VOLUME

2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

Vishawa Bhanu
A Bi-monthly bulletin of Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation

fearless and full of

love

IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

- THE TIME FOR OFFERING

Sandeepani Sishuvihar New admissions

Gurupoornima

Other Programmes in the campus

Two day Ramayana parayanam & Spreading Ramayana from house to

house

Regulars activities

Sri Ramakrishna-The Best of Avatars Dr.M. Lakshmi Kumari.

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

From the Editors pen

THE TIME FOR OFFERING

This is the time our Motherland was waiting for long.
We must hurry up lest our chance is lost for ever? How long would she
wait, this dear Motherland of ours for her children to wake up from the
slumber from ignorance from their worthless dissipating pre occupations?
How long can she go abegging to feed her children? Others laugh at her,
throw mud at her, call her mad. In a frenzy they tear her clothes apart.
Yet, no curse, ever escapes her lips. She only smiles and hangs her head.
Her own coffers are full, her soils riche, her wealth untapped, yet her children go without food or go elsewhere to eke out a living.
Her mountains streams and forests resound with music, eternal melodies
flowing down from far off centuries, yet ever fresh, sweet and invigourating. But alas, her children have no ears. They dance to alien tunes.
They have all the time to gobble up facts and figures and to pose as
knowledgeable, yet have no time left to take a sip from the cup of nectar
that Mother holds in her hands!
Her clothes are torn and tattered. But who can weave today that exquisite
garment of unity with diversity, strength with delicacy, beauty with utility?
Who knows the magic of mixing all the colours up to produce that intense
glow of white, the colour of love?
Sweetness still pervades her countryside, her villages and the dwellings of
the poor and oppressed. Yet on the surface, nothing but the all devouring
currents of cruelty, violence and gross indifference to the values of life.
Which temple will ring its bells to herald the arrival of the new era? From
whose orchards - will the springs of new life sprout? From where will the
call come again, from the shores of Kanyakumari or the heights of the
Himalayas.?
Urgency is in the air. Time for offering is nearing. Where are her children
who would renounce their all for her sake, who would wipe her tears,
clothe her fresh in a mantle of love, compassion and harmony? Who would
give her back her golden sceptre and reinstate her on her throne of Eternal Glory?
The dawn is breaking, still we continue to sleep on. We are busy building
temples in brick and mortar, but refuse to build them in our hearts where
they should truly be. We are not ready with our offering.

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

continued...................
We are not ready to make any sacrifices nor to transform ourselves ever so
slightly. Like the proverbial donkey, we are busy carrying the load of sandalwood on our backs.
Isnt it time to spread the message of love, compassion and tolerance? Isnt it
time to serve the lowest and the lowliest, for, there the Mother has taken her
shelter now? Isnt it time renounce selfishness, self aggrandizement, domination in the name of caste, creed and sex and hundreds of false, degrading,
self annihilating notions?
It is time to wash away the humilating encrustations on the body of our Mother, The time has come to make an offering of the whole of our lives.
The Altar is ready, Mother is waiting.
Renunciation and Service are the offerings; Discipline and Selftransformation, the watchwords. Unity in Diversity is the theme, Harmony
and Peace the goal. Hard work and dedication the rule.
The conch shell is sounding. Let us hurry up lest the time for offering slip by
once again.

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

NEW COMERS LKG AND UKG

PARENTS MEET

UKG CHILDREN LEADING THE PRAYER

DIDI LIGHTING THE LAMP ON THE

FIRST DAY OF SHISHUVIHAR

2nd June, was a very special day

for the new comers of Sandeepani Sishuvihar.
It was their first day of school
for the toddlers. A total of eight children came along with their parents

in

the morning. UKG students, eight of

them too were present with their parents. After admission, a short prayer by
the UKG students started the day. Parents meeting with Didi, and the teachers, Kumari

Bindu, Smt Jaya and Smt

Anita, continued for an hour. Children

were led to their class room where Didi
lit the lamp and welcomed all of them.

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

M.Ed. students of Palpu Memorial College came to visit Vivekananda Kendra on 3rd
and 4th July as a part of a project work
which they were required to complete on a
local institution. They found
Vivekananda
Kendra an ideal place where different manmaking nationbuilding Programmes are going

On 14th July Vivekananda Kendra offered

bhiksha to Revered Swami Adhyatmanandaji of
Sambodh Foundation, Thiruvananthapuram. He
came with 45 students for whom he was conducting
a spiritual study course for 51 days at a place
called Moozhikulam, 39 km from Kodungallur.
After the initial introduction, Swamiji addressed the gathering which included our local well
-wishers also, on the importance of sadhana of
formless Truth as also the need for worshipping
God in various forms. He used two stanzas from
Bhagavad Gita chapters 7 and 9 to clarify points.
Following Swamijis talk Mananeeya Lakshmi
Didi spoke on Swami Vivekanandas message to the
individual, to the Nation and to humanity at large.
She used three imageries to emphasize the points,
that of light man, of a sculptor and lastly planned
how he released the world religions from the cages
in which they are kept and allowed them to fly to
the infinite freedom of Truth.

on. All of them saw Vishwa Bhanu; our

Mural painting Exhibition on Swami
Vivekananda and collected whatever material they needed for their project
work through
discussions with the
inmates and literature available in our
library.

17th and 18th July marked the 1st

and 2nd day of Ramayana month coinciding with the 1st and 2nd days of the
month of Karkatakam. This year there
was an extensive programme of two days
in which well-known Ramayana devotees Shri Chakrapani Warriar and Smt Suma,
read through the whole of Ramayana.
Sessions started from 8.30 in the morning and went on up to 6.30 in the evening,
with short tea-lunch breaks. A number of
local well-wishers took part in the parayanam session. It was a novel experience
for some who had never had an opportunity to read the Ramayana fully.
As usual Kumari Bindu and her
group have started visiting different
houses for Ramayana Satsanga as part of
their month long programme

Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, whenever virtue subsides and vice prevails
I come down to help mankind.
5

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

On the auspicious occasion of

Gurupoornima, a day long programme was arranged at Aanda dham. Ganapathi Homam and
Sri Chakra Puja were conducted in the
Dakshina auditorium of Anandadham in the
morning hours.

At 10 a.m. there was a get together of

all the yoga varga members, eighteen of
them, some of whom are working as yoga
teachers in different schools in and around
Kodungallur. Mananeeya Lakshmi Didi explained about the significance of Guru Parampara down the ages namely, Narayana,
Padmabhuva, Vasistha, Sakti, Parashara,
Vyasa and Shuka and how Sage Vyasa codified
all the divine knowledge which the previous
seers had passed on to their respective disciples orally, It was on this day that the great
sage Vyasa was said to have been born, hence
this day is celebrated as Vyasas jayanthi all
over India as a mark of respect for the great
saint who is addressed as Vishala buddhi in
the Bhagavad Gita. Chanting of the Guru Stotra and pushparchana were part of this two
hour programme.

In the evening Sri T.R. Ramanathan of Paravur, an advocate by profession and well-known
for his profound erudition and great oratory, spoke on Guha Guru Subrahmanya Swami (Kartikeyan)
and kept the audience spellbound. Nearly a hundred people attended the programme
6

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

REGULAR ACTIVITIES
Regular study classes on Sri Lalitha Sahasra Namam by Sri L.
Girishkumar were conducted on 28th and 29th June and 26th
and 27th July.

15 ladies and 9 gents were present for yoga satras during June cand July. 6 lady participants
and 7 gents attended Yoga varga.

Samskar varga went on well at two places with 6

children attending the Sunday morning classes at
Anandadham and with 15 children at Vinyakapuram,
near Karur madam every month.

Visitors to Ananda Dham

Sri Tarit Kumar Banerjee from Uttarpara, West Bengal

Swami Annapurnananda from R.K.Mission Home of Service, Varanasi

Sri Sadashivam from Tamilnadu,

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

DIDIS PROGRAMMES
DURING THE MONTH OF
JUNE & JULY 2014
June 1

Sisuvihar reopens Talk to Parents &

Teachers

June 25th

Satsangh at Sri. Adhyatmanandas

spiritual retreat Moozhikulam

July 9th.

Seminar at TCR in connection with

ordination of a sanyasi at Sankara
madom

July 14th.

Satsangh with Sri Adhyatmananda

& his group at Ananda Dham

July 16th.

Chief Guest of Mathrupooja at Sai

Vidyaniketan

July 20th

Melthrikovil temple in Triprayar Talk on Ramayana

July 27th

Satsangh at Mr. Sasindra Nathans

home, Kodakara

July 30th

Satsangh at Lakshmi Nilayam

Thrissur

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

SRI RAMAKRISHNA THE BEST OF AVATARS

Dr. M. Lakshmi Kumari

The time was ripe for one to be born,

the embodiment of both head and heart,
the time was ripe for one to be born,
who in one body would have the brilliant
intellect of Shankara and the wonderfully expansive, infinite heart of Chaitanya;
one who would see in every sect the
same spirit working, the same God; one
who would see God in every being, one
whose heart would weep for the poor,
for the weak, for the outcast, for the
downtrodden, for everyone in the world,
inside India or outside India; and at the
same time whose grand brilliant intellect
would conceive of such noble thoughts as
would harmonise all conflicting sects, not

ter, Swamiji recalls these words and adds

only in India but outside of India, and

that whenever this world of ours, on

bring a marvellous harmony, the universal

account of growth, on account of added

religion of head and heart into exist-

circumstances, requires a new adjustment,

ence.

a wave of power comes; and as a man is

That is how Swami Vivekananda in-

acting on two planes, the spiritual and the

troduced his Master Sri Ramakrishna Par-

material, waves of adjustment come on

amahamsa in his famous lecture on The

both planes.

Sages of India. To Swamiji, he was the

The world he lived in saw in him an

best of avatars whom he worshipped as

ordinary priest of the Kali temple at

one who came to establish Dharma, who

Dakshineswar. But Rani Rasmani who built

was also an embodiment of all Dharma.

the temple and her son-in-law Mathurbabu,

That is a beautiful theme for contempla-

who managed the temple, could find in him

tion which takes one back to the words of

none other than the worshipful Mother

Sri

Gita,

Kali herself. No wonder, they became the

whenever virtue subsides and vice pre-

instruments for the enactment of the di-

vails I come down to help mankind. In his

vine drama at the Kali temple, which made

remarkably, elevating lecture on My Mas-

Dakshineswar

Krishna

in

the

Bhagavad

world

famous,

because,

there dwelt the Divine Swans, Sri Rama9

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

krishna and his consort Sri Sarada Devi,

their divine play centered round the resurrection of human life to its pristine glory.

Let not his character be judged

Swami Vivekananda, who is considered as a

by seeing me. It was so great

super model of man, an example par excel-

that if I or any other of his

lence, calls himself a weak instrument of

disciples spent hundreds of lives,

his Master and says, Let not his character

be judged by seeing me. It was so great

we could not do justice to a

that if I or any other of his disciples spent

millionth part of what

hundreds of lives, we could not do justice

he really was

to a millionth part of what he really was.

The learned men of Calcutta recognized in him an embodiment of pure
knowledge in spite of the fact that he had
hardly any formal education. Is it not true

Distinctions and barriers of caste and

of all the great world teachers that they

creed melted away before the fire of his

showed us that the path to true knowledge

in-depth awareness of the Oneness of Su-

is not through books, not even through

preme Truth. The beam of his inner light

schools, colleges or universities? This itself

removed the shadows of doubts and skep-

should be enough for our so-called modern

ticisms which normally linger in the human

educationists to open their eyes if only

hearts as they try to comprehend the

they would bother to do so.

truth propounded by the various great

According

to

Swamiji,

Not

one

Masters from time to time.

stands so high in brilliance as that life

The Ultimate Truth is straight and

which I saw with my own eyes, under whose

simple and anybody can realise it if one ap-

shadow I had lived, at whose feet I have

proaches it with truthfulness and simplici-

learned everything - the life of Sri Rama-

ty. This was the great message which ema-

krishna Paramahamsa. Here was a man who

nated from him. He used to say, The spir-

never confined himself to mere theories,

ituality can be communicated just as really

but sought the depth of everything by

as I can give you a flower.

practising immediately. Then would he car-

The language which he spoke was

ry his theory into practice. He dived deep

equally

to the subtlest truth of every religion,

which every syllable throbbed with the

made his own heart strings resonate with it

awareness of the Oneness of Truth. This

and then produced a melody which was not

deep commitment to Truth made each

only sweet, harmonious and soul stirring,

word he spoke vibrate as a ray of Truth.

but also carrying a message for the entire

His words vindicated the scriptural dictum

humanity.

that the words of a realized soul Brahma

10

simple

and

straightforward

in

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

Jnani express nothing but the Truth. No

but he must devote himself for Mothers

wonder His words stirred the souls of lis-

work. After the mahasamadhi of the

teners and transformed them. Two exam-

Master, the resonance of these words

ples would suffice to prove this.

made him not only discover the Mothers

His wife Sarada Mani, who was an

work but also his own role in the rebuild-

uneducated village belle from a poor family

ing of Mother India through the regener-

asked him one day as she was massaging his

ation of Sanatana Dharma.

feet as to how he judged her. Pat came the

Today religion has become a by

reply you are to me the Goddess I wor-

word for dividing humanity, for violence,

ship at the temple. You are also to me the

and for destruction and degradation of

mother who gave birth to me and who now

human personality. Sri Ramakrishna reit-

resides at the nahabath (part of the

erated that to understand religion, one

Dakshineswar

should understand the real meaning of re-

Temple)

These

simple

nunciation. It is through renunciation of

the superficial dogmas and beliefs and
worldly temptations that one could come

he left every religion undis-

to realise the Oneness of truth in all reli-

turbed because he had realized

gions and thus realize the one Truth in all

that in reality they are all part

religions.

and parcel of One Religion.

Out of this understanding of

the harmony of religions should evolve the

spiritual universal tolerance of the Oneness, which alone can eliminate intolerance, cruelties and violence perpetrated

statements had marvelous effect on Sara-

in the name of religion.

da Mani. In worldly terms, she grew in

The uniqueness of Sri Ramakrishna

stature to become a mother to one and all

which marks him out from other world

who came to her. Spiritually she acquired

teachers is that the he never taught a re-

the aura of Divine Motherhood. The net

ligion in his name, he never made any claim

result was there for all to see the Holy

for himself. To quote Swamiji, he left

Mother who adorned Ramakrishna Move-

every religion undisturbed because he had

ment as its Sangha Janani after Sri Rama-

realized that in reality they are all part

krishnas mahasamadhi.

and parcel of One Religion. No wonder

Equally grand eloquent were the

that his own immaculate life became in-

words through which he transformed his

fused with the universal spirit and he

beloved Naren into the future Swami Vive-

himself got transformed into a living em-

kananda. All that he told him was that he

bodiment of Sanatana Dharma. Thus, did

should not be indulging in Nirvikalpa Sa-

he revitalize Sanatana Dharma and re-

madhi and enjoy the Bliss all by himself,

deem it from the oblivion into which time

11

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

had pushed it.

Is he a man? a woman? old? a

Sanyasi? Or a House holder?-

Realization of this unity and univer-

child? a

Could he be the God Almighty? or just a

simple human being!

sality of true religion is very much needed

today as we tear each other apart in the

The footprints of this Great Tapasvi have

made the banks of Hooghly, sacred and
adorable to millions.

name of religion, sects and cults. We also

need the spiritual strength, vitality, tolerance and vision which true religion alone can

Who could this Great Being be strolling

along the banks of Hooghly,

impart to a human being. Therein lies the

hope for resurrection of man, the environ-

So effortlessly robbing the Devotees pure

hearts.

ment he lives in, as also our great mother

Planet Earth.

His lips are ever parted in a beatific smile,

enchanting and elevating also murmuring
words of inscrutable spiritual wisdom.

Looking back, from the distance of

today at that magnificent human life, a consolidation of all that is grand, glorious and
astoundingly truthful we can only, like the

The overflowing ecstasy of his glorified

visions makes his steps falter.

scriptures, utter ascharyam ! ascharyam !.

His divine play has created new puranas.

Ottoor Unni Namboodiripad the renowned poet of Kerala, has pictured him in

The dust from his feet have moulded new

Shiva Lingas and Saligrammas.

an extraordinarily beautiful Malayalam po-

Who could this be!!!!

em The wanderer on the banks of Hoogh-

My obeisance to Thee, Oh Lord of my

heart,

ly, a few lines from which are reproduced

in a free English rendering

You have sowed far and wide the seeds of

Dharma,

Who could this great being be?

Through your immaculate smile

Who could change the spiritual destiny of

our great Motherland?

Through the words of wisdom poured into

the hearts of those who sat with you.

Who is a harbinger of good luck to the entire mankind !

The ambrosia of your living has made this

earth Live and Sacred again.

Behold here on the banks of Hooghly,

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

The One, who off and on is a Jagat Guru

And as often,
knowledge.

humble

seeker

of
One man may read the Bhagavata by the light of
a lamp, and another may commit a forgery by that
very light; but the lamp is unaected.
The sun sheds its light on the wicked
as well as on the virtuous.

At times he appears as a child immersed in

play.
At times a Master of yoga, melting with
compassion for his suffering brethren.

Sri Ramakrishna

Who could this embodied Truth be residing

on the banks of Hooghly?
12

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 2014

JUNE JULY 2014

Before enlightenment: Chop wood, carry water.

After enlightment: Chop wood, carry water.

old Zen saying

What an awesome saying this is. It shatters the illusion that

many of us carry in our minds about what true enlightenment is:
most of us probably picture a monk, sitting in a cave, meditating
for hours on end. The idea behind this Zen saying is mindfulness in every day activities. Not only does this raise consciousness and awareness, but it also speaks the concept of gratitude.
Take any daily activity, such as walking into your place
of work. Dont just hang your head and stumble in through the
doors. Instead, be mindful. Be fully aware of your surroundings,
the parking lot, the sky and the clouds: take it all in. Breathe
deeply and live simply. Appreciate it all. Appreciate everything.
Taking pleasure in your everyday activities is a key concept of
the Zen philosophy.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

BY SPONSORING OUR ENGLISH PUBLICATIONS

BY BECOMING ANNUAL DONOR FOR THE PROJECT

BY SPONSORING PROGRAMMES YOUTH CAMPS, CELEBRATIONS

BY SPREADING THE WORK DONE BY THE VEDIC VISION FOUNDATION

FOR DETAILS CONTACT

VIVEKANANDA KENDRA VEDIC VISION FOUNDATION
ANANDADHAM, SRINGAPURAM KODUNGALLUR,
PIN 680664. KERALA

Ph. No : 0480-2803349, 2805780, 2812780

Email ID : vkvvf@vkendra.org Blog : blog.vkvvf.org / vkvvf.org

13