Professional Documents
Culture Documents
DARSANA
Quarterly
IN THIS ISSUE
Editorial:
August Vision of Sri Aurobindo -- Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan 2
Kanyakumari Mayamma
-- B.V.S. Rao
8
Glimpses Of A Great Yogi--Part II -- Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan 13
Saint Poet Ramprasad--His Songs
On Divine Mother--XVIII -- Deba Prasad Basu
23
Social Philosophy of
Mahakavi Bharati--IV
-- Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan 25
A Letter of Appeal:
Bharatamata Mandir and Ramayana
Darshanam at Vivekananda Kendra,
Kanyakumari
-- A. Balakrishnan
39
41
Front Cover:
Swami Vivekananda
July-September 2013
Editorial
TATTVA DARSANA
TATTVA DARSANA
sprang into being from the Shakti of all the millions of gods
assembled in one mass of force and welded into unity. The Shakti we
call India, Bhawani Bharati, is the living unity of the Shaktis of three
hundred million people, but she is inactive, imprisoned in the magic
circle of Tamas, the self-indulgent inertia and ignorance of her sons.
He also forewarned that, if the awakening of the children of the
Motherland did not take place, the future of the nation will be
doomed: We have to fill the minds of our boys from childhood with
the idea of the country, and present them with that idea at every turn
and make their whole young life a lesson in the practice of the virtues
which afterwards go to make the patriot and the citizen. If we do not
attempt this, we may as well give up our desire to create an Indian
nation altogether; for without such a discipline, nationalism,
patriotism, regeneration are mere words and ideas which can never
become a part of the very soul of the nation and never therefore a
great realised fact. Mere academical teaching of patriotism is of no
avail.
Whose duty is it to create this awakening among the masses? It should
be the task of the Sadhus and Sannyasins, the Dharmacharyas and
Gurus, to spread this message among the children of our Motherland
by going to every nook and corner of the country. Instead of holding
aloft the banner of patriotism and nationalism and awakening the
common masses, the so called Sadhus, Sannyasins, Dharmacharyas
and Gurus in our midst today are mlecchas not conforming to the
Hindu or Aryan traditions and selling religion, spirituality, yoga,
meditation, scriptures and gods following the footsteps of Semitic
religions to fill the coffers of their Ashrams, Mutts and Missions and
live a comfortable material life. Swami Rama Tirtha said hundred
years ago: As a green mantle gathers over standing water, so have the
Sadhus collected over India, full fifty-two lacs by this time. Some of
them are indeed beautiful lotusesthe glory of the lake! But a vast
majority are unhealthy scum. And during the last one century, the
growth of the scum is much more than the blossoming of lotuses. The
Bhoomi sookta of Atharvana Veda proclaimed: Maataa bhoomih,
putroham prithivyaah--This earth is our worshipful Mother and we are
all Her children. Lord Rama proclaimed: Jananee janmabhoomischa
swargaadapi gareeyasi--Mother and Motherland are more sacred than
the Heaven. However, our so called Sannyasins and Dharmacharyas
consider their ishtha devatas--personal deities--, and their own Gurus
whom they deify, greater than the Motherland. The Vedic seers
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013
TATTVA DARSANA
clutches of marauders from across the border and their agents within
the country, and spread Her glory far and wide elevating Her to the
pedestal of the preceptor of the world. What Sri Aurobindo said more
than hundred years ago is once again the clarion call to our nation
today: The Mothers feet are on the threshold, but she wants to hear
the true cry, the cry that rushes out from the heart, before she will
enter. The Mother asks us for no schemes, no plans, no methods.
She herself will provide the schemes, the plans, the methods better
than any we can devise. She asks us for our hearts, or lives, nothing
less, nothing more. Let us keep aside all mutts, missions,
sampradayas and cults as subordinate to the worship of the
Motherland and be true Hindus as per the definition of the word
Hindu--Aa sindhu sindhu paryeta yasya Bhaaratabhoomika,
pitrubhoo, punyabhooschaiva, sa vai Hinduriti smritah--All those
who adore and worship the land stretching from River Sindhu in the
north to the Indian Ocean in the south, known as Bharatavarsha, as the
land of our forefathers and our holy land are known as Hindus. Let us
strive to create once again the Akhand Bharat--the Hindu Rashtra-- by
undoing the partition of our Motherland. Like the brave soldiers of
Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, who were inspired by the sacrifices
of the heroic warriors of Indian National Army under the leadership of
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and rose in mutiny against the British
empire, bringing it crashing down, the present sacrifices of our brave
jawans on our countrys border will certainly arouse our soldier class
to rise up and give a crushing blow to the aggressors and augur the
advent of Akhand Bharat. Mahakavi Subramnia Bharati, the great
Tamil patriot-poet, sang in his song for the little child, Paappaa
Paattu--Cchedamillaata Hindusthaanam atai deivamenru kumbidadi
paappa--Dear child, worship the undivided Hindusthan as the
Supreme god! Vande Mataram!
KANYAKUMARI MAYAMMA
B.V.S. Rao
[Gnaanikalin Irainilai--God-consciousness of Great Saints--is a
wonderful compendium, in Tamil, of biographical sketches of
great saints of modern India and their thoughts and works,
written by Sri B.V. Subramania Rao and published by Sri Ananda
Nilaya, Chennai, in 2006. Written in the form of dialogues
between an aged head of a family and his family members on selfrealized gnanis, it presents soul-stirring pen portraits of great
spiritual savants, Sri Seshadri Swamigal, Sri Lingi Chetty
Swamigal, Srimat Pamban Swamigal, Sri Ramalinga Swamigal,
Shirdi Sai Baba, Kanyakumari Mayamma, Sadashiva
Brahmendra,
Sri
Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa,
Yogi
Ramsuratkumar of Tiruvannamalai, and Bhagavan Ramana
Maharshi. The author also discusses about spiritual matters like
meditation, temples erected by saints and their inspiring
messages.
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Sri Rao has been a close friend of Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan for
more than four decades and in this article on Mother Mayamma
of Kanyakumari, extracted from his book, he narrates his
personal experiences with the Mother and Sadhu. --Editor]
Easwara Iyer resumed his discourses after two days. Lakshmi did not
leave the grandfather. Everyday, she was imploring him to tell the
history of great saints. It was Wednesday and the lunch was over as
usual by 11-30 in the morning. It was also holiday for the school.
Therefore Iyer acceded to her request. Lakshmi, Parvati Ammal and
Nallakkannu--all of them assembled and Iyer continued his narration.
What I am going to tell you today is something that really happened
in my life.
Parvati, please try to recall. I am going to tell the story of Mayamma
who lived for many years in Kannyakumari and attained
Mahasamadhi at the foot of Yercaud hills, at Salem. Before that I
should speak a few words about, Sri V. Rangarajan, who fits into the
description as my close friend, counsellor and spiritual guide.
We were staying in Big Street, Triplicane, at Chennai. I was
working as a teacher at that time. I had close contact with the
family of my friend, Sri Rangarajan. He was also in close
contact with our family. Daily evening I used to go to his
house and spend time in conversation without aware of the
passing of hours. Sometimes it will go till 12 in the night.
One day, he spoke about Mayamma of Kannyakumar and
asked whether we could visit the place. I also agreed and
started our journey with family to Kannyakumnari. While
staying at Madurai on the way, he told me: We are going to
meet a person at Kannyakumari. He is waiting for us. I asked
him, Have you got any prior information? He replied, No,
but something sprang up in my mind suddenly. I do not even
know who he is.
We met the person at Kannyakumari after three days. He was a very
rich person. He owned many industries. He belonged to Sivakashi. My
friend was surprised when he said, I have been waiting for you.
Later they conversed about the work of Mayamma.
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013
It was the first time that I had gone to Kannyakumari. It was the good
deeds in our past birth that we got the darshan of the Mother,
Mayamma. I will tell about her. Listen carefully. It was on that day
that I saw a woman who happened to be a great saint. Nothing could
be said about her age. When enquired with the local people, they
replied that, for the last two or three generations, from the days of
their grandfathers and great grandfathers, they have been seeing the
Mother. In any case, she must be more than two hundred years. It is
rare to see someone living at this age.
Mayamma was very emaciated. There would always be ten or fifteen
dogs around her all the time. Wherever she goes, they will accompany
her. Mayamma was staying in a hut by the side of the temple on the
sea-shore of Kannyakumari where three seas meet. Even at that age,
she used to go alone without anybodys help to the mid-sea and take
her bath for long hours in the middle of the rocks. She will pick up
the sea weeds which she could lay her hands upon and throw them to
the shore. Sri Rajendran, who was all the twenty four hours by her
side to attend on her, will be collecting them and spreading them on
the shore for drying up. After bath, Mayamma will swim back to the
shore, dress up and take the dried sea weeds and lit fire. It was a daily
routine. There was significance in what she did. What she was doing
was a Yaga (sacrifice). It was the Yaga that she was performing every
day for the welfare of the world. Even the local people were not aware
of it. Later, she will distribute the food that was ready to all the dogs
with her. She will partake of her food after distributing to other
devotees too. We stayed with Mayamma for about ten days. When she
was passing through the market road, she would enter into any
roadside hotel, pick up foodstuff and distribute to her dogs. The owner
of the shop would not say anything. He would have a good business
on that day.
Grandpa, you have told earlier that Sri Seshadri Swami of
Tiruvannamali used to do like this, Lakshmi recalled.
She was dressed in rags. No one could understand what Mayamma
was talking. She would speak in many languages. She would never
reveal herself and her powers. She would cast a bewildered look at
devotees coming to her. However, she knew very well who were
coming to her. Tourists coming to her presence would leave confused
10
TATTVA DARSANA
after seeing Mayamma and her dogs. Jivan Muktas (like Mayamma)
will never reveal themselves. It came to be known that she came from
northern India in her younger days itself and that she stayed with the
fishermen, doing the work given to her by them and eating the food
that they offered. Observing her looks and hearing her talks, it
appeared that she was mentally disturbed, but the truth was different.
Very interesting facts about this were revealed to us by Sri Rangarajan
at the seashore of Kanyakumari.
Sri Rangarajan said that in his intuitive consciousness, he received the
revelation that Mayamma was an incarnation of Kamakhya Devi of
the famous Kamakhya temple in Assam.
She was a little girl (may be ten years old), when she came to
Kannyakumari in a tourist bus and settled down there. Some of the
local people say that Mayamma is none other than Devi
Kannyakumari.
It was after many years that the local people came to realize who
Mayamma was. When a tourist car ran over one of her dogs, the
intestines of the dog burst out. When the dog was in dying condition,
Mayamma rushed towards it, pushed the intestines into its stomach,
picked up some straw and bandaged its body and then patted on its
back. The dog got up and started running. During the ten days when
we were staying there, one night we went to see Mayamma in a
friends house. Sri Rangarajan, I, my wife and sons went together. At
that time, Mayamma had inserted her finger into her nose and was
churning it repeatedly. Looking at one of my sons, she continued to do
it for about half an hour. I could not understand why she was churning
into her nose looking continuously at my son. Mayamma used to chew
tobacco with betel leaf. We were amazed to see that many people
were waiting to receive in their hands the tobacco spat by her and to
swallow it.
Sri Rangarajan fell ill. Slowly he started becoming weak. With the
help of friends, he approached a doctor, and when the doctor who
examined him said that one of his lungs was not functioning and must
have been infected with cancerous germs, he was upset. Immediately
he rushed to Kannyakumari and met Mayamma. Did not Mayamma
know why he had come? The next day being Amavasya, Sri
Rangarajan had a dip in the sea and participated in the Yaga of
Mayamma. The very day he felt that he was regaining health. After
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013
11
12
TATTVA DARSANA
13
the Master carries the disciple to heights of bliss and success. The
setting up of Yogi Ramsuratkumar Youth Association and the starting
of the World Ramnam with the grace and blessings of Yogi
Ramsuratkumar became a turning point not only in the life of this
sadhu and the history of Sister Nivedita Academy founded by him, but
also inspired immensely a number of devotees who came
spontaneously from every nook and corner of the world to plunge into
the movement. The humble and simple abode of this sadhu in a double
room, rented, apartment in the backside of the top floor of an old
building bearing the address, 118, Big Street, Triplicane, Chennai,
started receiving a stream of visitors day and night from far and near
to meet the sadhu and join hands with him in the sacred task he had
taken up in accordance to the command of his Master, Yogi
Ramsuratkumar. People from different walks of life, like doctors,
engineers, educationists, advocates and IAS, IPS and IRS officials
serving in the central and state governments started visiting the place.
It was indeed a strange experience for Bhagavans devotees, like Mr.
Lee Lozowick, Miss Catherine and other members of the HOHM
Community in Arizona, to walk through the narrow crowded street
and wade through slush and cow-dung to reach the house of the sadhu,
but they never bothered about the inconveniences. There was regular
Ramnam chanting in the house every evening and there was Akhanda
Ramnam from morning to evening on one Sunday in every month.
There were no furniture and the devotees, whether from the upper
class or from the poor and downtrodden sections, had to squat on
grass mats spread in the room. Once, when this sadhu complained to
the Master about the inconvenience faced by the devotees visiting this
sadhus abode, He said, My Father will take care and do the needful
at the appropriate time. At that time Bhagavan Himself did not have
an Ashram apart from the house in the Sannidhi Street of
Tiruvannamalai, where He used to receive devotees either on the
verandah of the house or in front of an adjacent vessel shop.
Therefore, He was right in advising His disciple, who had given up all
jobs for the service of the Master and had no permanent source of
income to maintain his dependents at home, but at the same time
carrying on the work assigned to him by His Master, to wait for His
Fathers grace. Bhagavan Sri Krishna tells in Bhagavad Gita,
Ananyaas chintayanto maam ye janaa paryupaasate, tesaam
nityaabhiyuktaanaam yogakshemam vahaamyaham--Those who
totally surrender unto me without thinking of anything else and
worship me--to those with fixed devotion, I take care of their
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15
By your grace and blessings, the Ramnam Japa has reached today
23,22,177 (23 lakhs). We are yet to receive information from many
places like the Nilgiris where the japa is done in full swing.
My talk in the Satya Sai Organization was a grand success. I spoke
about your holiness and the Ramnam Mahayagna that we have started
and many devout young men and women have come forward to join
us in the Yagna. Smt. Ranganayaki Srinivasan, Sri Srinivasan, Sri
Nagabhushan Reddy (Regional manager of Food Corporation of
India), his daughter Kumari Anita and her cousin also attended the
lecture. Chi. Vivek accompanied me.
Kumari Devaki of Sarada College, Salem, was here yesterday. She is
very enthusiastically campaigning for our Ramnam Yagna and many
are doing chanting and likhita japa under her inspiration.
I have received a telegram from the Nilgiris informing me that they
have fixed programmes in various parts of the Hills for the Ramnam
Yagna campaign. I am leaving for the Nilgiris tomorrow morning by
Kovai Express. Kumari Nivedita is accompanying me. After a week or
ten days in the Nilgiris, we intend to go to Anandashram, Kanhangad,
to report to Poojya Swami Satchidanandaji about the progress that is
made. We will be back here in the first week of June, and as soon as
we return, we intend to visit Tiruvannamalai to report to you.
Sri Nagbhushan Reddy and family are coming to Tiruvannamalai to
have your darshan on 26-5-89 and they will meet us in the Nilgiris on
Monday, 29-5-1989.
Enclosed please find the Tamil version of our leaflet. We pray for
your benign blessings for the success of our humble endeavours.
Chi. Vivek, Kum. Nivedita, Smt. Bharati, my mother Janaki ammal,
Dr. C.V.Radhakrishnan, Sri A.R. Rao and all our brethren here want
me to convey their prostrations to you. Sri Lee Lozowick has written
from Arizona that he is coming here on Nov. 25. He will visit
Tiruvannamalai on December 7. We intend to arrange his programmes
under the auspices of Yogi Ramsuratkumar Youth Association in
Madras.
16
TATTVA DARSANA
With Pranams,
Yours in service,
(Sd. /-)V. Rangarajan
Encl: a/a
On May 22, 1989, this sadhu accompanied by Nivedita left for the
Nilgiris via Kovai and Mettupalayam, and reached there in the
evening. A grand reception was arranged at Manieetty village and the
Ramnam Propaganda Campaign in the Hill District had its colourful
beginning. The villagers enthusiastically took up the Ramnam
chanting and took the sadhu to their individual houses also. The next
day, the programme was in Oranally village. On May 24, the
campaign took place in the village temple at Thangadu and Nivedita
also addressed the gathering on the Divine Name. The next day also
the campaign took place in the same village. On 26th the programme
was in Manihatti village. On the next day, we reached Kanneri village
and on Sunday, May 28, the programmes were held in that village and
at Manthanai. Nivedita also addressed there. Received a message from
Sri Guruswami of Swami Omkars Ashram in Kothagiri and wrote a
letter to Mother Jnaneswari, the Head of the Ashram, who had reached
there from the headquarters at Sankavaram in Kakinada of Andhra.
There was a grand function under the auspices of Satya Sai
Organization at Kothumudi in the evening. The devotees were
inspired by the talk of the sadhu on the lives of Bhagavan Satya Sai
Baba and Yogi Ramsurtkumar and they spontaneously came forward
to participate in the Ramnam Movement.
On Monday, May 29, Sri Nagabhushan Reddy received us at the
Guest House of Food Corporation of India at Ooty. He narrated about
his visit to Salem and Tiruvannamalai. Though he could get the
darshan of Mother Mayamma at Salem, he could not meet Yogi
Ramsuratkumar at Tiruvannamalai. This sadhu advised him to make
another visit to Tiruvannamalai after their visit to the abode of Koti
Swami in Puravippalayam, Kovai. Then this sadhu and his entourage
proceeded to Nundala where we made house to house visit to spread
Ramnam. In the afternoon there was a big gathering of villagers and
this sadhu, Sri H.M. Raju, MLA, and Kumari Nivedita addressed the
gathering. Thangadu Mohan, the Convener of Ramnam Movement in
the Nilgiris introduced us. In the evening there was a gathering at
Katteri and the Maniakkarar of the village presented one and a half
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013
17
lakh likhit japa of Ramnam. The next day, we visited the Hindusthan
Photo Films factory at Ooty and an industrialist devotee, Charandas,
and his wife, entertained us with lunch in Hotel Tamilnadu.
Mother Jnaneswari of Swami Omkars Ashram received this sadhu
and other devotees of the Ramnam Movement at the Ashrams branch
at Kothagiri on Wednesday, May 31, 1989. Mataji, an embodiment of
renunciation, service and humility, herself served lunch to all of us. In
the night, there was a talk at Kallakkorai. The gathering, the last and
one of the best in the Nilgiri campaign, went on till midnight. The
sadhus talk spiced with tales from Upanishads was taped by the
devotees. The next day, we took leave of the devotees in Thangadu
and Ooty who gave us a warm send off and left for Coimbatore by
bus, and from there to Chennai by train. The moment we reached our
abode, very happy news was waiting for Nivedita. By the grace and
blessings of Bhagavan Yogi Ramsuratkumar, Nivedita had secured
930 out of 1200 in her plus two examination. She immediately sent a
message to Bhagavan conveying the news.
Devotees started coming as usual for our evening satsangs. Among the
visitors to our abode were Swami Vimalananda of Divine Life
Society, Madurai, and Brahmachari Advaya (now Swami
Advayananda) from Reunion Island. A miraculous development
occurred in our Ramnam Japa Yagna. On June 23, 1989, when we
were sending our Ramnam counts to Poojya Swami Satchidananda of
Anandashram, by oversight, an addition of twenty three lakhs of japa
counts got repeated. We noticed it only after sending the report. We
prayed to Bhagavan Yogi Ramsuratkumar to pardon our error and to
enable us to make up the shortage in our next report. Our prayer got
an immediate response. Prof. Devaki of Salem came to our abode in
the afternoon on June 24 and she had brought 23 lakhs of Ramnam
counts of oral chanting and likhit japa from devotees in Salem. It was
indeed the Divine Leela of Bhagavan Yogi Ramsuratkumar.
Dr. Sujatha Vijayargahvan, a Professor in Pondicherry University, a
close friend of Prof. Devaki and an ardent devotee of Bhagavan,
visited us on June 29. The All India Radio recorded the sadhus talk
on Value Oriented Education. The sadhu was invited to Cochin for a
devotees shatabhishekam and a visit to Anandashram, Kanhangad,
was also finalized. This sadhu wrote to Bhavgavan on July 6, 1989:
18
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19
20
TATTVA DARSANA
This sadhu apprised Him about the planned visit to Cochin and
Kanhangad and sought His blessings for all. He advised this sadhu to
stay continuously for 72 hours in Kanhangad and to cancel if any
other programme came in. This sadhu promised to do so. He blessed
all the devotees. He told Vivek categorically that he will become a
great Civil Engineer like Visweswarayya and will link Ganga with
Kaveri, a dream of Mahakavi Subramania Bharati. He advised him
not to go in for purchasing a seat in Computer engineering course. He
also blessed Nivedita to become a great mathematician like
Ramanujan. He also asked her to experiment on Ramnam. He wanted
her to write to Him about the visit of this sadhus mother to His abode.
He asked this sadhu to read Swami Satchidanandas letter on Ramnam
in THE VISION. He gave permission to our project of setting up the
branches of Yogi Ramsuratkumar Youth Association and World
Ramnam Movement everywhere and print Ramnam likhit japa note
books, pamphlets and photos of Bhagavan for distribution. He made
this sadhu read his article on the Badugas of the Nilgiris, published in
MAKE HISTORY journal. He blessed all the Baduga devotees,
especially Susheela who was not keeping good health. He blessed her
for early recovery and gave her His medicine--fruit and water-- and
assured her that she will soon be alright. He asked her to write to Him
after fifteen days.
Bhagavan introduced this sadhu to Sri Anbazhakan, son-in-law of Sri
P. Ramachandran, former Governor of Kerala, who had come for
Bhagavans darshan. He told Bhagavan that he had already seen this
sadhu and had attended the Yogi Ramsuratkumar Jayanti function
organized by YRYA at Triplicane, Chennai. A set of publications of
Sister Nivedita Academy including GLIMPSES OF A GREAT YOGI
was given to him by Bhagavan to be handed over to Sri
Ramachandran with Bhagavans blessings. After he left, Bhagavan
spent some more time with us. He was all the time holding this
sadhus hand and stressing the importance of Ramnam movement. He
was happy that devotees like Prof. Devaki, Dr. Sujatha, Dr.
Radhakrishnan, Prof. Ranganayaki and Sri V.R. Srinivasan had taken
interest in the Ramnam work and called the team a High Power
Committee. Nivedita told Him about Sujathas present of sarees and
books to her and Yogi was happy about the fraternity. His stress was
all the time on the completion of at least 1/4th of the target of Mataji
Krishnabai. He assured that this sadhu will be able to carry the
message far and wide and peace will descend by 1999. Turning to
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013
21
22
TATTVA DARSANA
23
TATTVA DARSANA
SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY OF
MAHAKAVI BHARATIV
Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan
5. BHARATIS VISION OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE
The Land of Knowledge and Wisdom
Bharat is the Land of Light and Wisdom and long before the dawn of
civilization in other parts of the world, this holy land of ours has
produced the greatest men of wisdom who attracted people of other
nations to seek enlightenment from the preceptors of this land which
has been rightly glorified as the Loka Guru--the preceptor of the
world. Mahakavi C.Subramania Bharati, coming in the lineage of
those great preceptors, sang the glory of the land as the land of highest
knowledge and wisdom. Eulogizing his motherland as the best land in
the world, the poet sings,
Gnaanattile para monattile--uyar
Manattile anna daanattile
Gaanattile amudaaka nirainta
Kavitaiyile uyar naadu85
wa[tftiEl pr Ema[tftiEl--uyaf
ma[tftiEl `[f[ ta[tftiEl
ka[tftiEl `Mtak niAbnft
kviAtyiEl uyaf naD
--This is the land that is at the top in wisdom and higher selfrealization, in highest self-respect, in giving alms, in music and poems
full of nectar!
True to his vision of the land as the land of knowledge, he wanted
every house, every street and city to be seat of learning.
Veedu torum kalaiyin vilakkam,
Veeti torum irandoru palli;
Naadu mutrilum ullanavoorkal
Nagarkalengum palapala palli;
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013
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TATTVA DARSANA
Schools spread all over the country were playing a prominent role in
destroying the spiritual and cultural values nourished and nurtured by
the great preceptors of our land. He was also deeply disturbed by the
deliberate British distortion of national history and the subtle
propaganda against Hindu institutions carried on by foreign
missionaries in the country. Bharati laments, Our youth in the
schools grow with denigrating thoughts about the great men of our
nation. Especially in the Christian schools there is no limit to the evil.
They do not hear at all about thousands of great incarnations like
Vyasa, Yagnavalkya, and Shankara and great heroes like Arjuna,
Karna, Vikrama and Shivaji. Even if they hear about them, they hear
that all these people were mad men unaware of modern civilization.
The youth are not imparted the knowledge that though these great men
were not aware about new things of the modern period, they must
have been great in different fields. Because Kamban had not heard
about Railways, Telegram, and Motor car, would it become a lie that
he was a divine poet? Because Adi Shankara has not accepted the fact
that earth comes round the sun, will it be falsified that he was a great
Vedantin? Are there not thousands of our students who have not heard
about the life of Thayumanavar and Shankara?88
Bharati was also deeply disturbed by the deliberate British distortion
of national history and the subtle propaganda against Hindu
institutions carried on by foreign missionaries in the country. In his
autobiographical poem, Suya caritai, Bharati sings about the ills of
English education:
Kambanenroru maanidan vaazhntatum,
Kaalidaasan kavitai punaintatum,
Umbarvaanattuk kolaiyum meenaiyum
Orntalantator bhaskaran maatchiyum
Namparuntiralodoru paanini
Gnalameetil ilakkanam kandatum
Imbar vaazhvin iruti kandunmaiyin
Iyalpunarttiya sankaran etramum,
Ceran tambi silambai isaittatum
Deiva valluvan vaanmarai seytatum
Paaril nallisaip paandiya cozharkal
Paaralittatum darmam valarttatum
Perarurcudar vaal kondasokanaar
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013
27
Pizhaipadaatu puvittalangaattatum
Veerar vaazhtta milecchartan teeyakol
Veezhtti venra sivaajiyin vetriyum
Annaiyaavum arintilar paaratat
Taangilam payil palliyul pokunar;
Munna naadu tikazhnta perumaiyum
Moondirukkumin naalin ikazhcchiyum
Pinnar naaduru petriyun terkilaar
Pedikkalvi payinruzhal pittarkal,
Enna koorimatrengan unarttuven
Ingivark kenatulam erivate!89
kmfp e[[febaR ma[id[f vazfnftTmf
kaqitac[f kviAt p<^[nftTmf,
umfpaf va[tfTkf Eka^qy<m fmI^[y<mf
OafnftqnftEtaa fpasfkr[f madfciy<mf,
nmfpRnftib Ela edaR pa]i[i
wal mItilf ;lkfk]gf k]fdTm,f
;mfpa fvazfvi[ f;Btik]f D]fAmyi[f
;ylfp<]aftftiy cgfkr[f "bfbMmf,
Ecr[f tmfpi cilmfAp ;ActftTmf
etyfv vqfQv[ fva[fmAb ecyftTm,f
parilf nlfliAcpf pa]fFy Ecazafkqf
parqitfTtf tafmm fvqaftftTmf,
EprRdfCda fvaqfEka] fdEcak[aaf
piAz pdaT p<vitftlg fkatftTm,f
vIrafvazftft miElcfcaftnf tIyEkalf
vIzftfti ev[fb civajiyi[f evbfbiy<mf
`[f[ yav<mf `binftilaf parttf
tagfki lmfpyilf pqfqiy<df EpaKna;f
M[f[ naD tikzfnft epRAmy<m f
YM]fF RkfKmin fnaqi[f ;kzfcfciy<mf
pi[f[faf naDB epbfbiy<nf Etafkilaaf
EpFkfklfvi pyi[fBzlf pitftafkqf,
'[f[ Pbimbf ebgfg[ffu]aftfTEv[f
;gfki vafkfek[ Tqfqmf 'aivEt!
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TATTVA DARSANA
-- Those who go to English schools do not know that there was a man
called Kamban, do not know about Kalidasa who wrote poems, about
the greatness of Bhaskara who measured the movements of stars and
planets in the sky, Panini who presented with great ingenuity grammar
in the world, the greatness of Shankara who saw the end of existence
in this world and proclaimed the Supreme Truth, the brother of Chera
king who wrote Silappadikaram, Divine Valluvar who gave eternal
scripture, the great Chozhas and Pandiyas who nourished
righteousness by their rule, the great Ashoka who protected the
country without blemish using the sword of spiritual power, and
victory hailed by the brave of Shivaji who destroyed the misrule of the
mlecchas. These insane students of hermaphrodite education do not
know the greatness of the nation in the past, the present degradation
and the future form that the nation has to take. What should I say and
how could I express my heartburn to these people?
Writing on The Boycott of Mission Schools in the INDIA journal on
August 18, 1906, Bharati says: Though we have a glorious ancient
history, the people who forget it will be doomed. Should we write
about the fate of the people who, in spite of a glorious past history,
denigrate it and feel ashamed about it? The parents who send their
wards to Christian Missionary Schools and make them learn that
Shivaji is a murderer, Vyasa an ignorant fool, and Sri Krishna a
debauchee, are traitors to their own wards. Because the youth who
imbibe such ideas become incapable of finding anyone as an example
for character, progress, and energy, and fall in character, the parents
who send their children to mission schools are also traitors to their
nation. Dont think that we are unnecessarily opposed to Christian
religion. We believe that Jesus is one among the greatest benefactors
and saints of the world. Great Hindu preceptors like Swami
Vivekananda say that the statement of Christ that I and my Father are
One, whatever it may mean to Christians, means to the Hindus that
he proclaimed the great Advaitic doctrine of Sivoham. Therefore,
we are not enemies of Christian religion. We only oppose the method
of teaching in Christian schools.90
Setting Up of National Schools
The great Tamil poetess, Avvai, said, Do not stay in a place where
there is no temple. Bharati says, Do not stay in a place where there
is no school. He wanted schools, colleges and universities to be set
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013
29
TATTVA DARSANA
~^lymfpti[ayirmf nadfdlf,
pi[f[Rqfq tRmgfkqf yav<mf
epyaf viqgfkieyaqir niBtftlf,
`[f[ yavi{mf p<]f]iym fEkaF
~gfEkaa f"AzkfekZtftbivitftlf
niti miKnftvaf epabfKAv tarIaf!
niti KAbnftvaf kaCkqf taaIaf!
`Tv<mbfbvaf vayfcfecalf `RqIaf!
~]fAmyaqa fuAzpfpi^[ nlfkIaf!
mTrtfEtemazi matafkeqlflamf
va]ip>AckfKaiy[ EpcIfaf!
'Tv<mfnlfkiyig fekvfvAk ya{mf
;pfepRnf etazilf nadfDvm fvaaIaf!
--Providing education to a poor student is more meritorious than
growing gardens of nourishing fruits, building sources of sweet water,
setting up thousands of kitchens for distribution of free food,
constructing ten thousand temples, and promoting various righteous
and charitable deeds.
Let the rich contribute gold, the poor pennies, and those who do not
have even that give their blessings. Let men of efficiency give their
services. Let women of sweet and nectarine tongue speak what is
needed for the worship of Goddess Saraswati. Giving whatever is
needed and by any means, let us establish this great work.
Bharati echoes Vivekananda when he stresses that the goal of
education is spiritual realization, faith in God is its shield, and good
conduct, justice and love are its means ever. He wanted schools to be
converted into sacred places: Pallittanamaniattum koil seykuvom94
--pqqitftlmA[tfTmf Ekayilf ecyKEvamf--Will convert schools
into temples (of wisdom)
Education through Mother-tongue
Bharati wanted the mother-tongue to be the medium of education in
our educational institutions. He says, Our main argument is that
ones mother tongue is the only natural and human medium for
imparting instruction. If anyone should doubt this, let him go and
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013
31
TATTVA DARSANA
33
civilization by calling the Tamil race the eldest child of the Aryan
(synonymous with Indian family), in one or two of his early poems he
could not help sounding chauvinistic in his exaltation of his language
and literature:
Among the languages I have known, there is nowhere a language
sweeter than Tamil.
Among the poets I have read, there is none in the world to excel
Kamban, Valluvar, and Ilango.101
Prof. P. Mahadevan, in his biography of the poet says, Bharati did
not make a fetish of anything, but his love of Tamil was an expression
of his love of culture-patterns through which the questing human spirit
finds varied expression for its abiding pre-occupation with the
supreme Reality. He was quite well aware of the danger of such an
impulse degenerating into mere lingualatry. His own outlook was
admirably catholic and inclusive, for he loved Sanskrit, English,
French and Hindi along with Tamil.102
Sanskrit--the National Language
Bharati recognized Sanskrit as the national language and stressed the
need for the study of that language to preserve the culture and heritage
of the nation and to promote national integration. He proclaimed: Let
Tamil be prominent in Tamilnadu. Let Sanskrit grow all over the
country as usual. To make the integration of Bharat complete, let
teaching of Sanskrit grow higher and higher. However, let Tamil be in
the forefront in Tamilnadu.103
He points out: Swami Vivekananda has said that Sanskrit being the
treasure house of Hindu civilization, all those in our country who want
to acquire wisdom should strive to attain scholarship in Sanskrit.104
Bharati points out the intense relationship of the language of the
people with human life: Are not human languages born and grown
with human life? The language that is spoken by generations of a
country for hundreds of years becomes one with their life. Language is
a mirror that reflects the growth of human knowledge. As much as the
knowledge of the people of a country grows, the language of the
country also widens.105
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TATTVA DARSANA
Bharati expressed the hope that Sanskrit will once again be the
common possession of the whole of India. He says, Once we find
that Sanskrit is going to be the common language for the whole of
India in the future, it will be clear without mentioning that the
common music for the whole of India will also be in Sanskrit. The
foremost son of the goddess of Indian music, Sri Muthuswami
Deekshitar has already rendered many wonderful lyrics in Sanskrit.
Once Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, who listened to Deekshitars song
proclaimed that he had never listened to such a song full of poetic and
musical grandeur anywhere else in Europe or India, since his birth.106
Bharati also spoke about easy ways to master Sanskrit language. He
points out: Anyone who reads Panchatantra three times
understanding its meaning could speak Sanskrit fluently without any
difficulty.107
He also noted with disappointment, Panchatantra, a treatise on
political science incomparable all over the world and which is a
symbol of Hindu wisdom and glory, has not yet been naturally
translated into Tamil.108
It is said that Bharati himself came forward to render in Tamil,
Kalidasas drama Saakuntalam. He also planned to get
Srinivasachari, V.V.S Iyer and Bharatidasan to act in the drama.
However, the Tamilnadu of that time did not extend sufficient support
and Bharati gave up the idea of writing drama.
Scientific and Technical Education
Living in the age of science, technology and industrial advancement,
Bharati never lost sight of the importance of importing advanced
scientific wisdom and technology from countries outside. He said:
Enlightened knowledge is of two kinds--worldly knowledge and
spiritual wisdom. Our race is best in spiritual wisdom. In worldly
knowledge, there are many other countries that are superior to us.
The best way as far as possible is to send our children to Japan and
make them acquire the knowledge of science and technology and
return. It is of prime importance to us to become equals to other races
in technology and science.109
He sings:
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013
35
TATTVA DARSANA
spiritual preceptor. The event that opened the eyes of Bharati was a
short conversation he had with Sister Nivedita on the position of
women. When she questioned him why he had not brought his wife
along with him to attend the Congress session, Bharati gave a blunt
reply that it is not usual in his community to bring the women-folk out
for such things. The Sister gave him a severe shock when she asked
him, What is the value of your education if it does not help you to
bring up your women-folk to your own level? Right from then,
Bharati became a staunch advocate of womens education and rights.
He realized the importance of the work of Sister Nivedita in opening
school for woman in a conservative Bengali society. In Tamilnadu,
Bharati echoed the voice of SisterNivedita when he sang:
Pennukku gnaanattai vaittan--puvi
Peni valarttidum eesan;
Mannukkulle sila moodar--nalla
Maatar arivaik keduttaar
Kankal irandil onraik- kutti
Kaatchi keduttidalaamo?
Penkal arivai valarttaal-vaiyam
Petamai attridum kaaneer113
ep]f}kfK wa[tfAt Avtfta[f--p<vi
Ep]i vqaftftiDmf :c[;f
m]f}kfKqfEq cil YMdaf--nlfl
matrbiAvkfekDtftaaf.
k]fkqf ;r]fF[ilf o[fAbkf Ktftikf
kadfci ekDtftidlaEma?
ep]fkqbiAv vqaftftalf--Avymf
EpAtAm ybfbiDgfka]Iaf.
--The god who protects the world gave wisdom to women; some
fools in the world destroyed the intellect of good women. Is it right to
pierce one of the two eyes and destroy vision? If the knowledge of
women-folk is grown, the world will get rid of ignorance.
In a short span of life of just four decades, no other poet-patriotphilosopher in any part of the world had covered, through his or her
profuse prose and poetical works, all aspects of individual, social and
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013
37
TATTVA DARSANA
39
APPEAL
We appeal to all devotees of Sri Bharatamata inside the country and
abroad to extend their wholehearted support to this noble cause by
sending their valuable contributions directly to VIVEKANANDA
KENDRA, Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari, 629 702, INDIA.
(Phone: 04652-246261, 247012, 246250. Fax: 04652-247177; E-mail:
info@vkendra.org. Website: www.vkendra.org
--Sadhu Rangarajan
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TATTVA DARSANA
41
TATTVA DARSANA
43
adored and worshipped. The concept of Virgin May arose from the
concept of Kanya Kumari, the Eternal Mother, who is ever aging but
never old as Brajendra Nath Seal has said. Karu Mari is the creatrix
of the universe who is Maya, the one who is beyond the
comprehension of intellect and could be realized only in intuitive
vision. The Vedic seers also realized in their intuitive vision that the
soul of the entire universe, like
the nucleus in the atom, is
Bharata Varsha and wanted
Her to be consecrated as a
supreme deity. He called upon
the mothers who had gathered
in the temple to observe
Akshaya Triteeya as the
auspicious occasion for the
worship of Sri Bharatabhavani.
Abhisheka to Bharatamata on Tamil New Years Day
Special Abhisheka, Alankara, Pooja and Homa were performed to Sri
Bharatamata in Bharatamata Mandir, Krishnarajapuram, Bangalore,
on the auspicious occasion of Tamil New Years day, Saturday, April
13, 2013.
Sister Nivedita Academy, the parent organization of Yogi
Ramsuratkumar Youth Association, Sri Bharatamata Gurukula
Ashram & Yogi Ramsuratkumar Indological Research Centre, Sri
Bharatamata Mandir and Sri Guruji Golwalkar Hindu Resource
Centre, was founded on Tamil New Years Day, April 13, 1977.
Koti Ramnam Japa Yagna in the Nilgiris
Koti Ramnam Japa Yagna under the auspices of World Ramnam
Movement of Yogi Ramsuratkumar Youth Association was held for
the sixteenth consecutive year at Hanuman Temple, HPF, Ooty, on 17,
18 and 19, April, 2013. Swami Lokasangrahananda of Sivananda
Vedanta Ashram, Tongaat, South Africa, accompanied Sadhu
Rangarajan in his Nilgiri tour.
Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan presided over the celebrations on all the
three days and addressed the gathering of devotees from various parts
44
TATTVA DARSANA
45
Aum Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram--not only as delineated in our
scriptures but also demonstrated by great saints and sages of modern
period like Samarth Ramdas, Saint Thyagaraja, Sant Kabir, Papa
Ramdas, Mataji Krishnabai and Yogi Ramsuratkumar of
Tiruvannamalai. Sadhuji exhorted that this Japa Sadhana and spiritual
practices must be combined with intense patriotism by way of worship
of Sri Bharatamata who should be reinstalled on the pedestal of Loka
Guru--Preceptor of the World.
Sri Keshav Hegde, Provincial General Secretary of the Parishad and
Sri Vijay Kumar Reddy, President of Bangalore Unit also addressed
the gathering.
Parents Worship in Bangalore
Sri Asharam Bapus Ashram in Bangalore organized a Pitru-matru
pooja--Parents Worship--programme at Jnana Vijnana Vidya Peetha,
Padmanabhanagar, on Sunday, June 16, 2013. Hundreds of children
assembled with their parents on the occasion presided over by Sadhu
Rangarajan. Smt. Lakshmi Murthy, Principal of the School welcomed
the Sadhu and guests and Athish Ravikant, Organizer of the
programme explained the importance of the day.
Sadhu Rangarajan explained that the
Vedas proclaimed Matru devo
bhava, Pitru devo bhava, Acharya
devo bhava--Adore the mother, the
father and the preceptor as Gods!
Western culture and influence have
been wiping out the basic values of
life enshrined in our scriptures by
our ancestors. The introduction of materialistic and sensual
celebrations like Valentines Day, etc., are creating an erosion of
moral and ethical values. Sri Asharam Babpu is striving to introduce
once again the age-old spiritual practices to rekindle the respect and
adoration of Hindu values in the hearts of modern youth.
Ramayana Masa
People of Kerala observe Ramayana Masa in the month of
Karkkidakam (July-August) according to Malayalam calendar. Daily
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TATTVA DARSANA
47
TATTVA DARSANA