Prabuddha Bharata June10

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PBRABUDDHA
HARATA
or AWAKENED INDIA
A monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order
started by Swami Vivekananda in 1896
June 2010
The Tantra Way – II
Vol. 115, No. 6
CMYK
THE ROAD TO WISDOM
Swami Vivekananda on
MOTHER WORSHIP
I t is my belief that the Tantras, in vogue

amongst us, were the creation of the Bud-
dhists themselves. Those Tantrika rites are even
the abominable things in the Tantras, such as
the Vamachara etc., the Tantras are not so bad
as people are inclined to think. There are many
more dreadful than our doctrine of Vamachara; high and sublime Vedantic thoughts in them. In
for in them adultery got a free rein, and it was fact, the Brahmana portions of the Vedas were
only when the Buddhists became demoralised modified a little and incorporated into the body
through immorality that they were driven away of the Tantras. All the forms of our worship and
by Kumarila Bhatta. As some Sannyasins speak the ceremonials of the present day, comprising
of Shankara, or the Bauls of Shri Chaitanya, the Karma Kanda, are observed in accordance
that he was in secret an epicure, a drunkard, with the Tantras.
and one addicted to all sorts of abominable
It is very difficult to understand why in this
practices—so the modern Tantrika Buddhists
country so much difference is made between
speak of the Lord Buddha as a dire Vamachari
men and women, whereas the Vedanta
and give an obscene interpretation to the many
declares that one and the same conscious Self
beautiful precepts of the Prajnaparamita, such
is present in all beings. You always criticise the
as the Tattvagatha and the like.
women, but say what have you done for their
The real meaning of the word Tantra is
uplift? Writing down Smritis etc., and binding
Shastra, as for example, Kapila Tantra. But
them by hard rules, the men have turned the
the word Tantra is generally used in a limited
women into mere manufacturing machines!
sense. Under the sway of kings who took up
If you do not raise the women, who are the
Buddhism and preached broadcast the doctrine
living embodiment of the Divine Mother, don’t
of Ahimsa, the performances of the Vedic
think that you have any other way to rise. …
Yaga-yajnas became a thing of the past, and
Without propitiating the Mother by worship
no one could kill any animal in sacrifice for
and obeisance, not even Brahma and Vishnu
fear of the king. But subsequently amongst the
have the power to elude Her grasp and attain
Buddhists themselves—who were converts from
to freedom.
Hinduism—the best parts of these Yaga-yajnas
were taken up, and practised in secret. From From The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda,
these sprang up the Tantras. Barring some of 1.232, 1.239, 7.46.
PB rabuddha
harata
or Awakened India
A monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order
started by Swami Vivekananda in 1896
Vol. 115, No. 6 Contents

June 2010
Traditional Wisdom 361

This Month 362
Editorial: Embodying Shakti 363
Shakti Puja and Sri Ramakrishna 365
Swami Ishatmananda
Tantra: Its Origin, Nature, and Contents 372
Amrita Kalasha
Prof. Debabrata Sen Sharma
Tantra and Kali: Some Reflections 377
Editorial Office Pandit Hemendra Nath Chakravarty
Prabuddha Bharata
The Crimson Hibiscus: 380
Advaita Ashrama
Songs for the Divine Mother
PO Mayavati, Via Lohaghat
Srinjay Chakravarti
Dt Champawat · 262 524
Uttarakhand, India Swami Abhedananda: 385
E-mail: p [email protected] An Outstanding Personality
[email protected] Prof. Haridas Mukherjee
Publication Office Swami Jagadananda at Vrindaban 387

Advaita Ashrama Swami Dhyanananda
5 Dehi Entally Road The Poetic Philosophy of Ramcharitmanas 393
Kolkata · 700 014 A P N Pankaj
Tel: 91 · 33 · 2 264 0898 / 2264 4000 Vedanta-sara 398
2286 6450 / 2286 6483 Swami Bhaskareswarananda
E-mail: [email protected]
Mahendranath Gupta: 402
Internet Edition at: From Death to Immortality
www.advaitaashrama.org Swami Chetanananda
Cover photo: ‘Hibiscus’ Reviews 406

Diana Lee Angstadt Photography Reports 407
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59
Traditional Wisdom
Wrút²; std{; ŒtËg JhtrªtctuÆt; > Arise! Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached!
Understanding the Mother June 2010

Vol. 115, No. 6
Who is there that can understand

what Mother Kali is?
Even the six darshanas
are powerless to reveal her.
It is she, the scriptures say,
that is the inner Self
Of the yogi, who in Self
discovers all his joy;
She that, of her own sweet will,
inhabits every living thing.
The macrocosm and microcosm

rest in the Mother’s womb;
Now, do you see how vast it is?
In the Muladhara
The yogi meditates on her,
and in the Sahasrara:
Who but Shiva has beheld her
as she really is?
Within the lotus wilderness she sports
beside her mate, the Swan.
When man aspires to understand her,

Ramprasad must smile;
To think of knowing her, he says,
is quite as laughable
As to imagine one swimming
across the boundless sea.
But while my mind has understood,
alas! My heart has not;
Though but a dwarf, it still would strive
to make a captive of the moon.
(Ramprasad)
PB June 2010 361
This Month
The essence of the tantra way lies not so much Songs are a powerful means of invoking the God
in the use of specific techniques as in the abil dess and expressing the experiences that the tan
ity to harness power and channel it to suitable tric sadhaka undergoes. Sri Srinjay Chakravarti,
ends. Embodying Shakti is the crux of Shakti Content Editor, Mergermarket Group, brings the
worship—we need to remember this as we sur world of tantric devotional outpourings alive in
vey the tantras. The Crimson Hibiscus: Songs for the Divine
Mother.
Sri Ramakrishna has been
widely recognized as the Swami Abhedananda: An Outstanding Per-
foremost among mod sonality is Prof. Haridas Mukherjee’s tribute to
ern practitioners of the a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna whom he sees as a
tantras whose methods philosopher and a patriot. The author is former
and experiences shed Head, Department of History, Presidency Col
fresh light on obscure lege, Kolkata.
techniques as well as the
Swami Jagadananda at Vrindaban is a
means to success in tantric sadhana. Swami Ishatma
vivid portrait of the last days of a monk
nanda, Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission, Narottam
who embodied the ideals of jnana and
nagar, explicates some of these issues in Shakti Puja
bhakti. The author, Swami Dhyanananda,
and Sri Ramakrishna.
was Joint Editor, Udbodhan.
Tantra: Its Origin, Nature, and
Sri A P N Pankaj continues his elucidation of
Contents remain shrouded in
the The Poetic Phil-
mystery even today. Prof. Deba
osophy of Ramcharit
brata Sen Sharma, Professor of
manas with a study of
Indology, Ramakrishna Mission
its opening invocatory
Institute of Culture, Kolkata,
verse. The author is a
sheds light on some of the ob
littérateur of repute
scure aspects of the tantras.
from Chandigarh.
Mother Kali is one of the central deities of the tantric Swami Bhaskareswarananda, former President,
pantheon, and the details of her conception and wor Ramakrishna Math, Nagpur, concludes his com
ship highlight important aspects of tantric esoter mentary on the prerequisites for the study of Ved
ism. Pandit Hemendra Nath Chakravarty, a tantric anta in the fourth instalment of Vedanta-sara.
scholar of repute from
Varanasi, provides us Mahendranath Gupta: From Death to Immor-
with a glimpse into the tality is a valuable account of the last days of the
world of Mother Kali famous disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. The author,
in Tantra and Kali: Swami Chetanananda, is Minister-in-Charge, Ved
Some Reflections. anta Society of St Louis.
362 PB June 2010

EDITORIAL
Embodying Shakti
O
n 6 May 1897 Swami Vivekananda paid a success Tapaswini Mataji had attained in educating
visit to the Mahakali Pathshala, a school girls in a traditional society, she replied with char
for young girls founded by Tapaswini acteristic humility, ‘In my service to my students, I
Mataji Gangabai in Calcutta. There, ‘at a word look upon them as the Divine Mother; … in start
from Mataji all of them [students] commenced re ing the school I have neither fame nor any other
citing the Sanskrit meditation of Lord Shiva with object in view.’ Therein lay, probably, the secret of
proper intonation. Then they demonstrated at the Mataji’s success.
instance of the Mother how they were taught the At this very time Sri Ramakrishna’s disciple
ceremonies of worship in their school. … After this, Gauri-ma was also engaged in an important educa
Mataji sent for some particular girl and asked her tional programme. Not only had Gauri-ma trained
to explain before Swamiji the first verse of the third herself in scriptural studies, she also undertook ex
canto of Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsham, which she did tensive itinerant tapasya. Sri Ramakrishna, how
in Sanskrit.’ ever, commissioned her to work for the women of
Born in 1835 of Maharashtrian parents at Vel India. ‘You have practised enough spiritual discip
lore in the Arcot district of present Tamil Nadu, lines,’ he said. ‘Now you should serve the women
where her father was the ruler of a tiny state, Ganga with your spiritual energy.’
bai became well versed ‘in Sanskrit religious litera In 1895 Gauri-ma founded the Sri Sri Sarade
ture as well as skilled in riding, sword-play, and all shwari Ashrama for women at Barrackpur. She
manly games’ at an early age. ‘Hearing the call of transferred the ashrama to North Calcutta in 1911;
God and the motherland she left her home and, fifty dedicated women joined the ashrama, and
after many adventures, came to Jhansi, and became three hundred girls received their education there.
an intimate companion of Rani Lakshmi Bai, who Once, when Mahatma Gandhi visited Calcutta she
was a distant maternal aunt of hers. Along with met him at Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das’s resi
her she plunged into the conflagration of 1857, and dence and ‘spoke to him about nishkama karma (un
fought bravely in her army on horseback, sword and selfish action) according to the Bhagavadgita, and
lance in hand. After Lakshmi Bai’s death, she fled mentioned the ideal of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami
to Nepal, in the company of Nana Saheb, and spent Vivekananda for the present age, “Serve man as
the life of a fugitive there for nearly thirty years, God”’. That Gauri-ma’s work exemplified this ideal
practising the hardest sadhanas, which probably is attested to by Sri Sarada Devi: ‘Gaur-dasi takes
gave her the name Tapaswini Mata, and preparing wonderful care of the girls at her ashrama. If anyone
for her next mission in life, which was carried out is ill, she does all her personal services herself. ’
in Calcutta.’ She is reported to have arrived in Cal One day, when Gauri-ma was visiting Belur
cutta around 1890 and founded her school in 1893. Math, a monk asked her: ‘We heard that when you
Over the next ten years the institution expanded to left home you were a young girl. Weren’t you afraid
twenty-three branches with four hundred and fifty to travel by yourself—and without any money?’
students, a remarkable achievement for the times. Gauri-ma replied: ‘My son, all fear is pertaining to
As Swamiji expressed his great appreciation at the the body. I had something with me so that no one
PB June 2010 363
14 Prabuddha Bharata
could harm me.’ Gauri-ma had clearly ascended rare of the river, where she would set adrift an earthen
heights very early in her spiritual journey. lamp burning ghee. She would return home, take
Tapaswini Mata’s aunt, Rani Lakshmibai, also some light refreshments and again come to office.
manifested the Devi, albeit in battle. Swami Viveka This was the time when her tenants and visitors
nanda observed: ‘During the Mutiny of 1857, [Rani would meet her with their prayers and grievances.
Lakshmibai] fought against the English soldiers and The audience was usually over by about ten o’clock,
held her own ground for two years—leading mod and then she would retire for the night, but not
ern armies, managing batteries and always charging before she had inquired about the welfare of the
at the head of her army. … A man whom I know members of her household.’ Ahalyabai too had a
lost three of his sons in that war. When he talks of very similar routine.
them he is calm, but when he talks of this woman Both Bhavani and Ahalyabai continue to be re
his voice becomes animated. He used to say that she membered for their exceptional charities and public
was a goddess—she was not a human being. This old works, and Varanasi happens to be one pilgrimage
veteran thinks he never saw better generalship.’ centre where their bounty found a particularly lib
Rani Rasmani, a contemporary of Lakshmibai, eral expression. Both spent generously on the con
was equally well known for her generosity, cour struction and renovation of temples, opening and
age, and piety. Though born in a poor family, the running rest houses and satras, almonries, digging
pet name ‘Rani’ given by her mother became her tanks, wells, and ponds, building ghats, and under
popular title ‘in recognition of her royally be taking numerous other religious and charitable
nevolent and commanding nature’. According to works. Bhavani was ‘so renowned for her charity
Sri Ramakrishna, ‘Rani Rasmani was one of the and piety and was so much loved and respected by
eight nayikas [attendant goddesses] of the Divine the local people of Varanasi that she was popularly
Mother. She came down to the world to spread called the “Annapurna of Kashi”’.
the worship of the Divine Mother.’ Though she is Bhavani’s adopted son Raja Ramakrishna also
best remembered for the Dakshineswar Kali temple became famous as a great devotee of Mother Kali.
that she founded, numerous public works—roads, Though he inherited his mother’s largesse, he re
ghats, ponds—relief activities, and charity testify to mained too immersed in his tantric devotions to
the Devi manifest in her life. administer the large estate he inherited. As big sec
In her piety and munificence Rani Rasmani was tions of the property were auctioned owing to Raja
only following in the footsteps of Ranis Ahalyabai Ramakrishna’s inability to manage them, Bhavani
Holkar and Bhavani, whose spirituality and benefi had only blessings for him: ‘May you be like the
cent reign in the eighteenth century have remained scions of the solar dynasty’.
legendary. ‘Bhavani’s life was a pattern of discip The kings of the solar dynasty were known for
lined activity. … From the early hours of dawn till their spirit of service and their detachment. Swami
late morning she would be occupied with her daily Saradananda observes in Bharate Shaktipuja: ‘What
religious observances. Then she would cook meals ever be the purpose, to attain success in Shakti wor
for ten brahmanas and feed them, and when she ship one must avoid unnecessary loss of energy, unite
took her own breakfast, it would be long past mid with the Atman within—the source of all energy—
day. Next she would come to the office and give the keep the channels for the flow of power therefrom
necessary orders verbally. Her evenings were passed clear, and then with due faith evoke the grace of the
in listening to recitals from the Puranas. Then her great Shakti through proper invocation, worship,
manager would come for her signature to written and self-sacrifice.’ This then is the key to success in
orders, charters, grants and important communi tantric sadhana. The remarkable lives noted here
cations. This was followed by a visit to the bank only go to reiterate this secret. P
364 PB June 2010
Shakti Puja and Sri Ramakrishna
Swami Ishatmananda
‘Y
eh kya daivi maya; what divine miracle is iti tantram; it is called tantra as knowledge is spread
this!’—these words remind us of a wonder by it.’ What kind of knowledge is referred to here?
ful incident in the life of Sri Ramakrishna: It The true knowledge of Ishvara. Knowledge of the
was midnight. A heavily built sannyasin with mat identity and inseparability of Shiva and the primal
ted locks was standing in the middle of the Ganga Energy—termed Prakriti, Kali, and the like—is the
somewhere between Baranagar and Dakshineswar. true knowledge of Ishvara. In tantra this realization
Though in the middle of this mighty river, he could is called mukti or nirvana. Tantra elevates the aspir
not find sufficient water to submerge his frame. This ant from the plane of duality to the non-dual plane.
sannyasin was Totapuri, Sri Ramakrishna’s Vedantic With the propagation of Shaivism and Pancha
preceptor, who had stepped into the river to end his ratra doctrines, tantra came to be increasingly rec
life and get relief from unbearable bodily pain. All ognized both as scripture and as spiritual discipline.
of a sudden, the Ganga was merely knee-deep and The majority of tantric scriptures have been lost;
he could not drown himself. Awestruck, Totapuri what remains is largely in the form of fragmentary
cried: ‘Yeh kya daivi maya.’1 How could this hap texts. Tantra effectively explains the mystery of cre
pen? The one responsible for this miracle was stand ation. The great oriental scholar R G Bhandarkar is
ing on the bank of the Ganga at Dakshineswar. He of the opinion that tantra is a mystical philosophy,
was overjoyed at having convinced his illumined an esoteric spiritual practice that can be undertaken
master about the existence of Shakti, of Kali. only by a person of self-control.
One who was ‘Mother’ to Sri Ramakrishna is the One of the earliest mentions of the terms ‘Shaiva’
‘Shakti’ of the scriptures. The philosophy of Shakti and ‘Pancharatra’ are found in the Naradiya section
is known as tantra. The word ‘tantra’ brings mixed of the ‘Shanti Parva’ of the Mahabharata, where the
feelings into our minds. We become doubtful and great devotee Shiva Srikantha is said to have pro
feel uneasy about its efficacy as a spiritual practice. pounded the spiritual doctrine of Pashupata—the
Many in India and abroad still consider tantra and oldest theory of tantra in North India. Also called
black magic to be synonymous. This ancient and ‘Agama’, it is considered the source of tantric perform
great philosophical knowledge was misinterpreted ances of Vedic origin like homa and abhisheka. Ac
and misused by the opponents of the tantra system. cording to different schools, the Agamas vary from
Their false propaganda placed tantra on a par with eighteen to twenty-eight in number. The Yamalas
the activities of ghosts, spirits, and demons. Through are another important set of tantric texts. There are
his unique sadhana, Sri Ramakrishna revived and eight popular Yamalas attributed to Rudra, Skanda,
re-established the spiritual discipline of tantra, Brahma, Vishnu, Yama, Vayu, Kubera, and Indra.2
and through his worship, he transformed the all- In the Shaiva tantra, Rudra or Sadashiva is the
powerful Goddess into the compassionate Mother. predominant spokesperson, but in the Yamalas,
Bhairava is the principal figure and a teacher of
What Is Tantra? humans. There are three srotas, streams, of sadhana
The word ‘tantra’ is derived from the root tanu, which in the Yamala tradition: Dakshina, Vama, and
means ‘expansion’: ‘Tanyate vistaryate jnanam anena Madhyama. In the Agamas we find two srotas: one of
PB June 2010 365
Shiva Pashupati worship, the aim of which is mukti The Vaishnava Sahajiya tantra was in vogue be
or liberation; and the other of Shakti worship, the fore the advent of Sri Chaitanya. In this school,
aim of which is acquisition of supernatural power. initiated by Chandidas, Sri Krishna takes the place
When it spread to Tibet, Buddhism created a of Kali. Chandidas explains this discipline in his
special form of tantra called Mantrayana. It has Sri Krishna Kirtan. Srimati Radha is considered
three parts: Vajrayana, Sahajayana, and Kalachakra Shakti by this school, and Sri Krishna is looked
yana. Its practices are based on mantras, mudras, upon as Brahman. The Vaishnava tantra drew many
and mandalas and aim at awakening Shakti, which ideas from other Hindu tantras and the Buddhist
they call ‘Prajna’. In the tenth and eleventh centuries Sahajiya tantra. The followers of Vaishnava Sahajiya
Buddhist tantra got diluted and mingling with other tantra concentrate on nadis, energy channels, and
tantra schools gave rise to the later Hindu tantras. chakras, foci of energy, in the body. The highest
The more organized form of this school is reflected chakra is the full-bloomed lotus in the head called
in the Sammohana Tantra, which is an admixture Sahasrara. The Buddhist Sahajiya tantra speaks of
of various forms of tantra: Vidyapitha, Shaktipitha, five Shaktis: Dombi, Nati, Rajaki, Chandali, and
Shaivapitha, Ganeshpitha, Chandrapitha, Buddha Brahmakali. Of these, Chandidas made Rajaki his
pitha, Chinapitha, and Vaidikapitha. object of worship. The Vaishnava Sahajiya tantra
The Sammohana Tantra brought together dif further gave rise to two sects: Avadhuta and Baul.
ferent mantras and spiritual disciplines of Kali Indian tantra spread across frontiers all round the
worship. We find mention of nine forms of Kali: world and also assimilated the tantric ideologies of
Shankara-kashani, Siddha-kali, Kubjika, Sundari, other countries. The Sammohana Tantra was trans
Mahakhila-devi, Srimat-siddha-karalika, Pratyan mitted to Nepal, Bhutan, China, Persia, and Af
gira, Sheshika, and Snehamata. Sammohana Tantra ghanistan. There is a tantra school called Chinachara
also enumerates three forms of spiritual discipline: indicating the assimilation of Chinese practices into
Divya, Kaula, and Vama. Indian tantric tradition. However, it is very difficult
Matsyendranath is considered the propounder to single out these foreign influences. It is said that
of the Kaula path, the followers of which are also the sage Vasishtha practised tantra for a long time
called the Yogini Kaulas of Kamarupa. They wor in China and then preached it in India. Mahachina
ship Shakti alone and have adopted many practices Tara, the goddess of Chinese tantra, and Ekajata,
of the Sahajiya school of tantra. Ekajata Devi the goddess of Siddha Nagarjuna
Both the Yogini Kaulas and Bud of Tibet, are considered to be the
dhist Sahajiya tantrics had the same. Both deities have the same
same goal: to transcend duality description, only their mantras
by concentrating the mind. The differ. The names of Tara, Ugra-
Kaulas gave rise to two more tara, Ekajata, Maha-nila-saraswati
sects: the Shaiva sect of the Naths also find mention in Hindu
and the Vaishnava Sahajiya sect. tantra scriptures.
Matsyendranath, the founder According to the Sammo-
of the Nath community, is also hana Tantra, Nila-saraswati or
known as Lui-pada in Buddhist Ugra-tara was born on the bank
tantra. The other popular teach of Lake Kola on Mount Meru.
ers of this sect are Minanath and ‘Kul’ means lake in Mongolian.
Gorakshanath. This sect spread It is also believed to be the origin
far and wide in India. Hatha Yoga of the word ‘Kaula’. Scholars like
forms their principal practice. Gopinath Kaviraj believe that
366 PB June 2010
tantra scriptures and practices are exclusively Indian the accurate performance of rituals were believed
traditions.3 Swami Saradananda also holds the same to bring welfare. Mantras are imbued with great
view: ‘Shakti puja, especially the worship of Shakti power, which can be used both for good and bad
as Mother is the exclusive heritage of India.’ 4 purposes. Nature can be controlled by the power of
mantras. There are many instances of great person
Vedanta and Tantra alities using this power for the good of people.
Some questions crop up in our minds: Why are In the Ramayana we find Mahavira Hanuman
there so many spiritual disciplines if all of them making his body as small as that of a fly and again
lead to the same goal? Which was propounded expanding it to the size of a huge mountain. In the
first: Vedanta or tantra? Among them, which is bet Mahabharata the sage Vyasa says to River Yamuna,
ter? While there seems to be very little criticism of ‘Divide yourself ’, and Yamuna parts herself and
Vedanta, why is tantra widely criticized? paves the way for Vyasa. Sri Krishna uprooted a
In answer to the first question we may say that whole mountain and held it on his index finger,
this is distinctive of the Indian spiritual tradition. and thus came to be known as Giridhara. Jesus
Every human being has the right to choose his or Christ walked on water and fed multitudes from
her spiritual path. There may be many paths to a little piece of bread. Readers of the biography of
reach God, but there is little violence or bloodshed Sri Ramakrishna are aware of his miraculous simul
among the different schools. Let there be ‘as many taneous presence in Dhaka and Dakshineswar. He
sects as human beings’,5 Swami Vivekananda said; could also see through the human mind as clearly
and also: ‘sects must be, but sectarianism need not’ as one sees through glass.
(3.371). This breadth and catholicity is the unique Acquiring supernatural power through mantras
ness of the Indian way. is said to be easier than steadfastly holding on to
In response to the second question we may quote the goal of spiritual life: God-realization or Self-
Gopinath Kaviraj: ‘It is difficult to tell how old the knowledge. The practices of tantra are coeval with
practice of tantra in India is. However, it is certain those of Vedanta. Tantra aims at realizing the iden
that both Vedic and tantric sadhana are prevalent tity of Shiva and Shakti. However, as Swami Sarada
in this country since ancient times. … It is evident nanda writes:
from the analysis of the Nirukta (of Yaska) that an Is it easy for the human mind, so full of worldly
esoteric path of the Vedas was in vogue in ancient desires, to move towards the path of renunci
times, the practice of which was reserved for those ation? Can a person call on God without any mo
having the special permission of the guru.’ 6 tive and with sincerity proceed to attain Him? In
This esoteric path of the Vedas could be said to the pursuit of a pure life, one wilfully keeps some
be tantra. Tantra is known as shruti-shakha-vishesha, impure desires; even after renouncing lust and
a special branch of the Vedas. It is also called the gold, a person loves to have a little taste of them.
The books of worship enjoin worshipping the Di
fifth Veda as well as Kulachara, the fifth ashrama.
vine Mother with austerity and purity of heart,
The Kularnava Tantra holds that there is no know but there are some people who prescribe singing a
ledge higher than the Vedas and there is no path few lustful songs for Her satisfaction. One should
better than the tantra. The Vedas and tantra are not not wonder at this or condemn it. It proves that
contradictory, rather they are complementary. That weak human beings are strongly bound with the
answers the third question. chain of lust and gold by the all-powerful Maha
The fourth question is particularly significant. maya, ruler of myriad universes. It is impossible
Apart from the practices of discernment and con for human beings to attain liberation if She is not
merciful and removes that bondage.7
templation, the Vedas also prescribed sacrifices.
The correct pronunciation of mystical words and Rishis, who were well acquainted with human
PB June 2010 367
psychology, were aware that the human being Deity, and gradually it led him along the path of
stands at the threshold between renunciation and raga bhakti, transcending the regulations of vaidhi
enjoyment. Those who completely renounce are bhakti. That longing allowed him to finally have
called ‘devas’, gods, and those having strong de the direct vision of the Divine Mother and en
sire for sense pleasure are called danavas or ‘asuras’, dowed him with yogic powers’ (225).
demons. A human being is a mixture of both, deva Though Sri Ramakrishna worshipped Kali
and danava. It is as if the human mind is being in an image, his first vision was that of an all-
churned simultaneously by godly and demoniac encompassing light. In his own words:
qualities, good and bad impulses. Farsighted rishis
There was an unbearable pain in my heart because
formulated spiritual disciplines through which de
I could not have a vision of Mother. Just as a man
sires are gradually liquidated and the mind becomes wrings out a towel with all his strength to get the
ready for the sadhana that leads to realization of the water out of it, so I felt as if my heart were being
ultimate Truth and transcendence of the cycle of wrung out. I began to think I should never see
birth and death. Ignorance of the instincts latent in Mother. I was dying of despair. In my agony, I asked
the mind and avoidance of spiritual disciplines pre myself: ‘What’s the use of living this life?’ Sud
scribed for its purification led to the degeneration denly my eyes fell on the sword that hangs in the
of tantra—tantra, the highest ideal presented as an Mother’s shrine. I decided to end my life then and
there. Like a madman, I ran to the sword and seized
alternative to Vedic ritual by Shiva himself.
it. Then I had a marvellous vision of the Mother …
Re-establishing the Validity of Tantra It was as if the room, doors, temple, and every
thing else vanished altogether; as if there were
The Supreme Being is believed to have incarnated in nothing anywhere! And what I saw was an in
the modern age in the person of Sri Ramakrishna finite shoreless ocean of light; that ocean was con
to transform selfish people and non-believers into sciousness. However far and in whatever direction
godly beings. The earthly journey of this incar I looked, I saw shining waves, one after another,
nation began in a small but beautiful village of coming towards me to swallow me up. They were
madly rushing towards me from all sides, with a ter
Bengal. His mother was a simple woman. Sri Rama
rific noise. Very soon they were upon me, and they
krishna started worshipping Goddess Bhavatarini pushed me down into unknown depths. I panted
at Dakshineswar in 1855–6, when he was around and struggled and lost consciousness (212).
twenty years of age. This was crucial in reforming
the spiritual discipline of tantra and re-establishing Though Sri Ramakrishna practised dualistic
the proper mental attitude towards it. A series of spiritual disciplines, he realized the non-dual
wonderful events soon took place on the bank of Truth. His life shows that Vedantic realization can
the Ganga at Dakshineswar, a few kilometres from be attained through the path of tantra as well. His
Kolkata, silencing the critics of tantra. earnest prayers transformed the creative primal
Great concentration and sincerity were the ster energy into his affectionate ‘Mother’. A tantric
ling qualities of Sri Ramakrishna’s mind. He was woman adept, whom he called Bhairavi Brah
initiated into Kali worship by the tantric adept mani, taught Sri Ramakrishna ‘all the sixty-four
Kenaram Bhattacharya. Ritualistic worship and sadhanas prescribed in Vishnukranta section of
deep yearning for the realization of Kali came to the Tantra, one after the other’ (263). ‘According
gether in the person of Sri Ramakrishna: ‘His in to the Tantric tradition, there are three geograph
most longing for God-realization was his mainstay ical regions, called Vishnukranta, Rathakranta, and
during this period. Soon that longing grew more Ashvakranta, and different Tantras are assigned to
intense and greatly affected his body and mind. each one of them. According to the Shaktimangala
This longing brought immense love for his Chosen Tantra, Vishnukranta extends from the Vindhya
368 PB June 2010
Mountain to Chittagong, thus including Bengal; wholeheartedly.’ I was seized with fear, wept pit
Rathakranta from the same mountain to China, eously, and said to the Divine Mother: ‘Mother,
including Nepal; and Ashvakranta from the same why do You give this command to one who has
mountain to the great ocean, apparently including taken refuge in You? Does Your weak child have the
power to withstand such a severe trial?’ As soon as
the rest of India’ (263).
I said that, my heart was filled with divine strength.
Sri Ramakrishna had had many visions and Like a hypnotized person, not knowing what I was
other spiritual experiences even before he started doing, I repeated the mantra, sat on the woman’s
practising tantra sadhana. While sitting on his lap, and immediately went into samadhi. When I
asana and performing the purificatory nyasa rites, regained outer consciousness, the Brahmani said:
the Master used to clearly see the letters of the man ‘You have completed the rite, my child. Under such
tras written on his body in bright colours. He also circumstances, others restrain themselves with great
saw his kundalini awaken and proceed through difficulty and finish by repeating the mantra for a
the Sushumna to the Sahasrara at the crown of the very short time. But you entered samadhi, losing
body-consciousness completely!’ …
head. While uttering rang, the bija mantra of fire,
One day I saw the Brahmani cook fish in a
and sprinkling holy water around himself as part of human skull and offer it to the Divine Mother.
a protective ritual, he would see a wall of fire sur She made me do the same and asked me to eat that
rounding him, guarding the place of worship. fish. At her command I did so, and I had no aver
According to the Tantra Rashmi, at least one sion in my mind.
of three procedures has to be practised, under the But on another day she brought a piece of rot
direct guidance of the guru, to attain perfection ten human flesh, offered it to the Mother, and
in tantra. They are shava-sadhana, practice involv asked me to touch it with my tongue. I was hor
ing a corpse; piercing of the six chakras; and the rified with disgust and protested, ‘How can I do
that?’ She replied: ‘What do you say, my child?
pancha makaras (five Ms), involving the use of
Look, I am doing it.’ Saying so, she put a little
madya, wine, mamsa, meat, matsya, fish, mudra, into her mouth. Saying ‘Please shun aversion,’
cereal fries, and maithuna, ritual copulation. An she placed a portion of it in front of me. As soon
expert in tantra, Bhairavi Brahmani would bring as I saw that, the Divine Mother’s terrible form
all that was required for Sri Ramakrishna’s tantra of Chandika arose in my mind; then repeating
sadhana. The small details available about his tantra ‘Mother, Mother,’ I went into ecstasy. I then felt
sadhana are enough to frighten us. The Sri Ramakrishna’s tantric sadhana under Bhairavi Brahmani
seat of his sadhana was set up north of
the Panchavati at Dakshineswar. The altar
had five skulls—of jackal, snake, dog, ox,
and human being. Sitting on this asana Sri
Ramakrishna spent many days and nights
in spiritual practice.8 Later he recounted
some of these practices:
One night the Brahmani brought a beau

tiful young woman from somewhere and
arranged the worship. She put the woman
on the Devi’s seat, then instructed me, ‘My
child, worship her as the goddess.’ When
the worship was over, she said to me: ‘My
child, think of her as the veritable Divine
Mother. Sit on her lap and practise japa
PB June 2010 369

no aversion when the Brahmani put a bit of the Ramakrishna is a Kaula of the highest order?
flesh into my mouth (263). Samayacharin tantrics prefer mental worship to
external rituals. According to Samayachara, there
Avadhutas, tantric adepts, should be free from are no strict rules for worship. The goal of Samaya
such bondages as fear, shame, and hatred. Followers chara is to realize the unity of Shiva and Shakti, of
of the Aghora school of tantra conquer aversion or Brahman and Kali—for they are indeed insepar
hatred by the methods described above. able, like ‘milk and its whiteness’ or ‘fire and its
burning power’, to use Sri Ramakrishna’s words. If
Kaula of the Highest Order a sadhaka realizes this, he becomes blessed and is
There are various rites that tantrics are to perform ac
liberated from all bondage.
cording to their temperament. The seven important The Brahmani, who Sri Ramakrishna indicated
classes of rites include Vedachara, Vaishnavachara, was a part of Yogamaya, was an adept in tantra and
Shaivachara, Dakshinachara, Vamachara, Siddhanta so could successfully guide him through numerous
chara, and Kaulachara. There is another tradition tantric rituals that resulted in remarkable experi
called Samayachara, which the great tantric Bhairavi ences. He had the vision of the brahmayoni, cosmic
Brahmani followed while guiding Sri Ramakrishna womb. He heard the anahata, unstruck, sound of
in the path of tantra. This tradition, involving the Pranava. He had a vision of the Divine Mother’s
worship of Shodashi or Srividya, was followed by an maya, in which a beautiful lady gave birth to a
cient masters like Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumara, baby, nursed it affectionately, and finally, assuming
and Shukadeva, and was especially developed in a very cruel appearance, swallowed it. He had vi
Kerala. The followers of Samayachara meditate on sions of the Divine Mother’s forms with two hands
Ananda Bhairavi and Ananda Bhairava in the lotus as well as ten. Thus, practising all the sixty-four
of the Sahasrara. Shiva, the primal Consciousness, sadhanas prescribed in the Vishnukranta section
and Shakti, primal Energy, unite to provide ineffable of the tantras, Sri Ramakrishna confirmed tantra
and supreme bliss devoid of all duality. as a path to God-realization.
Explaining this experience, Sri Ramakrishna Though he acquired yogic powers, Sri Rama
said, ‘I do remember the day I witnessed the union krishna never liked to use them for any worldly need.
of a man and a woman: I perceived only the divine Rather, he discouraged spiritual aspirants from prac
sport of Shiva and Shakti, and went into samadhi. tising tantra in order to acquire such powers. He in
When I regained outer consciousness, the Brah spired the followers of tantra to realize the oneness
mani told me: “My child, you have attained perfec of Shiva and Shakti and be free from all bondage.
tion in an extremely difficult esoteric sadhana and
are established in the divine mode”’ (264). Why Did He Practise Tantra?
According to the Agamas, those who succeed Why did Sri Ramakrishna practise this difficult
in the pure practice of pancha makaras are called path of tantra? To demonstrate that tantra is as
Kaulas. Kaulas are Shaivites outwardly, Shaktas in perfect a path for God-realization as Vedic sadhana.
wardly, and Vaishnavas—in terms of humility and His disciple Swami Saradananda says, ‘Once again,
reverence—when in groups. In one of his hymns, India will become blessed and will grace others by
Swami Vivekananda describes Sri Ramakrishna as worshipping the Brahmashakti awakened by Sri
follows: ‘[He] whose mind ever dwelt on the non- Ramakrishna.’10 Further: ‘Sri Ramakrishna used
dualistic Truth, whose personality was covered by to say, “Every incarnation has worshipped Shakti.
the cloth of Supreme Devotion, who was ever ac None can become a world teacher without the spe
tive (for the good of humanity) and whose actions cial grace of Shakti. Without this grace, none can
were all superhuman.’ 9 Was he indicating that Sri deluge the masses of the nation with the strong cur
370 PB June 2010
rent of the Ganga of religious instruction”’ (37). ‘Mother’? Was he praying to himself ? To answer
Sri Ramakrishna himself embodied the ideal in his own words, ‘I saw Satchidānanda come out
of tantra sadhana: the union of Shiva and Shakti. of this sheath. It said, “I incarnate Myself in every
Once, he was pacing up and down the north-eastern age.” I thought that I myself was saying these words
veranda of his room. Mathuranath was then sitting out of mere fancy. I kept quiet and watched. Again
by himself in one of the rooms of his mansion— Satchidānanda Itself spoke, saying, “Chaitanya, too,
right across Sri Ramakrishna’s room—watching him. worshipped Śakti.”’14 He also said: ‘There are two
All of a sudden, Mathur ran up to him, clasped his persons in this [his own body]. One, the Divine
feet, and described a strange vision he had just had: Mother—yes, one is She. And the other is Her de
‘Father, I was watching you just now as you walked votee’ (943).
back and forth. I saw it distinctly: As you walked The same divinity practised austerities as Sri
towards me, you were no longer yourself. You were Ramakrishna and also bestowed the vision of
the Divine Mother Kali from the temple! Then, as Mother Kali upon devotees. Why did this divine
you turned around and walked in the opposite dir play take place? Because of his love for human
ection, you became Lord Shiva! At first I thought it ity. Sri Ramakrishna used to call both the subtle
was some kind of optical illusion. I rubbed my eyes and the gross universe the kingdom of Shakti. By
and looked again, but I saw the same thing.’ Later, worshipping Shakti he awakened the spiritual en
Sri Ramakrishna would say: ‘Was it for nothing that ergy inherent in humankind and also showed it the
Mathur served me and loved me so much?’11 realm beyond this universe of Shakti. P
Sri Ramakrishna is Kali herself—this truth was
expressed in different ways at different times. Sri Notes and References
Ramakrishna’s cousin Haladhari was a great scholar,
but after the demise of his son he started calling 1. See Swami Saradananda, Sri Ramakrishna and His
Divine Play, trans. Swami Chetanananda (St Louis:
Kali the ‘goddess of tamas’. To convince him of the Vedanta Society, 2003), 540–1.
divinity of Kali, Sri Ramakrishna prayed to the Di 2. In some traditions the last four are replaced by
vine Mother and then, jumping on to Haladhari’s Lakshmi, Uma, Ganesha, and Aditya.
shoulder in an ecstatic mood said in an excited 3. See Swami Prajnanananda, Tantre Tattva O
Sadhana (Kolkata: Ramakrishna Vedanta Math,
voice: ‘How dare you say that Mother is wrathful
1417 be), 3.
and full of tamas. She is everything. She is the em 4. Swami Saradananda, Bharate Shaktipuja (Kolkata:
bodiment of the three gunas and again She is pure Udbodhan, 1415 be), 1.
love and goodness’ (232). On receiving this spir 5. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 9 vols
itual touch, Haladhari had the vision of the Divine (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1–8, 1989; 9, 1997),
2.364.
Mother in Sri Ramakrishna’s person, and filled with 6. Tantre Tattva O Sadhana, 3.
devotion accepted his words. 7. Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play, 557.
‘The future’, Swami Vivekananda believed, would 8. See Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play, 261.
‘call Ramakrishna Paramahamsa an Incarnation of 9. Complete Works, 8.175.
10. Bharate Shaktipuja, 2.
Kali.’ ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I think there’s no doubt that
11. Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play, 491.
She worked up the body of Ramakrishna for Her 12. Complete Works, 8.264.
own ends.’12 Swami Ramakrishnananda observed: 13. Vishwachetanay Sri Ramakrishna, eds Swami
‘It was the Mother of the universe, Kali, who incar Prameyananda, Naliniranjan Chattopadhyay,
nated as Sri Ramakrishna to bestow knowledge and Swami Chaitanyananda (Kolkata: Udbodhan,
1407 be), 63.
devotion to her sons and daughters.’13 14. M, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, trans. Swami
One may ask, if Sri Ramakrishna was himself the Nikhilananda (Chennai: Ramakrishna Math,
Divine Mother, then whom did he pray to and call 2007), 720.
PB June 2010 371

Tantra: Its Origin, Nature, and Contents
Prof. Debabrata Sen Sharma
A
ccording to the ancient Indian trad currents forming these larger traditions. This point
ition, spiritual knowledge has come down to will be clarified later when we describe the extent
us from the hoary past in the form of two of tantric literature. But before doing so, the first
parallel thought currents called the ‘Nigama’ and questions to be answered are: What is Agama, and
the ‘Agama’. The Vedic literature constitutes the Ni what is tantra? Are they synonymous? What are
gama, whereas the vast corpus of tantric literature is their contents?
given the name ‘Agama’—literally, ‘that which has
come down’. The spiritual wisdom contained both Agama Explained
in the Nigama and the Agama is said to be begin The term ‘Agama’ has been derived in the Svach
ningless, anādi, and eternally existent, nitya, in non- chhanda Tantra as ‘āgataṁ śiva-vaktrebhya gataṁ ca
verbal form. It is impersonal in nature, apauruṣeya, girijā-mukhe; (Agama signifies the collection of spir
as it was not composed or written by any particular itual wisdom that) having emanated from the mouth
person but was revealed as pure spiritual know of Shiva entered into the intellect of his consort Par
ledge to a privileged few who possessed the capacity vati’. This meaning is in accordance with the structure
to hold it. This is evidenced by a mantra occurring of Agamic texts, which, like other tantras, are in the
in the Katha Upanishad: ‘The (experiential) know form of dialogue—Shiva is the speaker and Parvati
ledge of Self cannot be acquired by listening to spir the hearer. There are other tantric texts—and these
itual discourses, or by a sharp intellect, or by much have also been called ‘Nigama’—where Parvati is the
study of the scriptures. It is revealed to that par speaker and Shiva the listener. As to the contents of
ticular individual who is chosen by the Self (who the Agamas, the Varahi Tantra gives a list of seven
acquires the necessary capacity to hold this experi topics that include the following: i) origin and dis
ential knowledge of the Self ).’ solution of the world, ii) modes of worship of deities,
Since this spiritual knowledge embodied in the iii) modes of spiritual discipline, iv) purificatory rites,
Nigama and the Agama is considered to be revealed and v) a group of six magical rites, technically called
knowledge, arising as it does from the experience of ṣaṭ-karma: māraṇa, vanquishing enemies; ucāṭana,
spiritual Truth, it is taken as authoritative and in ruining of adversary; vaśīkaraṇa, subjugation of
fallible. Both the Nigama and the Agama are there enemies; stambhana, paralysing enemies or inimical
fore regarded as Shruti by their followers. Shruti is forces; vidveśana, causing hostility in enemies; and
the source of Smriti. Through the Smritis, different svastyayana, rites for obtaining peace and prosper
schools of Indian philosophy try to interpret and ity. It may be mentioned here that the Agamas and
render, in logical terms, the experiential knowledge tantras are looked down upon by people on account
contained in the Shrutis so that ordinary people of the inclusion of these ṣaṭ-karma in the list of con
can grasp their significance. The spiritual wisdom tents—the general expectation is that this class of
enshrined in the Agamas has, in the same way, literature should shed light on purely spiritual sub
come down to us in the form of different spiritual jects, as the Upanishads do, rather than deal with
traditions—Shaiva, Shakta, and Vaishnava—with mundane matters. The main reason for including
a number of sub-traditions or spiritual thought mundane issues in the Agamas appears to be a con
372 PB June 2010
cern for achieving the general well-being of people Tantra gives a long list of twenty-four topics, which
together with their uplift in society, abhyudaya, as include the following: the creation and dissolution
well as their elevation in the spiritual field, niḥśreyasa, of the world; classification of deities; description of
as is the case with the Atharva Veda. tirthas, holy places; laws and duties for people in
It may be pointed out here that most Agamic their different ashramas, stations of life; classifica
texts do not treat their subjects from the traditional tion of embodied beings; use of different yantras,
viewpoint. All available Agamas contain a fourfold mystical diagrams; consecration of trees; classifica
content: ‘Vidya-pada’, section dealing with meta tion of planets and stars; prescription of rules for
physics; ‘Kriya-pada’, section dealing with rituals; vows; distinction between pious and sinful deeds;
‘Yoga-pada’, section laying down modes of spiritual and description of different psychic centres in the
disciplines; and ‘Charya-pada’, section prescribing physical body. A perusal of the long list of contents
the daily routine of a spiritual seeker. Agamic texts in any tantra text shows their encyclopaedic nature,
are generally voluminous, hence this fourfold div but most of the tantras being short in size do not
ision of content. Some Agamas, popular with follow cover all of these topics.
ers of the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition, also contain In this connection it would perhaps be useful
description of vāstu śāstra, temple architecture, and to reproduce the views of Abhinavagupta (fl. 1014),
mūrti-nirmāṇa śāstra, sculptures of deities. the celebrated exponent of the Advaita Shaiva phil
osophy of Kashmir, who presented in his magnum
Tantras Explained opus Tantraloka (Light of the Tantras) the spir
Most of the tantra texts—as distinct from Agama itual wisdom contained in tantric and Agamic texts,
works—are short in size; therefore their contents examined from a metaphysical point of view. He
do not have a clear-cut division. These texts gener has also traced the steps of the descent of this wis
ally put more stress on the kriyā, practice, aspect dom to the mundane level. He tells us that the na
of spiritual thoughts than on the metaphysical as ture of the supreme spiritual wisdom is one, infinite,
pect, because the tantras are mainly sadhana ori akhaṇḍa—part-less—and eternally identified with
ented. The term ‘tantra’ is generally derived from the Supreme Being in the form of his self-reflective
the Sanskrit root tanu, meaning ‘extension’. It can experience: ahaṁ parāmarṣa or pūrnāhaṁtā. That
be expounded in Sanskrit in this way: ‘Tanyate spiritual wisdom is termed parā vāk, transcendent
vistīryate aihika-pāralaukika ubhayavidha abhyu- word. When the Supreme Lord resolves out of his
daya sādhakān arthān-iti tantram; tantra is that svatantra icchā, free will, to manifest himself as the
(body of knowledge) in which the ways and means universe by exercising his divine power—svecchayā
for both worldly and spiritual growth are elabor svabhittau viśvam-unmīlayati—he not only mani
ated.’ Ishanagurudeva Mishra has suggested a dif fests as the world, but simultaneously his self-
ferent root for the term ‘tantra’: tatri, meaning reflective experience as pūrnāhaṁtā or parā vāk also
support or nourishment. According to him, the manifests in verbal form. The descent of the parā
word ‘tantra’ stands for that literature which sup vāk, however, takes place in three steps: paśyantī,
ports or provides nourishment to society. madhyamā, and vaikharī. These three steps repre
In common parlance the word ‘tantra’ con sent the process through which non-intellectual,
veys the sense of an organized system of thought, or non-conceptual, and non-verbal knowledge is
or Shastra. We can cite the examples of Shashthi gradually converted into intellectual knowledge
Tantra—ascribed to Kapila, the founder of the expressed in verbal form. The ‘great knowledge’ re
Sankhya school of Indian philosophy—and Tantra mains non-conceptual as madhyamā vāk, but it as
Vartika, a text dealing with the Mimamsa school. sumes gross form in the realm of maya when it is
As to the contents of the tantras, the Varahi manifested on the mundane level as vaikharī vāk,
PB June 2010 373
verbal forms we are familiar with. It then becomes kshma, Sahasraka, Amshubheda, and Suprabheda.
capable of being grasped by our finite mind. All the The majority of these Agamas survive in South India,
Agamas and tantras, therefore, represent the parā where the dualist Shaiva school, called Shaiva Sid
vāk taking the form of vaikharī vāk through the dhanta, has flourished. These Agamas constitute the
process of evolution. scriptural base of Shaiva Siddhanta thought.
Eighteen Raudra Agamas, propagating
Agamic Wisdom in Verbal Form— dualistic-cum-monistic Agamic thought, are also
the Traditional View believed to have emanated from various combin
The Srikanthi Samhita, a tantric text now lost, de ations of Shiva’s faces. The Raudra Agamas in
scribes in detail the manner the Agamic wisdom, clude the following: Vijaya, Nihshwasa, Makuta,
taking verbal form, emerged from the five faces of Madgita, Parameshwara, Mukhabimba, Siddha,
the Supreme Lord Shiva at the time of the mani Santana, Narasimha, Chandramshu, Virabhadra,
festation of the world. The five faces of Bhagavan Agneya, Svayambhuva, Visara, Vimala, Kirana,
Shiva, opening in different directions, bear differ Lalita, and Sautreya. Many of these Agamas are
ent names: Sadyojata, opens to the western side; lost; some survive in the form of long quotations
Vamadeva, to the northern side; Ishana, to the in the texts belonging to Vira Shaivism, popular
southern side; Tatpurusha, to the eastern side; and in Karnataka.
Aghora, on top, opens upwards. Jayaratha, in his The Bhairava Agamas are sixty-four in number
commentary on the Tantraloka, tells us about the and propagate purely non-dualistic thought. These
ten Shaiva Agamas—which propagate dualist philo are said to have been given out of Shiva’s Aghora
sophical thought—that emerged from the different face along with the face of his Shakti, named Yogini,
combinations of one, two, or three faces of Shiva. which opens only when all of Shiva’s four other faces
The names of these Agamas vary in different lists. close. It is also called the hārda-liṅga, the heart of
The Shaiva Agamas usually include the following: Shiva and Shakti in union. The sixty-four Bhairava
Kamika, Yogaja, Chintya, Karana, Dipta, Ajita, Su Agamas are first classified under eight groups, each
Bagalamukhi Matrika, 19th century, watercolour
consisting of eight Agamas. The eight groups of
Bhairava Agamas are as follows: (i) Yamalashtaka,
(ii) Bhairavashtaka, (iii) Mangalashtaka, (iv)
Matashtaka, (v) Chakrashtaka, (vi) Shikhashtaka,
(vii) Vagishashtaka, and (viii) Bahurupashtaka.
The vast majority of these texts are lost; only some
are partially available or are found as quotations in
other texts. Some survive in countries like Cam
bodia, where they were taken in the ninth century.
Prominent among these are Binashikha, Sammoha,
and Damara.
We have mentioned only one list of sixty-four
Bhairava Agamas mentioned in the Srikanthi Sam-
hita; but there are six more such lists of Bhairava
Tantras provided by texts like the Vamakeshwara
Tantra, Sarvollasa Tantra, Siddhisara Tantra, and
others. Nothing more can be said about them, since
the majority of these, mentioned in different lists,
exist only in name or in quotations.
PB June 2010
Classification of Tantra-Agamic Thought Ramakrishna said this in his inimitable way: ‘Brah
We have mentioned that the Agamic or tantric trad man is Shakti; Shakti is Brahman. They are not two.’
ition can be broadly classified under three heads— Further, ‘That which sports with Kala is called Kali.
Shaiva, Shakta, and Vaishnava. These were parallel She is the Primal Energy. Kala and Kali, Brahman
religio-spiritual traditions that flourished in differ and Shakti, are indivisible.’
ent parts of the country, and each one of them de Out of the ten Mahavidyas, Kali and Tripura
veloped a vast corpus of tantric literature. A brief sundari have been popular almost all over the coun
account of the literature produced under the Shaiva try. Kali is worshipped in different forms: Dakshina
tradition has already been given. The Vaishnava trad Kali, Vama Kali, Shmashana Kali, Bhadra Kali,
ition is as old as the Shaiva and Shakta traditions, Guhya Kali, and others. The Krama school, which
but not as rich as the latter in so far as the corpus of flourished in Kashmir, states that Kali has ten dis
Vaishnava tantras is concerned. It also developed in tinct forms as is briefly described in the Krama-stotra,
the southern part of India and gradually travelled to written by some unknown author and with a com
the north. Representative of the Vaishnava Agamic mentary called Krama Keli, now lost but quoted by
tradition are the Pancharatras, which are said to be Abhinavagupta in the fourth chapter of his Tantra
part of the Kanva branch of the Shukla Yajur Veda, loka. The religio-philosophical tenets of the Krama
technically called the Ekayana thought current. Ac school have been described by Maheshwarananda
cording to the Jayakhya Samhita, the propagators Nath in his Mahartha-manjari, and by Shivananda
of this tradition included Shandilya, Bharadwaja, Nath in the Mahanaya Prakasha.
Maunjayana, Kaushika, and Narada. It was also The Kularnava Tantra mentions a fivefold div
called the Bhagavata or Satattva tradition. Accord ision of the Shakta tradition, called Amnayas. These
ing to Schrader, the total number of Samhita texts is are: Purva, the eastern; Dakshina, the southern;
two hundred and fifteen, out of which thirteen have Pashchima, the western; Uttara, the northern; and
been published so far. Following are some of the rep Urdhva, the upper. The great centres of the Shakta
resentative texts of this tradition: Ahirbudhnya Sam- tradition are Kashmir in the North, Kanchi in the
hita, Ishvara Samhita, Jayakhya Samhita, Parashara South, Kamakhya in the East, and Purnagiri, Oddi
Samhita, Vishnu Samhita, and Laksmi Tantra. yana, and Jalandharapitha in different parts of
The characteristic feature of the Shakta trad North India. Kashmir—known in ancient times as
ition is the worship of Shakti as goddess conceived Sarada Desha, land of the goddess of learning—and
of in different forms. The divine Shakti embodied Kanchi were recognized as the main centres for the
as goddess is called Mahavidya, of which there are propagation of the Sri Vidya school, forming part of
ten different forms. These are: Kali, Tara, Shodashi a powerful Shakta cult. Acharya Shankara is said to
or Tripurasundari, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, have performed his sadhana following the spiritual
Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Ma practices laid down in the Sri Vidya school. This is
tangi, and Kamala. evident from his establishing a śrīvidyā cakra in all
There is a considerable amount of literature de the maths, monasteries, established by him. The city
scribing the nature, form, and modes of worship of Srinagar owes its name to Sri Vidya and it was ac
of each of these Mahavidyas. It is believed that the knowledged as a great centre of this tradition.
forms of these ten goddesses were revealed to their Kamakhya in Assam has been an important
respective devotees in meditation. Metaphysicians centre of the Kaula school, also belonging to the
look upon the divine Shakti as an abstract expres Shakta tradition. The famous yogi Matsyendra
sion of the supreme Reality, but to devotees inter nath was the founder the Yogini Kaula, one of
ested in pursuing sadhana she is conceived of as the seven Kaula schools. Lakshmidhara, in his
having one of the ten forms mentioned above. Sri commentary on the Saundaryalahari of Acharya
PB June 2010 375
Shankara, mentions all the seven Kaula schools. Vyoma-paṅkaja-niḥsyanda-
Abhinavagupta was responsible for incorporating sudhā pāna ratāḥ narāḥ;
the tenets of this school into the philosophy of Madhu-pāyī samaḥ proktāstu
Kashmir Shaivism, as one of his spiritual teachers itare madya-pāyinaḥ.
was Shambhunath, a famous Kaula sadhaka. Men absorbed in partaking of the nectar drip
The Kaulas prefer to follow the Vamachara, left- ping from the lotus in the space (of sahasrāra) are
spoken of as none other than ‘partakers of wine’,
hand practices, of the Shakta tradition, unlike the
the rest (who take the term ‘wine’ in its gross
followers of the Sri Vidya tradition who prefer the sense) are mere drunkards.
Dakshinachara, right-hand practices. Vamachara
became very popular in Bengal, Assam, and Nepal. The Gandharva Tantra says the same thing:
The Svachchhanda Tantra explains who a Kaula is.
Kula signifies ‘Shakti’, kundalini shakti, and akula Jihvāgalayoḥ saṁyogāt
pibeta sadāmṛtaṁ tadā;
means ‘Shiva’. The union of kula and akula is the
Yogibhiḥ pīyate tat-tu
aim of all Kaula sadhana. na madyaṁ gauḍa-paiṣṭikam.
There is a great deal of misconception about
One ought to then drink incessantly of the nectar
Vamachara practices due to the secrecy observed through the junction of the tongue and the throat,
by its followers, who are accused of performing for this is the wine the yogis drink and not that
obnoxious rituals technically called pañca-makāra distilled from molasses and grain.
sādhanā. Very few people know that all the five
modes this spiritual discipline involves are sym A knower of yoga who after killing the ‘animal’
bolic in nature and have an inner spiritual meaning. in himself (the lower self ) with the sword of know
For those who are not acquainted with them, these ledge dissolves his mind in the ultimate Being is
practices appear to be abnormal, but the inner sym said to be a ‘flesh-eater’. This is asserted by the
bolic meaning is revealed to a select few after they Kularnava Tantra:
have been initiated and properly trained by a quali
Puṇyāpuṇye paśū hatvā jnāna-khaḍgena yogavit;
fied guru. The pañca-makāra are enumerated thus:
Pare layaṁ nayec-cittaṁ māṁsāśī sa nigadyate.
Madyaṁ māṁsaṁ ca mīnaṁ ca Inhalation and exhalation through the nostrils
mudrā maithunam-eva ca;
are the two fishes that always ‘swim’ through the
Makāra-pañcakaṁ prāhur-
yogināṁ mukti-dāyakam. two nāḍīs—iḍā and piṅgalā. Sadhakas are advised
to ‘devour’ them and thereby stop their movement by
Wine, meat, fish, cereal fries, and (ritual) inter
course are called the ‘five Ms’ that give liberation
undertaking pranayama; this enables them to attain
to yogis. the state of kumbhaka, suspension of breath. It is only
by reaching this state that one has the vision of the
The Kularnava Tantra and the Vishvasara Tantra luminous Self. According to the Agamasara Tantra:
reveal the hidden meanings of these terms. For in
stance, the Kularnava tells us that the term madya Gaṅgā-yamunayor-madhye
does not mean ‘wine’; it signifies the nectar that dvau matsyau carataḥ sadā;
Tau matsyau bhakṣayet yat-tu
oozes out, drop by drop, from the thousand-petalled
sa bhavet matsya-sādhakaḥ.
lotus situated in the crown of the sadhaka’s head.
In the channels termed Ganga and Yamuna two
The sadhaka is enjoined to ‘drink’ this nectar and be
fishes roam perpetually; one that eats this pair of
come intoxicated with delight during the practice of fishes is said to be a partaker of fish.
kuṇḍalinī yoga. The experience of delight arises from
having established contact with the true essence: (Continued on page 397)
376 PB June 2010

Tantra and Kali: Some Reflections
Pandit Hemendra Nath Chakravarty
K
ali’s image is shaped in black stone or the Trika doctrine, discusses five concepts that are
clay, standing—with her right feet slightly of singular relevance to the process of Creation:
ahead of the left—on the breast of Shiva, kṣepa, jñāna, saṁkhyāna, gati, and nāda. The first
carved in white stone. She is envisioned as saumyā, step is denoted by kṣepa, to throw—the entity that
amiable, or raudrī, dreadful, with protruded tongue. was inseparably united with the Self is thrown out
She bears a garland of decapitated human heads, car in the process of Creation. The terms antar, in
ries a sword and a decapitated human head dripping side, and bahir, outside, have only a relative, not
blood in her two left hands, and her two right hands absolute, significance, for in this doctrine of non-
grant boons and assurance from all fear. This is the duality such divisions are untenable. The One re
popular figure of Kali seen in the villages of Assam, mains steady like a tree—vṛkṣa iva stabdha divi
Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Delhi, and Himachal among tiṣṭhatyeka—in its divinity. That the Devi is the es
other places in India. Kali, of course, is widely sence of all Creation is eloquently revealed in the
known both in India and abroad in present times. ‘Ambastava’ (Hymn to the Mother):
According to Puranic legend, Kali was Sati in a
previous incarnation. She was not invited by Dak Tvaṁ candrikā śaśini tigma-rucau rucistvam
sha, her father, to a great yajna he had undertaken Tvaṁ cetanāsi puruṣe pavane balaṁ tvam
Tvaṁ svādutāsi salile śikhini tvam-ūṣmā
because his son-in-law Shiva associated with people
Niḥsāram-eva nikhilaṁ tvad-ṛte yadi syāt.
of vulgar habits and habitat: using ashes from the
O Mother, you are the moonbeams, the glow in
funeral pyre for besmearing their bodies, drinking
objects bright; you are consciousness in living
wine, and the like. The self-composed Shiva had beings, power in air; you are the pleasant taste in
earlier been insulted by Daksha at a Satra sacrifice water and heat in fire. If perchance you departed
of the gods and so he warned Sati against proceed from the universe, it would lose all its worth.
ing to her father’s yajna for fear of further insult. This
denial made Sati angry and consequently she began The second concept is jñāna, objectifying the
to show her might and greatness by assuming ten dif one subject: ‘Idam-ittham, nānittham; this is so,
ferent forms. Among them, Kali was the foremost. In not otherwise’. Gati implies ‘attainment’, though
terms of the five Amnayas, paths—which are the five only to a certain point. Saṁkhyāna is viewing
different faces of the Devi corresponding to the dif the universe in its multiplicity. And lastly, all the
ferent directions—Kali belongs to Urdhva Amnaya, waves become one in the peaceful repose of the
the upper face. To the devotee, the well-known form Self, which manifests as the perpetual sound en
seen in villages and cities evokes only devotion and ergy, nāda: this is the direct vision of the Mother.
wonder, camatkṛti, and brings tears of unmixed joy. Though we know that she is the Mother who has
given us birth, we worship her as goddess, play with
The Creative Energy her as a procuress of objects of desire, and see her as
The term ‘Kali’ is derived from the verb kal or ka- Kalika at the time of death:
lana, which implies ‘impulsion or drive’, as well Janma-kāle bhaven-mātā pūjākāle tu devatā;
as ‘creation’. Abhinavagupta, a great exponent of Rati-kāle bhaved-dūti mṛtyū-kāle ca kalikā.
PB June 2010 377
vi) Yama Kali, ‘the Kali of restraint’;
vii) Mrityu Kali, ‘the Kali of death’;
viii) Rudra Kali; ‘the terrible Kali’;
ix) Bhadra Kali, ‘the auspicious Kali’;
x) Paramarka Kali, ‘the brilliant or shin
ing Kali’; xi) Martanda Kali, ‘the Kali
of the Sun’; xii) Kalagni-rudra Kali,
‘the Kali of the fire of destruction’. Each
of these forms has a particular esoteric
significance that is revealed to the wor
shipper by the guru. Abhinavagupta is
reluctant to discuss these details, for
the truth is a rahasya, secret, that can be
Kali annihilating Raktabija grasped only by the competent practi
Though we know intellectually that Mother tioner, the sincere seeker treading this path. Ancient
Bhagavati is omnipresent and can assume multiple seers sound this warning: ‘Na atirahasyaṁ sarvatra
forms, we are unable to realize this truly. If the ackhyāpyaṁ na tu sarvathā gopyam; the highly eso
tual realization were to occur, it would be a pre teric truth should not be discussed in all places, nor
cious and everlasting gift from the Mother. The should it be kept eternally hidden.’ Withholding
Chhandogya Upanishad says: ‘Sarvaṁ khalvidaṁ such teachings permanently will only result in their
brahma; all this is Brahman.’ Three distinct en being lost for ever. Therefore, the truth should be
tities are suggested by this statement: sarva, all; revealed to the genuine seeker. Yaskacharya in his
idam, this; and Brahman. But though these three Nirukta, as well as Manu in his famous Smriti, re
divisions are apparent to our view, the Upanishads mind us that the vidyā, spiritual knowledge, that has
also state: ‘Neha nānāsti kiñcana; there is no multi been mastered by the brahmanas is a treasure that
plicity whatsoever’. The appearance of the many is ought not to be withheld from the worthy: Vidyā ha
deceptive; it is the oneness of Brahman that shines vai brāhmaṇam-ājagāma gopāya mā śevadhi.
everywhere and through everything.
Tantric texts conceive of Kali variously. She is Pratimā, Mantra, Yantra, and Pīṭha
śakti, energy, spanda, vibrating force, bala, power, But not every person is a real seeker of truth. If
ojas, stamina, sāra, essence, and hṛdaya, core con given to incompetent people, vidyā will definitely
sciousness. Hṛdaya is an important concept that lose its potency; it would become avīryavatī, de
has been thus defined: ‘Hṛdayaṁ bodha-paryāya; void of potency. During the worship of the Divine
“heart” is synonymous with “consciousness”. ’ She Mother in images, her life force, prāṇa, is invoked
remains associated with every action of our exist to make the worship living and fruitful. If this vital
ence though she remains apparently inaccessible— energy is withdrawn from the figure, the worship
much like our shadow, which we can never bring has little value. Tantric practitioners remind us that
under our feet. every image—whether made of clay, stone, gem, or
In his Tantraloka, Abhinavagupta writes about gold—becomes unworthy of worship when it loses
twelve different forms of Kali: i) Srishti Kali, as its prāṇa, vitality or essence, the hṛdaya bodha, the
sociated with Creation; ii) Sthiti Kali, responsible consciousness attuned with the consciousness of the
for maintenance of Creation; iii) Samhara Kali, re worshipper that, in reality, is one with the universal
sponsible for destruction; iv) Rakta Kali, the ‘Kali Self. When imbued with this prāṇa, every image
of blood’; v) Svakali or Su-kali, ‘the good Kali’; abides in the universal spanda, cosmic vibration.
378 PB June 2010
Tantra and Kali: Some Reflections 29
Mantra is a key element of tantric prac jā. Kā indicates Kamakhya; situated near the
tice. In the language of Trika, aham, literally Brahmaputra, this Pitha influenced the tantra
‘I’, strings together like a garland all that is tradition of eastern and central India. In the
parā, the transcendent, parāparā, that which Champawat district of Uttarakhand bordering
abides in everything, and aparā, the immanent, Nepal is Purnagiri, near Tanakpur; it lies on the old
as well as nara, the human being, Shakti, and route to Kailas and Manasarovar. Jalandhara in
Shiva. Aham begins with a and ends with ha. Punjab has been another great centre of learn
It thus encompasses the entire alphabet. Hence, ing of tantra and Agama. The fourth important
aham gives every mantra its life, and the real Pitha is Hinglaj, now in Pakistan, where Sati’s
guru views everything as an emanation of the brahmarandhra, crown, is said to have fallen.
mantra. Aham also represents the Self. Only Though the Devi is worshipped in various
when a thing is viewed as one with the Self forms, the ten forms represented by the Dasha
does it become a source of joy. A verse, song, mahavidya are of particular importance.
or hymn is truly pleasing only when it is And, of these, Kali is the foremost. It is
resplendent with the potency of Brahman, her name that is listed first among the ten
samasaukhaya. Mahavidyas. She is followed by Tara and
The Sri Chakra yantra, another representa Shodashi. These three Shaktis help in the
tion of the Devi, is of seminal importance in tantric attainment of perfection. The gāyatrī mantra
worship. The Divine Mother is called ambikā of Kalika is as follows:
or ambā, and in ordinary language mā. The Kālikāyai vidmahe śmaśānavāsinyai dhīmahi;
central bindu, dot, in the Sri Chakra rep tanno ghore pracodayāt.
resents ambikā. The Sri Chakra also has Let us have the knowledge of Kalika, have
nine triangles or cakras, the navayoni. the ability to meditate on her who abides
Of these, five have their apices turned in the cremation ground; let the dreadful
downwards and four point upwards. The mother lead us (on the path of knowledge and
upper intersections of these triangles are the action).
regions where the Devi is worshipped as diverse Goddess Kalika is worshipped in the form of
powers. The bindus of these intersections Chamunda during the autumnal and ver
are named vāmā, the pleasing, and nal puja of Devi Durga as the deity of
icchā, will; jyesthā, the pre-eminent, sandhi, the juncture of the aṣṭamī
and jñānā, knowledge; raudrī, the and navamī tithis. This period—
fearsome, and kriyā, action; and also called viṣuvat, equivalence of
ambikā, the Mother, and śāntā, opposites—spanning forty-eight
peaceful, in the centre. minutes is considered particularly
The Shakti Pithas, the fifty-one sacred. The worship is marked by
places where the dismembered body of the lighting of a hundred and eight
Sati is known to have fallen, are particularly lamps and the feeding of kumārīs, young girls,
auspicious for tantric sadhana. In an who are believed to represent the Di
cient times, however, only four Pithas vine Mother. In Nepal Kumari Puja
were considered to have particular is performed with the deepest love
significance. The Yogini Hridaya, a and adoration. The kumārīs thus
widely read tantric text commented worshipped would traditionally re
upon by Amritananda, mentions the main unmarried.
names of Pithas symbolically: kā pū (Continued on page 401)
PB June 2010 379

The Crimson Hibiscus:
Songs for the Divine Mother
Srinjay Chakravarti
‘M
usic is the highest art, and to where there is only
those who understand, is the highest love and loving, Mother,
worship.’1 Swami Vivekananda hinted it is only there I yearn to go. …
that devotional songs are the supreme means of I have wept so much, I can weep no more.
communion with the Divine—whether God is In the Bengali language there is a vast tradition of
taken to be Krishna, Rama, Shiva, Durga, Kali, or devotional songs related to a number of goddesses—
the formless Brahman. Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and others—but it is
Bhajans, kirtans, and similar devotional songs the Kali-kirtan that has attained the highest glory.
form a unique treasure trove. There are devotional Indeed, Swami Vivekananda had written his famous
songs, hymns, and chants in virtually all religions; poem ‘Kali the Mother’—amazingly, in English—
however, bhajans and kirtans—in which the most glorifying Goddess Kali, the primal Power, who is
beautiful, exalted, and sublime of lyrics are ex both terrible death and compassionate mother:
pressed in the matrix of ragas and raginis—are par
Dancing mad with joy,
ticular to Indian culture. Vocal devotional music,
Come, Mother, come!
whether Vaishnava, Shaiva, or Shakta, is a priceless For Terror is Thy name,
cultural and spiritual legacy that has come down Death is in Thy breath (4.384).
to us through generations of mystic Indian musi
cians and bards. Sri Ramakrishna had offered red hibiscus flowers
Among such songs, Shyama-sangit or Kali-kirtan to the Divine Mother at her adytum in Dakshineswar,
enjoys a very special place. These songs of devotion as priests have done in other temples from time im
to Divine Mother Durga and her ten Mahavidya memorial. He experienced that the statue of stone
forms enjoy a unique position in the spiritual and was none other than the very Goddess full of bliss,
cultural heritage not just of India but the whole truth, and consciousness. Kali, the most mysterious
world as well. Bengali hearts are particularly fond of all goddesses, the numen of the tantras—through
of these songs, as can be judged from their mass rites and rituals, sacrifices and oblations, verses and
commercial appeal and popularity. music, countless saints, devotees, and mystics down
the ages have meditated on her divine form, far be
Music to Our Years yond the phenomenal world of the senses.
The composer of ‘Amar Shadh Na Mitilo’ (My Just as the crimson hibiscus is the leitmotif of
Wish Remains Unfulfilled)—a song immortal tantric rites and rituals, Shyama-sangit is the accom
ized by Pannalal Bhattacharya in his plangent plished flowering of such devotion, with the joy and
voice—is unknown, but it is unmatched in popu bliss of rhythm, melody, and harmony transcend
larity even today: ing the petty pleasures and sorrows of mortality.
No one in the world loves, It is through such devotional songs that countless
this world does not know how to love; sages, monks, mystics, poets, and devotees have at
380 PB June 2010
The Crimson Hibiscus: Songs for the Divine Mother 31
tained the highest pinnacle of Self-realization. As centuries. And it is in the songs of Ma Kali, the
Sri Ramakrishna once observed: ‘Ramprasad was dark goddess, that the glories of the Divine Mother
siddha, perfected, in music. If one can sing with the have been largely transcribed. She creates, sustains,
fullest earnestness, one can realize God.’2 and destroys all the worlds in our cosmos, she is
Sri Ramakrishna reiterated many times over that beyond all that is here, she is both immanent and
Brahman and Shakti are identical, non-different— transcendent and yet is always closer and dearer to
just like fire and its burning power, like a snake us than our own earthly mothers.
and its sinuous winding, like still waters and the
flowing river. On another occasion he said: ‘God
is being addresses as “Mother” here, for “Ma” is an
object of great love. If you can love God, she can
be attained’ (55).
Motherhood Idealized
Hinduism is one of the few religions of the world
that posits the worship of God as mother as a path
to reach the highest spiritual ideal. While there
are references to goddesses in Buddhism and some
other East Asian religions, in Greek and Roman
ancient creeds, as well as in Christianity through
the concept of Mother Mary, it is only in Hinduism
and its offshoots that the worship of God as mother
has attained a sublime manifestation.
The Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, who at times
hinted she was the Divine Mother incarnated in
human form, also mentioned that Sri Ramakrishna
kept her in this world to continue his work and es
tablish the sanctity of the ideal of motherhood. Nu Bhairavi Ragini, album painting in gouache
on paper; sub-imperial Mughal style, c.1610
merous people believe that she is the embodiment
of the highest virtues of divine motherhood. Sri Ramakrishna had sung Shyama-sangit and
In an age where feminism has become a widely Kali-kirtan on countless occasions, along with
accepted social, cultural, and literary phenomenon, Vaishnava padavalis and other bhajans and kirtans,
and at the same time, when women are being com as is recorded in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.
modified into sexual objects in popular culture and Dewan Raghunath Ray, who used to write under
mass media, particularly commercial films and post the nom de plume ‘Akinchan’, composed ‘Pariye
modern capitalist advertising, the sublime ideal of Bhabasagare’ (Afloat in the Ocean of the World) a
motherhood established by Sri Ramakrishna and song which was particularly liked by the Master:
embodied in the form of Sri Sarada Devi has ac
quired an urgent dimension. The role of Shyama- Afloat in the ocean of the world,
my body’s cockleshell
sangit, or Matri-sangit in general, in disseminating
is all at sea.
this message cannot be downplayed; it is in this The gale of delusion,
form of devotional music that the spiritual wor the storm of temptation—
ship of the Divine Mother, in its purest, finest, and rise irresistibly,
sweetest aspects, has been preserved throughout O Consort of Shiva! …
PB June 2010 381
I can see no way out, of samādhi?”, Sri Ramakrishna went into deep
though overwhelmed by worry; samādhi and lost all outer consciousness.’ 3 After
I swim through the waves some time Narendra again sang this song, and ‘in
and board the hallowed boat an ecstatic mood Sri Ramakrishna came down and
that is the name of Mother Durga.
sat by Narendra’s side’ (695). Still later, discussing
It is recorded that to inspire devotees Sri Rama this song with Mahendranath Gupta, the Master
krishna sang on several occasions the song ‘Ma Go noted: ‘You are right. That song has a deep mean
Ananadamayi’ (Dear Mother Full of Bliss), com ing. A part of my mind is still drawn to it’ (697).
posed by Gourmohan Ray: During that memorable night at Dakshineswar,
when Ma Kali appeared before Narendranath while
Don’t make me joyless, O Ma, he was asking boons from her—a turning point not
you who are always full of bliss; just in Swami Vivekananda’s life but in the history
apart from those two feet of yours,
of the religious world itself—he learnt to sing a
I know nothing else. …
song to the Goddess. This is how Swami Sarada
Day and night I float nanda has recorded this event: ‘Sri Ramakrishna
in the name of Durga,
told Baikunthanath Sannyal, “That is Narendra; he
yet my burden of sorrow does not go away;
if I die now, O beautiful consort of Hara, would not accept the Mother earlier, but yesterday
no one will ever chant he did. … After coming back from the (Dakshin
your Durga name again. eswar) temple, he asked me to teach him a song to
Ma Kali—I taught him ‘Ma Tvam hi Tara’ (Mother,
The young Narendranath would also sing such You Are the Redeemer). He had sung that song
songs at Dakshineswar, the marvellous compos the whole of last night! That is why he is sleeping
ition ‘Nibira Andhare Ma’ (In Dense Darkness, now.” ’ 4 That song goes thus:
Mother) being one of them:
Mother, you are the redeemer …
In dense darkness, Mother, I know that you,
sparkles your formless beauty. … who have compassion
for the poor and the oppressed,
In the unending lap of darkness,
always rescue (us) from
amidst waves of great nirvana
grief, pain, and sorrow
the nectar of eternal peace flows continually.
in times of peril.
This lyric was written and set to music by
Trailokyanath Sannyal, who wrote under the Gnostic and Meditative Worship
pseudonyms ‘Premdas’ and ‘Chiranjib Sharma’. In Ramprasad’s songs too we find such a manifest
He was a member of Keshabchandra Sen’s Brahmo ation of the highest ideal of Self-realization. For him
Samaj and was deeply inspired to compose hymns Kali is not just a deity; she verily is Brahman, and in
to the Supreme Goddess by watching Sri Rama his non-dualistic conceptualization the world itself
krishna’s passionate love for Ma Kali. This par is the image of the Goddess. His song ‘Man Tomar
ticular song is unique in its reference to an exalted Ei Bhram’ (Mind, This Error of Yours) exemplifies
state of samadhi—one which particularly attracted the highest philosophy of Advaita Vedanta:
Narendranath, the Advaita Vedantin—engaging Mind, this error of yours
the formless image of Mahakali. Once Narendra has still not gone away!
sang this song in front of the Master. Mahendranath You have not seen Kali
Gupta wrote: ‘As Narendra sang the line, “Who the way she actually is!
art Thou, Mother, seated alone in the shrine The three worlds are her image;
382 PB June 2010
The Crimson Hibiscus: Songs for the Divine Mother 33
yet knowing this you still larly as Chandi—in the Markandeya Purana.
don’t seem to know it! In the preface to his translation of the Chandi,
This concept has been repeatedly stressed in Sri Swami Jagadishwarananda writes:
Ramakrishna’s teachings: Brahman and Adyashakti To call on God as Mother is a most character
are identical, non-different. istic feature of Hinduism. Sri Ramakrishna has
In one of his songs, Ramprasad has expressed his shown in his life that to adore God as Mother is
veneration for the mysterious Goddess thus: the Sadhana best suited for this Kali age. Mother-
worshippers like Rāmprasād, Kamalākānta and
On the lotus-stage of the heart others also have inspired Bengal with this doctrine.
sways Shyama of terrible face. Bengali Hindus are beside themselves with joy at
With the breeze of her mind, the time of the autumnal festival of the Mother,
she makes day and night sway. … when the Mother is worshipped continuously for
Those who have seen her dance, four days in hundreds of earthen images. … The
have found her refuge: Devī-cult and the Devī-māhātmyam are popular all
this is what Ramprasad declares over India but their hold over Bengal is unique.7
to the rolling beat of drums.
Indeed, Shyama-sangit has attained the acme of
In his book Ramprasad: The Melodious Mystic, its glory in Bengal by encompassing the entire gamut
Swami Budhananda observes: ‘What remains today of emotions, ideas, and images. The primary har
of Ramprasad is the heritage of his songs, bhajans bingers of Kali-kirtan were Kabikankan Mukunda
and kirtans, which constitute an undecaying spir ram Chakraborty’s Chandimangal and other such
itual treasure of the Bengali-speaking race. … As long lyrics called mangal-kavyas. This trend has
long as Shakti-worship continues in Bengal, Ram been unique to Bengal. Bengalis are known the
prasad’s songs will be sung.’5 world over for their autumnal festivals—the pujas
Ramprasad is undoubtedly the foremost of all the of Durga, Kali, and Jagaddhatri—and Shyama-
composers and singers of Shyama-sangit; he was also sangit is the melic expression of this cult. Again,
the pathfinder and pioneer in eastern India in general, and
Durga, Kalighat school, 1880
this genre. There are many le Bengal in particular, is home
gends about his life and spir to a number of major Shakta
itual attainments, and it is no pilgrimage centres—Kalighat,
surprise that ‘Ramprasadi’ has Kamakhya, Dakshineswar,
become virtually synonymous Adyapith, Tarapith, Dhaka,
with Kali-kirtan in Bengal. and many others.
As Dilip Kumar Ray once To be sure, songs of devo
observed, the roots of Shyama- tion to Ma Kali have been
sangit and Shakta padavalis written in other Indian lan
go far back in the mists of guages too: Oriya, Assamese,
time to the Vedic period, with Hindi, Tamil. For instance,
its hymns and strophes. This Subramania Bharati’s ‘Uzhi-k-
was the origin of all sonorous kuthu’ (Dance of the Deluge)
devotional music. Shyama- has described the goddess’s
sangit, as a genre, traces its dance of destruction ‘in a cyc
origins to the Puranas, to the lonic movement of diction
Devi Mahatmya—also known and imagery’.7 Tulsidas himself
as Durga-saptashati and popu wrote a famous paean in praise
PB June 2010 383
of other Kali in ‘Jaya jaya jaga-janani-devi’ (Victory To Ramprasad, as well as to many other mystics,
to Devi, the Mother of the Universe). But it is Ben Kali is identical with Krishna, Rama, Shiva, and
gali which has nurtured the Shakta tradition; and all other deities—there is but one God in differ
Ramprasad, who was a spiritually advanced tantric, ent forms. This ecumenical tolerance characterizes
still remains unparalleled as its finest composer. Bengal’s tradition of Shyama-sangit from its very
Apart from Ramprasad, many exalted sadhakas beginning. Indeed, Dewan Ramdulal Nandi went
have celebrated the glories of the Divine Mother a step further when he wrote in ‘Jenechhi Jenechhi
in their verses, like the great brahmana pandit and Tara’ (I Have Known, I Have Known, Tara):
mystic devotee Kamalakanta Bhattacharyya—some
say his surname was Chakraborty. He is considered I have known, have known, Tara,
you know the spells of wizardry!
second only to Ramprasad, and as far as the deli
Whoever calls you in whatever way,
cacy and sweetness of his imagery is concerned, he you are agreeable to that very plea.
is still unsurpassed. The qualities of his songs, hon
The Mogs call you Fara-tara,
eyed in their heartfelt devotion, mellifluous diction,
the Firinghis, Mother, call you God,
and melodic savour have not been replicated by any Khuda is the name given to you
other composer yet. In his song to Kamale Kamini, by Mughals, Pathans, Saiyyads, Qazis.
the Goddess on the Lotus, he says:
Ramprasad and Kamalakanta began a process of
In whichever form
one imagines her, reconciliation between conflicting sects and cults—
in that form (of the Mother) Vaishnava, Shaiva, and Shakta—which was taken
his mind remains; forward by other composers and devotees to its
In the lake of the heart logical conclusion: the harmonization of all belief
of Kamalakanta, systems and religions. In this, they were the precur
amidst a lotus sors of Sri Ramakrishna’s message of sarva-dharma-
she arises. samanvaya, which was the result of the direct
experiences Sri Ramakrishna had while practising
Harmony of Religions the disciplines of different paths and traditions.
‘Jana Nare Man’ (You Don’t Know, O Mind) is a par (To be concluded)
ticularly remarkable song since it harmonizes the sect
arian diversity in Hinduism. Kamalakanta asserts: Notes and References:
1. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 9 vols
You don’t know, O Mind, (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1–8, 1989; 9, 1997), 5.125.
that Shyama, the Primal Cause, 2. Srima (M), Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita (Cal-
is not just a woman; cutta: Udbodhan, 1997), 356; translation mine.
Donning at times the hue of a (dark) cloud, 3. M, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, trans. Swami
she turns into a man. Nikhilananda (Chennai: Ramakrishna Math,
2002), 692.
Here Kamalakanta reconciles Shyama with 4. Swami Saradananda, Sri Sri Ramakrishna Lila
Shyam, Kali with Krishna, just as Ramprasad had prasanga, 2 vols (Calcutta: Udbodhan, 1994),
earlier done in ‘Man Kara na Dwesha Dweshi’ 2.225–6; translation mine.
(Mind, Don’t Hold Any Grudges): 5. Swami Budhananda, Ramprasad: The Melodious
Mystic (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2002), 64.
As Shiva you take up the bugle, 6. Swami Jagadishwarananda, Devi Mahatmyam
as Krishna you play the flute; (Madras: Ramakrishna Math, 1969), v-vi.
as Rama, O Ma, you carry a bow, 7. Prema Nandakumar, ‘People’s Poet: Subramania
and as Kali you hold a sword. Bharati’ Prabuddha Bharata, 114/7 (July 2009), 421.
384 PB June 2010

Swami Abhedananda:
An Outstanding Personality
Prof. Haridas Mukherjee
S
wami Abhedananda (1866–1939) was to consolidate it and carry it to greater fulfilment.
one of the foremost monastic disciples of Sri At Vivekananda’s request, Abhedananda went to
Ramakrishna, the great spiritual colossus of England in 1896, and his very maiden speech at
nineteenth-century Bengal. It is an irony of fate the London Christo-theosophical Society scored
that Abhedananda, who was Swami Vivekananda’s a spectacular success. It elicited great admiration
‘worthy comrade-in-arms’ in the national awakening from the audience, including Vivekananda. That
of India at the beginning of the twentieth century, Abhedananda was a born teacher and preacher was
has become somewhat obscure to the youthful gen proved by this very first speech. Western audiences
erations of today. He was as tall and towering a per received his utterances respectfully for almost a
sonality in India’s struggle for national freedom as quarter of a century (1896–1921).
in his apostolic zeal for propagation of Vedanta and In 1897 Abhedananda crossed over to America
Indian culture abroad, particularly in the US. The and made New York his headquarters. The history
Nobel laureate Sir C V Raman was not exaggerating of the Vedanta movement in the US is inseparably
when he wrote from Bangalore on 5 August 1941:
‘His [Abhedananda’s] services to India in popular
izing her culture and religion abroad were undoubt
edly of a memorable character.’ Internationally
recognized scholars like Dr S Radhakrishnan and
Prof. Benoy Kumar Sarkar have also corroborated
the above view from their personal experiences.
Down to 1893 the international status quo was
marked by a palpable inequality between the East
and the West, the latter claiming superiority over
the former. The arrogant claims of Western super
iority were challenged by Vivekananda, who in
1893 threw a spiritual bombshell before the Parlia
ment of Religions held at Chicago, as Prof. Benoy
Sarkar puts it. It burst and struck the entire world
with deep astonishment. His Chicago lectures
challenged, perhaps for the first time and with an
effective voice, the dehumanizing international
situation and inaugurated the historic struggle for
equality between all global communities.
While Vivekananda set India on a career of
charaiveti, forward march, it was left to Abhedananda
PB June 2010 385
linked with Abhedananda. Contemporary records sides, Abhedananda contributed his quota to the
bear out this truth. Swami Atulananda observes: Swadeshi movement in another way. He returned
‘The discourse [of Abhedananda] was lucid, convin temporarily to India in early 1906 and was accorded
cing, and impressive. … He had his subject well in a right royal reception by Indians throughout the
hand. And his voice was clear and sonorous.’ Else country. His Indian lectures of 1906 served as an
where, he writes: ‘The Swami [Abhedananda] be additional stimulus to the awakened patriotism,
came popular and his work increased. … The society which became organized and militant at this stage.
flourished, the intellectual world was attracted. The The defensive or apologetic attitude of the Brahmo
Swami was invited to speak before University as Samaj on the question of Hinduism vis-à-vis Chris
semblies and to address different clubs and societies. tianity was rejected and replaced by a new vigorous
What had begun in a private unostentatious man movement of national self-assertion. In the polit
ner, developed into a public movement.’ Dr Wen ical arena, Sri Aurobindo—along with Bipin Chan
dell Thomas, in his critical study Hinduism Invades dra Pal—emerged as the voice of resurgent Indian
America, highlights a great truth when he says: ‘Pay nationalism, which sought ‘a return to our old na
ing more attention to history and his field of op tional individuality’. And there was also Rabindra
eration, Swami Abhedananda did more than his nath Tagore, with his supremely creative genius.
leader [Vivekananda] to adjust Vedanta to Western A great patriot and a valiant fighter, Abhedananda
culture. Rather than overpower by flashing oratory, was, above all, a philosopher of a very high order. His
he seeks to convince by sweet reasonableness and a philosophical works such as Reincarnation (1900),
vast array of new and picturesque facts.’ Spiritual Unfoldment (1902), Philosophy of Work
Abhedananda’s was a many-sided personality. (1903), Divine Heritage of Man (1903), and Self
The flame of patriotism ever burnt brightly in his Knowledge (1905), to mention just a few, constitute
soul. He played an important role in the Swadeshi another of his claims to greatness. The renowned
movement, which swept over Bengal and parts of philosophical thinker Dr Mahendranath Sircar
India in 1905–6. In his view, there are two essential rightly observed in 1939: ‘Swami Abhedananda ex
prerequisites for a freedom movement to be success celled in proficiency in Vedanta philosophy; per
ful: organization at home and propaganda abroad. haps in that branch of learning he had hardly a
It is in the second line of action that Abhedananda peer in India.’ True, he was an Advaita Vedantin in
shone more prominently in those days. In 1906 he his philosophical outlook, like his great colleague
delivered before the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Vivekananda. But it is foolish to fancy that one is the
Sciences, New York, a series of impassioned lectures echo of the other, as each enjoyed an independent
on the diverse phases of Indian civilization. On the status of his own. Even when they have no doctri
one hand, he revealed in those lectures the great nal difference, they exhibit, at any rate, uniqueness
ness and profundity of Indian civilization through of technique and logical presentation. Viveka
the ages, and exposed, on the other, the picture of nanda was essentially a prophet; Abhedananda, a
chronic famine and impoverishment of India under philosopher-cum-preacher. The former’s lectures
British rule. His lectures were not just demagogic carried a direct appeal to the heart, while the lat
speeches, but scholarly utterances of a great Indian ter’s addresses were primarily meant for the intellect.
patriot whose ‘scholarship was the despair of many’. In any case, theirs was not a philosophy of retreat
These lectures were soon brought out in a book from the struggles of life but an acceptance of it,
entitled India and Her People. Originally pub most loyally and intensely for a larger impersonal
lished from New York in 1906, the sale of the book end—the moral and material improvement of hu
was at that time banned in India by the Bombay manity. And in this, they were true to the ideals of
Government because of its seditious contents. Be Sri Ramakrishna, their master. P
386 PB June 2010
Swami Jagadananda
at Vrindaban
Swami Dhyanananda
T
o be freed from the mortal coil on
the sacred soil of Vrindaban is considered by
Vaishnavas to be the summum bonum of life.
On that blessed soil Swami Jagadananda, a san
nyasin of the Ramakrishna Order and a disciple of
Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna’s divine consort, entered
into mahasamadhi on 4 December 1951. During
the last two years of his life, he spent in all eleven
months in Vrindaban, spread over three visits. His
stays in Vrindaban were a blessing to the inmates
of the Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama. We give
below an account of these times, together with the
traits of his character that produced a deep impres
sion on the minds of those who had the privilege to ber 1949, accompanied by two swamis of the Order
come in contact with him there. and two devotees. He had a desire to visit Kashmir
Swami Jagadananda came to Vrindaban for the also, so he had brought with him all the necessary
second time in the year 1949, his first pilgrimage bedding and clothing. Many a time he would refer
to the holy town having taken place over thirty to the beauty of Kashmir, adding that Swami Viveka
years previously. Before this second pilgrimage he nanda liked Kashmir very much. One day, while
had been suffering from beriberi at the Kishanpur going through the letters of Swami Vivekananda—
Sadhan Kutir and was repeatedly advised to come a Bengali edition that Swami Prajnanananda, the
to Vrindaban Sevashram for treatment and for a monk-in-charge of the Sevashrama, had given him
change of place. He did not come, however, until to read—he was very happy to come across the fol
having almost completely recovered from his illness. lowing words: ‘This Kashmir is a veritable heaven on
Referring to this, he once casually remarked while at earth. Nowhere else in the world is such a country
the Sevashrama: ‘I thought within myself at Kishan as this. Mountains and rivers, trees and plants, men
pur, “I have been cherishing for a long time a de and women, beasts and birds—all vie with one an
sire to visit Vrindaban; if I go there now it will be other for excellence. I feel a pang at heart not to have
for the treatment of my illness and not for tirtha- visited it so long.’ He called Swami Prajnanananda
darshan. I should go there after I come round.”’ and like a child showed him with eagerness what
He reached Vrindaban in the first week of Novem Swamiji had written. But due to the unsettled polit
ical situation prevailing in Kashmir at that time he
This unpublished reminiscence has been made available
was advised to drop the idea of going there.
by Srimat Swami Prameyanandaji Maharaj, Vice Presi- Within a few days of his arrival at Vrindaban, he
dent, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. said, ‘I want to begin the scriptural classes as early
PB June 2010 387
as possible. Why should I sit idle?’ We had heard A New Year’s Arrival
that he had been taking classes on Vedanta for many The inmates of the Sevashrama eagerly awaited
years and that it was a rare fortune to study Vedanta Swami Jagadananda’s return at the tail end of the
with him. But as he was already engaged for an hour year. The swami also had developed a genuine
each morning in teaching the Brihadaranyaka Upa- love for Vrindaban and wanted to return with the
nishad with Shankaracharya’s commentary to the onset of winter. But as he had to stay for some days
younger of the two swamis who had come with him in Kankhal and New Delhi, he could not return
from Kishanpur, and as he was still weak in health, within the year.
we waited for about three weeks before fixing up a On Monday, 1 January 1951, he reached
time suited to all for the study of the Bhagavadgita Vrindaban by car from New Delhi in the company
with Shankaracharya’s commentary. of three swamis and a devotee. He wanted to begin
The class commenced on Monday, 28 Novem the classes without delay. It was decided that there
ber 1949, which also happened to be the anniver should be two classes: one in which the study of the
sary of Swami Premananda’s birth. The class used Brihadaranyaka Upanishad with Shankaracharya’s
to be held every day from 1.30 to 2.30 p.m. During commentary would be taken up, and the other in
the first few days Swami Jagadananda deliberately which the text of the Gita would be explained, with
proceeded very slowly with the text and the com out going through Shankaracharya’s commentary.
mentary, for the purpose of giving his students an Three days after his arrival the classes on the
understanding of what he used to call tattva, prin Brihadaranyaka Upanishad commenced. The hour
ciple. He explained in simple language the essences fixed for the purpose was from 6 to 7 a.m. The
of drig-drishya-viveka, discernment of the seer from swami began with the following significant words:
the seen; avastha-traya-viveka, discernment of the ‘Shankara did not attain brahma-jnana by going
three states of consciousness, namely waking, dream, through the scriptures, but he got it from his guru,
and deep sleep; and anyonyadhyasa, mutual super Govindapada; Swamiji did not attain brahma-
imposition—on the abstruseness of which students jnana by going through the scriptures, but he got it
of Vedanta break their heads for years together. from his guru, Sri Ramakrishna. For the attainment
Thus, by teaching how to separate oneself from the of brahma-jnana it is not at all necessary that we
three bodies, he said that there was nothing more should go through the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
in Vedanta than the fact that one is none other than What then is the necessity for this class? It is because
pure sat-chit-ananda, on which body and mind and Swamiji had said that the religious order which is
their activities are superimposed due to ignorance. negligent in the study of the scriptures degenerates.
Even on the very second day of his classes he uttered We are carrying out the behest of Swamiji.’
the following significant words: ‘I have told you the The Gita classes began on Monday, 8 January—
whole of Vedanta. Even if you study crores of books the time was the same as in the previous year: 1.30
on Vedanta, you will not get anything more. Even to 2.30 p.m. These classes were very useful, espe
if I close the classes today, there is no harm, for the cially for those who, on account of their deficiency
whole of Vedanta has been explained.’ in Sanskrit, could not follow the commentary. In
The Gita was finished in slightly over three spite of their poor knowledge of the language, they
months’ time. Thereupon, he was in indifferent were able to reap the benefit of studying Shankara
health and, although he was never tired of remov charya’s interpretation in Sanskrit without the la
ing the doubts of his students by answering their bour that such study demands, as the swami—who
questions, no further classes could be held. He left never cared for any commentary other than that
Vrindaban for Almora on Thursday, 4 May 1950, of Shankaracharya—always explained the text in
accompanied by one swami. the light of this commentary as he went along. A
388 PB June 2010
Swami Jagadananda at Vrindaban 39
class on Vakya-vritti and Upadesha-sahasri was also adding that the words of the Shruti have spread far
started in the morning for a much smaller number and wide, and so we hear of such things from many
of students who could make time for it. quarters. Thereupon the class that day ended.
Apart from a number of days when he fell ill Little did we know then that that would be the
and the classes had to be stopped, the swami gen last day of our classes with him. That evening he
erally kept very good health, and the classes were curtailed his walk, feeling a little tired. In the early
regularly held up to 10 May. He left Vrindaban morning of 3 December he called the brahmacharin
for Almora the next day but had to return from who used to ring the bell for the morning class and
Mathura Cantonment at midnight with a party of asked him not to do so. This was the first time that
seven sadhus and brahmacharins, as due to inad he himself asked us to stop one of his classes. On
vertence he had been allotted a reserved seat in a several occasions his classes had been stopped by
second class compartment that would not go up to others in view of his health, but he had always pro
Haldwani. Early the next morning he left for Agra tested on the grounds that he invariably kept fit
to board the train from there and safely reached when the classes went on. The class at Jnana Gudri
Almora the following day. was also cancelled that day.
When asked, he said that he was feeling a little
Back Once More weak but that it was nothing serious. He looked
The swami was eager to come back to Vrindaban a little indifferent that day. He, however, took his
that winter to finish the Brihadaranyaka Upani- usual breakfast and midday meal. At about 4 p.m.
shad. Although he wanted to stay at Almora as long he disclosed that he had been having a little pain in
as the cold was bearable, acting on the advice of all the sub-sternum since the previous evening. Soon
he returned to Vrindaban on Friday, 16 Novem the pain became acute, but he did not lose his usual
ber 1951, accompanied by three swamis and one expression of humour. He vomited at about 5 p.m.
brahmacharin. and, as signs of acidity were apparent, he was given
The classes on the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad an antacid. One of the swamis gave him homeo
were resumed on 24 November. The time fixed was pathic medicine also and a humorous conversation
from 5.45 to 6.45 a.m. Another class on the same on allopathy versus homeopathy ensued, in which
Upanishad was also held from 8 to 9 a.m. every he participated. ‘The whole theory of karya-karana,
morning at the Sevashrama house at Jnana Gudri, for cause and effect, is false;’ he said, ‘Thakur (Sri Rama
four of his students—three swamis and one brahma krishna) did not believe in it.’ The swami in charge of
charin—who had come from Almora with him. the Sevashrama opposed: ‘But we have to believe in
In the early-morning class on 2 December the karya-karana!’ To this he replied, ‘Yes, we find that
discussion was about that portion of the commen we have to accept karya-karana at every step of life.’
tary on the third Brahmana of the fourth chapter
of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad in which the Mahasamadhi
existence of the other world has been suggested To one of the swamis attending on him he said,
on the grounds that a person sometimes dreams ‘This is called “yama-kantaka (the thorn of Yama)”,
many things that are never to be experienced in this when you don’t feel relief in any position.’ At first
life. Swami Jagadananda said, ‘Nobody will believe it was thought that the pain might be due to an
that one sees the other world in a dream. But we gina, but that night it was diagnosed as due to
believe in it because the Shruti says so.’ One of the coronary thrombosis. As he was reluctant to take
brahmacharins said, ‘Old men who are approach injections, none were administered that night. He
ing their end are sometimes heard to see visions of passed a sleepless and restless night in spite of ad
the other world.’ He admitted this enthusiastically, ministration of proper medicines. Next morning,
PB June 2010 389
4 December, he said, ‘If by giving me injections brahmacharins, as they repeated the holy name of
you can relieve me of this pain, I allow you to give Sri Ramakrishna. Then, after the usual bath, offer
me a thousand injections.’ Thereupon, suitable in ings of flowers and respects, and the chanting of
jections were given at the prescribed times. There the ‘Purusha Sukta’ the body was immersed in the
was some relief. However, at about 11 a.m. he nearly sacred waters of the Yamuna—by 2.15 a.m. on 5 De
collapsed. He rallied with extreme difficulty and cember 1951 the last rites were over.
addressing the attending physicians said, ‘You have A great Advaitin had passed away in the land of
brought me back from the home of Yama.’ the dualists. To many, this would seem a curious
There were further relapses at 1 p.m., 6 p.m., and event; but to those who knew him intimately it
8.40 p.m. Oxygen and artificial respiration were used was quite in the fitness of things. For, although a
to help him get over the attacks. The attacks were jnani, Swami Jagadananda was intensely devotional
short and abrupt, but at every one his life was des at heart. He used to say that those who come to Sri
paired of. The attack at 1 p.m. was so alarming that Ramakrishna will not be jnanis merely, they will be
all hope was given up and the sadhus and brahma what Sri Ramakrishna called vijnanis; they will have
charins started chanting the name of Sri Rama both jnana and bhakti. He loved Vrindaban very
krishna in chorus. The final attack came at 10.17 p.m. much and used to say that Vrindaban was sure to
and he succumbed to it in a minute. Except at the rise as Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, and Swami
times of the attacks, when outward consciousness Vivekananda had all been and stayed there. He
disappeared, he was in full consciousness through was happy to see that even Dashanami san
out his acute suffering of about thirty hours. Even nyasins were travelling to Vrindaban in
a couple of hours before giving up the body he increasing numbers. He visited the main
said, ‘I am giving expression to my pain. Of temples of Vrindaban and performed
course, a “gentleman” would not give such ex parikrama, circumambulation, of the
pression!’ He retained his humour holy place. He went to
up to the end. He was Nandagram, Bar
given all possible med sana, Govardhana,
ical help, readily avail and Radhakunda
able in an up-to-date also, even in his
hospital, but the candle failing health. On
of life was burning itself several occasions he
out and all efforts to referred to the lesson that
bring him back to life the gopis of Vrindaban
were of no avail. His taught Uddhava, who
last words were, ‘Ma, had asked them to see
Ma (Mother, Mother).’ Sri Krishna in medita
The pain ceased for ever. tion. He would at times
His whole face beamed quote the following
in the lustre of a heav lines from a song that
enly serenity. Sri Ramakrishna
After garlanding and used to sing: ‘In
arati, his mortal frame, Vrindaban alone
which looked amazingly can pure love be found
fresh, was taken to the bank of / Its secret none but the
the Yamuna by the sadhus and gopas and gopis know.’
390 PB June 2010
Swami Jagadananda at Vrindaban 41
At the feet of Swami Jagadananda we have learnt that only the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna
the lessons of bhakti no less than those of jnana. were able to have brahma-jnana. But Sri Sarada
All arguments over a doubtful question would im Devi has said that even now many are having divya-
mediately be put to an end with one quote from darshana (divine visions) and divya-jnana (divine
the words of Sri Ramakrishna or the Holy Mother, knowledge).’
or from the works of Swamiji. He was a great ad
vocate of Shankaracharya and encouraged us to A Realized Monk
thoroughly study all his works. After one had mas It was evident to all his students that he was fully
tered Shankaracharya’s works, he recommended convinced of the doctrine of Advaita which he
the study of Sureshwaracharya and Sarvajnatman used to teach in his classes with so much emphasis,
Muni. He dissuaded us from wasting time reading for it was clear that he spoke with authority. He
many books and was anxious to see that we stud avoided speaking about his own experiences;
ied the most authoritative books in their proper nevertheless, on some occasions he vouchsafed
order. In his classes, again and again he would draw to us the confirmation that he had nothing more
our attention to the ultimate purpose of studying to attain in life. On the morning of Thursday, 25
Vedanta. He did not want us to study Vedanta for January 1951, he was seated under the sun on a cot
the purpose of becoming pandits or lecturers. He in front of the office veranda of the Sevashrama,
used to say, ‘If you have any such ulterior motive when a brahmacharin, hesitant to put the ques
you will never attain atma-jnana (knowledge of tion directly, elicited the answer indirectly by refer
the Self ). You should study Vedanta for the sake ring to a talk that he had had with a disciple of
of Vedanta. Without “tvam-padartha-viveka (dis Mahapurush Swami Shivananda some years ago.
cernment of the meaning of the term ‘you’ in the The brahmacharin said, ‘A disciple of Mahapurush
Vedantic dictum ‘you are That’)” you will never Maharaj mentioned to me the names of some of
be able to advance one step in the understanding our sadhus still living, including yours, and told
of Vedanta.’ He would say, ‘I wonder, when one me that they were all brahmajnas (knowers of
has left home and become a sadhu for the sake of Brahman).’ Swami Jagadananda heard this as nat
God, what obstruction there can be in attaining urally as he used to hear the thousand and one
atma-jnana.’ He would take it for granted that all other questions that were put to him day in and
his students possessed the necessary qualifications day out. He wanted the names to be repeated and
for attaining the supreme knowledge. Even if the when that was done he replied, ‘There are possibly
students themselves confessed their limitations, others as well. That I am one, I know.’
he would not allow them to be disappointed but He was never found to sit for japa or meditation.
would encourage them, reminding them that they He had a very old rosary but he was never seen to
were all sufficiently pure in mind since they had tell his beads. His purpose of life was already served.
given up their home for the sake of God. ‘Chitta- On 13 December 1949 he said, ‘Nowadays people
shuddhi (purification of mind)’, he would say, ‘does do not have firm faith in Vedic mantras. Few be
not mean that even the slightest impure thought lieve that the Gayatri alone can give brahma-jnana,
will never cross your minds. Chitta-shuddhi means so people run after tantric initiation. The Bhagavata
vividisha (the desire to know [the Truth]). If you also advises people to follow both Vedic and tantric
are really desirous of knowing the Truth, you will enjoyments. Everyone seeks a support, something
have it. Whoever wants, gets.’ He repeatedly said, to fall back upon. Blessed is the man who has noth
‘The greatest obstacle to the attainment of brahma- ing to depend on.’ One of the sadhus interrupted,
jnana (knowledge of Brahman) is to harbour the ‘I look upon that man as worthy of my worship
idea that it is something impossible. People think who does not depend either on Vedic or on tantric
PB June 2010 391
sadhana.’ Swami Jagadananda immediately replied, of the Sevashrama. He was very happy to learn that
‘I have given up both.’ the Sevashrama had been given possession of a new
On another occasion he said, ‘Khoka Maharaj site by the government and would speak enthusias
(Swami Subodhananda) said to me, “Why do you tically about the construction of the new hospital
say that the world is unreal? The world may be buildings. After reaching Vrindaban on 16 Novem
unreal from your angle of vision; but it is not un ber 1951 he enquired about the details of a dona
real from the angle of vision of God.” Although tion of Rs 40,000, which a Bombay donor had
Khoka Maharaj said so, I could never accept the promised for the construction of a women’s ward
world as real—for Thakur had said, “Brahman is on the new site. The brahmacharin from whom
real, the world unreal.” In the Tantras the world is he enquired about the matter wondered at the
considered to be a vision of Shiva. Probably Khoka amount of interest that he, a sannyasin who seem
Maharaj referred to this.’ ingly kept himself aloof from all Mission activities,
Apart from his spiritual attainments, Swami took in the continued progress and well-being of
Jagadananda possessed many qualities of the head the institution.
and heart that endeared him to all who came in He was kind to all. Once, on the eve of his de
contact with him. His nature was sweet. He seldom parture for Almora, he went to the room of an ail
contradicted anybody except his students. In his ing servant and took leave of him, as the servant
talks, he had the patience and the courtesy to see was unable to come to him on account of illness.
the other person’s viewpoint. He never criticized He loved to hear the radio news and regularly went
or condemned anybody. If ever he mentioned a through the newspapers with great interest. He
wrong action of anybody, he scrupulously avoided kept himself well-informed about all political, so
mentioning the name of the person concerned. He cial, and other activities both in India and abroad.
never used such expressions as ‘our house’, ‘our vil He could not bear any criticism against the in
lage’, or ‘my father’. In this he was an orthodox san cumbent government. He would often say, ‘People
nyasin. He would never bring one’s attention down forget that it is their own government. Perfection
to the body by using such expressions as, ‘you look cannot be attained in a day. Didn’t we get freedom
very lean’ or ‘you have grown fat’. only the other day?’
He was neither too short nor too tall in stat The end came unexpectedly. The loss to the
ure and had a bright complexion. His brain was Order is great. His students—the sadhus and
marvellously clear even in old age and he retained brahmacharins of the different centres of the Math
a very good memory. His face beamed with a rare and Mission who used to gather round him from
smile. No one could talk with him for five minutes far and near for the study of Vedanta—feel that
without noticing in his face the play of that excep a void has been created in their lives, a void that
tional smile. He was as simple as a child—and many would never be possible to fill up again. They only
a time he looked just like a child in spite of his age. pray that the sublime lessons of bhakti and jnana
One day he was standing on the lawn in front of the they learnt at his feet may continue to inspire them
shrine when a stranger came up to him and asked throughout their lives, and that their faith in the
what his name was. He immediately replied, ‘My guru and the Shruti may never waver, for their re
name is Jagadananda’, without at all enquiring who vered and beloved teacher used to say: ‘God comes
the man was or why he wanted to know his name. to liberate humans in two forms—in the form of
To the brahmacharin who was standing near him the guru and in the form of the Shruti. One is not
his words sounded like those of a boy of five. different from the other. Both are forms of the
He was never indifferent to what was going on same Atman. Without faith in these two, no one
around him. He evinced interest in the activities can have jnana.’ P
392 PB June 2010
The Poetic Philosophy of Ramcharitmanas
A P N Pankaj
(Continued from the previous issue )
R
asa is one of the twenty-four gunas, fectionate—were added by Mammata and Vishwa
qualities, enumerated in the Vaisheshika natha respectively. However, rasa is just one; an
philosophy. It is one of the most important indivisible indescribable experience that, depend
components of kāvya. According to Vishwanatha, ing upon the flux of the poet’s mind or the demand
the author of the Sahitya-darpana (The Mirror of the subject at hand, attains different hues technic
of Literature), rasa is the soul of kāvya: ‘Vākyaṁ ally called bhāvas, moods or emotions, and arouses
rasātmakaṁ kāvyam; a sentence endowed with rasa different feelings.
is poetry.’ The Agni Purana says: ‘Vāgvaidagdhya- As a poet, Tulsi has used all rasas and bhāvas,
pradhāne’pi rasa evātra jīvitam; despite the pre- and in Manas he has played with them beautifully.
eminence of verbal dexterity, it is still rasa which But for him too there is only one rasa, and that is
is the soul of poetry.’15 his sthāhyī-bhāva, durable mood. This rasa is bhakti,
There are, of course, schools or theories of not as the eleventh rasa accepted by the poetic
poetics that are not based on rasa. Among these, the scholars after the so-called Bhakti Yuga of Hindi
following are some of the more important: the rīti poetry, but as that indivisible, indescribable one
school, which accords greater importance to form, rasa that the Upanishad refers to. While passing
technique, and style; the alaṅkāra school, which through the various events, episodes, and moods
emphasizes the primacy of figures of speech—sim of Manas, Tulsi brings the relevant shades of rasas
iles, metaphors, and the like; and the dhvani school, to bear upon them; but never is bhakti given a back
which says that in poetry implied meaning is more seat. Bhakti drives Manas. We have already seen
important than the expressed meaning. It is evident that all the seven chapters of this mahākāvya are
that Tulsi, who has made appropriate application pathways to bhakti. In the first of the two conclud
of different theories in his Manas, gives high im ing Sanskrit verses of the ‘Uttarakanda’, the poet
portance to rasa, which is testified to by his placing says that in the days of yore Bhagavan Shiva had
the term rasa next to ‘words’ and ‘meanings’ in the composed this Ramayana in order to obtain un
opening invocatory shloka. ceasing bhakti to the lotus feet of Sri Rama:
Bharata’s Natya-shastra (Dramatic Theory), the
first extant systematic treatise on poetics, also says Yat-pūrvaṁ prabhuṇā kṛtaṁ sukavinā
śrī-śambhunā durgamaṁ;
that no poetic meaning proceeds from speech with
Śrīmad-rāma-padābja-bhaktim-aniśaṁ
out any kind of sentiment: ‘Na hi rasād-ṛte kaścid- prāptyai tu rāmāyaṇam.
apy-arthaḥ pravartate.’16 Practically all schools
accept the high importance of rasa in poetry. And the final statement is the phala-śruti, the
Bharata has enumerated eight rasas: śṛngāra, erotic; fruit of reading or hearing Manas:
hāsya, comic; karuṇa, pathetic; raudra, furious; Śrīmad-rāma-caritra-mānasam-idaṁ
vīra, heroic; bhayānaka, terrible; bībhatsa, odious; bhaktyāvagāhanti ye;
and adbhuta, marvellous (6.43–50). Subsequently, Te saṁsāra-pataṅga-ghora-kiraṇair-
two more rasas—śānta, tranquil, and vātsalya, af dahyanti no mānavāḥ.
PB June 2010 393
ing too—dhvani, allusion. Chandas means
‘Vedic hymns’. The poet prays that his work
may attain the status of Vedic mantras.
That his prayer has been fully answered is
borne out by the large number of Manas
verses being regarded as mantras—de
votees claim that chanting them yields the
results stated in these verse-mantras.
Maṅgala: Felicity
What ought to flow from the above se
Vaishnavas quence of words, meanings, rasas, and
metres? Maṅgala, says Tulsi. According to him, the
Those persons who devotedly delve deep into this soul of poetry is maṅgala, auspiciousness or bene
Ramcharitmanas will not be burnt by the scorch
diction. And maṅgala is none other than Sri Rama
ing sun of samsara.
himself: ‘Bālamīki mana-ānandu bhārī; Maṅgala
mūrati nayana nihārī; Valmiki’s joy knew no bound
Chandas: Metre
on seeing with his eyes the embodiment of maṅgala’
Next in line is chandas, metre. Various metres have (2.125.3). This word maṅgala is very dear to Tulsi
been described by Sanskrit prosodists.17 Hindi has and, either independently or with suffixes, he has
adopted several of them, taken some from other used it over a hundred and thirty times in Manas,
sources, and of course evolved some of its own. according to one count.18 Statistics apart, the poet
Though Sanskrit words abound in Tulsi’s Ramcharit seeks maṅgala for the world and is sanguine that
manas, its main language is Avadhi-Hindi. It also despite the failings that it may have, his poetry shall
contains words from Urdu, Persian, and various be maṅgala-karani, producer of goodness:
North Indian dialects, which were perhaps cur
rent in his time. For metres Tulsi has used caupāī, Maṅgala-karani kali-mala-harani
tulasī kathā raghunātha ki;
dohā, sorathā, and several other chandas. These had
Gati kūra kabitā sarita kī jyon
been used in Apabhramsha literature, and Malik sarita pāvani pāth kī.
Muhammad Jayasi used them in his Padmavat and Prabhu sujasa saṁgati bhaniti bhali
other Hindi works before Tulsi. Tulsi’s originality hoihi sujana mana bhāvanī;
lies in the way he synchronized letters, words, syl Bhava aṅga bhūti masāna kī
lables, lines, and metres to create a divine resonance sumirata suhāvani pāvanī.
that the mere singing of—without any musical This story of Raghunatha is beneficent; it washes
instrument and sometimes even without under away the squalor of Kali Yuga. The tortuous move
standing their meaning either—has the capacity to ment of this uncouth river-like poem of mine is
fill the entire ambience with melody, transporting like the meandering Ganga of holy waters. In asso
the singer to celestial regions. Tulsi gave his lan ciation with the Lord’s glory, it will attain to good
ness and be loved by saintly souls in the same way
guage and metres such unprecedented popularity as the unholy ashes of the crematorium applied on
that people throughout India—the so-called Hindi Shiva’s body are both charming and purificatory
belt in particular—rejoice in singing his compos for those who think of them.19
itions. His language and metres have by themselves
become generators of rasa. ‘Shiva, along with Uma,’ says the poet ‘always
The phrase chandasām-api has an implicit mean repeats (the name of Rama) who is the abode of
394 PB June 2010
The Poetic Philosophy of Ramcharitmanas 45
felicity and destroyer of the unpropitious’: Swami Akhandananda Saraswati makes an im
portant observation:
Maṅgala-bhavana amaṅgala hārī;
Umā sahita jehi japata purārī (1.10.1).
It is the tradition that those who are initiated
into different sects—Vaishnava, Shakta, Saura,
Maṅgala is thus the ultimate purpose of Manas—
Shaiva, and the like—pay obeisance in the begin
maṅgala for the entire universe, in particular for ning to their Chosen Deities. Though Goswamiji’s
those who sing with love Rama’s glory captured in Chosen Deity is Sri Sita-Ramachandra, he has
Manas. In essence, bhakti and maṅgala are identi paid obeisance to Saraswati and Ganesha. This is
cal, for both reside in Sri Rama’s feet. There can be smārta tradition. … [In this] tradition followed by
no maṅgala without bhakti, and amaṅgala, inaus the devotees of Ayodhya they pay obeisance to all,
piciousness, cannot even tread on the shadow of a but seek devotion to Rama as boon. Therefore, in
bhakta. Remember Sri Rama with bhakti and you his Vinaya Patrika also, after having saluted Ga
napati in the beginning—‘Gaiye Ganapati Jaga
will have maṅgala. Everything worldly not asso
bandana’—Goswami Tulsidas has concluded this
ciated with Sri Rama’s name is amaṅgala. This is hymn by saying, ‘Māṅgata tulasidāsa kara jore /
Tulsi’s conviction. Basahin rāma-siya mānasa more; Tulsidas begs
According to some scholars, the word maṅgala with folded hands that Sri Sita-Ramachandra may
is also used to convey the meanings ‘progress’, abide in my heart.’ 20
‘movement’, ‘advance’, from the root magi: gatau. If
one follows that meaning as well, Tulsi reposes all While enumerating the schools of poetics, we
progress, spiritual and material, yoga and kṣema, in had made mention of the dhvani school and have
Sri Rama, the subject matter of Manas. subsequently alluded to the dhvani form a couple
of times. Essentially, dhvani is ‘the non-literal
Je sakāma nara sunahin je gāvahin; power of language’.21 ‘In good kāvya too there
sukha sampati nānā bidhi pāvahin.
should be, as it were, dhvani, “sound” of such kind
Sura-durlabha sukha kari jaga māhīn;
anta-kāla raghupati-pura jāhīn. that it can carry all the meanings, including the
Sunahin bimukta birata aru biṣaī; figurative and indirect. Anandavardhana [a pro
lahahin bhagati gati sampati naī. ponent of Dhvani school] uses the term dhvani …
Those who with worldly motives hear or sing it, to mean that which carries those excellences … so
will gain pleasure and prosperity of all sorts. In this that it comes to mean the power which underlies
world they will enjoy a happiness that is the envy suggestion or “implication”’ (98).
of the gods. At the end (of their worldly existence), The vācyārtha, direct meaning, of the terms
they will ascend to Raghupati’s divine abode. The vāṇī and vināyaka mentioned by the poet in this
emancipated, the detached, and those attached to maṅgalācaraṇa is, of course, Saraswati and Ganesha.
sense objects, will be blessed with bhakti, mukti, According to Swami Prajnanananda Saraswati, a
and ever-increasing prosperity (7.15.2–3).
scholar saint of Maharashtra who spent a lifetime
in the study of Ramcharitmanas and has written in
Vani and Vinayaka
Hindi a monumental seven-volume commentary on
For the appropriate use of words, meanings, rasas, this text, vāṇī and vināyaka have distinct implied
metres, and for auspiciousness, Tulsi salutes Vani meanings. We have already stated that apart from
and Vinayaka and, as pointed out in the begin paying obeisance to God or the deities, one of the
ning, thereby follows the Indian poetic tradition. customary objectives of invocation is to introduce
The terms vāṇī and vināyaka also have a lakṣyārtha- the subject of the poem. Tulsi, in this maṅgalācaraṇa,
dhvanyārtha, an implicit meaning. We shall con not only pays obeisance to his iṣṭadevas implicitly
sider that presently. but also introduces them as his subject.
PB June 2010 395
Are Vani and Vinayaka the creators of varṇa- Tadapi jathāśruta kahaun bakhānī;
saṅghas, artha-sanghas, rasas, chandas, and maṅgalas? sumiri girāpati prabhu dhanupānī.
Swami Prajnanananda argues as follows:22 Even so I shall speak in detail what I have heard,
(i) In this shloka, Tulsi reverences Sri Sita-Rama after meditating upon the Master of Speech, (and)
with the words vāṇī and vināyaka. The use of the the Lord (Ramachandra) who holds a bow in his
dvandva compound, both in the adjective kartārau hand (1.105.2).
and the noun vāṇīvināyakau, clearly indicates Byāpaka brahma biraja bāgīsā;
their dual character. If we consider this, then Vani- māyā moha pāra paramīsā.
Saraswati and Vinayaka-Ganapati would have to (Sri Rama is) the One, all-pervading Brahman,
be considered a pair, a couple, thereby parenting without passion, Lord of Speech, the Supreme
varṇas, arthas, and so on. The process of creation God beyond illusion and infatuation (7.58.4).
assumes dāmpatya, the relationship that exists be Such adjectives can also be found in Vinaya
tween Shakti and Shaktiman, Prakriti and Purusha. Patrika and the other works of Goswamiji. They
This is untenable in this instance. prove that Sri Rama is none other than the lord
(ii) From the internal evidence of Manas, no and master of speech.
where is it observed that Vani-Ganapati are the (iii) Similarly, there are examples to prove that
producers of varṇa-artha sanghas, whereas Sri Sita- the etymological expressions ‘vināyaka vigataḥ
Ramachandra—who were likened to girā and artha, nāyako niyantā’sya; Vinayaka is one who has no su
jala and vīci earlier—have been referred to as such perior, controller, or ruler’; or alternatively ‘vighna-
in several instances: nāyaka nāśako vā, the controller or destroyer of
obstacles’, also pertain to Sri Rama:
Sārada dāru-nāri sama svāmī;
rāmu sūtra-dhara antara-jāmī. Parama svatantra na sira para koī.
Jehi para kṛpā karahin janu jānī;
kabi ura ajira nacāvahin bānī. (You are) supremely independent with none su
perior to you (1.137.1).
Saraswati is like a puppet and the indwelling Rama
the thread-holding director. He makes her dance Sakala bighna byāpahin nahin tehī;
in the heart of a poet on whom he showers his rāma sukṛpā bilokahin jehī.
grace, considering him his servitor.23 None of the obstacles can consume him upon
whom Rama casts his gracious glance (1.39.3).
Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana, Jamini Roy, Bengal Patachitra style
(iv) In this maṅgalacaraṇa shloka,

the poet has also suggested, by stating
that they are maṅgalānām kartārau, the
architects of felicity—that Sri Sita-Rama
chandra are the subjects of his mahākāvya.
Kartārau—this maṅgala-kartṛtva, the dis
pensation of maṅgala—is indeed nothing
but raghunātha-gāthā, the story of Rama,
which Tulsi, for the joy of his heart, is
going to narrate: svāntaḥ-sukhāya tulasī
raghunātha-gāthā (1. invocatory verse 7).
The third purport of maṅgalācaraṇa
is to bless the audience or the reader.
Tulsi’s humility does not permit him to
PB June 2010
The Poetic Philosophy of Ramcharitmanas 47
make such a statement right at the beginning of Notes and References

his Manas. He, however, does so only a little later; 15. Agni Purana, 337.33; cited in Mukunda Madhava
but while doing so, he attributes these blessings to Sharma, The Dhvani Theory in Sanskrit Poetry
Shiva and Parvati: (Varanasi: Chowkhamba Amarabharati, 1968), 7.
16. Bharata Muni, Natya-shastra, 6.34.
Je ehi kathahi saneha sametā; 17. See V S Apte, The Practical Sanskrit English Diction
kahihahin sunihahin samujhi sacetā. ary (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2000), 1035–42.
Hoihahin rāma-carana anurāgī; 18. Winand M Callewaert and Philip Lutgendorf,
kali-mala rahita sumaṅgala bhāgī. Rāmacaritmānas Word Index (New Delhi: Maho-
Sapanehun sācehu mohi para jaun har, 1997), 241.
hara-gauri pasāu; 19. Ramcharitmanas, 1.10.
Tau phura hou jo kaheun saba 20. Swami Akhandananda Saraswati, Sri Ramacharita
bhāṣā bhaniti prabhāu. manasa Pravachana (Mumbai: Satsahitya Pra-
Those who narrate or listen to this story with love kashan, 1999), 1.1; translation mine.
and understanding will become lovers of Rama’s 21. A K Warder, Indian Kāvya Literature (Delhi:
feet, cleansed of the squalor of (this) Kali Yuga, Motilal Banarsidass, 1989), 1.99.
and sharers in the divine benediction (1.15.5–6). 22. See Dandi Swami Prajnanananda Saraswati, Sri
If even in my dream Shiva and Parvati are truly Ramcharitmanas Gudhartha Chandrika Tika,
pleased with me, then may the impact of my ver 7 vols (Gorakhpur: Gita Press, Samvat 2057),
nacular composition bear the truth as stated above 1.2–6. I have summed up, with some examples
by me (1.15.10). given therein, the author’s detailed arguments.
(To be concluded) 23. Ramcharitmanas, 1.105.3.
(Continued from page 376)

The Vijay Tantra explains the esoteric meaning Coax the prāṇa into the suṣumnā channel from
of mudrā thus: its course in the īdā and piṅgalā. The jiva identi
fied with the power that flows within the suṣumnā
Sat-saṅgena bhaven-muktir-
is none other than Shiva. Their union has been
asat-saṅgena bandhanam;
termed ‘intercourse’ by the gods.
Asat-saṅga-mudraṇaṁ yat-tu
tan-mudrā parikīrtitā. When sadhakas understand the inner sig
The company of the good leads to liberation and nificance of these practices and perform their
evil company to bondage; closure of evil company sadhana accordingly, under the strict supervi
is termed mudrā. sion of their guru, they succeed in reaching the
The term maithuna literally means ‘union’ or ultimate goal.
‘intercourse’. In tantra it symbolizes the need for the We are all aware of the influence the tantras
sadhaka to bring about the union of the kundalini— have exercised on Indian religious life in the post-
lying coiled up in the mulādhāra cakra—with Shiva, Vedic periods. This is clear from the widespread
who is stationed in the sahasrāra. The kundalini use of bīja-mantras, mudrās, and rites like bhūta-
has to be aroused from its slumber, brought up śuddhi, aṅga-nyāsa, and the like as part of purifi
through the suṣumnā channel, and finally merged cation procedures for the sadhaka’s physical body.
with Shiva in order that the sadhaka can experience There is no denying the fact that the tantras are an
ecstatic delight. integral part of Hindu life, whether we like them
Iḍā-piṅgalayoḥ prāṇān suṣumnāyāṁ pravartayet; or not. A deeper understanding of their symbolism
Suṣumnā śaktir-uddiṣṭā jīvo’yaṁ paraḥ śivaḥ. and methodology would help us enrich our spir
Tayostu saṁgame devaiḥ surataṁ nāma kīrtitam. itual lives. P
PB June 2010 397
Vedanta-sara
Swami Bhaskareswarananda
(Continued from the previous issue )
23. Nigṛhītasya manasaḥ śravaṇādau 25. Mumukṣutvam—mokṣecchā.

tad-anuguṇa-viṣaye ca Mumukṣutva is the yearning for spiritual
samādhiḥ—samādhānam. freedom.
Samādhāna is the constant concentration All these spiritual practices will be effective if you
of the mind, thus restrained, on hearing of have real hunger for realization. Just observe and
scriptural passages and other virtues that are
find out how much hunger you have for God, for
conducive to these.
liberation, and how much for worldly and heavenly
A
ll your mental vibrations should be dir pleasures. Find out how much time you devote to
ected towards God. Hence, the author says: each one of these. Then, you will find that out of the
tad-anuguṇa-viṣaye. But when you medi twenty-four hours, your mind is engaged in ‘lust and
tate, the mind remains on God for two minutes only. gold’ for twenty-three hours, and you spend with
After that it starts roaming in the market, repairing great difficulty only one hour for God, and that in
the table lamp, talking to so and so, quarrelling with cludes all your meditation, classes, and other spiritual
somebody, and the like. This is tad-viguṇa, opposed practices. Besides, there are breaks even in these—for
to that. Such meditation even for two hours will not marketing and other activities. This will not do.
do. All these currents of the mind must be turned Sadananda says that all these means will be suc
towards God. Think of God with the help of what cessful if there is love for the ideal; otherwise all this
ever you read or hear about him. effort will last only a few days. If you have intense
attachment for the purpose of life, then control and
24. Gurūpadiṣṭa-vedānta-vākyeṣu
the proper means will come automatically. It must be
viśvāsaḥ—śraddhā.
remembered that all these four must be there. It will
Śraddhā is faith in the truths of Vedanta as not do to have only viveka or only vairāgya. If there
taught by the guru. is only viveka, life will become merely intellectual. If
This does not mean mere curiosity, or even respect, there is only vairāgya, life will be emotional. Practice
which is just a social etiquette. Someone tells some of śamādi will be absolutely unsuccessful if there is
thing and you believe it—that is not śraddhā, which no viveka and vairāgya. Give up karma-janya-śubha,
means accepting the words of the guru. Respecting good effect of works, by discerning that they will al
the position of, say, the president of the Order is ways be reactionary in nature, always changing, de
merely etiquette. pendant, giving only temporary happiness.
The text comprises the edited notes of Swami

26. Evambhūtaḥ pramātādhikārī ‘śānto
Bhaskareswarananda’s classes on Vedanta-sara, con- dānta’ ityādi-śruteḥ. Uktañca: ‘Praśānta-
ducted between 8 December 1954 and 20 January cittāya jitendriyāya ca prahīṇa-doṣāya
1955. The notes—taken down by some residents of the yathokta-kāriṇe; guṇānvitāyānugatāya
Ramakrishna Math, Nagpur—have been edited and
reconstructed by Swami Brahmeshananda, Secretary, sarvadā pradeyam-etat satataṁ
Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Chandigarh. mumukṣave’ iti.
398 PB June 2010
Vedanta-sara 49
Such an aspirant is a qualified student; for it individual self and Brahman, which is of the
is said in the Shruti passage ‘quiet, subdued’ nature of pure intelligence, and is to be realized,
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 4.4.23). It is for such is the purport of Vedanta texts.
further said, ‘This is always to be taught to one
who is of tranquil mind, who has subjugated In spiritual life you have to think according to the
his senses, who is free from faults, obedient, theme of the scriptures, which is unity of the indi
endowed with virtues, always submissive,
vidual soul and Brahman. The thing to be realized
and who is constantly eager for liberation’
is called prameya. There is no jiva or jagat, world.
(Upadesha-Sahasri, 324.16.72).
All is nothing but Brahman, the pure Conscious
In this aphorism Sadananda is quoting the author ness. God alone is manifested in various forms. This
ities. He has already said what he had to, and now is the theme of Vedanta. Try to understand the
he is quoting the words of the prophet. In his works, Shastras in this line.
Shankaracharya first says logically and rationally For example, the scriptures speak of the four
whatever he has to say and later quotes the scrip castes: brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya, and shudra.
tures and revelations of realized souls. Here Sada The purpose of doing so is for the spiritual evo
nanda too is quoting the words of Shankaracharya lution of the individual. There cannot be such a
in support of his statement. division into castes eternally. If it is there, it will
There is a definite rule regarding who should be contradict the very Shastras, which state that karma
given spiritual instructions: (i) the person must be is for citta-śuddhi, purification of the mind, and
psychologically fit; (ii) with a peaceful mind, śānta;then for God-realization—and that this division
(iii) with senses under control, jitendriya—Vedanta into castes is for karma. Similarly, you must con
will not be effective if taught to a person in whom nect worship, social service, and the like with the
worldly desires are bubbling; and (iv) who is obedi subject matter. However voluminous the scripture
ent. On the one hand you study and listen to scrip might be, the theme is only this: Brahman and jiva
tures, but at the time of practice in actual life you are one, the world is not. By worship and social ser
become a rationalist and follow your own logic. vice, when one becomes unselfish, one realizes the
This will not do. Hence, the disciple must be ready unity of Brahman and the jiva.
to act according to the instructions given; obedi
ence is required. Finally, (v) the person must have 28. Sambandhastu—tad-aikya-prameyasya
tat-pratipādakopaniṣat-pramāṇasya ca
love and devotion to the guru, otherwise he will
bodhya-bodhaka-bhāvaḥ.
not practise his teachings.
Now, the second anubandha is being described. The connection is the relation between that
There are four anubandhas, preliminary questions identity which is to be realized and the
evidence of the Upanishads that establishes
about the text, which are interrelated to each other:
it, as between a thing to be known and that
The competence of the student, the subject matter, which tells of it.
its connection with the book, and the necessity of
its study. So far the adhikārin, the competent stu All the various types of spiritual practices must be
dent, was described. Next, Sadananda is taking up related psychologically to the actual subject matter.
‘the subject matter’. They should be understood in such a way that the
real theme of the scriptures—that Brahman alone
27. Viṣayaḥ—jīva-brahmaikyaṁ śuddha- is real and the world is unreal—should flash within
caitanyaṁ prameyaṁ tatra eva you. This is called bodhya-bodhaka-bhāva.
vedāntānāṁ tātparyāt. In the scriptures there are certain statements
The subject matter is the identity of the apparently contradictory, so also our works and
PB June 2010 399
activities appear to be contradictory to the subject living in Brahman, and serve him. As the
matter, which is God-realization. But these also ul following and other Shrutis say: ‘Let him, in
timately lead to the same goal. This is sambandha. order to understand this, approach with fuel
in his hand a spiritual guide who is learned
29. Prayojanaṁ tu—tad-aikya- in the Vedas and lives entirely in Brahman’
prameya-gatājñāna-nivṛttiḥ sva- (Mundaka Upanishad, 1.2.12).
svarūpānandāvāptiśca ‘tarati śokaṁ
Here Sadananda says that if you are hungry for real
ātmavit’ ityādi-śruteḥ ‘brahmavid
ization, if the aim shines before you, then you will
brahmaiva bhavati’ ityādi-śruteśca.
be successful. Just as a person scorched by the heat
The necessity of this study is the dispelling of the of the sun runs hither and thither for water, simi
ignorance related to that identity which is to larly when the aspirant is scorched by worldly suf
be realized, as the attainment of bliss resulting
ferings the world appears like a burning fire on the
from the realization of one’s own Self. As is
stated in Shruti passages like ‘The knower of the head, and then he seeks God—‘Where is He?’ Thus
Self overcomes grief ’ (Chhandogya Upanishad, searching, he will get him. If he is easy-going and
7.1.3), and ‘He who knows Brahman becomes relishes objects of the world, then he will not get
Brahman’ (Mundaka Upanishad, 3.2.9). God. Feel from the heart that the world is painful,
and then vairāgya and all other virtues will come
To the extent the purpose of the scriptures is clear by themselves. Purify yourself by following the re
and strong, to that very extent there will be dy quired preliminaries and approach the guru with a
namic sincerity in our spiritual practices. The pur burning heart. You cannot live the spiritual life ac
pose is ajñāna-nivṛtti, removal of ignorance, and cording to your own whims and fancies. You con
also obtaining supreme bliss. If one goes towards sider yourself too intelligent. Ordinary reason is
the world, towards lust and gold, towards name constantly changing. Take for example the Nobel
and fame, it will be ajñāna-pravṛtti, indulgence Prize. ‘A’ proposes a theory and gets the Nobel Prize.
in ignorance. This will lead to misery and not to After fifty years ‘B’ works on the same problem, A’s
paramānanda, supreme bliss. The scriptures de theory is discarded and B’s new theory is accepted;
clare that the knower of Self transcends all suffer and ‘B’ too gets the Nobel Prize. See, how dubious
ing: tarati śokam ātmavit. A monastic life without is reason. It is never constant.
a clear concept of this ultimate goal is of no use. It The guru must be a practical guide and an illu
gets reduced to the life of a vagabond, a life of mere mined soul. ‘Wood in hand’ is a mark of respect, not
wandering from place to place. that the guru is in need of wood. The instructions
of the guru must be in accordance with the spirit
30. Ayam-adhikārī janana-maraṇādi- of the Shastras. The knowledge of Brahman cannot
saṁsārānala-santapto dīpta-śirā be obtained by means of some external habits—hu
jalarāśim-ivopahārapāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ mility, politeness, not harming others, and the like.
brahma-niṣṭhaṁ gurum-upasṛtya tam- These are ethical values. For spiritual life, illumin
anusarati ‘tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum- ation is required. Hence, a guru is required.
evābhigacchet samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ
brahma-niṣṭham’ ityādi-śruteḥ. 31. Sa guruḥ parama-kṛpayādhyāropāpavāda-
Such a qualified pupil scorched by the fire nyāyenainam-upadiśati ‘tasmai sa vidvān-
of an endless round of birth, death, and the upasannāya samyak praśānta-cittāya
like, should hasten—just as one with head on śamānvitāya; yenākṣaraṁ puruṣaṁ veda
fire rushes to a lake—with presents in hand, satyaṁ provāca tāṁ tattvato brahma-
to a guru learned in the Vedas and always vidyām’ ityādi-śruteḥ.
400 PB June 2010

Vedanta-sara 51
Such a guru, through his infinite grace, guru will give this teaching to a qualified aspirant,
instructs the pupil by the method of not to others. Sri Ramakrishna used to open his
apavāda, de-superimposition, of adhyāropa, mouth after assessing the competence of aspirants.
superimposition, as is described in Shruti Illumination removes the mental superimpos
passages like ‘To that pupil—who has ition. Actually, there is a rope, but we see a snake.
approached him with due courtesy, whose Similarly, there is only Brahman, but we are seeing
mind has become perfectly calm, and
rivers, mountains, forests, human beings, ourselves,
who has control over his senses—the wise
and so forth. This is mental superimposition, which
teacher should truly impart that knowledge
of Brahman through which he knows the has covered Reality. To remove the superimposition
Being, imperishable and real’ (Mundaka through knowledge, psychologically not physically,
Upanishad, 1.2.13). is called apavāda, de-superimposition. Bring this
conviction in your life: that father, mother, man,
Once the preliminary process of psychological puri woman, and all are my own superimpositions due
fication is over, what type of thinking should there to ignorance.
be in the aspirant? This is being explained. The (To be continued)
(Continued from page 379)

A verse from the ‘Devi Mahatmyam’, a part of reasoning’ is in reality a higher form of intuition.
the Markandeya Purana, gives a vivid image of It first clarifies the vikalpas, evolutes of Prakriti,
Devi Kalika: and when it reaches a high degree of purity, it is
transformed into śuddha-vidyā. It is the nature of
Bhrukuṭī-kuṭilāt-tasyā lalāṭa-phalakād-dṛtam; śuddha-vidyā to reveal Reality, which is none other
Kālī karāla-vadanā viniṣkrāntāsipāśinī. than vimarśa, self-reflective Consciousness. It is
Vicitra-khaṭvāṅga-dharā nara-mālā-vibhūṣaṇā; through this power that the yogi becomes adept
Dvīpi-carma-parīdhānā śuṣka-māṁsātibhairavā. in all Shastras.
Ati-vistāra-vadanā jihvā-lalana-bhīṣaṇā;
Kali is viewed in multifarious ways. But it
Nimagnārakta-nayanā nādāpūrita-diṅ-mukhā.
should always be kept in mind that her real na
Kali, born of Devi Ambika’s brows, has a face ter
ture is samvit, Consciousness. Thus, though the
rible to look at; she carries in her hands a scimitar,
a noose, and diverse skeletal remains and is be varṇas, phonemes, are in reality samvit, they
decked with a garland of human heads; her fright are utilized in rituals as vāg-devatā, the deity of
ful frame, with flesh all but dried up, is clad in speech, when the worshipper is engaged in medi
tiger-skin. Her widely gaping mouth is made all tation. When oblations are being offered during
the more dreadful by a lolling tongue, (and she havana, the fire sacrifice, the Devi is seen as vāg-
inspires awe with her) deep-seated red eyes and īshvarī, the master of speech who gives birth to
frightening roar filling the skies. fire. During pūrṇāhuti, the final oblation, the two
ladles are viewed as representing Shiva and Shakti.
Śuddha-vidyā, in the context of the tantras, Only when this consciousness is kept bright in the
means self-reflective consciousness. It is associ worshipper’s mind does he become prabuddha,
ated with prakāśa, consciousness, as vimarśa, re awakened, and attain true fulfilment. The Spanda
flection. She is one with the supreme Self. Purity Karika has the following exhortation: ‘Prabuddha
of her reflection in the human being is attained sarvadā tiṣṭhet; be established in awareness at all
by means of sat-tarka, right reasoning. This ‘right times.’ P
PB June 2010 401
Mahendranath Gupta:
From Death to Immortality
Swami Chetanananda
D
eath is the only certain thing in of the Infinite, was joyfully moving between the
this uncertain world. Union must always two realms, singing the glory of the Infinite.
end in separation. The wheel of life and
death is continually rotating and Time—Maha After trying to describe the Master in many ways,
kala—is the controller of that wheel. There is none he said that all these similes were inadequate. The
dear or hateful to Time; it is impartial to all. Infinite cannot be expressed in words.1
After seventy-eight years, M realized that he Tulsidas said: ‘Without holy company, there is
needed to prepare to depart from the world stage; no talk about God; without talk about God, there
his performance in the divine drama of Sri Rama is no chance of getting rid of delusion; and with
krishna was nearing its end. He was extremely happy out getting rid of delusion, there is no possibility
that he had acted in his role very well and was sat of seeing God.’
isfied that he would be remembered throughout During one such discussion, on the evening of
the ages. In truth, although Time devours every 20 June 1931, M quoted from the Bhagavadgita:
thing, it will never be able to touch the Gospel of ‘For a sage who wants to attain yoga, action is said
Sri Ramakrishna, M’s immortal work. to be the means; but when he has attained yoga, se
renity is said to be the means.’ 2 He then explained
Sri Ramakrishna’s Light the mystery of karma to the assembled devotees:
A true lover always enjoys talking about or listening ‘Krishna also described the secret of work thus:
to his or her beloved. M’s life is a glowing example “mam-anusmara yuddhya cha; remember me and
of a true lover and devotee of his beloved Master. fight.” This is called karma yoga: unite yourself with
One day, in an inspired mood, he was trying to de the Lord through karma. First think of him, then
scribe Sri Ramakrishna. He said: work, and again think of him and offer the fruit to
him. This is karma yoga.’3
The Master was like a five-year-old boy always M continued: ‘Swamiji was a hero. Look at his
running to meet his Mother. life: He attained samadhi, then performed action,
The Master was like a beautiful flower whose and again he remained in samadhi. He had no at
nature is to bloom and spread its fragrance. tachment for action. He was commanded to per
The Master was like a bonfire from which other form his divine mission—working for the welfare
lamps are lighted.
of humanity. Work is not the goal—it is the means
The Master was like a celestial vina always ab
sorbed in singing the glory of the Divine Mother.
to realize God.’
The Master was like a big fish joyfully swim Excitedly, M said: ‘What a great hero! How
ming in calm, clear, blue waters, the Ocean of boldly he proclaimed, “I will tear up the net of
Satchidananda. maya! ’’ ’
The Master was like a bird which had lost its Upon saying this, M got up and went to his
nest in a storm and then, perched on the threshold room, as if he were about to tear up his own maya.
402 PB June 2010
Mahendranath Gupta: From Death to Immortality 53
When the monks and devotees entered the room, times he would talk to the assembled Bhaktas
they found M in excruciating pain: his right hand, and sometimes listen to the hymns, sung by the
with which he had written the five volumes of the Bhaktas after Aratrika [vesper]. Sometimes he
Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita [the original Ben would request some particular hymns to be sung.
A few days before his passing away a Bhakta
gali Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna], was hurting ter
was singing some song, the tune of which he heard
ribly. Swami Nityatmananda warmed a salt bag on from his room below. This was a song of the de
top of a hurricane lantern and pressed it on the votees of Nuddea [Nadia] bewailing the departure
damaged nerves. His son and grandsons rushed to of Sri Chaitanya previous to his Sannyas. M called
him. At 11.00 p.m. Dr Durgapada Ghosh arrived the singer to his room and had the song sung in his
and gave him a medicine to alleviate the pain. M presence. But he fell into deep meditativeness and
then fell asleep at midnight. Hearing about M’s asked the singer to retire. Alas, the song cruelly
condition, Swami Shivananda remarked: ‘This time proved prophetic of the finale!
Some time ago, when one of the Bhaktas [prob
M’s life has been saved by God’s grace’ (15.357).
ably Raghavananda, who was then living with M]
Swami Raghavananda recalled: was meditating in front of the shrine, all at once
Three months before the finale, M came to hum he saw a vision: He saw M in leisurely gait was
bler rooms in 13/2, Guruprasad Choudhury Lane, mounting [to] a very elevated position and from
to pass his days in the midst of Bhaktas and Sadhus, there trying to jump into the Infinite Vastness; at
personally attending to the worship of Sri Rama this he [the devotee] started up and catching him
krishna, conducted in this place for the last 40 said, ‘Where are you going?’ He narrated this to
years. Here he lived as before, but still more abste other Bhaktas, but all in fun, [and he] made light
miously—cooking his own simple Havishya food, of it, thinking that the end would not be so near.4
doing all his things with his own hands, and writ
ing the fifth part of the Kathamrita which he had Light beyond Pain
taken in hand in January [1932] last. He looked
Although M had been suffering from that neuralgic
more tired than before, but his nerve-spasms,
though frequent, were not so acute now. His en pain in his hand over a period of eight months, he
thusiasm for Bhaktas and love for talking about continued to give final shape to the last volume of
God were unabated; they rather increased. His the Kathamrita. On 8 May 1932 Nityatmananda
face wore a greater brightness. When he would visited M at Thakur Bari, ‘the Master’s house’, and
dictate the Kathamrita, Part V (now published) noticed his broken health. M was having milk and
from his Diary, many would cluster around him to bread for his supper. A devotee was heating the salt
listen to his words. Sometimes he would get up at bag on top of a hurricane lantern; M then pressed
[the] dead of night, say to any Bhakta to be found
it to his right elbow with his left hand. Sometimes
nearby, ‘Let us listen to the words of the Master in
the depth of night as he explains the truth of the the pain would start just when M began a writ
Pranava,’ and the dictation and writing of the book ing session on the Kathamrita. When his attend
would proceed for more than an hour. This hap ant would ask him to rest, M would say: ‘I forget
pened once also three or four days before the end. pain when I meditate on the words of the Master.
There were discourses every morning and It transports my mind into bliss.’ 5
evening. In the morning he would get up and sit Despite his ill health, every afternoon many vis
in the shrine in deep meditation—the eyes half- itors would come to M to listen to his inspiring
closed and the beautiful face beaming with heav
talk and reminiscences of the Master. On 14 May
enly light. Then he would sing some songs, the
sweet refrain and tune of which still linger and 1932 M was working on the fifth volume of the
haunt our mind[s]. Every evening he would come Kathamrita, so the devotees were waiting for him
up, take his accustomed seat on the roof, listen to on the roof adjacent to the shrine. When he had
the even-song, and bow down to the Lord; some finished writing, Nityatmananda entered the room.
PB June 2010 403
He was alarmed by M’s emaciated condition. When M said: ‘The Master told me that I would have
he expressed his concern, M replied: ‘The human to do a little work for the Divine Mother. I have
body decays and dies at the end—this is an eternal been doing that work for the last fifty years, yet
law. The one who is within this body—Satchid she is still not giving me any leave.’ M passed away
ananda—is alone free from disease and death. As twenty-one days later.
long as one has a body, one will have to undergo
misery. Having this knowledge a devotee should Light at the End
stay in this world. The Master said: ‘Tie the non- On the afternoon of 25 May 1932 M was in his room
dual knowledge in the corner of your cloth and on the second floor of Thakur Bari. He decided to
then do as you please in this world.’ finish the last appendix of the fifth volume of the
Nityatmananda: ‘It is almost dark and you are Kathamrita, so he opened his diary to the entry
still writing!’ describing the Brahmo festival at Simulia in Jnan
M: ‘Yes, I was really enjoying myself. A fish was Chaudhury’s house, dated 1 January 1882 (18 Paush
taken out of the water and it was about to die; all 1288 be). M had not been present on that occasion,
of a sudden it jumped into the water and swam but he had collected a description of the day’s events
away. While writing the Kathamrita, I forgot my from Manomohan Mitra. Nityatmananda was with
excruciating pain.’ M, and he was amazed by M’s God-given memory
M then attended the vesper service in the shrine. and writing ability, and by how he could develop
On 15 May 1932 M supervised some plastering the scene and complete the dialogue with only brief
and painting work done on Thakur Bari. He never and cryptic notes. He felt that M had become one
claimed ownership of his own house. He sensed with the Master, and he was writing what was ap
his days were numbered, so he worked quickly to pearing in his pure mind. Nityatmananda noticed
finish his duties. People around him wondered at that M wrote four pages of the finished description
his tremendous energy and willpower. It is said from one and a quarter pages of the diary.
that a dying swan sings a song. During this time, All of a sudden the pain in M’s arm became
Nityatmananda heard M singing the following acute, and he lay down on the bed. Nityatmananda
song of Ramprasad: fanned him, then gave him a piece of rock candy
and a glass of water. Slowly the pain subsided and
I have surrendered my soul at he went to the shrine to attend the vesper service.
the fearless feet of the Mother; Afterwards he sat on the roof and met with the de
Am I afraid of Death anymore? votees. At 9.30 p.m. M took his supper.
Unto the tuft of hair on my head
M lived in two places. Sometimes he stayed in
Is tied the almighty mantra, Mother Kali’s name.
My body I have sold in the attic room on the fourth floor of the Morton
the marketplace of the world Institution at 50 Amherst Street. His wife and chil
And with it have bought Sri Durga’s name. dren lived on the third floor of that building. At
other times he lived in Thakur Bari, his ancestral
Deep within my heart I have planted home at 13/2 Guruprasad Chaudhury Lane. When
the name of Kali, he stayed in Thakur Bari, M prepared his own food.
The Wish-fulfilling Tree of heaven; His menu consisted of rice, a boiled potato, one
When Yama, King of Death, appears,
boiled patal [a kind of vegetable], boiled mung dal
To him I shall open my heart and
show it growing there. with a little turmeric and salt, and milk and rice
I have cast out from me my six unflagging foes; for dessert. He ate his lunch at 10.00 a.m. and then
Ready am I to sail life’s sea, rested. Even in his old age, M was very independent
Crying, ‘To Durga, victory! ’ 6 and did not allow others to serve him. He made his
404 PB June 2010
Mahendranath Gupta: From Death to Immortality 55
own bed and attended to all of his personal tasks. A few things I recall about the Master: His
On the afternoon of 26 May 1932 M continued childlike behaviour, blissful mood, and unearthly
his work on the Kathamrita, ignoring his pain. love. I have never experienced such love in my
That evening he attended the vesper service in the life.
I vividly remember these two incidents: One
shrine of Thakur Bari. He suffered from excruciat
afternoon I went to him in Dakshineswar and he
ing pain that night. was about to go to Calcutta to see Girish Chan
The next morning M insisted on removing the dra’s Chaitanya Lila. Seeing me he said: ‘You have
rubbish that had been left behind by the masons come. Very well. I shall leave now.’ Saying so, he
working on his bathroom in Thakur Bari. Nityatma took a sweet from the cabinet and gave it to me,
nanda tried to stop him, but M paid no heed. and blessed me while putting his hand on my head.
After lunch M dictated to Satinath the chron I was overwhelmed with joy.
ology of the Kathamrita, which was added in the Another day Narendra was singing on the
floor of the Master’s room and he was seated on
fifth volume. While dictating, M remarked: ‘These
his small cot, immersed in samadhi. When he re
incidents took place forty-nine years ago. It seems gained outer consciousness, he came down and sat
to me that they happened yesterday. What a deep on the floor near the south-eastern door. Moved
impression the Master left in our minds! ’ 7 to tears, Narendra touched his head to the feet of
Afterwards Nityatmananda told M: ‘It is not the Master (15.421–2).
possible to practise japa and meditation all the time.
So, I am thinking of visiting the places sanctified by In the early morning of 28 May 1932 M went for
the holy feet of Sri Ramakrishna.’ a walk. When he returned at 6.00 a.m. Nityatma
M joyfully gave his permission and said: ‘That nanda asked him, ‘Why did you go alone?’ M re
is a wonderful project. Finish it soon.’ plied: ‘I feel nervous if I do not walk. Perhaps I
Nityatmananda asked: ‘I need your blessing and won’t be able to move anymore.’ M then went to
guidance. Where shall I start?’ the third floor and read the page proofs of chap
M suggested that he begin in central Calcutta, ters thirteen and fourteen of volume five of the
where the Master first lived when he moved from Kathamrita. He made some additions, altered
Kamarpukur in 1852. M mentioned eighty-five some sections, and then gave the pages to Nityatma
places in Calcutta and Dakshineswar as well as on nanda, who carried them to the Sudha Press. Sri
the west bank of the Ganga. Nityatmananda visited Ramakrishna had asked M to work for the Divine
those places connected with Sri Ramakrishna and Mother, and he did so for fifty years. Even though
reported to M every day. Thus, M could mentally his health was delicate, he never gave up.
revisit those places associated with the Master and (To be concluded)
get immense joy.
One day Nityatmananda went to visit the References
Chaitanya Sabha at Kolutola, where he met Kunja 1. Swami Chetanananda, They Lived with God (Kol-
Mallick, who recounted his encounter with Sri kata: Advaita Ashrama, 2006), 226.
2. Bhagavadgita, 6.3.
Ramakrishna: 3. Swami Nityatmananda, Srima Darshan (Calcutta:
General Printers and Publishers, 1974), 15.355.
I was then sixteen years old. One day Mani Mallick 4. Swami Raghavananda, ‘Mahendra Nath Gupta’,
asked me to go with him to Dakshineswar to see a Prabuddha Bharata, 37/10 (October 1932), 500–1.
holy man. Mani Mallick was a friend of my grand 5. Srima Darshan, 15.363.
father. When I went to Dakshineswar, the Master 6. See M, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, trans. Swami
gave me some sweets to eat, and another day he Nikhilananda (Chennai: Ramakrishna Math,
fed me a sandesh. Despite receiving his affection, 2002), 302.
I have achieved nothing. (He started crying.) 7. Srima Darshan, 15.416.
PB June 2010 405

REVIEWS
For review in Prabuddha B harata ,
publishers need to send two copies of their latest publications.
Vivekanandar Illam: Srimad Bhagavata—

Vivekananda House Condensed in the Poet’s
Ed. Swami Atmashraddhananda Own Words
Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai Pandit A M Srinivasachariar;
600 004. 2009. Website: sriramakrishna trans. Dr V Raghavan
math.org. viii + 248 pp. Rs 200.
Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute,
E
Chennai 600 004. 2008. xxxii + 444 pp.
ach of the five sections of this ‘pilgrim-book’ is a Rs 200.
tirtha one would not feel like leaving in a hurry.
The first section displays monuments and memorials The Mahabharata—
dedicated to Swami Vivekananda in India and the
US, with a full chapter devoted to Tamil Nadu. The Condensed in the Poet’s
second section deals with Swamiji’s visit to Madras Own Words
and his nine days stay at Castle Kernan—renamed Pandit A M Srinivasachariar;
by the government of Tamil Nadu as Vivekanandar trans. Dr V Raghavan
Illam (illam means house in Tamil) in 1997. The third Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute.
narrates the early history of the castle, the eleven 2008. xxxii + 470 pp. Rs 200.
years of Swami Ramakrishnananda’s presence there—
when the castle served as the first centre of the Rama-
krishna movement in South India—and the visits of
other direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, monks,
T he Mahabharata and the Bhagavata contain al-
most all the wisdom essential for everyday liv-
ing. However, their huge size is a deterrent to their
and eminent persons. The fourth section briefly re- study. If only someone could cull the essence of these
counts the uses the castle was put to between 1907 epics without distorting them, these volumes would
and 1993, and the remodelling it underwent under be within the grasp of all. This is exactly what the
the aegis of the Ramakrishna Mission after this Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute has accom-
period. The last section presents an architectural plished. Known for its contribution to preserving
study of the Illam and explains its present activities and propagating Indian heritage, this institute has
and the permanent exhibition it houses. published a revised edition of these books which
The thoughtful conception and structure of the have been out of print for more than five decades.
book as well as the painstaking and thorough research First published in 1937, these pocket-size vol-
it has necessitated—all done by Swami Atmashraddha umes are the fruits of the labour of love of Pandit A
nanda, present editor of Vedanta Kesari, and his team— M Srinivasachariar, who has made an extraordinary
is reflected in each of its eighteen chapters and twelve selection of verses from the original texts. These have
most informative appendices. The sober but gracious been translated by Dr V Raghavan, a great scholar in
design, large typeface, and copious historical and re- his own right. With incisive forewords by Sir P S Siva
cent images, enhance the value of a presentation that swami Aiyer and Dr S Radhakrishnan, these handy
is mounted on high quality art paper. It deserves to be volumes keep intact the schema of the original works
highlighted that a book measuring 22 x 28.5 cm and and succeed in bringing out their crux. Furnished with
weighing 1.3 kg is offered to the public at a nominal indices of proper names at the end, these books will
price, thanks to the generous subsidies of a few institu- prove to be a ready reference and a source of inspir-
tions, mainly from Chennai. This volume would find ation for venturing into the study of the originals.
pride of a place in any personal or public library. Swami Narasimhananda
PB Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata
406 PB June 2010

Reports
Golden Jubilee
Nippon Vedanta Kyokai—Vedanta Society of In phase three the centre held a meeting at the
Japan—celebrated phases two and three of its golden Tenshin Hall of Osaka’s Chuo-ward, which was
jubilee on 26 and 27 September 2009 and 24 Janu- sponsored by the Consulate General of India, the
ary 2010 respectively. In phase two the centre organ- Indian Chamber of Commerce-Japan, Indian So-
ized an exhibition on ‘Indo-Japanese Relationship’ cial Society of Kobe, Kobe India Club, and Kan-
focusing on the bond of love, friendship, and co- sai Japan-India Social Society of Osaka. The chief
operation between the two nations. The exhibition guest speaker at the event was Sri Vikas Swarup,
featured the pioneers of this relationship, Okakura Consul General of India, Osaka. A cultural pro-
Tenshin and Swami Vivekananda. Statistical data on gramme comprising classical Indian dance and a
various aspects of Indo-Japanese relations were pres- sitar performance was also presented. The event
ented along with publications in Japanese on India was attended by nearly 500 guests; the 280 seat
and Indians, highlighted with paintings, photos, venue was filled to capacity with overflows sitting
and copies of original documents captioned in Eng- in the aisles or watching the three monitors set up
lish and Japanese. The event was sponsored by the in the lobby and other areas. Supplies of the book
Indian embassy and inaugurated by Sri H K Singh, Swami Vivekananda and Japan, both Japanese and
ambassador of India, during the Namaste India Fes- English versions, along with the booklet Inspir-
tival held at Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park Event Square. ational Messages were completely exhausted.
Swami
Medhasananda,
President, Nippon
Vedanta Kyokai,
presenting a
memento to Mr
Owasa, Secretary,
Kansai Organizing
Committee
407
Purna
Kumbha Mela Relief
On the occasion of Purna Kumbha Mela, Rama- Cyclone Aila Relief · Belgharia centre sunk six
krishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission tube wells in Aila-affected areas of Gosaba block,
South 24-Parganas district.
Sevashrama, Kankhal, made arrangements for the
Storm Relief · In the wake of a recent heavy
stay of monks and devotees for the three important storm which caused massive devastation in parts
baths—on 12 February (Shiva Ratri), 15 March of Assam, Bihar, and West Bengal, two centres con-
(Somavati Amavasya), and 14 April (Vaishakhi). ducted relief operations in affected areas during
A big camp was put up at the ashrama premises April. Silchar centre distributed 522 saris, 71 dhotis,
from 10 to 16 April for the Pramukh Shahi Snan, 62 steel plates, 1,089 cgi sheets, 120 cgi tulis, and
61 kg GI wires to 593 storm-affected families of 2 vil-
the most important bath, on 14 April. In all, nearly lages in Tapang block, Cachar district. Katihar centre
2,500 devotees and more than 400 monks were ac- provided 27,485 plates of cooked food, 4,900 kg rice,
commodated. Discourses and cultural programmes 3,500 kg flour, 1,400 kg dal, 700 kg sugar, 700 kg
were organized and a commemorative volume was mustard oil, 700 kg chhatu, 424 kg biscuits, 150 kg
released on 12 April. jalebi, 2,296 saris, 1,512 dhotis, and 700 lungis to
1,805 storm-affected families of 45 villages in Araria
News from Branch Centres and Katihar districts of Bihar, and Raiganj area in
Uttar Dinajpur district, West Bengal.
Sri Mukul Mudgal, chief justice of Punjab and Har- Distress Relief · In the month of April the fol-
yana high courts, and Sri Shivraj Patil, governor of lowing centres distributed various items to the needy.
Punjab, visited Ramakrishna Misson Ashrama, Almora: 11,755 kg rice; Cherrapunji: 143 assorted
Chandigarh, on 2 and 4 April respectively in connec- garments, 275 sets of children’s garments, and 373
woollen sweaters; Guwahati: 6 tatsals (weaving
tion with the annual celebrations of the ashrama. equipment), 3 sewing machines, and 132 books.
Sri M O H Farook, governor of Jharkhand, in- Fire Relief · On 16 April Puri Mission centre
augurated the first floor of the Divyayan Krishi provided 26 sets of utensils (each set containing
Vigyan Kendra building, which houses classrooms 1 cooking pot, 1 dekchi, 1 khunti, 1 serving spoon,
and a conference hall, at Ramakrishna Mission 2 plates, 2 glasses, 3 bowls, 1 pitcher, and 1 bucket),
46 saris, 48 dhotis, 58 other garments, 96 towels,
Ashrama, Morabadi, Ranchi, on 14 April.
26 bed sheets, 26 mosquito nets, and 26 plastic mats
A building with three residential rooms for to 26 families whose houses had been ravaged by a
monks and one room as office was inaugurated at devastating fire at Rachhipur village of Danagadi
Ramakrishna Ashrama, Rajkot, on 26 April. block in Jajpur district. P
408 PB June 2010
59

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I t is my belief that the Tantras, in vogue

Vol. 115, No. 6 Contents

Traditional Wisdom 361

Publication Office Swami Jagadananda at Vrindaban 387

Cover photo: ‘Hibiscus’ Reviews 406

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Understanding the Mother June 2010

Who is there that can understand 

The macrocosm and microcosm 

When man aspires to understand her, 

362 PB June 2010

One night the Brahmani brought a beau­

PB June 2010 369

PB June 2010 371

376 PB June 2010

PB June 2010 379

384 PB June 2010

(iv) In this maṅgalacaraṇa shloka,

make such a statement right at the beginning of Notes and References

(Continued from page 376)

23. Nigṛhītasya manasaḥ śravaṇādau 25. Mumukṣutvam—mokṣecchā.

The text comprises the edited notes of Swami

400 PB June 2010

(Continued from page 379)

PB June 2010 405

Vivekanandar Illam: Srimad Bhagavata—

406 PB June 2010

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Who is there that can understand

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