The Vedanta Kesari September 2013

7/29/2019 The Vedanta Kesari September 2013

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IT h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3~ ~

September2013

TheVedanta KesariTHE LION OF VEDANTA

A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914

Ramakrishna Math (Yogodya

Kankurgachhi, Kolka


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IIT h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3~ ~

Editor: SwamiatmaShraddhananda Managing Editor: Swami GautamanandaPrinted and published by Swami Asutoshananda on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna MathTrust from No.31, Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 4 and Printed at

Sri Ramakrishna Printing Press, No.31 Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore,Chennai - 4. Ph: 044 - 24621110

Time is cooking all beings in

the cauldron o great delu-

sion using the sun as fre and

days and nights as uel, stir-

ring them with the ladles o

months and seasonsthis is

the news.

Mahabharata, Vanaparva, 313.118

Indias Timeless Wisdom


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SEPTEMBER2013

A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER

Started at the instance o 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. 9 ISSN 0042-2983

Cover Story: Page 4

CONTENTS

The Vedanta Kesari

Vedic Prayers 325

Editorial

Greatness in Little Things 326

Reminiscences o Swami ShivanandaA Direct Disciple o Sri Ramakrishna 331

Swami Tapasyananda

The Art o Listening 338

Pravrajika Virajaprana

Gayatri MantraIts Glory and Practice 350Anna Subramanian

New Find

Unpublished Letters o Swami Saradananda 336

Travelogue

His Abiding PresenceA Pilgrimage to Swami Vivekanandas Room 343

A Monastic Sojourner

Glimpses of Swamiji

Swami VivekanandaThe Wandering Monk 353

The Order on the March 356

Book Review 359

Features

Simhvalokanam (Letters) 330

Sri Ramakrishna Tells Stories 355


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2T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3

The Vedanta Kesari

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SL.NO. NAMES OF SPONSORS AWARDEE INSTITUTIONS

5730. Dr. Triveni Shekaraiah, U.K. Chandigarh Police Headquarters, Chandigarh, Punjab.

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receive the magazine for 20 years. Please send your contribution toThe Manager, The Vedanta Kesari by DD/MO drawn in favour ofSri

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for the Patrons' Scheme. (This scheme is valid in India only).

The VedanTa Kesari PaTrons scheme

PATRONS

667. Mr. Umesh Dalvi, Dombivli East

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DONORS

Cover StoryN N

Ramakrishna Math (Yogodyan), Kolkata

Located at about an hours drive rom Belur Math, Yogodyan

in Kankurgachi in south Kolkata is a centre o Ramakrishna Math.Literally, the garden suitable or the practice o yoga, Yogodyan

was the garden house o Ramchandra Dutta, a devotee o SriRamakrishna. In December 1883 Sri Ramakrishna visited this houseand said, It is a fne place. You can easily meditate on God here.He also visited a room on the southern side o the pond, sat on aseat and exclaimed, Ah! The atmosphere in this room is just likethat in a shrine.' Then he partook o some rereshments and drank

water rom the pond inside the garden. The room where he hadrereshments is maintained as Vedi Ghar, or the Altar house.

During his visit Sri Ramakrishna visited the sacred Tulsi-grove, saluted the Tulsi plant andsat or a while. Ater Sri Ramakrishnas passing away, a part o his mortal remains was interredin the Tulsi grove that he had visited and the present temple stands right on the same spot.

The pond in ront o the temple is called Ramakrishna Kund. Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,Swami Vivekananda and many other disciples o Sri Ramakrishna visited here several times.

Ramakrishna Math (Yogodyan) conducts various spiritual and welare activities.

Mr. Talwar M N, Haliyal, Karnataka Rs. 5000

Mr. Prabhakar R, Bangalore Rs. 1000


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325T h e V e d a n t a K e s a r i S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3~ ~

VOL. 100, No. 9, SEPTEMBER 2013 ISSN 0042-2983

EACH SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE. THE GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN.

5

If one millionth part of the men and women who live in this world simplysit down and for a few minutes say, 'You are all God, O ye men and O ye

animals and living beings, you are all the manifestations of the one living

Deity!' the whole world will be changed in half an hour. Instead of throwing

tremendous bomb-shells of hatred into every corner, instead of projecting

currents of jealousy and evil thought, in every country people will think that

it is all He. He is all that you see and feel. How can you see evil until there

is evil in you? How can you see the thief, unless he is there, sitting in the

heart of your heart? How can you see the murderer until you are yourself the

murderer? Be good, and evil will vanish for you. The whole universe will thus

be changed.

Swami Vivekananda,CW, 2:287

Vedic PrayersTr. by Swami Sarvananda


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Editorial

Types of Greatness

Anyone will be great in a great position! Even

the coward will grow brave in the glare of the

footlights. The world looks on. Whose heart

will not throb? Whose pulse will not quicken

till he can do his best? More and more the true

greatness seems to me that of the worm doing its

duty silently, steadily, from moment to moment

and from hour to hour.1

In these simple but forceful words Swami

Vivekananda laid out a whole philosophy of

excellence and greatness. Few people realize

the profound power that lies in little things.

They remain focused on big things, the

visible and tangible things, and overlook the

little things. Little do they realize the immense

power, the real power, that is in little things.

Excellence or greatness is what man

aspires for, though what he means or concep-tualizes by the word greatness differs from

person to person. Each one conceives of

greatness in his own special way. It is like the

idea or concept of God. We all conceive of God

in our own ways. Says Swami Vivekananda,

If, for instance, the buffaloes want to worship

God, they will, in keeping with their own nature,

see Him as a huge buffalo; if a fish wants to

worship God, it will have to form an idea of

Him as a big fish; and man has to think of Him

as man. And these various conceptions are not

due to morbidly active imagination. Man, the

buffalo, and the fish all may be supposed to

represent so many different vessels, so to say.

All these vessels go to the sea of God to get filled

with water, each according to its own shape and

capacity; in the man the water takes the shape of

man, in the buffalo, the shape of a buffalo, and

in the fish, the shape of a fish. In each of these

vessels there is the same water of the sea of God.

When men see Him, they see Him as man, and

the animals, if they have any conception of God

at all, must see Him as animal, each according to

its own ideal.2

In the same way, we all have our ideas

of greatness. Generally people identifygreatness with being famous, politically and

administratively powerful, wealthy and influ-

ential or having similar social, economic,

political achievements and success. They think

success, in the above meanings of the term, is

what is meant by being great. Of course, this

is the most largely, and easily, understood

meaning of the term greatness. Having ones

own way in life, in getting and doing what one

wants, is taken to be greatness.

But is greatness merely a social event? If

one is not famous (which means well known

in the society or ones circle of people) does

one not deserve to be called great?! If ones

money, status and power makes one great,

then is it not a contradiction in terms? What is

greatman or the things that he has! Money,

status, power and so on are not intrinsic to a

man. Whatever is intrinsic cannot be added

or removed. Money, status and power are

not intrinsic to man; they are acquired andsubject to increase, decrease and loss. They

cannot make a man great. If they seem to

make someone great, it is only a borrowed

greatness, subject to loss, theft and fall in grace.

Some people are born great, some

acquire greatness and on some greatness

Greatness in Little Things


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7

is thrust, says the popular maxim. When

greatness is thrust upon, it is not natural to

him and such a fake or mock greatness leads to

numerous problems. We all know how rivalry,

heartlessness and hypocrisy come in whengreatness gets identified with fame and power.

It becomes a macabre play of lust, greed, anger

and all the evils that reside in the human heart.

Besides, when we fail to practice this mockery,

it makes the life empty and meaningless.

Of course there is another side to

greatness. Without being famous and recog-

nized, one can be great in ones field of work.

For instance, one can be a great cricketer, a

great scholar, a great writer, a great doctor, agreat administrator, a great gardener, a great

cook, a great artist and so onthe list is as

large as are the areas of human activity. One

can be great in his area of talent or assigned

work. This type of greatness too requires that

one should pay attention to details and little

things. For what is excellence? It lies in taking

care of detailsof all those small little waves

of action and skill that make a thing or person

or event truly excellentor great. Leaving

nothing to chance but refining and fine-tuning

all those forces and factors, causes and reasons,

which make excellence possiblethat is the

secret of excellence alluded here.

Personal Greatness

There is another side to greatness that

Swami Vivekananda, the great prophet of

man-making, emphasized again and again

greatness in personal character. It is that type

of greatness where no public glare or applauseawaits ones action or performance. It is an

act which will probably go unnoticed and

unrecognized. Says Swamiji,

If you really want to judge of the character of a

man, look not at his great performances. Every

fool may become a hero at one time or another.

Watch a man do his most common actions; those

are indeed the things which will tell you the

real character of a great man. Great occasions

rouse even the lowest of human beings to some

kind of greatness, but he alone is the really great

man whose character is great always, the same

wherever he be.3

When we are not observed by anyone

and are not likely to be rewarded or recog-

nized for what we do or say, that puts to test

what we are truly. How much of energy, time

and effort is spent in impressing others of

what one is not! If only a part of it was spent in

doing what one wants to be, it would be truly

fruitful.

One can talk about helping others but

unless this talk becomes a part of ones thinking,

it is a mere talk. Says Sri Ramakrishna,

Worldly persons may perform many pious and

charitable acts in the hope of earthly rewards,

but at the approach of misfortune, sorrow and

poverty, their piety and charity forsake them.

They are like the parrot that repeats, Radha-

Krishna, Radha-Krishna the live-long day,

but cries, Kang, Kang when caught by a cat,

forgetting the Divine Name.4

Indeed, when the cat of reality catches

us by the neck all that we say or do is what

is natural to us. Only by hard practice and

determination can one make moral and

spiritual excellence a habit, a part of ones

thinking and personality. Even the greatest of

dangers and threats cannot, then, shake ones

way of living. Swami Vivekananda observed,

As I grow older I find that I look more and more

for greatness in little things. I want to know whata great man eats and wears, and how he speaks

to his servants. I want to find a Sir Philip Sidney

greatness! Few men would remember the thirst

of others, even in the moment of death.5

Sir Philip Sidney to whom Swamiji refers

was an English poet, soldier and politician


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8

who died at a young age of 32 years (he lived

from 1554 to 1586). The story goes that after

a promising career in writing and politics, he

joined Sir John Norris in the Battle of Zutphen.

During the battle, he was shot in the thigh anddied of gangrene 26 days later. According to

the story, while lying wounded he gave his

water to another wounded soldier, saying,

Thy necessity is yet greater than mine. This

became possibly the most famous story about

Sir Phillip, illustrating his noble and gallant

character.

The Power of Satya

This simple, noiseless greatness ineveryday life is the hallmark of a true

character. Swami Vivekananda himself was a

powerful example of this aspect of greatness as

the following anecdote shows,

Long after Southern magnates in America had

apologized to Vivekananda when they learned

that he had been mistaken for a Negro and was

thus refused admission into hotels, the Swami

remarked to himself: What! rise at the expense of

another! I didnt come to earth for that! . . . If I am

grateful to my white skinned Aryan ancestor, Iam far more so to my yellow skinned Mongolian

ancestor and, most so of all, to the black skinned

Negritoid!6

What! rise at the expense of another!

refers to the great sense of personal integrity

and absence of selfishness that Swamiji

possessed. Such a personal honesty is an

expression of satya and aparigraha (truth

and non-possessiveness) mentioned in the

five Yamas, the first step towards Yoga.Truthfulness is not only telling truth but

also being honest in whatever one says and

does, including not making false claims or

trespassing on what belongs to others. One

needs to be honest and bold in whatever one

says and does. Or else, think of the hypocrisy,

false claims and putting on high airs that it

leads to. The well-known incident from Sri

Ramakrishna may be recalled here:

When Sri Ramakrishna was ill, [the doctor]

advised him to drink some lemon juice everyday. Jogin [later Swami Yogananda] took the

responsibility of supplying fresh lemons from

their family garden. The Master took the juice

regularly, but one day he could not drink it.

Jogin wondered why. Later after investigation

he learned that their lemon grove had been

leased to a party on that very day and they had

lost ownership. As a result, the Master could not

drink the lemon juice that Jogin brought without

informing the owner, as that would have been

considered theft. The disciples were amazedto see how the Masters body and mind were

established in truth.7

Greatness in little things! Swamiji

continues:8

Well, now great things are to be done! Who cares

for great things? Why not do small things as

well? One is as good as the other. The greatness

of little things, that is what the Gita teaches

bless the old book!! . . .

The Bhagavad Gita points out threegunas, fundamental qualities, which make up

our personal traits and inclinations. Each of

these gunas has characteristics of their own.

Sattva, for instance, is serenity and lack of

external display. Rajas is activity and greed,

often accompanied by display of power and

glamour. Tamas is laziness and confusion.

Taking care of little things, or seemingly

insignificant details of life and personality,

means developing a Sattvic approach to life.Describes Swamiji,

The Gita says that there are three kinds of

charity: the Tamasic, the Rajasic and the Sattvic.

Tamasic charity is performed on an impulse. It

is always making mistakes. The doer thinks of

nothing but his own impulse to be kind. Rajasic


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charity is what a man does for his own glory.

And Sattvic charity is that which is given to

the right person, in the right way, and at the

proper time . . . When it comes to the Sattvic, I

think more and more of a certain great Western

woman in whom I have seen that quiet giving,

always to the right person in the right way, at the

right time, and never making a mistake.9

Each one should be understood in his

own standard of life. A worm is crawling

on the ground. It may be great! remarks

Swamiji. One can find this intrinsic quality of

greatness in the personal life of all genuinely

great people. Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,

the divine consort of Sri Ramakrishna, was one

such. Sister Nivedita said of her, She really is,

under the simplest, most unassuming guise,

one of the strongest and greatest of women.

Immersed in spiritual thoughts, Holy Mother

lived the life of a common housewife and yet,

in and through all that commonplace setting,

she lived a great life. She brought a sense of

grace, simplicity and purity to whatever she

did. Nivedita further described in one of her

letters:

You must try to imagine her always seated on

the floor, on a small piece of bamboo matting.

All this does not sound very sensible perhaps,

yet this woman, when you know her well, is said

to be the very soul of practicality and common-

sense, as she certainly gives every token of being,

to those who know her slightly.Sri Ramakrishna

always consulted her before undertaking

anything and her advice is always acted upon by

his disciples. She is the very soul of sweetness

so gentle and loving and as merry as a girl.

Holy Mothers attention to details was

legendary. She would insist that everything be

done with care and respectfulness. Whether itis small or big act, everything must be given

attention it requires. Once someone, after

sweeping the place with a broomstick kept

it carelessly in a corner. Seeing this Mother

remarked,

What is this! You have thrown away the

broomstick with disrespect when the work is

done. It takes only the same length of time to

put it gently in a corner as it does to throw aside.

One should not trifle with a thing though itmay be very insignificant. If you respect a

thing, the thing also respects you. Will you not

again need that broom stick? Besides, it is also

a part of the family. From that standpoint also

it deserves to be treated with respect. Even a

broomstick should be treated with respect. One

should perform even an insignificant work with

respect.

Conclusion

Keen observation, determination forexcellence and, above all, absence of all desire

for public glare and hype are the hall marks of

true greatness. In the words of Swamiji,

Even idiots may stand up to hear themselves

praised, and cowards assume the attitude of the

brave when everything is sure to turn out well,

but the true hero works in silence. How many

Buddhas die before one finds expression!10

References

1. CW9: 419 2. CW, 3.54-55 3. CW, 1.29 4. Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna Math,

Chennai, 72 5. CW, 9.418 6. CW9.420 7. cf. God Lived with Them, Advaita Ashrama, p. 230

8. CW, 6.436 9. CW, 9.418 10. CW, 5:52

9


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From the Archives oThe VedanTaKesari

S i m h v a l o k a n a m

(September, 1923-24, Pp. 638-639)

Almora, 3rd June 1897

My dear C,

You need not be so much afraid about me. My body has been full of all sorts of

complaints again and again and phoenix-like I have been reviving. It is the vigorous frame

that helps recovery in my case, yet it is that too much vigour that brings on the disease. In

everything I am extreme, even in my physical health, either am like an iron bull or I am low

down in the valley of death.

This disease brought about by hard work has nearly disappeared with rest. AtDarjeeling it entirely disappeared. As you see I am now in Almora. I am all right now except

for a bit of dyspepsia for which I am trying hard Christian science. I got myself round with

mental -treatment at Darjeeling taking lot of exercise, climbing up mountains, hard riding,

eating and sleeping are about all my occupations now I feel much stronger and better, the

next time you see me I would be an athlete. So far so good. As for myself I am quite content.

I have roused a good many of our people and that was all I wanted. Let things have their

course and Karma its sway. I have no bonds here below. I have seen life and it is all self.

Life is for self, love for self, honour for selfeverything for self. I look back and scarcely

find any actions I have done for selfeven my wicked deeds were not for self. So C. I amcontent. Not that I have done anything especially good or great, but the world is so little, life

so mean a thing, existence so servilethat I wonder and smile that human beings, rational

souls should be running after this selftoo mean and detestable a prize.

For this is the truth: we are caught in a trap and sooner one gets out of it, the better for

one. I have seen the truth. Let the body float up or down, who cares?

It is a beautiful mountain park I am living in now. On the north extending almost all

along the horizon, peak after peak of the snow clad Himalayas forest abounding. It is not

cold here, neither very warm. Evenings and mornings are simply delicious. I want to be here

this summer and when the rains set in I want to go down to the plains to work.How are you ? What are you doing ? How things are going on with you and Mrs. F.?

Are you getting your bank account fatted bit by bit? You must do that. Do it for me. If I am

much worn out I will strike work for good and come to America and you will have to give

me food and shelter. Will you? I was born for the life of a scholar, retired, quiet, pouring

over my books, but the Mother dispensed otherwise. But the tendency is there. Knowing

this will find you in peace and health, Yours etc., Vivekananda

Letters


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It is in an apologetic mood and with a

sense of diffidence that I put into writing the

following reminiscences of the great disciple

of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Mahapurush Maharaj,

known also by his monastic name of Swami

Shivananda. This feeling is due not only to an

apprehension of his greatness and the littlenessof my understanding to interpret him, but also

due to the paucity of incidents of wide public

significance that I have got to record.

I claim to be a disciple of Sri Mahapurush

Maharaj in the fullest sense of the term. I

received my Mantra-Diksha from him as

also my initiation into Brahmacharya and

Sannyasa. But yet my association with him

was only for brief periods, and I have not

got much to write about the incidents of his

life and teachings he imparted. To start with,

this requires an explanation. According to

the Indian tradition, service of the spiritual

teacher, and living with him, are considered

the most important part of the spiritual

discipline. The Gita goes to the extent of

saying that spiritual teaching is not to be

Reminiscences o Swami ShivanandaA Direct Disciple o Sri RamakrishnaSWAMI TAPASYANANDA

imparted to one who has not undergone this

discipline of serving the teacher.

Swami Tapasyananda (1904-1991) was Vice President (1985-1991) of the Ramakrishna Math

and Ramakrishna Mission. A former editor ofthe Vedanta Kesari, he was an erudite scholar and

thinker who wrote and translated several books in English. The following reminiscences are from

263 May-June 1955 and 264 July-August 1995 issues ofVedanta. The last 4 paragraphs have been

translated from Bengali version published in the Bengali book, Shivananda Smritisangraha, p 229-

230, published by Udbodhan Press, Kolkata. Appearing in the Vedanta Kesarifor the first time, this

writing forms a part of the book, Swami Tapasyananda As We Knew Him, which was released

on 4th August 2013.

Swami Shivananda


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In the tradition of the Ramakrishna

Order, there are certain spiritual conceptions

that have led to an amendment and extension

of this great and wise rule sanctioned by age-

long practice in India. Swami Vivekanandagave the idea that the Order he founded

represented the physical being of the Great

Master, Sri Ramakrishna, who is the real

Teacher of the Order irrespective of the

personality of the individual teachers through

whom he functions. It is the service of the

teacher of that wider conception that he

primarily expects his followers to perform as a

part of their spiritual discipline. In pursuance

of this ideology, the monastics of our Order,often getting little opportunity to stay with

their individual teachers, are put as workers

in the far-flung centres of the Orderthere

to do all forms of work, physical and mental

with a sense of responsibility, detachment and

dedication. All the institutions and works of

the Math and Mission are the responsibilities

of the Head of the Order for the time being,

and by sharing that responsibility one is

serving the teacher in a literal sense too. But

it is the wider conception ofguru-sushrusha

[service to Guru] explained above that gives

a special significance to the training in the

Ramakrishna Order.

My first acquaintance with the name

and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna was in my

early teens when I was reading in the lower

secondary classes at Calicut. It came about

through some literature in Malayalam that

my mother was reading. I had then gathered

the idea that Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsawas one who had seen God and that he had

a disciple called Swami Vivekananda who

was a great lecturer. I remember a hot boyish

controversy I had with a school friend of mine

on the question whether God can be seen

he maintaining that this is impossible and I

advocating the opposite view. I recall how,

in support of my contention, I mentioned the

example of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa,

which my friend would not however accept.

My real acquaintance with the traditionsof the Great Master began a year or two after

when we went to reside in a new house, which

by chance happened to be the residence of

a great Ramakrishna-Vivekananda devotee,

to whom for convenience I may refer here as

Sri A. He was also the father of a close class-

friend of mine. It was my habit, along with

some of the other boys of the house, to go for

diving in a tank in the house of this particular

class friend. Now Sri A, this friends father,was one of the earliest in Kerala to have

intimate contact with the monastic Order of

Sri Ramakrishna. He had already received

initiation from Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj,

had visited Belur Math and probably the

birth place of the Master also, and had kept

a Shrine in his house where the photos of Sri

Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and some of his

important disciples formed the main objects

of worship. I had before that only attended

Hindu temples where granite images of

Gods and Goddesses were worshipped in a

ceremonial manner by Brahmin priests, and

this centre of worship, with its photos of

human figures, was an entirely new experience

for me. It had a great impact on my mind. I

remember on most days, after diving for hours

in the tank, I used to go with other boys into

this Shrine of my friends father Sri A, and

sometimes witness there a simple waving of

lights too. It was there that I learnt that SriRamakrishna was looked upon by many as

God, who has to be worshipped like Rama,

Krishna, Vishnu, Siva, the Divine Mother and

other deities of the Hindu Pantheon familiar to

me. Soon after, a similar Shrine of the Master,

though on much simpler lines, was arranged

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in my house also. For my mother, who was

already devoted to Sri Ramakrishna, became

more intensely established in that line of

devotion through association with the devoted

inmates of my friends house.During this time an important incident,

a landmark in my life, took place. That

was the contact I had with the late Swami

Nirmalanandaji Maharaj, known also as

Tulasi Maharaj, while he was staying at the

house of my friends father, Sri A, during

his sojourn in Kerala. Among the pioneers of

the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement in

South India, the Swami has a very prominent

place. In later times a controversy arose abouthis discipleshipwhether he was a disciple

of Sri Ramakrishna himself or of Swami

Vivekanandabut at the time I met him,

the general understanding all of us in Kerala

had was that he was a disciple of the Master.

Though this has been disputed in later times,

no one denies that he had contacted the Great

Master as a young man, that he received his

blessings, and that he had shared his life of

the Sannyasin disciples of the Master from the

days of the Baranagore monastery.

At the time I am speaking of, the Swami

was in charge of the centre at Bangalore, and

he, as also Swami Sharvanandaji of Madras,

happened to be widely known among the

devotees of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda of

those days, because of the extensive tours they

used to make in different parts of South India.

Though Swami Nirmalanandajis centre was

Bangalore, he used to spend several months in

Kerala almost every year. His method of workwas to visit different places where there were

devotees known to him, stay in the house of

anyone of them who could accommodate him

conveniently, and contact interested visitors

through personal conversations. He had

already established a centre of the Missions

work at Trivandrum, started the magazine

Prabuddha Keralam, and arranged the visit

of Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj for laying

the foundation of the monastery building in

Trivandrum in 1916. At the time I am speakingof, though Swamiji had an influential circle

of devotees at Trivandrum, the only person

of some consequence who may be called an

ardent devotee at Calicut was my friends

father, Sri A. Every time he visited Kerala, he

used to come to Calicut and spend a few days

at Sri As house, giving an opportunity for all

devotees as well as others to contact him.

The impression that the Swami made on

my adolescent mind was tremendous. It maythus be summarized: Till then I had no positive

idea of a spiritual personage, beyond that of

legendary Rishis and sages of the Puranas.

In daily life one came across only Brahmin

Pandits and ritualists who expounded Puranas

or officiated at temples and domestic rituals,

and in their outlook and activities there was

nothing to distinguish them from ordinary

worldly men. The other types one associated

with religious life were ochre-robed beggars

who passed for Sannyasins and wandering

ascetics who put on matted locks and weird

dress and sat under trees before lighted fire to

impress the credulous public with the idea that

they were holy men with mysterious powers.

None of these could in any way inspire or even

impress one with the idea that the exclusive

pursuit of a religion-centred life had anything

ennobling in it.

I found a striking and startling contrast

in Swami Nirmalanandajis personality. Hewas so unlike the ochre-robed fraternity I had

seen. With his athletic frame, his sonorous

stentorian voice, his excellent command of

simple, clear and well-articulated English

and his astonishing capacity to give ready

and crushing reply to mischievous questions,

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I found him more than a match for the

self-accredited intelligentsia of the locality

consisting of lawyers, officers, teachers, etc,

who could take only a contemptuous view

of a Sannyasin till then. To this inherentworth of the Swami was added the halo of

association with Sri Ramakrishna and Swami

Vivekananda. All these put together generated

great reverence for him in ones mind, and the

frequent contact I used to have with him from

this time had a decided influence on the future

development of my mind.

It was at the age of fifteen or sixteen

that I began to read the lectures of Swami

Vivekananda and the magazine, PrabuddhaBharata. While all these impressed me very

much, there was nothing that could equal, to

my mind, the first edition of the Life of Swami

Vivekananda by his Eastern and Western

Disciples, now unfortunately out of print. The

first two volumes of it, written in a simple yet

fervent and inspiring English style, evoked

a passionate admiration for Sri Ramakrishna

and Swamiji in my mind and engulfed all other

devotional allegiances I had till then.

It was just at this juncture, that I

had my first opportunity of meeting Sri

Mahapurush Maharaj. Swami Brahmanandaji

Maharaj, the first President of Ramakrishna

Math and Mission, the spiritual son of Sri

Ramakrishnaabout whose lofty spiritual

personality some information had reached

even distant Kerala through the Gospel of Sri

Ramakrishnahad come down to Madras

in 1920-21, chiefly to open the Ramakrishna

Mission Students Home. His name was thenvery well-known to devotees in Kerala. He

had visited Kerala, including Trivandrum

and Kanyakumari, in 1916 when he laid the

foundation of the present Sri Ramakrishna

Ashram at Trivandrum and gave initiation to

several devotees in the state. A few devotees

from our place, including my mother, who

was long aspiring to take initiation, started

for Madras to meet Swami Brahmanandaji

Maharaj, familiarly known as the Maharaj

or Raja Maharaj. Swami Nirmalanandaji,who was intimately known to the devotees,

was also expected to have arrived at Madras

from Bangalore. As a youngster with some

knowledge of English, the devotees considered

that I might be useful as an interpreter, if none

better was available at Madras. So I too had

accompanied them.

When the party of devotees visited

Madras Math, they were given a very kind

and cordial welcome by Swami SharvanandajiMaharaj who was the President of Madras

Math then. Swami Nirmalanandaji Maharaj

had also arrived at the Math, as expected. All

of us, including myself, were admitted into

the august presence of Maharaj. He sat on an

easy chair with a hookah by his side. His face

was calm and solemn, and eyes absolutely

indrawn, though wide open and awake. He

was very communicative but brief in speaking

a few words of advice and assurance to the

representations of the devotees. All of them

were asked to come for initiation. The late

Swami Siddheswaranandaji, then Brahmachari

Gopal, acted as interpreter.

After the meeting with Maharaj, we

were informed that there was present at

the Math another venerable Swami, also a

disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. This was an

unexpected announcement, and we were

immensely glad to be taken to the presence

of this great personage, who was none otherthan Sri Mahapurush Maharaj, then the

Vice-President of the Math and Mission. The

Swami was occupying the southern upstairs

backroom which is now the Holy Mothers

Shrine. In those days, before the extension

and remodelling of the shrine, this was a

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living room. Adjacent to it was a spacious

staircase hall where Sri Mahapurush Maharaj

was seated on a chair when we met him. The

impression that now comes to my mind of

him is in some respect one of contrast withthe other great one, from whose presence

we had just then come out. Unlike Maharaj,

whose presence was forbiddingly solemn

and elevating, and whose silence was more

resonant than the spoken word, one saw in

Sri Mahapurush Maharaj a more human yet

transcendentally glorious figure, in whom a

mighty personality combined harmoniously

with an inviting and highly communicative

disposition. His face was wreathed in gracioussmiles, and his head nodded in an act of

kind approval at the introduction of the new

devotees. He seemed to be more elderly

than Maharaj from the colour of his hair,

but age had not made him old in any sense

of the term. He was in good health, and his

face, with somewhat high cheek bones, and

elongated eyes that gave it a slight Mongolian

touch, glowed with a reddish tinge and a

sense of carefree cheerfulness and universal

benevolence which made one feel absolutely

relaxed in his otherwise august presence. He

made kind enquiries about the devotees and

said that uttering Gods name with faith and

devotion was in itself a potent means of mens

spiritual development.

After that the party left the Math to see

the new building of the Students Home. It

was to perform the opening function that

Maharaj had come down from Calcutta. After

the visit, before returning to their residence,

the devotees stopped the car near the Math

and sent me to tell Swami Nirmalanandaji

Maharaj that they would be coming againnext day. As I approached the portico of the

Math, I had an opportunity to witness an

impressive scene that has so often come to my

memory. Being late in the evening, Maharaj

[Swami Brahmananda] had come out of his

room to air himself. He was just standing

in front of the portico with Mahapurush

Maharaj and Swami Nirmalanandaji Maharaj

on either side. Maharaj, wearing a cap and

holding a walking stick, stood in a ratherabsorbed mood, while Mahapurush Maharaj

with his beaming countenance stood close

by. On the right at a slight respectful distance

was Swami Nirmalanandaji Maharaj. It

was an extraordinary sight for me. All

were impressive and venerable figures,

both for their physical size and the dignity

and composure of their deportment. Holy

living had endowed their presence with a

charming solemnity born of their universal

benevolence and their poises in the Inner Self.

I communicated the information.

The party stayed at Madras for about a

couple of weeks and I had occasion to go to

the Math with them on several days. On most

of those occasions, I could pay my respects to

both Maharaj and the Mahapurush Maharaj.

We then returned home.

(To be continued. . .)

Kings and emperors rule this world but for a few days. Such is not the casewith true Masters. The world is always ruled by such great souls. Instead of being

kings and emperors, these people prefer the life of abject poverty, and from that

apparently low condition they rule over monarchs and conquerors. Their lives are

not limited, their powers are eternal, their friends comprise the whole world, their

bliss is perennial, and their energies are always employed for the amelioration of

their brother men. Swami Ramakrishnananda

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Unpublished Letters o

Swami Saradananda1

New Find

Aug. 29th 1901.

Math. Belur. Howrah.

India.

My dear Granny2

Just a line to say I had not had any note from you for a long

time and I would have been anxious, had not the Swami had a note

from Mrs.Sevier who is your guest at Norway. So you must be busy

there with Mr.Dutt & Prof.Bose & all the rest. I hope however you have

rested a bit and improved your health. I am looking forward to Dec. next to hail youhere. My brother wrote me he had a kind letter from you & he was so glad.

I hope Nivedita & Mrs.Sevier are well. Will you all sail the same date? My kindest regards

to them both.

The Swami3 was very poorly some two weeks ago, but is much better & stronger now. The

rest of the Math men are well & would like to be kindly remembered.

My father & mother are as before & send kind greetings to you & gratitude. Smt. Sarada Devi

is well & at Calcutta still. She desired her love & blessings to you all.

With all love from

Your affectionate boy

Saradananda

Math. Belur. Howrah.

India. Dec 12. 01.

My dear Granny

I am thankful to have your kind letter of Nov. 22nd. It is so cheering to know you are coming!

Mrs.Sevier has arrived with Miss Bull. Swamis Sadananda & Svarupa & myself met them

at the station on Tuesday evening last & brought them directly to the Math. Two tents have been

pitched on the Math grounds, where they will stay for a week or so, before leaving for Mayabati.

I am glad to know you feel stronger. I was really anxious for you dear Granny.

Margot will very probably have 16 Bose Para, when she comes. I have not told any one whatyou wrote about her.

The Holy Mother is well at her native village. She told me to send her love and blessings to

you both always when I write to you.

Swamiji is not very strong. One of his eyes (the right one) has been affected. The doctor

thinks it due to Albumen. He has been advised to take as much rest as possible.


19/56


With every act of love and sympathy, every performance of duty, every observance of

morality, man is trying to go beyond himself, by feeling himself one with the universe.

He who lives up to this truth has truly renounced himself. He who knows not this truth,

but tries to become a perfectly moral man in thought, word, and deed, is unconsciously

living up to that truth. Swami Saradananda

17

1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna 2. Mrs. Sara Bull 3. Swami Vivekananda

References

Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math

My brother wrote me in his last [letter] he will sail in the Mombassa of the B.I.S.N.[?] line

on Dec 31st. So he will leave just about the time when you both will take steamer. I am so glad to

know of your opinion of him.

I cannot tell you how I felt when I heard of the death of dear Dr.Janes. I always thought ofhim as an Indian Rishi of old born in the west to fight the growing materialistic tendency of the

age. I have already written to Mrs.Janes but think it too late to send in anything for publication

as you suggest.

My father continues to be the same & my mother is better. She has suffered much of late.

They both wanted to be kindly remembered & so did my friend.

Joe has written that she will be in India by Xmas.

Kindly present the enclosed card to Nivedita. Sadananda met Dr.Mahony today, who

enquired about her & gave it.

I am sorry I could not write you as regularly as beforeyou will know the reason when you

come. With blessings to Margot & dear love to you as ever

Yours affecly

Saradananda

[Printed on the enclosed card:]

Dr. H.C.Mahony

[Address:]

Mrs.Sara C. Bull.

c/o Baring Bros. (Bankers)

London.

England.

21a High Street

WimbledonS.W.


20/56


The Art o ListeningPRAVRAJIKA VIRAJAPRANA

the genome project, one prominent scientist

admitted that brain research was still in its

infancy and that investigating the realm of

consciousness was still far off. But in spite

of our lack of academic knowledge and the

intuitive perception of our sages, we somehow

manage to communicate with others what isgoing on in this mysterious inner world within

our minds. But how we do this, we dont really

know. So when we dont really understand

what is going on in our mind, is it any wonder

that we dont know whats going on in

someone elses mind, that we misunderstand

each other, and fail to communicate with one

another?

And yet language is the basic mode

of connecting with others, of acquiringknowledge. We learn from others by listening

to them, by processing the information we

receive externally through the complex

internal mechanisms of our own mind. Weve

already mentioned that ideas and words are

inextricably connected. Whatever idea we have

has a corresponding word to express it; the

word and the thought are inseparable.

Words spoken or written are external,

whereas the idea or thought is the internal

part. These two cannot be separated. Try it.

Can you have ideas or thoughts without words

Connection between Listening (sound) and

Thinking

There is another aspect of sound which

connects us with our inner world of words

and thoughts as well as with the thoughts of

others; that is the thinking process itself, a

most mysterious phenomenon and scientists,even today, openly admit they have no real

understanding of how thinking actually

happens. We have to admit that thinking

is unique, a most incredible faculty that all

humans have, and yet we have almost no

clue how we do it. If we have brain surgery,

what will we find other than a mass of tissue,

nerves, and blood vessels? So how does this

physical configuration of matter produce or

transmit subtle ideas, visual images, wordsand so on through our nervous system? What

is the connection?

This is the unsolved mystery of the mind

and its functions. Neuroscientists continue

to puzzle over what the mind is, where it

is spatially located in the brain, and how

electrical impulses convey concrete words and

ideas that we all seem to more or less agree

upon. And then there is the biggest mystery

of allconsciousness. Just recently when the

Obama administration sanctioned resources

for mapping the human brain, similarly to

A nun at the Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco, USA, since 1972, Pravrajika Virajaprana

is the editor and compiler of Photographs of Swami Vivekananda. She has contributed many thought-

provoking articles for Vedanta Kesariand Prabuddha Bharata. This article is based on her talk on the same

subject delivered at the Vedanta Society in April 2013.

(Continued from previous Issue . . .)


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and similarly can you have words without

ideas or thoughts? Its impossible to separate

them. Furthermore, we cant think without

a symbol and language which is composed

of words constitutes those symbols. Whenwe think we are actually hearing ourselves

verbalize thought. We cannot think without

sound.

So when we are thinking, we are

actually quietly talking and simultaneously

listening to ourselves, though external

audible sound is absent. As just mentioned,

a finer form of sound is involved

in forming thoughts and in

thinking, which is justputting certain thoughts

together. Unless we

speak or hear someone

else speak, we cannot

verbally communicate

with them, or have

any definite notion

of what they are

thinking, except

of course through

what we designate

as unspoken language,

such as body language.

But even in this case, there is a symbolic

representation or communication of the

inner thought of the other person through

their behaviour. We generalize and interpret

this behaviour based on our previous

experiencea dubious source of knowledge.

Swamiji makes an important point in

Raja Yoga, that though there must always be aword with a thought, it is not necessary that

the same thought requires the same word. The

thought may be the same in so many different

countries, yet language varies. So though

the word is necessary for the expression of

thought, these words need not necessarily

19

have the same sound. Sri Ramakrishna gives

an example of this when he speaks of water.

The content of the word water is the same but

it is expressed variously in diverse languages,

such as, aqua, pani, jal , etc. For example,with the exception of Swami Vivekananda

who spoke English, many of our great

spiritual teachers communicated in languages

unfamiliar to many of us in the West. We

read and study their teachings in translation,

in a language that is known to us. However,

though the words vary, the content, the idea

behind the word, is the same.

In the 6th chapter of the Chandogya

Upanisad, Shvetaketu, a youngB r a h m a c h a r i n t w e l v e

years old, was sent by

his father to a teacher to

study the Vedas. Having

studied all the relevant

texts, he returned to his

fathers house when

he was twenty-four,

conceited, arrogant

and considering himself quite

learned. His father recognized this and

asked him,

By the way, Shvetaketu, did you think to ask

for that teaching about the Supreme Brahman,

through which what is unheard becomes heard,

what is unthought of becomes thought of, what

is unknown becomes known?

Obviously, Shvetaketu hadnt thought

of asking about how something which is

unheard, can be heard. This is somewhat

like the Zen koan, hearing the sound of the

clapping of one hand. His father then imparts

a profound teaching to him which begins,

Dear boy, just as through a single clod of clay all

that is made of clay would become known, for all

modification is but name based upon words and

the clay alone is real.


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So the sounds or words may vary but

the connection between the thought and

the sound, or the symbol and that which it

signified exists. Therefore hearing is intimately

connected with our thinking.

Hearing is Different from Listening

There is a qualitative difference between

hearing and listening. Though both are

biological processes and involve the same

components, hearing is basically mechanical;

whereas listening is a conscious effort to

direct our attention, to concentrate on what

is being heard, whether it is the spoken

word or something read. Listening is hearingwith attention. When we listen, we are fully

engaged, focused, and concentrated.

Artists, musicians, poets, and others who

are sensitive to their surroundings describe

their experience of listening attentively

mostly with regard to nature, such as poetic

descriptions given of the gentle sound of the

wind in the trees, birdsong deep in the forest

at dawn, raindrops splashing in a pool of

water, and so on. Henry David Thoreau, the

American transcendentalist, remarked:

I wish to hear the silence of the night, for the

silence is something positive and to be heard. I

cannot walk with my ears covered. I must stand

still and listen with open ears, far from the noises

of the village. . . . A night in which the silence

was audible, I heard the unspeakable.

It is their sensitivity to the natural world,

the world of ideas and emotions and their

creative response that marks them as artists

and often lifts them above the senses.In spiritual life this response is even more

true and relevant. And this is exactly the point

of cultivating the art of listening. Listening

to the great spiritual masters is the first step

on our spiritual journey. They are telling us,

describing to us, subtle spiritual truths that at

present we have limited or no access to. Our

ordinary experience doesnt encompass the

realm beyond thought and mind. So we have

no other recourse except to listen to what they

have to say about it. As weve seen, listeningand thinking are intimately connected.

And through deep thinking, reflection and

meditation upon what we have carefully

listened to, we are able to gradually experience

the subtle realms of spiritual reality, which

transcends all sound and thought. So learning

the art of listening is extremely important in

recovering our true Self.

In the Vedantic scriptures this threefold

method of attaining Self-Knowledge, hearing,reflection and meditation, shravana, manana,

and nididhyasana, that Yajnavalkya taught

to Maitereyi usually translates shravana

as hearing, but for the purposes of this

discussion, we will focus on the first of this

threefold method, shravana, as listening. In

the Panchadasi, an important Vedantic text,

shravana is defined as listening with faith

and reverence to the pertinent passages and

trying to understand their meaning. Through

listening and reflection the seekers doubts

and misconceptions regarding the existence of

Brahman, its nature and means of attainment,

can be removed and a firm conviction

established.

Adi Shankaracharyas Atmabodha states

that to realize ones true Self directly and

clearly like a fruit on the palm of ones hand,

and not just to understand it intellectually,

one has to first hear the truth. Hearing means

listening to the instruction of a qualifiedteacher, who explains from the scriptures the

oneness of the individual self and Brahman.

Clearly, listening to an enlightened person is

essential.

Now the practical question arises: How

to develop the true art of listening? Lets

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consider three factors that are essential: 1)

interest; 2) appreciation for the value of what

we are listening to; 3) mindfulness.

1. Interest: Whatever we are interested

in, we effortlessly give our attention to that.Interest stimulates our feelings, holds our

attention, engages our entire personality;

infuses us with energy. We become alive, as it

were, through interest. Our attention follows

our interest. If we are not interested in, say,

chemistry or biology, we will not respond

to what is being said about those subjects,

no matter how intriguing the professor may

make the material, because our heart isnt in it.

Generally, our interest is scattered over many

things. The more scattered we are, the harder

it is to focus our attention on any one thing and

hence we drift, become inattentive; the mind

closes down instead of listening.

But in spiritual life we have to become

one-pointed; our interest has to be directed

within. As one of our late senior swamis

said, Unless you have withdrawn your mind

from outside interests, you will not be able

to hold your mind inside. This is a very

profound statement, which certainly governsour ability to listen attentively. If we are not

really interested in something, for all practical

purposes, it doesnt exist for us. As long as

we are all wrapped up in this world and are

satisfied here, that yearning for spirituality

will never come. But the moment genuine

yearning dawns, our interest begins to shift

from worldly things to the divine.

So having an intense interest in acquiring

spiritual knowledge, in Self-realization, isperhaps one of the most salient means of

cultivating the actual skill of listening. In

Sadanandas Vedantasara, it is mentioned that

one should approach the teacher as if ones

hair has caught fire. If our hair is on fire, we

wont stop to consider how it happened, or

how to extinguish the flames. We wont take

the time to ask all these questions; we just

rush to put out the fire. Thats how urgent it is;

thats how strong our interest should be. And

then there is still another factor: feeling, love.As Swamiji said, Love concentrates the will

without effort. What we love, we want to hear

about it. It is said that Swami Brahmananda

used to attend monastic classes just to listen

to scriptural discourses or holy readings. The

more we listen, the more we want to listen,

because we get joy from it.

2. Appreciation for the value of what

we are listening to: This is the second factor

in cultivating the art of listening. Whatever

we value, we have respect for that and want

to hear about it. We pay attention to it and

find delight in dwelling on it, because it has

meaning for us. A spiritual seeker is deeply

appreciative of what the teacher and scriptures

are imparting. There is no other source for this

kind of knowledge other than our own direct

experience. In the Viveka-chudamani again

and again the Sanskrit word srunu, listen, is

mentioned. The teacher keeps reminding the

disciple to listen to what is being said. Listenattentively, O learned one, to what I am going

to say. By listening to it you will be instantly

free from the bondage ofsamsara.

As Shankara said the scriptures are like

hundreds of mothers and fathers eagerly

seeking to instruct, to guide, and to uplift the

seeker. So the value in listening to our spiritual

teachers is immeasurable, incomparable. It is

the means for crossing this terrible ocean of

birth and death. That is why it is so importantto give our undivided attention to them.

Theres another point to remember here

and that is the words of an enlightened person,

as well as those of the scriptures, are imbued

with tremendous spiritual power; they convey

the assurance of the truth and our ability to

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realize it, which strengthens our convictions

and impels us to intensify our practices. As

weve mentioned, our minds, thoughts, words,

sound itself all are vibrations. The words of

one who has had experience of the Truth has asubtle influence on our own thoughts. We will

also begin to vibrate with the same frequency.

The power of holiness purifies us, which is a

great gain. The Srimad Bhagavatm says through

this contact, we touch the Divine, the presence

of God.

3. Mindfulness: Mindfulness is the

third factor in mastering the art of listening.

Ordinarily, there is so much noise inside

our minds, we are so scattered, that we

cant possibly listen to someone else; we are

too busy with whats going on in our own

head. With regard to this, one of our swamis

remarked, We cannot listen to the voice of

God when our minds are dissipated, given to

restless activity and are filled externally and

internally with noise. So in order to listen

properly, we have to learn to filter, to screen

our thoughts, to quiet the vibrations within.

To a large extent, through diligent

practice we can learn to control our thoughtsand thinking. Concentration of the mind is

a major player in this. Swami Vivekananda

once said that if he had to undergo his

education again, he would empty his mind of

everything he had learned, and simply focus

on developing the power of concentration, so

that he could direct his mind at will wherever

he wanted it, and similarly he could detach

it at will. Even in our daily lives when we

pay attention and listen carefully to others,

to ourselves, and to the world around us, it is

an excellent training for listening to the subtle

truths of the spiritual realm. After all, it is the

same mind that receives and processes allinformation, secular or spiritual.

Likewise we can choose what we hear;

we dont have to be hapless victims. But how

can we possibly choose what we want to hear?

Mainly by our response. Learning the skill of

listening is also the result of conscious effort

and practice, of bringing more self-awareness,

more mindfulness. Again, it is a matter of how

much attention we give the sound. If we do not

infuse emotion or energy into what we hear,

our interest wanes; the meaning fades and

drops away. The mind simply doesnt go there.

The law of association operates in how we

sort out what we hear. What we hear has to be

relevant to us or it has no meaning. Relevance

directs our response.

If we deprive sound of its meaning,

it doesnt affect us in the same way, either

positively or negatively. We remain neutral.

Similarly, if we empower sound with meaning,

then what we listen to can have a profoundeffect on us. That is why the teacher exhorts

the disciple: Listen attentively . . . to what I

am going to say. By listening to it, you will

be instantly free from the bondage of relative

existence.

And what can be more relevant and

transforming for a spiritual seeker than

listening to such words of an enlightened

teacher?

(Concluded.)

O Lord, I do not want any kingdom, nor heavenly pleasure, nor even escape from

rebirth. But I do want that the afiction of all beings tormented by the miseries of life

may cease.

Vishnupurana, I. 19. 82

22


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Travelogue

The author is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order. He gratefully acknowledges the help he received from

various monks in Belur Math and elsewhere in preparing this article.

His Abiding PresenceA Pilgrimage to Swami Vivekanandas Room in Belur MathA MONASTIC SOJOURNER

The Location

Here I am writing in my room on

the Ganga, in the Math, wrote Swami

Vivekananda [CW, 6.440].

It is so quiet and still! The broad river is dancing

in the bright sunshine, only now and then an

occasional cargo boat breaking the silence withthe splashing of the oars. It is the cold season

here, but the middle of the day is warm and

bright every day. . . Everything is green and

gold, and the grass is like velvet; yet the air is

cold and crisp and delightful.

This gives an idea as to how Swami

Vivekananda viewed his surroundings, the

Belur Math and Ganges, from his room

located on the banks of Ganga, near Kolkata.

What many people do not know is thatSwamijis room is maintained and preserved

as if Swamiji is living there and using it. There

is a presence in the ethereal atmosphere of the

room, a place filled with Swami Vivekananda.

Swamiji loved his room and was always

glad to be back to it after his travels, and even

after a short visit to Kolkata. In this room he

wrote, gave instructions to his brother-monks

and disciples, received his friends, had hismeal, rested and communed with God. And

in this very room he gave up his body in final

meditation.

Swamijis room, as it is popularly known,

is a part of the sacred precincts of Belur Math.

Located in the Howrah district of West Bengal,

some seven kilometres from the Howarh

Railway Station, on the GT Road, Belur Math is

a well-known place of pilgrimage. Thousands

of visitors come to Belur Math every day fromall parts of India and, many from beyond the

borders, seeking peace and inspiration.

Belur Math from Ganges


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24

Belur Math was established in 1898 by

Swami Vivekananda. Spread over several

acres of land, dotted with green lawns,gardens, buildings and pathways and so on,

the Belur Math is an amazing place. There

are four temples along the Ganga, as also

many sacred memories and spots connected

with Holy Mother, Swamiji and direct

disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. The place has

a spiritually elevating ambience. We

will, however, describe the room

where Swami Vivekananda lived and

passed away (in 1902).

Swamijis room is situatedbehind the majestic temple of Sri

Ramakrishna. The room is on the first

floor of the building which is one of

the first structures when the Belur

Math was founded. The room is,

therefore, located in a building which

is more than a century old.

Swamijis room is on the corner

of the building. One sees Ganga

flowing by from the eastern windows.A veranda in front of the room gives

a panoramic view of the Ganga. The

ceiling of the room is lined with

wooden rafts which hold the tiles. It

is an old fashioned construction but

strong and sturdy. A well maintained

flower garden between the building

and the Ghat on the Ganga (called

Swamijis Ghat) adds a scenic charm

to the place. Two vintage lamp posts

on the embankment, on the either side

of the Ghat-steps, remind one of its

heritage value.

The way to Swamijis room is

either through the Math Courtyard,

through an iron door, or through the

brick-path along the Ganga. One leaves

the footwear in the general footwear

stand near the main temple or near the steps

leading to the room. There are two staircases

[which were built much later to facilitatedevotees to have darshan of the room] on the

southern side of the building through which

the visitors reach to a landing point or balcony

upstairs from where one looks through two

large door-like windows to have an idea of

Swamijis room. There is another staircase,

A view of the building whereSwamiji's room is located (corner, upstairs)

Balcony and two windows meant for devotees to haveDarshan of Swamiji's room


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25

from inside the building, which Swamiji used

but now it is part of the monastic residence

and hence the entry through that is restricted.

If one enters from the Math Courtyard,

passing through the busy Math Office, one sees

a large and old mango tree, some of its infirm

branches supported by brick pillars. This is

one of the trees that has existed from the time

the Belur Math land was purchased. Swamijisbiography records:

Another favourite seat [of Swamiji] was under

the big mango tree in the courtyard between

Sri Ramakrishnas shrine and the monastery

building. Here he would usually be found in

the morning hours, seated on a canvas cot and

attending to his correspondence, or writing

articles, or reading, or engaged in conversation.

And, thus this tree is sacred to devotees

and is known as Swamijis mango tree. This

tree is a witness to many incidents connectedwith Swamijis life. One such incident:

Once Swamiji was sitting on the canvas cot,

facing west. His eyes were luminous; his

whole frame seemed to be animated with some

strange spiritual consciousness. Pointing to the

sannyasins and brahmacharins about him, he

exclaimed: And where will you go to seek God?

He is immanent in all beings. Here, here is the

visible God! Shame on those who, disregarding

the visible God, set their minds on other things!

Here is God before you as tangible as a fruit in

your hand! Cant you see! Here- here-here is

God! He spoke these words in such an inspiring

way that peace and insight of deep meditation

came over all present there. They stood like

statues, so motionless and hushed in silence hadthey become! Swami Premananda, after his bath

in the Ganga, was on his way to the shrine for

worship. Hearing the words of Swamiji he fell

The large cot and the chair (with picture) used by SwamijiPakhwaj and Tanpura used by Swamiji

Swamiji's mango tree (supported by brick pillars)

beside his rooma view from the Math courtyard


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into a state of absorption and became motionless.

After a quarter of an hour Swamiji said to him,

Now go for worship. Only then did Swami

Premananda regain normal consciousness. That

scene was unforgettable. Everyone in the Math

was struck with amazement at the power of

Swamiji who, with a word, could raise the minds

of all present to the heights of Supreme Insight.

The place has been a witness to many

such spiritually inspiring incidents.

Inside the Room

As one climbs up from the left staircase,

one has the first closer view of Swamijis

room. Inside, on a large cot and a small cot,

and also on a chair, are kept pictures of Swami

Vivekananda in glass frames. Near one of

the pictures facing the visitors is glass case

with a pair of wooden slippers (kharam) that

he wore. Fresh flowers kept on the glass topand elsewhere in the room add to a sense of

liveliness and brightness to the ambiance.

The room looks somewhat well-furni-

shed and crowded. Keeping in mind that it is

the place where one of the greatest monks of

modern times lived, one wonders why there

should be many items of furniture there. The

reason is not that Swamiji used them while

he lived here but that after his passing away,

many pieces of furniture or things that he

used when he visited various parts of India,

America and England were sent here for

preserving their sanctity. Hence, the room looks

a bit filled. But this filling in not just physical,

there is something more intangible that leaves

a lasting impression on ones mind. One is

overawed by a divine presence pervading the

place.

During Swamijis time the room must

have been less cluttered than it appears

today. He was a monk par excellence and

would have liked to live and move like free

air. One can then visualise him in a spacious

room with a bare minimum of furniture,

sitting quietly or meditating, or being absorbed

in the scenic beauty of the Ganga or reading.Here lived the great sage of whom Sri

Ramakrishna said he was a Dhyana Siddha

(perfect in meditation) even from the very

birth.

There are many items used by Swamiji

neatly and respectfully kept there. Some of

Swamiji's portrait on the large cot Swamiji's slippers, near his bed

26


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them are: a mirror with wooden frame, a

wooden cupboard, an iron spring-cot with

mattress, a pillow and two bolsters, a wooden

camp cot, knitted with canvas, a wooden sofa

(covered with synthetic leather), a woodentable with drawers and some smaller pieces of

furniture. A blotting holder with paper board

on the table is a reminder of Swamijis writing

habits.

Besides, there are many other personal

articles used by Swamiji. While most of the

items which Swamiji used are now enshrined

in the Ramakrishna Museum in Belur Math

(along with sacred articles related to Sri

Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Deviand other direct disciples), some are kept in

his room. For instance there are the cane sticks

that he used, the musical instruments such

as Tanpura and Pakhawaj he played, one of

his silk turban (in a glass case), a woodenumbrella and a few others.

On the table is a picture of Sri Rama-

krishna on a wooden altar. Beside the picture,

there is an oval-shaped crystal stand with

an image of Swamiji as a wandering monk.

In the crystal, Swamiji is conceived of as the

great God Shiva; hence, there is also Nandi,

the Bull, the vehicle of Shiva, in front of

him. Miss Josephine McLeod, an American

associate of Swamiji, got it made most likely

in 1917. She got a number of them made and

happily distributed them to people as a kind

of visiting card, as she said. Why crystal?

Nothing but crystal can represent Swamiji,

was her answer.

It is indeed living room, not a placewhere someone is not physically present.

The Life inside the Room

The moon is not up yet, but there is a

sunless glow upon the river, writes Swamiji

in one of his letters [CW, 9. 164].

Our mighty Ganges (She is indeed mighty now,

during the rains) is splashing against the walls

of the house. Numerous tiny boats are flitting

up and down in the dark; they have come to

fish for our shads, which come up the river this

season. . . It is raining outsidepouring. But the

moment this downpour ceases, I rain through

every poreit is so hot yet. . . .

I would not take any supper tonight, as I ate

rather heartily of the aforesaid shad! Then I have

to think, think, think on my theme; and some

subjects I think best in bed because the whole is

made clear to me in dream. Therefore, I am going

to bed , . . .

Swamijis room is maintained as if

he is still there. At dawn, a little before 4,

the doors and windows of the room are

opened, Agarbati is lit and Swamijis framed

Swamiji's Ghat and garden on Ganga, seen from Swamiji's room

27


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28


picture, which had been laid on the bed on

the previous night, symbolising rest and

sleep, is placed upright against the pillow on

the cot. A little later, all furnitures is dusted

and the place is cleaned and mopped by amonastic. Around 8 in the morning, fresh

flowers are placed before his pictures and

Agarbatis are lit. There is always a steady

stream of devotees and monks to the room

except between 11.30 and 3.30 when the

room is closed. Again, in the afternoon, it

is open to public till the evening Arati. At

night, all flowers are removed, the place is

cleaned and Swamijis picture is laid on the bed,

again, and mosquito curtain is drawn over hisbed and a dim green bulb is put on signifying

rest and sleep. This has been the routine of the

place for the past more than a century.

Only on Swamijis birthday a special

decoration and offering of food is done. On

that day, musicians sing Hindustani classical

music, especially the Dhrupad style, in the

balcony in front of the room. Swamiji was

deeply fond of Dhrupad style and other forms

of Indian classical music.

His Abiding Presence

There are many places connected with

Swamiji that have now been made into

monuments such as his ancestral house in

Kolkata where he was born and grew up,

his Samadhi Mandir in Belur Math, the

Vivekanandar Illam in Chennai, the room in

Belgaum, and a few more. But Swamijis room

is a special place. It is special on two counts:

he himself liked it and mentioned it in some ofhis letters and second because he left his body

in Mahasamadhi in this room. Hence the room

has a special place in the hearts of all devotees

and admirers of Swamiji.

Swamijis room has been a place of

inspiration and strength to numerous people

who visit it. Once Mahatma Gandhi came to

Belur Math on a visit. He said,

I have come here [Belur Math] to pay my homage

and respect to the revered memory of Swami

Vivekananda, whose birthday is being celebratedtoday [6 February 1921]. I have gone through his

works very thoroughly, and after having gone

through them, the love that I had for my country

became a thousand fold. I ask you, young men,

not to go away empty handed without imbibing

something of the spirit of the place where Swami

Vivekananda lived and died.

Here is another a tribute by Emma

Calv (1858-1942) one of the famous opera

singers of her days. She had met Swamiji and

her life underwent a change after she met and

interacted with him. She recalled,

Years later, when I was travelling in India, I

wished to visit the convent where the Swami had

spent his last days. His mother took me there. I

saw the beautiful marble tomb that one of his

American friends, Mrs. Leggett, had erected

over his grave. I noticed that there was no name

upon it. I asked his brother, who was a monk in

the same Order, the reason of this omission. He

looked at me in astonishment, and with a noblegesture that I remember to this day. He has

passed on, he answered. . . . The monks of the

Swamis brotherhood received us with simple,

kindly hospitality. They offered us flowers

and fruits, spreading a table for us on the lawn

beneath a welcome shade.

At our feet the mighty Ganga flowed. Musicians

played to us on strange instruments, weird,

plaintive chants that touched the very heart. A

poet improvised a melancholy recitative in praise

of the departed Swami. The afternoon passed ina peaceful, contemplative calm.

Many brother-disciples of Swamiji have

testified to Swamijis abiding presence in his

room. Here are a few instances:

Years after the demise of Swamiji, Swami

Vijnanananda was asked:


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Swamiji's Samadhi

Mandir, Belur Math

29


Do you see Swamiji even now? Swami

Vijnananandas reply was: Wont I see him

when he is here?

He clarified his statement on another

occasion:Swamiji is still here! When I pass by his room,

I tiptoe lest he should be disturbed. I dont

generally look into his room lest his eyes should

catch mine. He takes his walk along this balcony,

moves about on the terrace, sings in his room,

and does many other things.

Once, in the early days of Belur Math, for

want of a resting place, two young monks slept

in the narrow passage in front of Swamijis

room. Swami Shivananda observed it and

asked them to get up and sleep elsewhere. He

told them,

My boys, Swamiji walks here; it will be

inconvenient for him if you people rest here.

He very much lives here. Dont obstruct his

movements.

Another day, Swami Shivananda was

seen in front of Swamijis room looking

intently inside the room and repeatedly

saying, Good morning, Swamiji. Later he

told others, Today is a blessed day. I got the

vision of Swamiji. Finishing his morning walk

he was entering the room; it was just then I

saw him. He was overwhelmed in bliss. That

whole day Swami Shivananda was in Swamiji-

consciousness and reminisced about Swamiji.

During the dedication of Swamijis

temple in January 1924, Swami Shivananda

said: Swamiji lives in this Belur Math even

now. How many days I have seen him in

his room immersed in deep meditation!Sometimes I saw him pacing in the room.

As one walks towards the Samadhi

Mandir of Swami Vivekananda on the other

end of Belur Math campus, some 100 meters

from his room, one is reminded of him again.

Here his physical remains were consigned tofire in 1902.

The place was chosen by Swamiji

himself. His Life records:

Three days before his passing away, as the

Swami was walking up and down on the

spacious lawn of the monastery in the afternoon

with Swami Premananda, he pointed to a

particular spot on the bank of the Ganga, and

said to his brother-monk gravely, When I give

up the body, cremate it there! On that very spot

stands today a temple in his honour.

Indeed, Swamiji lives on. Did he not

himself say it once,

It may be that I shall find it good to get outside

my body, to cast it off like a worn out garment.

But I shall not cease to work. I shall inspire men

everywhere until the whole world shall know

that it is one with God.

A pilgrimage to

Swamijis room in Belur

Math convinces one of

this.1

Reference

1. For more details, please see,A Pilgrimage to Belur

Math, by Swami Asutoshananda, Sri Ramakrishna

Math, Mylapore, Chennai, Pp.142


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The Vedanta Kesari September 2013

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