The Vedanta Kesari January 2012

J
anuary 2012
January January January January January 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012
A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER
Started at the instance of Swami Vivekananda in 1895 as Brahmavdin,
it assumed the name The Vedanta Kesari in 1914.
For free edition on the Web, please visit: www.chennaimath.org
Vedic Prayers 1
Editorial
The Good Old New Year 2
Articles
Seva Yoga and Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi 10
Swami Vimalatmananda
Maud StummWho Taught Swamiji to Draw 15
Somenath Mukherjee
Diverse Shades of Karma Yoga 33
Hasmukh Adhia
Compilation
Kathopanishad: In the words of Swami Vivekananda 6
Travelogue
Western Ghats Shrines in KarnatakaA Pilgrimage 19
Atmashraddha
Reminiscences
Rajendra Lal DeSome Memoirs 26
A.K.Dey
New Find
Unpublished Letters of Swami Turiyananda 31
The Order on the March 35
Book Review 40
Features
Simhvalokanam (The Golden Link to God)5, Sri Ramakrishna Tells Stories30
VOL. 99, No. 1 ISSN 0042-2983
CONTENTS
Cover Story: Page 4

T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2
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T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2 3
River Narmada at Omkareshwar
Held sacred by millions of Hindus, the river Narmada (affec-
tionately called Ma Narmada) also called Rewa, is the fifth largest
river in the Indian subcontinent. Narmada, meaning in Sanskrit
the giver of joy', forms the traditional boundary between North
India and South India, and flows through three states before
joining the sea. Omkareshwar or the Lord of Omkara (Sound
Brahman) is the name of one of the Jyotirlingas, on the banks of
Narmada in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. Omkar-
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1 T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9 ~ ~
EACH SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE. THE GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN.
VOL. 99, No. 1, JANUARY 2012 ISSN 0042-2983
Vedic Prayers
Tr. by Swami Sambuddhananda
`mUo Z Z m{U{V `o Z mU Ur`Vo &
VXo d ~ d {d{ Zo X `{XX_w nmgVo &&
Kenopanishad, 1. 9
`V what (OZ people) mUo Z with the vital breath Z m{U{V cannot live
`o Z by what n mU the five-fold breath Ur`Vo is made to function. VV that Ed
alone, only d thou ~ Brahman {d{ know `V what BX this CnmgVo worship
BX this Z not.
What none can breathe with the vital breath
1
but that by which the
five-fold vital breath is made to functionknow that alone to be Brahman
and not this that people worship.
1. Vital breath means all the five fold functions of Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana,
Samana.
Renunciation is the very basis of our true life; every moment of goodness
and real life that we enjoy is when we do not think of ourselves. This little
separate self must die. Then we shall find that we are in the Real, and that
Reality is God, and He is our own true nature, and He is always in us and
with us. Let us live in Him and stand in Him. It is the only joyful state of
existence. Life on the plane of the Spirit is the only life, and let us all try to
attain to this realisation.
Swami Vivekananda, CW, 2: 174
5
2 T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2 ~ ~
The Good Old New Year
The Arrival of New Year
Every year is a New Year. Though new,
every year comes with same old problem
the problem of knowing but not practising
what one knows. It is a never-ending problem
the problem of a weak will, a feeble resolu-
tion, an unending sense of helplessness.
Everyone knows and yet . . .
Typically, celebrations mark the arrival
of a New Year (not only the New Year Day
according to Georgian Calendar, but according
to language/religion/region) everywhere.
People greet, rejoice and present gifts to their
friends and observe the day with feasts and
bursting of crackers. Delight and a sense of
auspiciousness marks the day. After all it is a
mangal divas, an auspicious day. The Sanskrit
word mangalam means wishing all the best,
invoking the blessings of progress and success.
It has a positive ring of joy and goodwill.
The New Year Day is an occasion to cele-
brate. While people in all walks of life observe
it in some way or the other, it is most widely
welcomed by youth, especially, students. A
New Year Day heralds a new day in their
studies and it is the time to strengthen their
resolve to progress and grow, to learn many
things, and unlearn many meaningless things
that one picks up in ones journey, knowingly
or unknowingly. Students, with their youthful
energy and enthusiasm, wish their classmates
in many ways, and a sense of humour rules
the day. See you next year, they greet with a
smile, on the night of 31 December!
The Same Old Issue
The grown-up, however, view New Year
Day differently. Burdened with years of
experience, they do not always look at it as
something to celebrate. For many it is just a
routine matter. To some others, it is a dreaded
day for it means a heavy demand on their
already light purse. Thus, the New Year Day
brings hope to some, fear to some, anxiety or
gloom to others, and to some, too busy to care
for such nuances of celebrations, it is just one
of the days in their humdrum lives. There are
others, however, who despite their age, look
forward to New Year Day. They have an
undying sense of celebration and enthusiasm.
To a spiritual seeker, however, the New
Year Day is a simple reminder of the passing
nature of life. One may celebrate it, seeking
blessings for all the good things that come in
ones way or one proposes to do. But a
spiritual seeker is also aware of the fact that a
New Year Day means one dayor one year?
is lesser in his life. He knows for sure that 365
days have been lessened from his life-account.
And another account of 365 days has just been
opened, and how well or ill he will use it,
depends chiefly on him, though it is never
sure whether and when he might be called
away to shift his accounts to another bank
i.e., being called away to a fresh lease of
lifeduring the next 52 weeks. It is a mixed
world in which he lives, a world of hope and
despair, as real as life. Time, the Great Eater,
carries on with its assigned work!
7
Apart from these facts, the New Year Day
is a good way to enthuse oneself. Nothing
plays a more energizing role in our lives than
enthusiasm. One may have all the essential
things one aspires in life, but if one lacks
enthusiasm for life, all things become insipid,
just as a delicious food loses its taste in absence
of appetite. What is appetite to enjoying a
meal, enthusiasm is to life. It is necessary to
truly explore and experience lifes infinite
possibilities and for that an enduring sense of
enthusiasm is indispensable.
Enthusiasm
The word enthusiasm is derived from en-
theos, which means God within. Enthusiasm
is the fervour or zest one derives from the
Divine Source within. An enthusiastic person
is, in one sense, connected with something
within. He may or may not be aware of it, but
the source of his undiminished enthusiasm has
to come from something deeper.
A young child is enthusiastic by nature.
He is full of curiosity and zest. If one is in the
company of a child, one is very likely to absorb
his bubbling energy and enthusiasm to some
measure. This interest in life is a divine quality.
One of the epithets by which God is described
is old and yet ever new. He is also compared
to a today-born child (sadyojata). A just born
child is full of many possibilities. Hence, God,
the Divine in His individual or cosmic aspects,
is full of infinite possibilities. He alone can be
the source of enduring and unremitting
enthusiasm.
How to remain enthusiastic in ones
spiritual aspirations, despite all the obstacles
and distractions that come ones way, is an
issue everyone has to grapple with. After the
initial interest in spiritual life wanes, every-
thing seems dull and routine and one looks at
wonder with those who have been carrying
on with their spiritual practices uninterrup-
tedly for a long time. It is no easy task to work
hard with determination and with a sense of
meaning throughout.
On the other hand, there is this need for
patience. No one should expect a seed to get
sprouted and become a full-fledged tree
overnight! Nor does repeating Gods Name
and living a morally vibrant life bring an
overnight revolution in ones life. In spiritual
life, it is evolution, more than a revolution,
which really happens, and matters. Of course,
a sudden change may happen, in case of some,
when listening a spiritual discourse, or reading
a spiritual text, or meeting a holy man, or
undergoing some traumatic experience. It is a
moment of inner transformation. One sud-
denly comes face to face with a Spiritual
Reality. Why and how this happens can never
be fully explained. All that one can say is that
perhaps there was an inherent treasure of holy
and good impressions or samskaras in the
person, waiting to be activated and the events
mentioned above acted like a catalyst. It was
like tearing off of the thin veil over the innate
goodness and spiritual aspiration of a person.
Sri Ramakrishna described it graphically thus,
Who gets this passionate love for God? Those
who have performed many meritorious deeds
in their past births, or those who are eternally
perfect. Think of a dilapidated house, for
instance: while clearing away the under-
growth and rubbish one suddenly discovers a
fountain fitted with a pipe. It has been covered
with earth and bricks, but as soon as they are
removed the water shoots up.
1
Not everyone, however, is blessed with
such sudden inner development. Most of us
have a long way to go. After the period of
sudden or dramatic change is over, one has
to, again, come in terms with the reality of
daily life. It often brings a sense of what
8
Aldous Huxley called, sacred insensitivity
a sense of weariness with even issues related
to our spiritual practices. We become insensi-
tive and mechanical and enthusiasm gets
damped. The question that nags us is how to
be enthusiastic and patient, simultaneously,
and not end up as an arambha-shuraa (a-hero-
at-the-beginning)?
Some Counsels
Sage Patanjalis well-known sutra (2.14)
says:
sa tu dirgha kalam, nairantaryam-satkar-asevita
dridha bhumi
It [spiritual life] becomes firmly grounded by
long, constant efforts with great love (for the
end to be attained).
One has to practice for a long time,
uninterruptedly, and with great love (satkara).
The term satkara can also mean reverence or
respectfulness. One should have respect for
ones spiritual life or ideal. Casualness or way-
wardness about spiritual matters should be
completely avoided. One should have deep
faith and hope in ones spiritual potential, in
God, in the Divinity within. Sri Ramakrishna
would refer to two types of farmersthose
who take to cultivating newly, and those who
are hereditary farmers:
New farmers give up cultivating if their fields
do not yield any crops. But hereditary farmers
will continue to cultivate their fields whether
they get a crop or not. Their fathers and grand-
fathers were farmers; they know that they too
must accept farming as their means of liveli-
hood.
2
The incident was reported in a news-
paper some years ago of a Polish woman
whose husband went into coma while he was
accidentally hit by a railway coach which he
was handling as a mechanic. The doctors gave
up all hope and told the wife to look after
him, who, they opined, would not survive
beyond a few weeks or months. The wife,
devoted and committed as she was to her
husband, continued to look after himfor 17
long years! Her services resulted in the
husband returning to consciousness. Her care
and nursing included changing her husbands
sides every two hours or so to avoid bed sores.
When asked how she could do this stupendous
service, she replied that it was prayer and
patience which gave her strength in the midst
of most trying conditions. Indeed, a sterling
example of patience and enthusiasm.
The Bhagavad Gita (18.33) speaks of three
types of tenacity (dhriti)sattvika, rajasika and
tamasika. Of these the sattvika type of tenacity
is the most needed for spiritual strivings:
That tenacity, unswerving through Yoga, by
which one controls the functions of the mind,
the breaths (pranas) and the senses, is Sattvika,
O Partha.
In rajasika and tamasika, ones tenacity
is directed to earning wealth or enjoying
objects of senses, or towards sleep, fear, grief,
depression and pride. The power of tenacity
is same; the difference lies in the direction in
which it is used.
Conclusion
Enthusiasm is vital to any achievement
worth its name. But it should be coupled with
patience, or else it would end up in restlessness
and one will not gain any results. Enthusiasm
is also infectious. If one lives with an enthusiast
person, one is sure to absorb something of it.
This New Year, to know, and to practice
what one knows, one needs to bridge the gap
and that is overcome only by enthusiasm and
tenacity. The same old, enthusiasm!
1. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p.659 2. ibid References:
From the Archives of THE VEDANTA KESARI
S i mh v a l o k a n a m
The Golden Link to God
BY K. S. RAMASWAMI SASTRI, B.A., B.L.
(January, 1921-22, Pp. 278-279)
The modern mind is becoming more and more averse to
prayer. It makes a parade of its scientific and rationalistic temper of
mind and sacrifices at that altar the great joy-giver and purifier of life. Prayer implies a mental
falling back upon the contemplation of the eternal elements in life and the realisation of Gods
power and mercy and love. It is not a selfish appeal to the God of Battles, but an unselfish trust
in the God of Love.
The fact is that though the law of conservation of energy is in operation in the material
world, there is not only a law of conservation of value but also a law of augmentation of value
in the spiritual world. The soul of man is eternal and its ascent of self-realisation implies an
ascending scale of values. This does not mean that the soul acquires a new value or a new
bliss but that the soul realises its infinite value and bliss more and more and in an ever-
increasing measure. . .
It is by prayer that this increasing self-realisation of the soul is attained. Nay, it is by
prayer that we are put into moods of rhythmical adjustments with others. Anti-social endeavour
is a moral disease. Moral health depends on love. He who does not love God, is not likely to
love man with a full and unselfish love. Why should he do so? Why should he not use others
as mere instruments of his pleasure? It is only he who wants to go through love of man to love
of GodGod who is in himself and his neighbour and in allthat will have a pure and
disinterested loving moral relation towards others.
It is impossible to understand why the existence of suffering should be incompatible with
prayerfulness. Suffering is a purgation for evil done. Prayer is a mood of love for God, which
purifies our sins and prevents future sins. If suffering is only sin in effect, why should it prevent
prayer which is the only means of triumph over sin?
Further, the appeal to God in prayer is not like a humble petition to an autocratic
emperor. It is a childs raising of trustful and loving eyes to its father or its mother. The answer
to it is not a capricious giving or withholding of bounties, but the removal of the inner
hindrance, caused by sin, to the flow of His Love and Grace. The answer to prayer is thus
primarily in the soul. Prayer is hence a knocking at the door of the house of Light. The
opening of the door takes place inside the heart. When the Light of His Love streams out, the
darkness of sin, which cannot abide the Light of His Love, flees away.
Known are known by the Knower:
+ = rn - nr+ nr n +r+ i
+ lr+rl l=x |rln i ii - ii
. . . that Reality is the only thing we know,
because in and through It we know everything
else; and yet we cannot conceive of It. How
can we know the knower? If we knew It, It
would not be the knower, but the known; It
would be objectified. (5.274)
Duality censured:
r x x -r i
rr : n r r+r l sr +r+ l ii \ ii
What is here is there too, and what is
there is here also. He who sees the manifold
goes from death to death. (2.175-176)
He goes from death to death who sees
the many here. See that One and be free. How
are we to see it? (2.182).
The following compilation from the nine-volume Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
attempts to present Swamijis thoughts in relation with the verses from the Kathopanishad. Of all the
Upanishads, Swami Vivekananda loved the Kathopanishad most. He once told [CW, 6:456] his disciple,
Sharat Chandra Chakravarty, to memorize the Kathopanishad. In many of his lectures, Swamiji
quoted from the Kathopanishad.
This compilation juxtaposes what Swamiji said in different contexts (references to the CW, are
given in brackets) with the original verses. The Kathopanishad consists of two chapters, sub-
divided into 2 and 3 sections, and in all having 120 verses. Swamiji has referred to some 86 verses
from different sections of the Upanishad. In this compilation only those verses which could be related
to Swamijis words have been given; uncommented verses have been omitted. This compilation has
been done by V. Radhakrishnan, a retired teacher of Mathematics from Pune, Maharashtra.
This one and only God is the knownest
of the known. He is the one thing we see
everywhere. All know their own Self, all know,
I am, even animals. All we know is the
projection of the Self. Teach this to the children,
they can grasp it. Every religion has wor-
shipped the Self, even though unconsciously,
because there is nothing else. This indecent
clinging to life as we know it here, is the source
of all evil. It causes all this cheating and
stealing. It makes money a god and all vices
and fears ensue. Value nothing material and
do not cling to it. If you cling to nothing, not
even life, then there is no fear. He goes from
death to death who sees many in this world.
There can be no physical death for us and no
mental death, when we see that all is one. All
bodies are mine; so even body is eternal,
because the tree, the animal, the sun, the moon,
the universe itself is my body; then how can it
COMPILATION
(Continued from the November 2011 issue . . .)
11
die? Every mind, every thought is mine, then
how can death come? The Self is never born
and never dies. When we realise this, all
doubts vanish. I am, I know, I love
8
these
can never be doubted. There is no hunger, for
all that is eaten is eaten by me. If a hair falls
out, we do not think we die; so if one body
dies, it is but a hair falling. (7.93-94)
Mind: the only instrument:
+n ra + r +r+r: l=+ i
rr : n r ol sr +r+ l ii \\ ii
This mind, so deluded, so weak, so easily
led, even this mind can be strong and may
catch a glimpse of that knowledge, that
Oneness, which saves us from dying again and
again. (2.182)
The will is the still small voice, the real
Ruler who says do and do not. It has done
all that binds us. The ignorant will leads to
bondage, the knowing will can free us. The
will can be made strong in thousands of ways;
every way is a kind of Yoga, but the systema-
tised Yoga accomplishes the work more
quickly. Bhakti, Karma, Raja, and Jnana-Yoga
get over the ground more effectively. Put on
all powers, philosophy, work, prayer, medita-
tioncrowd all sail, put on all head of steam
reach the goal. The sooner, the better. (7.71)
. . . It is useless, running hither and
thither, and spending energy in vain, which
should be spent only in polishing the mirror.
The same idea is expressed again: None sees
Him, none sees His form with the eyes. It is in
the mind, in the pure mind, that He is seen,
and thus immortality is gained.
9
(2.185)
The Self shines in the Heart:
; rx: rr rrl+ ll i
t ut= + r l n i ii
;rx: rr rl|rr=: i
s nr+r n rc n : i ii\- ii
. . . Know it for certain that there is no
greater Tirtha (holy spot) than the body of
man. Nowhere else is the Atman so manifest
as here. That car of Jagannatha that you see is
but a concrete symbol of this corporeal car.
You have to behold the Atman in this car of
the body. Havent you read know the Atman
to be seated on the chariot
10
etc., all the gods
worship the Vamana (the Supreme Being in a
diminutive form) seated in the interior of the
body
11
? The sight of the Atman is the real
vision of Jagannatha. And the statement
seeing the Vamana on the car, one is no more
subject to rebirth
12
, means that if you can
visualise the Atman which is within you, and
disregarding which you are always identifying
yourself with this curious mass of matter, this
body of yoursif you can see that, then there
is no more rebirth for you. (7.119-120)
Oh, One that cannot be confined or
described! One that can be perceived in our
heart of hearts! One beyond all compare,
beyond limit, unchangeable like the blue sky!
Oh, learn the All, holy one! Seek for nothing
else! (5.275)
Apparent duality and Real Unity:
r = lrl i
r + = + r+ r+ lrl ii \: ii
As rain falling upon a mountain flows in
various streams down the sides of the
mountain, so all the energies which you see
here are from that one Unit. It has become
manifold falling upon Maya. Do not run after
the manifold; go towards the One. (2.182)
Chapter II Canto 2
He is everywhere:
12
rn: nl nr-|ran
rrr l llrrn i
+ rnn rnr rr
r lrr r ii - ii
He is in all that moves; He is in all that
is pure; He fills the universe; He is in the
sacrifice; He is the guest in the house; He is in
man, in water, in animals, in truth; He is the
Great One. (2.182-183)
You are the creator of your own destiny:
r l+- c- nrrrr lr+: i
r - :+ n - r= r ii ii
Each work we do, each thought we think,
produces an impression, called in Sanskrit
Samskara, upon the mind and the sum total
of these impressions becomes the tremendous
force which is called character. The character
of a man is what he has created for himself; it
is the result of the mental and physical actions
that he has done in his life. The sum total of
the Samskaras is the force which gives a man
the next direction after death. A man dies; the
body falls away and goes back to the elements;
but the Samskaras remain, adhering to the
mind which, being made of fine material, does
not dissolve, because the finer the material,
the more persistent it is. . . all our actions in
this world will determine our future birth.
(2.256) . . . we are in this world by our own
actions. Just as we go out with the sum total
of our present actions upon us, so we see that
we come into it with the sum total of our past
actions upon us; that which takes us out is the
very same thing that brings us in. What brings
us in? Our past deeds. What takes us out?
Our own deeds here, and so on and on we go.
(2.257) Those who do good works in this world
and help others, but with an eye to reward,
hoping to reach heaven or to get the praise of
their fellow-men, must when they die, reap
the benefit of those good worksthey become
these gods. (2.243)
The One manifests as many:
l=r + lr
= = l=r i
=r nr-rrrr
= = l=r lrn ii ii
As fire coming into this world is mani-
festing itself in various forms, even so, that
one Soul of the universe is manifesting Himself
in all these various forms. (2.183)
r=r + lr
= = l=r i
=r nr-rrrr
= = l=r lrn ii \ ii
As air coming into this universe mani-
fests itself in various forms, even so, the One
Soul of all souls, of all beings, is manifesting
Himself in all forms.
This is true for you when you have
understood this Unity, and not before. Then
is all optimism, because He is seen every-
where. The question is that if all this be true
that that Pure Onethe Self, the Infinitehas
entered all this, how is it that He suffers, how
is it that He becomes miserable, impure?
(2.183)
The Self not affected by the limitations of the many:
n r r n r = a :
+ l ra r nr : i
=r nr-rrrr
+ l r = : + rn: ii \\ ii
As the sun is the cause of the eyesight of
every being, yet is not made defective by the
defect in any eye, even so the Self of all is not
affected by the miseries of the body, or by any
misery that is around you. I may have some
disease and see everything yellow, but the sun
is not affected by it. (2.183)
If a man has jaundice he sees everything
as yellow; the cause of his vision is the sun,
but his seeing everything as yellow does not
touch the sun. Even so this One Being, though
the Self of every one, is not touched by the
purities or impurities outside. (2.412)
Unto them belongs eternal peace:
=r n nr-rrrr
= = r r : =rr l i
rr :+- rr
-a t e n uta = a t ii \- ii
He is the One, the Creator of all, the Ruler
of all, the Internal Soul of every being - he
who makes His Oneness manifold. Thus sages
who realise Him as the Soul of their souls,
unto them belongs eternal peace; unto none
else, unto none else. (2.183)
l+rr:l+rr+r +n+r+r
=r r +r r lrl =rr+ i
rr :+l- rr
-a t ut|-a utat = a t ii\-ii
He who in this world of evanescence
finds Him who never changes, he who in this
universe of death finds that One Life, he who
in this manifold finds that Oneness, and all
those who realise Him as the Soul of their
souls, to them belongs eternal peace; unto none
else, unto none else. (2.183)
There is none in the universe but I. And
this is the one way, says the Vedantist, to
Knowledge. Kill out this differentiation, kill
out this superstition that there are many.
(2.252)
As long as you see the many, you are
under delusion. In this world of many he who
sees the One, in this ever-changing world he
who sees Him who never changes, as the Soul
of his own soul, as his own Self, he is free, he
is blessed, he has reached the goal. Therefore
know that thou art He; thou art the God of
this universe, Tat Tvam Asi
13
(That thou art).
All these various ideas that I am a man
or a woman, or sick or healthy, or strong or
weak, or that I hate or I love, or have a little
power, are but hallucinations. Away with
them! What makes you weak? What makes
you fear? You are the One Being in the
universe. What frightens you? Stand up then
and be free. Know that every thought and
word that weakens you in this world is the
only evil that exists. Whatever makes men
weak and fear is the only evil that should be
shunned. What can frighten you? If the suns
come down, and the moons crumble into dust,
and systems after systems are hurled into
annihilation, what is that to you? Stand as a
rock; you are indestructible. You are the Self,
the God of the universe. SayI am Existence
Absolute, Bliss Absolute, Knowledge Abso-
lute, I am He,
14
and like a lion breaking its
cage, break your chain and be free for ever.
15
(2.236)
(To be continued. . .)
References
8. |-a t|a | Sarasvati Rahasyopanishad, Verse
58
9. Kathopanishad 2.3.9
12. t= t =* - = |a
13. Refer Chapter VI of Chandogyopanishad.
14. |t=-= |ut sr |ut sr Nirvana Shatkam by
Acharya Sri Sankara.
15. |= -c|a *tt=ta |*t| = ut
13
v v v
Seva Yoga and Holy Mother
Sri Sarada Devi
SWAMI VIMALATMANANDA
The author is a member of the Board of Trustees of Ramakrishna Math and the Governing Body of the
Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, West Bengal.
The Pioneers of Seva Yoga
In April of 1896, Holy Mother Sri Sarada
Devi was staying in a devotees house at
59/2 Ramakanta Basu Street in Bagh-
bazar, Kolkata. This blessed devotee was
Sri Sarat Sarkar whose house was
adjacent to that of a great devotee of Sri
Ramakrishna, Balaram Bose.
Swami Vivekananda was at that
time preaching Vedanta in the West and
was also, writing inspiring letters to his
brother-disciples at Alambazar Math in
Kolkata. He was urging them to accept
the idea of the service of Narayana (God)
in human beings. Some of his brother-
disciples had reservations regard-
ing this doctrine of service and decided
to know the opinion of Holy Mother.
Thus, one day they came to Holy
Mother and told her about Swamijis
ideas. One of Swamijis letters was read
out to her. After carefully listening to
the contents of the letter, Holy Mother
firmly remarked,
Naren [Vivekananda] is an instrument of
Thakur [Sri Ramakrishna] who makes him
write these words for inspiring his
children and devotees for doing His work, for
doing good to all in the world. What Naren
writes is true and must be fulfilled hereafter.
1
This simple and direct reply of Holy
Mother at once cleared the hesitation and
doubts about serving God in all beings from
the minds of the brother-disciples of Swamiji.
Holy Mother was fully supportive of all the
Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi
15
activities of Swami Vivekananda. Her opinions
were supreme in the Ramakrishna Sangha
(Order). Without her sincere sympathy and
active co-operation, it would not have been
possible to rapidly expand the services of the
Ramakrishna Sangha.
Sri Ramakrishna himself performed the
service of God in all beings at Deoghar, in
todays Jharkhand, in 1868 and later at Kalai-
ghata Village near Ranaghat in West Bengal
in 1870-1871. Sri Ramakrishna persuaded his
companion Mathur Mohan Biswas to feed and
clothe the famine-stricken people of these two
places. Sri Ramakrishna was, thus, the pioneer
and exemplar of Seva Yoga.
The Holy Mother was another example
of this Seva Yoga. When she was just twelve
years old, there was a famine in 1864. At that
time, she lived with her parents at Jayrambati,
her birthplace. She would serve Kichuri [a pre-
paration of rice-lentils] to the famine stricken
people of her village. She would bring it with
her own hands, fresh from the oven, and, after
gently fanning it to cool, she would serve it
with deep maternal solicitude. She took keen
interest in all the services of the Sangha and
always inquired from the monks about relief
and other services in detail. She was a constant
source of encouragement and support to the
entire Ramakrishna Sangha.
Seva Yoga: Explained by Holy Mother
Seva Yoga, expounded by Sri Rama-
krishna, and introduced in practical field by
Swami Vivekananda, is different from the
traditional paths. Generally, the Hindu monks
are not in favour of directly doing any service
to the people. They are solely engaged in
sadhana, austerities and pilgrimages. Many of
the monks and brahmacharis of the Rama-
krishna Sangha, therefore, had a doubt in
their minds about this Seva Yogaeven
though they were serving the Sangha in their
best capacity, after formally renouncing the
world. One day, a monk boldly said to Holy
Mother:
Somebody said that to run the hospital, to sell
our literature, to keep the accounts and other
activities of the Sangha are not proper for the
monks. If they want to work, they should
worship, read, meditate, sing, etc. All these
secular activities will take away our minds from
God Realization.
2
Holy Mother listened to the words of that
monk and said with great firmness:
If you dont work, with what will you occupy
yourself day and night? Is it possible to meditate
and make Japa all the twenty-four hours? . . .
You get your food just because you have
engaged yourself in some work here. Otherwise,
would you not be moving from door to door for
a morsel of rice? Everything shall go on as the
Master ordains. The Math will run as it is doing
now. Those who cannot put up with this will
clear out.
3
Once Holy Mother was at Jayrambati.
During a conversation at night with Swami
Ishanananda, her attendant and disciple,
Mother clarified the idea behind Seva Yoga or
the Yoga of doing service to others:
You must work, of course. Work keeps the mind
in order. But Japa, meditation and prayer are
quite essential. At least once at dawn and again
at dusk one must sit down for spiritual practices.
It is like the rudder of a ship. When you sit at
dusk, you get to think of all that you have done
and not done during the day. Then you have to
compare the states of your mind yesterday and
today. . . Along with this work, if you dont
meditate morning and evening, how can you
understand whether you are working in the right
lines? . . . It may be that one does these for some
length of time in the beginning. Because of this,
one becomes egoistic like N. After that he fails
to do even that, but sits thinking of all kinds of
16
things, which only generates restlessness in his
mind. Far better is it to work than to let the
mind loose to indulge in riotous thinking. If the
mind is allowed a little laxity, it will create such
turmoil. My Naren observed all this and so laid
down the foundation of selfless work.
4
Holy Mother also told him,
You see, reasoning, questioning, Japam and
meditationall are for purification of the mind.
To withdraw the mind from unreal, to concen-
trate the mind, to purify the mindall are for
sincere hankering after God. But by love alone
will you get His graceHe knows best. Do you
know how He will be satisfied? Whatever you
are doingby this itself will He be pleased. That
isHe will be propitiated simply by Seva. By
Seva you can satisfy everybodyfrom the birds
and beasts of the forest to God Himself. So, dont
be distresseddo my work whole-heartedly.
5
Again, in 1911, while at Koalpara, Mother
told him:
The Master is the spring of all that we do or
have; He is the ideal. Whatever you do, if you
hold on to him, you will never go wrong.
6
Shashi Bhushan Ghosh, a lay disciple of
Sri Ramakrishna wrote,
. . . When she (Holy Mother) heard about the
miseries of the people, she felt sad at heart. I
learnt from her that every work of public interest
is the work of Thakur.
7
There are many sayings of Holy Mother
about selfless work (Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva
i.e. Seva Yoga). Seva Yoga signifies selfless
work. This selfless work has been aptly termed
as Seva Yoga by the eleventh President of the
Ramakrishna OrderSwami Gambhira-
nandaji, in Yuganayak Vivekananda, his bio-
graphy of Swami Vivekananda in Bengali.
Role of Holy Mother in Seva Yoga
There are five categories of service
rendered by the Ramakrishna Sangha:
1) Educational and Cultural
2) Medical
3) Relief and Rehabilitation
4) Rural Development (Village Uplift)
5) Spiritual Ministry
Holy Mother was the pioneer in all these
categories of service. She either actively parti-
cipated or expressed deep concern or was very
much interested.
1) Educational and Cultural Services
The first school of Ramakrishna Sangha
was inaugurated by Holy Mother in the
presence of Swami Vivekananda, Swami
Brahmananda and Swami Saradananda, on 13
th
November 1898 at Baghbazar in Kolkata. That
school was meant for girls and was called
Ramakrishna School. Swami Vivekananda
planned this school and his English disciple
Sister Nivedita was in charge. (After the
passing away of Sister Nivedita, this school
was renamed Sister Nivedita Girls School.)
Swami Vivekananda prayed to Holy
Mother for the inauguration of the school and
Holy Mother gladly agreed to it. She came to
the school at 16 Bosepara Lane, Baghbazar,
which was also the residence of Sister
Nivedita. Golap Ma and Yogin Ma accom-
panied Holy Mother. Holy Mother Herself
worshipped Sri Ramakrishna there and that
itself was the inauguration of the school. She
blessed the school saying:
I pray that the Divine Mother blesses this school.
May every student be trained to be an ideal girl
here.
8
All were happy and the happiest of all
was Sister Nivedita. Remembering that memo-
rable day, Sister Nivedita wrote,
I cannot imagine a grander omen than her
blessings, spoken over the educated Hindu
womanhood of the future.
9
17
Holy Mother paid a visit to
the school whenever she came to
Kolkata. Sister Nivedita would
consider it a festive occasion and
decorate the gates with aus-
picious leaves and flowers.
Nivedita told her students to
offer flowers at Holy Mothers
feet. One day, Holy Mother told
the students to sing a few songs.
The students sang and recited
poems. After listening, she re-
marked, Very good. She saw the
artwork of the students and was
very pleased and said, They
have learnt well.
10
In 1900, Nivedita was busy
in America collecting funds for
the school and for the proposed
home for girls. In this period,
Holy Mother wrote to her,
I always pray to the Lord that He
might help you in your noble
efforts and keep you strong and
happy. I pray too for your quick
return. May He fulfil your desire
about the womens home in India
and may that home fulfill its
mission in teaching true religion
to all.
11
Hence, the first school of the
Ramakrishna Sangha was blessed
by Holy Mother in vari-
ous ways.
Although Holy Mother her-
self had no formal education, yet
she took a keen interest in spreading edu-
cation. During this time (1898-1920), seven
educational institutions were started. She fully
supported and sympathised with these
institutions and also expressed Her own ideas
on womens education. It is a wonder to
consider that in Her time, womens education
was very rare. She told many devotees to send
their daughters to Niveditas school instead
of arranging their marriages at a young age.
She educated her nieces Maku and Radhu in
a general way, made them read out religious
The stone plaque outside the house, commemorating the inauguration of the
girls' school by Holy Mother, in the presence of Swamiji and others
The house in Baghbazar in Kolkata
where Sister Nivedita started the girls' school in 1898
18
1. Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi by Swami Gambhira-
nanda, 1986, Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore,
Madras, P. 179 [Henceforth only HM Life]
2. Ibid, p.336
3. Ibid, p.336
4. The Gospel of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,
Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Madras, 3
rd
impression, Pp.396-397 [Henceforth HM Gospel]
5. Matri Darshan (Bengali), edited by Swami
Chetanananda, (1
st
Edition - 1394 B.S), Udbodhan
Office, Baghbazar, Kolkata, p.130
6. HM Life, p.256
7. The Compassionate Mother Sri Sri Sarada Devi,
Based on Sri Sri Sarada Devi in Bengali by Br.
Akshayachaitanya, Translated by Swami Tan-
mayananda, Sri Ramakrishna Sarada Sangha,
Malaysia, 1
st
Edition,2003, p.141
8. Shatarupe Sarada (Bengali), Edited by Swami
Lokeswarananda (1
st
Edition, 1392 B.S), Rama-
krishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata, p.147
9. Sister Nivedita of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda by Pr.
Atmaprana, 1
st
Published October 1961, Published
by Sister Nivedita Girls School, 5 Nivedita Lane,
Kolkata-3, p.69
10. Sri Sri Mayer Katha, Vol 2 (Bengali), Udbodhan
Office, Kolkata, 7
th
Edition, 1380 B.S, p.314
11. Sister Nivedita, p.253
12. HM Life, p.497
References
books for her, and had her letters written by
them. Radhu was admitted into a Christian
school. Mothers opinion was very clear-cut.
If the girls were educated, they would
understand their own fategood or bad,
present and future. Not only that. In the
villages, educated girls would come forward
to help the other girls in many respects. She
had a desire to start a school for the girls of
Koalpara (in Bankura district of West Bengal).
But due to non-availability of the right woman
teachers, this idea was dropped.
Holy Mother knew darning, embroidery
and generally did not depend on others for
such sundry tasks. She also was happy to do
these herself.
We can recall here Sister Niveditas
thoughtful observation about Holy Mothers
dealings though she was not so called
educated,
In her one sees realized that wisdom and
sweetness to which the simplest woman may
attain. And yet, to myself the stateliness of her
courtesy and her great open mind are almost as
wonderful as her sainthood. I have never known
her to hesitate to give utterance to large and
generous judgment, however new or complex
might be the question put before her.
12
Holy Mothers was an all-embracing Mothers heart, which wrapped itself in love
about every child born of woman, and her family was the human race. . . Those who
had the rare blessing of living with joyous thing; that purity and holiness
were tangible realities; that the odour of sanctity was literally a sweet
perfume overlaying and destroying the foulness of material selfishness.
Compassion, devotion, and God-union were her very nature; one
scarcely knew that she possessed them. I t was through the sweet
benediction of a word or touch that one sensed her presence.
Sister Devamata
Maud Stumm
Who Taught Swamiji to Draw
SOMENATH MUKHERJEE
The author is engaged in research work on the life of Swami Vivekananda under instruction and guidance of the
Swami Vivekananda Archives, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, Kolkata.
1
Swami Vivekananda was not in good
health when, on 20 June 1899, he left for his
second visit to the West. Less than a couple of
months before the journey began, he was heard
saying, . . . If I have another attack, I can not
stand it. My chest is always sore all over with
neuralgia pain, and I have never once lost that
ache on the left side, since I was ill.
1
Added
with it was his bout of asthma which, even, at
times, went on uninterrupted for seven days.
However, the sea voyage, as everyone
had expected, did justice to his unstable health;
he landed in London with an apparent fitness.
But this hardly lasted for long, and plans were
afoot to give him prolonged rest. The American
family, who took up this responsibility was
the Leggetts, with Josephine Macleod [Swami-
jis friend and a member of Leggett house-
hold] at the helm of affairs. Francis Leggetts
farm house at Ridgely near Stone Ridge was
selected for the Swamis rest and recuperation.
Necessary arrangements were made and his
friends, as was expected, became eager to meet
their beloved Swami after a long gap.
With Swami Vivekananda on board, the
Allan State Lines S. S. Numidian left Glasgow
on 17 August 1899. It took exactly 12 days to
complete the transatlantic voyage and on 28
August, early Monday morning, the ship
reached New York port almost three hours
behind schedule. Such prior arrival had,
perhaps, disarrayed the plan of Josephine
Macleods to receive the Swami personally at
the dock. Instead, two other persons whom
she had directed earlier to attend the dock
were in time and received Swamiji. They were
Maud Stumm, an American artist in her late
twenties, and Mrs. Mary B. Coulston, the then
Treasurer of the New York Vedanta Society.
At the behest of Miss Stumm, one Mr. Sydney
Clarke had also made himself available at the
dock to look after the incoming luggage. Miss
Stumm came all the way from Ridgely to
receive the Swami.
While making plans for the impending
visit of Swamiji, Miss Macleod had, on 17
August, 1899, wrote to Sara Bull, I think I
may keep Miss Stumm overshe has her
worth. This proves the closeness of Miss
Stumm to the Leggett family which, in-
separably, included Josephine all along.
Besides, Maud was no stranger to Ridgely, as
we elsewhere find that she was a, frequent
visitor at Ridgely
2
Narrating Vivekanandas arrival in
America during his second Western visit, the
Life writes,
On the morning of Monday, August 28, 1899,
the S.S. Numidian docked at New York, and
once again, after an absence of almost three and
a half years, Swami Vivekananda set foot on
20
American soil. . . That very afternoon, after
visiting the town house of his old friends Mr.
and Mrs. Francis Leggett, the Swami and his
brother-disciple Swami Turiyananda went with
them by train to Ridgely, their [Leggetts]
beautiful country home in the Hudson River
Valley some ninety miles from New York.
3
Swamiji was hardly a stranger to Ridgely;
during his first Western visit he had twice been
there while responding to warm invitations
from the Leggett family. Here a few words
about Ridgely would provide necessary
backdrop to our imminent text. The country-
side here, Louise Burke writes
4
, had been
green and flowering. . . Mr. Leggett had
acquired the property in Ulster County in 1892.
. . . It consisted of several small farms, so that
the estate, when it became all of a piece,
included within its 130 acres two substantial
buildings. As regards the estates exact loca-
tion, Linda Prugh, another eminent researcher,
writes, The property was near the small, quiet
village of Stone Ridge, settled. . . on a ridge
between the valleys of two rivers flowing into
the Hudson some ten miles away.
5
Elaborating on the layout of the acquired
property and its subsequent additions, Linda
Prugh adds,
There were only two houses already on the
property: the Inn, built in the 1840, and a cottage,
subsequently enlarged and named the Little
Cottage. . . By 1894, four buildings had been
added to Frank Leggetts property at Ridgely.
The main building, Ridgely Manor, was built as
his residence. . . Also built, were the Casino, a
playhouse, complete with bowling alleys and an
adjoining grass tennis court, the stable, with a
five room apartment on the second floor and a
four room apartment on the ground floor, and
the ten-bedroom Big Cottage. . .
6
While commenting on Ridgely, Frances,
daughter of Frank and Betty Leggett, wrote
afterwards, The site was chosen for its views,
and nothing then [in 1890s] impeded the vistas
of mountainsto the north the blue Catskills,
to the south the rugged Shawangunks.
7
This
time Maud Stumm, along with some other
guests, was accommodated at the village of
Stone Ridge, situated around a mile from the
Manor.
Swami Vivekananda (sitting)
along with others at Ridgley Manor
Maud Stumms presence at the port,
more so when we consider the physical state
in which the Swami was at that point of time,
becomes more significant. Readers acquainted
with the Life are well aware of how Miss Jose-
phine Macleod took every possible care of
Vivekananda during his mortal days; and,
furthermore, when he left his worn out human
frame, she took his mission to every possible
corner of the globe till the very end of her
own life. And it was Miss Macleod who was
almost behind everything that went before the
Swamis arrival in New York. Therefore, Miss
Stumms having had the task of receiving the
not so well Swami, is more than indicative of
her reliability and closeness to Miss Macleod.
21
Besides, Miss Stumms exquisitely word-
ed sketch of the Swami during one of his
majestically spiritual phase has immortalized
her in Vivekananda literature. The immense
importance of her reminiscence, apart from its
unmistakable sincerity, depth and brilliance,
has also become singularly important because
following those remarkable days at Ridgely,
Swamiji hardly had remained more than two
and half years in the earth. And he was more
than aware of his fast receding worldly days.
Long after she had received Vivekananda at
the port, Maud, giving away her initial
experience of that day, would later write, He
was tired and ill-looking. And we know that
she hardly had exaggerated.
But this was not the first time that Maud
saw the Swami; they had met earlier, but such
details may wait for the time being. For even
more than a hundred years since their
mutually pleasing acquaintance, we hardly
know anything about this remarkable lady.
And time has long become overdue that we
make some sincere efforts in this regard.
2
It was in 1866, near Cleveland (Cuya-
hoga), Ohio, that a girl child was born to Frank
A. and Lucy Stumm. She was named Maud.
Her early education began at the Cleveland
public schools. But, presumably, to accede to
her aptitude, Maud was allowed to pursue art.
The beginning was at the Cleveland Art Club,
where she was attached from 1884 to 1888.
Afterwards her stint began with the New York
Art Students League, an exceptional institution
even in those days. Dissatisfied with the New
York art schools, a group of art students had
founded the Art Students League of New York
in 1875. It had its start in a small 4
th
-floor loft
in downtown Manhattan at the corner of 5
th
Avenue and 16
th
Street.
8
Afterwards, the
Society of American Artistes was established
with the help of the League in 1889, and the
League had constructed a permanent building
at 215 West 57th Street at New York. Since
1892 the Art Students League has been
functioning at the same building. As to its
present activities, it is said that, The Art
Students League continues to operate today
in the same manner it always has: as a set of
independent studios, run by individual ins-
tructors who have complete autonomy and
creative control in the classroom, without any
interference from higher administration.
9
During my research I could learn from
the Arts Students League, that there Maud
Stumm had attended classes on four occasions.
The first was in December 1886, followed by
in February-May 1890. Later she again was
with the League during MarchMay 1892, and
subsequently, in February- March 1920-21. The
same source further informed that Her
residences, while a student with them, were
listed as 27 North Washington Square and 63
East 55
th
St.
Maud Stumm
22
During Mauds days at the Arts Students
League, she had been taught by Kenyon Cox
(18561919), and Siddons Mowbray (1858-
1928). Mowbray in later years was best known
for his decorative work. In 1891 he became a
full member of the National Academy of
Design. In 1903 Mowbray became the Director
of the American Academy in Rome.
10
As
regards Kenyon Cox, his biography has it that,
In the first two decades of this century Kenyon
Cox was among the best known cultural
figures in the United States. This reputation
rested on his activities as a painter and critic. . .
Coxs murals and easel pictures brought him
reputation in the art world. . . but his public
stature rested chiefly on his criticism.
11
What followed in the same biography
had, perhaps, greater bearing on his pupil we
are focused to, Cox and his peers had returned
from Paris in the 1870s with a sense that their
generation would produce art that was
technically better, intellectually broader, and
less parochial than that of their predecessors.
1. Letters of Sister Nivedita Edited by Prof. Sankari
Prasad Basu (Nababharat Publishers, Calcutta,
April 1982), Vol. I, p. 114.
2. Late And Soon, by Frances Leggett (Houghton
Mifflin Company, Boston, 1968), p. 115.
3. The Life of Swami Vivekananda By His Eastern and
Western Disciples (Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, July
2006), Vol. II, p. 482.
4. Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries
By Marie Louise Burke (Advaita Ashrama,
Kolkata), Vol. 3 (2000) p. 384, Vol. 5 (1998) p.110
5. Josephine Macleod And Vivekanandas Mission, Linda
Prugh (Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai), p. 20.
6. Ibid., Pp.20-21.
7. Late And Soon, p. 83.
8. www.theartstory.org/school-art-students-
league.htm > accessed 20 January 2011.
9. www.theartstory.org/school-art-students-
league.htm > accessed 20 January 2011.
They were interested in depicting current life
in an intimate and vigorous manner that
employed skilled drawing and rich coloration.
They were certain that a revitalized American
art could both become a major national school
and enrich the world tradition. Cox retained a
lifelong belief in the future of American art,
provided that it was thoughtful, expertly
painted, and projected overtones of idealism,
whatever its subject or style. He wanted art to
become a major and accepted part of life, and
for the artist to become a protagonist in the
development of American culture.
12
However, in later years Maud Stumm
became known as a portrait, figure and still-
life painter. Says Biographical Dictionary,
During the early 1890s, her [Maud Stumm] water
colors were shown at the Art Institute of
Chicago, the National Academy of Design, and
the Boston Art Club. After studies in Paris in
the mid-1890s, she returned to New York, where
she designed illustrations for books, magazines,
and calendars, until 1909 or later.
13
10. http://kr.blog.yahoo.com/minium3926/
893433.html > accessed 20 January 2011.
11. Kenyon Cox: 1856 1919: A Life in American Art, By
Howard Wayne Morgan (The Kent State
University Press, 1994, Kent, Ohio and London,
England), page ix, Available at -: http://
www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=24648653 >
accessed 21 January 2011.
12. Kenyon Cox: 1856 1919: page x, Available at -:
http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=
24648653 > accessed 21 January 2011.
13. Artistes in Ohio, 1787 1900: A Biographical
Dictionary Compiled and edited by Mary Sayre
Haverstock, Jeannette Mahoney Vance and Brian
L. Meggitt (The Kent State University Press, 2000,
Kent, Ohio), page 841, Available at: http://
books.google.co.in/books?id=ZdICm_
W8xKwC&pg=PA841&lpg=PA841&dq#v=
onepage&q&f=false > accessed 21 January 2011.
References
Western Ghats Shrines in Karnataka
A Pilgrimage
ATMASHRADDHA
(Continued from the November 2011 issue. . .)
The author is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order.
We left Sringeri early in the morning for
Kollur on our way to the temple of Udupi.
Agumbe Ghat
Passing through the green paddy fields
and verdant roads, we headed to Kollur via
the well-known Agumbe Ghata hilly village
reputed for receiving heavy rainfall. Agumbe
receives the second highest annual rainfall in
India, next only to Cherra-
punji (or the nearby Mawsyn-
ram). It receives a mean annual
rainfall of 7,640 millimetres
(301 inches).
Often called as the Cher-
rapunji of the South, Agumbe
is also the home of the Agumbe
Rainforest Research Station, the
only permanent rainforest re-
search station in India. Agum-
be forest abounds in many
waterfalls, and is known for the
presence of a large number of
King Cobras as well as nume-
rous medicinal plants. The
mountains are rich with iron
and manganese deposits.
From Agumbes famous sunset point
which receives lot of visitors, one can see, on
a clear day, the setting of sun on Arabian Sea
though the sea is at quite a distance.
It took us some 45 minutes to reach
Agumbe. We halted at the Agumbe village
market for a while, and in the midst of light
drizzle, sipped hot coffee from one of the
village stalls. There was thick mist on the road
and though we wondered about the safety of
travelling in such a situation, we continued
our journey. There was continuous drizzle all
through the way.
The road was steep and there were many
hair-pin bends before we could reach the
foothills on the other side. It is called Sita Nadi,
named after a small river with that name.
The road leading to Sita Nadinear Agumbe Ghat
24
The Temple of Mookambika at Kollur
After nearly three hours of pleasant
travel from Agumbe through the winding
roads of Western Ghats, we reached Kollur, a
small township known for its ancient temple
of Mookambika.
Kollur, named after the sage Kola, is
regarded as one of the seven Muktisthala (holy
places where one gets mukti or liberation) in
the Karnataka region of Parashurama Kshetra
the land salvaged from sea by the sage
Parashurama. Surrounded by thick evergreen
forest and a few small villages, with areca-nut
gardens, Kollur is a quintessential western ghat
village/township. The Kodachadri peak along
with other peaks of Western Ghats make a
beautiful view from the temple.
Dedicated to Mookambika Devi, the
temple at Kollur, is one the
most revered pilgrimage cen-
ters for people in Karnataka
and in Kerala. Located in the
picturesque surroundings on
the banks of the river Saupar-
nika and the lush green
Kodachadri hill, the temple
attracts millions of pilgrims
every year.
According to legend,
Kola Maharishi, who was
engaged in penance here,
was disturbed by a demon
named Kaumasura who was
also engaged in doing pen-
ance to please Lord Shiva, to
get a boon from Him. To
prevent the demon from
fulfilling his evil desire, the Divine Mother
(Adi Shakti) made him dumb (mooka) and
when the Lord appeared before him, he could
not ask for anything. Thereupon he got
enraged and soon began troubling Kola
Maharishi who prayed to Divine Mother for
deliverance. Adi Shakti responded to his
fervent prayers and vanquished demon Kaum-
asura or Mookasura (the asura who became a
mooka or dumb). At Kola Maharshis prayer,
the Divine Mother agreed to stay at Kollur as
Devi Mookambika (the mother who vanqui-
shed demon mooka) and be worshipped by
devotees.
Thus the place, earlier known as Maha-
ranyapura or the Great Forest, came be to be
called Kolapura or Kollur.
Later, in the ninth century, Adi Shankara-
charya is believed to have meditated at the
nearby Kodachadri hill where he had a vision
of Mookambika Devi. The Devi asked him to
ask for a boon. The Acharya expressed his wish
to install Her in Kerala for worship and She
agreed. She, however, kept a condition that
he should lead Her to the proposed place of
worship and that while She will follow him,
he should not look back until he reaches his
destination. While walking, as if to test the
An artists visual about Adi Shankaracharya leading Mookambika Devi
25
Acharya, the Mother deliberately paused for a
while, and when he did not hear the sound of
Mothers anklets, he turned around to ascertain
whether She was still coming. The Devi then
stopped there and asked him to install Her
image (vigraha) right there.
Hence it is believed that the original place
of the Goddess is on top of Kodachadri Peak
(3880') and as, for the commoners, it was a
tedious journey to trek to Kodachadri, Adi
Shankaracharya brought Her image at Mook-
ambika temple at Kollur and consecrated it
there.
After parking our vehicle, where we left
our upper garments (in conformity with the
local custom followed by all male devotees
going to temple) and wrapped in chaddars,
we walked toward the temple for some 200
plus metres. With a number of small shops
selling flowers, incense sticks, Bhajan CDs,
photographs and other assorted items located
around it, a high wall, with a large entrance,
surrounds the temple. As it is a rainfed area,
the temple and other buildings have sloping
roofs.
An elephant, manned by a mahout, stood
near the entrance of the eastern Gopuram,
moving and waving its bright-
ly decorated trunk. Many de-
votees bowed before it, held a
coin which the elephant deftly
grabbed in its trunk and bles-
sed the devotee with his trunk.
The elephant and the devotees,
both, seemed to enjoy it!
The temple is a neat
place, and one sees much
orderliness there. A single-
storey structure, rectangular in
shape, with low roof and many
lamps fixed on its walls, the
temple is set in a traditional
Kerala style temple architec-
ture. The temple has a gold
plated crest and copper roofs and a tall flag-
post and a lamp-post in front. The place was,
as it were, swathed in peace and sanctity.
As we queued up for the darshan, a
kindly priest waved us to come forward and
stand near the platform outside the altaran
honour offered by the temple authorities to
certain guest-devotees to the temple. We
offered our respects to the Divine Mother.
Though there is an image of the Mookambika
Devi, the actual deity is in the form of Jyotir-
Linga incorporating both Shiva and Shakti (i.e.,
a line of gold divides the Shiva Linga, one
part representing Shiva and the other, Shakti).
After killing the Mookasura, the Divine Mother
merged in this Shivalinga which is believed to
be a svayambhu (made by Nature). The God-
dess is worshipped as Devi Saraswati in the
morning, as Devi Lakshmi at noon and Devi
Durga in the evening.
The Panchaloha image (an alloy of five
metals) of the Goddess is installed on a Sri-
chakra which was consecrated by Adi
Entrance to the Mookambika temple
26
Shankaracharya himself. In the
temple, there are many images
carved on stone and worship-
pedsuch as Ganesha, Sub-
rahmanya, Naga, Mahishasura
Mardini and the goddesses
mentioned in Devi Mahat-
myam.
One of the priests sug-
gested that we visit the under-
ground cave behind the tem-
ple where Adi Shankara-
charya is believed to have
meditated. We followed him
and he took us near a closed
door which was part of man-
tapas along the temple wall. He obtained the
key and let us in. We climbed down the low-
roofed steps, and found ourselves facing a
small room-like place, lit with dim light of a
bulb over an image of Adi Shankara placed
over a small stone altar. We sat there in silence,
trying to recall the visit of the great Acharya,
who though an Advaitin par excellence,
understood the need of worship of God with
form as a means for self-purification, leading
to Self-realization.
We were told that the temple has a vast
collection of jewels received as gifts of
acknowledgement from devotees, from kings,
ministers, and commoners alike, whose wishes
have been fulfilled by the blessings of the
Goddess Mookambika. The kings of Vijaya
Nagara Empire gifted the facial mask of
Goddess Mookambika, made of gold. The
temple celebrates many puja festivals through-
out the year. There is a Sri Mookambika
Ashtakam mentioned in the Skanda Purana and
the place itself is mentioned in the Puranic
literature.
As we came out of the temple, we saw a
tributary of Souparnika River flowing by, at a
distance. We learnt the river is connected with
Garuda, the divine bird of Lord Vishnu. The
legend says that Suparna (Garuda) did
penance on the banks of this river praying to
A panoramic view of the Mookambika temple
Devotees in the temple courtyard
27
the Goddess for the abate-
ment of his mother
Vinuthas sorrows. When
the Goddess appeared
before him, he prayed
that the river be hence-
forth known after him,
Suparna, and there-
fore came to be called as
Souparnika. At the loca-
tion where he is said to
have sat in penance, there
is a small cave known as
Garudas Cave. Though
a bath in the Souparnika
river is considered sacred,
we could not bathe due
to paucity of time. The
river, flowing as it is
through medicinally rich
forest, is believed to cure
many ailments of those
who bath in it.
A Visit to Kudajadri
As stated above, the
temple of Mookambika
was originally located at
the hilltop of Kodachadri
hills. We thus decided to
pay a quick visit to it at
the hilltop.
It took nearly an
hour and half of uphill drive from the temple
to the hill top. And what a tedious drive it
was! We had a lifetime experience while
driving up the hill. The road was indeed bad,
broken and slushy. There were more potholes
than plain surfaces. In some places the steep
climb led to our vehicle becoming tilted
precariously! The hills are located at an altitude
of 1343 metres above sea level.
It was a breathtaking scene at the top,
however. We felt as if we had reached the
clouds with many low-floating clouds coming
in and going out of the thickets and bushes of
the mountain. The mountain is covered with
Shola forests which are the lifeline of streams
and rivers originating from the hills. (Plants
in Shola forests are neither shrubs nor big trees,
but medium sized green plants with tough
A panoramic view of the Kodachadri hills
Moola Mookambika temple at Kodachadri
28
trunks, that withstand strong winds that lash
the mountain sides continuously. The speedy
winds that lash the mountains during mon-
soon can easily uproot bigger trees but do no
harm to Shola forest. Shola forest also shelter
different types of reptiles, birds, insects and
vertebrates. The flora and fauna of Shola forest
is unique.)
The hill of Kudajagiri or Kudajadri (in
Malayalam, umbrella mountainkoda, um-
brella, and giri or adri, mountain). A place in
the Kudajagiri hill is called Ambavanam and
Chitramoolam where Adi Shankaracharya is
believed to have meditated. One has to trek a
tiresome and difficult terrain to reach there.
We satisfied ourselves with visiting other two
important spots connected with Adi Shankara.
The hill road ended at a concrete travel-
lers bungalow built by the Public Works
Department of the Government of Karnataka.
Quite close to it is the small hut-like structure
housing Mookambika Devis image called mula
vigraha or the original image of the Devi. The
place was silent, wet and serene. Except for
the family of the priest who lived in a house
nearby, there was no one in the vicinity. On
hearing of our arrival, the priest came and
opened the temple for us. We offered our
respects and chanted verses from the Devi
Mahatmyam before proceeding to the second
place of our interest on the hills.
A visit to the Mookambika Devi Temple
is incomplete without visiting Sarvajna Peetha
at Kudajadrithe spot where Adi Shankara-
charya is believed to have meditated after be-
coming all-knowing. A mantapa, with Adi
Shankaras image, marks the place. Located
on the peak of the hill, one has to trek for two
kms through a beaten track passing through
bushes and small valleys to reach it. At times,
the trek seemed too slippery and risky but by
Divine Grace, nothing untoward happened.
Finally we reached at the Sarvajna
Peetha. The temple as such is not more than a
room measuring less than 7 x 7, standing on
an open rocky surface. It was a wonderful
experience to be there, at the top of the hill, all
alone, with no habitation for miles, besides
the temple hallowed by the presence of Adi
Shankaracharya. One could see many clouds
The stone mantapa at the top of Kodachadri hills
The image of Adi Shankaracharya inside the mantapa
29
floating over the hills, and a
green cover spread over the
whole hills.
Soon, however, we had
to start our journey back,
towards Udupi. It was get-
ting late but somehow we
could drive down without
any problems (road not-
withstanding) and proceeded
to Udupi.
Towards Udupi
Now we were on the
plains. We crossed many
backwater rivers before we
could reach our destination.
Filled with expectations to
visit the famed temple town
of Udupi, we drove through
an ancient landscape and
finally reached the temple.
The term Udupi (also
spelt as Udipi) is synony-
mous the temple of Lord
Krishna which forms the core
of the Udupi. A whole cul-
ture, cuisine especially, is
built around the temple. Also
known as Rajata Peetha and
Shivalli (Shivabelli), it is most
well known for its association
with Madhvacharya, the
great teacher of dvaita.
We first proceeded to-
Two views of the backwater rivers on the way to Udupi
The secret of religion is not in theories but in practice. To be good
and to do goodthat is the whole of religion.
Swami Vivekananda
wards the Krishna Mutt, as the temple of Sri Krishna is known here.
Rajendra Lal DeSome Memoirs
A.K.DEY
My father, late Sri Rajendra Lal De, was
a disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.
Born in the year 1888 at Mulghar in Khulna
district of East Bengal (now Bangladesh), he
was the only child; he lost his parents when
he was hardly eight years old. He was brought
up by his uncle and aunt who loved him like
their own child. He passed his Entrance
Examination in the year 1906. After having
served as a teacher for about a year, he joined
the Bengal Nagpur Railways at Adra in West
Bengal as a clerk. He was married in the year
1914.
One day, as he was returning from
Raghunathpur, a small town near Adra, it
started raining. He was then walking across a
large tract of land. Finding no other way to
protect himself from rain, he took shelter under
a tree. The sun had already set. While waiting
for the rain to stop, he noticed in the dim light
a book lying under the tree. He took it home.
This was a book about Holy Mother Sri Sarada
Devi. He read about Holy Mother for the first
time from that book. In those days, he was
passing through a difficult time. He had lost
his peace of mind due to some household
problem. Restless and unhappy, he was eager
to get peace of mind and the book came, as if,
just at the right time. He read the whole book
Prof.A.K.Dey, retired Principal of C.P. and Berar College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, is an initiated
disciple of Swami Shankarananda, the seventh President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna
Mission. His father, Sri Rajendra Lal De, was a disciple of Holy Mother and had the good fortune of
receiving the grace of some of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. Prof A.K.Dey, now living in
Dhantoli, Nagpur, writes about his fathers sacred memoirs of Holy Mother and other direct disciples.
on that very night and the reading had a
soothing effect on his troubled mind. He felt
an intense desire to have the darshan of the
Holy Mother.
Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi
Some days later, he went to Belur Math
and met Mahapurush Maharaj (Swami Shiva-
nanda) and Khoka Maharaj (Swami Subodha-
nanda). He opened his heart to them and
expressed his desire to have initiation [mantra
diksha]. They advised him to go to Jayrambati
where the Holy Mother was staying. As per
their advice, he soon went to Jayrambati.
Reaching there he anxiously asked a devotee
31
whether it would be possible for him to have
the darshan of the Holy Mother. The said
devotee felt sympathy for him and helped him
to have the darshan of the Holy Mother.
When my father found himself in the
divine presence of Holy Mother, he felt as if
his own long lost mother was sitting before
him. All his hesitations disappeared and he
felt quite free to talk to her. His joy knew no
bounds when Holy Mother agreed to initiate
him. After receiving the initiation from Holy
Mother, he returned home with a cheerful
mind. Sitting in the shrine of his house, he
would practise Japam of the mantra which he
had received from the Holy Mother. He would
pray and worship daily in the morning and
the evening. He had a desire to offer payasam
(sweet rice-porridge) to Sri Ramakrishna, but
he was told by some one that being a Kayastha
[ie. Non-Brahmin] he was not eligible to offer
cooked food to Sri Ramakrishna. So during
his next visit to Holy Mother he asked her
whether being a Kayastha he could offer
cooked food to Sri Ramakrishna. Holy Mother
replied that he being a child of Sri Rama-
krishna he had every right to offer cooked food
to him. She further said that Sri Ramakrishna
would gladly accept the food offered to him
with devotion.
About a year or two after my fathers
initiation, my mother received initiation from
Holy Mother in a dream. During his next visit
to Jayrambati, my father told Holy Mother
about my mothers divine dream. Hearing this
she said that my mother should regularly
practise, both in the morning and evening, Japa
with the mantra she had received in her dream.
Accordingly, my mother began practising
Japam twice a day with great devotion. She
would also read Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita
[The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna], the Ramayana,
the Mahabharata and other holy books.
My parents were thus living a pious,
contented and peaceful life. But with the
arrival of my maternal grandmother, who had
come to stay in her daughters house, the
atmosphere of the house was spoiled. She
would often interfere with the family affairs
and dictate her daughter and son-in-law. A
man of strong personality, my father would
refuse to be dictated by her. As a result, his
relation with his mother-in-law became
strained and the atmosphere in the house
became tense. My mother was a tender-hearted
woman. So all this had an adverse effect on
her mind. One day fed up with the mother-in-
laws interference and overbearing nature, my
father sternly asked her to leave his house.
Angry and insulted, my grandmother left the
house forever.
My mother was shocked and dismayed.
This shocking incident led her to the brink of
mental breakdown. She could not concentrate
her mind on the day-to-day duties. After some
days she stopped taking bath, cooking food,
practising Japa, even looking after her eldest
Rajendra Lal De
32
child who was a toddler then. Sitting alone in
a corner, she would utter meaningless words.
My father was shocked to notice the signs of
insanity in her. He was bewildered and confu-
sed. At this critical time his friends stood by
him. As advised by them, he arranged for her
treatment. Though under medical treatment
for quite a long time, there was no marked
improvement in her behaviour.
So my father went to Jayrambati and told
everything to Holy Mother. She felt sad for
my mother and asked my father to fetch her
to Jayrambati and assured him that she would
become normal again. After some days my
father started for Jayrambati along with my
mother. But because of flood in the Amodar
river they could not reach Jayrambati. After
some days when my father found time to make
a visit to Jayrambati, he came to know that
Holy Mother was in Kolkata and she was
confined to bed.
During that period my father had met
Mahapurush Maharaj who felt very sad to hear
about my mother and said, We will pray to
Sri Ramakrishna for her recovery so that she
could live a normal life. Though my mother
could not be taken to Holy Mother, there was
gradual improvement in her mental health,
and within a couple of years she got rid of her
mental illness and became almost normal.
What the expert doctors treatment could not
do was done by the blessings of Holy Mother,
by the grace of Sri Ramakrishna and also by
the prayer of Mahapurush Maharaj who was
full of affection for her. She lived a normal life
till her death at the age of seventy-two. She
became calm and quiet and spent her days
doing her daily duties silently, practising Japa,
offering worship and serving with devotion
the monks and devotees who visited our
house. Her face reflected her inner peace and
serenity.
It was perhaps in 1922 my father was
transferred to Khurda Road Junction in Orissa.
The monks of Ramakrishna Order used to get
down at Khurda Road Station for taking a train
to Puri, and during the waiting period they
would visit our house which was adjacent to
the station. My parents would feel blessed to
have an opportunity to serve them. My mother
used to cook various delicacies for the monks.
Khoka Maharaj used to praise her cooking
profusely. We can find my fathers meeting
with Mahapurush Maharaj at Khurda railway
station in the book Sri Ma Darshan,
On 5 May 1926, Wednesday, Swami Shivananda
went to Puri with all others by train. From the
Swami Shivananda
railway station he came to Jagannath temple by
a car at around 7 in the morning. In the evening
at 6.30, Swami Shivananda boarded the train
Kalikata Express for Bhuvaneshwar. On the way
at Khurda railway station, a devotee named
Rajen (Rajendralal De), who was a railway emp-
loyee, came to meet him. He was talking very
joyfully and enquiring about the welfare of the
devotees. When the devotee told about the bad
health of his wife, Swami Shivananda became
compassionate like a mother and consoled him.
33
He said, The nature of the world (samsara) is
like this, pray to Sri Ramakrishna, he will remove
your sorrows. Then he himself became introvert
as if praying to Sri Ramakrishna for devotees
welfare.
In 1930 my father was transferred back
to Adra Junction Station. There he was known
to quite a large number of people who loved
and respected him. Here he used to celebrate
the birth anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna on
quite a large scale with help of local devotees.
On these occasions a large number of poor
and needy people were given feast and clothes.
A large number of devotees from nearby towns
and villages would attend the celebrations. For
three days, there used to be evening con-
gregations which would be quite well attend-
ed. Every year some monk from the Belur
Math used to grace the occasion as the Chief
Guest. The speakers on these occasions
included well-known litterateur S.Wajed Ali,
Prof. Binoy Kumar Sarkar, Principal Dr.
Brown, Justice Naki Imam and others. The
tradition of celebrating the birth anniversaries
of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami
Vivekananda continues at Adra even today.
My father was intimately known to many
monastic disciples of Holy Mother, among
whom mention may be made of Swamis
Parameshwarananda (Kishori Maharaj) and
Tapananda. Kishori Maharaj used to visit our
house very often. Swami Tapananda was a
good singer and composer of Bhajans. Holy
Mother was fond of his songs. He served many
direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.
A couple of years before his retirement,
my father lost his eldest son who died of
typhoid. The whole house was drowned in
sorrow. Receiving the sad news Kishori
Maharaj came to our house all the way from
Jayrambati. My parents found solace in his
holy company. One day, during the mourning
period, he was performing vesper service in
the evening in our family shrine. While waving
the lamp his uttaria [the cloth used to cover
the chest and shoulders] suddenly caught fire
which was quickly put off. Later he asked my
father whether his deceased son was initiated.
Receiving his answer in the negative, he
advised my father to get all his remaining sons
initiated from Belur Math as early as possible.
According to his advice, my father arranged
for initiation of we three brothers.
After retirement my father settled with
his family at Purulia in West Bengal. Here also
he used to celebrate the birth anniversaries of
Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother every year
as long as he was alive. On these occasions
about five hundred poor beggars, many of
whom were afflicted with leprosy, were fed
to their hearts content. In the evening there
used to be singing of devotional songs and
discourses on the life and teachings of Sri
Ramakrishna and Holy Mother.
Throughout his life my father followed
the path shown by Sri Ramakrishna and Holy
Mother. He was not a man of means, but he
tried to serve the poor and the needy with
whatever means he had. He passed away in
the year 1960 at the age of seventy-two.
1. Sri Sri Mayer Katha (Bengali), published by
Udbodhan Karyalay, Kolkata (Old edition)
2. Sri Sri Sarada Devi (Bengali) by Brahmachari
Akshaychaitanya. p.83
3. Rail Karmir Smriti Katha (Bengali) by Parimal Dey
Bibliography
Published by Kulish, Alipore Road, Kolkata - 27
4. Sri M Darshan (Bengali), by Swami Nityatma-
nanda, Sri M. Trust, ChandigarVol-15, Pp.165-172
5. Shivananda Patrasangraha (Bengali), Ramakrishna
Math, Barasat, West Bengal, p.185
The Boy Jatila
Let me tell you the story of a boy named
Jatila. He used to walk to school through the
woods, and the journey frightened him; One
day he told his mother of his fear. She replied:
Why should you be afraid? Call Madhu-
sudana. Mother, asked the boy, who is
Madhusudana? The mother said, He is your
Elder Brother. One day after this, when the
boy again felt afraid in the woods, he cried
out, O Brother Madhusudana! But there was
no response. He began to weep aloud: Where
are You, Brother Madhusudana? Come to me.
I am afraid.
Then God could no longer stay away.
He appeared before the boy and said: Here I
am. Why are you frightened? And so, saying
He took the boy out of the woods and showed
him the way to school. When He took leave of
the boy, God said: I will come whenever you
call Me. Do not be afraid. One must have this
faith of a child, this yearning. (p.338 )
Boy Feeding God
A brahmin used to worship his Family
Deity daily with food offerings. One day he
had to go away on business. As he was about
to leave the house, he said to his young son:
Give the offering to the Deity today. See that
God is fed. The boy offered food in the shrine,
but the image remained silent on the altar. It
would neither talk nor eat. The boy waited a
long time, but still the image did not move.
But the boy firmly believed that God would
come down from His throne, sit on the floor,
and partake of the food. Again and again he
prayed to the Deity, saying: O Lord, come
down and eat the food. It is already very late.
I cannot sit here any longer. But the image
did not utter a word. The boy burst into tears
and cried: O Lord, my father asked me to
feed You. Why wont You come down? Why
wont You eat from my hands? The boy wept
for some time with a longing soul.
At last the Deity, smiling, came down
from the altar and sat before the meal and ate
it. After feeding the Deity, the boy came out
of the shrine room. His relatives said: The
worship is over. Now bring away the offering.
Yes, said the boy, the worship is over. But
God has eaten everything. How is that?
asked the relatives. The boy replied innocently,
Why, God has eaten the food. They entered
the shrine and were speechless with wonder
to see that the Deity had really eaten every bit
of the offering. (p.338)
14
Sri Ramakrishna was a master-story teller. While he spoke of
profound spiritual truths and mystery of human life, he amply used
stories, anecdotes, examples and analogies to drive home his point. At
times, while narrating a story, he would even make gestures and change
the tone of his voice to bring in a lively element in his narrative. The
following stories, mainly culled from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
(published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai) are an
attempt to present before the readers Sri Ramakrishnas rich store-
house of stories which are both illuminating and simple.
The Shanti Ashrama
2
The 9
th
May 1902
My dear Shanti
I have received a letter from Swami Sarada-
nanda by the last mail. Swamiji was very ill in the
monastery. But he has been doing better and I trust is
all right now. May Mother keep him Shanti yet for some
time for the good of many. The world does not produce
such souls often and by mercy [?]. His coming to Japan
has evidently been postponed. I have been asked to go
back to India. S. Saradananda has written to Dr.Logan
also at the request of the Swamiji to see that I start
allright. I have not heard from Dr.Logan yet but hope to
do so soon. I have heard from S.Abhedananda too. He
wishes me to go back rather than suffer here this way. I feel
in the same way under the circumstances. So will get ready by
and by. If Mother wills it so I shall see you all again Shanti. But whether we meet in the
physical plane or not certainly Mother has united us in the higher where we know no
separation. Let Mothers will be done. You need not be anxious for money Shanti. It is
already there. One friend has offered to pay the passage. I shall write to you again as it
develops. Remember me kindly to all the kind and dear friends there and give them my best
wishes and love.
With best wishes and love as ever.
I am
Yours in the Mother
Turiyananda
The Shanti Ashrama
The 28
th
May 1902.
My dear Shanti,
I have received your two very kind letters. The Vedanta Society of San Francisco has
arranged for my passage to India at the direction of Swamiji. The 6
th
of June has been fixed
Unpublished Letters of
Swami Turiyananda
1
36
Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math
the date for my departure. Doctor Logan will come to the Ashrama and take me to the city.
Everything is going smooth so far. I am very sorry I shall not see you nor can I make any reply
to your last letter in a definite way. I shall speak about it to Swamiji when I see him. In the
meantime if you think it best you can live in the Ashrama with Gurudasa
3
and go on practising
meditation etc. Gurudasa will be delighted to have you here I am sure. You need not despair
Shanti at my going. The Mother is within you and I know you belong to Mother. Sannyas or
no sannyasa wherever you will be you will be doing Mothers work. Only you need, as you
yourself have so beautifully expressed it in your letter the final death of the little self. Pray
for it Shanti from the bottom of your heart making your heart and tongue one and Mother will
grant it. I may pray for you Shanti if you want me to. But for the present I must bid you
goodbye.
Kindly remember me to all the friends who have been so good and kind to me. I shall
remember them all with grateful and loving heart so long as the memory endures.
Wishing you all well. With love to Curria[?] Helen and all as ever
I am
Yours in the Mother
Turiyananda
The Shanti Ashrama
The 30
th
May 1902
My dear Shajee
I received your very kind letter duly. I am sorry I could not write to you earlier. I have
been suffering from nervous prostrates since a length of time. Now I am feeling better. I need a
change very badly. I have been asked by Swamiji to go back to India as I have not been
keeping well in this country. I leave here on the 6
th
of June if every thing goes well here. I hope
to see you [once?] again before long. Kindly convey [my?] very best wishes and love to all the
friends there. May Sri Guru Maharaj keep you all under his guidance and care always is the
sincere prayer of
Yours ever well wisher
Turiyananda
References: 1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna
2. In U.S.A.
3. Later, Swami Atulananda
Diverse Shades of Karma Yoga
HASMUKH ADHIA
Dr Hasmukh Adhia is an officer of the Indian Administrative Services in Gujarat. The author is grateful to his
spiritual mentor Swami Visharadananda Saraswati of Srirangapatnam for his guidance in writing this article.
A Universal Order
The question What is Karma Yoga?
appears simple but it is the most difficult thing
to understand. Is doing work without selfish
desire (niskama karma) the only meaning of
Karma Yoga? If it were so, then how many
people in this world can follow the path of
Karma Yoga? Without expecting some reward
of the work (karma) done, how can one survive
in this life? What, then, is the practical meaning
of the philosophy of Karma Yoga in life?
Karma Yoga can be interpreted as an
attitude towards doing an action, big or small.
Karma Yoga is a way of conducting our
activities. It is all about learning to remove
our obsession with results and instead
becoming focused on the work on hand. The
fruits of any Karma are bound to come
whether you want them or not. It is as certain
as the principle of every action always has its
own reaction. The universal order of action-
reaction is so perfect in this matter that there
is no mistake in that. Therefore, there is no
need to worry about the result at all.
Six Aspects of Karma Yoga
If one analyses the concept of Karma
Yoga as given in Bhagvad Gita, one can clearly
see that there are at least six things which, if
followed fully in any activity, can make any
Karma into a Karma Yoga. These six can be
listed as follows.
1. Following the code of conduct of the
society i.e. avoiding nishiddha (prohibited)
karma.
2. Doing any given work most efficiently
and without neglect (pramada).
3. Focusing only on the present duty,
without being apprehensive about results.
4. Accepting the result, whether good
or bad, of our efforts as the prasad [grace] of
God.
5. Not having ego or doer-ship in case
the results achieved are superior.
6. Sharing the fruits of karma with others
in the society.
But does that mean that if any one of
these is absent, one cannot do Karma Yoga?
Not really so. Karma Yoga may be done while
following only one or more of these. The bare
minimum thing to follow is the first of these
six things i.e., one should not transgress the
boundaries of Dharma while doing any karma,
which means one should not violate the code
of conduct of the society.
Shades/Levels of Karma Yoga
Now, having ensured this code of
conduct, one can dwell on different shades
the term Karma Yoga can take for different
people. Here are some examples:
1. A person gets profit out of whatever
business he is doing, but shares a part of it
with deprived sections of people.
38
2. A person works in an organization
free of charge as a service, but expects the
organization to give him minimum facilities
such as house or food, etc.
3. A person works in a service organi-
zation without taking any facility of reward.
(This is better as compared to second example)
4. A person works in an organization but
only in the area of his expertise e.g., a doctor
gives his service as a doctor.
5. A person is willing to work in a service
organization in any position irrespective of his
qualification i.e., he may be a doctor but he is
willing to work as an ordinary reception clerk.
(This is better than the fourth example)
6. A person may work in a voluntary
organization but wants to be recognized as a
selfless worker.
7. A person wants to work in an organi-
zation/within a family setting but wants to
remain completely anonymous. (This is better
than the sixth example)
As seen from the examples given above,
each one of them is practising some form of
Karma Yoga, but the shades of understanding
are different. The last one is the best one.
If one follows all the six dimensions of
Karma Yoga, one can indeed excel in Karma
Yoga. But even if one follows one or two or
three, one can still be doing Karma Yoga,
though one is not doing the best. The Karma
Yoga, thus, has scope for every one. The level
of doer-ship (kartrutva) and enjoyer-ship
(bhoktrutva) that really binds one, also deci-
des the shade or level of Karma Yoga one is
doing.
A person may think I do while doing
Karma Yoga or he may think I am only an
instrument of God. Just as in a business, a
person may think
(1) I am the sole owner, or
(2) I am one of the partners, or
(3) I am only a junior partner, or
(4) I am only a servant, or
(5) I am a mere instrument.
What attitude one has decides the level
of doership or absence of it that one feels.
Similarly, one can have different levels
of bhokrutva (enjoyer-ship) in any activity. For
example, a person can say,
(1) I alone will decide as per my choice what is
to be cooked every day for everyone, or
(2) I should also be consulted but others views
can also be taken about their food preference, or
(3) I will take whatever others decide to make.
The third is an example of a lesser sense
of enjoyer-ship than the second or the first
one.
Conclusion
Karma Yoga is the art of doing action in
a right way. It aims at making us free from all
bondages. The more the sense of doer-ship or
enjoyer-ship one has, the lesser one stands in
the ladder of Karma Yoga.
We must do the work and find out the motive power that prompts us; and, almost
without exception, in the first years, we shall find that our motives are always selfish;
but gradually this selfishness will melt by persistence, till at last will come the times
when we shall be able to do really unselfish work. We may all hope that some day or
other, as we struggle through the paths of life, there will come a time when we shall
become perfectly unselfish; and the moment we attain to that, all our powers will be
concentrated, and the knowledge which is ours will be manifest.
Swami Vivekananda, CW, 1: 34-35
Swami Prameyanandaji Maharaj is No More
With deep sorrow we record the passing away of Srimat Swami Prameyanandaji (Ramgopal Maharaj),
one of the Vice-Presidents of Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission, at Ramakrishna Mission Seva
Pratishthan Hospital, Kolkata, on 20 October 2011 at about
8:25 am. He was 79.
The Swami had been keeping tolerably well for the last
few months, though he suffered occasionally from hypoaexemia
(low level of oxygen in blood). On 9 October, just two days
after Vijaya Dashami, he was admitted to Seva Pratishthan on
account of a marked fall of oxygen level in blood. On 17
October his health condition became critical and he was put
on ventilator support. His condition continued to be grim and
the sad end came on 20 October morning.
His body was brought to Belur Math in the afternoon and
was kept for darshan of devotees from 3.30 pm. The body
was cremated at Belur Math on 21.10.11 at about 12.30 pm.
Swami Prameyanandaji was born in April 1933 at
Dhakadakshin in Sylhet district (now in Bangladesh). An
initiated disciple of Swami Shankaranandaji Maharaj, he joined
the Order at Karimganj (Assam) centre in 1951, and had
Sannyasa from his guru in 1961. Just after joining the Order,
he participated in our relief and rehabilitation project at Cachar
(Assam) from May 1951 to August 1953. Thereafter, he was
posted to Shillong centre where he continued till 1960. During
1960-1961 he served at our Tamluk ashrama for a few months.
After that, he served Swami Yatishwaranandaji Maharaj at Belur Math for two months. In June 1961, he was
posted to the Headquarters Office at Belur Math. Having served there till February 1966, he was appointed
Secretary of Swami Vireswaranandaji Maharaj, the then President of the Ramakrishna Order. He served
Revered Maharaj for 19 long years in that capacity. After the Mahasamadhi of Swami Vireswaranandaji
Maharaj, he was made Editor of Udbodhan, the Bengali journal of the Order. In April 1987, he was
appointed a Trustee of Ramakrishna Math and a Member of the Governing Body of Ramakrishna Mission
and, in September of the same year, he was made Manager of Belur Math. In March 1997, he was elected
Treasurer of the twin organizations. Having served in these capacities for many years, he was elected Vice-
President of the Ramakrishna Order in February 2009, which office he held till the end. During his spiritual
ministry, he blessed many devotees with Mantra Diksha (spiritual initiation) in West Bengal, Assam,
Tripura, Meghalaya and Bangladesh. He also visited at different times Russia, USA, Canada, Mauritius,
Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and various countries of Europe. Revered Maharaj has two books to his credit:

40

Forthcoming Birthday Celebrations
(January to March 2012)
Swami Turiyananda 8 January
Swami Vivekananda 15 January
Swami Brahmananda 25 January
Swami Trigunatitananda 27 January
Swami Adbhutananda 7 February
Swami Yogananda 11 March
Sri Ramakrishna
23 February
Sevadarshe Ramakrishnananda (life of Swami Ramakrishnananda) and Puja Vijnana (the science of ritualistic
worship).
His sad demise is a great loss to the Organization and creates a void difficult to fill up.
Durga Puja Celebrated
Durga Puja was celebrated at Belur Math from 3 to 6 October 2011 with due solemnity. The weather
was fine on all the four days, and thousands of devotees attended the Puja to receive the blessings of the
Divine Mother. The Kumari Puja performed on 4 October drew huge crowds, and the Sandhi Puja on that
evening was also attended by many devotees. Sri M
K Narayanan, Governor of West Bengal, attended
the evening Arati of the Divine Mother on Navami
Day. This year, besides Doordarshan Kolkata,
Doordarshan India also telecast live the Puja at
different times on all the days. Cooked Prasad was
served to about 49,000 devotees on Ashtami day
and to more than one lakh devotees during the four
days.
Durga Puja (in image) was celebrated at the
following 24 centres: Antpur, Asansol, Barasat,
Contai, Cooch Behar, Dhaleswar (under Agartala),
Ghatshila, Guwahati, Jalpaiguri, Jamshedpur,
Jayrambati, Kamarpukur, Karimganj, Lucknow,
Malda, Medinipur, Mumbai, Patna, Port Blair,
Rahara, Sheila (under Cherrapunji), Shillong, Silchar
and Varanasi Advaita Ashrama.
At Shillong Ashrama, Sri R S Mooshahary, Governor of Meghalaya; Sri Bindu M Lanong, Deputy Chief
Minister of Meghalaya, and several other dignitaries attended Durga Puja celebration.
Durga Puja (in image) was performed at our centres in Durban (South Africa), Geneva (Switzerland),
Mauritius and Toronto (Canada), and the following nine centres in Bangladesh: Baliati, Barisal, Chittagong,
Comilla, Dhaka, Dinajpur, Habiganj, Narayanganj and Sylhet.
At Dhaka centre, Ms Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh; Mr Shamsul Haq Tuku, State
Minister for Home Affairs; Mr Ahad AN Sarkar, State Minister for Sports; Mr Sadeque Hossain Khoka,
41
Dhaka City Corporation Mayor; Mr Suranjit Sengupta, Presidium Member, Bangladesh Awami League, and
several other distinguished persons attended the Durga Puja celebration.
Commemoration of the 175th Birth Anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna
The following centres celebrated the 175th birth anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna. (Main programmes
conducted by them are given against their names.)
Bangalore: Devotional songs and discourses on 22 and 23 October; about 3000 persons attended;
Chandigarh: Talk on the life and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna at Patiala on 13 October, which was
attended by about 100 persons;
Lucknow: Musical performance on 1 October;
Raipur: Spiritual retreat on 2 October in which 120 devotees participated;
Taki: Devotees convention on 16 October in which about 200 devotees participated;
Thiruvananthapuram: Daylong Japa-yajna on 5 October, reading from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
on 6 October from morning to evening, discourses on the Bhagavata from 8 to 15 October, and devotees
convention on 15 and 16 October;
Vijayawada: Four quarterly three-day residential spiritual retreats during the year.
Allahabad: A week-long celebration from 5 to 11 November with symposiums and cultural programmes;
Chandigarh: Quiz competitions on the life and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna in 13 schools of Pinjore and
Kalka, Haryana, in which 950 students participated, and a public meeting and a spiritual retreat in Chandigarh
Ashrama in the month of November;
Chennai Mission Ashrama: Teachers Convention on 12 November in which 170 teachers participated;
Jamshedpur: Spiritual retreat on 23 October in which 275 devotees took part;
Kadapa: Public meeting, devotional music and release of a Telugu version of the Bengali film Bhagavan
Sri Ramakrishna on 6 November; spiritual retreat from 5 to 7 November in which 60 devotees participated;
Ramharipur: Devotees Convention at Durgapur city on 6 November in which about 2500 devotees
participated;
Sikra-Kulingram: Devotees Convention on 20 November in which about 400 devotees took part.
Moscow (Russia): A public meeting at the Indian Embassy in Moscow, on 3 November, which was
presided over by the Indian Ambassador to Russia and addressed by Padmashree Dr B Rybakov and others.
Mayor of Chandigarh Municipality inaugurating
Vivek Express at Chandigarh
Vivek Express in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh
The Vivek Express, Exhibition Train by the Indian Railways to commemorate the 150
th
Birth Anniversary
of Swami Vivekananda, was in Punjab, Haryana and
Chandigarh from 23 October to 16 November, 2011. The
Vivek Express was in the following places (the approximate
number of people visited are given in bracket): Panipat (6000),
Ambala Cantt (3000), Chandigrah (4000), Kalka, Patiala,
Ludhiana (7500), and Amritsar (4500).
At all these places the exhibition was inaugurated by eminent
people who included government officials, directors, Members
of Parliament and Minister. While members of the Vivekananda
Seva Samiti, Kurukshetra and Panipat, and the children of
Saint Vivekananda Millennium School took part in organizing
the events at their respective places, people from all sections
of society, including students of schools and colleges,
universities, professionals and household people visited the
exhibition.
Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Chandigarh, put up a book stall at Panipat, Ambala, Chandigarh, Kalka
and Patiala stations. The Vivekananda Study Circle, Ludhiana and Amritsar, put up stalls at these two
stations. In all books worth around 2 lakhs were sold.

42
Youth Leadership Award
The Vivekananda Institute of Human Excellence,
Ramakrishna Math, Hyderabad organized a Swami
Vivekananda Youth Leadership Award event titled Yuva
Sangharsh-2011 as part of the 150th birth anniversary
celebrations of Swami Vivekananda between 30th July and
23rd October 2011. Unlike a typical student-competition,
the event was marked by examination of young participants'
leadership qualities through the help of various ways
including their response to challenging situations. The
OUTSTANDING LEADER AWARD was presented to 2
students: Mr Vikram Krishna and Ms. Saumya Cheeda,
both of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Public School, Jubilee
Hills, Hyderabad.
Viveka Prabha Conference in Mysore
A conference of volunteers engaged in collecting subscribers for Viveka
Prabha, the Kannada magazine published from Mysore Ashrama was organised
from 10-12 October, 2011 in Mysore. About 500 enthusiastic devotees and well-
wishers participated in this. The programme included Guided Meditation, class
on worship, Bhajans, lectures on the Holy-trio, classical music performance,
exposition of Mahabharata etc. The participants wholeheartedly resolved to
increase the circulation of the magazine and thereby help in spreading of noble
values across Karnataka State.
General News
Sri Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, laid the foundation stone for the proposed Vivekananda
Museum at Khetri centre on 4 October.
On 9 October, Viveknagar (Tripura) centre organized a blood donation camp, which was inaugurated by
Sri Manik Sarkar, Chief Minister of Tripura. Fifty-two persons donated blood in the camp.
Swami Smarananandaji inaugurated the newly built scholars house / monks quarters at Jammu Ashrama
on 22 October.
A student of our Kalady school has been awarded Dr Ambedkar Foundation Merit Award for securing the
second rank among the tribal students in Kerala in Secondary Examination 2010 conducted by the Kerala
Board of Secondary Education. The award carries a sum of Rs. 50,000 and a certificate of merit.
The Class-IX student of Deoghar Vidyapith, who stood first at the State Level Science Seminar Contest
2011, secured the second position at the National Level Science Seminar Contest organized by the National
Council of Science Museums at New Delhi on 30 September.
Chennai Math has launched a website <www.vivekanandahouse.org> which provides information
about Vivekanandar Illam (Vivekananda House) and is optimized for mobile devices.
The General Secretary, Swami Prabhanandaji, inaugurated the newly constructed extension to dispensary
building at Bankura centre on 7 November.
Narainpur centre conducted a four-day sports meet from 9 to 12 November in which 1850 students from
43 schools participated. Sri Kedar Kashyap, Minister for Tribal Development, Government of Chhattisgarh,
inaugurated the meet.
Sri Jayaram Ramesh, Union Minister for Rural Development, visited Narainpur centre on 10 November.
Narainpur centre organized the concluding phase of its Silver Jubilee celebration from 25 to 27 November.
Sri Shekhar Dutt, Governor of Chhattisgarh, inaugurated the function and released the commemorative

43
volume. Dr Raman Singh, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, and several other distinguished persons addressed
the various meetings held on this occasion.
The newly built extension to the girls hostel building at Narainpur was inaugurated on 27 November.
A student of Purulia Vidyapith, who secured the third position in the Delhi-based International Mathematics
Olympiad Test, has received the prestigious Bihar Gaurav Award from the Chief Minister of Bihar. The
award comprises a citation and a sum of Rs. 50,000/-.
As part of the annual public celebrations of Ganeshotsav,
held in September 2011, Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple,
the well-known Ganesh temple in Pune, designed its pandal
on the lines of Sri Ramakrishna temple at Belur Math. The
monks from the Pune centre of Ramakrishna Math took part
in the inauguration ceremony.
The event, as always, attracted lakhs of devotees and visitors
from different part of Maharashtra and neighbhouring states.
Shown here is a view of the Pandal at night>>
Relief Work: A Brief Report as on 1 December 2011
1. Earthquake Relief: West Bengal: In the wake of the devastating earthquake on 18 September,
hundreds of people lost their lives while many suffered the loss of property in Sikkim, West Bengal and
other surrounding states. Our Saradapitha centre distributed the following items among 122 affected
families in 6 villages of Kurseong, Kalimpong, Debagram Fulbari and Siliguri areas in West Bengal from 22
September to 11 October: 1470 kg rice, 294 kg dal (lentils), 162 kg sugar, 40 kg mustard oil, 1.5 kg milk
powder, 50 packets of biscuits and 720 one-litre water bottles.
2. Flood Relief: (a) West Bengal: Continuing its flood relief operations, our Sikra Kulingram centre
further distributed 250 kg chira, 1450 saris, 200 dhotis, 1250 lungis, 1250 blankets, 125 kg bleaching
powder and 1100 kg lime among the victims in Charghat, Gobardanga and Saguna blocks of North 24-
Parganas district.
Saradapitha centre distributed 1000 blankets to flood-affected people of Amta-ll and Bagnan blocks in
Howrah district.
(b) Uttar Pradesh: Our Lucknow centre distributed clothing to 221 children in the flood-affected areas
near Ayodhya in the month of October.
3. Fire Relief: (a) West Bengal: Our Sarisha centre distributed 8 saris, 8 dhotis, 9 uttariyas, 5
mosquito-nets, 19 towels, 8 mats, 8 blankets and 8 plastic sheets to 5 families whose houses had been gutted
by fire in Chakmanik village of South 24-Parganas district.
Saradapitha centre handed over 30 sets of school benches, 5 sets of chairs & tables, 10 fans and 1
computer to a school at Banipur in Howrah district which had been destroyed by fire.
(b) Odisha: Our Puri Mission centre served cooked food (rice and dalma) for 5 days and distributed the
following items to 11 families whose houses had been destroyed by fire in Old Sadar Thana Road and
Kacheri Road areas in Puri town: 11 blankets, 12 saris, 15 dhotis, 11 towels, 11 mosquito-nets, 15 sets of
garments, 11 mats and 11 sets of utensils (each set containing 1 bucket, 1 degchi, 1 karai, 1 ladle, 2 plates, 2
bowls, 2 spoons and 2 tumblers).
4. Distress Relief: The following centres distributed various items, shown in brackets, to needy people:
Belgharia (1006 saris, 709 dhotis, 221 lungis, 805 shirts, 805 pants, 969 frocks, 158 sets of salwar &
kamij, 20 woollen garments, 36 water bottles, 51 kg chira, 20 kg chhatu, 10 kg biscuits, 763 kg soap);
Cooch Behar (371 saris, 37 dhotis and 4 lungis), Jalpaiguri (500 saris), Limbdi (food items to 704 poor
families).
5. Winter Relief: 311 blankets were distributed through the following centres to poor people: Cooch
Behar - 270, Khetri - 41.

For review in THE VEDANTA KESARI,
publishers need to send us
two copies of their latest publication.
ADVAITA THE TRUTH OF
NON-DUALITY
Compiled by Andre van
den Brink
Published by Epighaph, A
Division of Monkfish Book
Publishing Company, Rhine-
beck, New York. 2009, Paper-
back, Pp.98. $12.50. Copies
available from Andre van den
Brink, Laan 207, 2512 DS,
The Hague, Netherlands,
e-mail: a.v.d.brink@freeler.nl
The truth is completely unified knowledge. This
is how this small but very interesting book begins.
It is a collection of extracts from the notes taken by
the celebrated author Paul Brunton, while listening
to Sri Subramanya Iyer, an authority on Advaita
Vedanta in a bygone age. Though we fail to see
rigorous logical coherence in the text, still it can be
a useful introduction to the tenets of Advaita
Vedanta, especially for those who are not yet
acquainted with classical works.
Sri Iyer studied Vedanta under Swami
Satchidananda Shivanubhava Narasimha Bharati,
well-known pontiff of the Sringeri Math. In 1932,
he commenced teaching of Vedantic ideas to a small
group of aspirants in Mysore at the request of Sri
Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the then Maharaja of
Mysore. Here he would train scholars, in particular
many monks of the Ramakrishna Order into the
intricacies of Vedanta philosophy. One of his
students was an Englishman, Paul Brunton, who
travelled all over India in search of spiritual truth.
Brunton was attracted to the great erudition of Sri
V Subramanya Iyer and the present volume owes
its origin to the notes taken by him.
The book is divided into 12 sections, each
devoted to a particular theme of Advaita. The first
chapter deals with the essential characteristic of
philosophy being an art as well as science in enqui-
ring into truth. The second chapter deals with the
means and methods of inquiry into the truth, the
two general features of such an enquiry in Vedanta
being generalization and verification. This enquiry de-
mands correct and definite understanding of mean-
ing of important words like Reality, Truth, Conscious-
ness, Ego, and in tune with the Vedantic tradition.
Advaita does not deny the existence of the world.
It only asks of what substance can the world be?
The answer lies in Brahman, the absolute essence
of all existence.
What prevents us from seeing the world as
Brahman or Atman (Self)? Erroneous thinking,
caused by illusion.
The last two sections of the book deal with
Advaita in practice and qualities of a Jnani, the
knower of truth. It is not enough to grasp the
intellectual truth of non-duality. We should be able
to correlate all our experiences to the consciousness
of Brahman or Atman and this requires strenuous
practice of Yoga, the discipline through which one
has to pass, in order to cleanse the mind. The person
who achieves success on this path is a man of
enlightenment, a Jnani. He knows that the reality is
himself, that the world which is seen is only an
appearance. In him we will find absolute harmony
between thought and action.
Though the book gives an exposition of some
of the basic tenets of Advaita Vedanta, it is not free
from some disputed views such as identifying mind
with the seer or the self (p.47) and the opinion that
says, deep sleep is simply having no ideas. . . It is
given by nature to show how in Jnana the whole
universe goes back into you as an idea (p.61). But
such ambiguities do not take away the immense
spiritual benefit one gets by studying this book.
_________________________________ SWAMI VIRESHANANDA,
EDITOR, VIVEKA PRABHA, MYSORE
45
DAILY INSPIRATION
By J.P.Vaswani
Published by Gita Publishing
House,10, Sadhu Vaswani
Path, Pune - 411 001. Paper-
back, Pp.132, Rs.75/-
This attractively got
up pocket sized edition
presenting 365 noble thou-
ghts of Dada Vaswani will
deflect minds from feelings of
despair and reveal the inherent
strength of men and women, young and old,
regardless of their religious beliefs.
Dada Vaswani reminds us that humanity has
conquered the external forces but not the ego. One
should have faith, give up fear and stop complain-
ing. God grants what we need, not what we want.
The guru has a very prominent role in shaping our
minds and therefore, finding the guru is the
greatest discovery.
These thoughts will eliminate negative
attitudes and promote understanding of the
purpose of life and, like the Great Sayings of Rama-
krishna, are worth reading, not once but many
times.
______________________________ P. S. SUNDARAM, CHENNAI
GEMS FROM THE OCEAN OF
DEVOTIONAL HINDU
THOUGHT
By V.Krishnamurthy
Published by Readworthy
Publications (P) Ltd. A-18
Mohan Garden, Near Na-
wada Metro Station, New
Delhi - 110 059. 2011,
paperback, Pp.366, Rs.399.
Sri V. Krishna Murthy
is a mathematician with an
impressive record of teaching and
research in prestigious institutions in India and
abroad. He has authored several books on Hindu-
ism and this book under review is the second under
the series Traditional Hindu Thought. As may be
surmised from the plan of this book the series is a
commendable attempt to acquaint the general
reader with Hindu religious texts with copious
quotations from original texts.
The present volume consists of a wide range
of selections from both Sanskrit and vernacular texts
such as Srimad Bhagavatam, Naryaneeyam,
Ramayanas of Valmiki, Kambar, and Tulasidas,
works of Tamil saint-poets of both the Vaishnava
and Shaiva schools and many others. Erudite
though he is, he does not overawe the reader with
his vast erudition; instead he takes the average
reader through the great expanse of Hindu religious
poetry with the only desire to share with all the
spiritual and aesthetic experience he had enjoyed.
His style is conversational and there is nothing that
puts you off even when he handles an abstruse
passage like the Shruti Gita from the Bhagavatam.
His method is to freely translate verses from the
original and comment upon it drawing parallels
from a wide range of Sanskrit and veranacular texts.
The first chapter is a comparative study of
Sundara Kanda of the Ramayana in Valmiki,
Kambar and Tulsidas. The second chapter covers
selections from Srimad Bhagavata which apart from
hymns of Dhruva and Prahlada and the Rasalila
chapters , includes Shruti Gita and Kapilopadesha.
The third chapter contains selections from Naraya-
neeyam, Soundarya Lahari and an assortment of
other hymns including the works of Nayanmars
and Alwars. The chapter begins with a short
discourse on Bhakti and prayer.
The fourth and concluding chapter titled the
Guru begins with a section on devotion to the guru
and followed by Dakshinamurthy Stotram in its
entirety and short sketches of great masters of the
Hindu tradition acquainting readers with their
devotional works also.
The chapter also includes the whole of a
discourse on Shraddha by the late Sankaracharya
of Kanchi Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathy
translated from original Tamil.
The last but one section is on the authors
late father Sri R. Visvanatha Sastry who was a
learned exponent of Advaita Vedanta as well as
Puranas. He has left twenty-nine Sanskrit
manuscripts expounding the Advaita school of
thinking and its symbiosis with Bhakti, as the son
aptly puts it. What is most impressive is the way
he gave up his body like a true jnani as graphically
described by the author quoting from the leaves of
his diary.
46
The author is an adherent of the monistic
school of Vedanta, but he has no sectarian narrow-
ness and the great exponents of the Bhakti schools
also receive reverential treatment in the book. The
book is, as Sri Ramakrishna would put it, fried
cheese soaked in treacle and Sri Vi Krishnamurthy
is no dry jnani.
_______________________ M. C. RAMANARAYANAN, KERALA
THE HIDDEN WISDOM OF THE
GODDESS
By Devadatta Kali
Published by Motilal Banarsi-
dass Publishers Private Limi-
ted, 41, UA Bungalow Road,
Jawahar Nagar, Delhi - 110
007. 2010, paperback, Pp.
244+ ix, Rs. 295.
Suratha the demora-
lized king who lost his king-
dom to his enemies and was betrayed
by his trusted men, and Samadhi, the disillusioned
merchant who was disowned by his own kith and
kin but who was still attached to them, meet Sri
Medhas the seer in a forest hermitage who imparts
to them the higher knowledge emanating from the
Divine Mothers battles with the gruesome demons
Madhu Kaitabha, Mahishasura, Shumbha
Nishumbha and other asuras. Medhas shows the
king that though he had enormous power over
other people, he had little power over himself.
The wise guru enlightens his royal disciple
that the Divine Mother has become everything and
abides in all things as consciousness and power
[p.95]. In the embodied state we are separated from
our true fullness, our infinite being by the limiting
power of maya [p.95]. The king is made to under-
stand that the Mother is the supreme deluder and
the supreme knowledge that dispels all delusions.
She is the Saviour and the Remover of the bondage,
in the words of Sri Ramakrishna.
The compassionate guru then turns to the
woebegone Samadhi and points out to him that
since the Mother abides in all things in the form of
power, he must use that power to overcome his
feeling of smallness that makes him miserable.
Medhas teaches him his divinity. He tells him that
knowledge of the Self endows him with greater
power than all the earthly possessions.
The battles fought by the Devi are our own
internal conflicts which our infinite consciousness.
In other words, Devi Herself fights against our inner
demonsour ego,our attachments, our pettiness.
The story of the Devi Mahatmyam may be a myth
but myths do not say what happened but what are,
as the Greek philosopher would say.
After a severe penance and meditation
for three years, Suratha prays to the Mother for
the restoration of his kingdom which is granted to
him. But Samadhi wants only liberation from
samsara which the gracious Mother confers on
him.
This book is an imaginative reconstruction of
the Devi Mahatmyam. Devadatta Kali [David Nelson]
is an initiated disciple of Swami Prabhava-
nandas spiritual grandson of Sri Ramakrishna. He
rightly calls the book an extended meditation in
the form of a novel. The reader cannot say where
the narrative ends and philosophical speculation
begins. The book appeals to a sensitive reader as a
beautiful work of art also. The story handles many
literary devices like description, suggestion,
anticipation, retrospection, characterization and so
on. In the first chapter, Surathas internal distur-
bance makes him oblivious of the external quietude
while in the fifth chapter, he is full of peace
unmindful of the rumbling thunder which hints at
his spiritual progress. The Kadamba tree which
witnesses the despair of the afflicted returns in the
final chapter as a witness to their transformation.
Nature is the fourth character in the noveleerie,
stormy fascinating and serene, reflecting the human
mood.
The reader would not be able to say whether
he likes the book for the enchanting manner in
which the Mothers lila is unfolded or for the
effortless ease with which the philosophical content
is discussed. The abstract of all the twenty chapters
and the glossary of the philosophical terms add
value to the book. The front cover is adorned with
the Divine Mothers picture.
__________________________ K. PANCHAPAGESAN, CHENNAI
Mystery of Man and Universe
By Neduntheru S. Kannan
Published by Srinivasa Educational and Social
Trust. 2010, paperback, Pp.575, Rs.600.
US$ 50
47
(Copies available from 30 (old
no.7), Third Main Road,
Kottur Gardens, Chennai -
600 085.)
Science and Religion
have always remained the
two domains of human inte-
rest. Are they mutually com-
patible? The present work
under review, coming from
the pen of a highly reputed
mathematician, Prof. Nedun-
theru Kannan who is also a great
Vedantin, examines this issue in a very pragmatic,
interesting and thought -provoking manner.
Simply stated, science discovers the principles
upon which the universe operates. It does not
construct them. It cannot ignore them either.
Nobody has the ability to legislate how the world
operates, based on religious or political beliefs.
Spirituality to many is the essence of the
formula, I am one with God or I am God. The problem
that divides and sends whole nations to despair is
undoubtedly, the concept of God. Who is the God
that is Supreme? Is He my God or your God? Is he
Vishnu or Siva or Allah or Christ? These kinds of
religious debates and discussions are unfortunately
unending. It is worth remembering in this context,
that Swami Vivekananda propagated the concept
of Universal Religion declaring that all religions
are right, leading the ardent follower, to the same
goal.
Many people mistakenly suppose that one
cannot be moral without religious foundations. This
is a false supposition, for, ever since Renaissance,
the secularization of morality and the realization of
naturalistic values continue quite independently of
religious commandments. This precisely defines the
position of the atheist. It will probably swerve many
believers who have faith-based reasons to adhere
to their own traditional faith.
Coming to facts, no aspect of human activity
is now left out by scientists. But they agree that
they know only 1/7
th
of the matter contained in the
universe. The remaining 6/7
th
of the matter in the
universe which is not fully understood is called by
the scientists, dark matter. They also believe that all
this matter makes up less than a third of the total
universe. In other words, 70% of the universe is
made up of dark energy, the incomprehensible
energy. We know for instance, that the Universe
started with a Big Bang but none can precisely say
what caused this Big Bang. We know that Black
Holes exist in space but we do not know what these
holes are made of. There are truths which cannot
be comprehended by human knowledge. It is good
to have a scientific temper but science has its own
limitations. Our enquiries of Truth, about the
universe in which we are living, the place of man
in it, his ultimate goal and the means of attaining it
are the fundamental issues tackled in Vedanta.
The world within is vaster and more mys-
terious than the world without. The author,
endowed with profound knowledge of various
sciences and with the right kind of scientific temper,
has established, in a very convincing manner that
but for the Grace of God earned through the path
of absolute self-surrender, the life of man in this
world is empty and meaningless. The great truths
arrived at by scientists take us only to one level of
understanding, but can never make us realize the
ultimate secret of Creation since it comes under the
realm of the Vedanta. The declaration of the
Mundaka Upanishad Yamevaisha vrunute tena
labhyah (III.2.3) provides the correct answer. The
ultimate truth cannot be comprehended by any
amount of intellectualization or ratiocination;
without the Grace of God, none can successfully
probe the mystery of life. The learned author, who
is well-trained in the Srivaishnava tradition and
who has learnt the subtle secrets of the system at
the feet many saints and scholars of great repute,
with a special and justified fascination for the post-
Ramanuja polymath Sri Vedanta Desika, has done
a commendable job in highlighting the mystery of
man and the universe in the present work. He has
already endeared himself to the world of scholars
and laymen alike, through his interesting mono-
graph, Divine Sovereignty and Our Freedom,
In the work under review, the text proper
contains twelve chapters (p.258 to 450). The
preliminary matter includes forewords from many
saints and scholars (p.6-66). The Prologue, a
veritable mine of information runs from p. 67 to p.
257. The Epilogue (p.451-457) and the three
Appendixes which include a Glossary (p. 458-575)
enhance the value of this book. This book is a
welcome addition to the vast literature available
on Srivaishnava religion and philosophy.
_________________________ M. NARASIMHACHARY, CHENNAI
The Gita in Rhymed
English Verse
By Sibaprasad Dutta.
Published by Nanda Chow-
dhuri, 395, Ramakrishna
Palli, Sonarpur, Kolkata - 700
150. 2008, Hardback, Pp.360
+ ix, Rs.495, US$ 60, Sterel-
ing pound 40.
The Bhagavadgita is
perhaps the most popular of
the Vedic scriptural literature.
Ever since it was taught by Sri Krishna
to Arjuna on the field of the Mahabharata war, it
has captured the imagination of millions of people
around the world. There is a large number of
translations of this scripture available today in all
Indian languages. It has been translated into many
foreign languages too, testifying to its popularity.
The first English translation of this book was
by Charles Wilkins, who was an officer under the
second Governor General of the East India Com-
pany, Warren Hastings, sometime towards the end
of the eighteenth century. This was published in
London, and soon traveled to Europe and USA.
Traditional commentaries by Adi Shankara,
Sri Ramanuja and Sri Madhva on the Gita have
leaned more towards Self-Realization through
renunciation. Some of the modern commentaries
have laid stress on Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga,
to suit the temperament of modern man.
The first translation of the Gita in English in
a verse form was the famous The Song of the Lord
by Sir Edward Arnold. This translation, along with
its companion volume The Light of Asia (based on
the life of the Buddha) gained instant popularity
and was instrumental in attracting a large number
of English-speaking public to a deeper study of the
text.
The book under review is a similar attempt
to present the translation of the original Sanskrit
text into English in a versified form. In the Preface
itself, the author, Sibaprasad Dutta, justifies this
attempt in an interesting manner. It is the practice
to memorize the Sanskrit verses and to recite them
in a musical way. This is possible because the versus
are in a poetical form with a nice cadence. Such a
thing is not possible with a prose passage. Similarly,
if the translation is also in the form of poetry it
should be possible to memorize it and also recite it
musically. This also helps the reader remember the
message of the Gita and aids him to put it in practice
easily.
Each chapter commences with a prologue
giving a brief review of what the chapter is all about.
This is followed by a systematic translation of each
verse. From the second chapter onwards, the author
explains the message of the chapter not only in the
context of the verses it contains, but also by quoting
relevant verses from other chapters. This is a great
service he has rendered to those readers who are
approaching the Gita for the first time. Newcomers
face the problem that the text of the Gita appears
to them to be disjointed, jumping from topic to
topic in a way that appears random. Many of them
even develop an impression that many verses are
later interpolations. This attempt by the author of
linking each chapter with other chapters goes a long
way in dispelling such wrong notions.
Another added feature of the book is the way
the original verses have been presented. For the
comfort of the reader, the conjunctions of words
have been split, indicating the individual words.
This helps those readers, who have a nodding ac-
quaintance with Sanskrit, to recite the verses easily.
Needless to say, The Gita in Rhymed English
Verse is a valuable addition to the available literature
on the Gita. The language of the book is simple
and easy to follow. The author should be com-
mended for this unique attempt. It is hoped that
students of the Gita, who are beginners, will make
use of this book and greatly benefit by it.
______________________________ NVC SWAMY, BANGALORE
48
Every soul is potentially Divine. Realize your own divinity, then you will realise that
all souls are Divine. A cloud obscures the sun. We say, There is no sun. But the sun
always shines. So the cloud of ignorance makes us believe that we are weak human
beings. But the sun of Atman is always shining. Remove the cloud of ignorance and the
Atman will reveal itself in your heart. When you realize that, then you are a man.
Otherwise you are not different from beasts. Swami Turiyananda
T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2
5077. -do- Harur Muthu College, Harur, Dharmapuri Dist., T.N. - 636 903
5078. -do- Mahendra Engineering College, Namakkal Dist., T.N. - 637 503
5079. -do- Sri Sarada Niketan College, Karaikudi TK., T.N. - 630 301
5080. -do- Seethalakshmi College, Pallathur, Sivagangai Dist., T.N. - 630 107
5081. -do- Adhiyamman College, Hosur, Krishnagiri Dist., T.N. - 635 125
5082. -do- Kirupananda Variyar College, Ariyanoor, Salem Dist., T.N. - 636 308
5083. -do- P.G. Arts College, Periyampalli, Dharmapuri - 636 701
5084. -do- Thiruvallur Arts College, Rasipuram, Namakkal Dist., T.N. - 637 401
5085. -do- Chikkaiah Naicker College, Veerappan Chatram, Erode, T.N. - 638 009
5086. -do- Maharaj Womens College, Erode Road, Perundurai, T.N. - 638 052
5087. -do- The Karur Polytechnic College, Athur Post, Karur, T.N. - 639 002
5088. -do- Govt. College, Coimbatore, T.N. - 641 001
5089. -do- Govt. Law College, Race Cource Road, Coimbatore, T.N. - 641 018
5090. -do- S.N.R. sons college, Avarampalayam, Coimbatore, T.N. - 641 016
5091. -do- Sree Aman Arts & Science College, Erode, T.N. - 638 011
5092. -do- Karuppannan Mariappan College, Erode, T.N. - 638 105
5093. -do- Govt Arts College, Thanthonimalai, Karur, T.N. - 639 005
5094. -do- Karpagam Arts & Science College, Coimbatore, T.N. - 641 021
5095. -do- Govt Law College, Coimbatore, T.N. - 641 001
5096. -do- Shankara Science & Commerce College, Coimbatore, T.N. - 641 035
5097. -do- The Ayurveda College, Pathanjalipuri, Coimbatore, T.N. - 641 108
5098. -do- Lakshmi Narain Visalakshi College, Coimbatore,, T.N. - 641 201
5099. -do L.R.G. Govt. Arts college, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, T.N. - 641 604
5100. -do- Vidyasagar College , Coimbatore, T.N. - 642 126
5101. -do- Sri Giridharan Raghavan, Maharastra - 421 501
5102. -do- Sri K. Madhava Murthy, Andhra Pradesh - 500 020
5103. -do- Rathanavel Subramanian College , Coimbatore, T.N. - 641 402
5104. -do- Kovai Kalaimagal College, Coimbatore, T.N. - 641 109
5105. -do- Sri Saraswathi Thiyagaraja College, Coimbatore, T.N. - 642 107
5106. -do- Providence College, Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist, T.N. - 643 104
5107. -do- S.G.B Model High School, Hyderabad, 500 045
5108. -do- Sri Rathna Clinics, Hyderabad, A.P 500 067
5109. -do- Sri Ramakrishna Seva Samithi, Adilabad, A.P 504 001
5110. -do- Sri Asim Kumar Chakraborty, Paschim Midnapore. W.B 721 102
5111. -do- Sri R.V.S.S. Prasad, Hyderabad, A.P 500076
5112. -do- Sri Ramachandra Hridaya, A.P 524 0048
5113. -do- Sri Balaji Polytechnic College, Chennai, T.N - 600 048
5114. -do- Chennai National College, Avadi. Chennai, T.N - 600 119
5115. -do- Loganatha Narayanaswami Govt College, Ponneri, T.N - 601 204
5116. -do- Sree Balaji College of Nursing, Chennai, T.N - 601 302
5117. -do- Jaya College of Para Medical, Tiruvallur Dist, T.N - 602 024
5118. -do- Dhanalakshmi college of Engg, Chennai, T.N - 600 048
5119. -do- M.A Chidambaram College of Nursing, Chennai , T.N - 600 113
5120. -do- Sridevi College, Ponneri, T.N - 601 204
5121. -do- Bharani Swathi College, Medavakkam, Chennai, T.N - 601 302
5122. -do- Jaya Engg College, Thiruninravur, T.N - 602 024
49
The Vedanta Kesari Library Scheme Continued from page 4
To be continued . . .
5123. -do- Dharma Medical College , Kancheepuram, T.N - 602 105
5124. -do- Rajalakshmi College, Kancheepuram, T.N - 602 105
5125. -do- Adhiparasakthi College, Kancheepuram, T.N - 603 319
5126. -do- Vignesh College, Tiruvannamalai, T.N - 606 603
5127. -do- Raja Muthiah Dental College, Chidambaram, T.N - 608 002
5128. -do- Ramaswamy Tamil College, Karaikudi, T.N - 623 001
5129. -do- G.T.N Arts College, Dindigal, T.N - 624 004
5130. -do- Dhanalakshmi College, Mahabalipuram, T.N - 603 104
5131. -do- Arignar Anna College, Tiruvannamalai, T.N - 604 407
5132. -do- K.P College of Pharmacy, Tiruvannamalai, T.N - 606 601
5133. -do- Sri Sankara College, Trichy, T.N - 620 009
5134. -do- Raja Dorai College, Sivagangai, T.N - 623 560
5135. -do- Arulmigu Palani Andavar College, T.N - 624 602
5136. -do- Madurai medical College, Maduari, T.N - 625 001
5137. -do- K.L Narayanaswamy College, Madurai T.N - 625 009
5138. -do- Theni Kammavar Sangam College, Theni Dist, T.N - 625 534
5139. -do- Nadar Saraswathi College, Theni, T.N - 625 531
5140. -do- Sankaralingam College, Thiruthangal, T.N - 626 130
5141. -do- S.Chattantha Karayalar College, Thirunelveli,. T.N - 627 804
5142. -do- E.M Gopala College, Madurai, T.N - 625 014
5143. -do- SACS-M.A.V.M.M College, Madurai Dist, T.N - 625 301
5144. -do- Homeopathic College, Maduari Dist, T.N - 625 706
5145. -do- V.V Vanniaperumal College, Virudhunagar, T.N - 626 001
5146. -do- Govt College of Engg, Tirunelveli, T.N - 627 007
5147. -do- S.A Raja College of Pharmacy, Tirunelveli, T.N - 627 116
5148. -do- Rajas Dental College, Tirunelveli District, T.N- 627 118
5149. -do- Govt Polytechnic College, T.N- 628 008
5150. -do- Sri Ramakrishna Yoga & Naturopathy College, Kanyakurari, T.N- 629 161
5151. -do- Saraswathi Velu College, Walaja Tk, T.N- 631 102
5152. -do- Pallavan Pharmacy College, Tiruvannamalai, T.N - 631 702
5153. -do- G.G.R College of Engg, Vellore, T.N - 632 009
5154. -do- Indian Engg College, Tirunelveli dist, T.N - 627 116
5155. -do- A.T.S.V.S College, Kanyakurari, T.N- 629 171
5156. -do- Meenakshi College, Sivaganga Dist, T.N- 630 611
5157. -do- Sri Sankara College, Kanchipuram, T.N- 631 561
Indias Timeless Wisdom
-t |a |t tt |a |
t == a - t trt *=t =
A dullard says, O Lord. A wise man says O Lord. Both get
the same result for God looks at ones inner feelings (bhava)
and responds.
Traditional Saying
SRI RAMAKRISHNA MATH
MYLAPORE, CHENNAI-600004
PHONE: (044) 24621110
Email: mail@chennaimath.org Website: www.chennaimath.org
Let Auspiciousness be Everywhere!
175
TH
BIRTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA 2011-12
Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, (Chennai Math for short) is a spiritual centre of
distinction, having been blessed by the visit of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, the
divine consort of Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Ramakrishnananda, one of the eminent
spiritual luminaries and a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, founded this Math.
Several other distinguished direct disciples have hallowed the Math by their visits.
Chennai Math takes pride in celebrating the 175
th
Birth Anniversary of Sri
Ramakrishna in the year 2011-12 through various programmes.
The celebrations will be culminating with spiritual and cultural programmes
from 22
nd
to 26
th
February 2012 at the Chennai Math. The culmination of the 175
th
Birth Anniversary celebrations of Sri Ramakrishna in February 2012 also coincides
with the completion of 12 years since the consecration of the Universal Temple at
Chennai Math.
The Universal Temple dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna and its surroundings need
renovation and the 175
th
Birth Anniversary celebration is the ideal occasion to carry
this out and re-dedicate it to Sri Ramakrishna in all its splendour and glory in
February 2012. The estimated cost of the renovation which includes painting, repairing
and restoration is Rs.82.00 lacs.
We solicit your kind donation for carrying out the renovation work.
Donations may be made by Cheque/DD in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math,
Chennai and sent to Sri Ramakrishna Math at the address given above. Donations
are eligible for tax exemption under Section 80(G) of the Indian Income Tax Act.
Donations can also be made online at the website by selecting the category Sri
Ramakrishna 175. For direct transfer to Bank, please contact us for IFSC/Swift code
details by email. International donations are welcome.
May Sri Ramakrishna bless us all.
Swami Gautamananda
Adhyaksha
Digitised Archives of Brahmavadin
Released on 18th December 2011
the first magazine started under the inspiration of Swami Vivekananda
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission pub-
lish several journals in English and in many Indian and
foreign languages. The first journal, however, published
under the advice and with the encouragement of Swami
Vivekananda was the Brahmavadin, which means The
Messenger of Truth.
Swamiji conceived the idea of bringing out a jour-
nal when he was in America during 1893-1897, and he
wrote to Alasinga Perumal, a close associate and ad-
mirer of Swamiji in Madras. Brahmavadin made its
appearance in Madras on Saturday, 14 September 1895.
Though it was not an official organ of the Ramakrishna
Mission, it played an important role in highlighting its earliest philanthropic activities
and thus contributed to the furtherance of the ideals of the Ramakrishna Movement.
After the demise of Alasinga in 1909, its publication was irregular and the last
issue of Brahmavadin was brought out in 1914. Soon after, the Brahmavadins legacy
was continued by a new journal, The Vedanta Kesari, started by the Ramakrishna
Math, Chennai, and has been in circulation ever since.
The proposed CD will contain, for the first time, the entire collection of 19
volumes (1895 to1914) of Brahmavadin in a digitised format, with search facility
indexed author-wise, title-wise, year-wise and by keywords, plus other features.
A treasured collection and a researchers delight!
Price: Rs.300/- per CD
Packing and Posting charges: Rs.60/- (within India)
For order of 10 or more, packing and postage is free
(For overseas orders, shipping charges vary as per destination)
Draw your DD in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai and send to:
The Manager, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600004
Website: www.chennaimath.org Email: mail@chennaimath.org
Y O U C A N A L S O B O O K O N L I N E
Kala Babu Kunj is the ancestral house of Sri Balaram Basu, an ardent devotee of Sri
Ramakrishna, in the holy land of Vrindaban. After the Mahasamadhi of Sri Ramakrishna,
Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi visited Vrindaban in September, 1886 and stayed in this house
for almost a year. In later years the place was further sanctified by the second visit of Holy
Mother and all other direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna including Swami Vivekananda. In
1907, Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama had its humble beginning in this same house.
With a view to develop this sacred place into a befitting memorial, we have acquired a
portion of the house and renovation work is progressing apace. We are urgently in need of
Rs. 1 Crore for the completion of the project.
We earnestly request all devotees and well wishers to donate generously for this sacred
cause. Cheques/Drafts may please be drawn in the name of Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama,
Vrindaban and sent to the address below. All donations are exempt from Income Tax under
section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
We hope to dedicate the memorial in a befitting function in September 2012 which
marks the 125
th
Anniversary of Holy Mothers visit to Vrindaban. Devotees are welcome to
visit the site and donate any artifact or photo related to Holy Mother or Vrindaban which can
be exhibited on a
permanent basis
at the site.
As is well
known, Sevash-
rama is running a
165-bed Chari-
table Hospital for
the service of
Rogi Narayan
since last 104
years.
We appeal to all kind hearted persons to donate generously for this noble cause.
Donations to Infrastructure Development and Corpus Fund can avail 100% tax exemption
u/s 35 AC of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Donations can also be directly deposited into our
AXIS Bank account (A/c No.: 9100 1001 8246 169; IFSC: UTIB0000794).
RAMAKRISHNA MISSION SEVASHRAMA
Swami Vivekananda Marg, Vrindaban, Dist. Mathura, Uttar Pradesh 281121
Phone : 0565-2442310, Fax : 0565-2443310
E-mail: info@rkmsvrind.org Website: www.rkmsvrind.org
Yours in Sri Ramakrishna,
Swami Suprakashananda
Secretary
Kala Babu Kunj
A Humble Appeal
Renovation of Kala Babu Kunj under progress
(1999) Globalization : Rs.60/-
(2002) How to Organise Life : Rs.45/-
(2004) Sri Ramakrishna in Todays Violent World : Rs.45/-
(2005) Channelling Youth Power : Rs.45/-
(2006) No One is a Stranger : Rs.45/-
(2007) Upanishads in Daily Life : Rs.70/-
(2008) Gita for Everyday Living : Rs.70/-
(2009) How to Shape the Personality : Rs.70/-
(2010) Facets of Freedom : Rs.60/-
Some of the recent Annual Issues of
The Vedanta Kesari now available in book form:
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004
Plus postage Rs.23/- for single copy. No request for VPP entertained
Appeal for Restoration
Ramakrishna Kutir (Ashrama) at Almora, Uttarakhand, was founded in
1916 by Swami Turiyananda and Swami Shivananda (two direct disciples of
Sri Ramakrishna) at the behest of Swami Vivekananda. The Almora Ashrama
is a retreat centre where monks and devotees of Sri Ramakrishna come to live
in its spiritual atmosphere and get peace of mind. The place is imbued with the
spiritual vibrations of Swami Turiyanandas holy and austere life. The Ashrama
also conducts welfare activities for the poor hill people and needy students.
Last year we distributed 5000 woollen blankets to the victims of devastating
rain that hit Almora district.
Unprecedented rains and cloud burst in September 2010 in Almora resulted
in tremendous landslide, gorges, cracks and land-sinking of the Ashrama
premises. The changed land contour has damaged the temple and other
buildings. Our engineers have suggested abandoning of an old building and
rebuilding of other damaged ones.
Hence we appeal to all devotees and general public to extend their helping
hands to restore the Ashrama buildings. The restoration of land, at least,
should be completed before the next rainy season in 2012. After that we
shall have to start the construction of the damaged buildings. For this entire
restoration and reconstruction work, we need more than 2 Crore rupees.
Cheque/Draft may please be drawn in favour of Ramakrishna Kutir, Almora
and sent to: Ramakrishna Kutir, Bright End Corner, Almora, Pin - 263 601
(Uttarakhand). The name of the donors of 2 Lakh rupees and above will be
displayed in prominent place, if he or she wishes.
All donations to Ramakrishna Math are exempt from the Income Tax U/S.
80G of the I.T. Act.
RAMAKRISHNA KUTIR
Bright End Corner, Almora263 601, Uttarakhand
Phone: 05962-254417, E-mail: rkutir@gmail.com, rkutir@yahoo.in
Swami Somadevananda
Adhyaksha
T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i 55 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2
Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama
Malda - 732101, West Bengal
Phone: 03512-252479
Date: 12.09.2011
Appeal for the Construction of a Charitable Dispensary
Dear Sir/Madam,
Established 87 years ago, the Malda Ashrama of the Ramakrishna Mission is a
branch of Belur Math, working for the poor and needy people in this small town of
North Bengal.
We serve the illiterate, ailing people, flood-draught affected people irrespective
of caste, creed and religion as per the ideas and ideals of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda.
We run an allopath and a homoeopath dispensary for poor slum dwellers and we
have a mobile medical service for rural people. We provide free medical care to
about 30,000 people.
The Ashrama runs a high school (H.S+2), a kindergarten and a primary school
in the Malda Town. Two rural primary schools are being run for tribal children who
are first generation learners. Besides, we are also running six free coaching centres
in remote village areas. We regularly distribute school uniform, dhoti, saree, blan-
kets, food-packets, etc., to needy village people.
We propose to construct a Dispensary Building to accommodate departments
of Homoeopathy, Allopathy Medicine, Eye, ENT, Dental, Paediatric, Gynecology,
Pathological Tests, etc. The cost of construction for the proposed building is around
Rs. 60 lakhs.
We request you to lend a helping hand to make this humble project a success.
For donations of Rs. one lakh and more, the donors name will be displayed in
a suitable place in the ground floor on marble plaque.
All donations for this noble cause are exempted from Income Tax u/s 80G of
Income Tax Act. 1961. A/c. payee Cheque / Draft may be drawn in favour of
Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Malda.
With namaskar,
Yours sincerely,
Swami Parasharananda
Secretary
Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Muzaffarpur
Swami Vivekananda Path, Bela, Muzaffarpur 843 116, Bihar
Phone: 0621-2272127, 2272963
E-mail: rkm.muzaffarpur@gmail.com Website: www.rkmmuzaffarpur.org
On the occasion of 150
th
Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
Very humbly requests you to contribute towards
Eye, ENT, Dental Hospital cum Diagnostic Centre
For a place where health infrastructure is very poor and people are really deserving.
Our Present Infrastructure : Oldest Eye Infirmary (30 Bedded) in North Bihar established in
1947, General dispensary, Dental, Homeopathy, X-Ray, Pathology
etc.all in a dilapidated condition.
Our Vision: To develop a Speciality treatment in Eye, ENT and Dental,Various
OPD Sections, Well equipped Clinical Lab., R & D Section, Modern
Diagnostic, Paramedical Training and Doctors & Staff Quarters
The cost of First Phase: Construction of Hospital BuildingRs.1.70 Crore
Equipment, Maintenance, etc., Rs.80 Lakh,
Permanent Fund Rs. 1 Crore
Work in Progress: Foundation stone laid on 1st January, 2011 (Kalpataru Divas)
Foundation work completed on June 30, 2011
Plinth level work started. But we are in dearth of funds.
Swami Bhavatmananda
Secretary
All contribution made to our Ashrama are exempted from Income Tax u/s 80G of IT Act 1961.
Any contribution can be made by Cheque/Draft in favour of
Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Muzaffarpur.
Front Elevation of proposed centre
We appeal to our devotees, friends, well-wishers and donors to contribute for this noble
work. It will be truly a palpable homage to Swami Vivekananda whose heart bled for poor
humanity.
With Prayers to the Holy Trio for you and yours,
Tie Beam, Columns Foundation Work
Sri Ramakrishna Karnamritam
A Poetical Hymn on Sri Ramakrishna
in Sanskrit, By Ottur Bala Bhatta
Translated by Swami Tapasyananda
pages. xvii + 134, Rs. 32/-
Plus postage Rs.23 for a single copy.
Worship of Sri Ramakrishna
By Swami Hitananda, Translated by
Swami Atmapriyananda
pages. viii + 238, Rs. 45/-
Stories of the Devotees of Lord Shiva
(Illustrated)
pages. 80, Rs. 90/-
The Sixty-three NayanmarsAn
Introduction (Illustrated)
pages. iv + 50, Rs. 50/-
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004
No request for VPP entertained
For Chanting Only Sanskrit original,
in Devanagari script, large font-size
Srimad Bhagavad GitaMoolam
pages. iv + 108, Rs. 25/-
Sri Devi MahatmyamParayanam
pages. iv + 148, Rs. 50/-
Swami Adbhutananda was a disciple of Sri Rama-
krishna. Although he never underwent any formal education
and did not know how to read and write, he was held in
high respect for his spiritual achievements, pure life,
simplicity and insights into spiritual life. This book, a tran-
slation from the original Bengali, is a charming account of
Swami Adbhutanandas association with Sri Ramakrishna,
Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and
other disciples, as also provides intimate glimpses of his
austere life, devotion to God, dispassion towards the world
and intense spiritual practices. The original book was
written by Chandrashekhar Chattopadhyay and the trans-
lation is by Swami Satswarupananda.
A treasure-trove of spiritual insights!
Swami Adbhutananda As We Saw Him
New Release
Hardback
Pages 464 + xvi
Price: Rs. 175/-
+ Postage:
Rs.25/- per copy
No request for
VPP entertained
Published by
Sri Ramakrishna Math,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004
Email:
mail@chennaimath.org
Naturopathy and Yoga Treatment-cum-
Awareness Camp
Sri Ramakrishna Sharadashrama, Ponnampet, Coorg District, Karnataka-571276,
is organizing a seven-day Naturopathy and Yoga treatment-cum-awareness Camp (residential)
at the small hospital situated in its premises. The camp will be held from 11.1.2012 to 17.1.2012.
In the camp the following facilities/treatments will be available: Naturopathic consultation,
Hydrotherapy, Physiotherapy, Yoga Therapy, Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Diet Therapy,
Mud Therapy, Lecture/Counselling sessions and Guided Meditation.
Treatment will be offered for the following ailments: Arthritis, Low back-ache, Cervical
Spondylosis, Migraine, Insomnia, Stress and tension, High BP, Diabetes, Overweight, Asthma,
Constipation, Allergic Rhinitis, Sinusitis, IBS and Paralysis.
Interested persons can enrol in the camp. By sending registration fee Rs. 500/-, by cash
or Demand Draft (drawn in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Sevashama Hospital, Ponnampet).
Dates of Future Camps:
February: 25, 26, 27 and 28; March: 16, 17, 18, and 19; April: 27, 28, 29 and 30
For more details, contact:
Office: 08274-249555, 249040. Dr. Hithesh: 09845395293
SRI RAMAKRISHNA ADVAITA ASHRAMA
(HQS: Ramakrishna Math & Mission, Belur Math)
P.O. Kalady, Ernakulam - 683574, Kerala
Phone: 0484-2462345, Cell: 9447051231 E-mail: srkaadv@dataone.in
An Appeal
The Ashrama has been running a free hostel for the poor, underprivileged and
orphan children from classes V to X since 1936. They are provided with food,
uniform, accommodation and education up to Xth Std. absolutely free of cost. They
are admitted in the school managed by the Ashrama within its campus.
There is an urgent need for repair and renovation of the old hostel buildings and
for creating a Hostel Corpus Fund of Rs. 2 Crores for maintaining the hostel with
100 boys smoothly in the years to come.
We appeal to the generous public and well wishers to donate liberally for this
most essential educational project.
Donations towards the activities of the Ashrama are exempt from I ncome Tax
under 80G. Cheques or Bank Drafts may be drawn in favour of Sri Ramakrishna
Advaita Ashrama, Kalady and sent to the above address. Donations also can be
sent directly through RTGS/ NEFT to our A/ c No. 338602010009164 at Union Bank of
I ndia, Kalady (I FSC Code: UBI N0533866).
Swami Amaleshananda
Adhyaksha
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projects, and sourcing of technology.
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Management Services.
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technology and engineering for the production of chlorine dioxide in association with Erco
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F We Take Up Design Of Chemical Plant Vessels, Heat Exchangers And Other
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E-mail: prasad@md2.vsnl.net.in ; protechconsultants@airtelmail.in
Website: http://www.protechchennai.com
Here is a publication meant to help the modern
students to become better students and live mean-
ingfully. It is a topical selection of Gita verses keeping
a student in mind. It is a ready-reference to know what
Gita says about control of mind, overcoming anger,
concentration of mind, healthy interpersonal relation-
ships, true happiness and so on.
The booklet has 12 chapters with each chapter
containing only 4 verses, with translation and transli-
teration. Swami Vivekanandas quotes have been
appropriately added at the end of each verse.
A students' guidebook to self-improvement!
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math,
Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004
Bhagavad Gita for Students
NEW RELEASE
Price: Rs. 20/- + Postage: Rs. 20/- for single copy. No request for VPP entertained
Pages xiv + 69
NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE
We can attain salvation through social work
Swami Vivekananda
K. Sridhar Acharya
Founder/ President
1. Navajeevan School & Hostel for Blind Children Tirupati & Orissa
2. Navajeevan Free Eye Hospital Tirupati
3. Navajeevan Free Home for Aged Tirupati, Rishikesh & Chennai
4. Navajeevan Harijan Sewa Ashram Kothapeta
5. Navajeevan Sharanagati Vridhashram Tirupati
6. Navajeevan Orphanage Parlaki Mudi [Orissa]
7. Navajeevan Rural Medical Centres - Berhampur [Orissa]
8. Navajeevan Eye Care Centres - Serango [Orissa]
9. Navajeevan Orphan Homes - Visakha & Saluru
A Humble Request for Donation
1. Sponsor one day Annadan to Blind Children and aged Rs. 5000/-
2. Sponsor 5 IOL Cataract Eye Operations Rs. 7000/-
3. Sponsor one blind child or Orphan child for one year Rs. 6000/-
4. Sponsor one poor aged person for one year Rs. 5000/-
5. Sponsor one free eye camp at Rural/Tribal area Rs. 50000/-
6. VidyadanEducational aid for one Child Rs. 2000/-
(FREE HOME FOR THE BLIND, ORPHAN AND AGED)
TIRUCHANOOR, TIRUPATI - 517503. Ph : 0877-2239992, 9908537528 [Mob.]
E-mail: sreenavajeevan@gmail.com Website: www.navajeevan.org
An Appeal
33 Years of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2010
Donor devotees can send their contributions by cheque/DD/MO to the above address on
the occasion of birthday, wedding day or any other special occasion and receive prasadam of Lord
Balaji Venkateswara of Tirupati as blessings.
Contributions to NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE, Tirupati are eligible for Tax
Relief U/S 80G of Income Tax Act.
Vol.99-01 The Vedanta Kesari (English Monthly) January 2012. Regd. with the
Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 57. POSTAL REGD. NO.
TN / CH (C) / 190 / 12-14. LICENCED TO POST WPP NO. 259 / 12-14
Date of Publication: 26th of every month
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Teach yourselves, teach everyone his/her real nature, call upon the
sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will
come, goodness will come, purity will come, and everything that
is excellent will come, when this sleeping soul is roused to self-
conscious activity.
Swami Vivekananda
Subscription (inclusive of postage) Annual : ` `` `` 100 10 years: ` `` `` 1000
Contact: Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Website: www.chennaimath.org

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