In this issue

Sri Ganesha Suktam
Three ‘P’s—the Mantra of Success
Reminiscences of Sargachhi
Meditation and Japa
Vedanta for the Modern Youth
Swami Vivekananda’s Idea of Freedom—Its Practical Aspect
Five Ideas for Mental Wellness through Better Communication
Gadai Fulfills a Wish
The Missed Deadline
Lessons from a Neighbourhood Eatery
The Vedanta

Panchakroshi Parikrama of Varanasi

At the snow-capped Kailas, the Divine Lord Shiva was seated with Mother Parvati.

5 mins

Gadai and the Monks

A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Sri Ramakrishna.

2 mins

Chintayo momo maanosho Hori...

Sri Ramakrishna loved songs. There probably was no normal day when he did not sing some songs.

4 mins

The Vedanta Vaccine

The world is still struggling under the impact of the pandemic due to Covid-19 for the last three years.

5 mins

Chandrakirti's Chariot: Self in Madhyamaka Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta

The goal in Advaita Vedanta is the cessation of suffering and the attainment of true fulfillment. Suffering, according to this school, is due to ignorance of the true nature of the self and consequent erroneous identification with the body-mind.

10+ mins

Reminiscences of Sargachhi

Question: यद्यदाचरतत श्रेष्ठसतत्तदरेवरेतरो जनिः। ‘Whatever a superior person does, others do the same thing!’ (Gita 3:21) – What does this statement mean?

6 mins

THE AUTUMN FESTIVAL

A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Sri Ramakrishna.

2 mins

Bards of Guruvayur: Vilwamangalam II

Saints of India

10+ mins

In the Universal Mother’s Divine Playground

Swami Vivekananda never taught the worship of Mother Kali. In a letter to Mary Hale he writes, “Kali worship is not a necessary step in any religion.

10+ mins

Swami Vivekananda: A Sportsman Par Excellence

In various books and articles, Swami Vivekananda has been called a spiritual leader, a prophet, a patriot, a social reformer, a philosopher, a yogi, a writer, an orator, an educationist, a musician, and so on.

6 mins

Swami Vivekananda’s French Interview: A New Discovery

We are happy to present what, to the best of our knowledge, is a hitherto unknown interview given by Swami Vivekananda in French language to a newspaper in France. Interestingly the interview was published on 11 September 1900, exactly seven years after Swamiji burst upon the world from the platform of the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Swami Surarchitananda discovered this interview during an online archive search and Ms. Irina Croitor has translated it into English.

5 mins

'Pandit Ji Maharaj' Par Excellence: Swami Vipulananda

In 1933, the Annamalai University of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu was bustling with activity in connection with the imminent visit by the British Governor, George Fredrick Stanley of Madras Presidency. He was to chair the Convocation at the University.

8 mins

Reminiscences of Sargachhi

All the doctors, teachers, engineers you see, are doing social service. Our education system teaches 'service to the society'- this is the objective side of man.

4 mins

Mon Ekbaar Hori Bolo... Songs dear to Sri Ramakrishna

Sri Ramakrishna loved songs. There probably was no normal day when he did not sing some songs. His conversations with devotees were interspersed with songs that drove home the point of discussion and intensified the spiritual mood of the gathering. Sri Ramakrishner Priyo Sangeet is a collection of songs that were sung by Sri Ramakrishna or sung in his presence by others. In this section we serialise these songs giving the English and Devanagari transliteration of the Bengali song, along with its English translation.

1 min

The Order on the March News & Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

Srimat Swami Gautamanandaji, one of the Vice presidents of the Ramakrishna Sangha, inaugurated a hall named 'Gadadhar Mandap' at Kanpur ashrama on 8 July.

3 mins

THE FLIGHT OF CRANES

A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Sri Ramakrishna.

2 mins

Freedom vs Technology

Ethics, principles and values that guide ordinary people to do extraordinary work in eternal India

4 mins

Tale of Two Realities An understanding of life through the Ramayana and Yogasutra  A Voyage of Self-Discover

This is the story of Ratnakara who transformed into Valmiki. The narrative draws upon the popular version of Valmiki's story.

7 mins

Vivekananda Way

On his arrival in Calcutta, Swami Vivekananda was greeted with intense enthusiasm, and his progress through the decorated streets of the city was thronged with an immense crowd waiting to have a sight of him. He was given a grand Address of Welcome.

7 mins

Seven Steps on the Path and other Heart to Heart Talks

BOOK REVIEWS

2 mins

Tale of Two Realities An understanding of life through the Ramayana and Yogasutra

Beginning with this issue we are serialising Tale of Two Realities which we hope will help readers gain a deeper understanding of life. Our readers are familiar with the author through her The Vedas and Poorva: Magic, Miracles & the Mystical Twelve which were serialised earlier. The illustrations for this series is by Smt Uma Krishnaswami, a well-known artist. The author's note below gives a brief introduction to the series.

10+ mins

The Order on the March

News & Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission

3 mins

The Compassionate Bank: When Farmers Build Values for Finance Management

“Ηow do you speak Hindi so well? I thought I was in a state where people only spoke Tamil?!", said a journalist from Uttar Pradesh who was on a visit to Tamil Nadu for the first time. We had met at a conference on creating an alternative economy, in Madurai. So, when I told him that not far away from where we sat, was a village where it was common to find people speaking Mandarin, Malay, and Hindi apart from Tamil, he obviously found it unbelievable.

4 mins

GADAI MAKES A NEW FRIEND

A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Sri Ramakrishna.

2 mins

Sri Ramakrishna and the Freedom Movement - SWAMI VEDANISHTHANANDA

75th Anniversary of India's Independence The year 2022 is significant for India as it celebrates 75 years of attaining independence from the colonial domination. It was after a long struggle that we could free our motherland from foreign rule and make this "tryst with destiny".

8 mins

Bards of Guruvayur: Manavedan Raja

It is around ten at night. The final Athazha Puja and seeveli procession at the Guruvayur temple are all over. The large crowd of devotees who milled around everywhere inside the temple all day, chanting, praying, performing circumambulations or sitting around simply enjoying the ambience, have all left.

10+ mins

Namo Brahmane...

Introduction This is the Shanti Mantra in the second chapter of the Taittiriya Aranyaka. It is also found in the body of the same chapter (Reference 2.12, 13). It is to be noted that this mantra is used as part of the practice of Brahma Yajna. Brahma Yajna is a daily Vedic practice that involves studying at least a small portion of the Vedas every day. This is done to protect the Vedic tradition by making sure the mantras learnt are not forgotten. Recalling the mantras daily amounts to repaying our debt to the Rishis who have bequeathed us this great body of wisdom. According to Acharya Sayana, this mantra, chanted towards the end of Brahma Yajna, is called the Paridhaniya Rk. Paridhana, according to Acharya Sayana, refers to the closing mantra. The mantras that were chanted as part of Brahma Yajna is believed to be made complete by invoking and saluting the seven divinities mentioned in this mantra.

3 mins

Swami Ramakrishnananda and the Tradition of Worship

Devotee and researcher

10+ mins

Ramakrishna Mission: Its Idea, Ideal and Practice

General Secretary of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission and functions

10+ mins

Lessons on Ethics from the Roadside Vendors

Ethics, principles and values that guide ordinary people to do extraordinary work in eternal India

4 mins

Read all stories from The Vedanta Kesari

The Vedanta Kesari Magazine Description:

The Vedanta Kesari, meaning ” Lion of Vedanta”, is a spiritual and cultural monthly in English published from Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. This Magazine contains articles on Indian spiritual traditions and scriptures, mainly focusing on Vedanta as expounded by Swami Vivekananda, the illustrious disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. The focus of the magazine is to promote a spiritual and matured outlook towards life. It advocates renunciation of selfish desires along with the service to others in a spirit of worship.