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TATTVA

DARSANA Quarterly

IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial:

Homage to A Great Raja Rishi,

Homage to A Great Preceptor &

Homage to the Herald of Hindu Unity-- Sadhu Prof.V.Rangarajan 2

Sister Nivedita and Dr. Hedgewar--

Identical Ideals and Plan of Action -- Sadhu Prof. V.Rangarajan 6

Glimpses Of A Great Yogi--Part II --Mahasamadhi of Sadhu’s Mother -- Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan 29

News and Notes 52

Front Cover:

Sri Durga Bhavani

July-December 2015 Vol. 32, No. 3 & 4

Editor: Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan

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E-mail: sadhu.rangarajan@gmail.com;

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2 TATTVA DARSANA

Editorial

HOMAGE TO A GREAT RAJA RISHI

Bharataratna Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam,

former Rashtrapati of Bharat and a great

statesman-scientist-seer, attained to

Immortality on Monday, July 27, 2015.

He was a Rajarishi like Janaka. Krishna

says in the Bhagavad Gita—

“Karmanaivahi samsiddhim aasthitaa

janakaadaya”—“People like Janaka

attained to immortality through

performance of action”. It is true in the

case of Dr. Kalam who departed from

this mortal world because of a sudden

heart attack while delivering an address

to his beloved students, whom he loved

more than anybody, in the Indian Institute of Management in Shillong.

Born as a son of a humble boatman who used to ferry Hindu devotees to

the Rameswaram island before Pamban bridge came into existence,

Kalam had a hard time to pursue his studies as a young school student

and he used to work as a news paper vendor to support his poor family.

However his hard work and unstinted devotion to studies raised him to

the realm of a great scientist, educationist and a pioneer in the field of

defence technology, enabling him to be acclaimed as Missile Man of

India, who developed powerful missiles for the defence of the country

and also to put satellites on the orbit to bring in peaceful economic and

scientific advancement of his motherland. He was honoured with

Bharataratna even before he became the Rashtrapati.

The word Hindu refers to all those, irrespective of caste, creed or

community, who adore and worship this holy land of Bharatavarsha,

and Dr. Kalam was a true Hindu in spirit. He not only had great respect

and regard to Hindu culture but also used to read scriptures like the

Bhagavad Gita. He wanted to promote study of Sanskrit and Vedic

science. He rose above all narrow sectarian and communal feelings and

was adored by all the people of India, especially by the younger

July-December 2015 3

generation, as “People’s President”. He wanted the youth of the nation

to dream about making India great. He wanted a uniform civil code for

the country. He lived a life of utter self-sacrifice and dedication to his

Motherland. On behalf of Sister Nivedita Academy, Bharatamata

Gurukula Ashram and TATTVA DARSANA, we pay our humble

homage to the Rajarishi. May he live long in the hearts of all

Bharatiyas! Vande Mataram! Jai Hind!

HOMAGE TO A GREAT PRECEPTOR

Poojya Swami Dayananda

Saraswati, renowned teacher of Advaita

Vedanta, and founder of the Arsha Vidya

Gurukulam, attained Mahasamadhi in

Rishikesh on 23 September 2015. He was a

monastic disciple of Swami Chinmayananda

and a spiritual Guru of Prime

Minister, Narendra Modi.

Swamiji was born as Natarajan in

Manjakkudi, Thiruvarur district of Tamil

Nadu on 15 August 1930, to Shri. Gopala

Iyer and Smt. Valambal. He was the eldest of four sons. His early

schooling was done in the District Board School at Kodavasal.

Natarajan worked as a journalist for the weekly magazine Dharmika

Hindu. Natarajan became interested in Vedanta after listening to the

public talks of Swami Chinmayananda in the years 1952–53. He

became actively involved with the then newly formed Chinmaya

Mission in various roles and he was made its Secretary within the first

year of its inception. Swami Chinmayananda instructed Natarajan to set

up Chinmaya Mission's Madurai branch which Natarajan was able to

fulfill. In 1955 Natarajan accompanied Swami Chinmayananda to

Uttarakasi and helped him in the preparation of a Gita manuscript for

publication. In 1962 he was given Sannyasa by Swami Chinmayananda

and was given the name Swami Dayananda Saraswati. In 1963 he went

to Mumbai to the newly inaugurated Sandeepany Sadhanalaya of

Chinmaya Mission, where he undertook the responsibility of editing the

magazine of the mission, Tapovan Prasad. In addition, Swami

4 TATTVA DARSANA

Dayananda taught chanting of the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads to

the students of Sandeepany.

Around 1967, due to the declining health of Swami Chinmayananda, the

Mission approached Swami Dayananda to give public talks and

lectures. Accordingly, between 1967 and 1970, Swami Dayananda

travelled to different towns and cities in India spreading the teachings of

Gita and the Upanishads. In 1971, Swami Dayananda agreed to conduct

a long-term study program at Sandeepany and formulated a curriculum

that would systematically unfold the vision of Vedanta. Between 1972

and 1979, Swami Dayananda conducted two three-year residential

Vedanta courses in Mumbai. At the request of students in the US, in

1979 Swami Dayananda established a three-year study program at

Sandeepany West, in Piercy, California. In 1982 he returned to India

and continued to spread the message of the Upanishads through public

talks and lectures. Responding to the request of students, devotees and

disciples, Swami Dayananda established the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam at

Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1986, wherein a three-year residential

course was completed in 1990.

As a teacher of Vedanta, Swami Dayananda has established four

traditional teaching centres and many more across the globe through his

students with a primary focus on teaching Vedanta, Sanskrit and related

disciplines. These traditional teaching centres carry the banner 'Arsha

Vidya' or 'Arsha Vijnana', i.e. Knowledge of the Rishis. The four Arsha

Vidya teaching centres that Swami Dayananda has established are:

Arsha Vidya Peetam, Swami Dayananda Ashram, Rishikesh,

Uttaranchal, India; Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Saylorsburg, USA; Arsha

Vidya Gurukulam, Anaikkatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India; and

Arsha Vijnana Gurukulam, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. The teaching

centres founded by Swami Dayananda offer Indians and non-

Indians, Hindus and non-Hindus, men and women alike, an opportunity

to study the profound knowledge of Vedanta. At present there are at

least sixty centres in India and abroad that carry on the tradition of

Vedantic teaching under the banner of Arsha Vidya.

In addition to teaching, Dayananda has initiated and supported various

philanthropic efforts. He founded the All India Movement for

Seva (AIM for Seva) in 2000 as an initiative of the Hindu Dharma

Acharya Sabha, an apex body of Hindu religious heads of the

July-December 2015 5

various sampradayas which itself was convened by Dayananda's co-

ordinating efforts. Dayananda also founded the Dharma Rakshana

Samiti a body to protect the Vedic heritage, to preserve the native

spiritual culture of India inherited from the rishis and to raise the

awareness among Hindus of their Vedic heritage.

Right from the days of our association with Chinmaya Mission and

Vishwa Hindu Parishad, this sadhu was in contact with Swami

Dayananda Saraswati. In the sixties, when we started some seva work in

a slum of municipal sweepers and scavengers in Chennai to teach them

bhajan’s and prayer, the Swamiji readily consented to visit the slum and

bless the poor and downtrodden. On behalf of Sister Nivedita Academy

and TATTVA DARSANA, we record our humble homage to the great

teacher. May the immortal saint guide us ever in our humble mission.

HOMAGE TO THE HERALD OF HINDU UNITY

Ashok Singhal, veteran Hindu

leader who was International

President of Vishwa Hindu

Parishad for more than two

decades, and the moving spiriti

behind the Ramajanmabhoomi

Movement in the 1980s for the

reconstruction of the most ancient

temple in Ayodhya and the kar

sevak campaign which led to the

demolition of Babri Masjid, attained immortality at Gurgaon at the age

of 89. Singhal who was admitted in Medanta Medicity hospital

following cardiovascular failure and septicemia died on 17 November

2015.

Singhal was born in Agra on 15 September 1926. His father was a

government official. Singhal had a Bachelor's degree in Metallurgical

Engineering from the Benaras Hindu University Institute of

Technology in 1950. He was also a trained vocalist in Hindustani

music. He studied under Pandit Omkarnath Thakur. Having been

in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since 1942, he became a full-

time Pracharak after graduation. He worked in various locations

6 TATTVA DARSANA

around Uttar Pradesh, becoming a Prant Pracharak for Delhi and

Haryana. In 1980, he was deputed to the VHP. He became the Joint

General Secretary. In 1984, he became its General Secretary and, later,

the Working President, a role in which he continued till 2011. He was

responsible for the expansion of the organization throughout the world.

Though he handed over the responsibility to Sri Pravin Togadia in

December 2011, he continued to work for the cause till a month before

his passing away.

After the Meenakshipuram conversions in 1981, Sri Singhal plunged

into action to bring back the converted people to Hindu fold again.

After noting the main greivance of the Dalit communities in the area as

not getting access to temples, VHP built 200 temples specifically for

them. The conversions stopped afterwards and thousands of converts

returned to the fold of mother religion, Hinduism. Singhal was a key

organiser of the first VHP Dharma Sansad in 1984 held at Vigyan

Bhavan in New Delhi, attracting hundreds of sadhus and Hindu leaders

to discuss the issues of rejuvenating Hinduism. The movement for

reclaiming the Ramjanmabhoomi temple was born here and Singhal

soon became the chief architect of the Ramjanmabhoomi movement.

Sri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, recording his condolences

to the family and countless supporters of Sri Singhal, said:” The demise

of Ashok Singhal ji is a deep personal loss, He was an institution in

himself whose life was centres around serving the nation.” He further

said, “Ashok Singhal was the force behind several noble deeds and

social work which benefitted the poor. He is an inspiration for

generations….I was always fortunate to receive Ashokji’s blessings and

guidance.” Sri Mohan Bhagwat, Sarsanghachalak of Rashtriya

Swayamsevak Sangh, paying homage to the departed leader, said

Singhal, through his work in the VHP, made the Hindu community

resurgent, and had a stellar role in bringing the Ram Temple movement

to a crucial point. “He had personal relations with the Hindu sants.

Hindu community has lost an able organizer and an active general.

Singhal’s role in Hindu rejuvenation in Independent India will always

be remembered”, Bhagwat said.

Sri Singhal’s humility and greatness had touched the heart of this Sadhu

who had the opportunity of associating with the stalwart of the Hindu

organization for more than three decades. Once in an International

July-December 2015 7

Coordination Committee Meeting attended by VHP workers from all

over the country and abroad, and by many other sants too, the great

leader bowed to this humble sadhu and remarked, “You are much senior

to us”. Amazed by the remark which came from one who was fifteen

years older, and top leader of the organization, this sadhu looked at his

eyes for an explanation. He said, “You have been a karyakarta of VHP

right from the time of its inception by Swami Chinmayananda and Sri

Guruji Golwalkar in 1964. We came much later into the organization.”

What an exemplary humility and ingenuity in keeping even the

humblest of the karyakartas in high spirit and enthusiasm! He blessed

the setting up of Bharatamata Gurukula Ashram and Yogi

Ramsuratkumar Indological Research Centre at Bangalore. He also used

to acknowledge the receipt of TATTVA DARSANA issues sent to him

regularly and read them with deep interest.

On behalf of Sri Bharatamata Mandir, Bharatamata Gurukula Ashram &

Yogi Ramsuratkumar Indological Research Centre, Sri Guruji

Golwalkar Hindu Resource Centre, Sister Nivedita Academy and

TATTVA DARSANA we pay our humble homage to the immortal

leader of the Hindu community.

Thanks To Patrons, Members and Subscribers

TATTVA DARSANA completes 32 years of yeoman service to the

cause of Hindu Nationalism. We thank all our Patrons, Life Members,

Associate Members, Life Subscribers and Subscribers for their support.

We have not increased the membership and subscription rates for more

than a decade in spite of the sharp rise in printing and paper cost. Our

effort is to reach as many people as possible to spread our message. We

will be happy to distribute free available back issues containing

valuable articles on our great spiritual masters and Hindu thought to

those who enroll as new Patrons, Life Members and Life Subscribers. Please extend your generous patronage to this noble cause.

8 TATTVA DARSANA

SISTER NIVEDITA AND DR. HEDGEWAR

-- IDENTICAL IDEALS AND PLAN OF ACTION

SADHU PROF. V. RANGARAJAN,

Adoration of Motherland

“For the next fifty years this alone shall be our keynote — this, our

great Mother India. Let all other vain gods disappear for the time from

our minds. This is the only god that is awake, our own race —

‘everywhere his hands, everywhere his feet, everywhere his ears, he

covers everything.’ All other gods are sleeping. What vain gods shall

we go after and yet cannot worship the god that we see all round us, the

Viraat? When we have worshipped this, we shall be able to worship all

other gods. Before we can crawl half a mile, we want to cross the ocean

like Hanuman! It cannot be. Everyone going to be a Yogi, everyone

going to meditate! It cannot be. The whole day mixing with the world

with Karma Kanda, and in the evening sitting down and blowing

through your nose! Is it so easy? Should Rishis come flying through the

air, because you have blown three times through the nose? Is it a joke?

It is all nonsense. What is needed is Chittashuddhi, purification of the

heart. And how does that come? The first of all worship is the worship

of the Viraat — of those all around us. Worship It. Worship is the exact

July-December 2015 9

equivalent of the Sanskrit word, and no other English word will do.

These are all our gods — men and animals; and the first gods we have

to worship are our countrymen. These we have to worship, instead of

being jealous of each other and fighting each other. It is the most

terrible Karma for which we are suffering, and yet it does not open our

eyes!”--This soul-stirring clarion call came more than a century ago,

from the great patriot monk of India, Swami Vivekananda, who wanted

the most ancient Hindu Nation, Bharatavarsha, to be seated once again

on the throne of Loka Guru, the preceptor of the entire world. This

rousing call echoed in the words and deeds of two great patriotic

children of Mother Bharat--one, who came from the distant Ireland and

dedicated her life at the altar of Mother India and was rightly christened

as Nivedita by her guru, Swami Vivekananda, and the second, Dr.

Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak

Sangh, who offered his life to the task of building up a dedicated cadre

of patriotic citizens who will sacrifice their all in the service of

Bharatamata to revive and reawaken Her ancient glory in the hearts of

the people and re-enthrone Her on the pedestal of Loka Guru--the

Preceptor of the World.

Sister Nivedita gave her clarion call to the children of Bharatamata:

"Age succeeds age in India, and even the voice of the Mother calls upon

Her children to worship Her with new offerings, with renewal of their

own greatness. Today She cries for the offering of nationality. Today

She asks, as a household Mother of the strong men whom She has borne

and bred, that we show to Her, not gentleness and submission, but

manly strength and invincible might. Today She would that we play

before Her with the sword. Today She would find Herself the Mother of

a hero-clan. Today does She cry once more that She is hungered, and

only by lives and blood of the crowned kings and men, can the citadel

be saved." She used to recite every moment, like a sacred mantra:

`Bharatavarsha, Bharatavarsha'. And she would become ecstatic while

doing this. She held everything in India as sacred, deserving worship.

She would hold a specific practice in high esteem, even if it might have

lately fallen into disuse, only because it must have been beneficent for

India in the past. Before boarding a boat from a ghat on the river Ganga,

she would touch its water to her head like any other Hindu woman. She

would always keep her hands folded in the gesture of pranaama

whenever she approached any temple or a deity. ‘Mother India’ soon

appeared to be the divine Energy—Shakti—clothed in the foam of the

10 TATTVA DARSANA

sea, the red dust of Malabar, the mud of the Ganges, the sands of the

Punjab, the snows of Kashmir. To bewitch men, She let Herself be

worshiped according to all the rites, and in all the temples. “Instead of

being the slaves of an unknowable Brahman let us be Her slaves," cried

Nivedita. India, ‘Mother India’, had become her Ishta, the supreme

object of her devotion, in which she perceived the aim of her life and

the place of her acceptance. She was to live now, in and for the great

design of which her guru had dreamed: an India in which the masses—

the ignorant, the poor, the illiterate, the cobbler, the sweeper—were to

be the flesh and blood of ‘Mother India’.

Intense Spirit of Patriotism

One day Nivedita asked her students: 'Who is the queen of India?' The

girls replied: 'Her Majesty the Queen Victoria’. It naturally occurred to

them that in the England-ruled India, their queen was Queen Victoria.

Nivedita was visibly upset to hear this reply. She was both angry and

grieved. She cried out: “You don’t even appear to know who the queen

of India is. Your queen is Queen Sita. Sita is the eternal queen of India”.

The Nivedita Girls' School in Calcutta was a brilliant example to

nationalist institutions all over the country. Nivedita not only refused to

take the aid of the Government, but even introduced Bande Mataram in

the daily prayers of her school, at a time when singing the song in

public was an offence. She also introduced Swadeshi and spinning

wheel in her school. Nivedita tried to imprint nationalist ideas in the

minds of her girl students through all their activities and behaviour

including language, dress, education, music, and everything. Any

national object, no matter how insignificant it might be, was dear to her

like a worshipped deity. She tried to infuse this reverence into her

students also so that they could view any national object in such depth.

Nivedita had introduced the teaching of patriotism and hero worship by

prayer and the recitation of the mantra, "Bharatavarsha,"—Mother

India—at every free moment. She trained the children in silence and

concentration upon the meaning of these words; then she would tell

them stories of Bengali, Maharashtra, and Rajput heroines facing death

with honour, of Ramanuja in the South and Guru Nanak in the North in

their mission of fraternity through devotion. When the children went

back to their homes, they had offered their very life to the Indian nation.

For the Swadeshi exhibitions, of 1904 and 1905, the pupils wove silks

to serve as models for the weavers, and embroidered a national flag. She

July-December 2015 11

exhorted, "We must surround our children with the thought of their

nation and their country. The centre of gravity must lie, for them,

outside the family. We must demand from them sacrifices for India,

Bhakti for India, learning for India. The ideal for its own sake. India for

the sake of India. This must be as the breath of life to them. We must

teach them about India, in school and at home… Burning love, love

without a limit. Love that seeks only the good of the beloved, and has

no thought of self, this is the passion that we must demand of them.”

Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, when he was a small boy, heard the

story of Shivaji Maharaj in his history class and was very much inspired

by the adventurous exploits of the hero, his patriotism and supreme

dedication to the cause of Dharma. This spirit found expression in the

acts of Keshav also when, at the age of eight, he threw away sweets

distributed in his school to celebrate Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee

and questioned his teacher how a handful of aggressors came to rule

over this Hindu land. He refused to accept Queen Victoria as the queen

of Indians. On another occasion, he admonished his friend for showing

interest in the celebration at Empress Mills, Nagpur, when Edward VII

came to the throne. The tender heart of Keshav could not bear the sight

of Union Jack flying over Sitabuldi Fort in Nagpur and one day he

gathered his playmates to dig "an underground channel" from his

master's house to the fort to pull down the Union Jack and hoist the

Bhagava Jhanda.

Revolutionary Movement

"If our Sister fell under the spell of India, we in turn fell under her spell,

and her bewitching personality attracted thousands of our young men to

her. If the dry bones are beginning to stir, it is because Sister Nivedita

breathed the breath of life into them", said the great revolutionary, Dr.

Rash Behari Ghosh, about Sister Nivedita’s role in the revolutionary

movement in India’s freedom struggle. She took her part boldly in

India's struggle to find its soul, and she gave all she had without

wondering what would become of her. During the period May to

October 1898, Sister Nivedita went on a tour of Almora and Kashmir

regions, accompanying Swami Vivekananda. In Kashmir, she observed

how the British Government refused permission to the Maharaja of

Kashmir to hand over a piece of land to her Guru to set up a Mutt and

Sanskrit College. Her Irish blood revolted and she realized that the

12 TATTVA DARSANA

emancipation of India and regeneration of Hinduism could be achieved

only by putting an end to British rule in India.

Some leading members of the society felt the need of mobilizing the

energies of the young men for national work and their public activities

took a new direction. Under their guidance numerous associations and

groups such as 'The Young Men's Hindu Union Committee', 'The Gita

Society', 'The Dawn Society', `The Anusilan Samity' and 'The

Vivekananda Society' were formed. Nivedita who had faith in the social

and spiritual renaissance of the Indian people, readily associated her-

self with these societies. Whenever she was invited, she went and talked

on Hinduism and read and explained the Gita or Swami Vivekananda's

works. Her talks were inspiring. She had so long thought about the

problems of India that now her ideas became a living power which

opened out new horizons for the young. She used and repeated the

words 'nation' and `nationality' as a Mantra; it was she who coined the

word 'national-consciousness'. She encouraged them to arrange for

sports and recitation and lecture competitions and on special occasions

awarded Vivekananda Medals for merit. The young men always

clustered round her for inspiration and guidance. She was a `Guru' to

them. Gymnasiums were conducted by these societies for giving

physical training to the young; study circles were organized where the

lives and teachings of great men were read and histories of the struggle

for freedom of the different countries, politics, and economics were

studied. Classes on moral instructions were held on Sundays where the

national epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the Gita, the Chandi

and the Swami's works were expounded. Sri Aurobindo knew about the

existence of the societies and planned to organize them into one party.

To quote his words: "I found a number of small groups of

revolutionaries that had recently sprung into existence, but all scattered

and acting without reference to each other. I tried to unite them under a

single organisation with the barrister P. Mitra as the leader of the

revolution in Bengal and a Central Council of five persons, one of them

being Nivedita."

In March 1899, when Nivedita called on Swami Vivekananda, the latter

told her emphatically: “My mission is not Ramakrishna's nor Vedanta's

nor anything, but simply to bring manhood to my people.” Nivedita

said: “I will help you, Swami.” Swamiji replied: “I know it.” We also

know that she kept her promise. In fact, she dedicated her life for the

July-December 2015 13

purpose. During the first months of 1902, the seeds of all Nivedita's

later life had really been sown under the eyes of Swami Vivekananda.

He had placed entire confidence in her and had made it clear that he

would never interfere in any path she chose to take, though sometimes

he appeared to be concerned as to whether she could combine this

expression of active life with the spiritual discipline he had given her.

On the other hand, Swami Vivekananda had very often remarked to

groups of disciples and friends during the last months, that he counted

on Nivedita to arouse the political sense among Hindus. He wanted

patriotism in India, love for the country. It was in that sense that he had

pledged her to serve India, and to sacrifice herself to the last

renunciation. To the monks, Swami Vivekananda had said that Nivedita

must be given full liberty, "even if she works without any connection

with the Mission"; but they now realized that she might deflect their

line of conduct. They appealed to her vow of obedience either to

renounce entirely the activity which was so dear to her, or so to

organize her life that her freedom would be wholly recognized. Was not

her educational mission, to which she had hardly put her hand since her

return, activity enough? She listened to the proposal, and replied

categorically to Swami Brahmananda: "I cannot do otherwise than this.

I have identified myself with the idea of Mother India, I have become

the idea itself, and I could die more easily than submit." At a reception

accorded to her at Madras, she proclaimed to the Indians at the top of

her voice: "Just as it has been realized already that in religion you have

a great deal to give and nothing to learn from the West, so also in social

matters it will be well to understand that what changes are necessary,

you are fully competent to make yourselves and no outsider has the

right to advise or interfere." Her speech won her the admiration and

blessings of her Master, but aroused the anger of the British

Government who black-listed her name, deputed C.I.D. officials to

shadow her and censored her letters.

Nivedita's nationalist activities did create anxiety in the circles of the

Ramakrishna Order. Swami Vivekananda, on his part, allowed her to

pursue the path she had chosen. However, after the death of the Swamiji

on 4th July 1902, the difference of opinion between her and Swami

Brahmananda, President of the Ramakrishna Math, grew wider on the

issue of Nivedita's participation in politics and she resigned from the

Mission. Nivedita soon went on a nation-wide tour in response to the

invitation of her disciples and admirers. She reached Baroda on October

14 TATTVA DARSANA

20, 1902, and met Sri Aurobindo. The subject of their discussion was

neither religion nor the philosophy of Vivekananda, but the political

developments in Bengal. She stressed the need of Aurobindo's reaching

Calcutta to give effective lead to the nationalist and revolutionary forces

in Bengal. According to Lizelle Reymond, the famous biographer of

Sister Nivedita, Nivedita was among the few persons in India who knew

that Sri Aurobindo was the directing brain behind the nationalist

movement in Bengal, despite his physical absence. The same author

gives us the valuable information that Nivedita was "one of the five

members of the political committee which Aurobindo Ghosh appointed

in Bengal to unite in a single organization, the small and scattered

groups of rebels which had sprung into existence and were acting

without reference to one another". During this tour programme Nivedita

attracted thousands of young men to her and the one inspiring message

she gave them was: "By no means be found sleeping when the cry

comes for battle.”

Dr. Hedgewar, at the age of 16, was busy participating in the nationalist

activities organized by the Swadesh Bandhav Samity of the renowned

revolutionary, Pandurang Sadashiv Khankhoje. One day he was

rusticated from the school for raising the slogan of 'Vande Mataram' in

the open class. Keshav got admission in the nationalist school, Vidya

Griha of Yeotmal, but that institution was closed down soon by the

alien government. Keshav went to Pune and after two months' stay and

study there, came to Amaravati and wrote the Entrance Examination of

the National Council of Education (Bengal), Calcutta, of which Dr.

Rash Behari Ghosh was the President. Successfully getting through the

examination, he joined the National Medical College at Calcutta and

came to stay in the Shantiniketan Lodge which was a haven of

revolutionary youth working under the guidance of renowned

revolutionary, Pulin Bihari Das. With the sole intention to participate in

revolutionary activities, he joined the Calcutta Medical College.

Keshav came into close contact also with another fiery nationalist,

Shyamsunder Chakravarti. The renowned revolutionary, Nalini Kishore

Guha, introduced Keshav and Narayanrao Savarkar, younger brother of

Veer Savarkar, into the Anusheelan Samity, a secret revolutionary

organization, and according to the practice of the organization, they

were administered a pledge and given secret names. Keshav was given

the name 'Cocaine' and he became well known among the revolutionary

workers because of his fiery patriotism, courage, deep intellectual

July-December 2015 15

capacities and foresight. After passing the L.M.&S. Examination in

June 1914, Keshav completed one year apprenticeship and returned to

Nagpur in 1915 as a doctor. But his mind did not turn to the direction of

practice and earning livelihood. He wanted to diagnose the disease that

had afflicted the nation and cure it, and with this determination in his

mind he dedicated his life at the altar of the Motherland. Since his

arrival in Nagpur, Dr. Hedgewar was busy organizing the revolutionary

youth in Nagpur, with the help of Bhaoji Karve. Dr. Hedgewar kept

close links with the revolutionary organizations in Punjab and Calcutta.

When the First World War broke out, the revolutionaries all over the

country wanted to make use of the opportunity created by the difficult

situation in which the Britishers were pitched against the Germans.

The revolutionaries in India and abroad conceived a plan for a

revolutionary upsurge in the country to throw out the Britishers. Dr

Hedgewar also threw himself heart and soul into the endeavour. The

revolutionaries under the leadership of Bhaoji Kavre and Dr. Hedgewar

were collecting arms and money for the proposed uprising. Once, in

order to secure arms for the Gadar soldiers spread in different parts of

the country, Dr. Hedgewar put on a military uniform and under the

guise of a military man, managed to get away with a stock of British

guns kept in Nagpur railway station. He also entrusted to one of his

trusted colleagues, Vamanrao Dharmadhikari, the work of receiving

arms reaching Goa port in 1912 in a steamer sent by revolutionaries

abroad. But the British Government got scent of the scheme and the

ship was seized before it could reach its destination. The defeat of

Germany in the War foiled all the attempts of the Indian revolutionaries

for a revolutionary upsurge inside the country. Though Dr. Hedgewar

was involved in the plans for an armed revolution, on the advice of

Lokamanya Tilak, he gave up the effort. Dr. Hedgewar realized that the

lack of discipline among the revolutionaries, want of proper

organization to coordinate the different revolutionary groups spread all

over the country and the absence of a political and national awakening

among the common masses were the root causes for the failure of

revolutionary upsurge. He also came to understand that mere acts of

bravery and self-sacrifice on the part of a few daring and patriotic

individuals will not bring independence to the country. With this clear

realization, Dr. Hedgewar diverted his attention to the national

movement launched by the Indian National Congress.

16 TATTVA DARSANA

Participation in Freedom Struggle

Besides being a school, Sister Nivedita’s abode in Bose Para Lane,

Calcutta, was also a meeting place of scientists, artists, journalists,

nationalists and revolutionaries. Young men inspired by Nivedita used

to attend the Sunday get-togethers at her home and prominent among

them was Barindra Ghosh, the renowned revolutionary and younger

brother of Aurobindo. In 1902, when Viceroy Lord Curzon appointed

the 'University Commission', to strangulate the national education

system, Nivedita came to the forefront in condemning the move. She

came into close contact with the fiery freedom fighter, Brahmabandhav

Upadhyaya. After Aurobindo's reaching Bengal, when he organized a

five member revolutionary committee consisting of himself,

Surendranath Tagore, C.R. Das, Yateendra Bannerji and Sister

Nivedita, Nivedita acted as the Secretary of the committee and

undertook the task of organizing under one banner various

revolutionary organizations operating in Bengal. Later this

revolutionary committee was merged into the Anusheelan Samity, the

secret revolutionary society, and Sister Nivedita became a source of

inspiration and guidance to the young revolutionaries participating in

the underground activities of the Samity.

The period from 1906 to 1907 was one of busy journalistic activities for

Sister Nivedita. Besides writing editorials for Prabuddha Bharata, she

was contributing to extremist journals like Sandhya, The Dawn and New

India. Aurobindo, his younger brother Barindra Ghosh and Swami

Vivekananda's younger brother, Bhupendra Nath Dutta, started a new

weekly, Yugantar, as an organ of the secret revolutionary movement,

from March 12, 1906. Not only the decision to start it was taken in

Nivedita's house, but also because of her efforts, the circulation of the

journal was built upto more than 50,000 copies. On August 16, 1906,

Bepin Chandra Pal started Bande Mataram with the cooperation of

Aurobindo. The famous revolutionary of the south, Tirumalachari,

started Bala Bharata from Madras, with the poet-patriot, C. Subramania

Bharati, an ardent disciple of Nivedita, as Editor.

On July 20, 1907, when Bhupendra Nath Dutta was imprisoned,

Nivedita met him in the court, assured him of taking care of his mother,

Bhuvaneswari, and the publication of Yugantar, and also helped his

July-December 2015 17

associates to collect funds for paying a fine of Rs.10,000/- imposed on

him.

In 1907, Nivedita left for England to set a favourable atmosphere for

Indian Independence through meetings and interviews with British

Parliamentarians and writings in British journals. One important work

of Sister Nivedita was to organize the publication of revolutionary

journals from outside India, arranging for their secret distribution in

India and organizing the Indian revolutionaries who were scattered

abroad. On September 26, 1908, Nivedita left England for America

where she met Bhupendra Nath Dutta, Tarak Nath Dutta and other

revolutionaries in exile. According to the famous writer, Girija Shankar

Roy Choudhary, Nivedita was, during this tour, collecting funds for the

rehabilitation of revolutionaries in exile and she had a plan to purchase

a building at Chandranagar in the French territory in India, to enable

these revolutionaries to settle down there and carry on the activities.

In March 1905, Nivedita fell seriously ill and spent some time in

Darjeeling with the family of Jagdish Chandra Bose. But the explosive

atmosphere aroused in the country in the wake of the British

Government's decision to partition Bengal, made her return to Calcutta

in the first week of July 1905. She addressed mammoth public

meetings. In one such meeting, she spoke strongly supporting the

resolution moved by the famous revolutionary, Anand Mohan Bose,

condemning the unwise move of the British Government.

"Fort a nation subjected to slavery, there is no other politics other than

the politics of freedom struggle", said Dr. Hedgewar. In the Amritsar

Congress Session, Dr. Hedgewar was elected as the Secretary of the

Central Province Congress Committee. He rejected the proposal for

inactive cooperation with British Government during First World War.

In the 1920 Congress Session at Nagpur, Dr. Hedgewar moved a

resolution in the Subjects Committee condemning British Imperialism

and capitalism, firmly declaring, "The goal of the Congress should be

establishment of a Republic in India and free the country from the

exploitation of capitalist nations." The extremist and nationalist leaders

in the Congress were all looking with apprehension at the all-out

support given by Mahatma Gandhi to the Khilafat movement in an

attempt to exploit the discontent among the Indian Muslims against the

British who were enemies of the Khalif of Turkey, the religious head of

Muslims. Dr. Hedgewar, with his deep foresight, understood that this

18 TATTVA DARSANA

sort of appeasement of Muslim communalism, though intended to win

them over to the freedom struggle, would in the long run sow the seeds

of separation in the hearts of the Muslims and result in the

disintegration of the country. And his fears did prove to be true in the

long run.

When the idea of Hindu consolidation took possession of Dr.

Hedgewar's mind and he was fully convinced of the absolute necessity

of this task, he set at work his plan of action. He founded the Rashtriya

Swayamsevak Sangh on the auspicious Vijayadashami day in the year

1925, by organizing a group of young men at his residence. His plan of

action was to bring together the people of all sections, castes, creeds,

ages and strata of society, as children of the same Mother; make them

sing and play together, and inspire them to come forward in love and

discipline to bring glory to the nation. Accordingly programmes were

chalked out for the physical and intellectual development of the

Swayamsevaks and to instil in them the spirit of patriotism, discipline

and devotion to Motherland. The seed that Dr, Hedgewar sowed on that

auspicious Vijayadashami day at Nagpur has grown into a big banyan

tree and today it is covering the entire globe with its vast network of

branches and ancillary institutions.

Organising Dedicated Youth

Nivedita's own dream was to found in Swami Vivekananda's name (as

he had done in the name of Sri Ramakrishna) an association which

would gather together the future disciples of her guru's national idea. "I

feel myself able to make ten thousand Vivekanandas," she wrote, "for

just as he could understand and make Ramakrishnas, so I can see in him

the things he himself could not. My object will be to keep a set of boys

six months, and then to send them out for six months' travel; again six

months of study, and so on...." From this dedicated organization she

saw emerging the watchful leaders of men who, in their turn, would

organize "Indian Vivekananda societies" and "schools of active political

education" throughout the whole vast country. In the Gita she saw a

boundless source of power. "You have in your hands the most perfect

instrument that exists," she said. "Carry over its teaching into your daily

lives. When will the real fighter in the good cause rise up again, the Gita

in one hand and a sword in the other?" Then she added: "A hero whose

footsteps we can easily follow left us only the other day.... Swami

July-December 2015 19

Vivekananda is quite near to us. We can still walk in his shadow." She

said that the great task ahead of us is the creation of an order of

dedicated missionaries who are prepared to offer their everything at the

altar of the Mother and worship Her by serving Her beloved children.

What will be the work of these missionaries? Nivedita herself delineates

their task: "Let the missionary travel with the magic lantern, with

collections of post cards, with a map of India and with head and heart

full of ballads, stories and geographical descriptions. Let him gather

together the women, let him gather together the villagers, let him

entertain them in the garden, in the courtyard, in the verandas, beside

the wall, and under the village tree with stories and songs and

descriptions of India! India! India!" The missionary has to instil in the

hearts of the people the great thought, "this and no other is our

Motherland! We are Indians every one!"

Nivedita pointed out that this was the plan of action of Swami

Vivekananda: “This is the meaning of his constant plea, in his published

correspondence, for the teaching of the villages, by wandering students,

who would carry the magic lantern, the camera, and some means for

simple chemical experiments. Again he begs for the inclusion of some

secular instruction in the intercourse of the begging friars, with the

humbler classes. All this, of course, would be little more than a support

and attractive invitation, to the New Learning.”

Creating a national vision was the goal that Dr. Hedgewar set before

himself when he founded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He said:

“Even the small boys in the Sangh very clearly know that the goal of

Sangh is to create the strength for the protection of Swadharma and

Swarashtra.” Dr. Hedgewar quoted Lokanayak Bapuji Ane: “It is the

duty of a student to acquire the education that is needed to protect the

Dharma and civilization of nation in which he lives. I am not bothered

about the rank in which a student passes in his examination; but I am

interested in the way in which he enters into the field of action in the

worldly life and how he behaves”. Making it clear why the name

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was chosen, Dr. Hedgewar revealed:

“We always think with a national vision. In our mind only the thought

of our nation arises. Therefore the name of Rashtriya Swayamsevak

Sangh is given.”

20 TATTVA DARSANA

Daily Congregation and Training of Workers

Nivedita has emphatically declared, "If the whole of India could agree

to give, say, ten minutes every evening, at the oncoming darkness, to

thinking a single thought, 'We are one. We are one. Nothing can prevail

against us to make us think we are divided. For we are one. We are one

and all the antagonisms amongst us are illusions'—the power that would

be generated can hardly be measured." She said, "Brahmacharins are

necessary, but not young men whose ideal is passivity. I want you to be

active, with the brahmacharya of a hero, assimilating all the experiences

of life whatever they may be, without running away from them. For

love and hatred are dualities which will disappear. I want men who can

face life squarely and find God in the manifestation of their sacrifice.

The goddess of your worship, Mother India, dwells in famine, in

suffering, and in poverty rather than on the altars where you offer her

flowers and incense. She is where your sacrifice is!”

Dr. Hedgewar, when he founded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,

selected young and dedicated Brahmacharins and trained them to carry

forward the work of the Sangh to different provinces and start its

branches in every nook and corner of the country. He declared:

“Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is born to make our society united and

strong. The branches of this are working all over the country to

strengthen the Hindu society. There should not be a village or a remote

place in Bharat where there is no branch of the Sangh. There must

necessarily be one pointed coordination in all these branches and then

only we could create manifest power and immense self-confidence

among the Hindus.” He called upon the Swayamsevaks: “Considering

the Sangh work as most important and with a spirit of self-sacrifice if

we plunge into action, at least tomorrow our children could live as

Hindus.”

The goal of RSS right from its inception has been to rebuild the Hindu

Rashtra. Dr. Hedgewar pointed out: “People who live with one thought,

one conduct, one culture, and one tradition since times immemorial

become a nation. This country came to be known as Hindusthan

because of us.” He further said: “Because of the weakness of mind,

removing the word Hindusthan which is pregnant with meaning, we

have started calling our dear land as India and the people of the land as

Indians. The intention of doing this is to remove from the world forever

July-December 2015 21

the words 'Hindu' and 'Hindusthan', hearing which our whole ancient

history dances before our eyes.” He gave his clarion call: “My prayer to

you is to see that you must work to see that such organizations of youth

who are dedicated to ideal and strong grows deep rooted in every nook

and corner of this vast Bharatavarsha.”

Stress on Physical Culture and Martial Arts

In the month of October 1902, Nivedita reached Nagpur. There, at the

local Morris College, she was invited to preside over a meeting, and

was made to give away prizes to the participants in the cricket game.

After the prize-giving ceremony she took the students to serious task in

her lecture. That was the time of the Dusserah festival. Nivedita said

that it was indeed a matter of great shame for the students to enjoy

joyously a foreign game during the days of Dusserah when they should

instead worship war weapons, and invoke strength from the Goddess

Durga by worshipping her. Had she known this before, she certainly

would not have agreed to preside over the meeting. She hoped that in

the capital of the great Bhonsle' kings, she would see some

demonstration of heroic feats of the Marathas. She was indeed sad not

being able to see that. Nivedita demanded from the students that on the

next day they must demonstrate before her sword-fighting, wrestling

and other exercises on martial arts. Most of the college students did not

know any such exercise. Somehow a few boys from outside and only

one college student were made ready for this; they showed her the

exercises as desired by her. She then said to the students that they were

lately getting higher studies, more than the required number of

graduates was being turned out from the universities, who with their

broken health could hardly protect themselves, not to speak of

protecting the dignity of their mothers and sisters. The society would

not derive any benefit from these heaps of debris. The country

demanded true patriots, powerful in body and mind. The country had no

need of those people who would serve their foreign masters while

hounding their fellow countrymen. Only powerful patriots could raise

the country.

Two years thereafter in the month of January 1904 she lectured before

the students in the same spirit at Patna. She said, “I shall be sorry to see

immeasurable calm on the face of the boys. ... I should like to see you

wrestling, boxing, fencing with each other rather than to see you calm.

22 TATTVA DARSANA

We want strong men.” Nivedita’s call to the youth was, “The hero is

one who fights, loves fighting and his supreme joy is to be beaten by

one who is his superior after fighting his best. Fight, fight and fight

again but not with meanness and not with rancour.”

She detested pretentiousness and arrogance. Of the Hindus who

declared, "We are ready to give our lives for India," she demanded,

point-blank, "Can you handle a weapon? Can you shoot? No? Well, go

and learn!" She unmasked those who were not sure of themselves, and

sent them away. "To gain the princess of his choice," she said, "Arjuna

had a steady enough hand and a quick enough eye to hit the target when

he could only see it reflected in a pool. Nowadays the Hindu, because

he is accused of cowardice, must possess enough self-mastery to strike

and pay for it with his blood: that is the first stage in the yoga of

honour." And she added: "The ideal struggle would be to conquer

through nonviolence preached by our sages, but are we capable of it?

No! Our generation, reared in the acceptance of submission to the

foreigner, lives in a pessimistic atmosphere. Let us start by getting out

of it. The nonviolence which in theory we value so much is worthless in

practice until the day when we are strong enough to strike an irresistible

blow and decide not to do so. The man who does not strike because he

is weak commits a sin. The man who does not strike because he is

afraid is a coward. Krishna accused Arjuna of hypocrisy because he

refused to fight on the battlefield. 'Rise up!' he said to him. 'Go and

fight! You speak like a sage, but your actions betray you and show you

for a coward!' "

It was during the summer days of 1903. Nivedita was coming to

Medinipur. Many people assembled at the railway station to greet her.

The moment she alighted from the train, the crowd shouted, 'Hip, Hip,

Hooray'. They thought that the white-skinned English lady should better

be greeted in that fashion. But Nivedita looked utterly shocked. Waving

her hand she asked them to stop. Then she explained that 'Hip, Hip,

Hooray' was the victory shout of the English people, and the Indians

should by no means use that. She raised her hand and shouted three

times: Waah Guruki Fateh, Bol Baabujiko Khaalsaa. The entire crowd

joined her in shouting.

Right from the inception, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh stressed

the physical culture, indigenous games and martial arts in the daily

July-December 2015 23

Shakas. In the annual camps to train workers in all these to become

officers capable of imparting this knowledge to the Swayamsevaks in

the daily Shakas, hundreds of youth participated with all dedication,

earnestness and with a spirit of renunciation.

In 1934, a winter camp of the Sangh took place in Sevagram at Wardha.

One thousand five hundred Swayamsevaks participated in the camp

which took place in an open ground near the Ashram where Gandhiji

was staying. Seeing the disciplined manner in which the programme of

activities of the Sangh was conducted, Gandhiji expressed his desire to

visit the camp. As soon as the information reached the Sanghchalak, Sri

Appaji Joshi, through Mahadeva Desai, Gandhiji was invited to the

camp. On 25th December 1934, in the early morning, Gandhiji visited

the camp and spent one and half hours with the Swayamsevaks. He was

deeply impressed by their character, discipline and above all the unity

which crossed all the barriers of caste and creed. He visited the camp

hospital and the dining hall and when he found that the Swayamsevaks

did not even care to know each other's caste and lived like members of

one family, he expressed his desire to meet the person who had built up

this organization. Next morning, when Dr. Hedgewar visited the camp

to participate in the concluding function of the camp, the information

was conveyed to him and he accordingly called on Gandhiji in the

night. Gandhiji spent an hour with Dr. Hedgewar discussing about the

Sangh work. Being fully convinced of the sincerity, dedication,

patriotism and devotion of the founder of the organization, he blessed

the work of Sangh.

Emphasis on Sacrifice, Renunciation and Fearlessness

Nivedita’s stress on simple life and austerity was clearly manifest in her

activities. One day, it was noon and so it was extremely hot, as it was

the summer session. On reaching her room, Nivedita immediately

opened all the doors and windows. Waves of hot air filled the room, but

she didn't bother at all. She removed the mattress laid on the cot and

unrolled her own small mat and a thin kaantha (bed spread) over that.

As everybody was struck with wonder, she said, 'I am practising

austerity. And I want you to practise it because of the nature of the task

you're set upon to perform. No luxury befits those who want to free

their country.'

24 TATTVA DARSANA

Once a huge crowd attended her lecture, but hearing her politically

charged words, many people, out of fear, left the meeting before it came

to an end. One retired Government employee informed her of the

happening. He also expressed his apprehensions that in subsequent

meetings not many people might attend. Nivedita replied: “Don't try to

frighten me. My veins still carry the blood of an independent nation. My

lectures are not meant for those who feel scared.” Thereafter the

attendance really became thin. But, undaunted, Nivedita gave her

lectures on all the five days with equal zeal. She opened a gymnasium

for the local youths to practise martial arts. She encouraged the youths

by herself fencing with the sword, rounding the mace and club and in

other exercises. She also taught a girl how to fire a gun.

The artist Nandalal Bose was then a student of the Art School. One day

he and another promising student of the school, Surendranath

Gangopadhyaya, went to meet Nivedita at her Bosepara Lane residence.

They took their seat on the sofa in the drawing room. A carpet was laid

on the floor. Nivedita asked them to sit on the floor. They did take their

seats on the floor but were offended as they thought that the European

lady had insulted them by advising so. But how wrong they were, they

realized a little later. Nivedita looked at them intently for a while, and

then said: ‘You belong to the land of Buddha. I do not feel happy to see

you seated on a sofa. Now as you sit like Buddha, I find it so good to

look at you.’

Sacrifice and renunciation were the key-words that Dr. Hedgewar

imparted to the Swayamsevaks of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He

said: "Naaraayanee ghade jene antharaaya hokaa bapmaay tyajaa

veete—‘Once your mind is surrendered to God, renounce even your

parents’--This saying of Sant Tukaram enlightens the mental attitude of

Swayamsevak.”

He emphatically declared: “There could never be any attainment

without sacrifice. Real happiness is in sacrifice. Immortality is achieved

only through sacrifice. There is no path with the Sangh to attain

salvation and greatness without sacrifice. If we antagonize or separate

ourselves from the path of sacrifice, we will be great sinners.”

Regarding fearlessness, Dr. Hedgewar gave the example of the lion, the

king of forest: “The lion never propagates that he should be crowned as

July-December 2015 25

king. Still all the animals in the forest voluntarily accept his kinghood.

Not only small living beings, but even the big brutes in the forest are

frightened by the roar of the loon.” RSS rightly adopted as its symbol

the picture of a lion looking straight and standing erect on a rock with

one of his forelegs raised.

National Flag

In her conversation with Aswini Kumar Dutta, the renowned

revolutionary, Nivedita revealed that Swamiji wanted her to mould a

‘mighty weapon out of the bones of the Bengali youth’. That was why

she put Vajrayudha in the centre of the National Flag that she designed.

During the Benaras session of the Indian National Congress in 1905,

Sister Nivedita played the role of a mediator between the Moderates and

the Extremists in the Congress, as she had already won the unstinted

love and admiration of leaders of both these wings. It was at her place

of stay that these leaders used to have heart to heart talks. At the time of

Calcutta Session of the Congress, she organized a Swadeshi Exhibition

in which the Nivedita Girls' School exhibited a 'National Flag'. The flag

chosen by Nivedita for the country was nothing but the saffron

'Bhagava Dhwaj', which stood as the symbol of the hoary culture,

heritage and nationalism of the country. And on the flag was portrayed

in yellow colour the Vajraayudha, reminding the people that the great

Rishi Dadheechi donated his back-bone to the Devas for making a

weapon to fight the Asuras and it was now for the people to sacrifice

their all at the altar of the Mother in this fight against British

imperialism. Nivedita, Christine, Rabindranath, Jagadish Chandra Bose,

Abala Bose and others once went to Bodh Gaya in a group. Every

evening Nivedita would meditate sitting under the Bodhivriksha. A little

away from the Bo'tree, there lay a stone-slab with an image of a

thunderbolt engraved on it. Looking at that image of a thunderbolt,

Nivedita said that this should be admitted as the national emblem. When

everybody asked her the reasons for her saying this, she explained:

“When someone renounces all his possessions for the good of mankind,

he becomes as powerful as a thunderbolt, and performs divinely

ordained tasks. The supreme ideal of India is renunciation, so the

thunderbolt should be the national emblem of India.” The thunderbolt

reminded Nivedita of Dadhichi's tale of self-sacrifice. Dadhichi

voluntarily cast off his body for the need of the gods. The gods killed

their enemy—the demon Vritrasura, using the thunderbolt made of his

26 TATTVA DARSANA

bone. Nivedita designed the national flag of India with the thunderbolt

as the emblem. Later, to honour the desire of Nivedita, Jagadish

Chandra Bose engraved the image of thunderbolt on the top of `Basu

Vijnan Mandir.' Nivedita desired to make the Vajra or Thunderbolt a

symbol because according to ancient traditions it signified honour,

purity, wisdom, sanctity and energy. As early as 1905, Nivedita started

working out her idea. In a letter dated February 5, she wrote to Miss

MacLeod : “We have chosen a design for a National Flag—the

Thunderbolt—and have already made one. Unfortunately, I took the

Chinese war-flag as my ideal, and made it black on red. This does not

appeal to India, so the next is to be yellow on scarlet.” Nivedita got

another flag embroidered by her pupils in scarlet and yellow and had it

displayed in the Exhibition organized by the Congress in 1905. Many

eminent persons, Dr. J.C. Bose among them, accepted this symbol and

started using it. When, in 1909, the question of a national flag was

openly discussed in the press, an article on the Vajra as the National

Flag, together with its pictures, was published in the Modern Review.

Nivedita wrote: “The question of the invention of a flag for India is

beginning to be discussed in the press. Those who contemplate the

desirability of such a symbol, however, seem to be unaware that already

a great many people have taken up, and are using, the ancient Indian

Vajra or Thunderbolt, in this way. For while this symbolism cannot be

imparted piecemeal to those outside the circle of its enthusiasm, it can

and must be handed on from generation to generation, and province to

province.”

Dr. Hedgewar presented before the Swayamsevaks the glorious national

flag—Bhagava Dwaja—which has been the symbol of Hindu Rashtra

since times immemorial—as the flag to be hoisted in the daily Sangh

Shakas and adored and worshipped as the Supreme Guru. He said: “By

seeing which flag the whole history of our nation parades in front of our

eyes, by seeing which the feelings in our heart breaks the barriers and

surge forward and a glorious inspiration is felt, that Bhagava Dwaj,

because it symbolizes our ideals, we accept as our Guru. It is only

because of this that the Sangh does not accept any individual as our own

Guru.” He wanted the Swayamsevaks to adopt Chhatrapati Shivaji as

the ideal: “From the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj we get the

same inspiration that we derive when we look at the Bhagava Dwaj. He

once again raised up to the heights the flag that had fallen on ground

and consecrated the Hindu Pada Padshahi, the ideal of Hindu Rashtra;

July-December 2015 27

he gave a new life to Hindutwa which had almost neared extinction.

Therefore, if you have to consider any individual as an ideal, make

Chhatrapati Shivaji as your ideal. So far we have not elevated him fully

to the realm of Avatraras. Therefore let us make him an ideal individual

before he is dubbed as God.”

Dr, Hedgewar participated in the Non-cooperation Movement and was

arrested and sentenced to imprisonment for one year. When Indian

National Congress decided to celebrate January 26, 1930, as

Independence Day, one among the most happy was Dr. Hedgewar. He

issued a circular to all the branches of RSS declaring: "It gives extreme

happiness to us that the Indian National Congress has accepted

Independence as the goal. It is our duty to support any organization that

strives for this. Therefore all the Shakas in all provinces should organize

rallies of Swayamsevaks and raise the Ochre Flag which is the national

flag. The Congress must be congratulated in the rallies for declaring

Independence as the goal."

There was much ignorance and misunderstanding about our national

flag ever since the beginning of the national movement in our country.

From 1906 to 1921, different organizations had adopted different types

of flags as our national flag. In the Karachi session of the Congress, a

seven member committee consisting of Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru,

Pattabhi Sitaramayya, Dr. Hardikar, Kaka Kalelkar, Master Tara Singh

and Moulana Azad was formed to recommend a national flag. This

committee recommended an orange colour flag. The working

committee's approval was needed for the adoption of the flag. Dr.

Hedgewar, who feared that this flag might not get the approval of those

who were raising slogans of Hindu Muslim Unity, persuaded

Lokamanya Bapuji Ane to strongly support the recommendation of the

flag committee. He also went to Delhi, stayed in Bapuji Ane's house

and met other members of the working committee. But his efforts did

not completely meet with success. The Congress adopted a tri-colour

flag. However, in the place of red in the earlier flag, orange was

selected and it was taken to top with white and green strips below. Dr.

Hedgewar felt very sorry that though the saffron flag has been the

symbol of our national culture and heritage since times immemorial,

and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had also adopted the same as its

flag, the Congress chose a national flag suited to the interests of certain

individuals and groups.

28 TATTVA DARSANA

Prayer to the Motherland

When Sri Aurobindo had to go into exile, Sister Nivedita took over the

responsibility of editing his journal, Karma Yogin. In the thirty-sixth

number, dated March 12th, 1910, she published her credo. This prayer

was really her will: her renunciation of all political life. She had

composed it as she drew for her pupils the flag of free India—two gold

vajras in the shape of a cross, on a red back-ground:

“I believe that India is one, indissoluble, indivisible. National

Unity is built on the common home, the common interest, and the

common love.

“I believe that the strength which spoke in the Vedas and

Upanishads, in the making of religions and empires, in the

learning of scholars and the meditation of the saints, is born once

more amongst us, and its name today is Nationality.

“I believe that the present of India is deep-rooted in her past, and

that before her shines a glorious future.

“0 Nationality, come thou to me as joy or sorrow, as honor or as

shame! Make me thine own!”

The prayer in Sanskrit adopted by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

for chanting in the daily shakas echoes incidentally similar sentiments:

namaste sada vatsale matruṛbhume

tvayā hindubhūme sukhaṁ vardhitoham

mahāmaṅgale puṇyabhūme tvadarthe

patatveṣa kāyo namaste namaste ||

prabho śaktiman hindurāṣṭrāṅgabhūtā

ime sādaraṁ tvāṁ namāmo vayam

tvadīyāya kāryāya badhdā kaṭīyaṁ

śubhāmāśiṣaṁ dehi tatpūrtaye

ajayyāṁ ca viśvasya dehīśa śaktiṁ

suśīlaṁ jagadyena namraṁ bhavet

śrutaṁ caiva yatkaṇṭakākīrṇa mārgaṁ

svayaṁ svīkṛtaṁ naḥ sugaṁ kārayet ||

samutkarṣaniḥśreyasasyaikamugraṁ

paraṁ sādhanaṁ nāma vīravratam

July-December 2015 29

tadantaḥ sphuratvakṣayā dhyeyaniṣṭhā

hṛdantaḥ prajāgartu tīvrāniśam

vijetrī ca naḥ saṁhatā kāryaśaktir

vidhāyāsya dharmasya saṁrakṣaṇam

paraṁ vaibhavaṁ netumetat svarāṣṭraṁ

samarthā bhavatvāśiśā te bhṛśam ||

Bhārat Mātā kī jay!

“Forever I bow to thee, O Loving Motherland! O Motherland of us,

Thou hast brought me up in happiness. May my life, O great and

blessed Holy Land, be laid down in Thy Cause. I bow to Thee again and

again.

“We the children of the Hindu Nation (Hindu to be seen as the

emotional connect to the nation of all children of BHARAT) bow to

Thee in reverence, O Almighty God. We have girded up our loins to

carry on Thy work. Give us Thy holy blessings for its fulfilment. O

Lord! Grant us such might as no power on earth can ever challenge,

such purity of character as would command the respect of the whole

world and such knowledge as would make easy the thorny path that we

have voluntarily chosen.

“May we be inspired with the spirit of stern heroism that is sole and

ultimate means of attaining the highest spiritual bliss with the greatest

temporal prosperity. May intense and everlasting devotion to our ideal

ever enthuse our hearts. May our victorious organized power of action,

by Thy Grace, be wholly capable of protecting our dharma and leading

this nation of ours to the highest pinnacle of glory.

Victory to Bharatamata!”

Vande Mataram!

PATRIOTISM

The basis of our nationalism is not simply Bharat but ‘Bharat Mata’.

Remove the word ‘Mata’ and Bharat would remain just a piece of land.

The affinity between us and this land is established only with the

relationship of the mother. No piece of land can be called a country so

long as the relationship between it and the people living in it is not that

of mother and son. This is patriotism.

—Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya

30 TATTVA DARSANA

GLIMPSES OF A GREAT YOGI Part II— The Deekshaa Guru

as Seen by the Shishya

Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan

Chapter 17

Eternal Sleep Of Sadhu’s Mother

“Swami Vivekananda and His Gospel of Social Service”, a talk by

Sadhu Rangarajan was broadcast by the All India Radio, Chennai, on

the occasion of Swami Vivekananda Jayanti and National Youth Day,

on Friday, January 12, 1990. The talk was recorded in the AIR station,

on Friday, 5th January 1990. The sadhu recalled a very inspiring

incident regarding his deeksha guru, Yogi Ramsuratkumar, revelling in

ecstasy on the decision of the Government of India to declare Swami

Vivekananda Jayanti as National Youth Day:

“On the day when the whole country started celebrating Swami

Vivekananda Jayanti as National Youth Day, in the International Year

of the Youth, On January 12, 1985, a couple of devotees from South

July-December 2015 31

Africa called on my Master, H.H. Yogi Ramsuratkumar, at

Tiruvannamalai. They found him jumping with revelry over the news

that the Government of India had declared Swami Vivekananda Jayanti

as the National Youth Day. ‘Oh my Vivekananda, Swami

Vivekananda!’ he exclaimed and said, ‘He has given us the most

Practical Vedanta for the salvation of the entire humanity.’ My Master

asked the brethren from abroad to carry to the hearth and home of every

one of Indian origin settled abroad the great message of Swami

Vivekananda – the message of service and sacrifice – and declared,

‘That is the greatest gift that India can give to the world.’ According to

my Master, Yogi Ramsuratkumar, it is the mission of India to produce

patriot-saints like Swami Vivekananda who will work not for their own

liberation, but for the salvation of the entire mankind. It is our privilege

to hand over to our younger generations this gospel of service and social

rising up that we have inherited from our forefathers. Let us strive to

work out in our own humble way the destiny of our glorious nation.

Utthishthata, jaagrata, praapya varaan nibodhata -- -- ‘Arise, awake,

stop not till the goal is reached!’ Vande Mataram!”

When the sadhu visited the studios of AIR to record the talk, he had the

opportunity to meet the renowned Veena Maestro, Dr. S. Balachander

and the Musicologist, Dr. S. Ramanathan. He presented copies of

GLIMPSES OF A GREAT YOGI, Part I, and TATTVA DARSANA to

the eminent musicians. On January 6, the Yogi Ramsuratkumar Youth

Association organized an oratorical contest for city school children of

Chennai, on Swami Vivekananda, for the award of ‘Yogi

Ramsuratkumar Rolling Shield’, donated by eminent educationist and

lawyer, Sri N.C. Raghavachari, to be awarded to the school producing

the first prize winner among the seniors, and Yogi Ramsuratkumar

Prizes for winners in different levels. The competitions were held in the

Hindu Senior Secondary School premises at Triplicane and children

from various city schools participated. It was announced that the prizes

and the rolling shield will be blessed by Yogi Ramsuratkumar before

the presentation ceremony on the occasion Swami Vivekananda Jayanti

and National Youth Day celebrations under the auspices of the

Association on January 12. Sri N.C. Naidoo and Dr. Mahendra Naidoo

of South Africa were guests on the occasion of the competition.

On January 7, the office bearers of the Association, Dr. Radhakrishnan,

Vivekanandan, and Nivedita, accompanied by Dr. Mahendra, left for

Tiruvannamalai to take the blessings of Bhagavan. A number of

32 TATTVA DARSANA

Bhagavan’s devotees including Mr. Frik and Ms. Yana from abroad

visited Sadhu’s abode. In the meantime, those who reached

Tiruvannamalai reached his abode in the noon, but Bhagavan asked

them to come in the evening. They went for a walk up the Arunachala

Hill, but were caught in heavy rain while climbing down. In their

eagerness not to miss the darshan of Bhagavan in the appointed time,

they reached his abode in wet clothes. Seeing them in that condition,

Bhagavan, feigning anxiety, asked Vivek and Nivedita: “What will

Rangaraja think? He sent you for the darshan of this beggar and this

beggar has made you wait and get drenched in rain!” He got up, went

inside and brought some shawls and presented one to each of them.

Then he asked the devotees to accompany him and proceeded to Udipi

Brindavan. He asked the proprietor and his ardent devotee,

Ramachandra Upadhyaya, to get some dry clothes of his son and

daughter to be presented to Vivek and Nivedita. He ordered food for the

children and the devotees who accompanied them and asked them to

stay there for the night. Next morning after the darshan of Bhagavan,

they came back with thrilling experience and Bhagavan’s bountiful

Prasad and blessings for the Swami Vivekananda Jayanti.

On the eve of the Jayanti celebrations, on January 11, the renowned

Music Director and Bhagavan’s devotee, Sri Ilayaraja, telephoned to

Sadhu about his visit to Tiruvannamalai and Bhagavan’s darshan and

conveyed his best wishes for the success of the celebration. Devotees

listened to Sadhu’s talk in the AIR on Swami Vivekananda in the

morning on January 12, while Bhagavan Himself listened to it from a

transistor radio of a devotee. The National Youth Day and Swami

Vivekananda Jayanti were celebrated in a colourful manner in the

Hindu Senior Secondary School. Sri T.V. Anandan, trade union leader

and close devotee of Bhagavan, was on the chair. Sri N.C. Naidoo of

Natal Tamil Vedic Society was the guest speaker. Vivekanandan

welcomed the guests and Suresh Rajpurohit thanked the participants.

The rolling shield and prizes were distributed to the winners.

Immediately after the function, Vivek, Nivedita, Smt. Bharati

Rangarajan and another devotee, Vasanthi, decided to visit

Tiruvannamalai to give a detailed report to Bhagavan. They visited

Bhagavan’s abode in the morning on January 13, gave him a report

about the successful function and returned late in the night. Devaki

came on 15th morning and Sadhu presented to her calendars with picture

of Bhagavan printed by Ilayaraja. Vivek again visited Tiruvannamalai

July-December 2015 33

with Srinivasan on 16th morning. Sadhu was busy arranging for a glass

case for a life-size portrait of Bhagavan donated to the Yogi

Ramsuratkumar Youth Association by Sri AR. PN. Rajamanicka Nadar.

Viveka and Srinivasan met Bhagavan and discussed with him about a

proposal to start a Veda Pathasala. Bhagavan advised Vivek to

concentrate on his engineering studies and asked Srinivasan to consult

the Sadhu about the practical difficulties in setting up a Pathasala

though the idea was noble.

On 19th, Pushpa and Preeta, who had visited Bhagavan and got a

silhouette of Bhagavan inside the top cover of a tiffin box with which

they had taken aarati of Bhagavan, brought the tiffin box to be

preserved in Sadhu’s ashram. It so happened that Nivedita, daughter of

Preeta, a little convent girl, reported to Bhagavan that her miss in the

school told her that only Jesus Christ could perform miracles and not

the Hindu gods. Bhagavan didn’t reply immediately, but when they

were taking the aarati of Bhagavan, he raised his palm leaf fan in his

hand and blessed them. After the aarati, Bhagavan asked them to look

into the black silhouette formed on the surface of the tiffin box and

laughing aloud, told Nivedita to go and tell her miss that Hindu gods

too can perform miracles. On 20th, a beautiful glass case with a chest of

drawer at the bottom, presented by K.N. Venkatraman, Vice-President

of the Yogi Ramsuratkumar Youth Association reached the Sadhu’s

abode and Bhagavan’s portrait was consecrated in it. The tiffin box

presented by Preeta and Pushpa was placed inside the chest of drawer

with other souvenirs from Bhagavan to be preserved in the Ashram of

Sadhu. On 26th, Vivek and Nivedita went again to Tiruvannamalai with

Preeta, Ponraj and other devotees. They presented before Yogi a

colourful photo album of the programme of Yogi Ramsuratkumar

Youth Association. Yogi also enquired about the glass case presented

by K.N. Venkatraman to preserve His life-size portrait. He sent his

Prasad to be distributed to all His devotees in Chennai.

Zena Rogers, Swami Devananda and Lorriane Shapiro were among the

many who visited Sadhu’s abode in the next few days. It was decided to

observe the Mahasamadhi Day of Poojya Mataji Krishnabai of

Anandashram on February 2, 1990. A number of devotees attended the

programme in Sadhu’s abode from dawn to dusk. The next morning,

Nivedita and her friends Gayatri and Malini proceeded to

Tiruvannamalai to report to Bhagavan about the programme and take

34 TATTVA DARSANA

his blessings. Bhagavan enquired about the health of Sadhu’s mother,

Janakiammal. On February 5, Swami Devananda visited Sadhu. Later,

Berry Tabman and Josiah came with the copies of the book, “SAINTS

ALIVE” by Hilda Charlton, containing biographical sketches of

contemporary saints of India, including that of Yogi Ramsuratkumar.

Tabman visited Tiruvannamalai on 12th February and Sadhu sent a letter

to Master through him. Sadhu reported to Master about the deteriorating

health of his mother and prayed for Bhagavan’s grace and blessings to

her. He said, he has resigned everything to Bhagavan’s Will. On 19th, a

group of Ramnam devotees from the Nilgiris visited the abode of

Sadhu.

Sadhu Rangarajan’s parents, Sri S.R. Venugopalan and Smt. Janaki

Ammal were great devotees of Lord Ramachandra and right from the

beginning of their family life at Ernakulam, where Venugopalan was a

Marine Surveyor at Cochin Port, they used to sit on every Ekadashi day

in front of a colourful portrait of Saint Tyagaraja receiving the darshan

of Rama, Sita, Lakshman, Bharata and Shatrugna with Hanuman sitting

before them, and pour out all the Tyagaraja Keertanas for hours together

in a bhajan at night. Sadhuji and his siblings grew up listening to the

soul stirring songs of their parents. Later in life, when the mother settled

down with her children in Chennai and when Sadhuji received initiation

from Yogi Ramsuratkumar in the Ramnam Taraka Mantra, she was

very much elated. She made a visit to Tiruvannamalai and asked

Bhagavan whether He could give initiation to her also. Bhagavan

smiled and replied to her: “According to the Shastras, when one takes to

sannyasa deeksha, sixty generations up and sixty generations down are

blessed. Because Rangaraja has been initiated, whatever Tapas he does,

the fruits thereof will automatically come to you. Please join him in

doing Ramnam Japa.” The happy mother took up the advice of

Bhagavan seriously and she had no other work to do every day from

morning till late in the night except doing Ramnam Japa orally, rotating

a Tulsi mala to keep counts, or writing sheets after sheets of Likhit Japa.

She became an ardent and enthusiastic participant in the World

Ramnam Movement of Yogi Ramsuratkumar Youth Association.

Devotees and members of the Youth Association who visited Sadhu’s

abode never failed to see the mother sitting with her pen and scribbling

Ramnam Likhit Japa or chanting with her beads. At one stage, she

happened to slip and fall in the bathroom and had dislocation in her

right elbow. Though she underwent treatment, it was difficult for her to

July-December 2015 35

bend the hand even for taking food and she had to take the help of the

left hand. Yet, she did not stop the practice of her incessant Likhit Japa

and continued to write with her right hand. As already mentioned in an

earlier chapter, on August 17, 1989, the auspicious Gayatri Japa Day,

when she accompanied Sadhu to the abode of Bhagavan Yogi

Ramsuratkumar, this Sadhu told Bhagavan that the mother, in spite of

her physical handicap, was doing a lot of likhit japa every day.

Bhagavan observed her hand for a few minutes. Then he asked this

Sadhu’s sister, Alamelu, to take His coconut bowl inside and bring

some water in it. He then put some water into His right palm and placed

it right below the elbow of the mother’s right hand. He meditated for a

few minutes and then asked her to bend the hand. When she told that it

would be difficult and would cause severe pain, He smiled and said,

“No Amma. Your hand is alright now” and he made her fold the hand at

elbow. Spiritual healing could do what doctors could not achieve. But

then he told her, “For the next six months, you do only oral chanting

and need not do likhit japa” It was a very significant advice. It came to

be proved that it was with deep foresight that Bhagavan gave the advice

to the mother.

Since the beginning of 1990, her health started deteriorating fast. In

February second week, the issue of TATTVA DARSANA Quarterly

was getting ready to be released at the hands of Bhagavan as usual and

Sadhu sent a message to Bhagavan through Parimelazhakan, a devotee

that he will come with the copies of the journal in the third week.

Surprisingly, Bhagavan told the devotee, “Rangaraja may not be able to

come”. The devotee was amazed and assured Bhagavan that Rangaraja

will come with the copies. On 10th February, Sadhu’s mother was

admitted in the Royapettah Government Hospital in Chennai and day by

day her condition became critical. On 19-20 February midnight, she had

a premonition of her end coming. She awakened Sadhu’s sister who was

sleeping by the side of her cot in the hospital and asked her to call the

name of Yogi Ramsuratkumar. The surprised daughter obeyed her

mother’s command and started chanting loudly, “Yogi Ramsuratkumar,

Yogi Ramsuratkumar, Yogi Ramsuratkumar, Jaya Guru Raya!”

Suddenly the mother uttered “Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram” and

collapsed on her bed. She breathed her last at 1-30 AM.

Parimelazhagan sent a telegram to Bhagavan informing about her

attainment of eternal rest. Devotees gathered for her funeral and chanted

36 TATTVA DARSANA

Ramnam Taraka Mantra. After everything was over, Parimelazhakan

went to see Bhagavan again. Bhagavan told him, “The mother called

this Beggar and He was by her side when she departed from this mortal

world.”

On February 24, Swami Nityasatwananda of Kancheepuram came with

a devotee. He copied the audio recording of Yogi Ramsuratkumar’s

voice and Hanuman Chalisa and song of Veena Lutchman, Sadhu’s

devotee in South Africa. The Hindu Voice International released

circular informing devotees about the Mahasamadhi of Smt. Janaki

Ammal. There was an unexpected call from Ilayaraja, Music Director.

Sadhu went with Nivedita to his house and to their surprise, he told that

Bhagavan Yogi Ramsuratkumar had instructed him to hand over a

generous contribution by way of Bhagavan’s bountiful and boundless

grace and blessings. Ilayaraja, after entertaining us with hospitality,

took us into his home shrine where we did prayer for him and family.

He sent us back to our abode in his car.

On 25th, the devotees of Meher Baba arranged a special satsang in

which Sadhu addressed them and spoke about the saint. Kumari Devaki

called on us on March 2nd

, and on March 5, Sadhu sent a message to

Bhagavan about his proposed visit to Bhagavan’s abode on Wednesday,

March 7. Sadhu, accompanied by Dr. C.V. Radhakrishnan and his son

Bhaskar, reached Master’s abode in the morning of that day. Yogiji

received this Sadhu and told him emphatically: “There is no doubt at all

that mother Janaki Ammal has merged in Him. She has been chanting

My Father’s name till the end. She has left with Father’s name on her

lips.” He advised the Sadhu to take her ashes for immersion in Ganga

either at Prayag or in Varanasi. He also asked the Sadhu to write to

Swami Satchidananda about the special Akhanda Ramanama Yagna

that we planned to organise to pay homage to the mother.

Bhagavan then started discussing about our work. He asked the Sadhu

to write to Dr. T.I. Radhakrishnan at Trichur to get detailed information

about the proposed Athiratra Soma Yaga being organized at Trichur and

to give coverage to it in TATTVA DARSANA and our news bulletin,

HINDU VOICE INTERNATIONAL. He asked Sadhu to publish Lee

Lozowick's poems in full even if there were repetitions. He then gave

copies of Deepavali Malar of KALKI Tamil weekly of the years 1979

and 1980 and asked Sadhu to read some stories written by Rajaji (C.

July-December 2015 37

Rajagopalachari). He also evinced interest in knowing the biography of

Rajaji.

Our discussions then turned about the progress of SISTER NIVEDITA

ACADEMY. He asked about the contributions made by Ilayaraja and

AR.PN. Rajamanicka Nadar. He said, “You are doing my Father’s

work. Sister Nivedita Academy will grow and will have its own

premises.” He also asked Sadhu to write to SVN Rao who had sent an

offering of Rs.116 to Bhagavan. He then discussed with Radhakrishnan

about his flat problem and with his son about his work. He saw us off

telling us that we could meet Him the next day. We visited

Ramanashram, Seshadri Swami Ashram and Arunachaleswara Temple

before going for rest. On the next morning we paid a visit to the house

of Bhagavan’s devotees, Dwarakanath Reddy and Sandhya. We also

visited Kristi who was present at the time of the initiation of Sadhu by

Bhagavan. We then climbed up the Arunachala Hill to visit the Banyan

Tree Cave where the initiation of the Sadhu took place. We also visited

Virupaksha Cave, Skandashram and Annamalai Temple. We then

returned to the abode of Bhagavan for His darshan. He introduced to us

a family which had come from Hyderabad and presented to them and

other friends the copies of TATTVA DARSANA. He asked why Vivek

and Nivedita did not come with us and we replied that they were busy

with their studies. He blessed all the members of the family. When he

asked the Sadhu whether he had anything specific to ask, Sadhu replied:

“Your blessings for the success of our endeavours”. Bhagavan

immediately responded: “That you need not ask. You are within me and

this Beggar is within you. You are doing My Father’s work and that is

bound to succeed.” We took leave of Him and returned to Chennai.

By the grace and blessings of Master, the Special Akhanda Ramnam

Japa Yagna to pay homage to Smt. Janaki Ammal, held on Saturday,

March 10, 1990, was well attended by a number of devotees of

Bhagavan. Sri Venkatesh and Sri Mukundan from Swami Vivekananda

Kudil, Rameswaram, came and sent a letter through them to Bhagavan

introducing them and seeking His blessings to the youth who were on

their way to London in connection with the work of their orphanage.

Sadhu also informed Bhagavan that he has received the blessings of

Swami Satchidananda for the success of the Akhand Ramnam

programme and enclosed a copy of Swamiji’s letter. He also informed

Bhagavan that he has already written to Dr. T.I. Radhakrishnan as

instructed by Bhagavan, seeking information about the proposed

38 TATTVA DARSANA

Athiratra Soma Yaga and Vedic Exhibition at Vadakkunathan Temple,

Trichur.

Guru Mahimaa, Guru Mahimaa, Apaara Mahimaa Guru Mahimaa!

Chapter 18

Gospel Of Yogi Ramsuratkumar

By the grace and blessings of the Master, more and more devotees from

far and near started visiting the abode of Sadhu Rangarajan to

participate in the daily satsangs and other activities of Yogi

Ramsuratkumar Youth Association and also to join the Sister Nivedita

Academy. There were frequent satsangs and Ramnam campaigns in

other parts of the city also under the auspices of the Youth Association.

Mr. Andre came from Sweden and became an Associate Member of the

Academy. An article on the Master and information about the

Association work drew the attention of many devotees like him. On 25th

March 1990, Prof. Devaki came to the abode of the sadhu with new

photographs of Master and Life Subscription to the Academy from her

colleague, Pattu. Vivek, Nivedita and Bharati visited Tiruvannamalai on

27th March to appraise master about the work of the Academy and

Association. Former Director General of Police, Tamilnadu, Sri

Ravindran, I.P.S., and other important visitors attended the satsang on

3rd

April. A special satsang was held on 9th April to mark Ramdas

Jayanti and Hanumat Jayanti.

Master instructed Sadhu to undertake the printing of Tiruvannamalaiyil

Oru Kuzhandai, a Tamil work on Him by Sri T.P.M. Gnanaprakasham,

son of the renowned Tamil savant, T.P. Meenakshisundaram. Sri R.K.

Alwar sent some negatives of Master’s photos. Sri Sridhara Gurukkal of

Arunachaleswara Temple, Tiruvannamalai, came with his father on

April 17 and conveyed Master’s blessings. On the next day, Prof.

Devaki came with a new album of Yogi Ramsuratkumar photos and

presented them to the sadhu. A grand Ramnam Sankirtan Mahotsava

was organized by the Youth Association at K.K. Nagar, Chennai, on

April 21. Akshaya Triteeya was celebrated under the auspices of Sister

Nivedita Academy on 27th April and Sadhu spoke on the significance of

Bharatamata Worship on the auspicious day. Sri Madhav Banhatti,

organizer of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh of Mauritius, contacted Sadhu

July-December 2015 39

and expressed his desire to have the darshan of Yogi Ramsuratkumar.

Sadhuji wrote a detailed letter to Bhagavan on April 30, 1990, about the

progress of work:

“Poojyapada Gurudev,

Vande Mataram! Aum Namo Bhagavate Yogi Ramsuratkumaraya!

Aum Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram! My humble prostrations and

salutations at your holy feet!

This humble servant is very glad to inform you that the All India Radio

will be broadcasting my talk on HUMAN VALUES IN TODAY’S

SOCIETY from Madras-A station, at 8-20 in the morning, on Friday,

May 4, 1990. As directed by Your Holiness, I will be speaking on the

Vedic values and their relevance today, with your message to preserve

the Vedas. The recording will be done in the studios of AIR, Madras, at

10-00 AM on May 2. I seek your blessings for the success of the

programme. I do hope that you will listen to my talk in the radio at 8-20

AM on May 4.

Sri Parimelazhagan has handed over to me the manuscript of Sri T.M.P.

Gnanaprakasham and conveyed to me your orders. The manuscript is

being thoroughly gone through and touched up by Prof. A.S.

Ramamoorthy, Department of Tamil, Ramakrishna Mission

Vivekananda College, Madras, who is an erudite scholar, multi-linguist

and earnest spiritual seeker, besides being one of our dedicated sevaks

of Yogi Ramsuratkumar Youth Association. After finishing the work,

we will bring it to you.

Dr. C.V. Radhakrishnan and I could not attend the Atiratra Soma Yagna

in Kerala as we did not receive invitation from Dr. T.I. Radhakrishnan

about the programmed and the permission and arrangements for the

coverage of the Yagna. However, we will try to gather all the

information about the scientific observations and studies done by them

in the Yagna and publish them if they permit us.

Poojya Swami Satchidananda is very happy about the progress of our

Ramnam Yagna though we found in the latest VISION, his note about

the slackening of the Ramnam chanting reports. I am enclosing his

latest letter.

40 TATTVA DARSANA

We had a Ramnam Sankirtana Mahotsav on 21st, under the auspices of

Yogi Ramsuratkumar Youth Association. From 2-00 PM to 6-00 PM,

many musicians sang the Pancharatna and other Kirtanas of Saint

Tyagaraja and devotional songs and it was followed by a special

satsang. On 28th, we had special poojas in connection with Akshaya

Triteeya. More and more people are joining our Ramnam movement

and we are striving our best to give a massive shape to it and increase

the Ramnam chanting figures in leaps and bounds.

Swami Omkarananda of Pondicherry has invited me to give a talk on

Meditation on May 9, 1990, Buddha Poornima Day, at Pondicherry.

The Satya Sai Organization has invited me to deliver a talk on

“Geographical Background of Indian Culture” at Sundaram, at Madras,

on May 14. I seek your benign blessings for the success of the

programmes.

Our Ramnam Yagna Convener in Bombay, Sri Shriram Naik, who is a

lawyer in the High Court, is coming with another devotee, Sri

Mavlankar, to have your darshan on Thursday, May 17, 1990. We will

inform you again before their coming there.

Sri S. Desikan, son of my sister, Sow Alamelu Srinivasan, who had

your darshan sometime back, has got, by your grace, a job as an

engineering business promoter in Vijayawada. He is leaving on May 4.

He is praying for your blessings for the success of his career in the

engineering concern, Bezavada Motor Stores, agents of Trucks and

Farm Equipments Ltd., (TAFE), Hyderabad.

Ch.Vivekanandan and Kum. Nivedita are busy writing their

examinations. By your grace, they have done very well in all the papers

till today. They will come there after their examinations are over. They

and Sow. Bharati, Dr. C.V.R., and all our sevaks in YOGI

RAMSURATKUMAR YOUTH ASSOCIATION want me to convey

their respectful pranams to Your Holiness.

With saashthaanga pranaams,

Your humble disciple,

(SADHU RANGARAJAN)

Encl: a/a”

July-December 2015 41

The talk of sadhu in the AIR on “Human Values in Today’s Society”

was well received and many devotees phoned. Sri Ravindran IPS met

the sadhu again and expressed his desire to reproduce it in his journal.

Bhagavan’s close devotee, Sri Sivaramakrishna Iyer also came from

Tirukoilur Tapovanam on May 6. On May 9th morning Sadhu left with

Vivek to Pondicherry. He visited Sri Aurobindo Ashram, had darshan of

Sri Aurobindo’s room and called on Sri M.P. Pandit. He also called on

Dr. Sujatha Vijayaraghavan, another ardent devotee of Bhagavan who

had penned a work, SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE IN INDIA,

highlighting the role of great spiritual master’s of modern India

including Bhagavan Yogi Ramsuratkumar and dedicating the book to

Him. She also attended the talk of Sadhu in the evening in the

Omkarananda Ashram.

On May 12, Vivek attended a blood donation campaign and donated

blood and the sadhu censored him for going against the orders of our

Master. Vivek had the opportunity to realize soon that the Master,

sitting in Tiruvannamalai, was watching every movement of his

devotees. A Special Ramnam Satsang and Sankirtan Celebration were

held on 15th May, 1990, at Panduranga Mandir in Triplicane. There

were musical renderings and bhajans by devotees and talk by Sri Sriram

Naik, convener of the Ramnam movement in Mumbai. Sadhu informed

Bhagavan in his epistle on that day about the programme and the

success of talks in AIR, Omkarananda Ashram and Satya Sai Centre.

He also informed Bhagavan about his proposed visit to Tiruvannamalai

on May 17. On that day, accompanied by Vivek, Sriram Naik and Sri

Mavlankar, another devotee from Mumbai, he reached Tiruvannamalai

in the morning and checked into Hotel Brindavan. Then we proceeded

to the abode of Bhagavan. He received us all and spent two hours with

us. The first thing He did was to ask Vivek to sit by His side and fan

Him for some time. Then He brought a piece of camphor and asked

Vivek to light it. When all of us were wondering why He was asking

him to do that, Bhagavan coolly told Vivek: “Having given so much of

blood, you must be very tired. Give the fan to Radhakrishnan.” At the

very sight of Vivek coming before him, Bhagavan had recognized that

he had donated blood in a campaign in spite of Bhagavan’s earlier

instructions to him and therefore Bhagavan made him do the

prayaschittha for the action. The sadhu was well aware that nothing

could be hidden from the vision of the Master and it was a great relief

42 TATTVA DARSANA

that Bhagavan, without telling anything, made Vivek atone for the

violation.

Yogiji then made Sadhu sit by His side and held the sadhu’s hand and

went into deep meditation for more than half an hour invigorating the

sadhu. He then took two bananas, peeled them one after the other and

gave to the sadhu to eat. He also gave a few dry nuts which some

devotee had sent. He then turned to Dr. C.V. Radhakrishnan and

enquired about his health. The sadhu then introduced Sriram Naik and

Mavlankar. We spoke to him about the Ramnam work in Bombay. He

gave the sadhu letters from Lee Lozowick and asked him to write to

Vijaya not to bring out any book. He said, He missed the sadhu’s Radio

talk as He received our letter late. After two hours with the yogi, we

returned to the room and took some rest. Before that we met Prof.

Devaki’s sister Vasanata and her daughter who had come to have

darshan of Bhagavan. In the evening we visited the Arunachaleswara

temple. We noticed big advertisements written on the slopes of Mount

Arunachala and pointed out to the executive officer that it was

desecration of the holy mountain. Then we visited the Ramanashram,

Seshadri Swamigal Ashram and did Giri pradhakshina.

On Friday, May 18, we met the Master again in the morning. Mavlankar

spoke to him about his spondylitis problem and Bhagavan did some

spiritual healing. He received a letter from Sivaramakrishna Iyer of

Tirukoilur and made the sadhu read it. The sadhu spoke to Him about

his inability to attend the Atiratra Soma Yaga in Kerala. Bhagavan

remarked that the sadhu should have gone without waiting for

invitation. He then asked the sadhu whether he could stay on in

Tiruvannamalai till 20th. The sadhu felt that there must be something

very important and readily agreed to Bhagavan’s order. Bhagavan said

the others could return to Madras and they need not wait for the sadhu.

Vivek wanted to stay on, but Bhagavan jovially told him that because

he had asked the sadhu to stay on, Vivek is also tempted. He then called

Vivek by his side, gave him eight annas, and then told that he could go

home happily. After the devotees left, Master spent some more time

with the sadhu.

In the evening, sadhu took the devotees to Ramanashram again where

they had supper. As the Master had advised the sadhu to go on fruit diet

and milk, Sri Ganeshan of the Ashram arranged for the same. Sadhu

July-December 2015 43

met Dwarakanath, Sandhya, Prof. Devaki and Rosoura, all devotees of

Bhagavan in the Ashram. Devaki had brought Ramnam counts of

devotees from Salem. Sadhu also met Kristi and Padma, devotees of

Bhagavan, in Mitra Nilayam. After leaving the Ashram, he came to the

abode of the Master again. Devotees were waiting outside. Siva, the

attendant, went inside and told the Master about the sadhu’s arrival. He

came out and received us all. We spent two hours chanting his name.

The sadhu then returned to room.

The next morning, the sadhu accompanied by Sriram Naik and

Mavlankar, came to the abode of the Master. He was sitting on the top

of the temple cart Mandap and seeing us he came down. He received us

and took us inside his abode. Soon some more devotees like

Nagalakshmi, Parvati and her mother joined us. The ladies were singing

the songs of Periaswami thooran, T.P. Meenakshi Sundaram and Ki.

Va. Jagannathan on the Master. He ordered milk and tea for all of us.

This sadhu was looking at Him thinking of the good fortune of getting

Him as Guru. Bhagavan read the thoughts in this sadhu’s mind. He

turned to Parvati and jovially started His conversation:

“See Parvati, Rangaraja is a sannyasi. But he calls this beggar his Guru.

How can this dirty beggar be his Guru? Can you say anything about

this? Is this right?”

And He burst into laughter. Parvati replied:

“He is absolutely right, Swami.”

Bhagavan laughed hilariously and asked again:

“How can a dirty beggar have a sannyasi as a disciple?”

“You are not an ordinary beggar, you are a special beggar”, she

retorted. He again laughed hilariously, patting on this sadhu’s hands and

thigh.

We continued the bhajan. A devotee, Krishnaswami from Srirangam

came with his family. They placed a biscuit packet before Master.

Master took three biscuits from that and gave to this sadhu.

Sivaramakrishna Iyer also joined us. This sadhu told Bhagavan that

44 TATTVA DARSANA

Sriram Naik and Mavlankar were leaving for Kanhangad and this sadhu

has given them a letter addressed to Poojya Swami Satchidanandaji.

Sivaramakrishna Iyer and Kannan came to see this sadhu in his room

after leaving the Master. In the evening the sadhu went again to Master.

Rosoura and some other devotees were waiting there. T.R. Srinivasan of

Ramanashram came there to convey to Master information about the

foreign trip of Sri Ganeshan, editor of ‘Mountain Path’. Master gave

some instructions and blessings to him through Srinivasan. We started

chanting Master’s name. Parvati, her mother and Kristi joined us.

Suddenly Master turned to this sadhu and asked:

“My Master asked me to chant Ramnam. But this beggar is asking

everyone to chant his name. He is mad. Isn’t it?

“No,” this sadhu replied.

Parvati joined: “Rama is in your name.” Master laughed aloud.

Master then took out some letters that had come to him and asked the

sadhu to read them. He picked up one of the letters and asked this sadhu

to reply to it on his behalf and this sadhu accepted. We continued

chanting. Master ordered milk for all of us. Suddenly there were dark

clouds and it started raining. The lights also went off. Bhagavan turned

to Parvati and said: “See, there is rain and no light. Parvati’s father will

be worried. Now you will think that, by going to this beggar, you got

drenched in rain and caught in darkeness and you won’t come again.”

Parvati replied: “No Swami, we will come.” Her mother Sundari added:

“By your name, if one can cross ‘samsara sagara’, what is there to be

bothered about rain and this darkness?”

Master turned to the sadhu and asked: “What, Rangaraja? They say, this

beggar’s name can save them. Do you think so?”

“There is no doubt about it”, this sadhu replied.

The light came after sometime. Bhagavan turned to this saddhu and then

continued His conversation; “There have been innumerable saints. They

are all forgotten. But the Ramayana and Mahabharata are remembered.

July-December 2015 45

This beggar, in his madness, says that Ramayana and Mahabharata are

His leelas. Do you think it is right?”

This sadhu replied: “Maharaj, only those who will see your Viswaroopa

will understand what you say.”

“Oh! My Master Ramdas showed his Viswaroopa, but this beggar can’t

do that,” he remarked.

“Maharaj, by your grace, we should deserve to have that vision”, this

sadhu replied. Master caught hold of this sadhu’s hand and went into

deep meditation. When the thought came into the mind of this sadhu

that He was all, He said, “Rangaraja, my Father alone exists. Nothing

else and nobody else. This beggar died at the feet of Swami Ramdas in

1952. Now He alone is.” He paused and meditated and after sometime,

He continued: “Father is in Rangaraja and Rangaraja is in Father. My

Father alone exists. Everything is Father.” Pointing to the burnt

cigarette butts and match sticks, he repeated, “Everything is my Father.”

At once this sadhu realized the meaning and significance of his respect

and regard to even rubbish. Bhagavan asked us whether we did not get

bored by singing His name. All of us replied in the negative. He said, “I

have been hearing this song echoed by the walls even when I sleep. The

walls absorb this song and emit it. He asked Kristi to sing Ramanam

Taraka in the Kanhangad Ashram style.

This sadhu told Master that His name had a tremendous effect and every

radio talk of this sadhu began with the invocation of His name.

“Oh, if you believe this beggar’s name will give you strength, it is

Father’s grace! It is Faith that gives strength”, He remarked and asked,

“We say we have senses, intelligence, etc. Can we see the Father

through them?”

“Only through surrender, Maharaj”, this sadhu replied.

“Faith! That is what is required. This beggar has faith in Master’s

words. He has not seen the Father. But this beggar has faith in my

Master Ramdas’s words”, Bhagavan asserted.

46 TATTVA DARSANA

A dog appeared before his abode and Bhagavan fed some milk to the

dog. He remarked that the dog could not get food in the temple and

therefore it came there. The thought arose in this sadhu’s mind whether

we were also not like the dog.

This sadhu retired to room after Master relieved us. Coming to the hotel

room, he telephoned to Chennai ashram and got information that a

devotee, Padmanabhan of Malaysia, had sent a letter addressed to

Bhagavan.

The next day, May 20th, proved to be very significant one to this sadhu

who was asked to stay on in Tiruvannamalai till then. The sadhu called

on the Master in the early morning and conveyed to him that a letter has

come to Chennai addressed to Bhagavan. Bhagavan advised this sadhu

that he should open the letter after going back to Chennai and also write

a reply if necessary and then send the letter and copy of the reply to

Him. He then asked his attendant devotee, Jayaraman, to stay in the

abode and took this sadhu’s hand and walked out. We went to the

Sivakasi Nadar Lodge. Muthu, the attendant there received us. Some

marriage was taking place in the ground floor and people who came to

know of His presence there came to take his blessings. He spent about

four hours there with this sadhu. He was repeatedly telling. “Father

alone exists!” He was repeatedly chanting the verses from the Bhagavad

Gita:

“Ananyachetaah satatam yo maam smarati nityashah,

Tasyaaham sulabhah paartha nityayuktasya yoginah.”

(For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to

obtain, O son of Pritha, because of his constant engagement in

devotional service. B.G. VIII-14) and

“Ananyaaschintayanto maam ye janaah paryupaasate,

Teshaam nityaabhiyuktaanaam yogakshemam vahaamyahm.”

(Those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on

My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve

what they have. B.G. IX-22)

He also chanted,

“Aapooryamaanamachalapratishtham samudamaaapa pravishanti

yadwat,

July-December 2015 47

Tadvat kaamaa yam pravishanti sarve sa shaantimaapnoti na

kaamakaamee”

(A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires—that

enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always

still—can achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such

desires. B.G. II-70)

He said, this was what Ramdas taught Him.

He sang:

“Yug yug se aarjit raashtra dhan hai Raama naam,

Yug yug se poojit desha dhan hai Krishna naam,

Yug yug se sevita jaati dhan hai Shiva naam,

Yug yug se aarjit raashtra dhan hai Raama Krishna Shiva naam!”

(Rama’s name is the nation’s wealth acquired through ages.

Krishna’s name is the country’s wealth adored through ages,

Shiva’s name is the wealth worshipped by the society.

Ram-Krishna-Shiva name is the wealth acquired by the nation through

ages.)

He also sang:

“Jai jai Bhaarata jananee, jai jai Bhaarata maataa;

Jai jai maatru bhoomi, jai jai pitru bhoomi;

Jai jai Deva bhoomi, jai, jai jai!”

(Victory to Mother Bharat, victory to Mother Bharat;

Victory to Motherland, victory to Fatherland;

Victory to the land of Gods, victory, victory, victory to Her!)

This sadhu informed Bhagavan that he has applied for the renewal of

his passport. Master said that his Father will see that this sadhu gets the

passport. He asked this sadhu which countries he intended to visit. The

sadhu replied that Mahendra wanted this sadhu to visit South Africa

again. He added that some friends in London also wanted him to visit.

He blessed the sadhu for a successful trip abroad.

48 TATTVA DARSANA

Bhagavan went into a short nap while this sadhu did his daily 108 mala

Gayatri japa and the japa of Yogi Ramsuratkumar’s name and Ramnam

Taraka Japa.

At about 10 A.M., a doctor’s family came. Later, Dr. T.I.

Radhakrishnan of Kerala was brought there by Jayaraman. Master

introduced this sadhu to him and told him that this sadhu missed the

Atiratra Soima Yaga as he did not get the invitation. Dr. Radhakrishnan

told that he also did not get the letter and Hindu Voice International

Newsletter on the yagna from the sadhu. Bhagavan then asked

Jayaraman to go and fetch Ganeshan of ‘Mountain Path’. While we

were seated before the Master, He was working on Dr. T.I,

Radhakrishnan. The child sitting by the side of the sadhu picked up

some grains from the floor and was dropping them into this sadhu’s

stretched hand. Bhagavan felt disturbed and this sadhu immediately

withdrew his hand. Bhagavan said that He wanted to get some help

from the child and this sadhu was interfering.

After some time, Bhagavan, Dr. T.I. Radhakrishnan, Ganeshan,

Jayaraman and this sadhu left by the doctor’s car to ‘Anandaramana’,

house of Ganeshan. We spent the rest of the day there discussing about

the Atiratra Yajna. While conversing, Master wanted to smoke and He

asked Dr. T.I. Radhakrishnan’s permission. The doctor smiled and

replied that as a doctor, he would advise people not to smoke, but he

had no objection to Master smoking if He felt so. Then the doctor

narrated how he persuaded his brother to stop smoking before treating

him after he fell ill. Bhagavan jovially asked the doctor whether he

would treat him if He fell ill. “Sure, I will come from Trichur to take

care of you”, the doctor replied.

The Master then told the doctor that, in the morning, sitting in the Nadar

choultry, He was explaining to Rangaraja how “the habit of smoking

came to this beggar a week after his initiation by Ramdas, when he got

the madness.” He added, “Earlier, if anybody sat by the side of this

beggar and smoke, He would get headache.” The doctor asked

Bhagavan how many cigarettes He smoked every day. “When other

people are around this beggar, He smokes; not when He is alone.” The

doctor, with apologies to the Master, shared a joke of the great

litterateur, Johnson, about cigarette: “Fire in one end and a fool at the

other end.” All of us, including the Master, burst into laughter.

July-December 2015 49

Ganeshan asked the doctor about the Atiratra Soma Yaga. The doctor

replied that he could not get much help from the authorities in the

Ministry of Science, from the Government, or from top religious leaders

except one or two like Swami Chinmayananda and Swami

Vishnudevananda. “But, Yogi Ramsuratkumar was the prime source of

inspiration and strength to us for conducting the Yagna for which we

have spent 15 lakhs of rupees. It was a grand success by the grace and

blessings of the Master and that is why I have come straight to pay our

gratitude to Him.” He gave an account of Yogiji’s grace and narrated

how there was a torrential rainfall on the last day, there was sighting of

Krishnapparuntu (Divine eagle. Garuda), and curing of Swami

Vishnudevananda who was on wheel chair and who walked on the last

day with the help of a friend. The doctor was happy to know from

Bhagavan about this sadhu’s connection with Swami Chinmayananda.

The sadhu told him that he was moulded by the Swamiji from his

younger days.

Ganeshan’s mother brought lunch for us. In the evening she brought

tiffin also. Dr. T.I. Radhakrishnan was telling repeatedly that it was due

to the grace and blessings of Bhagavan that the Yagna was successful,

but Bhagavan in all humility said that it was exaggeration. Dr. T.I.R.

insisted that he was telling only a naked truth. As far as Bhagavan was

concerned, everything was His Father’s leela. A German doctor came

and he was introduced to Dr.T.I.R. who enquired about the health of

Ganeshan’s mother.

Bhagavan seemed to be very tired and uneasy. He laid down for some

time and took rest. Then he got up and asked Dr. T.I.R. to take Him

back to His abode. We all came back to Master’s abode. Devotes were

waiting for Him. Yogiji saw off Dr. T.I. Radhakrishnan. This sadhu also

bid him a safe journey back to Trichur. Bhagavan told this sadhu that he

could go to his lodge and come later. This sadhu returned to the lodge

and started recording each and every event of the day, remembering

Mahendranath, the great devotee of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, who

recorded “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna”. After writing down

everything, he proceeded to the temple and had darshan of the Divine

Mother’s alankar. Later he peeped into the abode of Bhagavan and

found Him taking rest. Sadhu told Jayaraman that he will come in the

50 TATTVA DARSANA

morning as Master was taking rest and the devotees who had gathered

there were also sent away.

The next morning, this sadhu got up early, did his japa sadhana and then

went to Bhagavan’s abode. Bhagavan was relaxing in the verandah.

Ramdas, a school principal from Tanjore, and two other friends also

came there. Master was telling the sadhu why he had moved to the

verandah. “These people come for seeing this beggar and it is difficult

for this beggar every time to come out, open the door and again go in.

Therefore this beggar rests here.” Master asked the sadhu whether he

would like to go back to Madras. The sadhu replied that he will do

whatever the Master orders. He said, he wanted this sadhu to stay on to

meet Dr. T.I. Radhakrishnan and, as the work was over, he could go. He

went inside and brought a bag full of Prasad for distribution to devotees

in Chennai. The sadhu told Him that he would come again after the

TATTVA DARSANA issue was ready to get released as usual by Him.

Sadhu also told Him that he would reply to the letters addressed to the

Master as ordered by the Him and send the letters and replies through

Nivedita who would be coming for His darshan. Master took the danda

of the sadhu into His hands, charged it and gave it and sadhu’s coconut

bowl also to him after blessing him. He stood at the door step raising

His hand up in a blessing posture looking at the Sadhu till he vanished

from His sight.

The whole week, Sadhu was busy receiving devotees of Bhagavan and

seeing off Sriram Naik and Mavlankar returning to Mumbai. Sri A.V.

Ramamoorthy of Aruppokkottai came to see the sadhu and the sadhu

spoke to Sri Ilayaraja, Music director, regarding Bhagavan’s message to

him. On May 28, 1990, the sadhu wrote a letter to Bhagavan:

“Poojya Sri Gurudev,

Vande Mataram! Aum Namo Bhagavate Yogi Ramsuratkumaraya!

Aum Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram! My humble salutations and

prostrations at your holy feet!

This humble disciple is still under the spell of the ecstatic experience of

four days stay in Tiruvannamalai in your holy presence. Our friends

from Bombay returned from Kanhangad where they stayed for two days

and left for Bombay this morning.

July-December 2015 51

This sadhu spoke to Sri Ilayaraja about publication of Sri

Gnanaprakasam’s book. He asked us to arrange for the printing and

inform him the cost. We will do so.

We have written replies to letters as ordered by you. Copies of the

replies along with the letters addressed to you are sent to you through

Kumari Nivedita who will be coming there on Thursday, 31-5-1990.

Sri K.P. Shivakumar, Editor, MAKE HISTORY, is coming with his

son, Karthik, who had Upanayanam on 20-5-1990, and whom you

wanted to see. His daughter, Gayatri, and one of our devout sevaks in

the Yogi Ramsuratkumar Youth Association, Kumari Lata, are also

coming with him, accompanying Kumari Nivedita. Kindly grant

darshan to them who are devotedly working for our cause.

Yogi Ramsuratkumar Youth Association is starting Veda classes on

Gayatri Jayanti, 2-6-90, and holding special satsangs. The invitations

are enclosed. We pray for your benign blessings and grace. Chi. Vivek

will personally come to take your blessings for the commencement of

Veda class, on Friday, 1-6-90.

With humble pranams,

Your humble disciple,

Sadhu Rangarajan.

Encl:a/a”

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Single Insertion Four Issues Outer Cover Rs.1500 Rs.5000 Inner Cover Rs.1200 Rs.4000 Full Page Rs.900 Rs.3000 Half Page Rs.600 Rs.2000

For details: Tattva Darsana

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52 TATTVA DARSANA

NEWS AND NOTES

Akshaya Triteeya Celebrations in Bharatamata Mandir

Akshaya Triteeya, the auspicious day for the worship of Bharatamata,

was celebrated with Abhisheka, Homa, special Pooja to Sri

Bharatamata, preparation of Pongala Offering by mothers and sisters,

Ramnam chanting and Bhajans from 7-00AM to 11-00 AM on

Vaishaka Shukla Triteeya, Tuesday, April 21, 2015. In the evening

there was a valedictory function presided over by Sri Amit Umarani,

Project Manager, Hewlett Packard, Bangalore. Sadhu Prof. V.

Rangarajan delivered a benedictory address in which he pointed out that

the word Hindu is defined in the Barhaspatya Samhita as “Aasindhu

sindhu paryetaa yasya

bhaaratabhoomikaa, pitrubhoo,

punyabhooschaiva sa vai Hinduriti

smritah”—“All those who adore

and worship the holy land of

Bharatavarsha stretching from the

River Sindhu in the north to the

Hindu Maha Sagar in the south are

known as Hindus”. He recalled the

words of Swami Vivekananda who

proclaimed, “For the next fifty years this alone shall be our keynote—

this our great Mother India. Let all other vain gods disappear from our

minds.” Sadhuji said, true Hindus who consider Motherland as greater

than all other deities of worship are a minority and we have to Hinduize

the Hindus by inculcating in them the spirit of worship of Motherland.

Visit to RSS Camp at Chennanahalli

Sadhu Rangarajan, accompanied by office bearers of Samanvaya,

visited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh camp at Jana Seva Kendra at

Chennanahalli, Bangalore, on Wednesday, April 29, 2015. More than

600 swayamsevaks were attending the month long first year and second

year officer’s training in the camp. Sadhuji called on Param Poojaneeya

Sri Mohan Bhagavat, Sarsanghachalak of RSS and presented to him the

off-print copy of his manuscript, HINDU RASHTRA—VEDIC

July-December 2015 53

IDEALS IN MODERN INDIAN AWAKENING, requesting Sri

Bhagavat to contribute a foreword, to which he readily consented.

Rashtrotthana Teachers’ Orientation Camp

Sadhu Rangarajan addressed the teachers of Rashtrotthana Vidya

Kendra’s schools in Bangalore in the Teachers’ Orientation Camps held

on three days from 19 to 21, May 2015. The first talk on May 19, on the

Concept of Ideal Teacher was given in the Jaigopal Garodia

Rashtrotthana Vidya Kendra at Ramamoorthy Nagar. Sadhuji cited the

example of ideal teacher like Sister Nivedita who founded the Nivedita

School in Calcutta to inculcate in the hearts of students the ideal of

adoration and worship of the

Motherland and service to the people.

He pointed out that she made the

children sing Vande Mataram

everyday in her school at a time when

the British Government came down

with heavy hands on those who raised

the slogan of Vande Mataram in

public places. She also made her

children design a national flag in ochre colour with the symbol of

Vajrayudha and the slogans, Vande Mataram and Yato Dharmastatho

Jaya written in Sanskrit around the Vajrayudha symbol, reminding the

sacrifice of Dadheechi who gave up his back bone to mould a mighty

weapon for the Devas to fight against the Asuras and presented the flag

in Congress Session in 1906.

The second talk delivered at the

teachers’ camp at Rashtrotthana

Vidya Kendra, Tanisandra, on

May 20, was on the

achievements of Bharata in

various fields of science and

technology. Sadhuji spoke about

the contributions of great

Acharyas like Aryabhata,

Bhaskara and Varahamihira in

the fields of Mathematics and

Astronomy, Charaka and Sushruta in Medicine, Panini in Grammer,

54 TATTVA DARSANA

Patanjali in Yoga, and Jaimini and Vyasa in Mimasa and Vedanta

respectively. Bharadwaja gave the Vaimanika Shastra, the first book on

Aeronautics. He pointed out that in CERN, the European Centre for

Research in Particle Physics in Geneva, a two metre tall statue of Shiva

Nataraja symbolizing Shiva’s Cosmic Dance of creation and dissolution

has been installed, acknowledging the profound significance of the

metaphor of Shiva’s Dance for the cosmic dance of subatomic particles

which is observed and analysed by CERN’s physicists. The science of

Atom was propounded by Kanada in Vedic India and the theory of

evolution was presented by Gautama in Sankhya Shastra.

The third talk on the March of

Education in Ancient India from

Para Vidya (Secular Sciences) to

Apara Vidya (Spiritual Science) was

given in the Rashtrotthana Teachers’

Orientation Camp at JGRVK,

Ramamoorthy Nagar, on May 21.

Sadhuji spoke on how the great

sages and seers who probed into the

mysteries of the universe in the fields of physical sciences ventured into

the search of the secrets of Consciousness which manifests as Self in all

beings from plant, animal and human realms and rises to the level of the

highest intuitive consciousness of divine souls transcending the limits of

time and space.

Hindu Samrajyotsavam, Kannur

Sadhu Rangarajan addressed the

Hindu Samrajyotsav Celebration of

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, at

Kannur, Kerala, on Sunday, May

31, 2015. He said, since times

immemorial, our motherland,

Bharatavarsha, has remained a

Hindu Nation, stretching from the

River Sindhu in the Himalayas up

to the Hindu Maha Sagar in the

south. There were times when alien forces aggressed the country and

subjugated our people, but never could they destroy the edifice of Hindu

July-December 2015 55

nationalism. Great warriors did arise to throw out the aggressors and re-

establish the Hindu rule over the land. Chhatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj

was one such valiant king and emperor who fought against the Moghuls

and re-established Hindu Pada Padshahi in the land. The coronation of

Shivaji Maharaj as the Hindu emperor is celebrated as Hindu

Samrajyotsav and it is one of the important celebrations of the Rashtriya

Swayamsevak Sangh celebrated every year. It reminds the Hindus that

they have to fan the burning embers of the Hindu Rashtra to rise once

again into a big conflagration in this land and re-instate Bharatavarsha

as the Loka Guru.

Reception to Yogi Ramsuratkumar Idol

Devotees of Yogi

Ramsuratkumar Kurukshetra,

Madurai, led by Sri Masana

Muthu and Sri Visiri Shankar,

brought the bronze Utsava

Moorthy of Bhagavan Yogi

Ramsuratkumar to Sri

Bharatamata Mandir, Bangalore,

and conducted a hearty bhajan on

Saturday, June 13, 2015. Sadhu

Rangarajan blessed the

congregation which included devotees of Bhagavan in Bangalore.

Vidyarambam in Rashtrotthana P.U. College

Sadhu Rangarajan addressed the staff, students and parents on the

occasion of the Vidyarambha programme of Rashtrotthana P.U.

College, Thanisandra, Bangalore, on Sunday, June 14, 2015. He spoke

on the glorious heritage of the land of Bharatavarsha right from the

Vedic times as the land of knowledge and wisdom. He recalled that

people from distant lands came into Bharat in search of knowledge and

wisdom and found solace and inspiration in our ancient universities like

Nalanda, Takshashila and Vikramshila. He pointed out that in a

convocation address in Taittiriya Upanishad, the Rishi addresses the

outgoing students of Gurukula about the ideal qualities of a youth--

saadhu-- one who is humble and simple, adhyaayaka--well versed in

all fields of knowledge, aashishtah--endowed with all noble qualities,

56 TATTVA DARSANA

dradhishthah--firm in his understanding and conviction, and

balishthah--strong in body, mind, intellect and spirit. He said, the goal

of Rashtrotthana education is to mould such youth so that they will take

Bharatavarsha once again to the

pinnacle of its glory and fame.

Sri Dwarakanath, Trustee of the

Rashtrotthana Vidya Kendra, Sri

Maheshwaraiahji, Correspondent

and Sri Brahmaji, Principal of the

College also addressed the

gathering.

International Yoga Day Celebration of RSS

International Yoga Day was celebrated under the auspices of Rashtriya

Swayamsevak Sangh at Shivajinagar, Bangalore, on Sunday, June 21,

2015. Addressing the Swayamsevaks who participated in the function

and performed various yogic exercises, Sadhu Rangarajan said that the

purpose of Yoga is not merely building up a strong body, but also to

equip the mind and intellect to raise the consciousness to a higher realm

of intuition and spiritual experience. Patanjali defined Yoga as Chitta

vritti nirodhana--controlling the mental modulations through Ashthanga

Yoga--Yoga with eight limbs, viz., yama--absorption of noble virtues,

niyama--disciplined life, asana--physical postures, pranayama--control

of breath, pratyaahaara--withdrawal of senses from sense objects,

dharana--holding the form of deity of worship in mind, dyaana--

incessant meditation and contemplation, and samaadhi--attainment of

ultimate bliss. Practitioners of Yoga should aim to achieve excellence in

all these steps.

Mummudi Krishnaraja Wadiyar Simhasanarohana Day

Samskriti Seva Varidhi—SAMSEVA--of Bangalore commemorated the

215th anniversary of coronation of Mummudi Krishnaraja Wadiyar,

King of Mysore, who ascended to the throne on June 30, 1799, in a

function held at Mythic Society, Bangalore on Saturday, July 4, 2015.

Dr. Chidanandamoorthy and eminent scholars in the field of Kannada

history and literature addressed the gathering. Speaking on the occasion,

Sadhu Rangarajan recalled the contribution of Sri Krishnaraja Wadiyar

July-December 2015 57

and his descendents to preserve the heritage and glory of Karnataka,

especially in fields of astronomy, music, fine arts, architecture and

literature.

Ramayana Masa Arambha of Samanvaya

Malayalis in Kerala, and those living in other parts of the country and

abroad, observe the month of Karkidakam, (from July 17, 2015 to

August 16, 2015, this year) as Ramayana Masa when in every

household, reading of Ramayana is a very auspicious observance.

Samanvaya, the organization of Kerala Swayamsevaks of RSS settled in

Bangalore, has been regularly celebrating this auspicious month with

reading of Ramayana in congregations in the various houses of the

members. A meeting under the auspices of Samanvaya was held in

connection with the observance of Ramayana Masam, on Sunday, July

5, 2015, in the Karnataka Nair Service Society School premises in

Anandapura, Ramamoorthy Nagar,. Sadhu Rangarajan addressed

devotees and spoke on the significance of Ramayana from the

historical, ethical and spiritual perspectives and recalled Swami

Vivekananda’s words that to understand Bharat, one must understand

the great epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata.

RSS Gurupooja Samaroh

Gurupooja was celebrated by Swayamsevaks of the Rashtriya

Swayamsevak Sangh, Shivaji Nagar, Bangalore on Sunday, July 19,

2015. Speaking on the occasion, Sadhu Rangarajan said, since times

immemorial, Parama Pavitra Bhagava Dwaja, the sacred ochre flag has

been not only the symbol of Hindu dharma and our ancient spiritual

culture, but also of Bharatiya nationalism and kings and emperors of

various kingdoms and empires in the subcontinent stretching from the

Sindhu river in the Himalayas to the southern ocean, Hindu Mahasagar,

have all held aloft the ochre flag as the symbol of Hindu Rashtra.

Chhatrapati Shivaji, who crushed the Moghul power and founded Hindu

Pada Padshahi in Maharashtra, raised the flag as the flag of Hindu

Nation. During freedom struggle, Sister Nivedita, the illustrious disciple

of Swami Vivekananda, made the children of her school design a

national flag of India which was the ochre flag with the symbol of

Vajrayudha in the centre surrounded by the slogans Vande Mataram on

top and Yato Dharmasthato Jayah in the bottom and presented it in the

58 TATTVA DARSANA

session of Indian National Congress in 1906. Dr. Keshav Baliram

Hedgewar who founded the

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

declared the Bhagava Dwaja as

the Guru, the supreme preceptor

of Hindu society and introduced

the worship of the flag with

prarthana in the Sangh shakas. It

is the duty of the Swayamsevaks

to inculcate the spirit of adoration

and worship of the Motherland as

the Supreme Deity above all the gods and goddesses and preceptors of

the Hindu society so that Bharat would once again rise to the glorious

position of the preceptor of the entire world.

Bharatamata Alankar to Divine Mother

The Divine Mother Parasakti in Sri Sri

Sadasiva Temple at Kammanapalayam,

Bangalore, was adorned with the

Alankara of Sri Bharatamata on the

occasion of Adi Pooram on August 16,

2015. Sadhu Rangarajan, who was the

guest of honour on the occasion spoke

about the worship of Bharatamata as

Mahasakti right from the Vedic times to

modern period when saints and savants like Bankim Chandra

Chatterjee, Swami Vivekananda, Mahayogi Sri Aurobindo, Sister

Nivedita. Mahakavi Bharati and Subramania Siva promoted the worship

of Bharata Bhavani to integrate the entire Hindu society and secure the

independence of the nation. He spoke about the setting up of Sri

Bharatamata Mandir at Krishnarajapuram in 2004 welcomed all for the

Mahakumbhabhishekam in December 2016.

Kumbhamela at Nashik

Sadhu Rangarajan flew into Mumbai on Monday, August 24, 2015, and

joined devotees, Smt. Sherita Kommal, Dr. Terrence Kommal and Smt.

Urvashi Kommal in pilgrimage to Nashik to participate in the Shahi

Snan at Triambakeshwar on the banks of River Godavari on August 26,

July-December 2015 59

when lakhs of people gathered for the Maha Kumbha Mela. During his

stay there, Sadhuji visited Sita Cave, Ramkoti, and Sai Baba Temple on

August 24. Sadhuji also visited Vishwa Hindu Parishad at Tapovan on

August 25, when Sri Venkatesh Apte, Central Secretary, received him

and guests from South Africa. Sadhuji visited Anjaneni and

Saptamatrika Temple also. On August 27, Sadhuji and devotees from

South Africa drove to Shirdi and from there Sadhuji took leave of the

devotees, reached Mumbai and took a flight to Bangalore.

Visit to Sringeri Shanmuga Temple

Sri Suda Sing and crew of

African Lotus Productions,

Durban, South Africa, visited

Sri Bharatamata Mandir on

Sunday, September 13, 2015,

and filmed pooja to Meru and

the Divine Mother by mothers.

They also interviewed Sadhu

Rangarajan. Later, along with

Sadhu and Smt. Bharati

Rangarajan, they visited

Sringeri Shanmuga Temple at Rajarajeswari Nagar, Bangalore, where

they filmed the hill temple, the shrines of Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Shakti

and Lord Shanmuga. Dr. Arunachalam, founder of the temple, received

the guests and took them round. He and Sadhu also gave an interview to

the TV crew About the significance of the temple and the Sringeri

Sarada Peetha which is maintaining the temple.

Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations

Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated in different parts of Bangalore on a

grand scale under the guidance of Ganesh Utsav Committee

constituted by various Ganesh Mandalis in the city. The meeting for

constituting the committee and planning took place at Cox Town,

under the leadership of Sri Nirmal Surana, Ex-MLA, on Tuesday,

September 15, 2015. Sadhu Rangarajan addressed the congregation of

workers from Ganesh Mandalis and spoke about the symbolism of

Lord Ganesha, significance of Ganesh Chaturthi and also about the

60 TATTVA DARSANA

emergence of festival as a national celebration under the leadership of

great patriot and freedom fighter, Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

On Sunday, September 20, a

massive and colourful procession

of more than hundred huge

Ganesh idols carried in trucks,

accompanied by thousands of

devotees and a number of folk

dance groups and drum players

took place and the immersion was

done in Ulsoor Lake. Sadhu

Rangarajan and Sri Sivacharya

Swami were guests on the occasion.

Yet another immersion procession

started from Seva Nagar on

September 17, and Sadhu

Rangarajan performed arati to Lord

Ganesha on the occasion.

Samanvaya Competitions for Children

Samanvaya, a socio-cultural

organization of Bangalore for

national integration, organized a

competition for children in

Krishnarajapuram and

Ramamoorthy Nagar, on

Bhagavad Geeta and sacred

hymns recitation and for painting,

at Ramamoorthy Nagar on

Sunday, October 11, 2015.

Sri Ravindra Mallaya, President of Samanvaya was on the chair and

Sadhu Rangarajan addressed the children and spoke about the

importance of chanting Geeta regularly. He explained to the children

that the message of Geeta was to perform duty for duty’s sake and

never swerve from duty.

July-December 2015 61

Navaratri Celebration in Sri Bharatamandir

Navaratri festival was celebrated in Sri Bharatamata Mandir from

Tuesday, October 3, 2015. The

celebrations started with

special Abhisheka and Alankar

to the Divine Mother, Sri

Bharatabhavani, as

Mahashakti. On October 16,

the Abhisheka and Alankara of

the Mother as Mahalakshmi

took place.

On Wednesday, October 21,

there was special homa and

Abhisheka and Alankara of the

Mother as Mahasaraswati took

place. On all the days of

Navaratri, mothers held parayana

of Lalitha Sahasranama and

chanting of hymns. A number of

people visited the Mandir to see

the Golu (display of dolls).

Vishwa Hindu Parishad Sant Sammelan

Karnataka Vishwa Hindu Parishad organized a Sant Sammelan of

Sadhus and Sannyasins in and around Bangalore at Dharmasri, State

Headquarters of VHP at

Shanakarapuram,

Bangalore, on Tuesday,

October 27, 2015. The

meeting was attended

by eleven religious

leaders apart from Sri

Satyam, Central

Secretary of VHP, Sri

Keshav Hegde,

Provincial Organizer,

Sri Sivakumaraswami,

62 TATTVA DARSANA

Provincial President and many important Krayakartas of VHP and

Bajrang Dal. The meeting discussed mainly the issues on conversion,

untouchability, cow protection, dharma prachar and

Ramajanmabhoomi and the sants expressed their views. Speaking on

the occasion, Sadhu Rangarajan recalled his experiences with the

activities of the Parishad right from day one of its inception on

Krishna Janmashthami in 1966, at Sandeepani Sadhanalaya, Mumbai,

by revered leaders like Paramapoojaneeya Sri Guruji Golwalkar and

Swami Chinmayananda. He spoke about the experiences in bringing

back the poor and downtrodden fishermen in Idintakarai and other

places in Tamilnadu in the sixties and said, the main reason of the

dalits getting converted to alien religions was the total negligence of

the poor and downtrodden by the so called sants, sadhus and

peethadeeswars who claimed themselves to be Jagadgurus—teachers

of the whole world—but neglected a considerable section of their own

people at home. He urged that at least now the sadhus and sants must

renounce their attachment to their sampradhayas, mutts, missions and

sects and walk into the slums of the poor and downtrodden people

carrying solace and inspiration to them and that was the only way in

which Hindu society could fight against the rising tide of conversion

of people by alien religious institutions who bring in crores of rupees

from abroad to lure the suffering Hindus.

Samanvayam-2015 Kutumba Sangamam

Samanvaya, a socio-cultural organization for national integration,

organized Samanvayam-2015 Kutumba Sagamam in which hundreds

of Malayalis with family members got together at SEA College

Auditorim in Devasandra, Bangalore, on Sunday, November 8, 2015.

Inaugurating the congregation, Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan, one of the

Patrons of Samanvaya, said that Hindu way of life was one of

acceptance, not merely tolerance, of various pathways to the Ultimate

Truth or God-realization and the term ‘intolerance’ was alien to Hindu

culture. He said, Hinduism looked upon the whole world as one

family—vasudaiva kutumbakam—and since times immemorial,

welcomed diverse thoughts from all corners of the world and

integrated them to make individual, social and national life perfect. He

said, the idea of organizing the Kutumba Sangamam was to instil in

the minds of the people that, to which caste, creed or community one

may belong, all are children of the Eternal Father and Mother—Maata

July-December 2015 63

cha paarvatee devi, pitaa devo maheswara, baandhavaah shiva

bhaktaashcha, swadesho bhuvana trayam—“The Divine Mother is

Parvathi and Father is Maheswara, the devotees of the Lord are all

kith and kin and all the three worlds are our native place”. Sadhuji

also pointed out that all those adore and worship the sacred land of

Bharatavarsha as the Motherland, Fatherland and Holy Land are all

Hindus, irrespective of their way of worship and Bharatamata was the

common mother for all of us. He said, that is why the temple of

Mother Bharat is to be set up in every nook and corner and She should

be worshipped in all shrines.

The programme was

addressed by Sri

Ravindra Mallya,

President of

Samavaya, Sri

Jagadish Karanth,

Sanchalak of the

Hindu Jagaran Vedike,

Sri Gopalan Kutty

Master, Prant

Karyavah of Rashtriya

Swayamsevak Sangh, Kerala, Smt.Poornima Srinivas, Corporator and

Sri Veeranna, Ex-Cprporator. Sri V. Krishnan, Chairman of the

Reception Committee, proposed vote of thanks. There was a grand

feast in Kerala style, followed by cultural programmes.

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