Viswabanu

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

1/15

October-November 2012 1 Volume 2issue 4

Orientation Camp

Navarathri

Celebration

Sishudivavsam.

Diwali celebration

Sadhana Divas

Other programs

held at Anandadham

Yoga vargas,

Samskar vargas &

yoga satras

Lakshmi Didis

tours.

Visitors throughout

the two months.

House visit

experience

Article of the month

From the Directors penFrom the Directors penFrom the Directors penFrom the Directors pen

On october 2On october 2On october 2On october 2ndndndndI happened to read once again an extremely beautiful poemI happened to read once again an extremely beautiful poemI happened to read once again an extremely beautiful poemI happened to read once again an extremely beautiful poem

entitled, My Teacher on Gandhiji by Maha Kavi Vallathol of Kerala. Suddenly it dawned on meentitled, My Teacher on Gandhiji by Maha Kavi Vallathol of Kerala. Suddenly it dawned on meentitled, My Teacher on Gandhiji by Maha Kavi Vallathol of Kerala. Suddenly it dawned on meentitled, My Teacher on Gandhiji by Maha Kavi Vallathol of Kerala. Suddenly it dawned on me

how wonderfully fitting it is to Swamijis life and teachings including his adoration of this greathow wonderfully fitting it is to Swamijis life and teachings including his adoration of this greathow wonderfully fitting it is to Swamijis life and teachings including his adoration of this greathow wonderfully fitting it is to Swamijis life and teachings including his adoration of this great

Motherland of ours. On one side the poet extolls the Teacher and on the other side praises the countryMotherland of ours. On one side the poet extolls the Teacher and on the other side praises the countryMotherland of ours. On one side the poet extolls the Teacher and on the other side praises the countryMotherland of ours. On one side the poet extolls the Teacher and on the other side praises the country

which gave birth to him. That led to a new meditation.which gave birth to him. That led to a new meditation.which gave birth to him. That led to a new meditation.which gave birth to him. That led to a new meditation.

What we want today is a super modern role model, different from Sri Rama and SriWhat we want today is a super modern role model, different from Sri Rama and SriWhat we want today is a super modern role model, different from Sri Rama and SriWhat we want today is a super modern role model, different from Sri Rama and Sri

Krishna, yet, thoroughly rooted in our spiritual heritage. Bedecked in crown, garlands and otherKrishna, yet, thoroughly rooted in our spiritual heritage. Bedecked in crown, garlands and otherKrishna, yet, thoroughly rooted in our spiritual heritage. Bedecked in crown, garlands and otherKrishna, yet, thoroughly rooted in our spiritual heritage. Bedecked in crown, garlands and other

ornaments or holding the insignia of an emperor no more attract our youth. Let them adorn our templesornaments or holding the insignia of an emperor no more attract our youth. Let them adorn our templesornaments or holding the insignia of an emperor no more attract our youth. Let them adorn our templesornaments or holding the insignia of an emperor no more attract our youth. Let them adorn our temples

or palace museums. Let them listen to our prayers, grant or not grant us boons. For this Kaliyuga weor palace museums. Let them listen to our prayers, grant or not grant us boons. For this Kaliyuga weor palace museums. Let them listen to our prayers, grant or not grant us boons. For this Kaliyuga weor palace museums. Let them listen to our prayers, grant or not grant us boons. For this Kaliyuga we

need a new work model which will combine the yajna of Tretayuga and the yoga, dana, and dharmasneed a new work model which will combine the yajna of Tretayuga and the yoga, dana, and dharmasneed a new work model which will combine the yajna of Tretayuga and the yoga, dana, and dharmasneed a new work model which will combine the yajna of Tretayuga and the yoga, dana, and dharmas

of Dwapara. It should be a person, who in dress and behaviour would appeal to the modern youth.of Dwapara. It should be a person, who in dress and behaviour would appeal to the modern youth.of Dwapara. It should be a person, who in dress and behaviour would appeal to the modern youth.of Dwapara. It should be a person, who in dress and behaviour would appeal to the modern youth.

He should be a super intellectual, who can include the most modern scientific observations within theHe should be a super intellectual, who can include the most modern scientific observations within theHe should be a super intellectual, who can include the most modern scientific observations within theHe should be a super intellectual, who can include the most modern scientific observations within the

framework of our spiritual ideas. What we want is a practical vedanta which can fit Sanatanaframework of our spiritual ideas. What we want is a practical vedanta which can fit Sanatanaframework of our spiritual ideas. What we want is a practical vedanta which can fit Sanatanaframework of our spiritual ideas. What we want is a practical vedanta which can fit Sanatana

Dharma into the modern life situations. We want a technology which can transform our everyday workDharma into the modern life situations. We want a technology which can transform our everyday workDharma into the modern life situations. We want a technology which can transform our everyday workDharma into the modern life situations. We want a technology which can transform our everyday work

into a cosmic yagna and yield us cosmic dividends. We want a new tapas which can help us to mani-into a cosmic yagna and yield us cosmic dividends. We want a new tapas which can help us to mani-into a cosmic yagna and yield us cosmic dividends. We want a new tapas which can help us to mani-into a cosmic yagna and yield us cosmic dividends. We want a new tapas which can help us to mani-

fest the best or divinity with in us. We want that socialism which will help man to rebuild himself asfest the best or divinity with in us. We want that socialism which will help man to rebuild himself asfest the best or divinity with in us. We want that socialism which will help man to rebuild himself asfest the best or divinity with in us. We want that socialism which will help man to rebuild himself as

he rebuilds the society. We want that expansion of mind which can make us see God in man.he rebuilds the society. We want that expansion of mind which can make us see God in man.he rebuilds the society. We want that expansion of mind which can make us see God in man.he rebuilds the society. We want that expansion of mind which can make us see God in man.

We have enough ideas at present, which dissect man, his thoughts and emotions and finallyWe have enough ideas at present, which dissect man, his thoughts and emotions and finallyWe have enough ideas at present, which dissect man, his thoughts and emotions and finallyWe have enough ideas at present, which dissect man, his thoughts and emotions and finallydestroy him and in the process destroy the social values. In his heart of hearts man yearns for thatdestroy him and in the process destroy the social values. In his heart of hearts man yearns for thatdestroy him and in the process destroy the social values. In his heart of hearts man yearns for thatdestroy him and in the process destroy the social values. In his heart of hearts man yearns for that

divine touch by which his rawness is healed and is made to mature into a golden ripeness whch willdivine touch by which his rawness is healed and is made to mature into a golden ripeness whch willdivine touch by which his rawness is healed and is made to mature into a golden ripeness whch willdivine touch by which his rawness is healed and is made to mature into a golden ripeness whch will

finally merge with the Godliness within him. Todays intellectuals revel in pointing out the weaknessesfinally merge with the Godliness within him. Todays intellectuals revel in pointing out the weaknessesfinally merge with the Godliness within him. Todays intellectuals revel in pointing out the weaknessesfinally merge with the Godliness within him. Todays intellectuals revel in pointing out the weaknesses

of indian life, exposing it in hideous terms before the world and getting laurels for themselves. Totallyof indian life, exposing it in hideous terms before the world and getting laurels for themselves. Totallyof indian life, exposing it in hideous terms before the world and getting laurels for themselves. Totallyof indian life, exposing it in hideous terms before the world and getting laurels for themselves. Totally

different, we want a genius who would place before the world, the immaculate, scientific ideals ofdifferent, we want a genius who would place before the world, the immaculate, scientific ideals ofdifferent, we want a genius who would place before the world, the immaculate, scientific ideals ofdifferent, we want a genius who would place before the world, the immaculate, scientific ideals of

Satya, Dharma and Yajna, link it up with most modern vision of the universe and thus provide aSatya, Dharma and Yajna, link it up with most modern vision of the universe and thus provide aSatya, Dharma and Yajna, link it up with most modern vision of the universe and thus provide aSatya, Dharma and Yajna, link it up with most modern vision of the universe and thus provide a

new dimension and relevence to Indian spirituality.new dimension and relevence to Indian spirituality.new dimension and relevence to Indian spirituality.new dimension and relevence to Indian spirituality.

All such conflicting and contradictory thoughts must have passed through Swamijis mind asAll such conflicting and contradictory thoughts must have passed through Swamijis mind asAll such conflicting and contradictory thoughts must have passed through Swamijis mind asAll such conflicting and contradictory thoughts must have passed through Swamijis mind as

he sat meditating on the rock on those eventful days of December 1892. The insights he received fromhe sat meditating on the rock on those eventful days of December 1892. The insights he received fromhe sat meditating on the rock on those eventful days of December 1892. The insights he received fromhe sat meditating on the rock on those eventful days of December 1892. The insights he received from

the meditation made him hundred fold more confident, energetic and purposeful than he was, beforethe meditation made him hundred fold more confident, energetic and purposeful than he was, beforethe meditation made him hundred fold more confident, energetic and purposeful than he was, beforethe meditation made him hundred fold more confident, energetic and purposeful than he was, before

reaching the rock. That should be the content of our meditation on the Sankalpa Divas, as we visualisereaching the rock. That should be the content of our meditation on the Sankalpa Divas, as we visualisereaching the rock. That should be the content of our meditation on the Sankalpa Divas, as we visualisereaching the rock. That should be the content of our meditation on the Sankalpa Divas, as we visualise

Swamiji meditating on the rock at Kanyakumari at the lands end of India. May this SankalpaSwamiji meditating on the rock at Kanyakumari at the lands end of India. May this SankalpaSwamiji meditating on the rock at Kanyakumari at the lands end of India. May this SankalpaSwamiji meditating on the rock at Kanyakumari at the lands end of India. May this Sankalpa

goad us to a new thought and action.goad us to a new thought and action.goad us to a new thought and action.goad us to a new thought and action.

M. Lashmi Kumai

Up, India, and conquer the world with your spirituality! We must give the public only positive ideas.Up, India, and conquer the world with your spirituality! We must give the public only positive ideas.Up, India, and conquer the world with your spirituality! We must give the public only positive ideas.Up, India, and conquer the world with your spirituality! We must give the public only positive ideas.

Swami VivekanandaSwami VivekanandaSwami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda

A Bi-monthly bulletin of Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

2/15


Kanyakumari Mahashibir

One half day orientation camp was kept on 13th

October for the participants of the Maha Shibir

(English) to be held at Kanyakumari. The partici-

pants were briefed about the Kendra and its activi-

ties through lecture and video shows by Didi and

the others. Programme started at 9.30 am and

concluded at 1-30 pm after lunch. Five female and

three male participants were present. Out of them

three boys and three girls were from Kerala Vyasa

Samskrita Vidyapeetham, Kodungallur.

Navarathri celebrations started from 16th of October. A colourful bommakolu

or display of dolls predominantly that of gods and goddesses, was decorated

by all the inmates of Anandadham. Neighbouring children came everyday even-

ing to sing bhajans in front of the kolu. On the 18th a bhajana group Rappal

Thevar madam performed bhajans. Many of our neighbours were present to

listen to the melodious bhajans sung by Mrs Alamelu of the group. The sound

of Veena and Mridangam permeated the hall.

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

3/15


As the tradition goes, on Saraswathi puja

day coinciding with Durgashtami children keep

their books in front of Goddess Saraswathi

to be blessed by the Goddess of learning.

Here too the students of Sishuvihar and the

neighbourhood children around Anandadham

kept their books in front of the kolu.

On Dashami day, in the early morning, par-

ents brought their children to attend the

Saraswathi puja. After the puja Didi talked

to the children and parents who were pre-sent. For some tiny tots Didi performed the

vidyarambham. Others were assisted to

write Hari Sri Ganapataye Namah on rice

kept in plates and then they took back their

book packets. Each of them opened their

packet and studied their books for sometime

as a mark of starting the studies on an aus-

picious day. Around forty children along with

their parents were present on the occasion.

Each nation has a main current in life; in India it is religion. Make it strong and the watersEach nation has a main current in life; in India it is religion. Make it strong and the watersEach nation has a main current in life; in India it is religion. Make it strong and the watersEach nation has a main current in life; in India it is religion. Make it strong and the waters

on either side must move along with it. Swami Vivekanandaon either side must move along with it. Swami Vivekanandaon either side must move along with it. Swami Vivekanandaon either side must move along with it. Swami Vivekananda

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

4/15


Tiny tots of Shishuvihar dressed in different attires of great personalities starting from

Chacha Nehru to Parivrajaka Vivekananda, Swami Vivekananda in Chicago pose, Sri Narayana

guru, Chattambi Swamigal, Sister Nivedita, Prof. Wright, Dr. Palpu, Bhavatarini the Goddess

of Dakshineswar Kali temple with Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother. Many of them repeated

short sweet messages one by one on the stage. It helped the audience to go back in historyto the good old days when these great personalities actually met and conversed with

Swamiji .

This type of fancy dresses are not only educational for the tiny tots but also a lesson for

the parents who, as they dress up their children, also equip themselves fully before facing

their children with their searching queries.

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

5/15


Sadhana Divas was observed on 19th November,

with a short programme. Thirty people including

the parents of Sandeepani Sishuvihar along

with their children, yoga satra and varga par-ticipants were present. Programme started with

introduction to the life and achievements of

Mananiya Eknathji, followed by reading from the

passages of Sadhanaa of Service in English and

Malayalam. Next was Didis reminiscences on

Mananeeya Eknathji followed by a song in Hindi.

Programme ended with Shanthi mantra.

Calm and silent and steady work,and no newspaper humbug,no name-

making, you must always remember. Swami Vivekananda

Deepawali, the festival of lights, was celebrated on the evening of 13th November. Starting

from the Ganapathi temple near the gate, upto the main residential building jyothis decorat-

ed in the traditional way the whole of Ananda Dham.

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

6/15


Our ancestors we regard. We must first recall that. We must learn the elements of our being, the blood that coursesOur ancestors we regard. We must first recall that. We must learn the elements of our being, the blood that coursesOur ancestors we regard. We must first recall that. We must learn the elements of our being, the blood that coursesOur ancestors we regard. We must first recall that. We must learn the elements of our being, the blood that courses

in our veins; .we must build an India yet greater than what she has beenin our veins; .we must build an India yet greater than what she has beenin our veins; .we must build an India yet greater than what she has beenin our veins; .we must build an India yet greater than what she has been Swami VivekanandaSwami VivekanandaSwami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda

FOLLOW UP CAMP

Thirteen children attended the half day follow up camp on 28th October. Sri Sudhakarji,

Sri Krishnaswamiji Su. Rekha, Bindu and Radhika were the resource persons. Apart from

prayer, song, games and story telling, there was also a workshopon friendship.

GIRISHJIS LECTURE SERIES

Regular monthly class on Lalitha Sahara namam of Sri Girishji,

was held on 27th and 28th 0f October . There were no classes in

November.

SHOULDER BAG LIBRARY, SALE OF VIVEKANANDA SAHITYA AND AWARENESS CAM-

PAIGN

Su. Bindu along with a vidyarthini inmate have taken up a resolve of door to door visit of the

people of Kodungallur and sale of books of Swamiji and telling them about the Sarda Shati

programme, every Sunday morning. Up to date they

have visited more than 200 houses. There was good re-

sponse from almost all the people.

DEEPA PUJA

Deepa puja was conducted by Su Bindu and her group in

two places in Sringapuram. A total of 50 ladies and

children attended. Mandala puja was also conducted in

three houses as per their requests. This provoded an

opportunity for the ladies to listen to Didi and getting

informed about the long forgotten samskaras of our

great heritage. Every month a Gita chanting class forchildren and mothers has been started in the Ganapathi

temple premises of Karur Madam.

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

7/15


GANAPATHI HOMAM AND SRI CHAKRA PUJA

CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA AT ANANDADHAM

On the 10th and 11th of November, musical programmes were conducted by the Kodungallur

Kunnjunni Tampuran Smaraka Kalasadass in collaboration with Vedic Vision Foundation. On the

10th there was a musical concert by renowned vocalist Sri Muralidharan Unni with Vayala Ra-

jendran on Violin, Palagaht Mahesh on Mridangam and Sri Deepu on Ghatam as his accompanists.

On the 11th there was a Kathakali dance recital by renowned

artist Smt Ranjini Suresh as Ravana, Kalamandalam Adityan as

Kumbhakarnan and Vaisak as Vibhishan. Nine other artists were

also on stage playing the varied percussions. It is worth noting

that Smt. Rajani is by profession an advocate and also she was

the Municipal Chairman of Trippunithura Municipality. The topic

of the dance was Ravanodhbhavam. Two hundred people were

present as audience each day.

Ganapathi Homam and Sri Chakra puja were conducted by Sri

Gurupadam group in the early mornings of pournami day, on 29th

of October, on 28th of November ( Kartika Pournami ). Ganapathi

temple was lighted with oil lamps on the Kartika pournami day.

DIDIS INTERVIEW BY TVM DOORDAR-

SHAN KENDRA

Didi was interviewed by the Thiruvanantha-

puram Doordarshan Kendra. The staff came

all the way from Thiruvananthapuram. Smt

Jyothi Unniraman interviewed Didi. Topic ofinterview was Swami Vivekananda.

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

8/15


SEVABHARATI SEVA SANGAMA 2012

On the 18th November 20 sevaks of Seva Bharati came

to do shramdhan at Ananda Dham as part of their

cleaning campaign of Kodungallur town. They were pro-

vided breakfast and lunch. On 24th and 25th November

was a Seva Sangamam of the Seva Bharati for the

women sevikas, at Anandadham. Didi was one of the

speakers. Hundred ladies from all over Kerala took part

in the sangama.

Ladies yoga satra was conducted in the months of

October and November. 2 ladies in October and 3 in

November attended .

Regular Samskar varga is being conducted on every Sunday at Anandadham, from morning

7am to 9am. 1015 children attend every week. Half an hour Yoga class for school children

is being conducted every Saturday morning 8 to 12 children attend regularly.

Yoga Varga separately for men and ladies is continuing regularly. 6 men and 7ladies attend.

Yoga varga for working ladies is being conducted every Sunday from 11 am to 12 noon.

Pranayama classes for ladies is being conducted regularly. 6 ladies have enrolled in this batch

Yoga Varga,Yoga Varga,Yoga Varga,Yoga Varga,

Yoga SatraYoga SatraYoga SatraYoga Satra

& Samsakara Varga& Samsakara Varga& Samsakara Varga& Samsakara Varga

& Pranayama Class& Pranayama Class& Pranayama Class& Pranayama Class

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

9/15


Felicitation at Seva Sangamam of

SevabharatiDidi was felicitated by the Seva Bharati on the

24th of November at the Town Hall of Kodun-

gallur for her dedicated efforts in spreading

the message of Swami Vivekananda. The award

consisted of a memento and cash award of Rs

10000/-

DIDIS PRABHASANAMS DURING OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER

5th October Suhrudam orphanage, Edavilangu, Mothers meet

14th October Sarda Shati Samaroha Samiti, Cherplassery

20th October Prasaram Sanskriti Sabha, Kottayam

21st october Vazhappath Rajarajeswari Temple-Edamuttam

21st october Geetha class for children and mothers at a Ganapathi temple, near

Karurmadhom.

23rd October Bharatiya Vidya Niketan Chalakudy

24th October Kombathukadavu Devi temple

26th October Venmani Vidya Niketan, Guruvayur

27th October Sharada Math, on Swamijis 150th

Birth anniversary Camp, Calicut

Mothers meet at Chinmaya Mission,

Calicut

28th October Revathi Pattathanam Vedic Conference, Calicut

4th November Thankulam Mahadeva Temple, Mala

14th November MES Asmabhi College. P. Vemballur

15th November Subramanya Temple, Kuzhur

16th November National School, Thiruvalla

17th November RK Mission youth camp, Mavelikara,

18th November RK Mission Camp for Nursing

students, Thiruvananthapuram

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

10/15


Pravrajika Ishta Prana of Sarada Mission,

Durban, South Africa and a few devotees

visited Ananda Dham on 22nd November.

Life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live for others,Life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live for others,Life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live for others,Life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live for others,

the rest are more dead than alive Swami Vivekanandathe rest are more dead than alive Swami Vivekanandathe rest are more dead than alive Swami Vivekanandathe rest are more dead than alive Swami Vivekananda

Sri Radhkrishna Bhatji the well known Vivekananda

devotee from Ernakulam visited Ananda Dham with

forty youth, children and ladies and spent one full

day in Ananda Dham. Didi talked to them on Swa-

miji and Shri Sudhakar explained to them the

details of Vishwa Bhanu exhibition in the afternoon

Sri Raghunandan and Smt Rajeswari, both yoga teachers from

Bangalore visited ananda dham and spent three days enjoying

salubrious atmoshphere of ananda dham and sharing their yoga

experiences

Forty ex students and teachers of RK Sarada

Mission Schools of West Bengal including

some of the sanyasinis of Saradamath visited

Anandadham as part of their study tour in

Kerala on 12th October

VISITORS AT ANANDA DHAM

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

11/15


Dr. M. Lakshmi Kumari

A Hindu family is a unique set up, an ideal Gurukula, where Sanatana Dharma getswoven effortlessly into the fabric of human life as simple life principles. The origin of an idealfamily goes back to the beginning of creation when Purusha and Prakriti came together, herald-ing the advent of creation. They are the parents, the primordial cause for the evolution of theentire material world.

The parental principles which give shape to worldly family through husband and wiferelationship are just a reflection of the eternal union of Siva and Sakti. Therefore it is but naturalthat the principles which uphold the macrocosm or Samashti are the same as the guidingprinciples of microcosmic or Vyashtis family life. The degradation in values about which the socalled intellectuals are crying hoarse these days is essentially related to our ignorance of thecosmic principles which uphold the universe. This degradation in the understandingunfortunately has its roots in the family and hence for the restoration of values, the unit to be

upgraded is the family. When values are restored, sustained and preserved in our families,naturally the society will start getting the benefit and there would be all round improvement.Hence it is essential that we focus our attention on the fundamental and eternal values whichpreserve the sanctity of families.

Nowhere in the world, in no other civilization or culture can we come across such whole-some ideals by which every human being can unfold the divinity within him or her just byleading a noble family life based on the model prescribed by Sanatana Dharma. Hence Grihasth- ashrama is extolled as an important landmark in the life of an individual. It is thereforenecessary for every Hindu to start rectifying the basic mistakes from his family, as it is from herethat life immortal should evolve. Instead of becoming units creating only excitement and

pleasure our families should concentrate on becoming centres of dharma chakra pravartana.We spend crores of rupees to beautify the houses we live in, but unfortunately we do

nothing to repair our real homes our lives which are so badly damaged and are in need ofimmediate overhauling. A few minutes a day if we set apart for cleaning up of our lives, untoldhappiness and peace can be ours.

The first and foremost thing to do is to bring some regularity, discipline and cleanlinessinto our lives. When this is achieved we can easily find time and energy for the next move. Justlike the doors of the jail were automatically opened when Vausdeva carried Sri Krishna in his

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

12/15


hands, in the same way our own passage through the world becomes smooth and effortless theminute we decide to adopt Truth as the fundamental support of our existence as also our primegoal of life.

Truth is the first and foremost principle to be understood andstrengthened as It is the very source of all our vital energies. OnceSatya gets established in life all other attendant good qualities take

up their positions in our life. Any number of puranic stories are told,emphasizing this truth. Truth and justice add lustre and power to anotherwise dull family life. A house acquires the sanctity of a homethrough the effulgence emanating from Truth. The family members,specially children, must grow and get nourished in the positive ambi-ence of Truth. Only from human beings centred in Truth can thequality of truthfulness radiate into the society.

How to establish Truth in the family? Our rishis have provid-ed a wonderful technique by which it can be done. Undoubtedly the living embodiment of Truthin the life of a being is the mother who can represent Truth in its entirety and in all its beauty.

By worshipping mother through love, respect and sacrifice the children move nearer to Truth.Through mother the energy of Truth flows into and engulfs children. Mother is the cause andfamily is the effect. She is the fulcrum of the wheel of dharma. The value we attribute to Truth inour lives is directly proportional the care we extend to our mother. Lack of this one feature is theprimary cause of value degradation and all the unhappiness and tensions in the homes today.

To establish ones mother on the pedestal of Truth, the bijamantra to be used ismatrudevo bhava. It projects not only the love and respect children should extend to mothersbut also when contemplated on the deeper meaning, we can find in it the source of universalmotherhood and how it should be absorbed into ones life.

Such a contemplation would take us to the revelation how even ordinary women acquirethe status of Divine Mother as they elevate themselves into motherhood- with its dominant traitsof self-surrender, sacrifice, tolerance, sense control and unbounded capacity to love. These in-deed are the qualities which can elevate and enlighten any man or woman. These universalqualities are to be acquired by all who aspire for macrocosmic expansion which leads one todeliverance from all that is petty and stiffling. Sri Sankaras famous compositionMatrupanchakam extols all these qualities of a true mother.

Every mother, bound though she be materially in her limitations, must still try to under-stand the magnificence of motherhood, imbibe it mentally to the extent possible and strive tomanifest it to her capacity in her day to day dealings. Those who are able to achieve this expan-sion remain in the society as shining examples of motherhood. Whosoever comes under the um-brella of that universal motherhood get renovated in that eternal fountainhead of love. The morea mother acquires universal qualities of motherhood, to that extent she can be a centre for resto-ration of dharmic values. Fragmented minds are made whole again by their motherly touch. Tostop the value degradation rampant in the society there is no better medicine than restoring cen-ters of radiant universal motherhood in as many homes as possible..

A family rooted in Dharma is, like a temple, an asset to the society. It is a lighthouse ofhope which can rescue the society from moral degeneration. The idol of that temple is the moth-er. One who disregards his\her mother is disregarding Truth and consequently from such a life

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

13/15


all nobility, beauty and sanctity of life are drained out. This painful neglect of the mother (fatheris included) is the prime reason for value degradation in our society.

Hand in hand with Satya goes the other eternal value,Dharma. Dharma can be understood as applied Satya as it is cen-tred in the awareness of Oneness. Dharma is the invisible chainwhich links up Satya with life situations. Dharma envelops eve-rything in the Universe, the celestial bodies far away from us as

also each and every cell in our body. There is much truth in thesaying Dharmo rakshati rakshita. In a life rooted in Satya, in-deed, Dharma serves as an armour of protection.

When a life gets rooted in Satya, silver linings of dharmanaturally adorn that life. They support each other Satya anddharma. Man alone refuses to understand the significance ofdharma and goes on stepping into abysmal depths of degrada-tion.

The third key thread to be woven into our lives is the time tested spirit of Yajna. It is the

spirit of self abnegation in the understanding and practice of family members that transforms afamily heavenly abode. Activities motivated by Satya and Dharma naturally turn into Yajnas. AllYajnas ultimately get absorbed into the infinitude of Truth. To fix Satya and dharma in day today lives an easy way is the development of the spirit of yajna in all our actions. When a mothertoils for the welfare of her family day and night forgetting oneself, with only one goal, that is,the good of her family, all her actions automatically imbibe the fragrance of yajna. Through eachaction she manifests the Oneness of Truth and thus becomes entitled to receive the Divine bless-ings which spreads first into the family and then to the neighbourhood.

Yajna, carried out in different levels in the universe contributing to the welfare of thewhole world, is the most significant factor upholding Satya and Dharma. Normally we know

only about the yajna that is part of great ritualistic sacrifices and yagas. At the minuscule levelthe simple life of even a microbe is a yajna as it also is making its due contribution to the totalmacrocosmic interrelatedness and interdependence. At human level one of the beautiful expres-sions of yajna is the nishkama karma extolled by none other than Sri Krishna.

For our worldly life we strive our utmost to find a monitory source for the upkeep of thefamily. So also we have to discover an eternal source of spiritual energy for our total wellbeing.We should create a fixed or recurring deposit to serve our daily needs for our spiritualup-keeping without which the dharma-chakra cannot be activated. The men folk are invariablyhooked on to some project or other to make money for the household. Therefore it is left to themother to discover an eternal spiritual source. That source is the treasure chest where all the

unclaimed results of our nishkama karma get accumulated, which include all her sacrifices andservice for the family. These deposits get accumulated in universal Cosmic Bank, constantlyupdated through correct addition of interest so that when the mother is in acute shortage ofworldly help typical case that of Draupadi in the Kaurava sabha most unexpectedly blessingspour down from this inexhaustible Source. Worldly riches have nothing to do with this. This issomething one can experience probably only in Bharat where we can come across very poorfamilies, contented in what they have, with no complaints against anybody, rooted in their faithin the Almighty and diligently following the path of righteousness. They stand with a humandignity par excellence. We have to earn back this righteous dignified way of living and enrich

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

14/15


and enlighten our lives. Raising the standard of Life, with real values added to it. We have tocreate chains of families where Truth, righteousness, sacrifice and tapas are integrated into thenorms of life.

In this connection it is worth remembering how the great rishis have given us mostpractical and elegant lessons in incorporating yajna into our lives through the concept of panchamaha yajnas deva, bhuta, pitru, rishi and nara yajnas. A scrutiny of the concept reveals awonderful macro cosmic expansion possible for a human being by expanding his awareness to

the universal level through an elementary understanding of the interconnectedness of all thatexists in the universe. This is very much in tune with the holistic and environmental awareness,that the modern scientific approach is unfolding before man.

We have seen the three magnificent pillars on which the microcosm of human life issupported and is also integrated with the macrocosm. There is anequally meaningful strong fourth pillar which links up the vyashtiwith samashti. That is tapas, that eternal striving which urges a hu-man being to move forward in the path of evolution. Our five indri-yas are, incessantly seeking pleasure and knowledge from the senseobjects outside to satisfy their cravings through sabda, sparsa, rasa,

roopa and gandha. If they are left to exhaust themselves throughsense gratification no energy will be left for pursuing higher goalsof life. Therefore willful attempt at sense control is the first step intapas. This tapas is a recognition of the fact that the material worldwe live in, has no lasting truth in it and we should not waste our lifegoing after the unreal. This movement from unreal to real is the

essence of tapas. Practising tapas strengthens the will-power and makes the personality strongerand stronger to face the challenges at various vicissitudes of life.

The experiences in life are neither good nor bad, but each one of them, when rightlyunderstood is a step to move forward and onward towards realization of Self or Truth. Thehousewife should therefore be able to outlive the temptations of the material life as also thosethat torment the inner world irritations, jealousies, dissatisfaction, fault finding, unnecessarycompetitions, cheating, and spoiling husbands peace ofmind by the vagaries in their thoughts, words, and actions.Innumerable are the occasions which can make a woman slipfrom the path of Dharma. What can help one to stick to thepath, described as razors edge, is the advaitic or holistic vi-sion and the conviction that nothing in this world really be-longs to us, and everything good and bad are pervaded by theDivinity. Once we fall in line with this way of thinking we

open ourselves to all the blessings, peace and happiness thatabound in the macrocosm. Life turns into a beautiful songwith no wrong note in it. Whatever good and positive thingswe think of will come to pass. Lord Vigneswara becomes ourconstant companion in everything that we do. Wonderful indeed are the benefits of macrocos-mic expansion of human mind. Sad it is that man has no patience to experiment with Life Eter-nal. Hindu families are the only units in the world, which with their age old experience andtime tested acharas and anusthanas can convincingly prove even today that all round happinessand welfare are the gifts of dharmic living.

7/30/2019 Viswabanu

15/15


Realization of Truth is the goal of human existence. Nothing gives more power and ener-gy to a human being than realization of truth. The Royal path to this goal lies in a life of right-eousness or dharma. The energy for this dharma chakra pravartana is generated through yajnaand tapas. It is the duty of every Indian, specially Hindu to uphold the tenets of our dharma byliving its tenets. In fact Dharma transcends religion, cast, creed, etc. Dharma insists on everyhuman being striving to realize the Divinity within and manifest it outside through histhoughts, words and actions. A family can become a Gurukula where true eternal values of life

are effortlessly woven into the fabric of the lives of its members so that the journey of life be-comes inundated with Ananda, bliss, peace and prosperity.

These great macrocosmic principles are converted into the eloquent but simple formulaeof love, sacrifice and service and fed into the understanding of the growing child primarily bymother, followed by mother and other relations who interact with children in the family. Intothe yajna of life each adds one own ahuti, each different from other but each producing its ownaroma of truth and understanding. Some modern psychologists have started calling this whole-some interrelationship as a quantum family where interrelationships play their key role in ex-panding the awareness of the person. We in India were fortunate that we had a ready madegurukulam in every home where the basic character building was achieved before the child was

sent to his school to acquire his apara vidya.

This is how India preserved her dharmic value from time immemorial. Now it is our turnto carry it forward so that the whole world benefits from it. For this women, should grow intouniversal motherhood and start radiating universal values.

House Visit Experiences

Based on our positive experiences on spreading the message of

Ramayana and Lord Ayyappa through door to door samparka we

decided to spread the message of Swamijis message through similar

samparka. Two of the inmates carrying books by and on Swami

Vivekananda, with attractive photographs and pictures embarked on

a door to door campaign.

Interesting responses awaited us. Some coldly said they are not

interested in the literature, some rudely closed the doors on our face when told of our

project. Some said they would send donations directly to Vivekananda Kendra and are not

interested in middle men. Some demanded an authentic authorization from Kendra. In one

house they said their son was good artist and draws pictures of Swamiji, and they are not

interested in pictures which our volunteers carried.

While a minority responded like this, majority of our neighbours received us with open arms,

bought books in additions gave small donations. This was indeed a lesson which helped us to

strengthen our will against the many odds we would be facing when embarking on spiritual

mission. (experiences of shared by the team)

Documents

Viswabanu