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Vedanta
1

                                The

                                         Kesari

                                                                February 2019
                                                                    1

                                                             The Vedanta Kesari

    1
        `15
                 A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly
              of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914
                                                    F ebruary
                                                      2019
Kesari TheVedanta - F ebruary - AWS
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                 Ratha Saptami - Vasant Panchami
                          12 February 2019                        10 February 2019

                                          COVER STORY
            On 6 Feb 1897, Saturday, people of Chennai gave a euphoric welcome to Swami
     Vivekananda on his triumphant homecoming from the West. Streets were lavishly decorated,
     triumphal arches were erected, mottoes were blazoned on all sides, and there was a perpetual
     shower of flowers at every point on the route to Castle Kernan (now Vivekananda House)
     where Swamiji was lodged. The whole Hindu society stood awakened and invigorated. The
     Cover Page recaptures that day.
Kesari TheVedanta - F ebruary - AWS
3

                                                                                        106
                                                                                                            th

                     T he V edanta K esari                                             Year   of   Publication

                    A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of The Ramakrishna Order

 FEBRUARY                                                                             Vol. 106, No. 2
   2019                                       CONTENTS                                ISSN 0042-2983

                            11                                           16
              Reminiscences of Sargachhi                    Sister Nivedita and the Hindu Society
                      Swami Suhitananda                     Dr. Purba Sengupta

                                                FEATURES
      49                                                                                21
Th

  Ve
  e

    da
      s
                                   7       Dakäiëàmùrti Stotra
                                   8       Yugavani
      The Braahmanas              9        Editorial                      The Story of a Locket
       Lakshmi Devnath           25        Pariprasna                     Dr. Hironmoy N. Mukherjee
                                 27        Vivekananda Way
                                 31        Special Report                 Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna
      What is Religion?          45        Book Reviews                   Mission:Synopsis of the Governing
                                                                          Body Report for 2017-18
                                 46        Topical Musings
                                 49        The Vedas: An Exploration
                                 52        The Order on the March
      48                                                                                31
                                                            Ramakrishna-
                         A Message to Garcia                Vivekananda in ‘The Land of Five Rivers’
                                                            Swami Atmashraddhananda
                                       s
                                in g
                           us
                          46               32                             34
                     lM
                    ica
                   Top

                                        Editor: Swami Mahamedhananda
              Published by Swami Vimurtananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai - 600 004 and
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Kesari TheVedanta - F ebruary - AWS
The      Vedanta Kesari
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                                                   Dear Readers,
                                                     The Vedanta Kesari is one of the oldest cultural and spiritual magazines
                                                in the country. Started under the guidance and support of Swami
                                                  Vivekananda, the first issue of the magazine, then called Brahmavadin,
                                                   came out on 14 Sept 1895. Brahmavadin was run by one of Swamiji’s
                                                     ardent followers Sri Alasinga Perumal. After his death in 1909 the
                                                       magazine publication became irregular, and stopped in 1914
 February 2019

                                                         whereupon the Ramakrishna Order revived it as The Vedanta
                                                           Kesari.
                                                                    Swami Vivekananda’s concern for the magazine is seen
                                                               in his letters to Alasinga Perumal where he writes: ‘Now I am
                                                                bent upon starting the journal.’ ‘Herewith I send a hundred
         4                                                        dollars…. Hope this will go just a little in starting your
                                                                   paper.’ ‘I am determined to see the paper succeed.’ ‘The
                                                                   Song of the Sannyasin is my first contribution for your
The Vedanta Kesari

                                                                 journal.’ ‘I learnt from your letter the bad financial state that
                                                                Brahmavadin is in.’ ‘It must be supported by the Hindus if
                                                             they have any sense of virtue or gratitude left in them.’ ‘I pledge
                                                                  myself to maintain the paper anyhow.’ ‘The Brahmavadin
                                                                    is a jewel—it must not perish. Of course, such a paper
                                                                    has to be kept up by private help always, and we will
                                                                  do it.’
                                For the last 105 years, without missing a single issue, the magazine has been carrying the
                     invigorating message of Vedanta with articles on spirituality, culture, philosophy, youth, personality
                     development, science, holistic living, family and corporate values.
                           Over the years, production and
                     publication costs have gone up manifold.
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                           Hence, we appeal to our readers and                 Fund.
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                     to the following schemes:                                 magazine.
Kesari TheVedanta - F ebruary - AWS
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                                                                                                                 February 2019
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                     1.    Dr. R. Subramaniya Bharathiyar,   Vivekananda Foundation, Mysuru, Karnataka
                     2.            -do-                      Ramakrishna Seva Sangha, Ramakrishna Nagar, Mysuru
                     3.            -do-                      Badarikashrama, Madehalli, Turuvekere, Karnataka
                     4.            -do-                      Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Ashrama, Kunigal Road, Tumkur, Karnataka
                     5.            -do-                      Swami Vivekananda Athmajnana Sevalayam, Udupi, Karnataka
                     6.            -do-                      Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Davanagere, Karnataka
                     7.            -do-                      Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Ashrama, Harihar, Karnataka
                     8.           -do-                       Sri Sharadashrama, Hiriyur, Karnataka
                     9.           -do-                       Ramakrishna Tapovan, Kariangala, Bantwal, Karnataka
                     10.          -do-                       Sri Sharadashrama, Challakere, Karnataka
                     11.          -do-                       Sadhanashrama, Davanagere, Karnataka

                                                                                                                    To be continued . . .
Kesari TheVedanta - F ebruary - AWS
Verse 2
                                                                                                                               बीजस्यान्तरिवाङ्कुरो जगदिदं प्राङ्निर्विकल्पं पुनः
                                                                                                                               मायाकल्पितदेशकालकलनावैचित्र्यचित्रीकृतम् ।
                                                                                                                               मायावीव विजृम्भयत्यपि महायोगीव यः स्वेच्छया
                                                                                                                               तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ।। २ ।।
                                                                                                                                   2. Obeisance to him, Árì Dakäiëàmùrti, who
PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I M AT S WA M I G A U TA M A N A N D A J I , S R I R A M A K R I S H N A M AT H , C H E N N A I

                                                                                                                             is the Guru, who, out of his free will, like the
                                                                                                                             magician or a great yogi, manifests this world,
                                                                                                                             which was, before creation, undifferentiated even
                                                                                                                             as the sprout was within the seed and became
                                                                                                                             variegated later, on account of its association
                                                                                                                             with space and time brought forth by màyà.
                                                                                                                                   This verse forms the basis for the
                                                                                                                             presentation of the Advaitic view of creation.
                                                                                                                             Incidentally, the other schools are brought in and
                                                                                                                             refuted. Whereas most of these schools depend

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           February 2019
                                                                                                                             upon two methods of knowledge, viz. pratyakäa
                                                                                                                             (direct perception) and anumàna (inference),
                                                                                                                             laying great emphasis on the intellect and
                                                                                                                             reasoning, the Vedànta school depends primarily
                                                                                                                             on àptavàkya or áabda (verbal testimony of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 7
                                                                                                                             the scriptures), using logic also, to meet the
                                                                                                                             other schools on their own grounds.                         Dakäiëàmùrti Stotra

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          The Vedanta Kesari
                                                                                                                                   The main contention of Advaita                                 - Sri Shankaracharya
                                                                                                                             Vedànta is that the fundamental Truth is one, without a second, Advitìya. It is Brahman or Àtman
                                                                                                                             which is pure existence (sat), pure consciousness (cit) and pure bliss (ànanda). Since this world is a
                                                                                                                             fact of our experience and since its creation has to be explained somehow to satisfy our curiosities,
                                                                                                                             this verse is giving two examples: Firstly, this world of wonderful varieties existed in Ìávara,
                                                                                                                             even as a mighty tree with its several roots, branches, leaves and fruits, existed in its seed, in an
                                                                                                                             undifferentiated form. When the màyà power of Ìávara, under His direction, projected deáa (space)
                                                                                                                             and kàla (time), this ‘seed’ of the world got evolved into all its varieties. Secondly, this projection of
                                                                                                                             the world is not a real creation like the potter making a pot out of clay, but the illusory manifestation
                                                                                                                             brought about by Ìávara just by His own will, like the magician or a yogi (like Viávàmitra) producing
                                                                                                                             articles of magic. This obviates the need for a material cause outside Ìávara which would otherwise
                                                                                                                             militate against the conception of Advaita.
                                                                                                                                   There are plenty of references in the scriptures to this Advaitic view of creation:
                                                                                                                                  तस्माद्वा एतस्मादात्मन आकाशः सं भूतः।
                                                                                                                                  ‘From this Àtman, verily, àkàáa (ether) was produced.’ —Taittirìya Upaniäad (2.1);
                                                                                                                                  सदेव सोम्येढमग्र आसीत्‌
                                                                                                                                  ‘My dear, in the beginning, Reality alone existed’ —Chàndogya Upaniäad (6.2.1);
                                                                                                                                  तदैक्ष्त बहु स्यां प्रजायेयेति
                                                                                                                                  ‘It thought—“Let me become many! Let me give birth!” ’ —Chàndogya Upaniäad (6.2.3);
                                                                                                                                  यतो वा इमािन भूतािन जायन्ते।
                                                                                                                                  ‘That from which all these beings are born.’ —Taittirìya Upaniäad (3.1).
                                                                                                                                              Dakäiëàmùrti Stotra with Manasollasa. Translated and Annotated by Swami Harshananda
Kesari TheVedanta - F ebruary - AWS
Yugavani

                                                        GURU
                          M       aya is nothing but the egotism of the embodied soul. This maya, that is to
                                  say, the ego, is like a cloud. The sun cannot be seen on account of a thin
                     patch of cloud; when that disappears one sees the sun. If by the grace of the guru
                     one's ego vanishes, then one sees God. All the knots of ignorance come undone in the
                     twinkling of an eye, through the guru's grace. Do you know what it is like? Suppose a
                     room has been kept dark a thousand years. The moment a man brings a light into it, the
                     darkness vanishes. Not little by little.
                            One needs faith—faith in the words of the guru, childlike faith. One understands
                     the scriptures better by hearing them from the lips of the guru or of a holy man. Then
                     one doesn't have to think about their non-essential part. One attains God by following
 February 2019

                     the guru's instructions step by step. The guru is like a companion who leads you by the
                     hand. It is like reaching an object by following the trail of a thread. There can be no fear
                     if the guru's grace descends on one.
                            If a man in the form of a guru awakens spiritual consciousness in you, then know
                     for certain that it is God the Absolute who has assumed that human form for your sake.
         8           When the disciple has the vision of the Ishta, through the guru's grace, he finds the guru
                     merging in Him. Satchidananda alone is the guru.
                            Anyone and everyone cannot be a guru. It is not good to be a guru by profession.
The Vedanta Kesari

                     One cannot be a teacher without a command from God. But it won't do if a man only
                     imagines that he has God's command. God does reveal Himself to man and speak. Only
                     then may one receive His command. How forceful are the words of such a teacher! They
                     can move mountains. But mere lectures? People will listen to them for a few days and
                     then forget them. They will never act upon mere words.
                            A man who is himself ignorant starts out to teach others—like the blind leading
                     the blind! Instead of doing good, such teaching does harm. After the realization of God
                     one obtains an inner vision. Only then can one diagnose a person's spiritual malady and
                     give instruction. A huge timber floats on the water and can carry animals as well. But a
                     piece of worthless wood sinks, if a man sits on it, and drowns him. Therefore, in every
                     age God incarnates Himself as the guru, to teach humanity.
                            Renunciation of the world is needful for those whom God wants to be teachers of
                     men. One who is an acharya should give up kamini-kanchana, lust and
                     greed. It is not enough for him to renounce only mentally; he should
                     also renounce outwardly. Only then will his teaching bear fruit.
                                             —Compiled from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
Kesari TheVedanta - F ebruary - AWS
Editorial

                                                                                                                                The Task Before Us
                                                                                                            Today, there is a growing fear that          the shraddha ceremony of his father. He was
                                                                                                      Sanatana Dharma is under threat; that it is        assisted by his two young sons. When they sat
                                                                                                      being defamed, distorted, and weakened.            for worship with eyes closed, their pet cat ate
                                                                                                      Some of our ancient customs and beliefs are        the naivedya before it could be offered. The man
PA G E S P O N S O R : S WA M I B A N E S H A N A N D A , V E D A N TA S O C I E T Y, G E R M A N Y

                                                                                                      being swept away under the hammer blows            arranged for new naivedya and also put the cat
                                                                                                      of different forces — forces of social justice,    in a corner and covered it with a wicker basket.
                                                                                                      of malice, and of ignorance. There are people      The cat was let out after the worship. The next
                                                                                                      clamouring to change ancient temple customs;       year, before the worship began, the cat was
                                                                                                      some are out to discover the caste of Hindu        confined to the same corner with the basket

                                                                                                                                                                                                              February 2019
                                                                                                      gods; some are crying hoarse that Hinduism         over it. This practice continued for many years.
                                                                                                      has become intolerant of other faiths; some        One day the man himself passed away. Now
                                                                                                      indulge in all kinds of deceptions to wean         his two grown-up sons got ready to perform
                                                                                                      Hindus away from their faith; and some regard      his shraddha ceremony. Just when the worship
                                                                                                      animals as more sacred than fellow human           was about to begin, the elder brother exclaimed,
                                                                                                      beings! In short, the religion that enshrines      ‘My God! We have forgotten an important ritual
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    9
                                                                                                      eternal, universal truths seems to be losing its   of our sacred tradition!’ ‘What is it?’ asked
                                                                                                      fire.                                              the younger brother anxiously. ‘Don’t you

                                                                                                                                                                                                             The Vedanta Kesari
                                                                                                            In his first write-up for Udbodhana, the     remember, how at every shraddha ceremony our
                                                                                                      Bengali monthly of the Ramakrishna Order,          father would keep a cat in that corner covered
                                                                                                      Swami Vivekananda makes an interesting             with a wicker basket?’ replied the elder brother.
                                                                                                      observation. Pointing out to the fast paced        As the pet cat too had died by then, the younger
                                                                                                      changes in sentiments, manners, customs and        brother rushed to the market and purchased a
                                                                                                      morals that the British Raj enforced upon the      new wicker basket and a new cat in the name
                                                                                                      Hindu society, Swamiji writes: ‘Slowly and         of the dear departed father. The worship began
                                                                                                      slowly, by the strong dint of law, many of our     with a cat once again kept in the same corner
                                                                                                      most cherished customs are falling off day by      covered in a basket! A ‘sacred’ tradition had
                                                                                                      day — we have no power to withstand that.          been safeguarded!!
                                                                                                      And why is there no power? Is truth really                  The sooner such cat-basket customs
                                                                                                      powerless? “Truth alone conquers and not           are weeded out from our faith, the better for us.
                                                                                                      falsehood.” — Is this Divine Vedic saying false?   But what if we in ignorance discard the very
                                                                                                      Or who knows but that, those very customs          fundamentals of our religion, like throwing the
                                                                                                      which are being swept away by the deluge of        baby out with the bathwater?
                                                                                                      the power of Western sovereignty or of Western           To avoid this danger, the first thing we
                                                                                                      education were not real acharas, but were          have to do is to learn to distinguish between
                                                                                                      anacharas after all.’                              the essentials and the nonessentials of Sanata
                                                                                                               How are acharas corrupted? A parable      Dharma. The essentials are eternal and based
                                                                                                      explains this. Once a man was performing           upon the immortal nature of man, and are
Kesari TheVedanta - F ebruary - AWS
as recorded in the Vedas, the Upanishads.            In the name of secularism, or just plain laziness
                     Everything else are non-essentials, are customs      we have failed to assimilate our cultural and
                     which have value only for a certain time; and        spiritual knowledge into the mainstream
                     as Swami Vivekananda points out, if after            education system. We have forgotten Swami
                     a time they are not replaced by something            Vivekananda’s advice that, ‘The secret of a true
                     essential, they become positively dangerous.         Hindu’s character lies in the subordination
                     Swamiji reassures us, ‘This you have always          of his knowledge of European sciences and
                     to remember that because a little social custom      learning, of his wealth, position, and name to
                     is going to be changed you are not going to          that one principal theme which is inborn in
                     lose your religion, not at all.’ Again, he says,     every Hindu child – the spirituality and purity
                     ‘Whatever is weak and corrupt is liable to die       of the race.’
                     — what are we to do with it? If it goes, let it             Even our children are pushed into the
                     go, what harm does it do to us? What is strong       whirlpool of competition without giving them
                     and invigorating is immortal. Who can destroy        a real opportunity to imbibe the fundamentals
                     that?’                                               of our culture and spirituality. Parents and
                           The point is that we should have a firm        educators should give ear to Sister Nivedita
                     grip on the immortal fundamentals of Sanatana        who declares that the development of the child
 February 2019

                     Dharma. This is not just for our sake, but for       is for the good, not of himself, but of jana-desha-
                     the good of the world. Swamiji never tired of        dharma. She writes: ‘Why are you going to
                     telling us that the mission of modern India is       school?’ says the mother to her little one, at the
                     ‘to conserve, to preserve, to accumulate, as it      moment of parting. And the child answers, in
                     were, into a dynamo, all the spiritual energy of     some form or other, growing clearer and more
    10               the race,’ and then pour forth that concentrated     eager with growing age and knowledge, ‘That
                     energy in a deluge upon humanity to help it ‘to      I may learn to be a man, and help!’ There is no
The Vedanta Kesari

                     realise its own true, divine nature.’                fear of weakness and selfishness for one whose
                           The next thing is to be proud of our           whole training has been formed round this
                     spiritual heritage. In his reply to the welcome at   nucleus. This, the desire to serve, the longing
                     the World’s Parliament of Religions, in Chicago      to better conditions, to advance our fellows, to
                     on 11 September 1893, Swamiji repeatedly             lift the whole, is the real religion of the present
                     professed his pride in being a Hindu. Then,          day. Everything else is doctrine, opinion,
                     right from his first public address on returning     theory. Here is the fire of faith and action. Each
                     to India in 1897, he reminded Hindus that            day should begin with some conscious act of
                     they were inheritors of ‘the most wonderful,         reference to it. A moment of silence, a hymn,
                     convincing, broadening, and ennobling ideas          a prayer, a salutation, any of these is ritual
                     found only in’ Vedanta. He declared that             sufficient.’
                     India still survived as a nation because it held            These then are the sacred tasks that every
                     on to God, ‘to the treasure-house of religion        Hindu has to take up today: understand the
                     and spirituality.’ Therefore, he said, we should     fundamental universal teachings of Vedanta;
                     keep religion as the backbone of our national        strive utmost to live up to them; and then with
                     life.                                                a missionary zeal take these life-giving truths
                           Unfortunately, most of the educated            to the ‘homes of the poorest and the lowest, as
                     Hindus are today drowned in self-preservation        well as of the richest and the highest.’ If this is
                     with all their energies and time spent in earning    done, no power on earth or heaven can harm
                     a livelihood and then indulging in recreations.      Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Religion.
Reminiscences

                                                                                                                                  Reminiscences of Sargachhi
                                                                                                                                                                        SWAMI SUHITANANDA

                                                                                                                               Conversations with Swami Premeshananda (1884-1967) a disciple
                                                                                                                                                             of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.

                                                                                                                                        35                    (Continued from prvious issue. . .)

                                                                                                                                             are polluted by fate, and who are careless,
                                                                                                                                             malicious, and quarrelsome. There are also
                                                                            9.9.60                                                           fellows who embrace the life of renunciation
PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I V E N K ATA R A M A N A N T. , C H E N N A I

                                                                                                                                                                                                     February 2019
                                                                                  Maharaj: Can you tell me your identity                     but don’t follow their vows, who are unclean,
                                                                            when you were just a foetus? Were you                            beggarly, and live family lives, who perform
                                                                            then a Hindu or a Muslim, a Bengali or a                         austerities living in villages and are greedy for
                                                                            Bihari? You then had only one reality – your                     money.’
                                                                            ‘I’ consciousness. This is what is known as
                                                                            awareness or consciousness.                                      10.9.60                                                   11
                                                                                  Wherever you stay, you have to abide                              Question: Is it the sannyasi’s job to reform
                                                                            by the rules and customs of that place. Some                     society?

                                                                                                                                                                                                    The Vedanta Kesari
                                                                            sadhus have been living in Kashi for twenty                             Maharaj: Not at all. However, a sannyasi
                                                                            years, yet they have not learnt Hindi. But                       has to keep watch from a distance and ensure
                                                                            the Christian missionaries learn the Santhali                    that such tasks are carried out properly. He
                                                                            language and teach the Santhals. When a sadhu                    has to train suitable workers, assign them the
                                                                            is posted to Kanpur, he must become a full-                      responsibility of carrying out such work and
                                                                            fledged Kanpuri. Only then he can be called a                    then observe whether or not it is done properly.
                                                                            real sadhu.                                                             In our country as yet we do not have
                                                                                  A sadhu has to remain extremely alert. I                   capable leaders. Those whom you see belong
                                                                            have seen sadhus for whom only two things                        to the class of ordinary workers. They want to
                                                                            are important – pranam and pranami (receiving                    do all the work by themselves. For example,
                                                                            the devotees’ salutations and receiving their                    suppose a worker has the responsibility of
                                                                            offerings). You can’t imagine how low some                       tilling the land and he is cultivating eggplants.
                                                                            sadhus stoop in the name of performing duties!                   The owner comes and plants two cucumber
                                                                            Do you remember those verses composed by                         saplings, just to show that the land is under
                                                                            Sridhara Swami? Recite them –                                    his management! He doesn’t care whether
                                                                                 प्रमािदनो बहिश्र्चित्ताः पिशुनाः कलहोत्सुकः                 his act will improve or damage the land.
                                                                                 सन्यासिनोऽपि द्दश्यन्ते देवसन्दू षिताशयाः।                  Our leaders today are like that owner. A true
                                                                                 अव्रता वटवोऽशौचा भिक्षवश्र्च कु टुम्बिनः।                   leader keeps himself in the background and
                                                                                 तपस्विनो ग्रामवासी न्यासिनोऽत्यर्थलोलुपाः।।                 monitors from there the work done by others.
                                                                                ‘One comes across sannyasis whose                            Whenever anyone is in difficulty, the leader
                                                                            minds are outwardly oriented, whose thoughts                     steps in, sets it right, and then withdraws. The
person entrusted with the task then continues        brotherhood. All aspire to the same goal. Just
                     to manage the work. The leader has to totally        see all the places they come from–Saradapeeth,
                     forget his ego and be one with the team              Narendrapur, and even from far-off Madras,
                     members.                                             Madhya Pradesh, and Bombay. Here is an old
                           All activities should be performed as a        man in a remote area – who holds no position,
                     unit. Suppose you worship the Lord in the            nor wields any power – yet why do they come
                     shrine and by chance you are delayed. It doesn’t     to him? This is because love is the life of this
                     matter; I will go and quickly finish the worship.    Order. It has so happened that a young man
                     On another occasion you come forward to help         comes here because there is nobody to
                     me in my work. Onlookers will see that all are       sympathise with him; no one has time to look
                     engaged in one single task. However, such a          after the newly joined novitiates. I truly love
                     mode of work is possible only when four or five      people; there is not a whit of hypocrisy in this.
                     persons are involved. If there are many people,      This is the true test: whether you are
                     this method may be disruptive. Our sadhus            moving towards God, and whether you can
                     are university-degree holders. Truly, they are       love all living beings सर्वभूत स्थमात्मानं … [he
                     good sadhus. They don’t have any dearth of           beholds] the Self in all beings’ (Gita 6:29).
                     renunciation, austerity, knowledge, or devotion.     Besides, we don’t have a wife, sons, property, or
 February 2019

                     But they are unable to work together in a group      land; all we have is a little love. So, whoever
                     through mutual consultation. Leaders cannot be       comes to us, we can only give them a little love.
                     made – leaders are born.                             Swamiji said that Sri Ramakrishna is ‘L-O-V-E
                           Can training be imparted through books         personified’.
                     alone? Participating in games and mixing with              Indeed, we went to Sri Ramakrishna’s
    12               others in work is the right kind of education.       monastic disciples and found the same love in
                     After visiting Oxford, somebody said, ‘When do       them. How sweet were their words! You can
The Vedanta Kesari

                     they study here? There are only competitions,        bind others with love. No relationship lasts
                     sports and games, functions, dining together,        unless it is based on culture. We can build a
                     and such things!’ Proper education happens           relation frivolously, but it lasts only a few days.
                     when both the sensory nerves and the motor                 Question: What should we do if there is an
                     nerves function equally well.                        inimical environment in the ashrama?
                                                                                Maharaj: Even if the environment in
                     11.9.60                                              an ashrama is bad, you should not put
                           Question: What if we receive blows for         it in difficulties by leaving it. You should
                     sticking to the path of truth?                       pray to Sri Ramakrishna day and night
                           Maharaj: This is the very reason that you      and watch out for an opportunity to leave it.
                     have embraced sannyasa. You have joined the          Run away post-haste as soon as you get such
                     Order to live by high ideals. If you remain on       an opportunity. If the new place you go to is
                     the path of truth, nobody can harm you. You          also bad, then again seek the opportunity to
                     are bound to win in the end. The man who             leave.
                     drubs you with shoes now, will perhaps later               Beware! Never get into a conflict. It will
                     worship you and after five years even take the       disturb your mind. You should not be obstinate
                     dust of your feet! I have seen such things with      in your dealings with those who hold power. I
                     my own eyes.                                         hope you recall Sri Ramakrishna’s instructions
                           Young monastics of our Order come here         in this matter.
                     just to visit. Well, why shouldn’t they? This is a                                  (To be continued. . .)
Sri Ramakrishna Math
                 (A Branch of Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math)
                            Puranattukara P.O., Thrissur-680 551, Kerala.
                     Phone Office: 0487-2307719; 082817 82193; 095261 72929
      E-mail: thrissur@rkmm.org; thrissur.publication@rkmm.org Web.: www.rkmthrissur.org

                              Appeal for Financial Help for Constructing
                            ‘Publication & Research Centre’
                               at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Thrissur, Kerala.
      Namaste.
      ‘Sri Ramakrishna Math’ situated at Puranattukara near Thrissur city in Kerala is a branch
of ‘Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission’. Established as early as 1927 with a Gurukulam
(hostel) for educating the poor Harijan children of the locality, this branch of the Ramakrishna
Movement has since been tirelessly serving the society in a number of areas including value
education, healthcare, propagation of Dharma, publication of Vedantic texts and spiritual

                                                                                                       February 2019
ministration.
      The Publication Dept. of
this Math has published 300-odd
books. By its unique service of
decades, this Publishing House
has contributed to the material and                                                                      13
spiritual progress of the society.

                                                                                                      The Vedanta Kesari
Although it has developed over
the years, its infrastructure has not
developed in line with the increase
in the volume of work and the
Dept. now works under spatial
constraints.
      It is under these circumstances that we plan to build a 4-storeyed ‘Publication and Research
Centre’, estimated to cost Rs. 6 crores. The new building will house the Publication Godown,
Despatch Office, Publications Office (Books Section), Prabuddhakeralam Magazine Office, Public
Library, Research Section, Living Rooms for Monks and Guests etc.
      So, we request our devotees and well-wishers to make generous contributions to realize this
unique project. I am fully sure that this project will contribute greatly to the welfare of society
for decades to come. We will be greatly thankful to you if you could contribute even partially.
      Your donations may be sent as DD/Cheque in the name of ‘Sri Ramakrishna Math’ or
transferred to our bank account: A/c Name: SRI RAMAKRISHNA MATH; SB A/c Number:
6711843752; Bank Name: Kotak Mahindra Bank; Branch Name: Thrissur; IFS Code:
KKBK0000596. All donations are exempt from income tax under section 80-G of the I.T. Act.
      Thanking you in anticipation, Yours sincerely and affectionately,
                                                              Swami Sadbhavananda
                                                                  Adhyaksha
Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, Nettayam
                                                (A Branch Centre of Ramakrishna Math, belur Math, W.B.
                                                    Sasthamangalam, Thiruvananthapuram - 695 010
                                              Phone: 0471 - 2722125, 2722453, 2727607, 2726603, 2727393
                                                         Email: thiruvananthapuram@rkmm.org
                            Dear Devotees,
                            Please accept our greetings and best wishes.
                            The temple at Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Nettayam, Thiruvananthapuram was constructed
                     between 1916 and 1924. Revered Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj, the spiritual son of Sri
                     Ramakrishna, and the first President of Ramakrishna Math, laid the foundation stone of this
                     Ashrama in 1916 and Revered Swami Nirmalanandaji Maharaj consecrated it in 1924. Revered
 February 2019

                     Swami Vijnananandaji Maharaj, another direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna visited this Ashrama
                     and had a vision of Sri Ramakrishna in the shrine. The Ashrama is located on a hilltop at Nettayam
                     in Trivandrum. This hundred-year-old Ashrama is an ideal place for worship, japa and meditation
                     and is an inspiration for sincere spiritual aspirants. Many senior monks of Ramakrishna Math have
                     stayed and did tapasya here. Devotees visiting this serene, calm and holy place experience its
    14               spiritual current.
                            Due to ageing, this important shrine is in a dilapidated condition and often leaks at several
                     places during monsoon. As such, a thorough revamping of the roof and other parts of the structure
The Vedanta Kesari

                     including the rubble construction has to be done immediately to preserve it for posterity. The
                     repair & renovation project will cover civil, electrical and structural work. It is estimated to cost
                     rupees 52 lakhs. The Ashrama has to mobilize this amount immediately for completing this noble
                     work as early as possible so that the next all Kerala Sri Ramakrishna Devotees’ Conference in May,
                     2019 can be held in the renovated Ashrama.
                            We earnestly request you to donate generously for this holy endeavor and be blessed by
                     Sri Ramakrishna.
                            Praying for the blessings of the Holy Trio,               Yours in Sri Ramakrishna,
                            5th December, 2018                                       Swami Mokshavratananda,
                                                                                              Adhyaksha.
                            Donations may be sent in favor of “Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Thiruvananthapuram” in
                     the above address or deposited in any of the following bank accounts directly with an sms to
                     (mob)8289916882.
                            Savings a/c Name & No.
                            1. State Bank: Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama Charitable Hospital 30549599482
                               IFSC:SBIN0004685 Jawaharnagar Branch
                            2. Syndicate Bank: Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama Charitable Hospital 40182200003630
                               IFSC:SYNB0004018 Sasthamangalam Branch
                            3. Canara Bank: Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama Charitable Hospital 0821101007005
                               IFSC:CNRB 0000821 Sasthamangalam Branch
                            4. FCRA a/c: Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama Charitable Hospital 0821101008404
                               SWIFT Code:CNRBINBBTDC
Sri Ramakrishna Advaita Ashrama
                                    Ashramam Road, Kalady
                                 Dist: Ernakulam-683574, Kerala
                     Email: kalady@rkmm.org Ph: 0484-2462345/2461071
                              An appeal to Devotees and Well-wishers
       Kalady is the Birthplace of ADI SHANKARA, a great spiritual leader, and founder of Advaita
School of Vedanta. This Ashrama is situated on banks of river Purna. Centre began in the year 1936 and
further affiliated to Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math in 1941. Swami Agamananda, a disciple of Swami
Brahamananda is the founder President of this Centre. From the inception, this Ashrama is an important
hub of activity for Spirituality, Social reformation and Welfare Service in Kerala. We are rendering
tirelessly invaluable service to the people in the field of Welfare and Education from past 77 years.
       Ashrama is conducting multifarious social activities through Educational institutes, Hostel,
Community Centre, Computer and Typewriting training centres. Ashrama has a Universal Temple,
Auditoriums and School with play grounds for day scholars from Kindergarten to +2 supported with

                                                                                                                February 2019
School Buses & School Libraries. Since 1966 Ashrama is running Gurukulam (Hostel) for Boys for
both Schedule Tribes and general section. A Computer and Typewriting training centre for Schedule
Castes which helps them for seeking Government and Private Company jobs. It has a sub-centre at
Muvattupuzha.
       Ashrama depends largely on the contributions from devotees and well wishers like you for
sustaining the above activities. Often our financial resources dries up quickly owing to meagre regular
donations, insufficient corpus funds and spiraling cost of living. Hence we humbly appeal to our                  15
devotees to contribute as well as to inspire friends and relatives to participate in the noble cause for the
services mentioned below.

                                                                                                               The Vedanta Kesari
 Sl No.                                     Activity                                    Annual expenses
 1.       General - Sri Ramakrishna Puja, Jayanti Celebrations, Ashrama                          25 Lakhs
          establishments, Nitya Annadanam & Sadhu Seva.
 2        Education – School establishment expenses, Building maintenance, Up-                   10 Lakhs
          gradation and modernization of School activities. Commute facilities
          maintenance etc.
 3        Welfare & Social Services – Sri Ramakrishna Gurukulam (Hostel) building                15 Lakhs
          Maintenance. Schedule Tribe Welfare, Schedule Caste Skill Training-
          Computer Training, Typewriting etc. Poor and widow pecuniary aid.
 4.       Purchase of new Generator - For the stand-by electricity supply to                      6 Lakhs
          Temple, Office, Gurukulam Hostel, Monks Quarters and Guest House.
     You may send your kind contributions by Cheque/DD/ (In the name of “Sri Ramakrishna Advaita
Ashrama”). For Electronic transfer (Canara Bank, Kalady, IFSC Code: CNRB0002921, Savings Bank
Account Number: 2921101005444). Please send an E-mail after sending donations with full address
and PAN number to kalady@rkmm.org. The contributions are eligible for exemption u/s 80G of the
Income Tax Act. Contribution above Rs.25,000/- will be taken as endowment fund.
     May Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna shower his choicest blessings in all your endeavors is our sincere
prayer.
                                                             Yours in the service of the Lord,
                                                                 Swami Srividyananda
                                                                        Adhyaksha
Article

                     Sister Nivedita and
                     the Hindu Society
                     DR. PURBA SENGUPTA                                         dwelt on mysticism
                                                                                and was full of
                           The word ‘Hindu’ came to be coined by                superstitions.
                     the Persians. That was their way of pronouncing            They declared that
                     the river Sindhu (Indus) which marked the                  it advocated ‘strange
                     western frontier of the ancient Aryan settlement           things’ like worshipping
                     in Punjab. Consequently, they used the word                idols and cows, and it did
                     Hindu to refer to the followers of the eternal             not treat its women with due
 February 2019

                     religion who lived in the Sindhu valley. From              respect. At this juncture, Nivedita made such
                     time immemorial, Hindu religion was subject                a revolutionary presentation of Hinduism
                     to repeated attacks by the belief systems and              that it created a huge tumult in the western
                     philosophy of the invading religions. Though               world. It was a time when the whole world was
                     wounded, the Hindu religion or Hinduism has                thirsting for a new meaning of life; an earnest
                     survived all these attacks from medieval times             call for discovering the Truth was knocking
    16
                     to the present age, and held aloft its tenets. It          the doors of their hearts. Swami Vivekananda
                     is this very religion that a woman from a far-             led this scorched humanity into the soothing,
The Vedanta Kesari

                     off land heartily embraced. Her adoration for              liberal shade of Hinduism. The world heard
                     the religion was not a mere gush of emotion,               this Hindu saint proclaim, ‘Heirs of immortal
                     but founded on the bed-rock of rationales.                 bliss – yea, the Hindu refuses to call you
                     According to her, Hinduism and India were                  sinners.’ Sister Nivedita, like his mind-borne
                     synonymous. In her profound love for India                 daughter, marveled, felt encouraged, dedicated
                     there was a slice of such love for the Hindu               herself to fulfill her guru’s mission, and stood
                     society too. This lady was Sister Nivedita.                enlightened.

                     Source: Her Guru                                           Swami Vivekananda’s Speech at Chicago
                           Nivedita’s love for Hinduism and the                       In his Chicago addresses, Swami
                     Hindu society originated from her guru                     Vivekananda had said on 11 September
                     Swami Vivekananda, whom she knew as ‘the                   1893, ‘I thank you in the name of the most
                     Cyclonic Hindu Monk.’ Swamiji taught her the               ancient order of monks in the world…..these
                     fundamental tenets of Hinduism. It was the                 men from far-off nations may well claim the
                     time when Karl Marx, in his book Asiatic mode              honour of bearing to different lands the idea
                     of Production had expressed his deep revulsion             of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion
                     for Hinduism. The Christian missionaries too               which has taught the world both tolerance
                     repeated his words and said that Hinduism                  and universal acceptance.1 On 19 September,
                            The author is a sociologist working as a scholar of Indology at Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture,
                            Kolkata and writes regularly on Indian mythology and Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature. This article
                            originally in Bengali is translated by Lisa Sen. senguptapurba@gmail.com
he spoke exclusively on Hinduism. Referring          India, Hinduism was sub-divided into sects
                                                                         to this address titled ‘Paper on Hinduism’,          like Vaishnavism and Shaivism. Jainism and
                                                                         Nivedita later wrote, ‘Of the Swami’s address        Buddhism too had their source in the founding
                                                                         before the Parliament of Religions, it may be        structure of Hinduism. These divisions
                                                                         said that when he began to speak it was of “the      presented different ideas and beliefs. The need
                                                                         religious ideas of the Hindus”, but when he          of the hour was for Indians to understand that
                                                                         ended, Hinduism had been created.’2 Nivedita         these sects and faiths were presenting different
                                                                         formed a concrete idea about Hinduism from           facets of the same Truth.
                                                                         this speech of Swami Vivekananda and from                  Nivedita states that while Swamiji had
                                                                         other discussions with him; and from this idea       a profound reverence for Sri Krishna as the
                                                                         sprang forth her conception about customs and        universally accepted prophet of Hinduism,
                                                                         rituals of the Hindu society.                        his adoration for the Buddha was no less.
                                                                               Swamiji moulded Hinduism to make               Swamiji believed that behind an individual’s
                                                                         it suitable for the present age, and in his          spiritual fulfillment there had to be first some
                                                                         speeches he clearly depicted the history of the      contribution from another individual. The
                                                                         evolution of Hinduism. This helped Nivedita          first person initiates it and the second brings
                                                                         to understand that there is a religious spirit       about its culmination. Nivedita recounts that

                                                                                                                                                                                    February 2019
PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I V E N K ATA R A O G . , H Y D E R A B A D

                                                                         which desires not opulence but peace; religion       Swamiji used to say, ‘Buddha had received
                                                                         is not meant to be an entry pass for heaven nor      his philosophy of the five categories – form,
                                                                         freedom from the fear of hell; its real purpose      feeling, sensation, motion, knowledge – from
                                                                         is moksha. Though there are various forms            Kapila. But Buddha had brought the love that
                                                                         of religious practices, they in fact have one        made the philosophy live.’4 In this manner,
                                                                         central fulcrum – the Vedas, the Vedanta and         Nivedita learnt from Swami Vivekananda about
                                                                                                                                                                                      17
                                                                         the Advaita philosophy. Despite belonging to         the gradual evolution of the fundamentals of

                                                                                                                                                                                   The Vedanta Kesari
                                                                         the Semitic faith by birth, Nivedita understood      Hinduism and the life and background of the
                                                                         that all the religions of the world are anchored     great religious seers.
                                                                         to the theoretical base of Vedanta. As a result,
                                                                         India’s gods and goddesses, its rituals, religious   Idol Worship and the Worship of Man
                                                                         practices, its puranas, its folklore – all had a           Recording Swami Vivekananda’s opinion
                                                                         vibrant place in her mind. Swamiji presented         about image worship, Nivedita quotes, ‘You
                                                                         the ancient Vedanta philosophy as practical          may always say that the image is God. The
                                                                         spirituality, and Nivedita described this as         error you have to avoid, is to think God the
                                                                         dynamic Hinduism or dynamic Vedanta. She             image.’ When asked to condemn fetichism,
                                                                         clearly depicted how this journey from Advaita       Swamiji had replied, ‘Don’t you see that there
                                                                         Vedanta to dynamic Vedanta brought about             is no fetichism? Oh, your hearts are steeled, that
                                                                         changes in Hinduism.                                 you cannot see that the child is right! The child
                                                                                                                              sees person everywhere. Knowledge robs us of
                                                                         Progression of Hinduism                              the child’s vision. But at last, through higher
                                                                              In her book, ‘The Master as I Saw Him’          knowledge, we win back to it. He connects a
                                                                         Sister Nivedita discusses Swamiji’s views            living power with rocks, sticks, trees, and the
                                                                         on the features of Hinduism and the various          rest. And is there not a living Power behind
                                                                         courses of its progression. At the outset she        them? It is symbolism, not fetichism! Can you
                                                                         writes, ‘The Swami was constantly preoccupied        not see?’5
                                                                         with the thought of Hinduism as a whole.’3                 Sri Ramakrishna who was established in
                                                                         This was because when Nivedita came to               the sweet mother-child relationship through
the image of Mother Kali, could at the same          modes of work, all modes of struggle, all modes
                     time, rise to the highest rungs of non-duality.      of creation, which are paths of realisation.
                     We hear him say, ‘If God can be worshipped in        No distinction, henceforth, between sacred
                     an image, why can’t He be worshipped in the          and secular. To labour is to pray. To conquer
                     living image of man!’ Nivedita gives us Swami        is to renounce. Life is itself religion.’7 Sister
                     Vivekananda’s explanation of this worshipping        Nivedita truly made a close observation of even
                     the living image of God. She writes, ‘His mind       the smallest of Hindu customs and brilliantly
                     was extraordinarily clear on the subject of what     analysed them.
                     he meant by individualism. How often has he
                     said to me, “You do not yet understand India!        Hindu Festivals and Rituals
                     We Indians are MAN- worshippers, after all!                Just as she was fully versed with the
                     Our God is man!” He meant here the great             metaphysical aspect of Hinduism, Nivedita
                     individual man, the man of self-realisation –        was equally interested in Hindu rituals and
                     Buddha, Krishna, the Guru, the Maha-Purusha.         observances. She stayed in the orthodox
                     But on another occasion, using the same word         precincts of Baghbazar area, and depicted
                     in an entirely different sense, he said “This idea   Hindu rituals in minutest detail. This is the
                     of man-worship exists in nucleus in India, but       fruit of her research-oriented keen power of
 February 2019

                     it has never been expanded. You must develop         observation. She has given an introspective
                     it. Make poetry, make art, of it. Establish the      account of festivals like Doljatra, Janmashtami,
                     worship of the feet of beggars, as you had it in     Saraswati Puja, Durga Puja and Rasa-Utsav.
                     Medieval Europe. Make man-worshippers.”’6            She notes that our festivals are based on the
                            Nivedita gives a glimpse of the practical     orbit of the moon. There is one or the other
    18               spirituality evolving out of Vedanta. In her         festival on full moon days, and the new moon
                     masterly introduction to The Complete Works of       too is considered auspicious. The rituals are so
The Vedanta Kesari

                     Swami Vivekananda, she writes, ‘And yet this         planned that even the cloistered and secluded
                     statement that his teaching holds nothing new        women can participate in them.
                     is not absolutely true. It must never be forgotten         Nivedita gives a detailed description
                     that it was the Swami Vivekananda who, while         of the festival of Rasa. She depicts how three
                     proclaiming the sovereignty of the Advaita           days prior to the festival, the idols of Radha
                     Philosophy, as including that experience             and Krishna are moved from the temple to the
                     in which all is one, without a second, also          sanctum of the festival and how the priests
                     added to Hinduism the doctrine that Dvaita,          keep vigil. In the sublime moonlit night, the
                     Vishishtadvaita, and Advaita are but three           women folk, who are otherwise confined to
                     phases or stages in a single development, of         their homes, come out to offer worship. In the
                     which the last-named constitutes the goal. This      Semitic religion, God is more of an authoritative
                     is part and parcel of the still greater and more     entity than an object of love. One can bow
                     simple doctrine that the many and the One            down in reverence but cannot be soaked in the
                     are the same Reality, perceived by the mind at       ambrosia of selfless love for Him. Though born
                     different times and in different attitudes;……        into such a religion, Nivedita makes no mistake
                     It is this which adds its crowning significance      in recognizing the mental disposition of the
                     to our Master’s life, for here he becomes the        Vaishnavas. She also has a keen understanding
                     meeting-point, not only of East and West, but        of the discriminative aspect of divine love. In
                     also of past and future. If the many and the         the concluding part of her Rasa-Utsav narration
                     One be indeed the same Reality, then it is not       she writes, ‘How foolish are those who dream
                     all modes of worship alone, but equally all          that Ras-Mela comes but once a year, and ends!
To the eyes of the wise man life itself is that        tones of the kindly old priest sounded dim and
                                                         forest on the banks of the Jamuna in which             far away. Centuries had rolled back. The walls
                                                         ever dwells the Lord, filling sweet days with          of a prison closed about us, and we waited once
                                                         mirthful labour, and calling the soul from             more with the royal victims, Devaki the mother
                                                         height to height of hidden joy.’8                      and Vasudeva the father, for the coming of the
                                                               Just as she was interested in the                Holy Child.’
                                                         metaphysical aspect of the Vaishnava cult,                    ‘A sudden chime of bells, a blaze of lights
                                                         Nivedita also had a keen interest in all the           waved before an altar—while without, the
                                                         festivals that the Bengalis organise for Sri           watching stars and purple blackness of the
                                                         Rama and Sri Krishna. She discusses the lives          midnight sky look down—such is the solemn
                                                         of Krishna and Radha. The first is the Doljatra        moment of the Birth of Krishna.’ 10
                                                         Utsav. Nivedita gives a beautiful description                 In all civilizations and cults, there is
                                                         of the festival: ‘On full-moon of the beautiful        a close connection between worship and
                                                         month of Phalgun—that month when the                   the movement of the sun and moon. In the
                                                         Ashoka tree and the mango are in bloom, when           background of the Christian missionaries
                                                         the foliage buds of the leaf-almond are long           criticizing the Hindu worshipping God in the
                                                         and slender against the blue, and when the             manifest Nature, Nivedita points out that,

                                                                                                                                                                       February 2019
                                                         scarlet plumes of the Palash stand out on its          ‘The Western monk chants his Hours—Lauds
                                                         naked branches—occurs the Holi festival, or            and Prime and Matins, and Terce and Sext
                                                         Dol-jatra.’9                                           and Vespers and Nones—but those footfalls of
PA G E S P O N S O R : A D E V O T E E , C H E N N A I

                                                               For the Janamashtami Utsav, ‘the day of          the Sun that he commemorates were trodden
                                                         the Great Birth’, Nivedita preferred to visit the      long ago in the deserts of the Thebaid, and
                                                         temples. The sanctum sanctorum, the tranquil           he sings within closed doors, holding himself
                                                                                                                                                                         19
                                                         ambience, the mystic chanting of the mantras           snug against the chill winds without.’11 But

                                                                                                                                                                      The Vedanta Kesari
                                                         by the priests and the assemblage of devotees          the Christian missionaries could not see the
                                                         – all had great appeal for her. She writes, ‘All       origin of these prayer schedules. In contrast to
                                                         the evening through the street had been full of        this, Nivedita writes, we in India ‘practise the
                                                         passers up and down. And sudden bursts of              Faith in the very land, and every day we realise
                                                         singing and sounding of Shankha and gongs had          afresh the cosmic events that gave it birth. Who
                                                         disturbed the ordinary quiet in all directions.        has felt the stillness that falls on lawn and river
                                                         For we are early old-fashioned folk in the             at the moment of noon? Who, watching through
                                                         Hindu quarter of Calcutta. Lights are out and          long hours, has heard the distant music of the
                                                         noises hushed, as a rule, before ten o’ clock; and     flute arise by the Ganges side with the first
                                                         by eleven o’clock, even on the Janmashtami,            ray of dawn? Who has wandered in field and
                                                         everything was closed except the temples.              forest at the time of cowdust, and known the
                                                         Here, by the light of his own altar, an Oriya          sudden touch of twilight on the soul, without
                                                         priest still sat chanting the tale of the Holy Birth   understanding why the village bells ring and
                                                         from a palm-leaf book. There, a few Brahmins           prayers are enjoined at the stated hours? For
                                                         chatted late round the foot of an image at which       that which in one man’s eyes is superstition,
                                                         presently they would be offering worship. But          another may know to be but an added firmness
                                                         the bamboo mats were all up and padlocked              of sensation. But surely of all the worships in
                                                         in front of the shops, and only the lamp lights        the Hindu cycle, none has the power and force
                                                         from the open shrines streamed across the curb.        of those celebrated at midnight.’12 In India the
                                                         It was thus that we waited for the moment of           two junctions of the night and day are given
                                                         the Birth. The temple had disappeared. The             great importance. The night loses itself in the
dawn, then the dawn matures into afternoon           attains poetic heights. When she narrates the
                     followed by the dim twilight hours and again         story of the great god Shiva, she describes the
                     back into the abyss of the dark night. Therefore,    bow of Madana, the god of Love. This bow is
                     all spiritual practices enjoined in our religion     decorated with flowers and is marked with
                     have a close bearing with the rotation of the        a black line—a line of bees that came to suck
                     earth along the axis and the aligned movement        honey from the flowers and got stuck! Their
                     of Nature. When at the end of the day, peace         humming stopped at the very sight of Shiva. A
                     envelopes the earth, the Hindu considers the         deep silence prevailed. Again while describing
                     moment conducive to spiritual practices. The         the mountain on which Parvati was doing
                     prayer which the Christian missionaries chant        her penance, Nivedita describes the foothills
                     today within the four walls of the Church had        immersed in magnificent greenery and the
                     its origin based on the movement of the sun          equally magnificent snow-clad summit. When
                     across the sky in the vast desert land. Similarly,   she speaks about Ramayana, she gives a vivid
                     the prayers and observations of the Hindus           description of Sita’s captivity in the Ashoka
                     have arisen from the womb of the poetic beauty       Vana. We are filled with awe when we read her
                     of the river bank. This is the only difference.      description of Hanuman’s first meeting with
                     We being unaware of the origin of our prayer         Mother Sita. There is then her description of
 February 2019

                     schedules become an easy victim of criticism         the boy Dhruva renouncing his home; at that
                     or ourselves indulge in criticism. Nivedita’s        sublime moment he prays, ‘O Lord of Lords,
                     analysis of society was profound and vibrant to      I leave the entire responsibility of my mother
                     such a degree!                                       upon you.’ And the moment he steps out of
                            Among all the Hindu festivals, the            the house, his prayer is that of complete self-
    20               Saraswati Puja was very special for Nivedita.        surrender, ‘O Lord of Lords, I bequeath upon
                     She held Mother Saraswati’s worship in her           you my entire responsibility.’ Her description
The Vedanta Kesari

                     school and felt a Christmas-like joy pervading       reaches a matchless dimension, when she
                     the whole atmosphere; it culminated in a             speaks about Savitri, the highest ideal of Indian
                     solemn worshipful mood. The worship enjoined         womanhood.
                     inviting the goddess onto the altar with a                 While selecting stories she takes care
                     prayer to reside in the house for the entire year.   to present those that will give the reader a
                     Nivedita writes, ‘Man has had many dreams of         complete picture of Indian culture. During
                     the Divine Wisdom, but surely few so touching        marriage the groom and the bride accept
                     as this of Saraswati in Bengal. A simple woman,      each other in the sacred presence of the
                     ascetic and poor, standing on the white lotus,       fire and the ends of their cloths are tied in
                     surrounded by flowers, not jewels, suggestive        a knot symbolizing the permanency of the
                     of all things white and colourless and simple,       relationship. Indian women do not wear
                     and carrying the mystic Vina, from which the         gold bangles on their feet because Mother
                     touch of her hand is bringing a secret music—        Durga’s skin is of golden hue! In this manner,
                     this is she who has been our guest.’13               Nivedita through her grand style of story-
                                                                          telling elucidates the smallest of details of
                     The Puranas                                          the Hindu culture. After going through her
                           Besides keenly observing Hindu festivals,      writings, one understands how profound is
                     rituals, and rites, Nivedita also studied            her comprehension of Hindu culture. How
                     religious literature and the epics. The literary     Mandodari revealed the highest state of
                     value of her book, Cradle Tales of Hinduism          determinism after Ravana’s death, how the
                     is outstanding. Time and again her writing                                       (Cotinued on page 41...)
Article

                                                                                  The Story of a Locket
                                                                                              DR. HIRONMOY N. MUKHERJEE

                                                               Josephine MacLeod is an important                  the way, the party stayed at Vienna for three
                                                         figure in the history of Ramakrishna Math                days. On one of those days, Joe came to meet
                                                         and Ramakrishna Mission. She was 35 years                him at his place and saw him without his usual
                                                         old when she met Swami Vivekananda.                      head turban. She saw his thick flowing black
                                                         She considered 29 January 1895 – the day                 hair and was fascinated by it. Tempted to have
                                                         she met Swamiji for the first time, as her               it as a keepsake, she crept behind him with a
                                                         spiritual birthday. Swamiji used to call her             scissors and cut off a lock of hair. Taken aback
                                                         ‘Joe’ or ‘Tantine’. She described herself as a           at this transgression, Swamiji angrily asked,
                                                         friend, not a devotee of Swami Vivekananda.              ‘What are you doing?’ She boldly replied, ‘I

                                                                                                                                                                      February 2019
                                                         After Swamiji’s death in 1902 she went into              took some of your hair; had I asked you, you
                                                         depression. She slowly recovered, and then               would not have let me have it.’2
                                                         devoted the next four decades to help spread                   In one of her initial trips to India when
PA G E S P O N S O R : A D E V O T E E , C H E N N A I

                                                         Vedanta as propagated by Swami Vivekananda.              Swamiji was still living, Joe was in Bombay
                                                         She always carried a few mementos with her in            when two young Indians met her. One of them
                                                         memory of her association with Swamiji.                  had a sapphire jewel on his wrist watch chain.        21
                                                               Miss Macleod (henceforth ‘Joe’) had made           Joe was charmed by the beauty of the jewel and

                                                                                                                                                                     The Vedanta Kesari
                                                         a number of trips to India starting from 1898            expressed her admiration for it. Next day the
                                                         when she visited India for the first time along          young man came back and offered her the jewel
                                                         with Mrs. Sara Bull. She left India for the last         saying, ‘Because you love my people, will you
                                                         time in March, 1939. Swami Virajananda, the              take it?’ Though initially reluctant, Joe had to
                                                         then President of the Order, had come to the             bow to the young man’s sentiment and accept
                                                         guest house at Belur Math to bid farewell to             it. Seven years later, by when Swamiji had
                                                         her. She gave him some of Swamiji’s hair which           attained mahasamadhi, Joe approached Monsieur
                                                         she had in her possession. He was delighted              Lalique, the famous French jeweller in New
                                                         and told her, ‘Once, as Swamiji’s hair lay on the        York and requested him to make a reliquary (a
                                                         floor, cut by the barber, Swamiji said to me, “In        repository for a saint’s mortal remains or some
                                                         a hundred years, one lakh rupees will be given           belonging) for the sapphire. Monsieur Lalique
                                                         for one hair of my head.”’1                              took away the sapphire and after a year sent
                                                               In her reminiscences, she has described as         it back mounting it on a locket. The design of
                                                         to how she came into possession of Swamiji’s             the finished locket was wonderful—two angels
                                                         hair. Swami Vivekananda during his European              were holding the sapphire in their hands and
                                                         tour was once travelling from Paris along with           there was a small box behind the sapphire.
                                                         Joe, Madame Emma Calve (the celebrated                   Joe was delighted to get the locket. She kept
                                                         French opera singer and an admirer of Swami              some of Swamiji’s hair inside the small box.
                                                         Vivekananda) and others in October 1900. On              Monsieur Lalique did not charge for his efforts
                                                                      The author is a devotee of Ramakrishna Math, Nagpur, Maharashtra.   drhmukh@gmail.com
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