The Vedanta Kesari February 2013

I T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 ~ ~
F
ebruary 2013
The Vedanta Kesari
THE LION OF VEDANTA
A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914
II T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 ~ ~
b
Swami Vivekanandas statue at the entrance of his Ancestral House
in Kolkata where he was born on 12 January 1863
February 2013
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
VOL. 100, No. 2 ISSN 0042-2983
Cover Story: Page 4
CONTENTS
The Vedanta Kesari
Vedic Prayers 45
Editorial
Celebrating Vivekananda 46
Articles
Multiplicity Is Only Apparent 61
Jay Lakhani
Education for Life 68
Swami Supradiptananda
When Shraddha Enters Life 72
Swami Shrimohanananda
Glimpses of Swamiji
12 January 1863 53
Travelogue
The House Where Swami Vivekananda Was Born 55
A Traveller
Reports
Synopsis of the Governing Body Report for 2011-12 64
The Landing Named After Vivekananda 75
New Find
Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda

70
The Order on the March 76
Book Reviews 80
Features
Simhvalokanam(The Master As I Saw Him)51, Sri Ramakrishna Tells Stories67
2 T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3
The Vedanta Kesari
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The Front Faade of Swamijis House, Kolkata
Swami Vivekananda was born on 12 January 1863 in his an-
cestral house located in Gourmohan Mukherjee Street in North
Kolkata. This historic house was in a very dilapidated condition
when the Ramakrishna Mission acquired it in 1999. The restoration
of the house was carried out with meticulous care by a group of
conservation engineers, skilled masons, volunteers and others.
The renovated and restored house, but retaining its original plan,
was inaugurated in 2004 by the President of India, Dr. A.P. J.
Abdul Kalam and Swami Ranganathanandaji, the President of the
Ramakrishna Order. Now this sacred monument is daily visited by
hundreds of visitors who pay their homage to Swamiji, visiting the
room where he was born (made into a shrine and a meditation hall,
on the frst foor), different sections of the house and a museum, where some of the articles
used by Swamiji, his father, mother and brothers have been preserved. The cover page picture
is a view of the entrance (added later) to the house from the well-known road Bidhan Sarani.
The house in itself has its conventional entrance from the Gourmohan Mukherjee Street.
DONORs
Mr. Rathindra Kumar Mitra, Gujarat Rs. 2000
Mr. Rathankumar R. Kamath Rs. 1000
Cover Story n n
649. Mr. Biswantha Patra, Bengal
45 T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 ~ ~
Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest the divinity within.
VOL. 100, No. 2, February 2013 ISSN 0042-2983
Vedic Prayers
Tr. by Swami Sambuddhananda
The fnite, manifested man forgets his source and thinks himself to be entirely
separate. We, as personalised, differentiated beings, forget our reality, and the
teaching of monism is not that we shall give up these differentiations, but we
must learn to understand what they are. We are in reality that Infnite Being, and
our personalities represent so many channels through which this Infnite Reality
is manifesting Itself; and the whole mass of changes which we call evolution is
brought about by the soul trying to manifest more and more of its infnite energy.
We cannot stop anywhere on this side of the Infnite; our power, and blessedness,
and wisdom, cannot but grow into the Infnite. Infnite power and existence and
blessedness are ours, and we have not to acquire them; they are our own, and we
have only to manifest them.
Swami Vivekananda, 2:339

5
Editorial
Celebrating Vivekananda
Speaking and Doing
We should spread Swami Vivekanandas
message to one and all, said young Manu in
his college meeting convened to discuss ways
to celebrate Swamijis 150
th
Birth Anniversary.
He went on enlisting the programmes and
events that he had in mind. We should . . . he
said, and for over twenty minutes continued
his spirited discourse, full of enthusiasm and
creative, imaginative ideas as to how to spread
Swamijis message far and wide. All in the
audience were impressed with his eloquence
and ideas, except Ramu. He quietly stood
up and addressed Manu and others in the
audience, It is wonderful to find our young
friend filled with so much enthusiasm and
ideas. While I appreciate his keenness, what is
needed is actionputting things in practice.
As Swami Vivekananda said, An ounce of
practice is better than a ton of talk. Many
of us talk, but few act upon their talk. How
many are going to come forward to carry on
Manus plans? What we want is menmen,
men, these are wanted; everything else will be
ready.
Ramu continued, Let me quote a story
from Swamijis Complete Works, in his own
words.
There was a certain king who had a huge number
of courtiers, and each one of these courtiers
declared he was ready to sacrifice his life for his
master, and that he was the most sincere being
ever born. In course of time, a Sannyasin came
to the king. The king said to him that there never
was a king who had so many sincere courtiers
as he had. The Sannyasin smiled and said he
did not believe that. The king said the Sannyasin
could test it if he liked.
So the Sannyasin declared that he would make a
great sacrifice by which the kings reign would
be extended very long, with the condition that
there should be made a small tank into which
each one of his courtiers should pour a pitcher
of milk, in the dark of night.
The king smiled and said, Is this the test? And
he asked his courtiers to come to him, and told
them what was to be done. They all expressed
their joyful assent to the proposal and returned.
In the dead of night, they came and emptied
their pitchers into the tank. But in the morning, it
was found full of water only. The courtiers were
assembled and questioned about the matter.
Each one of them had thought there would be so
many pitchers of milk that his water would not
be detected. Unfortunately most of us have the
same idea and we do our share of work as did
the courtiers in the story.
1
Indeed, this is the problem, or the
challenge, in our efforts to do anything truly
beneficial for us and others. We want others to
change first or contribute first, and then, if time
permits, us! We forget that self-change is the
key to all changes at every level.
With regard to spreading Swamijis
message, however, there are many silent
soldiers of Swamiji who are celebrating
Swamijis 150
th
Birth Anniversary in their
own ways, often invisible to public eyes. They
believe in the transforming power of Swamijis
message and this belief carries them forward.
One individual, for instance, told one of our
monks, I wish to narrate Swamijis life story
7
in 150 high schoolsthat is my way of paying
tribute to Swamiji. The more people read of
Swamiji, the more they will benefit and grow
for better. Another person spoke of his way
of celebrating the eventto re-read Swamijis
Complete Works in nine volumes, cover to
cover. Silent tributes!
The Celebrations
Generally to celebrate means to rejoice, to
observe a feast or a holiday. But an extended
meaning of the term celebration is to pay
homage or pay tribute. It often includes a
public event involving lectures, music and,
at times, a procession. On such occasions,
unveiling of a statue or a portrait of the person
whose personality and message is being
celebrated may also be done.
The point is to honour and give ex-
pression to our appreciation of the works of
a great persons personality and teachings.
This is especially true of saints and sages.
Spirituality grows only where spiritual men
and women are honoured and respected. For
spirituality is not an academic subject but
a living force, transforming a person from a
brute to a divine personality. It is all about
practice and that gives its power. And those
blessed few who reach the splendid heights
in their spiritual journey should be respected
and honoured in every way. That augurs well
for the followers tooit strengthens their faith
and inspires them further.
Swami Vivekananda was a spiritual
luminary with a difference. He intensely
felt for the poor and the deprived masses.
India has been blessed with many such great
sages and savants and they have contributed
immensely for the spiritual uplift of the
masses. Yet no one seems to have articulated
in the present times in word and action this
intense concern for India in general and
for spiritual regeneration of the world in
particular as one sees in Swamiji. He was
condensed India. He is also called the
patriotic saint of India. Much credit goes to
him for holding aloft the Indian culture and
spiritual heritage on the world stage. He stood
firm in the World Parliament of Religions held
in 1893 in Chicago and calmly declared,
I am proud to belong to a religion which has
taught the world both tolerance and universal
acceptance. We believe not only in universal
toleration, but we accept all religions as true.
I am proud to belong to a nation which has
sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all
religions and all nations of the earth.
2
Again, when he returned to India from
the West, he was given a rousing reception by
the nation and he infused love for the country,
her inestimable and rich culture through his
electrifying speeches and also set in motion the
Ramakrishna Movement, with the founding of
Ramakrishna Mission on 1 May 1897. Thanks
to his invigorating foresightedness and heroic
message, he inspired, and continues to inspire,
numerous men and women across the country
and beyond to live the idealfor ones own
liberation and for the good of others (atmano
mokshartham jagad hitaya cha). His immortal
words continue to ring in the nations heart:
It may be that I shall find it good to get
outside my bodyto cast it off like a worn-out
garment. But I shall not cease to work. I shall
inspire men everywhere, until the world shall
know that it is one with God. And indeed he
continues to inspire millions!
He was not satisfied with inspiring
others. He said,
. . . May I be born again and again, and suffer
thousands of miseries so that I may worship
the only God that exists, the only God I believe
in, the sum total of all soulsand above all, my
God the wicked, my God the miserable. My God
8
the poor of all races, of all species, is the special
object of worship.
3
No wonder people from all walks of
life are paying their homage to Swamiji by
organizing lectures, seminars, conventions,
retreats, processions, sports-events, and
cultural presentations and so on. A number
of books have been brought out in various
Indian and other languages to mark the event.
These are being held at various levels and will
surely benefit a large mass of people. The real
and long term result of this will be known
after some years. It is a world of its own
different from all political, economic and other
happenings, tucked in some corner but casting
a powerful influence on contemporary social
thinking.
Added to these are many schemes and
projects for serving the poor and needy that
uphold Swamijis ideal of service, by various
organizations and individuals. Many State
Governments, as also the Central Government,
are organizing functions and extending
assistance to mark 150
th
Birth Anniversary
of Swamiji. There are historic celebrations
organized in America, Europe and elsewhere
by Vedanta Societies, other organizations,
devotees and admirers of Swamiji.
To Celebrate is to Follow
Reaching Swamijis message to ever
greater number of people is important but
what is even more important is to follow him
in our life. What was Swamijis ideal? He said,
My ideal indeed can be put into a few words and
that is: to preach unto mankind their divinity,
and how to make it manifest in every movement
of life.
4
Swami Vivekanandas appeal and uni-
queness springs from his life and personality.
He was an embodiment of love and strength,
humility and self-confidence, spirituality and
service. Introducing his remarkable life his
biography states,
To introduce the life of Swami Vivekananda is
to introduce the subject of spiritual life itself.
All the intellectual struggle, all the doubts, all
the burning faith, all the unfolding process of
spiritual illumination were revealed in him.
As a man and as a Vedantist he manifested the
manliness that is sanctity, and the sanctity that
is manliness; he manifested the patriotism that
proceeds from the vision of the Dharma and
the universality that comes when God is seen
in everything; and through the true insight of
divine wisdom, he lived a life of both intense
activity and Supreme Realization. Indeed,
his life revealed throughout, the glory of the
supersensuous life.
5
Swamiji himself observed during his stay
at the Thousand Island Parks in 1896:
Those who give themselves up to the Lord do
more for the world than all the so-called workers.
One man who has purified himself thoroughly
accomplishes more than a regiment of preachers.
Out of purity and silence comes the word of
power.
6
This, then, is the core of celebrationto
purify oneself thoroughly, freeing oneself
from all selfishness and worldliness. One then
becomes an instrument for doing the highest
good. This is what constitutes true celebration,
this becoming pure, which leads to feeling for
the poor and the suffering, and doing silent
and genuine service to them. As Swamiji
further explains:
He who has realized the Atman becomes a
storehouse of great power. From him as the
centre a spiritual force emanates, working within
a certain radius; people who come within this
circle become inspired with his ideas and are
overwhelmed by them. Thus without much
religious striving they derive benefit from the
9
spiritual experience of an illumined person. This
is called grace.
7
A Great Monk
Above all, Swami Vivekananda was
truly a great monk of the highest order. His
immaculate life and purity of character left an
indelible impression on everyone who ever
met him. As to the ideal of a monk, his own
words will be best to quote:
O great sages! You were right. One cannot serve
the God of Truth who leans upon somebody.
Be still, my soul! Be alone! and the Lord is with
you. Life is nothing! Death is a delusion! All this
is not, God alone is! Fear not, my soul! Be alone.
. . Dream no more! Oh, dream no more, my soul!
In one word, I have a message to give, I have no
time to be sweet to the world, and every attempt
at sweetness makes me a hypocrite. I will die
a thousand deaths rather than lead a jelly-fish
existence and yield to every requirement of this
foolish world, no matter whether it be my own
country or a foreign country. . . Liberty, Mukti,
is all my religion, and everything that tries to
curb it, I will avoid by fight or flight. Pooh! I try
to pacify the priests!! . . . You have not yet drunk
of that fountain which makes reason unreason,
mortal immortal, this world a zero, and of man
a God. Come out if you can of this network of
foolishness they call this world. Then I will call
you indeed brave and free. If you cannot, cheer
those that dare dash this false God, society.
You do not know the Sannyasin. He stands on
the heads of the Vedas! say the Vedas, because
he is free from churches and sects and religions
and prophets and books and all of that ilk! . . .
I take them as Bhartrihari says, Go thou thy
ways, Sannyasin! Some will say, Who is this
mad man? Others, Who is this Chandala?
Others will know thee to be a sage. Be glad at the
prattle of the worldlings. But when they attack,
know that, The elephant passing through the
marketplace is always beset by curs, but he cares
not. He goes straight on his own way. So it is
always, when a great soul appears there will be
numbers to bark after him.
8
Unconcerned by fame and criticism, a
true sannyasin, Swamiji lived his great life of
selfless dedication for the good of others which
had its origin from the realization of divinity
in others. We should not forget that he was
essentially a spiritually illumined person.
But was Swamiji against marriage then?
Far from it. He knew all cannot take up the
monastic life and hence there should be
sanctification of the institution of marriage.
Swamiji wrote in one of his letters:
In my opinion, a race must first cultivate a
great respect for motherhood, through the
sanctification and inviolability of marriage,
before it can attain to the ideal of perfect chastity.
The Roman Catholics and the Hindus, holding
marriage sacred and inviolate, have produced
great chaste men and women of immense
power. To the Arab, marriage is a contract or
a forceful possession, to be dissolved at will,
and we do not find there the development of
the idea of the virgin or the Brahmacharin.
Modern Buddhismhaving fallen among races
who had not yet come up to the evolution of
marriagehas made a travesty of monasticism.
So until there is developed . . . a great and
sacred ideal about marriage (apart from mutual
attraction and love), I do not see how there can
be great monks and nuns. . . the glory of life is
chastity, so my eyes also have been opened to
the necessity of this great sanctification for the
vast majority, in order that a few lifelong chaste
powers may be produced.
9
Swamiji had, thus, a holistic and com-
plete picture of the human situation and
needs. What he upheld was the ideal of
renunciation of selfishness and service to
others. Sanctification of the institution of
marriage, Swamiji believed, is the basis of all
spiritual living, individual and collective.
Conclusion
There are three ways to celebrate the life
and message of a great personality.
The first is to organise a public function
and conduct a mass level event like a
competition in essay writing or painting
and so on. Such an event plays a vital role in
spreading the message far and wide, awaken-
ing and invigourating a whole lot of people.
It brings his message and achievements into
public discoursethrough formal writings,
debates, speeches and so on. It also includes
publication of books and articles, special issues
of magazines, issue of postal stamps, erecting
statues, naming of a railway station after him,
and so on.
The second way of celebrating his
message is personal. It may be less exciting
like studying his message, discussing it with
ones friends and colleagues, and placing a
portrait of his in ones study. One can look at it
occasionally to derive strength and inspiration.
The third and the ultimate form of
celebrating a great person is to become the
type of person and lead the type of life which
he wanted. Becoming, or being, is what makes
the message aliveit is living or putting into
practice which imparts a life and meaning to
his message. It is practice, action, effort, doing
which fulfils the great persons efforts. For it is
Men, men, these are wanted: everything else
will be ready, but strong, vigorous, believing
young men, sincere to the backbone, are
wanted. In this context, the real celebration
of Swamijis message is to take his message
of renunciation and service and become the
man. It is the message of being and becoming,
of scaling heights of service and spirituality, of
unselfishness and strength, of knowing God.
To celebrate Swami Vivekananda, hence,
means to follow him. That is the core of all
celebrations. Public events, private celebrations
and personal observations have a pivotal role
in spreading Swamijis message far and wide.
But what is ever more pivotal is to take up
the ideal of God-realization and doing good
to others, the ideal of manifesting divinity in
every act of our life, to worship the poor and
afflicted Godand manifest it in our personal
lives. True celebrations consist in experiencing
Swamijis intense feelings for others, his
concern for the poor and the suffering, in
experiencing God whose manifestation this
world is.
Swamijis words are a blazing fire and
they burn their way into every receptive heart.
Do not be frightened at whatever drops from
my lips, Swamiji wrote to Miss Mary Hale,
for the power behind me is not Vivekananda
but He the Lord, and He knows best.
1. CW, 1:427,428 2. CW, 1:3 3. CW, 5.137 4. CW, 7:501 5. Life of Swami Vivekananda,
Advaita Ashrama, p.1 6. CW, 7: 16 7. CW, 7.241 8. CW, 5:72 9. CW, 5:180
References
Strength is What We Want
Strength, strength it is that we want so much in this life, for what we call sin and
sorrow have all one cause, and that is our weakness. With weakness comes ignorance,
and with ignorance comes misery. It will make us strong. Then miseries will be laughed at,
then the violence of the vile will be smiled at, and the ferocious tiger will reveal, behind
its tiger's nature, my own Self. That will be the result. That soul is strong that has become
one with the Lord; none else is strong. Swami Vivekananda, CW, 1.381
10
From the Archives of The VedanTa Kesari
S i mh v a l ok a na m
(January-February, 1922-23, Pp. 326-328)
The Master As I Saw Him
(Lecture by the late Swami Vimalananda)
Before I knew Swamiji personally, I had heard much about his greatness from persons
who had moved and lived with him on the closest terms of intimacy. When therefore it was
announced in the year 1893 that he had gone over to America to represent our religion
at the Chicago Parliament of Religions, I was following his movements with the closest
attention and the greatest interest. I was anxiously waiting to see if his achievements would
not confirm me in my very high estimate of him. I need not tell you, people of Madras, that
every bit of my expectation was much more than satisfied. But till I saw him with my own
eyes the perfect satisfaction of knowing the man could not come. Till then I could not be
quite free from the secret misgivings that I might be after all labouring under a delusion.
So you see, gentlemen, that I did not meet Swamiji as one in any way biased against him.
The throbbing interest and convincingness which attach to the glowing description of the
conquest of opponents of a great man of overmastering personality does not belong to my
subject. I may say, I was already a great admirer of his. But I must say at the same time that
it was not too late in the day to retrace my steps and give Swamiji up as one unworthy of
my love and esteem if facts were found to give the lie. Perhaps, the shock which such a
disclosure would have given to my mind would be too painful; perhaps it would have cost a
great wrenching of the heart. But I can assure you that the instinct of moral self-preservation
was yet stronger than my admiration for Swamiji, and cost how much it would, the heart
could not long cling round him if reason and moral sense condemned him with one voice.
And what was the nature of the greatness I was expecting to see in Swamiji? It was not
the dashing and daring spirit displayed by a heroic warrior on the battlefield, nor the fine
etherial vision and ecstasy of the poet, nor the vast erudition of a scholar, nor the dazzling
intellectual flourish of the master controversialist nor the quick penetration and the wide
comprehension of the philosopher, nor the weeping heart of a true lover of humanity. It
was not that I had not had enough testimony as to these qualities of head and heart being
abundantly present in him, but because my conception of religion was not wide enough
to include all these under it. His marvellous achievements in the West were bringing
us overwhelming evidences of his wonderful intellectual powers. But either from some
The Lion of Vedanta Looks Back
constitutional necessity or my extreme poverty in that direction I was always attributing the
brightness of his intellect to his highly elevated religious life and it was this religious life that
I expected to see in him. My idea of religion was then confined to purity and meditation.
Sitting at the feet of the holy and good disciples of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, I had learnt
that these two were the indispensable conditions of acquiring spirituality and are the sure
marks by which a religious man can always be known. My debt of gratitude to the blessed
Swamis at whose feet I had learnt these great lessons is too large to be repaid. Personal
contact with Swamiji instead of diminishing the value of purity and meditation in my eyes,
has only enhanced it. At the same time it has heightened and intensified my conception
of religion by adding new elements to it. Till I came in personal contact with Swamiji my
temperament had lead me to expect to see in him a man of intense purity and meditative
inwardness. And I need not tell you that I was not disappointed.
The first sight of Swamiji, the peculiar brightness of his face, his lustrous yet soft and
sweet eyes, at once carried into my heart an overwhelming sense of satisfaction that I had
come to a man the like of whom I had never seen before. Then when he began to talk to
us making personal inquiries and giving us words of hope and encouragement with the
cordiality of one truly interested in our welfare, we felt that our hearts were being drawn
closer to him. To us who were very insignificant compared with his friends and visitors who
were standing or sitting around him in large numbers, this kindness on his part filled us with
great joy and gratitude. Then the wonderfully free and frank way in which he was talking to
his visitors revealed to us a heart that knew nothing of guile or fear nor cared a bit for social
conventionality. The transparently clear and pointed words that were shooting out of his
lips like meteors gave us a peep into the keen penetration of his intellect and the breadth
and profundity of his mental vision. We felt ourselves in the presence of an overpowering
personality whose immensity it was not possible for us to gauge, but which was drawing us
to itself as by a tie of close personal relationship. There arose on the first day of our meeting
an excellent opportunity of knowing something of his real humility. . . A question from
one of the visitors as to why Swamijis lecture on his Master delivered in America had not
seen the light of day, brought the bold confession: I did not allow it to be published as I
had done injustice to my Master. My Master never condemned anything or anybody. But
while I was speaking of him I criticised the people of America for their dollar-worshipping
spirit. That day I learnt the lesson that I am not yet fit to talk of him. These words were
really startling to us for more than one reason. Here was a man who was being idolised, nay
actually worshipped by so many, and this man in their very presence confessing his inability
to represent his Guru! What an unpretentious man is before us said we to ourselves. What
a wonderful man must his Guru had been to occupy such a high place in the heart of this
great man!
12
T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 53
~ ~
Whoever knows the longing of a mother
that a son should be born to her, enters into
the world of Bhuvaneshwari, the wife of
Vishwanath Datta. Though she had been
blessed with motherhood at an early age, her
first child, a son, and her second, a daughter,
had died in their childhood. Her next three
children were all daughtersHaramohini (also
called Haramoni), Swarnamayi, and another
who also died in childhood. So, she longed for
a son to carry on the family tradition, to be the
link, forged out of the materials of love and
suffering, between the past and the future. It
has been the practice of Hindu women down
the ages to place their wants and complaints
before the household Deity, and to practise
austerities while waiting to receive the
blessings of the Lord. Thus, as Bhuvaneshwari
went about her daily tasks, she prayed silently
that her desire might be fulfilled.
Now, it was customary in those days--
and still isfor one in dire need, or anxious
that some special event should come to pass,
to make offerings and sacrifices to Shiva in
Varanasi. Those who lived a long distance
from that holy city could make their offerings
through a relative or friend who might be
resident there. Accordingly, Bhuvaneshwari
Devi wrote to an old aunt of the Datta family
in Varanasi, asking her to make the necessary
12 January 1863
offerings and prayers to Vireshwar Shiva that a
son might be born to her. It was arranged that
on Mondays the aunt would offer worship to
Vireshwar Shiva, while Bhuvaneshwari would
practise special austerities on those same days.
It is said that by observing a vow of this sort
for one year, one is blessed with a son. Thus
Bhuvaneshwari was content to wait in perfect
assurance that her prayers would be answered.
She spent her days in practising Japa and
meditation. She observed fasts and intensified
her many other austerities, her whole soul
given over to constant recollectedness, her
heart fixed in love on the Lord Shiva. Often did
her mind go to Varanasi, uniting in thought
with the venerable aunt as the latter poured
the sacred Ganga water on the symbol of
Shiva, or worshipped Him with flowers and
mantras.
One night Bhuvaneshwari had a vivid
dream. She had spent the day in the shrine
and, as evening deepened into night, she fell
asleep. The household was hushed in silence
and rest. Then in the highest heavens the
hour struckthe time had come for the pious
woman to receive the special grace of the
Lord. In her dream she saw the Lord Shiva
rouse Himself from His meditation and take
the form of a male child who was to be her
son. She awoke. Could this ocean of light
Glimpses of Swamiji
in which she found herself bathed be but a
dream? Shiva! Shiva! Thou fulfillest in various
ways the prayers of Thy devotees! From the
inmost soul of Bhuvaneshwari a joyous prayer
welled up, for she was confident that her
long months of supplication were
over and that the vision was an
announcement that her prayers
were to be answered. Her faith
was justified; for in due course
a son was born to her.
The light of the world
dawned for the first time upon
the future Swami Vivekananda
on Monday, January 12, 1863. It
was the holy morning hour33
minutes and 33 seconds after six,
a few minutes before sunrise. At
the time of his birth the constellation
Sagittarius was rising in the east, the moon
was in the constellation Virgo, the planet
Jupiter was in the eleventh house, and Saturn
was in the tenth from that of his birth. It was
the seventh day of the new moon (Krishna
Saptami) and, as chance would have it, the
last day of the ninth Bengali month Poush,
known as Makara Sankranti daya great
Hindu festival. The millions of men and
women who were observing the festival
unknowingly greeted the new-born babe
with prayers and worship. They little knew
Reference: Life of Swami Vivekananda by His Eastern and Western Disciples, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, pp. 10-11
that he had just been born, who was to usher
in a new age of glory for his country, who
was to reorganize the spiritual and national
consciousness of India . . . preaching unto the
world the message of Vedanta. And only
a few miles north of Calcutta, in the
garden of Dakshineshwar, a great
seer was waiting for the coming
of this babe, who was to grow
into manhood to carry on his
great work.
The household members
were surprised at the features
of the new-born babe. They
believed that they resembled
in many ways those of his
grandfather, Durgaprasad, who
had renounced the world; and
they wondered if the monk had been
born again. Thus when the time came for
a name to be given to the infant, there was
much discussion. Some thought it should be
Durgaprasad. But when they asked the mother,
she looked into the depths of the childs eyes,
as if she would see into his very soul. There
was a strange stillness for some moments;
then she turned to them and with much feeling
said: Let his name be Vireshwar! So shall he be
called. Those who heard this were satisfied.
They called him Bileh for short. Later he came
to be called Narendranath or Naren.
v v v
14
Twelve centuries ago Sankaracharya was the only great personality, who not only spoke
of the purity of our religion, not only uttered in words that this religion was our strength
and wealth, not only said that it was our sacred duty to preach this religion in the length
and breadth of the worldbut also brought all this into action. Swami Vivekananda is a
person of that staturewho appeared towards the last half of the nineteenth century.
Bal Bangadhar Tilak
Down the Memory Lane
It was in November 2012. We had long
wanted to pay a visit to Swami Vivekanandas
ancestral house in north Kolkata. The much-
awaited day had arrived.
Kolkata! The City of Joy, the famed
capital of British Raj, the place where Indias
struggle for freedom began and the city of
maach, chai, and dhak! Calcutta or Kolkata is the
capital of the West Bengal, located on the east
bank of the Hooghly river. The city landscape
is still reminiscent of its colonial past, though
the impact of changing socio-political scenario
can easily be perceived.
It was early noon when we reached the
Bidhan Sarani, the well-known road in north
Kolkata. Driving through the hustle and bustle
of busy Kolkata roadsall quite reminiscent of
that Calcutta boywe entered the area called
Simula, and this brought to our mind several
details from Swamijis early life. His boyhood
days, his childlike pranks, his unexplained
calming down at the mere mention of the
word Shiva when his mother Bhuvaneshwari
Devi poured water on his head, his alarming
acts of renunciation such as giving away his
clothes to the beggars who came to his house,
his mothers forbearance, his meeting with Sri
Ramakrishnadetails appeared like scenes on
a canvas. We were all eager to see that historic
house.
As we reached the place, we saw a host
of people, young and old, sauntering around.
The House Where
Swami Vivekananda Was Born
A Pilgrimage to Swami Vivekanandas Ancestral House in Kolkata
a traveller
On all sides stood plain-looking, rather old,
greyish and congested houses. Little children
played in the street, young mothers were
busy giving bath to babies, a mechanic was
repairing a car, a few auto-rickshaw drivers
waited idly for passengers, the loud sound of
a TV programme, a small heap of garbage in
the street cornerall familiar scenes in a truly
middle-class residential locality in India. And
this is where our Swami Vivekananda was
born, we reflected. Not in a place far removed
from our everyday life but right in our midst!
Sign board pointing to Swamijis
houseon the Vidhan Sarani reads:
Swami Vivekanandas Ancestral
House. . .
Travelogue
A Brief History of the House
Swamijis House is a very old house,
almost 250 years old, built by Swamijis great
grandfather, Ram Mohan Dutta. He was
employed in the office of an English attorney
and had earned a good fortune including much
landed property. Built on a half an acre plot,
it was a large, fashionable house, as in vogue
among the upper middle class of those days
in Kolkata. Unfortunately, after the sudden
demise of Swamijis father, Vishwanath Dutta,
in February 1884, the whole structure slowly
lost much of its original grandiose features.
Vishwanath Dutta had a lucrative legal
practice and was very generous by nature. A
number of his relatives lived on his generosity,
in the same house. But most of them were very
self-centred people.
Soon after Vishwanaths passing away,
they tried to grab the very house where
they lived as guests! As the property dispute
grew complicated, a long drawn litigation
had to be fought in the Calcutta High Court.
They, in fact, wanted to oust Swamijis family
from their own house. After a protracted legal
battle, the Dutta family could finally retain just
a portion of the house for themselves.
After the legal battle, the large house
of Duttas was partitioned into ten portions.
In due course, a narrow lane ran along
the partition. Thus the whole property got
fragmented. As Swamijis younger brothers
Mahendranath Dutta and Bhupendranath
Duttawere not married, there are no
descendants of the Dutta family. Only from
one of Swamijis sisters side, a descendant
lived in a corner there.
The original house had a big courtyard
(comprising inner and outer courts), a two-
rowed five-vaulted Puja-Dalan, separate
apartments for women with a big tank for
their exclusive use, a number of living rooms,
a big drawing room, stables for horses and
sheds for cows and so on. But how do we
know what was original and what was added
later? Well, we learnt, Swamijis two brothers
have left many details of the house in some
of their writings, for example, in Vivekananda
Charit by Mahendra Nath Dutta. Moreover,
the original floor plan of the house is available.
Side wall (with protective grill) and entrance to
Swamijis house (the picture on the right) on Gour
Mohan Mukherjee Street
16
At the time of partition of the house,
as per the requirements of the laws
governing property-disputes, a floor-
plan of the disputed structure had to
be submitted to the Calcutta High
Court. Fortunately for us, it has been
possible to retrieve it from the court
records. (For a detailed account of
the restoration work of Swamijis
House, please see The Vedanta Kesari,
Reconstructing a Glorious Past,
2001 July 249-253 and August 306-
307).
The House Now
We thought of entering the house
from the conventional door of the house
that we had seen in Swamijis biographies.
It consisted of a small wooden door with
cement ramp connecting it with the road. A
marble plaque gave the identity of the house:
3, Gour Mohan Mukherjee Street, Swami
Vivekanandas House. As per the viewing-plan
of the restored house, the entrance was closed
and we had to return to the Bidhan Sarani to
enter the house.
17
A view of the conventional / old entrance of the house
An impressive bronze statue of Swamiji
on the right side of the entrance welcomes the
pilgrims. It is written on the pedestal below
the statue: Swami Vivekananda was born in this
House on 12 January 1863.
The entry to the ancestral house is
through an ornate building, with marble floor
and a modern reception-cum-guide office. It
has been built on a piece of plot next to the
original house to provide a quick and direct
entry to the room on the first floor where
Swamiji was born.
How did they know that this is where
Swamiji was born? Well, we learnt, in those
days the custom was to allot a separate room
to the expectant mothers. Called Andar Mahal
in Bengali, this room used to have no regular
roof. This was an all-purpose place for the
womenfolk of the house. Being a private
enclosure, they could dry their hair or spread
their clothes or carry on other such activities
in privacy. During the rainy season, however,
a temporary straw roofing was erected for
protection from rain. There is sufficient
material to establish that this was indeed the
room where he was born.
At present there is a beautiful shrine
where Andar Mahal once existed. Swamijis
portrait is kept on a wooden altar and there is
an ornamental dome above it. Fresh flowers
and agarbatis added a holy charm to the place.
We humbly bowed down at the sacred place
and sat in deep silence.
Right beneath Swamijis room is a shrine
dedicated to Vireshwar Shivanamed after
the famed temple in Varanasi. As is well
known, Swamiji was born of his mothers
prayers to Vireshwar Shiva for a son. Daily
worship to Lord Shiva is done in this shrine.
Shrine of Vireshwara Shivabelow the room
where Swamiji was born
Bhuwaneshwari Devi, Swamiji's mother
18
A view of the altar in the room (above) where Swamiji
was born and Puja Dalan and other rooms (below)
We went around the house. We went
through an open space with an exquisite
verandah having several arch-like pillars
called the Puja or Thakur Dalan. In traditional
houses in those days, the first thing that one
encountered was a place for conducting pujas.
Dalan means a hall. On many occasions,
elaborate worship of Divine Mother used to be
performed in this place. We also saw the room
where the young Naren was supposed to have
been locked up to keep him away from doling
out his clothes, etc., to the beggars who came
to his door. We saw the window from where
young Naren would do it.
We recalled many childhood incidents:
young Biley (as Naren was fondly called by his
mother; Biley is shortened form of Bireshwar
or Vireshwar Shiva) sampling various hookas
to test what happened if he violated caste
rules; his intent listening to the stories from
the Ramayana and the Mahabharata lying in
his mothers lap, absorbing every bit of them;
his tremendous restlessness which often forced
his mother, Bhuvaneshwari Devi, to say I
prayed to Shiva for a sonand he has sent me
one of His demons; Bileys favourite play of
conducting a court, with him as the king sitting
at the head of the staircase and his friends
acting as courtiers and so on. It was re-living a
splendid past.
Swarnamayee Devi (sister) Mahendranath Dutta (brother) Bhupendranath Dutta (brother)
Another view of Swamijis house
Swamijis siblings
19
We also saw the room where Bhuvanesh-
wari Devi lived, as also the rooms where
Swamijis brothers resided. We went through
the museum on the life and teachings of
Swami Vivekananda. It has many articles
associated with the memory of Swami Viveka-
nanda, his mother, and his two illustrious
brothers.
Other Activities
Swamijis ancestral house (the Memorial,
as it is called) is surrounded by a couple of
new buildings on the pieces of plots acquired/
bought by the Ramakrishna Mission. It is now
a branch centre of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Here a number of welfare activities are held
for the benefit of the local populace. There
is a textbook library, a spoken English unit,
a computer-training centre, a non-formal
education centre for slum children, a charitable
allopathic-cum-homeopathic dispensary and
so on. There is also a research centre under the
ambit of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda
University, Belur Math.
Regular weekly classes and discourses by
monks are held in the open space adjacent the
text-book library. Many well-known scholars
and speakers discourse on various aspects
of Swamijis life, Indian culture and spiritual
matters and a good number of people come to
attend the events. There is a separate building
housing a Ramakrishna monastery (Math).
Visiting the place of birth of a luminary
such as Swami Vivekananda is definitely a
pilgrimage. Hundreds of pilgrims and visitors
come here dailyto recharge their battery
of inspiration, to enrich their lives
and feel Swamijis living presence.
Don't miss this sacred
place when you visit
Kolkata next.
The magnificent entrance to
Swamiji house
20
Musical instruments used by Swamiji kept at the museum
Multiplicity Is Only Apparent
Lessons in Pluralism from Vivekananda, My Mentor
J ay lakhani
Getting Introduced to Swamiji
Since childhood the aspect of religion
that attracted me most was its experiential
side. Its narratives or liturgy had limited
attraction for me. Religious personalities
that captured my attention were those
individuals whose lives were guided
by firsthand spiritual experiences.
Hence in my young days I spent
a lot of time exploring the lives of
personalities like Ramana Maharshi
and Sri Ramakrishna.
At the age of seventeen
I joined Imperial College
in London to read physics
and quite ironically at the
same time I came across the
Complete Works of Vivekananda
(then in eight volumes,
and now in nine volumes).
While at the college, in the
mornings I was exposed to
the teachings of most physical of physical
sciences and in the evenings I immersed
myself in the spiritual stream that flows from
the lectures of Vivekananda. During that
period, many a day and night were filled with
intense spiritual fervour. By the grace of my
mentor, Swami Vivekananda, spiritual truths
Jay Lakhani, the Head of the Hindu Academy, as also Education Director, the Hindu Council, United Kingdom,
and a theoretical physicist, explores how the fndings of modern physics relate to the broader ideas of
spirituality. He is a teacher at Eton College, and author of several books relating to the teaching of Hinduism
in schools in United Kingdom. Born in Kenya and raised in Tanzania, he came to London in his teens for his schooling
and later studied physics in Imperial College. He completed his postgraduate degree in Quantum Mechanics in 1970.
were no more a matter of belief or intellectual
acceptance; they became a reality for me. I
had a real struggle to keep attending college
lectures that focused on material science but
somehow I persevered, and even went
on to do a Masters degree in quantum
physics. At that time I did not know
why I was so attracted to the Quantum
phenomenon but now I know.
The Place of Religious Pluralism
One of the greatest divides
we face in this century is the divide
between science and spirituality.
On one side sits not one, but a
multitude of religious world-
views and on the other side sits a
more unified, science oriented,
rationally founded world-view.
A reconciliation is crucial else
the marvellous discoveries at
the heart of all religions are in
danger of being snuffed out by the far more
popular human enterprisescience. My
mentor holds the key for that much needed
reconciliation.
For a rationalist, the first issue is how can
all religions be right? They talk of different
Gods or sometimes of no God. Either one
religion is right, or the rest are in error, or quite
likely the whole lot are in error! Vivekananda
reconciled this disjoint in his address at the
World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago
in 1893. He suggested that at the experiential
level all prophets encountered the same spirit
but a variation takes place when they try and
give expression to their spiritual experiences.
This variation is inevitable because it reflects a
variation in the mind-sets of different cultures
in different historic periods. Over time, each
expression ossifies into a religion or a different
sect within the same religion. It is not that
one is right and the rest are wrongthey
are various attempts to infuse spirituality in
greater society. This insight is popularly called
Religious Pluralism.
Religious pluralism recognises variation
in spiritual expressions and challenges
exclusivist claims made by any religion.
Since the time of Vivekanandas famous
speech, Religious Pluralism has entered
social vocabulary. Recent surveys show that
a large percentage of even the evangelical
Christians are comfortable with the concept
of pluralism. Recently one of the main Shia
groups in London happily published my
article on pluralism on the front page of its
publication! Without much drum beating or
fanfare, pluralism has gently entered public
consciousness. I am frequently asked to
speak at inter-faith meetings in the UK and I
vociferously promote religious pluralism thus
acquiring the title evangelical pluralist. This is
what my mentor has turned me into!
What Modern Youth Like
Majority of youngsters I interact with
at schools and colleges do not like to be
called religious; they see themselves as being
spiritual. When asked to explain what they
mean by spiritual they struggle because it is
difficult to intellectualise something that they
feel is essentially intuitive. Most of them like
humanism but not necessarily the materialistic
humanism promoted by the likes of Richard
Dawkins. Without realising, what they are
actually attracted to is spiritual humanism that
Vivekananda promoted so strongly.
Materialistic humanists see humanity as
the extension of the material kingdom while
spiritual humanists see themselves as spiritual
beings on a material journey. The second form
of humanism is far more attractive to modern
youngsters. Dignifying and empowering
humanity was Vivekanandas passion. In
the process he was quite happy to diminish
his own importance! At one point he said
something very prophetic, something that has
broken the mould used by earlier prophets:
He said [not exact words but implied], Do not
bow down to a Vivekananda, become better
than a Vivekananda. Such uttering ensured
that one continues to empower humanity to
resolve its own issues by its own efforts.
Spirituality and Quantum Physics
Thanks to Swamijis inspiration, I
have taken on a very challenging task. This
comprises making a robust attempt to recon-
cile the findings at the cutting edge discoveries
of modern science with the esoteric concepts
at the heart of Hinduism. In the process,
this means challenging the paradigm of
materialism. I offer talks on this theme at
various universities including Oxford and
Cambridge. These talks are well-received. I
make no secret that the relevant and engaging
materials I bring out in my talks have come
straight out of the Complete Works of Swami
Vivekananda.
Let me just touch on one such notion
that exhibits a clear linkage between science
and spirituality and challenges materialism.
22
At the heart of physics sits a marvellous
discovery called the Quantum. Scientists find
this concept stupendously successful and yet
impossible to grasp conceptually. When it
comes to understanding the fabric of reality,
physics cannot do without the Quantum. This
discovery is far more relevant than all the
other discoveries of science rolled together. It
offers rigorous mathematical articulation of
everything from the workings of the computer
chip to the structure of DNA. And yet
conceptually the same phenomenon remains
a mystery. The reason why it is so intriguing
is because it insists that the underpinning to
the world of matter scientists are so fixated
on is essentially non-material. Matter is a mere
appearance says Erwin Schrdinger, one of
the fathers of Quantum Physics.
To get a conceptual grasp of the Quan-
tum we have to refer to one of the talks by
Vivekananda on Raja Yoga. In this talk he
said that the whole creation can be explained
in terms of just two entities! The first is all-
penetrating existence (akasha) and the second
entity is a shudder in existence (prana). He gave
this talk in 1895 when Quantum was unheard
of; so a linkage with physics in his time was
not possible. He seems to have left that task for
future generations! Quantum physics insists
that the world we see and experience as the
empirical universe is not an objective reality
but multitude of wiggles in existence. Keeping
this in mind, I tell the physicists that the only
way they can appreciate Quantum is by giving
up a fixation on matter and trying to explain
the world in material terms. Science has
entered a new phase where matter has been
severely demotedin fact it is valued as a mere
appearance. Adi Shankara and Vivekananda,
the great teachers of this grand idea, must be
smiling!
A major paradigm shift is in the mak-
inga shift that will merge science into
spirituality. This is one of the most decisive
contributions of Swami Vivekananda to the
modern world.
23
Indias Timeless Wisdom
e-
t e- e- t
One can utter a lie if it can give greater punya than telling the truth. A lie which
can give the result of telling a truth such lies can be uttered. At such times it is not
necessary to tell the truth. A Traditional Saying
Science is nothing but the fnding of unity. As soon as science would reach perfect unity, it
would stop from further progress, because it would reach the goal. Thus Chemistry could not
progress farther when it would discover one element out of which all others could be made.
Physics would stop when it would be able to fulfl its services in discovering one energy of
which all the others are but manifestations, and the science of religion become perfect when
it would discover Him who is the one life in a universe of death, Him who is the constant
basis of an ever changing world. One who is the only Soul of which all souls are but delusive
manifestations. Thus it is, through multiplicity and duality that the ultimate unity is reached.
Religion can go no farther. This is the goal of all science. Swami Vivekananda, CW, 1: 14
Annual Report
Sri Ramakrishnas 175
th
Birth Anni-
versary was celebrated by the Headquarters
and the branch centres by conducting
Seminars, Interfaith Meets, Parliaments of
Religions, Processions, etc.
In commemoration of the 150
th
Birth
Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda,
UNESCO Headquarters at Paris inau-
gurated an exhibition on Swamiji at the
Town Hall of Paris. In collaboration with
Kolkata Metro Railway, telecast of
programmes on Swamiji in the
CCTVs at the different metro
stations of the city was arranged.
Centres in Karnataka organized
Swami Vivekananda Jyoti Yatra
covering almost all the districts
of Karnataka traversing 4000
km. The four-year-long service
programmes started in different parts
of the country in 2010 continued. A sum of
Rs.28.40 crore was spent on these central-
government-aided service projects from
08.10.2010 to 31.08.2012. A brief report is given
below:
In educational field, the following
new developments deserve special mention:
(i) Vivekananda University started PhD
courses in Agricultural Biotechnology and Rural
Development, and a one-year PG Diploma
course in Sports Science at its Narendrapur
Campus, (ii) Vidyamandira college of Sarada-
pitha centre started MSc course in Applied
Chemistry affiliated to Calcutta University; (iii)
Vivekananda College of Chennai Vidyapith
was awarded A grade (the highest grade) by
the National Assessment and Accreditation
Council (NAAC).
In medical field, the following
new developments deserve special
mention: (i) Inauguration of a
modernized Cardiac Operation
Theatre compri si ng fi ve-bed
Cardiac Surgery ITU, Heart
Lung Machine, Ventilators,
etc in Lucknow hospital; (ii)
Installation of 16-Slice CT
Scanner System, RX Lithotripter
Compatible Busket with Accessories, etc.
at Seva Pratisthan hospital in Kolkata; (iii)
Setting up of a Dual Slice Spiral CT Scan unit
at Vrindaban hospital; (iv) starting of rural
mobile medical service by Deoghar centre.
In rural development, the following new
projects deserve special mention: (i) 2227.76
acres of land was brought under paddy
seed production, 13 irrigation units and 117
percolation tanks were constructed, and a
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission
Synopsis of the Governing Body Report for 2011-12
The 103rd Annual General Meeting of the Ramakrishna Mission was held at Belur Math
on Sunday, the 16th December 2012 at 3.30 p.m. Following is the synopsis of the annual report
presented at the meeting which was attended by monastic and lay members. The meeting also
included presentation of the Report on the Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda.
25
mobile soil analysis laboratory was started
by Ranchi (Morabadi) centre; (ii) Lokasiksha
Parishad of Narendrapur centre started a
number of projects viz., promotion of rural
eco-entrepreneurs by imparting training
on lac and tasar cultivation, processing of
medicinal non-timber forest products, remote
village electrification, starting of an adult
education centre, etc. (iii) Narainpur centre
(Chhattisgarh) dug 16 deep tube-wells, 4
ponds and 6 wells in remote villages.
During the year under review, the
Ramakrishna Math upgraded two sub-
centresone at Sinthi, Kolkata, and another at
Gourhati, Hooghly, both in West Bengalto
independent branch centres.
Under the Ramakrishna Math, the follo-
wing new projects deserve special mention:
(i) Production of Indias first stereoscopic
3D animated movie on Swami Vivekananda
by Chennai Math; (ii) starting of mobile
book stalls by Pune and Thrissur centres,
(iii) Installation of Ultrasound scanning
machine with Echocardiogram and colour
doppler at Thiruvananthapuram hospital;
(iv) construction of a school building and a
vocational training centre building at Parevada
village for the Madari (snake charmers)
community and a shed for students at Bhuj by
Rajkot centre.
Outside India, the following new deve-
lopments deserve special mention: (i) Japan
centre conducted relief operations in the wake
of the devastating earthquake and tsunami;
(ii) Nadi centre in Fiji conducted flood relief
and rehabilitation programme; (iii) A postal
stamp on Swami Vivekananda was brought
out by Pos Malaysia (a post services company
in Malaysia), at the initiative of our Malaysia
centre; (iv) Durban centre in South Africa built
an educational and skills development centre
for a high school at Kwa Mashu.
During the year, the Ramakrishna
Mission and Math undertook several relief
and rehabilitation programmes in different
parts of the country involving an expendi-
ture of Rs. 4.93 crore, benefiting 3.64 lakh
people belonging to 1.27 lakh families in 1658
villages.
Welfare work by way of providing
scholarships to poor students, pecuniary help
to old, sick and destitute people, etc (about
55.88 lakh beneficiaries); the expenditure
incurred was Rs. 27.85 crore.
Medical service was rendered to more
than 77.82 lakh people through 15 hospitals,
123 dispensaries and 59 mobile medical units;
the expenditure incurred was Rs. 119.87 crore.
Nearly 3.23 lakh students were study-
ing in our educational institutions from
kindergarten to university level. A sum of Rs.
220.42 crore was spent on educational work.
A number of rural and tribal develop-
ment projects were undertaken with a total
expenditure of Rs.37.46 crore benefiting about
67.74 lakh rural people.
Print Media Project: Printed 10.82 lakh
copies of books on Swamijis life and teachings
in 23 languages and 13.25 lakh copies on 15
other titles in 10 languages. A sum of Rs.254.26
lakh was spent.
Cultural Programmes Project: Organized
six state-level seminars on religious harmony /
interfaith harmony, interfaith dialogues in four
states, and a regional programme on tribal and
folk culture. A sum of Rs.73.34 lakh was spent.
Commemoration of the 150
th
Birth anniversary of swami vivekananda
A brief progress report of the Central-Government-grant-aided service projects from 08.10.2010
to 31.08.2012
26
b b
Electronic Media Project: Audio DVDs
on Personality Development (Part-1) and
Education as viewed by Swami Vivekananda
with multimedia effect were produced. Work
on producing a full-length feature film on the
life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda is in
progress. A sum of Rs.87.99 lakh was spent.
Gadadhar Abhyudaya Prakalpa (Inte-
grated Child Development): 174 units started
in 23 states. About 17,500 children were
benefited. A sum of Rs.1,107.12 lakh was spent.
Vivekananda Swasthya Parisheva Pra-
kalpa (Health Services Project for Mothers &
Children): 126 units started in 22 states. About
13,000 children were benefited. A sum of
Rs.720.70 lakh was spent.
Sarada Palli Vikas Prakalpa (Women
Self-Empowerment): 10 units started in 8
states. In all, 1619 women were benefited. A
sum of Rs.99.76 lakh was spent.
Swami Akhandananda Seva Prakalpa
(Poverty Alleviation): 10 units started in 6
states. Altogether 1135 people were benefited.
A sum of Rs.97.28 lakh was spent.
Special Programmes for the Youth:
Started 6 Youth Counseling Cells in 5 states;
Organized State Level Youth Convention /
Camps in 5 statestotal participants: 10,111;
Held 6 State Level and 3 Regional Level Youth
Competitionstotal participants: 1,61,654;
Conducted Sustained Graded Value Education
Programmes through (a) 381 units (Non-formal
type) in 13 states with 16,360 students of 253
institutions, and (b) 2,290 units (Classroom-
based) in 14 states with 1,02,965 students of
656 schools; printed 15.49 lakh books for 182
titles in five languages under the Non-formal
Programme. A sum of Rs.400.62 lakh was
spent.
In all, a sum of Rs.28.40 crore was spent
on the above projects.
Besides, a number of centres organized
various programmes without government
aid, e.g. Chennai Math centre launched a
state-of-the-art multimedia gallery Experience
Vivekananda at Vivekandar Illam; Port
Blair centre organized Vivekananda Value
Inculcation Programme for students; Rajkot
centre started Vivekananda Service Corpsa
unit of 52 young men, who are being trained in
first aid, disaster management and other relief-
related services.
We take this opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to our members and friends for
their kind cooperation and help.
Swami Suhitananda
General Secretary
11
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.
26
Man Absorbed in Angling.
A man was angling in a lake all by
himself. After a long while the float began to
move. Now and then its tip touched the water.
The angler was holding the rod tight in his
hands, ready to pull it up, when a passer-by
stopped and said, Sir, can you tell me where
Mr. Bannerji lives? There was no reply from
the angler, who was just on the point of pulling
up the rod. Again and again the stranger said
to him in a loud voice, Sir, can you tell me
where Mr. Bannerji lives? But the angler was
unconscious of everything around him. His
hands were trembling, his eyes fixed on the
float. The stranger was annoyed and went on.
When he had gone quite a way, the anglers
float sank under water and with one pull of
the rod he landed the fish. He wiped the sweat
from his face with his towel and shouted
after the stranger. Hey! he said. 'Come here!
Listen!' But the man would not turn his face.
After much shouting, however, he came back
and said to the angler, Why are you shouting
at me? What did you ask me about? said
the angler. The stranger said, I repeated the
question so many times and now you are
asking me to repeat it once more! The angler
replied, At that time my float was about to
sink; so I didn't hear a word of what you said.
(Pp.744)
Golap and the Job-seeker
A job-seeker got tired of visiting the
manager in an office. He couldnt get the job.
The manager said to him, There is no vacancy
now; but come and see me now and then. This
went on for a long time, and the candidate lost
all hope. One day he told his tale of woe to a
friend. The friend said: How stupid you are!
Why are you wearing away the soles of your
feet going to that fellow? You had better go
to Golap. You will get the job tomorrow. Is
that so? said the candidate. Golap was the
managers mistress. The candidate called on
her and said: Mother, I am in great distress.
You must help me out of it. I am the son of a
poor brahmin. Where else shall I go for help? I
have been out of work many days. My children
are about to starve to death. I can get a job
if you but say the word. Golap said to him,
Child, whom should I speak to? She said to
herself: He has been suffering too much. He
said to her, I am sure to get the job if you just
put in a word about it to the manager. Golap
said, I shall speak to him today and settle the
matter. The very next morning a man called
on the candidate and said, You are to work
in the managers office, beginning today. The
manager said to his boss: This man is very
competent. I have appointed him. He will do
credit to the firm. (p.748)
The Purpose of Education
Education is indispensable for the
progress and growth of an individual.
Education makes a man what he is.
Unfortunately, however, formal education
is often restricted only to career-making and
acquisition of working skills for earning
a livelihood. This approach also leads to
mushrooming of schools and colleges where
the purpose of all activity is only to make
the students score high marks or grades,
overlooking other aspects of life. The students
thus do not know how to face life or solve
the problems of life. They end up becoming
depressed, confused and anxious, leading to
many social and psychological problems.
The real purpose of education should be to
create right type of human beings. Men, men,
these are wanted, said Swami Vivekananda.
Indeed, men or women who are skilled in
work and strong in character is what is wanted.
How do we achieve it? Through man-making
or personality development.
Education and Development
While a nation may be rich in natural
resources, it is the human resources that
are most important. To have the right kind
of humans, or proper human resource
management, therefore, is vital for a nations
growth and development. This means taking
care of the education given to an individual. It
is the key to nation-building.
Education For Life
swami supradiptananda
The author is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order at Ramakrishna Mission, Narottam Nagar in Arunachal Pradesh.
Learning or education starts right
when one is in mothers womb. Mothers
thoughts and activities shape the growing
child. Various researches have confirmed the
pre-natal influence on human personality.
And as a child, one learns by watching and
observing his parents and others around. One
learns to co-relate the things that one observes,
right or wrong, and thus ones personality
begins to develop. Further, formal education
and interaction with others develop the
individuals personality. Education, however,
is much more than formal education. Whole
life itself is a learning process. Sri Ramakrishna
said, As long as I live, I learn.
Developing the Complete Personality
According to Indian Tradition, human
personality has three dimensionsphysical,
intellectual (and emotional) and spiritual.
Education should deal with all the three. Let
us briefly understand them:
Physical Dimension: The first dimension
of mans personality is his body. It is the
physical dimension. It refers to mans physical
needs and growth. One should learn how
to be physically strong and healthy. Right
education should help in developing a
strong stamina and healthy habits. Strong
physical constitution helps one accept and
face challenges of life. One should also learn
the importance of right eating habits. Food is
the source of energy for physical growth. One
should also learn the importance of physical
exercises and games. They should become
part of ones life. Yogasanas and simple forms
of pranayama also are of much value in this
context.
Intellectual Dimension: Intellectual
growth refers to a persons thinking, logical
and memory skills. Reading books and
articles, watching movies, visiting places
and interacting with men of intellectual
eminenceall these go a long way in ones
intellectual growth. Exposure to healthy
literature and a proper approach to learning
help develop intellectual faculty. If one is given
right direction at the primary level itself, it
goes a long way in making one intellectually
strong. Lessons in concentration and self-
discipline play a key role in developing ones
intellect. Along with intellectual development
one must develop strength of mind and
steadiness of character.
Moral and Spiritual Dimension: Un-
fortunately, moral dimension is given
least attention in modern society. With
overemphasis on money-earning and career
building, moral training of an individual is
awfully neglected. Mere intellectually bright
people, without moral and spiritual training,
turn out to be a burden and a threat to society.
Morality is the basis of character build-
ing. The training in moral principles begins
at home, early in life, while the growing
child observes and interacts with his parents,
siblings, friends and others. But there are many
contemporary challenges to this aspect of early
training in moral refinement. Changing socio-
economic situation keep the parents busy with
their profession and personal issues and they
leave the whole thing to schooling system
which itself lacks in many ways. Added to it
is the rise of information technology. Today
the world has become small, thanks to instant
communication and information technology.
While it has a bright side, there are many
darker aspects to it. Easy access to Internet and
entertainment has exposed the young minds
to all kinds of low, obscene and negative
thoughts and they become a prey to many
wrong things at an early age.
One of the best ways to check this is that
the parents and elders should spend quality
time with children and also make them aware
of the life-building ideas of great personalities
including Swami Vivekananda. The students
should be encouraged to read and discuss
Swamijis life and teachings through forming
Vivekananda Study Circles. The Study Circles
should hold regular reading classes and also
encourage the young minds to understand
Swamijis teachings through interactions with
knowledgeable persons.
Moral education cannot be given by
books only. One needs an example in order to
develop faith in moral principles. Hence, the
teachers of moral principles should themselves
practice what they preach. Values cannot be
taught but they can be caughtby observing
the life of an exemplary person.
Conclusion
Complete education means harmonious
development of all faculties of manphysical,
intellectual and spiritual. Swami Vivekananda
(CW, 6:49) succinctly placed the ideal of such
an education thus:
We want the man whose heart feels intensely
the miseries and sorrows of the world. . . And
[we want] the man who not only can feel but can
find the meaning of things, who delves deeply
into the heart of nature and understanding. [We
want] the man who will not even stop there,
[but] who wants to work out [the feeling and
meaning by actual deeds]. Such a combination of
head, heart, and hand is what we want.
29
Math, Belur, Howrah;
20th September 1900.
My dear Mrs.Brown,
Your kind letter came to me duly. I am glad to know how
much you have acquired in power and expression by this time.
The Father truly resides in us and what we have to do is to make
ourselves fit instruments to express His power and glory. That is
the one goal for religion and human life. Keep that always in view and
your journey will be blest for all time to come.
I am glad to hear what you say of Mrs.Wheeler. I hope she will be well before this reaches
you. Kindly tender my regards to her when you meet again.
The famine has almost ended here and our work going on as before.
I am glad to know my friends in Montclair are progressing as fast. Remember me kindly
to all.
I will read your book with much pleasure when it comes.
My kindest regards to yourself and love and blessings to the children, I remain
Sincerely yours
Saradananda
On the cover::
Mrs.B.Brown,
109 Mountain Ave.North
Montclair, N.J. U.S.America
Nov. 10th 1900
Math. Belur. Howrah. India.
My dear Granny,
2
S. Turiyananda has requested me to write to you to send him the copies of Mahabharata
in Bengali, which I left at Cambridgethree or four big square volumes, you might remember.
Will you kindly see that he gets them for his use?
I am feeling better & stronger each day under the treatment of this doctor and hope to be
quite myself again in a short time.
I hope your stay in England is proving pleasant & profitable. Everything is going on as
usual here.
With all love & blessings
Yours affectionately
Saradananda
Unpublished Letters of
Swami Saradananda
1
70 T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i f e B R u A R y 2 0 1 3 ~ ~
New Find
31
71 T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i f e B R u A R y 2 0 1 3 ~ ~
1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna 2. Mrs. Sara Bull
References
Nov. 15th 1900
Math. Belur. Howrah
India
Dear Mrs.Briggs
I thank you for your kind letter of Oct 22nd. I am much better now & having a vacation
i.e., a rest from all work for these days; though I have kept myself by to be ready at a moments
call when necessary. The workers are few & we are passing through hard times. More I cannot
write. The kind wishes & constant friendship of friends like yourself have always been & will
always be the stay for me ever. Do you not be anxious for me. I am going to be myself again
quite soon.
I believe you will get this while with Granny. Does she look strong & happy? She ever
hides all this from mewicked G
With kindest regards to you as ever & best wishes
Faithfully your friend
Saradananda
Nov. 15th 1900
Math. Belur. Howrah
India
Dear Granny
I have had no lines from you last mail & hope you are perfectly well.
I am getting stronger each day under the treatment of the doctor & most possibly the
cure will be permanent this time. I am taking perfect rest & mean to do it for a month or two.
So dont think I am hard with myself. I wish only you were with me here & Santi during this
time. I will have to be near the Math though or in some place whence I can come in a day or
two when necessary.
I believe I have told you the Swami has paid back the money which he took from the
Math fund & has also sent money for his law suits. He told me to let you know this as soon as
possible.
Remember me kindly to Margot & tell her the Holy Mother will be in Calcutta in a
fortnight. She has sent her love & blessings to you & her & Jojo.
My father & mother have desired to be kindly remembered & the friend her best love.
Hoping you are well & strong & the stay in London is doing good every way. I am as ever
yours with all love & blessings
Saradananda
Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math
What is Shraddha
Shraddha, a Sanskrit term, has no English
equivalent. While it is at times translated as
faith, shraddha is much more than that. Adi
Shankaracharya describes shraddha as astikya
buddhiintellect of right understanding.
Shraddha means deep conviction in the words
of wisdom of sages. It refers to an attitude of
is-ness (astikya) of a something.
What are the characteristics of shraddha?
Let us take the Nachiketa episode given in the
Katha Upanishad to understand it.
The Episode
The Katha Upanishad, one may recall
here, was dear to Swami Vivekananda. He
greatly admired the poetic charm and depth
of understanding with which the idea of
shraddha the Katha Upanishad describes.
Swamiji liked the idea of shraddha or immense
faith in the is-ness of ones being, or faith in
oneself. He said (CW, 3:190),
Faith, faith, faith in ourselves, faith, faith in
Godthis is the secret of greatness. If you
have faith in all the three hundred and thirty
millions of your mythological gods, and in all
the gods which foreigners have now and again
introduced into your midst, and still have no
faith in yourselves, there is no salvation for you.
Have faith in yourselves, and stand up on that
faith and be strong; that is what we need.
Nachiketa, a young boy, is the central
character of the Katha Upanishad. The
When Shraddha Enters Life
swami shrimohanananda
The author is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order at Ramakrishna Math, Khar, Mumbai.
recipient of the highest knowledge, which the
Upanishad elucidates, is a young boy, kumara.
This suggests that a seeker should be pure like
a young boy.
The Nachiketa story goes like this.
His father Vajashravasa was famous for his
generosity. Vajashravas was performing a
very big Vedic fire-sacrifice (yajna). As part
of the fire-sacrifice, he was expected to give
away everything. But as he was attached to his
wealth and son, his gifts were not honest and
earnest. He was making a show of it. He was
giving away old and unwanted things. It was
a mere show-off and a half-hearted act.
When Shraddha Entered
It was at this stage that shraddha enters
into Nachiketa. Imbued with shraddha,
Nachiketa wakes up to the situation and
begins questioning the probity of his fathers
act of fake charity. He begins to examine what
he was witnessing. Indeed, an unexamined
life is not worth living. Nachiketa developed
courage worthy of a man of shraddha. Often
one overlooks others wrongs because one
is weak and lacks courage to point them
out. He does not want to face its unpleasant
consequences. But when shraddha enters a
mans heart, like Nachiketa, one becomes
strong and courageous to ask unpleasant
questions and face unpleasant situations.
Nachiketa begins pondering: Being a
son, I should help my father to attain some
higher worlds after death (a son is called
putra in Sanskrit as he helps his father to cross
over the hell named puncf. Manusmriti
9.138). On the contrary, my father will go
to some unpleasant, sorrowful next world
because of his attachment to me. So, I must
do something to save him. According to Adi
Shankaracharya, this kind of introspection
leads to good. When one is keen on others
well-being, he is imbued with shraddha. Here
Nachiketa is concerned about his fathers well-
being.
But Nachiketa is respectful to his father.
He does not harshly express his views to
his father who was sitting among wise
people, performing the Vedic sacrifice. He
is circumspect in his behaviour. This is
something to note. Being truthful should be
the real purpose of ones speech. He should not
be overpowered by a desire to hurt and prove
ones superiority and call it truthfulness. It is
really the game ones ego plays. It is the ego
that wants to hurt and insult under the garb
of speaking the truth. A man of shraddha
must be careful about it. Nachiketa knew this
hidden enemy.
One may also cite here the instance of
Sri Ramakrishna asking young Narendra
(later Swami Vivekananda) as to what he will
think if he finds the worldly-minded people
speaking against the spiritual-minded people.
Narendra replied, I will consider them as
dogs bark. Sri Ramakrishna immediately
corrects and tells him one should not go so far!
One should be indifferent to them.
Nachiketa knew his fathers weakness
but he did not desire to vilify him before
others. Hence he quietly goes to his father
and asks him to whom he shall offer him
(Nachiketa) in this sacrifice, since son is also
the property of his father and he has to offer all
his property in this mighty sacrifice. Nachiketa
wanted himself to be given away as a gift! In
todays context, this giving away may seem
an infringement of individuals freedom. But
this is an indication of the deep bond of love
between father-sonthe hallmark of a highly
refined culture.
The Power of Shraddha
At first, Nachiketas father does not
respond to his sons question. Nachiketa
repeats his question and this makes his father
lose his temper and he tells in an admonishing
tone: Unto death I give you. Die! One may
hear such words from an angry person but no
one takes them seriously. They are taken to be
just words of scolding.
On the contrary, his fathers words set
Nachiketa thinking. What does my father
want to fulfill by sending me to the God of
Death? he asks himself. Am I so worthless
that my existence is of no value? I am best
among many and middlemost among others,
but never am I the last. He also realizes the
plight of his father who cannot take back his
words. This is something to note: one should
value what one speaks and keep ones words.
Maintaining the sanctity of ones promise
is an important virtue of a man of culture.
Vishnu Smriti (verse 8) says: If a thousand
Ashvamedha Yajnas and truthfulness are
weighed on a scale, truthfulness outweighs all
those. Nachiketa does not want his father to
go back on what he has said.
He ponders over the issue deeply and
finally makes a choicehe chooses good
over pleasant, permanent over transitory.
He tells himself that no permanent benefit
can be derived from falsehood. Men die and
take birth like corn; life is impermanent.
Hence there is no point in treading the path
of falsehood. One should stick to truthto
that which is permanent. Those who run after
33
the transitory gains are like babies, lacking in
wisdom and maturity.
Thinking thus Nachiketa goes to the
abode of death, to meet the god of death,
Yama. He waits for three nights, as Yama was
not in station. When he returns, Yama grants
him three boons in lieu of this wait and the
rest is the Katha Upanishad. This is how when
shraddha enters the heartone becomes
humble, courageous and faithful.
Shraddha: Further Dimensions
In the Bhagawad Gita the word shraddha
occurs in several places. Sri Krishna speaks
highly of a man of shraddha. Without shrad-
dha, a person is unfit to carry on anything
significant. What distinguishes one person
from another is this shraddha.
An entire chapter in the Gita (chapter
17) is dedicated to shraddha where Sri
Krishna describes the three-fold shraddha.
Shraddha, he says, is the very essence of a
person. One behaves as guided by the type of
shraddha one has. Ones shraddha depends
on the predominance of one of the three
gunas (qualities) which are the very fabric of
life. These three are sattva, rajas, and tamas
serenity, activity and inertia.
Adi Shankaracharya in one of his com-
mentaries calls shraddha as the storehouse
of all auspicious tendencies. It is the very
core of human existence. Shraddha is ever
present in us but has been covered up by
primal ignorance (avidya). It is said that even
before the sense of I-ness (ahamkara), shraddha
is present in man. Hence, shraddha is not
something to be acquired but one has to only
discover or uncover it.
In his famous lecture given in Madras in
1897, Swami Vivekananda said (CW, 3: 320),
This shraddha is what I want, and what all of
us here want, this faith in ourselves, and before
you is the great task to get that faith. Give up the
awful disease that is creeping into our national
blood, that idea of ridiculing everything, that
loss of seriousness. Give that up. Be strong and
have this Shraddha, and everything else is bound
to follow.
We also find in another Upanishad, the
Chandogya Upanishad the story of Shvetaketu
and his father Uddalaka. Uddalaka tries hard
to teach his son about Highest Truth through
various examples but fails to convince him.
Shvetaketu wants further explanation. Unable
to explain further, Uddalaka concludes, Have
faith, O good one. (shradhyasva somya).
We must not confuse quest with un-
ending questioning. Questioning can take
us forward to some limit but intellect has its
limitations. One needs inner purity to know
the truth. We have to have faith, shraddha. It
is the very basis of life. If one starts doubting
ones kin and colleagues, or the medicine
which a doctor prescribes, or the driver who
drives our car and so on, we cannot continue
our sane living! We will become abnormal.
Whether in mundane matters or in spiritual
matters, one has to have shraddha.
Conclusion
Sincerity of purposethis is the core of
shraddha. Nachiketa had shraddha and that
led him to question the god of death, and
know the Highest Truth. Possessed with such
shraddha, one can achieve anything. It is the
secret of success.
To put this idea in Swami Vivekanandas
words (CW, 3: 445),
First, have faith in yourselves. Know that though
one may be a little bubble and another may
be a mountain-high wave, yet behind both the
bubble and the wave there is the infinite ocean.
Therefore there is hope for every one. There is
salvation for every one.
34
The Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Centre of New York in celebrating the 150th birthday
of Swami Vivekananda organised a function at the Thousand Island Park, where Swami
Vivekananda lived and taught for seven weeks in the summer of 1895. As a tribute to Swami
Vivekananda on the occasion, the Board of Directors of Thousand Island Park (the village
administration) issued a Proclamation permanently naming a central place along the shore of the
St. Lawrence River Vivekananda Landing. The spot marks the very place where Vivekananda
landed on June 18, 1895 for his seven week stay at Thousand Island Park. The following is the text
of the Proclamation presented by the Board of Directors of Thousand Island Park:
Thousand Island Park Corporation Board of Directors
Proclamation
Whereas, Swami Vivekananda, the patriot saint of modern India, an inspirer of her dormant
national consciousness, and a lover of mankind who strove to promote peace and human
brotherhood on the spiritual foundation of the Vedantic Oneness of existence, arrived at Thousand
Island Park on June 18th, 1895 and
Whereas, Swami Vivekanandas teachings, compiled from his seven week stay at the Park,
continues to inspire followers around the World, and
Whereas, upon his departure from the Park, he said the words;
I bless these Thousand Islands and,
Whereas, to commemorate the celebration of the 150th Birthday of Swami Vivekananda, in a
suitable manner and reflective of its admiration for the Good Swami and its appreciation for his
many Devoted Followers, the Thousand Island Park Corporation, by its Board of Directors,
Hereby proclaims on this day, July, 28th, 2012 that the place
along the shore, near the easterly corner made by St. Lawrence
Avenue and East Coast Avenue, and overlooking the beauti-
ful St. Lawrence River will henceforth be known as
Vivekananda Landing.
And furthermore, be it resolved that a suitable
marker shall be erected at the aforementioned
site so that all who come to view it shall
be reminded of Swami Vivekananda
and his welcomed stay in our commu-
nity.
William N. Burns, President
Michael Stedem, Vice President
Thousand Island Park Corporation Board
of Directors
The Landing Named After Vivekananda
Report
A view of the Vivekananda Landing
The Order On The March
Ramakrishna Math and MissionNews and Notes
Citizens Committee Formed in Tamilnadu
To commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda, a Citizens
Committee has been formed in Tamilnadu. It consists of senior monks from various centres of the
Ramakrishna Math and Mission in Tamilnadu, and eminent citizens of Tamilnadu from various walks
of like such as members of media, judiciary, literature, business, social work and others. Swami
Gautamananda, Adhyaksha, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, is the Adhyaksha for the Committee, and,
Sri Pollachi Dr. N. Mahalingam, well-known industrialist, the President.
The Citizens Committee held its first meeting on 25 November 2012 at Swami Ramakrishnananda Hall
at Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai. Among the various issues and proposals the Committee
discussed, some of them are: requesting the Tamilnadu Government to institute a Vivekananda Youth
Award, advice all schools and colleges in Tamilnadu to celebrate Swamijis 150th Birth Anniversary
in a befitting way, to introduce Swamijis life and teachings in the school syllabus, name some of the
important buildings and roads after
Swamiji, and so on.
The Citizens Committee will
pursue the various issues with
the appropriate authorities and
draw a detailed programme for the
celebration of Swamijis 150th Birth
Anniversary in a befitting manner.
Sri Ramakrishna Math proposes
to publish books in Tamil worth
one crore to propogate Swamijis
message, adopt a village near
Chennai to make a model village,
conduct camps for youth, teachers,
auto-rickshaw drivers, corporate
employees and so on. These events will be held throughout the whole year, culminating in a grand
programme in 2014 January.
Extensive renovation of the Vivekananda Illam (the place in Chennai where Swamiji stayed for nine
days in 1897) and a suitable make over of the exhibition on Indian Culture and life of Swami Vivekananda
at the Illam is also proposed. The Math will also launch cultural and social welfare activities on the
recently leased out land adjacent to the Vivekananda Illam building.
State Level Youth Convention at Mangalore
Ramakrishna Mission, Mangalore, organized an All Karnataka State Youth Convention under the
guidance of Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, on the 22-23 December 2012. About 1800 delegates,
A view of the Citizen Committees meeting
37
devotees and volunteers from all parts
of Karnataka participated in the two
day-event. More than 1200 delegates
from outside Mangalore were provided
accommodation at various locations.
Delegates from about 22 districts of
Karnataka participated in the event.
All the delegates were presented with
booklets. The programme was telecast
live on local channels on both the
days. The 2-day event was inaugurated
by Sri Vishweshara Tirtha Swamiji of
Pejawar Math, Udupi, and Justice N
Santosh Hegde (former Lokayukta,
Karnataka) was the chief guest.
In his inaugural address, Sri
Vishweshara Tirtha Swamiji said
that he had attended the Centenary of
Swami Vivekananda in 1963 and was
happy to be part of it again after 50
years. He pointed out that in olden
days, in the Puranic lore, Hanuman
was the ideal before the Indian youth.
Hanuman personifies strength, purity,
courage and humility. In modern
times, the Hanuman-ideal is seen
in Swami Vivekananda and hence
Swamiji is rightly called the icon of
youth.
About 20 monks from different
Mission centres and private centres
attended the programme. Various
resource persons interacted with the
delegates on both the days. Cultural events by young artists and students were held in the evenings.
Celebrations at the Mysore Ashrama
Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, the renowned residential pre-university composite college, at Mysore,
celebrated its Diamond Jubilee and the 150
th
Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda through various
programmes held from 28 to 30 December 2012. On the first day, the Vidyashala students took part in
the elaborate field-display which included march-past, drill, gymnastics, pyramid-formation, yogasana
and aerobic exercises, band-display and Karate exercises. Lieutenant General Ramesh Halagali, AVSM,
SM the Deputy chief of the Army staff, Indian Army, took the salute and addressed the gathering. This
Inauguration of the Youth Convention
Cultural programme
38
was followed by a multimedia presentation on Swami Vivekanandas life, titled Navayugacharya Swami
Vivekananda, by the students.
Justice S Rajendra Babu, the former Chief Justice of India, and Prof. N. Balakrishnan, Associate
Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and other dignitaries spoke on the second day of
the function. Nritya-sangeeta-bharata, a multi-dance-drama presentation by the Vidyashala students,
displaying various music and dance traditions of India, was the high time in the evening.
A youth convention for the students of various schools in Mysore was held in the evening of 30
th

December. A number of monks and eminent government officials and journalists addressed the youth
who had gathered.
The grand finale of the three-day programme was held on the 30
th
evening with a special musical
presentation by a group of young singers from Bangalore. The well-known music director, Pravin D. Rao,
along with Karthik MP and a number of singers and accompanists, presented a two-hour long musical
tribute to Swami Vivekananda consisting of songs on and by Swami Vivekananda and the songs sung by
him. Most of the songs were in Kannada, but some were in Bengali, Hindi and English. This programme
was also released in the form of a CD.
A large number of old students, parents, devotees and well-wishers attended the three day celebrations
which were held in the Vidyashalas spacious stadium amidst green ambience.
Inspecting the students troops The stage programme
The presentation by Karate group Special musical tribute to Swami Vivekananda
39
Celebrations at the Nattarampalli Ashrama
The Ramakrishna Math at Nattarampalli
in north Tamilnadu located in a rural setting
has been rendering its services for more than
100 years. Continuing its services to the rural
populace, on 8 December 2012, a new building
for the hostel for students was inaugurated.
Swami Suhitanandaji, the General Secretary of
Ramakrishna Math and Mission, inaugurated
the newly constructed hostel building Swami
Shivananda Students' Home. Later, Dr K
Rosaiah, Governor of Tamil Nadu, unveiled
the newly installed life-size statue of Swami
Vivekananda placed in front of the temple. The
Nattarampalli Math also launched a mobile
bookstall-cum-exhibition. A number of cultural
presentation, Bhajans and discourses by monks
and learned speakers marked the event.
Narainpur centre conducted a four-day
sports meet from 23 to 26 November in which
1800 students from 37 schools of 3 districts
participated. Sri Kedar Kashyap, Minister for
Tribal Development, Government of Chhattisgarh,
inaugurated the meet.
At Narainpur centre, Swami Gautamanandaji
inaugurated on 20 December (i) extension to boys'
hostel building 'B', (ii) extension to girls' hostel building, (iii) a building with kitchen store and honorary
workers' quarters, and (iv) farmer trainees' hostel building.
Koalpara Ashrama (sub-centre of Jayrambati Math) celebrated its centenary from 15 to 17 December.
Special worship, homa, public meeting and cultural programmes were conducted and a commemorative
volume was released. Besides, the newly built first floor of the monks' quarters was inaugurated on this
occasion.
At Bangalore Ashrama
To mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swamiji,
Ramakrishna Math, Bull Temple Road, Bangalore, put up a
replica of the Art Institute, Chicago, where Swamiji spoke,
as the facade of its annual booksales-cum-exhibition held in
its premises. Thousands of devotees took part in the annual
programme and visited the book stall.
Unveiling of Swamijis Statue by the Governor
Procession by Students of Nattarampalli Ashrama
ViVekanandaHis
GosPel oF Man-
MakinG
compiled and
edited by swami
Jyotirmayananda
Published by Author,
38/1400, H Block, 15th
Main Road, Annanagar,
Chennai-600 040.
Available at Sri Rama-
krishna Math, Chennai,
Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Coim-
batore, Vivekananda Kendra, Kanya-
kumari, Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram,
Thiruvananthapuram and Rashtrothana
Sahitya, Bangalore. 2013 (6th edition),
hardback, Pp.1000+lxi, Rs.300.
Swami Vivekananda was a phenomenon. He
strode the stage of the world like a colossus. Interest
in his life and message has been renewed, as the
year 2012 marks his 150
th
birthday. Recently many
new monographs, articles and books have been
published. Of all the books on Swamiji published
in recent years the current book under review is, to
say the least, the most outstanding one.
This is actually the reissue, with additions, of
a book published by the compiler in August 1988.
It has seen, since then, four editions. The current
book is the revised sixth edition, commemorating
the 150
th
birth anniversary of Swamiji. The compiler
has spared no pains in bringing it up-to-date.
The book is massive, running to 1000 pages.
It commences with Benediction from Swamis
Ranganathananda, Dayananda Saraswati (to
whom this edition is dedicated), Tattvavidananda
and Muktananda. There is also a homage with
a difference by Anandasankar Pandya. After a
short essay by the publisher and a foreword by
Swami Tapasyananda, there are messages from
Dr.M.Lakshmi Kumari, Sri M.V.Kamath and
Prof.K.R.Srinivasa Iyengar. Then follow a note from
the editor and a synoptic view of the book. All these
help place the book in the proper perspective.
The book proper comprises of five parts.
Part One contains three sections. The first section
is an Introduction, which is fairly lengthy, running
almost to 50 pages. Section two consists of articles
written by several prominent people. Some of these
articles have been carried over from the previous
editions, and some are new. The third section is
about tributes from several contemporaries and
others. Some are from abroad; some are from
monks, some savants and saints, and some from
statesmen and politicians. This broad spectrum is an
indication of the appeal of Swamijis message and
his influence on the entire cross-section of society.
The Second Part has only one chapter on
Swamiji and his mission. This is the longest and
perhaps the most interesting. It begins with an
index, chronologically listing the important dates
of Swamijis life. This is followed by another
chronological listing of all the world events from
the date of Swamijis birth to the date of his
Mahasamadhi. This part occupies 307 pages and is
a veritable treasure house of information. There are
so many facts that one wonders how the compiler
could have collected so much data!
Part Three is titled VivekanandaA Voice
across the Century, containing articles about
the significant events of Swamijis life. This is for
the benefit of those readers, who have read only
condensed biographies of Swamiji.
The last part contains articles about the
influence of Swamijis works and message on
the Western world. This is of consequence since
Swamijis message is being spread by many
Vedanta Societies abroad, established by Swamiji
himself or monks of the Ramakrishna Order. The
book ends with a series of photographs and a
glossary.
Needless to say, the book is extraordinary.
To publish so much information between the two
covers of a book must have been a Herculean task.
Book
Review
For review in The VedanTa Kesari,
publishers need to send us two copies oF their
latest publication.
41
Swami Jyotirmayananda must be complimented
on this achievement. This would certainly not have
been possible without the blessings of Sri Thakur,
the Holy Mother and Swamiji. Readers should
be grateful to Swami Jyotirmayananda for this
remarkable contribution to the literature on Swami
Vivekananda.
_____________________________ nvc swamy, Banagalore
ViVekanandas
deVotion to
His MotHer
BHuVanesHwari deVi
by swami
tathagatananda.
Publ i s hed by Advai t a
Ashrama, 5, Dehi Entally
Road, Kolkata 700 014. 2012
(Second edition), paperback, pp.38, Rs.12.
Many times Swami Vivekananda spoke of
his mother with a deep sense of gratitude. It is my
mother who has been the constant inspiration of my
life and work. Naturally, the devotees of Swami
Vivekananda would like to know more about his
inspiring mother. The book under review satiates
the thirst of Vivekananda lovers.
This book begins with a succinct presentation
of the Indian concept of Motherhood of God and
Swamijis parental background, followed by details
about the extraordinary personality of Swamijis
mother.
Bhuvaneshwari Devi, Swamijis mother, was
very handsome, highly intelligent, deeply religious,
skilful, upright, magnanimous and spirited lady.
She always strove to inculcate lofty values in her
children. As a growing boy, young Naren (later
Swami Vivekananda) confided everything to his
mother. And from her he inherited not only moral
purity, aesthetic sense and regal gait, but also many
intellectual and literary inclinations and a unique
memory. Swamiji used to say that I am indebted to
my mother for the efflorescence of my knowledge.
She also laid the foundation of Vivekanandas
astonishing English language skills and later
conversed with Sister Nivedita in impeccable
English. Bhuvaneshwari Devis commanding
personality could easily win the respect and
veneration of all those who came in touch with
her. Her sons influence shook the world, and her
influence moulded his life considerably.
She was only forty three years old when
her husband Viswanath Dutta died. But she faced
the situation bravely. She showed exceptional
patience, self-control and deftness in handling the
situation and sustained her family ably with meagre
resources.
The author gives glimpses of Swamijis love,
concern and anxiousness about his mother. Swamiji
helped in getting a house for her purchased, took
her to pilgrimages and settled the legal disputes that
the family was facing since his childhood. Swamiji
had also asked Swami Brahmananda to help her
settle the pending suit and take her to another
pilgrimage which the latter happily did. The reader
comes face to face with this unique Sannyasi, who
could reconcile his obligations to his great mother
with his search for the eternal. Only great souls like
Swami Vivekananda could do it. Several anecdotes
of this sweet mother-son relationship are narrated
in the book. Swamijis utterances in praise of his
mother are given at the end of the book.
The reader really is left spell-bound with
the vastness and depth of Bhuvaneshwari Devis
character and Swamijis supreme dedication to her.
Swamiji himself had remarked, He who cannot
literally worship his mother can never become
great.
Swami Tathagatananda, the author, deserves
our gratitude for this vivid and authentic account
of the great Heros worshipful attitude towards
his mother. Though just a slim volume of 38 pages,
the book is packed with spiritual insights and
inspiration. A befitting tribute to Bhuvaneshwari
Devi on Swamijis 150
th
Birth Anniversary!
____________ chetana mandavia, J unagadh, guJ arat
wHat sHall i do?
By swami Harshananda
Published by Ramakrishna
Math, Bull Temple Road,
Bangalore - 560 019.2012,
paperback, Pp.118, Rs.10.
The book under
review serves as a fitt-
i ng t ri but e t o Swami
Vivekananda on his 150
th

Birth Anniversary. The
42
book aims at, to quote the Preface, guid-
ing the youth who are on the threshold of life.
However, there is material to influence the thinking
of elders too.
Modern youth may not turn ecstatic hear-
ing that to beat the vicissitudes of life they should
turn spiritual and practice renunciation. Why be
spiritual? One should be spiritual because we are
not physical or psychophysical beings but immortal
pure spirit. But all are not ready to grasp it. Hence
instructions should be given depending on the state
of development of the receiver. In that sense the
book prepares the ground to enable the youth to be
aware of what is in store for them so that they are
no longer under any illusions.
Thus, the book attempts to elevate the human
spirit in stages. First one should understand what
we value and where we stand. Is our progress
based on material wealth or our strength in moral
values? The author prompts the youth to think on
these lines. At the proper state of their growth, the
youth will benefit from the wisdom of great thinkers
and scriptures. The book abounds in it. To give one
example, a wise man, terminally ill, was not worried
about death, and said, for if I die I shall be with
God; if I live, He will be with me!
Optimism is alright until one faces the darker
side of life! We search for happiness unaware
that it is only a shadow. . . They [the objects of
our happiness] trouble us in seeking them, fail
to satisfy us while possessing them and make us
despair in losing them. How true! The chapter titled
The Divine Call offers a good lesson to aspirants
for monastic life and points out the conditions
precedent to seeking Nivritti Marga (path of
renunciation)discrimination (viveka) between
the eternal and ephemeral leading to dispassion
(vairagya).
The chapter Objections of Parents and
Guardians invites the attention of parents and
elders to scriptural observations about their limited
role in their hold on children. Beyond a stage, elders
should not inflict their views but only provide
advice leaving decision making to the youth when it
concerns their future. Wisdom does not necessarily
sharpen with age. Although the focus in this book
is on the benefits of choosing a spiritual way of
life symbolized by monks who have renounced
material life, the lessons in general are bound to
generate thought in the right direction.
Hopefully, the next generation will have
the core of Swamijis thoughts built into their
curriculum, namely, education that will ultimately
help them stand on their own feet. Education
should also promote patriotic spirit. Swamiji, it
may be recalled, wanted young men who will
renounce everything and sacrifice their lives for
their countrys sake. The current system fails to
recognize this aspect.
How the search for an answer to the
persistent query What Shall I Do, finally ends
is vividly portrayed in the final chapter which is
best left to readers to experience the joy. Written
in easy style, exceptionally free from spelling and
other errors, here is a valuable publication at an
incredibly low cost.
______________________________ p. s. sundaram, chennai
Mind and Modern
ProBleMs
By swami
Bodhamayananda
Published by Vivekananda
I ns t i t ut e of Huma n
Excellence, Ramakrishna
Math, Hyderabad- 500 029
paperback, Pp 151. Rs 25.
In this book, we
would like to present some
of these modern day problems and their
suggested solutions. (Mind and Modern Problems,
pg 9).
So begins this slim volume, which in its 151
pages acts as a complete guide to the workings of
the human mind, its vagaries and the ways in which
to conquer it such that it becomes strong enough to
help a person conquer the ups and downs of life.
The book consists of eight chapters and
each of these is packed with wisdom and an
understanding of contemporary life situations that
are faced by people, especially the young today face.
These are peculiar to the ageto quote the author
more conveniences, less time, more degrees, less
commonsense, more knowledge, less judgement. . .
more experts, more problems . . (ibid, p. 8).
The books Introduction is full of examples
of those who overcame adversities with the never-
say-die attitude. The author has given real life
examples from a variety of sources, architecture,
science and music to prove that adversity is merely
a challenge to bring out the bestor the worstin
a human being. The best is courage and the worst
is cowardice.
The first chapter, entitled The Mind and You,
takes the reader through the benefits of mind
control, what it achieves and how it is the first step
towards owning the mind, but not being the mind.
A very intelligible analogy is presented: we may
own a pen or a book, but we are separate from
them. Similarly we are not our minds. So who are
we then? According to the author, that search and
its discovery is the central point of spiritual life. On
the other hand, this life has to be lived and lived
well. There are actions which have to be done, work
to be undertaken and accomplished. The mind is a
tool here for these accomplishments. This brings
the reader to the second chapter which considers
the minds tendencies. It can be controlled by habits
which can only be formed by the use of positive
thoughts and actions. Here the author emphasizes
the role of ethics, which is natural to the mind.
Consequently, thinking and acting basely leads to
sickness. However, a mans character is not merely
morality, though it may lead to it. Character is
habits repeated and vice versa. Thus, the author
brings out the primary importance of habit
formation in thinking. Renunciation and spirituality,
not religion, it is emphasized, are the ways to the
development of character as a faculty.
To achieve this, the most important thing is
time-management and author then goes on to give
very useful tips for the optimum use of time, so that
efficiency is enhanced. When one has prioritised
rightly, time is freed up for the actions one has to
do in the course of ones day, and days constitute
life. The point that is emphasised is that when one
is disorganized, one is inevitably distracted, leading
to underperformance and thus failure and on to
diffidence. A vicious cycle is set up.
This point is emphasized over and over
againthat fears cause a human being to fail.
Its antonym, courage, is the underlay of success.
Success is not, however, succeeding every time. It
is the ability to rise from a fall, dust oneself off and
carry on with renewed vigour and optimism.
How to do that? The answers are in this book.
Simply putyou have the choice and every time
you choose your reactions, you choose the course
of your life. Change can only take place when
a human beingthe owner of the mindtakes
charge. The book stresses over and over the fact
that there is no outside agency with a magic lamp
waiting to take orders; the power lies within oneself
and it is for everyone to embark on this wonderful
journey of discovery of the abilities and power of
the mind.
Practical hints follow. There are immensely
simple, straightforward hints on becoming the
agent of change by changing the way one looks at
life. However, like everything that sounds simple,
the life-enhancing changes can only take place with
courage, the one virtue which is the basis of every
human endeavour.
This book is a brilliant compendium of
life-skills from the pen of a popular motivational
speaker, known for his positive, but unflinchingly
attitude towards achievement. Every page of the
book is full of wisdom. The production too favours
continued reading. Since it is small and light
enough to be carried about, it is quite handy for
instant reference.
Fully recommended for reading to young
people waiting on the threshold of life. A work-
book-cum-journal would complete the process.
___________________________ prema raghunath, chennai
Gita For
ProFessionals
By Ca Chetan dalal
Publ i s hed Nar ayan
K Varma for Bombay
Chartered Accountants
Society, 7, Jolly Bhavan
No. 2, New Mari nes
Lines, Mumbai - 400
020. 2012, Hardback, pp.
142+xi. Rs.75
The Bhagavad-Gita
is a fount of wisdom that
has served humanity well, ever since
it was revealed by Sri Krishna to Arjuna on
the battlefield of the Mahabharata war. Several
are the commentaries that have been written on
the text since that time. Most of the traditional
commentaries were written by great philosopher-
sages, like Sri Adi Sankara and others. These
were used by them to strengthen their case for the
establishment of philosophical systems.
43
It is only in recent times that scholars have
paid attention to the application of the Gita to
daily life situations. Swami Vivekananda called
the Gita Practical Vedanta. Great savants like Sri
Aurobindo, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Paramahamsa
Yogananda, Swami Abhedananda and several
others have written commentaries in English, so
that readers without knowledge of Sanskrit can
understand the message easily.
Of late, several books have emerged that
take the text even closer to modern people. They
have been addressed to select groups of people,
like college students. The book under review is one
such. It is addressed to Chartered Accountants.
This sounds strange, because one would think that
such people, being an integral part of the business
community, would be the last to worry about a
book like the Gita! But Chetan Dalal does not think
so. He has tried to justify the fact that even such
people can benefit a great deal by adapting the Gita
in their professional activities. This is the raison
detre for the current book.
The book has seven chapters and seven
appendices. It starts with a General Introduction,
where the author introduces the Gita to the general
reader. In the second chapter, the author discusses
the relevance of the Gita to Chartered Accountants
and similar professionals. There are two kinds of
conflicts they face: on the professional front and on
the personal front. These can occur at all the stages
of their professional life, whether they are young,
middle-aged or old. They arise mainly because of
unfair competition, corruption in companies, and
clash between family life and profession.
The third chapter is the longest and deals
with 26 case studies. This is the core of the book.
Each case study highlights some basic principle
or other. It begins with a story from the scriptures,
the message it conveys, a parallel case from the
profession of Chartered Accountancy and its
relevance. The stories are culled out from the
Mahabharata and some Puranas. The chapter makes
interesting reading.
The fourth chapter is about Meditation. Two
slokas of the Gita are quoted with their word-by-
word meaning. There is also a short story, with a
very lengthy discussion of its symbolic relevance.
Chapter Five is quite mundane, containing the
opinions of great world personalities about the
Gita. It also contains a section on the misnomers,
concerning the Gita, prevalent in the common
minds. This is quite a useful chapter, worth a
serious study.
The sixth chapter is just of two pages and
talks of the value of the Gita and our scriptures. The
last chapter lists all the important lessons one can
derive from a study of the Gita.
There are seven Appendices. Appendix
A is about some technical aspects of the Gita,
while Appendix B is about the Gayatri Mantra.
Appendix C talks of Meditation and its benefits.
It is Appendix D that is quite interesting. It makes
use of numerology to highlight the importance of
the number 9. The author has matched the English
letters, in the order in the alphabet, with numbers
in the ascending order. He applies this to the names
of Shree Krishna, Mohammed, Mahavir, Guru
Nanak, Zarathushtra, Gautam and Esa Messiah.
But, this looks a little far-fetched, since these names
are written with other kinds of spellings also! The
other appendices are about two people influenced
by Vedanta, Rockefeller of United States and
Alexander of Macedonia. They are also about
the benefits of soft speech and about anger
management.
This is a fascinating book. Its title, however,
is misleading, since it gives an impression as if
it is a commentary on the book. The Gita is used
only as a platform from which the author discusses
the problems faced by professionals, as well as
common people. One of the appendices uses the
word spiritualism. The more accepted word is
spirituality. There are a few grammatical errors
and printing mistakes, which can be corrected in
the next edition.
This is a book that can be read if one is
interested in getting an overall view of the Gita.
That is the scope of the book and the author has
succeeded in his objective.
_______________________________ nvc swamy, Bangalore
44
Truth is not confned to any particular individual or nation, but it is for everybody. As
the sun rises and shines equally upon all nations, even so does the sun of eternal Truth
shine and reveal itself among all nations. Whoever will long for such realization will fnd
a way to the attainment of Truth. Swami Abhedananda
swami Vivekananda, an intuitive scientist
Swami Vivekananda was a multifaceted genius.
Besides his profound insights into spiritual life, Swamiji
was well-acquainted with the scientific thoughts of his
times and was remarkably accurate in his observations
with regard to many scientific notions. What is even more
important is the ample hints he gave on ways to train the
mind, arousing the unseen power of intuition, which is vital
to all scientific pursuits. This book attempts to explore this
aspect of Swamijis personality.
The author of the book is a retired scientist of
ISRO, Bangalore.
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math,
Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004
Price: Rs. 40/- + Postage: Rs.22/-for single copy. No request for VPP entertained
Pages xvi + 156
Dr. T.G.K. Murty
Joy is what everyone is searching for.
Irrespective of what one is and does, it is joy
that one is seeking. Some succeed in getting
joy, some remain unhappy. Real joy, says Sri
Ramakrishna, is the joy of the spirituality. Sri
Ramakrishna himself was Joy Personified.
This book, comprising the articles published
in the 2011 December issue of the Vedanta
Kesari, dwells on various aspects of his life
and message and how one can become joyful
by living the spiritual ideal he embodied.
Joy of Spirituality
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math,
Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004
Price: Rs. 80/- + Postage: Rs.22/-for single copy. No request for VPP entertained
Pages vi + 329
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, Parlekhimundi, Golamunda
2. Navajeevan Free Eye Hospital Tirupati
3. Navajeevan Free Home for Aged Tirupati, Rishikesh,
Parlekhimundi and Chennai
4. Navajeevan Harijan Sewa Ashram Kothapeta
5. Navajeevan Sharanagati Vridhashram Tirupati
6. Navajeevan Rural Medical Centres - Berhampur [Orissa]
7. Navajeevan Eye Care Centres - Serango [Orissa]
8. Navajeevan Orphanage Homes Tirupati, Parlehkimundi,
Saluru, Golamunda,
Berhampur, Pandukal, Vizag
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
34 Years of Service to Humanity 1979 - 2012
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.
III T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 ~ ~
IV T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 ~ ~
Vol.100-2 The Vedanta Kesari (english Monthly) February 2013. regd.
with the registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 57. POSTaL
regISTraTION NuMber:TN / cH (c) / 190 / 12-14. LIceNced TO POST
WITHOuT PrePayMeNT TN/PMg(ccr)/WPP-259 / 2012-14
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
v Subscription (inclusive of postage) Annual : ` 100 10 years: ` 1000
Contact: Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Website: www.chennaimath.org

The Vedanta Kesari February 2013

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