, Chennai on 14 September 1895. The magazine included a poem of Swamiji specially composed for the occasion. It was titled, ‘The Song of the Sannyasin’. One verse ran thus:
First issue of
Brahmavadin, September 1895
First issue of The Vedanta Kesari, May 1914
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One hundred and seven years and going strong….
“Strike off thy fetters! Bonds that bind thee down,
Love, hate — good, bad — and all the dual throng,
For fetters, though of gold, are not less strong to bind;
With this message that marked its mission, Brahmavadin made a determined entry into the strife-ridden climate of pre-independence India. The birth of the magazine was certainly an occasion for celebration but the struggles were far from over.
One of Swamiji’s letters to Alasinga read: ‘I learnt from your letter the bad financial state that Brahmavadin is in.’ This was followed by another letter that carried the line, ‘I pledge myself to maintain the paper anyhow.’
Bolstered by this pledge, Alasinga Perumal braved on, surmounting many an impediment. Sadly, Swami Vivekananda passed away in 1902, at the age of thirty-nine. Alasinga’s intense anguish morphed into heightened devotion towards the magazine. But the next hurdle in Brahmavadin’s journey came in 1909, in the form of Alasinga’s own demise. In May 1914, the magazine, tottering as it was, floundered and ground to a halt.
It was at this crucial juncture, that the Ramakrishna Mission stepped in to revive it. The Mission was itself in its nascent stages with many a teething problem but nothing could come in its way of reviving the Brahmavadin. For, had not their beloved Swamiji repeatedly said, ‘The Brahmavadin is a jewel – it must not perish!” And so, the very same month when Brahmavadin closed, it was resuscitated with the new name The Vedanta Kesari.
The history of The Vedanta Kesari is much more than just a tale of sweat, toil and a dream realized. It is a narrative of Swamiji’s passion for India and Alasinga’s devotion to his master. It is a celebration of love, transcending forms.
ECO-FRIENDLY Trees are the life-breath of our world. To support environment conservation The Vedanta Kesari is printed on paper prepared mainly from sugarcane bagasse.
TheVedanta Kesari
(Handwritten words in Swamiji’s own hand)
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Sloka - 8अर्कद्रोणप्रभृतिरुसुमैरर्चनं िे तिधेयं प्ररापयं िेन समरहर फलं मरोक्षसराम्राजयलकम्मीः ।
एिज्रानन्नति तिि तिि वयर्चयन् ररालमरातमन्नरातमद्रोह्म ररणतिििरो भूयसराधीःििरातम ॥८ 8) Your worship can be performed even with wild flowers such as arka and
drona. By that the supreme bliss of liberation can be attained, O destroyer of Cupid. In spite of knowing this, alas! I, traitor to myself, am wasting my time, being under the control of my senses, and am falling lower and lower, O supreme Self!
Sloka - 9तरं िरा रुिवे तिषमतिषयसिैररणरा िैररणराहं बद्ीः सिरातमन् ििुतष हृदयग्रन्रनरा सराध्चमनसमन् । उकणरा दि्चजिरभरजुषरा सरारमेरत्र नद्ीः श्रामयन् ितसीः समरहर युगे धराििरा तरं रररोिु ॥९9) What can I do! O Lord, in this body I am bound by the objects of sense
which are uncontrollable along with the knots of the heart (the vāsanas). How can a calf, in spite of its best efforts, cope with an extremely haughty bull running very fast when the two are yoked together, O Slayer of Cupid!
Sloka - 10नराहं ररोद््धं ररणतनरयं द्धन्चयं िरारयरातम समरारं समरारं जतनिररुजं नरार स्मदरातम भ्मतयरा ।
तरं िरा रुिवे तरमुतरितमह क्राद्य गच्रातम ह्ि तितिरादराबजप्रिदनमृिे नैि िशयरामयुिरायम् ॥१०10) I am not able to control the wayward senses. Thinking again and again of
the sufferings of transmigratory existence I tremble with fear, O Lord! What should I do, what is the proper thing to do here, where shall I go now, alas! I do not see any means other than total surrender at Your lotus feet.
AtmarpanastutiSri Appayya Dikshitendra
Translated by Sri. S.N. Sastri.
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Seeing God
Yugavani
Let me tell you one thing. God can be seen. The Vedas say that God is beyond mind and speech. The meaning of this is that God is unknown to the mind attached to worldly objects. Vaishnavacharan (a Vaishnava scholar and sadhaka) used to say,
‘God is known by the mind and intellect that are pure.’ Therefore, it is necessary to seek the company of holy men, practice prayer, and listen to the instruction of the guru. These purify the mind. Then one sees God. Dirt can be removed from water by a purifying agent. Then one sees one’s reflection in it. One cannot see one’s face in a mirror if the mirror is covered with dirt.
Living in solitude now and then, repeating God’s name and singing His glories, and discriminating between the Real and the unreal – these are the means to employ to see Him.
If by the grace of the guru one’s ego vanishes, then one sees God.Through restlessness—the restlessness a child feels for his mother. The child feels
bewildered when he is separated from his mother, and weeps longingly for her. If a man can weep like that for God, he can even see Him.
Why is it that people do not see God? It is because of the barrier of ‘lust and greed’.One cannot see God unless maya steps aside from the door. … But maya steps aside
from the door when God shows His grace to the devotee. When the visitor stands before the door, the door-keeper says to the master, ‘Sir, command us, and we shall let him pass.’
It is one thing to hear of God, another thing to see God, and still another thing to talk to God. … You will get peace of mind only when you have seen God. You will enjoy bliss and gain strength only when you have talked to Him.
I used to see God directly with these very eyes, just as I see you.I put the palm of my hand near Her nostrils and felt that Mother (Bhavatarini in
Dakshineswar Kali Temple) was actually breathing. I observed very closely, but I could never see the shadow of the Mother’s divine person on the temple wall in the light of the lamp at night. I heard from my room Mother, merry like a littel girl, going upstairs, Her anklets making jingling sounds. I came out to verify and found that She, with Her hair dishevelled, was actually standing on the verandah of the first floor of the temple and was now viewing Calcutta, and next the Ganga. — Sri Ramakrishna
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Recently when The Vedanta Kesari volunteers approached a private educational institution offering the
‘VK for Students Scheme’, the principal quickly dismissed the proposal as unbefitting the ‘secular’ credentials of her institution. The free offer, which is for students from class 10 to degree college, requires the class teacher to recognise every month a boy and a girl who manifest noble characteristics like honesty, selflessness, self-control, and service, and gift them each a copy of The Vedanta Kesari. But the principal saw this gift as promotion of a religious ideology and therefore an unsecular activity.
Behind the Principal’s ‘secularist’ stance lies two reasons. The first is the unfortunate influence of the West where the academia largely rejected religion as unscientific thinking and mere rigid dogmas. But it should be noted that in our land, right from the Vedic times, religion has been upheld not as a finished dogma, but as “a method and a means to pierce the veil that hides the ever-present meaning and mystery of existence.” This religious approach encompasses all dimensions of life, all fields of knowledge. The Mundaka Upanishad declares that for a total understanding and development of life at the physical, mental, and moral levels, man should cultivate two kinds of knowledge – the para vidya or the supreme knowledge that unveils the eternal Truth behind the manifest life, and the apara vidya or the ordinary knowledge dealing with scriptures and all the sciences and arts of the perishable manifest world. Again, of the two vidyas, apara or Brahma vidya occupies the primary position because it is sarva-vidya-pratistha, the basis of all secular knowledge.
The second reason behind the ‘secularist’ rejection of religion in education, is that being a
Vedantic SecularismEditorial
multi-religious country we cannot allow any one particular religion to shape the character of our children. Also, allowing all religions to have a say is not possible because they bring contradictory values and ideals. Indeed, no faith – which insists that its doctrines are the only true ones; which believes that those who do not believe in its doctrines will go to some terrible place; which even draws the sword to compel others to believe as it says; which demands that its God be accepted as the Supreme, – should have any say in the 21st century education system.
But we are talking about Vedanta, the Universal Religion based on universal principles of life. Vedanta is a system of knowledge which is marked by a scientific spirit – a critical and bold inquiry into Truth made with objectivity and precision, and welcoming the challenge of verification. Vedanta is the pursuit of a unified vision and experience of life which naturally leads to spiritual growth within and social productivity and peace in the world outside.
If the State does not actively support and impart this Vedantic view of life in education and in the functioning of public institutions, a large number of our rapidly increasing population will grow up with a fundamentalist mind-set. They can at best only rise to the level of toleration, which is but only a mild form of violence.
We should remember that our traditions and value system are rooted in the pursuit of para vidya. Neglecting this spiritual tradition and denying it to our younger generation, will make us untrue to the growth of our civilisation since ages, and will only result in individual and social moral degeneration. For a deeper understanding of this topic see page 16 of this issue.
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Since the time Kempe Gowda-I, a chieftain under the Vijayanagara Empire, built Bengaluru in 1537, the
city with its salubrious climate, greenery, and kind-hearted people has been steadily growing, attracting people and organisations from across the country and even abroad.
For the devotees and admirers of the Ramakrishna Order, there are two significant events in the history of Bengaluru: the first is Swami Vivekananda’s visit in 1892 and later Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s visit in 1911. These two visits, along with the visits of other direct-disciples of Sri Ramakrishna – Swamis Brahmananda, Ramakrishnananda, Abheda- nanda, Shivananda, and Vijnanananda, made Bengaluru an important centre for spreading Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement across Karnataka. One of the great maxims of Swamiji: “They alone live who live for others, the rest are
Bengaluru’s Floral Tribute to Swami Vivekananda
SURESH MOONA
A unique form of floral tribute was offered to Swami Vivekananda in January 2020 in the city of Bengaluru. A brief description of this Flower Show is presented here.
more dead than alive” was written to Chamaraja Wadiyar, the Maharaja of Mysore. For more than a century, the people of Bengaluru have been paying tributes in various ways to Swami Vivekananda, the patriot-monk. Last January, a unique tribute was offered in the form of the Republic Day Flower Show, 2020 at Lalbagh. It was called Viveka Pushpa Namana or ‘Floral Respect to Vivekananda’, and held from 17th to 26th January 2020.
Lalbagh Garden was conceived by Hyder Ali in 1760 and completed by his son Tipu Sultan. It gradually developed into the present 240-acre botanical garden nurturing a variety of plants and trees. From 1912 Lalbagh began to organise flower shows. There were two annual flower shows, known as Summer Show and Winter Show. Since 1951, these shows are organised as Independence Day Show and Republic Day Show. These shows serve as a
The author is a noted scholar of the history of Bengaluru and a popular columnist. [email protected]
Cover Story
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medium to educate people about the variety of flora and develop public interest in plant conservation. The flower shows are organized in the Glasshouse which is also known as the The Jewel of Lalbagh; it is modeled on London’s Crystal Palace and was built around 1889.
To commemorate the 157th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the theme for this year’s Republic Day Flower Show was “Swami Vivekananda’s Life & Teachings”. Titled as ‘Viveka Pushpa Pradarshana’, the 211th floral show recreated, using a wide variety of flowers, important incidents and places related to Swamiji.
The flower show was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sri B. S. Yediyurappa on 17 Jan 2020 in the presence of the chief guest, Sri V. Somanna, Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Sericulture, Government of Karnataka, and Swami Tadyuktananda of Ramakrishna Math
Basavanagudi, Bengaluru. The event was the joint effort of Sri Ramakrishna Vidyarthi Mandiram (SRVM), a unit of Ramakrishna Math, Basavanagudi and the Department of Horticulture, Government of Karnataka.
The Glass HouseIn the Glass House the presentations
included floral replicas of (i) Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial of Kanyakumari; (ii) the interior of Swami Vivekananda Temple at Belur Math; (iii) the podium from where Swamiji addressed the audience at the Chicago Parliament of Religions as “Sisters and Brothers of America” (with an audio rendering of his speech in the background); (iv) a vertical garden of the Swami Vivekananda Mantapa at the Ramakrishna Math, Bengaluru (with the stone bench on which Swamiji sat while staying in Bengaluru); (v) embossed sculptures of Swamiji; (vi) Swamiji’s statues in different
Sri B. S. Yediyurappa, Sri V. Somanna & Swami Tadyuktananda Book exhibition-cum-sale Cultural programmes
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attires; (vii) 110 boards displaying Swamiji’s life and message; (viii) original pictures of Swamiji displayed on the walls of the Glass House; (ix) floral arrangement by many organisations with different themes; and (x) a display of 2000 exotic flowers.
Attractions in the gardenA number of activities and programmes
were conducted in the park. A drawing competition on Swami Vivekananda was held in which 1300 students from class 1 to class 10 participated on 16 January. A film show on the life of Swami Vivekananda was held at the Kuteera near the Bonsai circle. SRVM and Ramakrishna Math, Basavanagudi screened a documentary film on Swamiji and his famous lectures. These films were shown on wide screens near the Glass House and Bonsai circle.
SRVM arranged a book exhibition-cum-sale in the garden. Near the Band Stand area, visuals using 60,000 Chrysanthemum flowers depicted the moral stories narrated by Swamiji in his lectures. Around 200 posters with attractive floral arrangement displayed powerful statements of Swamiji. Electric poles, ornamental poles, and trees all around Lalbagh displayed Swamiji’s quotations.
Every evening from 4.00 pm to 6.30 pm, SRVM arranged cultural programmes in which eminent artists and speakers presented bhajans, Vedic chantings, monoacting, classical music, classical dance, and martial arts.
The Viveka Pushpa Pradarshana attracted over 3 lakh visitors. This crowd, and the wide media coverage rekindled the life and message of Swami Vivekananda in the minds and hearts of the people of Bengaluru.
Book exhibition-cum-sale Cultural programmes
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23.11.60 Maharaj: However much you may engage
in spiritual practices like meditation, japa, and reflection on God, unless you once a day still the mind and free it from all thoughts, it is impossible to get rid of lust and anger.
Sharat Maharaj was a person of refinement; he did not have an iota of defect. How wonderful were his dealings! Often he used to say, ‘First be a gentleman, and then be a sadhu.’ If someone comes here to be a sadhu, we must consider these things: 1) appearance, 2) education, 3) behaviour, 4) parents, and 5) upbringing, i.e., the environment in which he grew up.
25.11.60Maharaj: God is like a collective body and
the living beings are His individual cells. Each cell has to undergo the states of asti, jayate, nashyati, ‘existence, birth, and death.’
Question: How do the worshippers of God with form explain how God can be omnipresent?
Maharaj: They manage it somehow. We know only the One: Nirguna Brahman. It can be seen through the round opening [in a wall, with an infinite landscape on the other side]; it is
Swami Premeshananda (1884 – 1967) was a disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. For over two decades he lived at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Sargachhi, West Bengal. Under his inspiration countless people led a life of spirituality and service, and many young men and women entered into monastic life. His conversations – translated from Bengali and presented below – were noted by his attendant who is now Srimat Swami Suhitananda, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order.
Reminiscences of SargachhiSWAMI SUHITANANDA
like water pouring down from the roof through the lion’s mouth; or like bathing in the Ganga at a ghat. Without Advaitic knowledge it is not possible to look upon every living being as Narayana [God]. Those who frequently say ‘as the Lord wills’, ‘as Mother wills’, are confused about things. But we have to be convinced that through the body-mind-intellect of every living being, the one Hari [God] sports, donning various appearances. Only then can we serve people by knowing them as Narayana. If a leper comes to me, I serve him – that’s all. I’m not concerned with whether he lives or dies. My purpose is to serve him. Who knows, perhaps this time He is acting as a leper and next time He will disguise Himself as a King.
Question: Is the work we do presented as लरोरसङ्ग्रहरार्चम्, the good of the world?
Maharaj: We cannot live without doing work; that is why we try to perform work as worship. Working thus, we gradually attain knowledge सदृिं रेष्टिे सिसयराीः प्ररृिे …, “All beings act according to their nature.” (Gita 3:33) Work then is no longer mere work, but worship. Again, work as worship can also lead to a state where work comes to an end. Among us there are some who have attained knowledge, yet they still have to perform work.
(Continued from previous issue. . .) 47
Reminiscences
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Assume that you are a teacher. Trying to do your allotted work as worship, you achieve realisation. You will then no longer see your duty as teaching, but truly as the worship of Sri Ramakrishna. You should have firm knowledge about: Who is God? Who is the individual jiva? What is life? What is my relation to it? Along with this you have to generate momentum by making the mind subtle through worship. With that subtle mind you work to target and hit Brahman. Only then is yoga attained. (प्रणिरो धनीुः िराररो ह्रातमरा ब्रह्म िल्लकयमुचयिे । अप्रमत्ेन िेद्वयं िरिि् ि्मयरो भिेि् ॥ “Om is the bow; the atman is the arrow; Brahman is said to be the target. It is to be struck by an undistracted mind. Then the atman becomes one with Brahman, as the arrow with the target.” Mundakopanishad. 2.2:4)
26.11.60 Question: We are very broadminded in
our views. But won’t this attitude dilute our steadfastness? Also, shouldn’t a sannyasin be very loving because he beholds the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self, सि्चभिूसरमरातमरानं सि्चभूिरातन ररातमतन। ईक्षिे यरोगयुक्रातमरा सि्चत्र समदि्चनीः।। (Gita 6:29)?
Maharaj: What fun! Someone says so’ham (I am He), and we chime in with him. Someone else says daso’ham (I am the Lord’s servant), and we at once say, ‘Yes! How can an individual soul claim “I am He”?’ In our eyes, worship of Allah, Krishna, or Jesus—and even kishori bhajana (the Vaishnava sadhana of imitating platonic love between a young boy and girl) —is not wrong. We know that all are worshipping that same Nirguna Brahman. Why should we stick to only one aspect of God? Sri Ramakrishna has demonstrated to us through his own practice that God can be worshipped through all spiritual disciplines. He said, ‘Why should I be monotonous? I will enjoy the same fish cooked in different ways.’
I went to an ashrama of the followers of Ramanuja. I found an 80-year old sadhu who
was silent and quite inward oriented. The people there know that usually sannyasins comment a bit adversely if they hear the names of Krishna and Narayana. He said that apart from Narayana there is no one who can grant liberation. With folded hands I said, ‘Yes, Yes. Who else can grant liberation other than Narayana?’ When people say there is no one who can grant liberation other than Krishna, or Allah, or Jesus, we say, ‘Yes, Yes.’ This is because we know that the same Nirguna Brahman is appearing in various forms.
But as our spiritual capacity is limited, we should avoid practices like kishori bhajana; there is risk of downfall in those paths.
Question: Action begets karmaphala, or the fruits of action. Is there no way out from this ignorance which has no beginning?
Maharaj: I am already free. But by mistake I have taken up the burden of body, mind and intellect on my shoulders. Thus forgetting my true identity, I suffer and cry. Now, to regain my true identity I have to throw away this burden. Until now I have served the body-mind-intellect as a slave; but no more. But how will the tendency to work end? No problem! You will see that the more you give your mind to God, the more the workload will lessen; and work also will no longer remain mere work, but will transform into Karma-Yoga यरोगीः रम्चसु रौिलम् “Yoga is skill in work” (Gita 2:50), or selfless work. When you continue to perform actions in this way, work will eventually come to an end and you will become what you were.
So it transpires that one doesn’t attain liberation or knowledge through work. Knowledge is already there; as soon as your work is exhausted, knowledge is realised. You don’t have to work to purify your mind; knowledge dawns as soon as you develop the skill of finishing your prarabdha karma.
(to be continued...)
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With the independence of our country, many problems, pol i t ical and other, are
exercising the minds of our leaders. Among them not the least important is the question of India’s being a secular or any other kind of State. It is being repeatedly declared from the highest quarters that India will be a secular State. The reason adduced for this decision is that in that case the State can advance unhampered by the communal troubles that any admixture of religion in politics is calculated to bring in its train. Of course they are at pains to point out that in a secular State it is not meant to stifle any religion, but that the sole purpose of making the State non-religious is to give equal opportunities to all. Everyone will admit that the motive is all right, and considering the state of development of religions in most countries, the position may hold good. But in a country like India, which from time immemorial has been primarily
religious, such a choice may prove altogether disastrous. For no nation can live, much less thrive, if it goes counter to the main current of its life-stream. As Swami Vivekananda has time and again said, India’s main function, the rationale of her life, is “the spiritualisation of the human race”—“the regeneration of man the brute into man the God.” She has played this role effectively in the past, and, through the Lord’s grace, she is going to do so again.
The word ‘religion’ is a bugbear to many because of the excesses committed in the past in its name in different countries, not excluding India. But does the remedy lie in going to the opposite extreme and banning religion from nation-building undertakings? Would that not be like killing both man and mosquito in order to get rid of the pest? Carefully analysed, it would appear in most cases that it is not religion that is at fault, but the failure of its followers to understand it properly and act up to its principles. If the State takes no cognisance
Article
Should India Be a Wholly Secular State?SWAMI MADHAVANANDA
This is an article from the treasure-chest of The Vedanta Kesari. It was published in May 1949, soon after Indian independence, by Swami Madhavanandaji when he was the General Secretary of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission; he later became the Order’s 9th President. In this article, he analyses the implications of India choosing to be ‘secular’, wherein the State does not patronise any particular religion. In practice this policy has led to crass materialism, selfishness, and decay of higher values in individual and social life. Madhavanandaji presents Vedantic principles as a better alternative to ‘secularism’ as understood and practised now. The article is as relevant today as it was when written.16
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of religion as a factor in moulding the life and character of a nation, and minds only the secular interests of the people, will it not be neglecting one of the most potent forces of life, which, if properly harnessed, might do wonders? From non-religion it is but a step to irreligion. Granting that religion is often misused by its purveyors, will the withholding of State recognition from religion in any form, irrespective of its improving the moral tone of the people and thereby promoting peace and brotherliness among the different sections, contribute to the future well-being of the State? Quite the contrary, we think. Religious influences of the right type should permeate the life of every citizen; the earlier the better. It is high time for our leaders to ponder on the subject.
Man is essentially a spiritual being. However much he may be preoccupied with physical concerns, catering for these alone cannot satisfy his inner cravings. It is only in the lower stages of evolution of the human mind that creature comforts play an all-important part. Higher up in the scale, things that make for peace of mind have the upper hand. A cultured man would rather have mental peace with poverty than restlessness with wealth. Otherwise there would be no suicide among the millionaires. Hence for every country the goal must be clearly set according to its characteristic trend and potentiality, and the paths to the attainment of that goal chalked out so that the nation may proceed along them with unfaltering steps. Fortunately for us, our forefathers settled this problem ages ago. We have only to know their solution and apply it to our needs.
If we reflect for a moment on why there is so much conflict in the world, we shall find that it is mostly due to too much stress being laid on the material side of life, such as comforts, power, fame, and all else that brings these things. And since these are limited in the world,
there is keen competition for them, often leading to mortal wars. As a result of this the world has ceased to be a place for decent people to live in. The way out, as may easily be imagined, is just the opposite. Instead of apotheosising matter, we should strive to proceed through it to the spirit, on which the whole world is centred — through lower forms of enjoyment to higher and higher forms, till all the shackles of nature are broken, and supreme bliss is attained. It is here that religions come in. Of course, there are religions and religions, but all the great religions of the world—-those that have stood the test of time and can satisfy our higher cravings just as well to-day as they did thousands of years ago—are pretty unanimous on the point that it is by subordinating our lower appetites to the higher yearnings that we can aspire after happiness. Not by self aggrandisement, but by self-abnegation can we fulfil our destiny. Those who seek to obliterate strife and jealousy from the world solely by efforts on the material plane, seem to us to be chasing a will-o’-the-wisp. We must take a realistic view of things, and seek the help of religion to remove some of the evils which are besetting the world to-day. If the word ‘religion’ frightens us by evoking ugly memories, let us substitute the word ‘spirituality’. Man, society, nation, all must have a spiritual outlook to thrive and manifest the best that is in them. This is the truth that is too often lost sight of. It will not help us to turn away from the only course that can make for universal peace and happiness. We must know the truth and follow it fearlessly. There should be no compromise. For, in the words of Swami Vivekananda, “Truth does not pay homage to any society, ancient or modern. Society must pay homage to truth—or die!”
Man, society, nation, all must have a spiritual outlook to thrive and manifest the best that is in them.
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Fortunately, in Vedanta, India has just the religion which will solve not only her own problems but those of other countries too. Unity in diversity is the theme of Vedanta. The whole universe, including man, is essentially one, not merely on the physical plane, as science is demonstrating today, but on the spiritual plane also. Everything is spirit. We are all spirit. Mind and matter are just our vestures, inner and outer. It will not do to sneer at the idea, saying it is Theology! To attain a genuine solution of our problems, we must make ourselves conscious of the reality, and then try to adjust our environment and all our concerns to that central fact of life. Man is an epitome of the world. There is fine correspondence between the microcosm and macrocosm. As the mind and body are to the human soul, so are the worlds of mind and matter to the Universal Soul—the Principle that we call God. The supreme merit of Vedanta is that it is singularly free from the disadvantages we usually associate with religion. For, unlike any other religion, it is the synthesis of all religions. It has a place in the world for all, literally all, because according to it every being, and everything, is a manifestation of the Divinity, nothing less than that. Hence the Vedantic conception of life safeguards the interest of every community and section of people, for it believes that the parts of a society or nation are, like the parts of a tree, integrally connected with one another. They constitute the society or nation. Vedanta, too, recognises differences, but these are not fundamental, but only on the surface, analogous to the waves of an ocean. Like the notes of a flute, they add richness and variety to the melody. For who cares to listen to a monotone?
But they must be properly coordinated to produce the soul stirring symphony. Hence there is nothing to be afraid of in the Vedantic principle of oneness being applied to all spheres of life. Rather it is exactly what the strife-torn world needs today to heal its wounds. Keeping in view the particular goal of each country, and with “help and not fight” as its motto, it will give scope
to every individual and group to realize their highest potentialities. Is that not the best way to ensure the common good of humanity? And India can begin the experiment right now, with sincerity and steadfastness. The minorities have nothing to fear from an application of the assimilative principles of Vedanta. For, as Swami Vivekananda put it, there s h o u l d b e e q u a l
opportunities for all; and if any distinction is to be made, it should be in favour of the underprivileged.
We are hearing a good deal about communism nowadays. All sorts of claims are made on behalf of it, so much so that it is held out to be an Aladdin’s lamp to solve all the problems of the present-day world. Certainly some good things have been done by it in Russia, and that has caught the fancy of our young men and women. But have they stopped to think that what is good for Russia may not be good for India? Besides, it is worthwhile to reflect on the evils communism has produced both in Russia and elsewhere. In Russia there is no individual freedom, even of speech. And the Communist thinks nothing of creating serious trouble in other countries, so that he may make capital out of it. It is superfluous to mention the unpatriotic attitude of people in a country always taking their cue from Russia, even in the most vital matters. Above all, the Communist’s
If the State takes no cognisance of religion as a factor in moulding the life and character of a nation, and minds only the secular
interests of the people, will it not be neglecting one of the
most potent forces of life, which, if properly harnessed,
might do wonders?
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open avowal of a thoroughly materialistic view of life, with all that it connotes, is something which is totally against the hoary traditions of India. It is easy for those who are ignorant of this precious heritage to set up Russia as the ideal for our country to follow. They forget that it is the soul, and not the body, that is the fundamental part of a man’s life. Without caring for that, if we care only for the body and for things that contribute to physical comforts only, we may turn out to be prize animals, but shall forfeit the richest treasure which a man is capable of achieving. Neither individually nor collectively is a merely material upbringing of any substantial help.
It is a perverse philosophy that leads Communists to believe, or pretend to believe, that they can bring about peace on earth by sowing the seeds of dissension everywhere. To gain true and lasting wellbeing, the means too, must be as pure as the end. We cannot wash dirt with dirt. Certain moral principles are universal in their application. Virtues such as non-injury, truthfulness, non-covetousness and chastity belong to this category. No man or nation can live or grow without observing them to the best of its ability. A nation is great in proportion as it possesses men and women who have dedicated themselves to the cultivation of these virtues. And there is a valid reason for this, viz., that in helping others we help ourselves, and in hurting them we only hurt ourselves, because we are all spiritually one. Like the conservation of energy in the material sphere, in the realm of the spirit also, every action produces a corresponding reaction. We all believe in doing the greatest good to the greatest number, but if we are asked why we should do so, we cannot explain it on material grounds. For unless we believe in the abiding omnipresent soul, we might as well do the greatest harm to the greatest number. It is the Vedantic conception of the oneness of existence that truly explains the utilitarian
standpoint. So it is not Communism, but Vedanta, that will ultimately solve the world’s problems. Communism is sure to set the forces of reaction against it, as it has already done, and God help us if the present political rumblings lead to another armed conflict. It will do nobody good if the wealth and energy of different nations are frittered away in the wholly needless task of piling up destructive weapons of amazing power. The way out of the menacing cataclysm lies in their trying t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e wholesomeness of the Vedantic truths and adopting them as the common views of life for all nations. India can take the lead in showing the way, for it is on her soil that Vedanta has flourished. It will be a sorry spectacle if she, too, copying the West, chalks out a wholly secular programme of national regeneration, as she seems intent on doing. From the Vedic ages down to our times, she has produced seers whose spiritual magnitude is without parallel in the world. Let her not try to give the lie to her pristine culture just to appear fashionable.
The Vedantic truths are not the exclusive property of any particular person, country or age. Time and again they have been tested and found to be true. Even in the last century Sri Ramakrishna realized them in his life in diverse ways, and declared them to be absolutely true and capable of verification, by any sincere soul. Armed with this realization, he was, as is well-known, catholicity personified, and withal so pure, so loving and so dedicated to the service of all. From the spiritual standpoint, he harmonised the most discordant phases of life and society. To us it seems that free India has
Our political constitution, our education, our social structure, our foreign policy, our home life, all should be framed on the Vedantic outlook of spiritual oneness.
(Continued on page 35...)
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Introduction
Since it was first delivered, Swamiji’s iconic “Response to Welcome” speech on September 11, 1893, at
the Parliament of Religions in Chicago has been read, re-read, dissected, analyzed, and its every word scrutinized ad infinitum. Most people who were involved in these activities sought out the first volume of the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda as the authoritative source.1 Another version of the speech appears in volume nine of the same series. This second version is a combination composed by Marie Louise Burke, who took the reports of the speech from four major Chicago newspapers and synthesized them to arrive at what the vast audience might have actually heard from Swamiji’s lips.2. A recent article in The Vedanta Kesari has compared the two versions in details by conflating the texts and then discussing the relative merits of each version. The author calls the first one “the short version,” and the second “the long version.”3 That is how they will be referred to hereafter.
This article will document the sources of the two versions for present and future use. It will also present some background information on the sources and analyse them to help the readers understand the how’s and why’s of the process that led to the two versions.
Chicago newspapers of 1893 Before we go into the various reports of
the speech, let us look at the “major” daily
Swami Vivekananda’s First Chicago Speech in Major Local Newspapers
ASIM CHAUDHURI
newspapers in Chicago at the time, keeping in mind that the names of the newspapers had a tendency to change slightly within a short span of time due to mergers or for other reasons:4 Newspapers Time published
Chicago Daily News EveningThe Chicago Dispatch EveningThe Chicago Evening Journal EveningThe Chicago Evening Post EveningChicago Daily Globe MorningThe Chicago Herald MorningThe Daily Inter Ocean MorningChicago Mail EveningThe Chicago Times MorningThe Chicago Daily Tribune MorningThe Chicago Record Morning
The five morning papers whose microforms are presently available in the key Chicago libraries are: The Chicago Herald, The Chicago Daily Tribune, The Daily Inter Ocean, The Chicago Record, and Chicago Times. For brevity, these will henceforth be referred to as Herald, Tribune, Inter Ocean, Record, and Times. These covered the Parliament of Religions proceedings with varying degrees of detail, and frequently reported on Swamiji and his speeches; the Herald was undoubtedly the most comprehensive of them all; the Inter Ocean was next. All of them had one thing in common—they were all morning newspapers. The evening newspapers gave the Parliament only a cursory coverage. Since the evening papers were usually published by 5 p.m., they mostly reported on the morning programs, and that
The author, a well-known researcher who has written a number of books on Swami Vivekananda, lives in USA. [email protected]
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too in a rather perfunctory manner. Since most of Swamiji’s Parliament and Scientific Section speeches were during the late morning, afternoon, or evening sessions, the evening papers rarely mentioned them.
On September 12, four out of the five newspapers mentioned above reported on Swamiji’s maiden speech. We will get to those later. The Times, which had devoted to the Parliament proceedings three columns on September 12 under the heading “Men of Many Faiths,” reported on the morning session, but had only this to say about the afternoon session, when Swamiji spoke: “In the afternoon another session was held, and many addresses were made by distinguished representatives of the religions of the world.” In describing the representatives on the platform, the Times, however, wrote the following:
“The face and dress which attracted the most notice, especially from the ladies, was that
of Suami [sic] Vivekananda, a young man exceptionally handsome and with features which would command attention anywhere. His dress was bright orange, and he wore a long coat and regulation turban of that color. Vivekananda is a Brahmin monk, and Prof. Wright of Harvard is quoted as saying that he is one of the best educated young men in the world.”
The Times didn’t even care to report on the speech by “one of the best educated young men in the world” who “would command attention anywhere.” The loss is theirs, but what is intriguing is how they came to know about the John Henry Wright quotation. Swamiji had Prof. Wright’s introductory letter (his only credential) with him, which probably mentioned in it the quoted words. But how did the reporter get hold of it? Swamiji was in circulation in Chicago only for a little over a day! We may never know the answer to that.
The speech as reported by four newspapers (September 12, 1893)
The Herald Most Ancient Order of Monks
Swami Vivekananda, of Bombay, India, was introduced after Rev. A. W. Momerie, of England, had spoken briefly. When Mr. Vivekananda had addressed the audience as “sisters and brothers of America,” there arose a peal of applause that lasted for several minutes. He spoke as follows:
It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of the millions and millions of Hindoo people of all classes and sects.
My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who have told you that these men from far off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to the different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions to be true. I am proud to tell you that I belong to a religion into whose sacred language, the Sanscrit, the word seclusion is untranslatable. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, a remnant which came to southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by
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millions of human beings: “As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, Oh, Lord, so the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.”
The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in Gita. “Whosoever comes to me, through whatsoever form I reach him, they are all struggling through paths that in the end always lead to me.” Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have possessed long this beautiful earth. It has filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for this horrible demon human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But its time has come and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention be the death knell to all fanaticism, to all persecutions with the sword or the pen and to all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.
vvv
The Tribune Is a Deathknell to Persecution.
Swami Vivekananda was next introduced [after Rev. Momerie]. He said:It is my unspeakable joy to rise in response to the grand words of welcome given to us by you.
I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks the world has ever seen. I thank you in the name of the mother religion of which Buddhism and Jainism are but the branches. I thank you in the name of that ancient monastic order, and I thank you finally in the name of the millions and millions of the Hindoo people of all castes and sects. My thanks to some of the speakers on this platform who have told us that these men from the various nations will bear to the different lands the idea of toleration which they may see here. My thanks to them for this idea.
Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human gore, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations into despair. Had it not been for this horrible demon society would have been much farther advanced than it is. But its time has come and I fervently believe that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of the representatives of the different religions of the earth, in this parliament assembled, is the death-knell to all fanaticism [applause], that it is the death-knell to all persecution with the sword or the pen, and to all uncharitable feelings between brethren wending their way to the same goal, but through different ways. [Applause].
vvv
The Inter OceanSuami Vivekenda [sic]
Said the chairman: “Great Britain is great indeed, great on the floor of this parliament. We are to hear again from the empire of India, and I am glad to present to this assembly Suami Vivekenda [sic]” [Applause.]
Suami Vivekenda said:Sisters and brothers of America. [Great applause.] It is my unspeakable joy to rise in response
to the grand words of welcome given to us by you. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks the world has ever seen. I thank you in the name of the mother religion of which Buddhism and Janish [Jainism] are but the branches. I thank you in the name of that ancient
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monastic order, and I thank you finally in the name of the millions and millions of the Hindoo people of all castes and tects [sects]. My thanks to some of the speakers on this platform who have told us that these men from the various nations will bear to the different lands the idea of toleration which they may see here. My thanks to them for this idea. I am proud to tell you that I belong to a religion in whose sacred language, the Sanscrit, constitution is untranslatable. [Applause.] I am proud to belong to a nation whose religion sheltered the persecuted and the refugees from all parts of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have carried in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny.
I will quote to you, brothers, a few lines from a hymn which every Hindoo child repeats every day. I feel that the very spirit of this hymn, which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions and millions of men in India, has at last come to be realized. The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies as ever held, is in itself an indication, a declaration to the West of the wonderful doctrine preached in India.
Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, has filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human gore, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations into despair. Had it not been for this horrible demon society would have been much farther advanced than it is. But its time has come, and I fervently believe that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of the representatives of the different religions of the earth, in this parliament assembled, is the death knell to all fanaticism. [Applause.] That it is the death knell to all persecution with the sword or the pen, and to all uncharitable feelings between brethren wending their way to the same goal, but through different ways. [Applause.]
vvv
The RecordSwami Dviva Kananda [sic], India: “I thank you in the name of the most ancient religion; I
thank you in the name of that ancient monastic order of which Gautama was only a member, and finally I thank you in the name of the great Hindoo people. I claim a religion in which the word persecution is untranslatable. I am proud to belong to a nation which has been the refuge of the persecuted. The bell that tolled this morning was the death-knell of all fanaticism, the death-knell to persecution with sword and pen of brethren who are wending their way to the same good, but by different ways.
vvv
The speech as reported in Barrows’ book (“Barrows version”)Swami Vivekananda, of Bombay, was next introduced. When Mr. Vivekananda addressed the
audience as “sisters and brothers of America,” there arose a peal of applause that lasted for several minutes. He spoke as follows:
Speech of Mr. VivekanandaIt fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome
which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.
My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to the different lands the idea of toleration.
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I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions to be true. I am proud to tell you that I belong to a religion into whose sacred language, the Sanskrit, the word exclusion is untranslatable. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, a remnant which came to southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy Temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: “As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to thee.”
The present Convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: “Whosoever comes to me, through whatsoever form I reach him, they are all struggling through paths that in the end always lead to me.” Sectarianism, bigotry and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have possessed long this beautiful earth. It has filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for this horrible demon, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But its time has come, and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death knell to all fanaticism, to all persecutions with the sword or the pen, and to all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.5
Discussion of the reportsNow that we have here all the four
available reports on the speech (readers can consult the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda for the “short” and the “long” versions), we can address them individually and compare them with each other and the “short version,” which is the generally accepted version. It is important to mention here that, based on the existing hard copies and microforms, these were the only four newspapers that reported on the speech.
The Herald report is the longest and the most important one, because that was the mother-source for the “short version” of the speech. However, Barrows’ book, The World’s Parliament of Religions, published in 1893, first included this report with very minimal editing, as we can see. The significant difference between the two is one word in the sentence
(see the Herald report): “I am proud to tell you that I belong to a religion into whose sacred language, the Sanscrit, the word seclusion is untranslatable.” The word is “seclusion” in the Herald version and “exclusion” in the Barrows version. The two words are somewhat similar-sounding but, between the two, “exclusion” definitely makes more sense in the context. It is interesting to note that the Inter Ocean used in that place the word “constitution”, which doesn’t make any sense, and the Record “persecution.” This brings up the question: “What exact word did Swamiji say that was untranslatable in Sanskrit?”
It appears that he said “persecution.” According to the Inter Ocean, there was applause at the end of the sentence in question (there could have been applause after the previous sentence that ended with: “we accept all religions to be true”), so it is possible that
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the representatives of the Herald and Inter Ocean didn’t hear the word properly (the Tribune had that word in its headline) due to noise from the audience, but the representative of the Record did. Phonetically, “persecution” is closer to “seclusion” and “constitution” than is “exclusion.” Moreover, according to the three reports that mentioned the sentence, Swamiji went into the subject of the “persecuted” and “refugees” (“of all religions and all nations”) next. In that context, by “persecution” he must have meant religious persecution.
Eminent Sanskrit scholars have been contacted to find out if there is an equivalent word in Sanskrit for “religious persecution.” After considerable research into the matter, one such scholar concluded: “Sanskrit language as such—right from the period of the Vedas—did not have a word for religious persecution.” *
We therefore conclude that what Swamiji said was: “I am proud to tell you that I belong to a religion into whose sacred language, the Sanskrit, the word persecution is untransla- table.” And he was right.
When the “short version” was compiled years later, around 1907, by further editing the Barrows version, the sentence in question was included, but was eliminated later.6 The decision to eliminate it was probably prompted by the uncertainty surrounding the “untranslatable” word, which had four significantly different versions floating around in the media, although there could have been other reasons.
The Tribune report is considerably shorter than the Herald’s, but it has a reference to Buddhism and Jainism that is absent in the latter. The Inter Ocean report, which is closer to the Herald report in its length and content, also had a similar reference.
The Record’s report is totally inadequate. First, it massacred Swamiji’s name (and so did the Inter Ocean). Second, it brought up
Gautama’s name, which was not in the other three reports (although two of them referred to Buddhism). Dropping items that are in the other reports is understandable, but adding something that is not in the others is questionable. Since it is a live speech that is being reported, you edit things out, not in. But the Record , however, did get the word “persecution” right!
Interestingly, in the “long version,” Marie Louise Burke used for her synthesis materials that are both common and unique in the four newspaper reports, as she had proposed to do, but used the word “exclusion,” which none of the reports used; it was taken from the Barrows version. For reasons best known to herself, Burke didn’t mention the other three versions of the word.
Concluding remarks One wishes that there had been
arrangements to record the speeches on wax cylinders, a technology that was then available. Then we could hear Swamiji’s sonorous voice as he spoke, with all the correct inflections, syntax, and tone. But there is no indication that there was any such arrangement. Even if the speeches had been recorded, the shelf life of the cylinders would have been short, or there could have been other technical issues. ** It is unfortunate that more newspapers didn’t follow the Herald’s lead in reporting on the speech. Even if they had done so, it is also unfortunate that the hard copies of all extant newspapers of that date (September 12, 1893) are no longer available; some were never microfilmed before they disintegrated or disappeared. So, we have to be satisfied with the “short” and the “long” versions, along with their sources. Both versions reflect the mastery of the speaker in terms of organization, sentiment, train of thought, poise, confidence, and, finally, eloquence.
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1) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. 1:3 2) Ibid., 9: 429-430. 3) “Two Versions of Swami Vivekananda’s First Chicago Speech,” William Page. The Vedanta Kesari, January 2019, pp. 24-26. 4) Authentic Visitors’ Guide to the World’s Columbian Exposition and Chicago. Richard J. Murphy. Chicago: The Union News Co., 1892, p. 50.5) The World’s Parliament of Religions. John Henry Barrows. Parliament Publishing Co., 1893, Vol 1, pp. 101-102.6) Personal communication with Swami Atmarupananda of Houston, TX.
References
** That, of course, didn’t stop the enthusiasts from making stuff up and putting it on the Internet (https://www.latestly.com/lifestyle/festivals-events/swami-vivekanandas-iconic-1893-speech-in-chicago-watch-full-video-audio-of-the-historic-address-at-the-us-parliament-of-worlds-religions-584029.html.) This article, further supported by Marie Louise Burke’s “long version,” clearly indicates that the Internet version of Swamiji’s first speech is counterfeit.}
* Does the Sanskrit language have a word for ‘persecution’? From among the major Sanskrit-English dictionaries, Monier Williams Sanskrit Dictionary has
this entry: To PERSECUTE, v. a. बराध ्(c. 1. बराधिे -तधिुं), प्रबराध्, िररबराध्, प्रतिबराध्, बराधरार्चम् or द्रोहरार्चम् अनुम ृ(c. 1. -सरति -सत्ुतुं, c. 10. -मरारयति -तयिुं), द्ेषिूवि्चम् अनुसृ, द््धह् (c. 4. द््धह्ति, द्रोतहिुं), तलिि् (c. 9. तलिश्राति लिलेतििुं), लिलेि ंor द्रोहं रृ, अतभद्रोहं रृ, उिद्िं र.ृ
But is the word connected to persecution based on religion? The Apte Sanskrit dictionary gives असरतद्ष्. – Persecuting those who are not (his) worshippers. For
the same entry Monier Williams quoting a Rig Veda mantra states the following: असरतद्ष्/ अ-सर-तद्ष् mfn. hating or persecuting the non-worshippers ([ BR. Gmn. ]) or not persecuting worshippers([ NBD. ]) RV. viii , 20 , 24 (voc.)
This term appears just only once in the entire Rigveda Samhita in the 8th Mandala 20th Sukta and 24th Mantra of the Rigveda. This is a mantra on the Maruts. The Maruts are praised as असरतद्षीः
When read with the Sayana Acharya Commentary, which is the traditional authority in understanding the Vedas, the meaning of the mantra appears as: असरतद्षीः असक्ित्रिीः ित्रुरतहिराीः –Those who are bereft of enemies or Those about whom the enemies are disinclined (to fight).Hence, the meaning given by the dictionaries to the term असरतद्षीः is incorrect. Unless we find other contradicting evidences, we can conclude that Swamiji was correct in stating that the Sanskrit language as such – right from the period of the Vedas – did not have a word for religious persecution.
Monier Williams and Apte, probably merely looked into the etymology-root meanings and arrived at the meaning. But in determining the meaning of the Vedas, the meaning approved by the traditional commentators (who look into all the six Vedangas) carry more weightage than only grammatical analysis. Furthermore, the roots of the Vedic-Sanskrit words have many meanings, which may not be accounted fully in grammatical texts.
— Dr. M. Jayaraman, Director, Research Department, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai; Member, Expert panel for Yoga, TKDL-CSIR, Govt of India
Notes
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ISSUE 10ISSUE 26
Vedantism - part 3focus in this issue:
PULLOUT FOR REFERENCE
This is the concluding issue of the talk 'Vedantism', delivered in Jaffna on 24th January
1897. In the previous two issues we explored Sections I II III the summary of
which is shown below:
Aspects of the lecture on Vedantism covered in the previous two issues
Series 5: Issue 5: Vedantism - contd.
Defining Hinduism I
Books of the HindusII
The Practice of HinduismIV
The Core Principles of Hinduism
III
The Task AheadV
®
Designed & developed by
ILLUMINE Knowledge Catalysts
www.illumine.in
part 1: Defining Hinduism and Books of the Hindus (Issue 24)
1. An alternative word for Hindus: Vaidikas or Vedantists
2. The books of the Hindus - a visualization
3. Vedas are revelatory truths, eternal, without beginning or end.
4. Vedas were revealed to the Rishis - who were spiritual discoverers
5. The ideas of the Upanishads have permeated through Indian society
6. Smritis are scriptures that convert the eternal principles of Vedanta into contemporary customs
7. Puranas & Tantras illustrate the eternal principles to the people
part 2: The Core Principles of Hinduism (Issue 25)
1. Who created this world?
2. What is God?
3. Is God partial or impartial?
4. Why are some people happy or unhappy?
5. What is the Soul?
6. What is the goal of the human soul?
7. What is the cause of birth & rebirth, and what is the cure?
8. What is the relationship between soul and God?
In this issue, we cover the balance of the lecture
- The Practice of Hinduism and the Task Ahead >>
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What is the Hindu response to the idea of one God?
We have no quarrel with any religion in the world, and when we see people coming and trying to force any one way on us, we laugh at them.
We have no quarrel with any religion in the world, whether it teaches men to worship Christ, Buddha, or Mohammed, or any other prophet."Welcome, my brother," the Hindu says, "I am going to help
you; but you must allow me to follow my way too. That is my Ishta. Your way is very good, no doubt; but it may be dangerous for me. My own experience tells me what food is good for me, and no army of doctors can tell me that. So I know from my own experience what path is the best for me."
A: Hinduism supports unity in diversity
Contrary to the theory of Ishta is the view that everyone is to have the same religious opinion and takes the same path. The consequence of such a contrary viewpoint is that all religions and all thought are destroyed. Not only that, since variety is the soul of life, when variation dies out, creation itself dies.
In India, various sects co-exist because of the theory of the Ishta.
The theory of the Ishta says that:
1. There are various forms of worshipping God.
2. It is also recognized that different forms requires different methods.
3. And, each person’s unique path is called in Sanskrit, my Ishta. Each one recognizes that your way is good for you but not for me, and my way is good for me but not for you.
4. Thus each person selects and worships the Ishta most appropriate to that person.
The practice and application of Hinduism
Each Ishta is a unique path to the highest truth...
and so on..
and so on..
HIGHEST TRUTH
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Though our castes & our other institutions are apparently linked to our religion, they are not so.
Hindu religion preaches inclusion of everyone and exclusion of none.
It is through these institutions that Indian society was able to have some measure of stability through many ups and downs over scores of centuries.
B: Caste and other institutions have been necessary to preserve our nation
“...This teaches us not to think ourselves as weak, but as strong, omnipotent, omniscient. No matter that I have not expressed it yet, it is in me. All knowledge is in me, all power, all purity, and all freedom. Why cannot I express this knowledge? Because I do not believe in it. Let me believe in it, and it must and will come out. This is what the idea of the Impersonal teaches.
THE IDEA OF THE IMPERSONAL GOD TEACHES US TO BE STRONG...
“... no one knew why it would be good to love other beings as ourselves. And the reason, why, is there in the idea of the Impersonal God; you understand it when you learn that the whole world is one — the oneness of the universe — the solidarity of all life — that in hurting any one I am hurting myself, in loving any one I am loving myself.
THE IDEA OF THE IMPERSONAL GOD ALLOWS FOR A RATIONAL SYSTEM OF ETHICS...
“...This idea of the soul is the life-giving thought, the most wonderful... the great thought that is going to revolutionise the world and reconcile the knowledge of the material world with religion.
THE IDEA OF THE IMPERSONAL GOD WILL BE THE KEY TO RECONCILING SCIENCE & RELIGION...
“Make your children strong from their very childhood; teach them
not weakness, nor forms, but make them strong; let them
stand on their feet: bold, all-conquering, all-suffering;
and first of all, let them learn of the glory of the soul.
That you get alone in the Vedanta — and there alone.
HENCE, WE SHOULD TEACH OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS THE GLORY OF THE SOUL...
A: Importance of the Impersonal God in the India of the future
Whilst caste had many evils, it was a unique Indian Social Architecture
How caste has helped create social stability over the centuries...
Enabled social stability in the face of invasions & changing political landscapes
Allowed for stable economic ecosystems of interdependent relationships
Enabled transmission and maintenance of professions & knowledge traditions
Allowed Indian society to assimilate new groups into the social fabric
Gave people alternative identities and self-esteem beyond the dominant power structure
Task Ahead: What we now want in this country
When the necessity for self-preservation no longer exists, institutions like caste will die a natural death.
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If you have any questions on this lecture, do post your queries on www.vivekanandaway.org
You can also access previous issues of Vivekananda Way here.
B: Take up the duty of the age - disseminate spiritual knowledge
India is an eternal fountain of spirituality. We have a vast treasure of spiritual ideas, and we have noble examples of practical spirituality. Both these have to be made the common property of all – rich and poor, high and low, not only in India but all over the world. This is one of our greatest duties.
The Tapas and the other hard Yogas that were practiced in other
Yugas do not work now. What is needed in this Yuga is giving, helping others.
What is meant by Dana? The highest of gifts is the giving of spiritual knowledge, the next is the giving of secular knowledge, and the next is the saving of life, the last is giving food and drink. He who gives spiritual knowledge, saves the soul from many and many a birth. He who gives secular knowledge opens the eyes of human beings towards spiritual knowledge, and far below these rank all other gifts, even the saving of life.
Food & drink I
II
III
IV
Saving of life
Secular knowledge
Spiritual knowledge
The Ladder of Service
A word of caution: Avoid jealousy and one-upmanship
For ages we have been saturated with awful jealousy; we are always getting jealous of each other. Why has this man a little precedence, and not I? Even in the worship of God we
want precedence, to such a state of slavery have we come. This is to be avoided. If there is any crying sin in India at this time it is this slavery.
...First, learn to obey. The command will come by itself. Always first learn to be a servant, and then you will be fit to be a master. Avoid this jealousy and you will do great works that have yet to be done.
FOR THE FULL LECTURE, REFER TO COMPLETE WORKS OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA, VOL. 3, LECTURES FROM COLOMBO TO ALMORA.
(highest of gifts)
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Roots in the Air and Shoots in the SoilThe Story of Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar
(Continued from previous issue. . .)
Poorva halted. The night had become so dark that she could barely see her own feet, and all around was an eerie silence. She was beginning to feel somewhat uneasy when the darkness of the night was transformed miraculously into broad
daylight. Her hazel eyes glistening with happiness, she observed: “That was almost like electricity being restored after a power cut.” She noticed that the roads of Kanchi were clean and wide, though now sadly lifeless. Poorva walked on, racking her brains as to how she could trace the Aazhvaar and his companions.
As she walked along, Poorva recalled her impressions from the last time she had been down the same road. It had been bustling with activity – chariots plying up and down, vedic chants from nearby schools resonating in the air, and shops selling reed mats, wooden toys, bamboo artefacts, silver and gold jewellery, and so much more.
Poorva now found the schools empty and the shops closed. Kanchipuram did seem godforsaken. She smiled ruefully to herself at the irony of that thought.
Someone rushed past her in great haste. The atmosphere suddenly became electrified and a cloud of dust hampered her vision. When the dust settled down, Poorva found that it had been caused by the king’s chariot racing down the street. The flag with the emblem of the bull and the muted cries of “Long live Pallava Maharaja, Rajaadhiraja …” proclaimed the monarch’s identity.
In a flash, Poorva put two and two together – the king was going in search of the Aazhvaar. Excited beyond measure, she ran behind the chariot as fast as her legs could carry her.
The royal chariot zoomed ahead and Poorva watched its fading contours with dismay. “I wish someone would give me a lift. I don’t think I can run any longer,” she gasped.
LAKSHMI DEVNATH
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The author is a researcher and writer with various books and articles on Indian music and culture to her credit. [email protected] Illustrator: Smt. Lalithaa Thyagarajan. [email protected]
Magic, Miracles and the Mystical Twelve
Almost instantaneously, she found herself not just matching the chariot’s speed, but outstripping it quite comfortably. At that pace, she could hardly feel the ground. For that matter, she could hardly feel herself. At intervals, she even had to slow down to allow the royal chariot to catch up with her!
Finally, the chariot halted. Breathless after the sprint, Poorva sat down on a flat stone under a tree, and was immensely relieved to find, right beside her, a pot of cool water. Thankful for the thoughtfulness of whoever had placed it there, she gulped down several glasses of water in quick succession. Gradually, she stopped panting and surveyed the scene around her.
There was a huge crowd a few yards ahead of her. People were craning their necks to peer over their neighbours’ shoulders, obviously eager to get a view of something. Poorva was immediately in their midst, bursting with curiosity. To her great disappointment, she found that she could not make her way through. She stood on her toes and stretched all four feet eleven inches of herself, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was happening, but in vain.
Just as she was beginning to despair, she felt herself being lifted up. She was standing on stilts! Utterly embarrassed, she looked around. Thankfully, no one in the gathering seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary. Poorva relaxed, cast her gaze forward and got quite a shock. The Pallava king was falling at the feet of Kanikannan!
She heard Thirumazhisai Aazhvaar tell the Lord, “We’re going back. You too go back to Your temple. Spread Your serpent bed there and lie down.” As before, the Lord promptly rolled up His serpent bed and the three began their return journey. The king and the entire town followed them. Babbling voices and happy laughter filled the air.
“Ha, ha …” Poorva turned back to see a buoyant Swami Thaatha. Happy to see him, she yelled, “Thaatha, it’s great that you too are here. I was afraid you had missed out on all the fun. Hope you got to see everything.”
“Most of it,” replied the Swami with a twinkle in his eye. He asked her, “Do you know where we are? In a little village on the outskirts of Kanchi. This place will become famous as Oriravirukkai – oru meaning ‘one’, iravu, ‘night’, and irrukkai, ‘stayed’; that is, ‘the place where the Lord stayed for a night’.”
“Talking about God,” said Poorva, “He seems to implicitly obey the Aazhvaar. Makes me wonder who the master is and who the servant!”
“God is always the servant of His true devotees,” the Swami said with emotion. “From today, this Lord of Thiruvehka will be known as Sonna vannam seydha Perumaal or Yathokthakaari. It means ‘the Lord who did what He was told to do’, which is exactly how you described Him.”
“Anyway, all’s well that ends well,” said Poorva. “Say goodbye to this village. We are returning to Kanchi,” the Swami told her. Twilight descended. The sky looked beautiful as streaks of daylight glistened through
the invading darkness. Almost like a grand finale to the exhilarating events of the day, there was a light shower. The two ambled on silently, unmindful of getting wet.
(to be continued. . .)This story book is available through www.lakshmidevnath.com
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Pocket Tales
A Day of SurprisesGITANJALI MURARI
A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Swami Vivekananda.
“Where are we going dada? Tell me, please,” little Batul tugged at Naren’s hand. But Naren smiled at his cousin and shook his head refusing to say a word. Soon, they reached a large fairground with a great many people
milling around decorated pavilions.“It is a festival,” Batul clapped his hands. “What a wonderful surprise!”“Yes, Shiva festival,” Naren said. “Now stay close or you could get lost…” The two boys went from one pavilion to the other, offering prayers to the images of
Shiva and Parvati. “Dada, I want a Ganesh idol,” Batul announced suddenly. “A small one,” he measured with his hands.
“Very well,” Naren nodded. “And I will get myself a Shiva image, which I can keep by my bed…” They found a stall selling clay images in different sizes and in all sorts of colours. Batul chose a baby Ganesh crawling on all fours, his raised trunk holding a round
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The author is a media professional and writer. The Crown of Seven Stars is her first novel. She lives in Mumbai. [email protected] Illustrator: Smt. Lalithaa Thyagarajan. [email protected]
sweetmeat. It took Naren some time to find his Shiva and when he did, he cried out joyfully, “Just what I wanted!” Covered in ashes, Lord Shiva sat cross-legged in deep meditation, surrounded by a ring of white mountains. Paying the artisan, he told Batul, “The sun is about to set…it is time to head back home…”
The streets were crowded with evening traffic. “Come on, hurry up,” Naren urged his cousin.
“I am tired dada,” the younger boy complained, trailing behind. “Look, we are almost home,” Naren pointed to the mansion in the distance and started
to cross the road. As he reached the other side, a piercing scream rang clear above the noise of traffic, “Dada…”
Naren spun around, his eyes widening in shock. Batul stood frozen in the middle of the road. A carriage raced towards him, the driver, unable to control the plunging horse, waving frantically at him. “Get out of the way,” he yelled at the petrified child. But Batul did not move. He stood shaking, his face white.
It seemed certain that he would be crushed under the thundering hooves, but Naren reached him in the nick of time and pulled him to safety. The carriage swept on, the driver looking back in relief. The bystanders broke into a loud applause. “What a brave lad,” they patted Naren; but he paid no heed, his attention on Batul. Dusting off the little boy, he helped him to his feet and after making sure he was not hurt, he said, “Don’t say a word to anyone when we reach home or they will worry unnecessarily…”
But as soon as they stepped through the door, Batul ran to Naren’s mother. “Pishi,” he cried, “I almost got run over by a carriage!”
Bhuvaneshwari Devi turned to her son in alarm. “Is this true, Naren?” “It doesn’t matter, ma,” he replied, “Look, we are fine…” “The horse came rushing towards me, pishi,” Batul carried on excitedly. “And I would
have got badly hurt if dada had not pulled me away…there were so many people but nobody came to help us…they were all too scared…but dada, he was not frightened at all!”
Bhuvaneshwari Devi’s face softened. She embraced the two boys, holding them close. “I am very proud of you, Naren,” she told her son. “You showed true courage…always be a man, my child…always help those in distress…”
“What an adventure we had today,” Naren grinned at Batul.Batul’s eyes shone, “Yes dada, and I hope tomorrow too is full of surprises!”
“The earth is enjoyed by heroes” - this is the unfailing truth. Be a hero. Always say, “I have no fear.” Tell this to everybody - “Have no fear.” Fear is death, fear is sin, fear is hell, fear is unrighteousness, fear is wrong life. All the negative thoughts and ideas that are in this world have proceeded from this evil spirit of fear.
— Swami Vivekananda
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nothing to lose, but on the contrary everything to gain, by treading the ancient yet supremely efficacious path of Vedanta as lived and taught by Sri Ramakrishna and his worthy disciple, Swami Vivekananda. If our leaders appreciate the wonderful synthesising power of Vedanta and apply it to meet the different pressing problems that confront us, it will pave the way for a lasting peace not only within the country but through it in other lands as well by laying the foundation of a real federation of the world. Our political constitution, our education, our social structure, our foreign policy, our home life, all should be framed on the Vedantic outlook of spiritual oneness. Thus alone will India fulfil her destiny. She has been the torch-bearer to the world in the past and she is going to be so again. Only we, her children, should be mindful of our duties, shed our pettiness and unite for common action. The march has only begun. We have to push on to the goal. Let me
conclude with the prophetic exhortation of Swami Vivekananda: “Be great. No great work can be done without sacrifice. Lay down your comforts, your pleasures, your names, fame or position, nay even your lives, and make a bridge of human chains over which millions will cross this ocean of life. Bring all the forces of good together. Do not care under what banner you march. Do not care what be your colour, green, blue or red, but mix all the colours up and produce that intense glow of white, the colour of love. Ours is to work. The results will take care of themselves. If any social institution stands in your way of becoming God, it will give way before the power of Spirit. I do not see into the future; nor do I care to see. But one vision I see as clear as life before me: that the ancient Mother has awakened once more, sitting on Her throne, rejuvenated, more glorious than ever. Proclaim Her to all the world with the voice of peace and benediction.”
Statement about ownership and other particulars about The Vedanta Kesari (according to Form IV Rule 8, circulated by Registrar of Newspapers for India).
1. Place of Publication : Chennai - 600 0042. Periodicity of Publication : Monthly3. Printer’s Name : B. Rajkumar Nationality : Indian Address : M/s. Rasi Graphics Pvt. Limited, No.40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 6000144. Publisher’s Name : Swami Vimurtananda Nationality : Indian Address : Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 0045. Editor’s Name : Swami Mahamedhananda Nationality : Indian Address : Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 0046. Names & Addresses of the individuals who own the newspaper and partners or share-holders : Sri Ramakrishna Math, 31, Ramakrishna Math Road, holding more than 1% of the capital Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004
I, Swami Vimurtananda, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.Date: 1.3.2020
(Swami Vimurtananda)Signature of the Publisher
vvv
Should India Be a Wholly Secular State?(Continued from page 19...)
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यरोगरान्दं महरातमरानं ररामरृषणसुिराष्चदम्। श््मसरारदरािरं ध्मरं ििरोतनष्ं नमरामयहम्॥१॥
I bow down to Swami Yogananda to whom the state of communion with God was the source of bliss, the great
soul, eminent companion of Sri Ramakrishna, to whom Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi1 was the highest, the wise and the one established in austerities.
The great soul – Great men alone can bring to light the greatness hidden in others. Sri Ramakrishna (also referred to here as ‘Master’) recognized some of his disciples as intimate companions and they formed his inner circle. He once said to Jogin: “It is wonderful that we have come to know of each other now. You must come often. You have been born into a noble family and possess many characteristics of spiritual greatness. You will easily advance on this path.” Yogananda too was aware of his mission in life. Once when someone jokingly called him a eunuch, he laughingly replied: “You will see – just wait. Jesus left a group of eunuchs who shook the world. We will do the same thing.” In his last days once Yogananda said: “By the grace of the Master I have attained
Sri Yogananda-Dashakam Hymn of Ten Verses on Swami Yogananda
SWAMI JAPASIDDHANANDA
Here is a hymn of ten verses presenting salient features of the austere life and message of Swami Yogananda (also known as Jogin or Yogen), a sannyasi direct-disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. He was specially known for his exemplary service to
Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna. Each verse is followed by translation and relevant incidents from his life. Readers can read a sloka, go through its meaning, ruminate over the incidents connected with the
sloka, and then come back to chant the verse now rich with significance. This will give a feeling of blessedness while chanting the hymn. All the quotations and
paraphrased incidents are from God Lived With Them – the Life Stories of Sixteen Monastic Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, published by Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata.
so much knowledge and devotion that I am unable to express it all.”
To whom Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi was the highest – Diverse is the nature of men in the world; and so it is in spiritual realm too. Devotion to God, some think is the best path to liberation, others consider knowledge the highest, and yet others psychic control, and so on. Swami Yogananda, however, was uniquely blessed with the realization that service to Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi was the highest – both as means and end. He served the living Mother of the Universe with steadfast devotion for more than twelve long years – from the autumn of 1886 to the spring of 1899.2 The Mother herself testified to his impeccable service: “Boy-Yogen served me very well indeed, none else can do the like of it....” When Yogananda passed away Mother remarked: “I don’t see any one who can now carry my burden (i.e., shoulder her responsibilities). Yogen was there....” And again: “Nobody loves me as Yogen did. If anybody gave him so much as eight annas, he kept it by saying, ‘Mother will go out on pilgrimages, etc., and then she will need it.’”
The author is Head, Department of Sanskrit and Philosophy, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (deemed-to-be-University) Belur Math. [email protected]
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The wise – The Sanskrit word Dhira means ‘wise man’. Kalidasa, the greatest of the immortal poets of India gives an excellent definition of the word in his work Kumara- sambhava which is worthy of memorization. He says, vikarahetau sati vikriyante yesham na cetamsi ta eva dhirah, meaning “They indeed are wise whose mind is not perturbed even in the presence of objects of temptation.” A very practical definition indeed! It was well exemplified in the life of Swami Yogananda. In this regard, Swami Shivananda, another monastic direct-disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, once narrated: “Swami Yogananda was a highly evolved soul. He was extremely handsome and had a manly body. Once he was travelling in Central Province, and he was alone in a train car. At a particular station when the train was about to leave, a beautiful courtesan hurriedly got into the same car with her luggage. As soon as her eyes fell on Swami Yogananda, she was infatuated and begged him, ‘I offer my everything to you, please accept me.’ When Yogananda did not respond, she became impatient and threatened him, ‘If you don’t listen to me right now, I shall pull the alarm chain to stop the train, and I shall complain to the guard that you had molested me.’ She was carrying a bottle of wine in her bag. She began to drink the wine to become more excited, but it had the opposite effect. She became so drunk that she passed out on her seat. When the train reached the next station, Yogananda got off the train unharmed. Look, what grace of the Master! Who else can protect except he?”
Austerities – “Yogananda did not care much for studying. He loved to be in solitude, and would practise japam and meditation for many hours. Sometimes he would leave the monastery and practise austerities on the bank of Ganga. Due to his intense fasting Yogananda’s body was lean, but his eyes were bright and luminous.... For the sake of God, he was ready to give up everything – even his body. Sometimes
he would repeat his mantram day and night almost nonstop...”
ईिररोरिं तनतयतसद्ं ल्मलयरा िनुधराररणम्। ज्मिररोरिं भिराि् त्ररािुं युगेिसहरराररणम्॥२॥2) I take refuge in Swami Yogananda, who
is a Godlike soul, ever free, assumes body (i.e., takes birth) playfully, and accompanies the Lord of the age in protecting ordinary souls.
Godlike soul - Sri Ramakrishna said that six of his disciples were godlike souls (Ishvarakotis) and Jogin was one of them.
Accompanies the Lord of the age – Six months before Yogananda’s passing away Sri Ramakrishna appeared before him and told him that he would have to be born again with him for the good of the world. But initially, Yogananda even as Swami Vivekananda and others did, refused to take birth again. A man of spiritual illumination alone knows what it means to be born again in this phenomenal world; it is an extreme torture for them to be bound within the body-mind complex. But that Yogananda eventually acceded to the Master’s wish is known from his conversation with Girish Ghosh: “All right. Let the Master’s will be done. I am his servant. Whatever he asks me to do, I will do.”
In protecting ordinary souls – There is an incident where Swami Vivekananda (hence- forth Swamiji) elicits wonderful words from Swami Yogananda which shows the true mettle and calibre of the sannyasi. When Yogananda’s health deteriorated, Brahmachari Krishnalala (later Swami Dhirananda) was deputed to assist him in serving the Holy Mother. Noticing many women devotees regularly visiting Holy Mother, Swamiji once asked Yogananda: “As you know, various kinds of women come to Holy Mother. Who will be responsible if this brahmacharin’s mind wanders from the spiritual path?” Immediately, touching his chest Yogananda replied: “I will be responsible. I am ready to sacrifice my life for him.” It is needless
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to speak about the Unseen Power that uttered these words through Yogananda’s lips as “I”.
रदवयबरालयं समरायरापय गुरूिसदनरारदतभीः। संतसद्धै यिमरानं िं िरोभमरानं िमरारदतभीः॥३॥3) I take refuge in Swami Yogananda, who
having passed the divine childhood, struggled to attain perfection by approaching Guru, etc., and shines by the virtue of spiritual qualifications like control over the mind.
The divine childhood – When he was a child of five, he would often be overwhelmed with spiritual feelings. In the midst of play, a serious thought would suddenly possess him and he would lose all interest in the sport. He would withdraw into a quiet corner and, looking at the sky, ask himself: “Where am I? Certainly, I don’t belong here. These are not my playmates – I have other friends and companions. I must have come from one of those stars. But which one? I don’t know. And why am I here if I belong to another world? Is this all a dream?” After his sacred thread ceremony, Jogin began to spend more time in meditation and worship. He would get joy from reading the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and other scriptures. He was fond of listening to kirtan or devotional singing and to the recitation of the Bhagavata. Sometimes he would help his father pick flowers for worship.
Struggled to attain perfection by approa- ching Guru, etc. - By the phrase ‘approaching Guru etc.,’ is meant the formal, Upanishadic procedure of getting registered as a pupil under a competent teacher of eminence for guidance and support in spiritual life. Jogin and other disciples, even as the pupils of the Upanishadic age, yearned to attain perfection under the tutorship of their guru Sri Ramakrishna, the Lord of the Age. Sri Ramakrishna too keenly observed and monitored the progress of his disciples and guided each disciple according to his nature. In his methodology, apparently ordinary details like food, sleep, and speech were given much importance. Kind-hearted by
nature, Jogin avoided situations that demanded flexing of his muscles. Sri Ramakrishna recognised this tenderness as a potential barrier to his spiritual unfoldment and cured the malady. When a co-passenger on a boat openly vilified Sri Ramakrishna, Jogin avoided confronting him. When he heard of it, Sri Ramakrishna reproached Jogin for not confronting the abuser. On another occasion, despite Sri Ramakrishna’s instruction to kill the cockroaches in the cloth-chest Jogin let them free in the garden; Sri Ramakrishna then rebuked him for weakness of heart and warned of the risks that come in the wake of disobedience. But it was not a lesson in aggressiveness or belligerence; a sensible balance is what was intended. Sri Ramakrishna also taught him to ignore words that were worthless. Jogin, once reprimanded some villagers of Dakshineswar for their unfounded comments against Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna then advised him to save his valuable time and energy for spiritual pursuits and not squander them on worthless issues. Sri Ramakrishna taught him how to avoid the extremes, and led him by the hand on the spiritual path. Seekers of God are expected to have complete sincerity and faith on the one hand and a sound common-sense on the other. Sri Ramakrishna was a past master in striking a balance between the two – the ideal and the reality. He saw to it that this essential skill of achieving balance percolated into the constitution of his disciples. Once when, impressed by the religious signs of a shopkeeper, Jogin purchased an iron pan without scrutiny and brought home a broken one, Sri Ramakrishna reproved him saying, “Because you are a devotee of God, does it mean that you should be a fool? Do you think any shopkeeper opens a shop to practise religion? Why did you not examine the pan before you purchased it? Never act so foolishly again...” Incidents such as these give a glimpse of the
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unique training that Jogin underwent for attaining perfection.
प्रतणिराि-िररप्रश्-िरररयरा्चरद-सतक्रमैीः। िरायं िरायं गुररोिरा्चणीं मुचयमरानं र संियैीः॥४॥4) I take refuge in Swami Yogananda, who
also got rid of his doubts by drinking deep the words of Guru obtained through the (prescribed) excellent method of obeisance, inquiry, servitude, etc.
Got rid of doubts, etc., by drinking deep the words of Guru – Many were the occasions where Jogin doubted Sri Ramakrishna. For example: Once attracted by a hathayogi’s techniques, Jogin wanted to learn from him some exercises to overcome lust. When he wanted to know Sri Ramakrishna’s advice to conquer cupid, he was advised: “Chant the name of Hari, then it will go.” To Jogin this was just a clichéd advice. So, the next day he went to listen to the hathayogi staying in the Dakshineswar garden. But soon Sri Ramakrishna came there with that priceless expression of solicitude of a worried parent, and holding Jogin by his hand took him to his room. There, like an anxious mother he dissuaded Jogin from his attraction for mere physical yogic exercises. Jogin suspected Sri Ramakrishna was selfishly trying to keep him in his circle. However, overcome by Sri Ramakrishna’s pure love he repeated the name of the Lord with a concentrated mind and experienced its tangible result.
Once at midnight Jogin did not find Sri Ramakrishna on his cot. Immediately he suspected that Sri Ramakrishna had gone to Nahabat3 to spend the night with his wife. To know the truth, he stood outside watching the Nahabat. But when Sri Ramakrishna came walking from the pine grove, where he had gone to ease himself, Jogin was filled with shame for doubting his guru. But to his astonishment Sri Ramakrishna, who immediately understood Jogin’s suspicion, approved his behaviour.
Jogin despaired that his spiritual life was over when, overcome by his family’s pressure, he got married. Deeply dejected, he stopped visiting Dakshineswar. Sri Ramakrishna, who could fathom the hearts of men, was very worried about Jogin. He sent for Jogin several times. But when Jogin refused to come, Sri Ramakrishna hit upon a plan. He knew that Jogin had to return some balance money of a transaction with a person in the Kali temple. So he sent word, in a manner that would hurt Jogin’s pride, asking him to return the money. Jogin felt grievously wounded that Sri Ramakrishna considered him a cheat. He immediately came to Dakshineswar to return the money and then never see Sri Ramakrishna again. But as soon as Jogin came into his presence, Sri Ramakrishna with deep concern assured him that his spiritual life would not be affected by marriage and he would work out things for his spiritual progress either as a householder or as a renouncer. Overwhelmed by his guru’s boundless love, Jogin felt immensely uplifted. He also realised that he had misunderstood his guru.
When Sri Ramakrishna was persistent in procuring his share of temple offerings arranged by Rani Rasmani, Jogin read petty mindedness in his conduct. But Sri Ramakrishna who only wanted to ensure fulfillment of the great lady’s noble objective, at least in part, explained the rationale behind his act. Jogin felt ashamed again of his meanness and inability to see the lofty intentions of the Master.
Thus gradually Jogin learnt to discover, to his amazement and joy, deep significance in every act of Sri Ramakrishna, irrespective of how trivial it appeared at first. Thus passing through turbulent seas of doubts, he attained firm faith in his guru and holding on to his words eventually landed on the shores of Light.
Through the (prescribed) excellent method of obeisance, inquiry, servitude, etc. - What does
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(prescribed) excellent method mean? It is the method spoken of in ancient Indian spiritual sciences, such as - ितद्तद् प्रतणिरािने िररप्रश्ने सिेयरा। उिदेकयन्ि िे ज्रानं ज्रातननसित्िदति्चनीः।। “Know that Truth(God) by obeisance (prostrations), proper questioning, and service to the teacher. (Moved by humility, etc.) They, the knowers of Truth, will impart to you that knowledge.” (Bhagavad Gita 4:34) Spiritual sciences (like the Upanishads) give the methodology and pre-requisites which a spiritual aspirant is expected to excel in. Jogin imbibed them by living with Sri Ramakrishna and following his advice.
देवयराीः श््मसरारदरामणयराीः नसनगधिरातसलयभराजनम्। तिषयमराद्यं सदरा िुद्ं मरािृिरादरजरोतनतधम्॥५॥5) I take refuge in Swami Yogananda, who
was the recipient of the loving affection of the Goddess Sri Saradamani, her first disciple, ever pure, and to whom dust of the feet of Holy Mother was a treasure.
Recipient of the loving affection – “Jogin and Sharat belonged to my inner circle” said Holy Mother.
First disciple - Sri Ramakrishna, after leaving his mortal frame, instructed Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi to formally initiate Jogin. Jogin too received an instruction from Sri Ramakrishna to seek initiation from Holy Mother. But both, shy by nature, ignored the counsel thinking it to be their imagination. When the vision repeated for the third time, Mother apologized and expressed her shyness. Sri Ramakrishna then told her to take the help of Yogin-ma. Shortly after, the Mother initiated Jogin and he thus became her first formally initiated disciple.
Ever pure – Though Jogin had to marry under the pressure of circumstances, he lived the life of a strict celibate. He and his wife never slept in the same bed. Further Sri Ramakrishna’s deputation of Jogin to the service of Holy Mother is in itself a testimony for his calibre.
To whom dust of the feet of Holy Mother was a treasure – Jogin had such high reverence
for Holy Mother that he would not touch her feet even while offering obeisance to her. When others questioned about it he apologized that he did not have the insolence to keep her standing and waiting for him to bow down to her. He would rather touch the spot with his head after Mother left the place. The excellence he had achieved in serving the Mother was rare to be found in anyone else.
सेिमरानं सुि्मरवेषु यरोगिुङ्गतिहराररण्मम्। ररामरृषणमयीं रदवयरां रराधराभराितिलरातसन्मम्॥६॥6) I take refuge in Swami Yogananda, who
served Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi who revelled in the heights of Yoga (samadhi) in prominent sacred places of pilgrimage, had Herself become Sri Ramakrishna, was divine, and sported in the ecstasy of Radha-consciousness.
The following words of Swami Yogananda helps us to contemplate on the meaning of this verse: “At Vrindavan the Holy Mother had many spiritual experiences. One day her women companions found her absorbed in deep samadhi. They uttered the name of the Lord in her ears and tried to bring her mind down. I repeated the name of Sri Ramakrishna with all my strength; then the Mother seemed to return to the ordinary sense plane. During such periods of ecstasy, her manner of speech, her voice, her way of taking food, her way of walking, and her general behaviour were exactly like those of the Master. We have heard that in deep meditation the worshipper and the worshipped become one. The scriptures mention a spiritual state known as tadatmyabhava – being at one with God. We have read in the Bhagavata how the gopis (shepherd girls of Vṛindavan), unable to bear separation from Krishna, became so deeply absorbed in his thought, that for the moment they forgot their own individuality and behaved as though they were Krishna. In the same manner the Mother, too, forgot her own separate existence and acted just like the Master, feeling her oneness with him. When I asked her some
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complex question about spiritual matters shortly after her states of samadhi, she replied in a god-intoxicated mood, very much like Sri Ramakrishna; that is, in the same manner characteristic of the Master, even using the same easy style of expression with metaphor and parables. We all were surprised to see the spirit of Sri Ramakrishna united with hers. It was unique. We then realized that the Master and the Mother were one in essence, though appearing in separate forms. Is it not said in the scriptures: ‘Lord, thou art man, thou art woman.’ The Master told me many times that there was no difference between him and the Mother.
“...(Holy Mother) passed nearly two days in that superconscious state. A great transformation came over the Mother after that experience. ....She sometimes behaved like a simple, innocent girl. Sometimes she would express an eagerness to visit the various temples of Vṛindavan for darshan (seeing the deity) or to visit holy spots on the banks of the Jamuna associated with the divine sport of Krishna and the gopis. She was then in such a blissful state of mind that at times her yearning for Krishna’s presence and her utterance of his name with intense love reminded of Radha. I have heard from her women companions that the Mother at times spoke frankly of herself as Radha. She passed her time in constant meditation and japam and would often go into ecstasy, remaining forgetful of herself for hours together.”
सरारदरािरनं रयतुं सि्चिरास्तरार्चसरारदम्। एिं िंस्िमरान्दं ितिदराररा्चतििरारदम्॥७॥7) I take refuge in Swami Yogananda, who
blissfully proclaimed that the life and message of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi conveys the essence of all scriptures, and who is an adept in serving her lotus feet.
Once Saradananda said to Yogananda: “Brother, I do not always understand Swamiji. He speaks in various moods. Whatever stand he takes, he makes so much of it that the others
pale into insignificance.” Yogananda replied: “Sharat,4 I tell you one thing: cling to Holy Mother. Whatever she says – that is right.”
द्रािरेऽजु्चननरामरानं रलौ यरोग्म्द्संतज्िम्। यरोगरारूढं संयम्म्द्ं िरािनं तनतििव्रिम्॥८॥8) I take refuge in Swami Yogananda, who
was named Arjuna in dvapara-yuga,5 christened Yogindra in Kali-yuga,6 established in Yoga7, chief among those who possess self-control, holy and of intense austerities.
Established in Yoga - Swami Shuddhananda, who lived with Yogananda for some time, said: “Jogin Maharaj was so absorbed in meditation most of the time that his face would always look serene and luminous. Even when he would come from his bath, one would feel that he had just come out of his deep meditation.”
Chief among those who have self-control - Swami Vivekananda once remarked: “If there is anyone amongst us who has conquered lust in all respects, it is Jogin.”
ररामरृषण-महरासङ्घ-महरालकय-प्रतिक्षणे । जहदरातमग्रहं दक्षं िुषय्िं ित्िरक्षणे ॥९॥9) I take refuge in Swami Yogananda, who
abandoned his conception (and aspirations) for the sake of preaching the stupendous ideal of the great organization of Sri Ramakrishna, competent (in carrying out the mission assigned to him), and who rejoices in safeguarding principles (even at the cost of giving up his personal opinions).
Who abandoned his conceptions – Yogananda did not always readily accept Swamiji’s revolutionary ideas. But when it came to work, he always followed the commands of the leader and setting aside his natural leaning for a meditative life worked hard to further the cause of the organization. From 1895 to 1898 he arranged the birth anniversary festivals of Sri Ramakrishna on a large scale. When Swami Vivekananda returned from the West in 1897, Yogananda took active part in organising the reception function. When Swamiji established
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the Ramakrishna Mission on 1 May 1897, Yogananda was made its Vice-president, in which capacity he presided several times over the weekly meetings of the Mission.
Rejoices in keeping intact principles and ideals – Yogananda led an ideal life, and he taught by his example. He did not lecture or do any spectacular work. Although born into a rich family and married, he demonstrated how to practise renunciation and purity. He was an uncompromising sannyasi: he shunned everything that took his mind away from Sri Ramakrishna. In this matter he would not spare even the beloved leader Swami Vivekananda. Yogananda once apologized to Swamiji: “Whatever you will, shall come about. We are always ready to follow your lead. I see clearly that the Master is working through you. Still, I confess, doubts do sometimes arise in my mind, for, as we saw it, his method of doing things was so different. I am led to ask myself whether we are not straying from Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings.” But when Swamiji explained to him the principles on which he worked, Swami Yogananda was deeply moved and praised Swamiji’s greatness.
Yogananda argued with Swamiji on several occasions until he was convinced about the necessity and propriety of innovations made by Swamiji for the Ramakrishna Order. He, represented, as it were, the collective mind of the brethren, voiced their doubts, argued, and elicited wonderful answers from Swami Vivekananda which today guide us in understanding Swamij i ’ s ideas . The Ramakrishna Order is beholden to Swami
Yogananda for this unique service. Unique, because no other brother-disciple dared to engage the colossal spiritual power that was Swami Vivekananda in any kind of debate. Swami Yogananda was a blend of independent spirit and obedience which makes him an ideal for others to follow.
श्रीवििेकयतरीन्दे्ण ससंततुतं समतुपाश्ये। सारदाङ्घ वरिसरोजे सद्घ-भवतिभािावदवसद्धये॥१०॥10) I take refuge in Swami Yogananda,
who was praised by Swami Vivekananda, the leader of sannyasis, for the sake of attaining true devotion, ecstasy etc., at the lotus feet of Sri Sarada Devi.
Who was praised by Swami Vivekananda – Swamiji held Yogananda in high esteem. He considered him as the best among those who had mastery over themselves. As Yogananda lay ill in his last days the words uttered by Swamiji bears out his deep regard for him: “Jogin, you get well, let me die instead.” Indeed all the brother disciples cherished Swami Yogananda in their heart for his exalted life, severe austerities, and the unmatched service he rendered to the Holy Mother. Once Swami Niranjanananda said: “Jogin, you are our crest jewel.”
For the sake of attaining true devotion, ecstasy etc., at the lotus feet of Sri Sarada Devi – Yogananda commanded love and respect for his sterling, saintly qualities. But what set him apart as a class among the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna was his devoted service to Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. He was one of the first sannyasis to discover the extraordinary spiritual greatness of Mother, hidden under her rural simplicity.
1) Sri Sarada Devi was the spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna. 2) Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. Swami Gambhirananda, Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1955, p.187 3) The unused concert tower in the Dakshineswar temple where Sri Sarada Devi lived. 4) This is the short form of Saradananda’s premonastic name – Sharat Candra Chakravarti 5) The third leg of the quadral division of time cycle 6) Iron age, the current one and the last leg of the quadral division of time 7) Yoga is the state of being one with the Supreme Self otherwise known as God, etc.
References
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AN APPEAL TO SERVE GOD IN MAN
Dear Devotees and well-wishers,
We pray that Sri Ramakrishna may shower His blessings on all your endeavours.Thanjavur is a historically and culturally important city, famous for its art and
ancient architecture, especially temples.
It was Swami Vivekananda’s earnest desire to install Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna in every town and spread the culture of worship and service. We now propose to begin a centre in Thanjavur and initiate various activities:
l Youth Camps - to develop self-confidence, awareness of health and yoga etc.
l Balaka Sangha - to train children in cultural and spiritual traditions, etc.
l Spiritual Practices - daily puja, bhajans, japa yajna, parayanam, discourses.
l Spiritual & Cultural Literature - promotion and sale.
l Seminar/Workshops - for teachers, doctors and other professionals.
l Medical Services - for the poor and needy.
To establish a new centre and conduct the above activities, an amount of Rs. 7 Crore is required. We invite you to contribute whatever you can and be a part of this noble mission.
Names of those who contribute Rs.10,000/- and above will be inscribed in the Math premises.
Donations are exempted under Section 80 G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Donations may be sent cheque/DD in favour of “Sri Ramakrishna Math”. For Online donation please visit https://donations.chennaimath.org
After online payment please intimate us by email your address, and PAN number.
Yours in the Service of the Lord,Swami Gautamananda,
Adhyaksha.
Sri Ramakrishna Math31, Sri Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai-4.
& : 24621110. email : [email protected] : www.chennaimath.org
For more details - Mob : 98409 87307
(A Sub-Centre of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai)A New Sri Ramakrishna Math at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
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Introduction
In the previous two issues, we discussed the importance of cultivating a pre-pilgrimage mindset before
embarking on a pilgrimage. The next question is: How should we conduct ourselves during the pilgrimage so as to maximise our spiritual progress?
Sri Ramakrishna’s spiritual experiences in Varanasi reveal subtle hidden truths about places of pilgrimage—and also how sincere seekers can access them. Sri Ramakrishna says that the “wind of God’s grace is always blowing. We only have to unfurl our sails.”1 This is especially true in places of pilgrimage where the devotion of countless devotees and great souls “has caused a spiritual atmosphere to become palpable in that place, so [that] one can easily become spiritually awakened and have a vision of God there.”2
Swami Vivekananda further explains that such places “become full of good tanmatras”3 or spiritual vibrations and become saturated with sattva. In order to access this vast reservoir of spiritual vibrations, we simply have to awaken the sattva vritti (thought-wave) in our own minds, and tune it to the particular frequency of the place of pilgrimage.
Sri Ramakrishna and the Pilgrimage Mindset
SWAMI CHIDEKANANDA
(Continued from the previous issue…)
In modern times, the absorption of spiritual vibrations may be compared to flying on an airplane and wishing to connect to the Internet so that one can watch a movie during the flight. To download the movie, one first requires a password. Once passengers get the password, they can then connect with the Internet and download the movie into their
h a r d d r i v e . I n h i s pilgrimage to Varanasi with Mathur Babu, Sri Ramakrishna gives us the password which will enable us to connect to the holy vibrations of a place of pilgrimage. Once we connect with this spiritual atmosphere, we
can then download these holy vibrations into our mind.
How to access these spiritual vibrations in places of pilgrimage?
Sri Ramakrishna’s pilgrimage mindset—which he applied in his pilgrimage to Varanasi—shows us the way. The pilgrimage mindset consists of four vidyas (spiritual practices based on subtle truths). Each of these vidyas is supported by the scriptures and affirmed by his own realisations. The four vidyas of the pilgrimage mindset practised by Sri Ramakrishna are: (1) Practice of Tuning to the Divine; (2) Practice of Spiritual Association;
Four Vidyas1) Tuning to the Divine 2) Spiritual Association 3) Presence of the Sacred 4) Poking the Honeycomb
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The author is a sannyasi of the Ramakrishna Order and is serving at Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata. [email protected]
(3) Practice of the Presence of the Sacred; (4) Practice of ‘Poking the Honeycomb’4.
Before we discuss how we can apply these vidyas during our pilgrimages, we will have to address a fundamental doubt that arises in the mind of many spiritual seekers: Sri Ramakrishna was an incarnation and we are merely ordinary jivas. There is a gulf of difference between his pure mind and ours. So how will his spiritual experiences help us?
More than 1200 years ago, Sri Shankaracharya, the great exponent of Advaita Vedanta, answered this question. In his commentary on chapter 2, verse 55 of the Gita, he explains the relevance and necessity of a realised soul’s spiritual experiences and spiritual practices to ordinary souls: नसरिप्रज्लक्षणं सराधनं र उिरदशयिे । सि्चत्रैि तह अधयरातमिरास्ते रृिरार्चलक्षणरातन यरातन िरा्येि सराधनरातन उिरदशय्िे ।। “In all the scriptures, whatever are the characteristics of the man of realisation are themselves presented as the disciplines for an aspirant, because these (characteristics) are the result of effort. And those that are the disciplines requiring effort become the characteristics (of the man of realization)”.5 In other words, Sri Ramakrishna’s spiritual practices and his spiritual moods are the means for us to make spiritual progress.
Vidya 1: Practice of tuning in to the Divine ‘Tuning in to the divine’ means adopting a
specific spiritual mood during the pilgrimage which will enable one to access the particular tanmatra or spiritual vibration of a holy site. Sri Ramakrishna would often remark that he visited each holy place with a specific spiritual mood6 or vishesa-bhava (in Bengali).
Understanding that each teerthasthan has its own particular spiritual current, he would choose a spiritual mood accordingly. For example, in Varanasi (also known as Kashi), due
to the preponderance of sattva caused “by the priceless love and faith of innumerable monastics and devotees throughout the ages”7, Lord Shiva’s name, form, and qualities have become condensed8 and can be easily accessed by spiritual aspirants in a particular manner. On the other hand, in Vrindavan, where countless devotees have chanted and danced to Sri Krishna’s name, his name, form, and qualities have become condensed. For this reason, Sri Ramakrishna says, “I expected to find everyone in Varanasi absorbed in samadhi, meditating on Shiva twenty-four hours a day, and everyone in Vrindaban wild with ecstatic joy in the company of Krishna. But when I went to those places, I found them to be different.”9
In choosing a specific mood, Sri Ramakrishna also hints that externals—like the type of food one eats and the clothes one wears—may be helpful in fostering a particular mood, but this must also be done with the right motivation. Sometimes we may assume a spiritual attitude and wear certain clothes or have a specific diet (like vegetarianism) for the sake of posing or projecting a holier-than-thou attitude. The goal is to imitate the holy man rather than just mimic him.
For this reason, Sri Ramakrishna repeatedly emphasised in the Kathamrita that a spiritual mood must be combined with virtues like sincerity, broad-mindedness, humility, and self-efficacy. When visiting Kashi—in spite of being an incarnation—Sri Ramakrishna assumed the spiritual identity of a humble seeker of the knowledge of Oneness. This attitude gets especially reflected when he meets Trailanga Swami (an incident that we shall discuss later).
Similarly, Sister Nivedita, before her pilgrimage to Amarnath, describes her mindset, which is ideal for a mumukshu (seeker of liberation). She writes: “I am learning a great deal…That there is a certain definite quality
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which may be called spirituality; that it is worth having; that the soul may long for GOD as the heart for human love; that nothing that I have ever called nobility or unselfishness was anything but the feeblest and most sordid of qualities compared to the fierce white light of real selflessness…At present, it is of course just groping in the dark—asking an opinion here and there, and sifting evidence. Someday I hope to have first-hand knowledge and to give it to others with full security of truth.”10
Here, Nivedita’s mindset strikes the right balance between self-efficacy and humility, which is ideal for a spiritual seeker. She understands that “there is a certain quality which may be called spirituality,” and at the same time, she understands that she is merely “groping in the dark.” Nonetheless, she is clear about her goal to “someday...have first-hand knowledge and give it to others with full security of truth.”
Nivedita’s mindset also indicates a clear focus, inwardness, and determination to have some type of spiritual experience during her pilgrimage to Amarnath. This determination is especially helpful to spiritual aspirants, who must have the strength to withstand the inevitable difficulties and even insults which they will encounter in places of pilgrimage. For example, Sister Nivedita, after her arduous journey to Badrinath near the end of her life, was prevented from entering the inner sanctum of the temple by the priest. Though initially taken aback, she soon “overcame her disappointment, and losing herself in prayers, she joined the pilgrims circumambulating the temple, telling their beads.”11 How could she do this? In addition to her determination, she also possessed a broad-mindedness which allowed her to transcend the local customs and connect with the deity at a deeper level. Similarly, if we want to achieve something during our pilgrimage, we must also possess a
determination, endurance, and broad-mindedness like Sister Nivedita.
Vidya 2: Practice of Spiritual AssociationThe practice of spiritual association is
powerful, practical and easy. It is the practice of utilising our knowledge of holy places to awaken the sattvika quality within our own mind.
In the first article, we discussed the importance of acquiring and then meditating upon spiritual, historical, and Puranik knowledge about a teerthasthan beforehand. In his visit to Kashi, Sri Ramakrishna shows how a spiritual aspirant—with such knowledge of places of pilgrimage—can access the deep reservoir of “condensed spirituality”.
From his early boyhood days, Sri Ramakrishna had absorbed the essence of scriptures by listening to sadhus and scholars. In this manner, he became very familiar with texts like the Kashi Khanda. He also had a vast knowledge of the different Puranik incidents which had taken place in Kashi. As a result, when he visited temples like Viswanath or Kedarnath, his knowledge enabled him to quickly connect with the spiritual vibration in
Sister Nivedita
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1) Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 181 2) See Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play [hereafter Divine Play], p. 605 3) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 1, p. 248 4) The Eternal Companion, p. 90 (2016) 5) Translation by Swami Gambhirananda 6) Divine Play. p. 607 7) Ibid 8) Ibid 9) Divine Play. p. 607 10) Letters of Sister Nivedita. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 1:15 11) Sister Nivedita. Kolkata: Sister Nivedita Girls’ School, p.,282 12) Divine Play. p. 331 13) Divine Play. p. 610 14) Banaras: City of Light.Diana L.Eck. p. 380, note 35 quoting Kashi Khanda, 26.67 15) Ibid. p. 381, note 50, quoting Kashi Rahasya, 7.21 16) Divine Play. p. 609
References
that temple and thereby experience “ecstasy in all temples”.12
In addition, Kashi is particularly famous because it is believed that Kashyam Maranam Muktihi or “Death in Kashi is liberation”. But how does this take place? The Kashi Khanda describes that at the time of one’s passing, Lord Shiva comes and whispers the Taraka mantra into the ear of the departed soul. While travelling by a boat in front of the Manikarnika Ghat cremation ground, Sri Ramakrishna literally experienced the truth of this statement. He describes his vision of Kashi as the abode of mukti: “I saw a tall white figure with tawny matted hair steadily approach each funeral pyre in turn, carefully raise each individual soul from its cast-off body, and whisper into its ear the [mantra] that liberated a soul. Seated on the opposite side of the pyre, the Divine Mother untied the gross, subtle and causal knots of bondage created by each individual soul, thus sending the soul to the Absolute by opening the gate of liberation. Lord Viswanath was blessing those souls by bestowing in an instant the experience of non-dual, infinite bliss that
people can attain only after ages of concentration and austerity.”13
Another well known Puranik incident—described in the Kashi Khanda—is when a pillar of light appeared in Kashi and neither Vishnu nor Brahma was able to trace the beginning or the end of the light. After learning that the pillar of light was none other than Viswanath himself, Vishnu named the area Kashi because it is “that light where the unspeakable Shiva shines (kashate).”14 Other scriptures state that, “Kashi transforms the inert into Rudramaya or made of the substance of Rudra himself.”15
In his visit to Kashi, Sri Ramakrishna literally experienced the “light of Shiva” in the form of a “golden colour” and also the “inert as Rudramaya”. He saw in a vision that “the city of Shiva was truly made of gold: There was no clay or stone in Varanasi.” Swami Saradananda further explains that the “subtle form of the city had been made golden by the priceless love and faith of innumerable monastics and devotees throughout the ages. The real Varanasi is luminous and full of spirituality while the external one is but its shadow.”16 (To be continued)
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India has always been the cradle of spirituality. From the seers of the Vedic age to the modern times, a number of
rishis and yogis have realised the eternal Truth and expressed it in various ways in different languages and cultural settings. Allama Prabhu (12 CE) belongs to this illustrious line of spiritual luminaries.
Sri Ramakrishna classified gurus into three kinds. He explained their nature by comparing them to three kinds of physicians: superior, mediocre and inferior. The inferior physician merely feels the patient’s pulse and recommends a suitable medicine. The mediocre physician not only prescribes medicine, but also gently coaxes the patient to take the medicine. The superior physician, when facing a stubborn patient, pins him down physically and forces the medicine down his throat! Even so are the gurus. Allama Prabhu belonged to the third category of gurus. He was relentless in his approach and adopted various ways to impart his teachings. His teachings have come down to us in a composition called Vachana, a form of poetic prose in Kannada. Though his Vachanas are known to be quite hard to decipher, they are full of colourful metaphors, imageries and soulful poetry. When understood, they reveal a remarkable clarity.
It is difficult to box Allama Prabhu into any particular category. His Vachanas share common ground with Veerashaiva, Vedanta, Agamas, Raja Yoga and Hatha Yoga. But above all, he is uncompromising when it comes to the non-dual aspect of Reality.
Allama PrabhuSHIVANAND SHAHAPUR
Beginning from this issue we are searlising the Sharana Sahitya, the Veerashaiva devotional literature of Allama Prabhu, Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi, and others.
Early LifeWe have three major works in Kannada
related to Allama Prabhu’s life. In Shunya Sampadane (15 CE), Shivagana-prasadi Mahadevayya skilfully weaves a narrative of interaction among various Shiva-sharanas of the 12th century Kalyana (capital of Western Chalukyas), making use of their Vachanas. In this narrative, Allama Prabhu is given a pivotal role. This work is valued for teachings of Allama Prabhu and other Sharanas of his time and the work also has anecdotal value. His early life is described in Prabhudevara Ragale of Harihara (late 12 CE) in which the young Allama is depicted as a young man fond of music. While leading a happy married life, he became intensely grief stricken when his wife had an untimely death. He was thus exposed to all the human failings before he rose above them and found peace. Prabhulinga Leele of Chamarasa (15 CE) on the other hand, depicts Allama as ever free from worldly attractions. Mayadevi, a princess who is also a beautiful dancer, sets out to win his heart, but fails to charm him. Allama seems to allude to the pull of Maya in one of his Vachanas:
“Strike not thy arrow, O’ Cupid! You are stupid, You can’t burn me, Who is already burnt by the pangs Of separation from Guheshwara.” 1
Meeting his Guru, AnimishaFrom his Vachanas, we can deduce that
Allama was well-acquainted with Vedas,
The author, a young engineer, is now involved in translating into English ‘Vachana Nirvachana’, an analytical study of Allama Prabhu’s vachanas in Kannada language by Sri Siddeshwara Swamiji of Jnana Yogashrama, Bijapur. [email protected]
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Agamas, Yoga and Tantra. Yet, none of these works tell us how he acquired this knowledge. Was he self-taught or did he learn from some great masters? In the Kannada works, we come across brief references to his guru Animishayya whom he met in an underground temple, seated in a lotus position, gazing at the Linga on his palm. Without any exchange of words, the life-force of Animisha is said to have left his body and permeated the whole body of Allama. Allama writes:
“I have gazed at the source of all light, I have seen my Supreme Master. I have seen the inconceivable And beheld the sweep of my consciousness. Having seen, I have been saved, O’ Guheshwara.”
Thus, it is through this episode that we learn how Allama became one with the Absolute Consciousness, his Guheshwara.
Meeting BasaveshwaraAllama started wandering to spread the
divine light among sincere devotees. Even great sadhakas hit a spiritual plateau at some stage of their sadhana when they need guidance from a self-realised master. How Allama Prabhu guided the sadhakas of his time to move on to higher consciousness is graphically described in Shunya Sampadane.
During this period, Basaveshwara, also called Basavanna, was the leading light of the Sharana community that he had built in Kalyana (today’s Basava Kalyana in Bidar district of Karnataka). He served as the Prime minister of Bijjala, the ruler of Kalyana. While Allama was a wandering Jangama (ascetic), Basavanna was a householder devoted to Shiva. Basavanna could feel the presence of Shiva in the world outside and in his own heart. He saw Shiva in one and all. At the same time, he realized the need for worship. He wanted no middle man between a devotee and God. So, he advocated direct worship of Shiva in the form
of Ishtalinga, a representation of the omnipresent God which one can hold on his palm and worship with devotion. This devotion, Basavanna believed is also expressed in Kayaka or honest work to earn a living to support the family, and for Dasoha which means serving the needy as a daasa (servant). Basavanna firmly believed that all Shiva’s devotees are equal and no one can be branded as inferior on account of birth, gender, caste, or occupation.
When Al lama came to Kalyana, Basaveshwara was overjoyed. He took Allama to the gathering of Shiva’s devotees – men and women. The place where they met regularly was called Anubhava Mantapa or Hall of Spiritual Experience. The Shiva Sharanas gathered in Anubhava Mantapa used to discuss spiritual, mystical and social matters. Basavanna requested Allama Prabhu to preside over this meeting. Allama was coronated to the Shunya-peetha or the throne of Shunya (void). It is to be noted that this had been kept vacant for several years by Basveshwara who was waiting for the most adept person to come and occupy it.
Most of the Vachanas that we read today were discussed in this very Anubhava Mantapa. Allama presided over all these discussions and resolved even the minutest of doubts that arose, especially in the matters of mystical spirituality. Besides Basaveshwara, many prominent Sharanas like Siddarameshwara, Channa Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi and Muktayakka, were led to the path of Shiva by Allama himself. One of the prominent episodes is the arrival of Akka-Mahadevi and the dialogue that takes place between Allama and her.
Akkamahadevi, when she reached Kalyana was already spiritually quite advanced. An embodiment of renunciation, she had turned away from her marriage with a petty ruler named Kaushika and had walked out of his palace naked. Such was her faith in Shiva whom she called Chenna-Mallikarjuna that, she
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walked out of home in search of her beloved, Chenna Mallikarjuna. Allama did not accept her readily. He put her through severe tests to find out how she had conquered the worldly ways at such a tender age. Undeterred by his sharp questions, Akka Mahadevi replied that the body is akin to a poisonous snake. If the fangs (lust and other vices) of such a snake is removed, it becomes the body of God. Those who achieve this become Videha (bodiless) and Maya has no hold on them. Allama and the whole congregation, recognising the spiritual greatness of Akka Mahadevi, bowed down to her after this exchange. She stayed in Kalyana for a short period during which Allama guided her through the final stages of sadhana which is aptly captured in one of her Vachanas –
“Having ended the trinity, I have become twain of I and the Absolute. Having ended the duality, I have become a unity. It is because of the grace of you all I salute Basavanna and all assembled here Blessed was I by Allama my Master- Now bless me all, that I may join my ChennaMallikarjuna”
Final journey to KadaliOne day, addressing the gathering at
Anubhava Mantapa, Allama told the Sharanas that he had fulfilled the mission of laying down the path of Shivachara and putting forth the principles of Shivayoga. Hence, he desired to spend his last days in the Kadali grove of Srisailam (now in Andhra Pradesh).
On his way to Srisailam, Allama met Goraksha,2 a hatha yogi who was very proud of his accomplishments. Goraksha had made his body into vajrakaya (hard as diamond) and
thought he was invincible and had attained immortality. He challenged Allama to poke him with a sword. Laughing at his ignorance, Allama in turn asked him to poke that very sword through him instead. On doing that, Goraksha, to his surprise, found the sword passing through Allama’s body as if it was made of air. Astonished, he surrendered to Allama requesting him to teach the secret. Allama pointed out that Yogic feats were insignificant, and what mattered most was conquering one’s ego. This would erase the sense of differentiation and bring about the state of ultimate realisation. Thus corrected, Goraksha continued his sadhana and attained Self-Realization.
Details of Allama’s last days in Kadali is not known. Although accounts differ on how he drew the curtains over his life, and the samadhi present there today cannot be really proved to be his, there is no doubt that he attained Lingaikya3 in Kadali, Srisailam.
When he learnt of Allama’s final journey Basaveshwara composed this Vachana:
“He who is as great as Linga, has lost his sense! He who is as great as Jangama, has lost his motion! He who is as great as Prasada, has lost his form! He who is as great as Sadachara, has lost his limbs! He who is as great as Consciousness, has lost his action! When in Lord Kudala Sangama, Prabhudeva Attained the Ultimate state, Sanganna Basavanna’s soul at once went after him.”
(To be continued. . .)
1) All Sharanas ended their Vachanas with their Ankita naama (signature) which was nothing but a pseudonym for Shiva. 2) Gorakasha is said be the same as Yogi Goraknath of Gorakhpur, the founder of the Nath tradition who championed Hatha Yoga all over the country. 3) Lingaikya means to shed the mortal body and get merged into Linga, the Absolute Consciousness.
References
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Primer Minister at Belur Math
Pariprasna Srimat Swami Tapasyananda Ji (1904 – 1991), was one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order. His deeply convincing answers to devotees’ questions raised in spiritual retreats and in
personal letters have been published in book form as Spiritual Quest: Questions & Answers. Pariprasna is a selection from this book.
QUESTION: The Lord has said in the Gita: ‘You are competent only to act but not to claim the results of your actions.’ This is very difficult to practise. Is there any way to make this practicable?
MAHARAJ: So long as we are absolutely self-centred, it is impossible for us to practise this teaching. For it is only the result or the gain out of a work that makes a self-centred person exert himself. So the only way to put the Gita’s teaching into practice is first to discipline ourselves by
identifying ourselves with bigger and bigger ‘wholes’. An animal only eats, sleeps and mates except when certain instinctive drives in certain species goad them to work for the species. The ‘animal-man’ is also like that. He exists for his food and his pleasures. But as his self gets identified with a group, say, his family and is thus drawn out and expanded, he learns to work to some extent without personal ‘compensation’ and in the interest of a bigger group, the family. As he evolves, the ‘whole’ or ‘group’ with which he identifies himself will also grow bigger and bigger, progressing towards a universal ideal. Thus he can become the leader of a village, of his community, of his country, of his race and of humanity. To the extent he identifies himself with these progressively expanding ‘wholes’ or ‘groups’ he becomes capable of greater and greater personal sacrifices for the good of the greater ‘wholes’ with whom he identifies himself.
Now if a person is a devotee of God in truth and in spirit, he accepts the whole universe as His and also as His expression, and becomes capable of doing everything as His service. There should however be genuine enlightened faith and devotion, if one were to act in this way. But most of those who say they have faith in God and devotion for Him, have only pseudo-faith and pseudo-devotion, and these will never, help one to attain to that sense of joy and elation which work done without personal motive, as a service of God, would bring. Indifference and irresponsibility alone can be the result of pseudo-faith and pseudo-devotion. One who is fit to follow the Gita ideal would put his best into his work, although he does not personally gain anything by it. Even where conditions of life require the acceptance of a salary for subsistence in the world, his work is not regulated by his salary but by the urge he feels for doing the work to the best of his capacity, as he is doing it for the Lord who is the Master of everything.
People who have not got this kind of true faith and devotion would be well-advised not to stand on that highest ideal expounded in the Gita, but on the lesser ideals described earlier, namely, identification with groups or ‘wholes’ like the community, country, humanity, etc. If the love for these bigger ‘wholes’ is genuine, man will grow in strength and detachment and will gradually be able to dedicate all his works to God. An absolute and living faith in Divine reality is needed for this discipline.
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Primer Minister at Belur Math Davanagere
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News & Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission
The Order on the March
Belur MathThe birthday of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated
at Belur Math on Friday, 17th January 2020. Thousands of devotees attended the celebration throughout the day. Khichri prasad was served to about 12,000 devotees. Swami Satyeshananda, one of the Asst. General Secretaries of the Order presided over the public meeting held in the afternoon.
65 centres in India celebrated the National Youth Day (12th January) with great enthusiasm by conducting programmes such as processions, youths’ conventions, speeches and cultural competitions. In the celebrations at Belur Math thousands of youths and devotees thronged the Belur Math premises throughout the day. Khichri prasad was served to about 30,000 people.
Guests of HonourSri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of
India, visited Belur Math and stayed at the Math guest- house from the evening of 11th January to the morning of 12th January. He addressed the gathering of youth at Belur Math on the occasion of National Youth Day on 12th January. Sri M Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India, visited Port Blair centre on 18th January. Sri Jagdeep Dhankhar, Governor of West Bengal, and Sri Tathagata Roy, Governor of Meghalaya, visited Cossipore Math on 1st and 14th
Kadapa Jammu Kalady
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centres (1575 students & 82 teachers); Medinipur: 12 workshops (4654 students & teachers); Mysuru: Quiz competition on Swamiji (36,000 students from 387 educational institutions); Rajkot: Residential Personality Development Camp (88 students) and 13 programmes outside (3149 students); Taki: Talks in 4 institutions (474 students); Vadodara: 3 programmes (460 students).
Cyclone Relief West Bengal: In the wake of the
devastation caused by Cyclone Bulbul in November, Narendrapur centre distributed 1081 blankets, saris and mosquito nets among 1081 families in North and South 24 Parganas districts.
Flood Relief India: Purnea centre distributed 330
saris and 32 lungis among 362 families that had been affected by floods in October. Sri Lanka: Batticaloa sub-centre of Colombo Ashrama distributed 2420 kg rice, 242 kg dal and 242 kg sugar among 242 flood-affected families in and around Batticaloa.
Winter Relief40 centres in India distributed
among the poor: 19,172 blankets, 14,828 sweaters/jackets. Two centres in Bangladesh distributed 1330 blankets.
Distress Relief16 centres in India distributed 824
dhotis, 2671 saris, 18,724 shirts, 13,236 trousers, and 305 mosquito-nets
January respectively. Sri Jagdeep Dhankhar also presided over the annual prize-giving ceremony of Narendrapur Vidyalaya on 25th January. Sri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, inaugurated Bhubaneswar Ashrama’s centenary celebrations on 24th January.
News from Branch CentresOn the occasion of the Gangasagar Mela, Manasadwip
centre held a camp at Sagar Island in South 24-Parganas district. About 1000 pilgrims were given free board and lodging at the camp. In addition, free meals were served to about 5000 non-resident pilgrims. Discourses and devotional singing were also arranged in the camp. Our Seva Pratishthan hospital through round-the-clock medical service treated 8374 patients, out of which 27 received indoor medical care.
In the second phase of its year-long centenary celebrations, Bhubaneswar Ashrama held a series of public meetings and cultural events. In the three-day programme, inaugurated by Sri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, Srimat Swami Vagishananda Ji, one of the Vice-presidents of the Order, and a number of sannyasis and dignitaries addressed the gathering. In all, about 200 sadhus and 1200 devotees took part in the programme.
As part of its centenary celebrations, Salem Ashrama conducted a spiritual retreat and a workshop for teachers which were attended by 350 devotees and 113 teachers.
Srimat Swami Gautamananda Ji, one of the Vice-presidents of the Order, inaugurated the second floor of the school building at Kadapa centre.
Values Education and Youth ProgrammesThe following centres held youth conventions, workshops,
and lectures: Bagda: Talks (218 students & 63 students); Cooch Behar: Convention (200 youth); Delhi: 21 workshops in 11 cities (850 teachers & 215 principals); Gadadhar Ashrama: Talk (60 students); Gourhati: Convention (650 students from 20 schools); Haripad: Workshops (534 students); Kailashahar: Programmes in 4 educational
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