Vedanta in Practice

A Micro-Blog from Swami Vimokshananda – earlier at Durban, Singapore and Dublin – now at Yelagiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, India – "A private diary for public consumption!"

  • Swami Ishatmananda Ji Maharaj, the Head of Vivekananda Vedanta Society, Chicago along with a devotee Sri Arup Patranabish visited the Éire Vedanta Society, Dublin, Ireland on 2nd January 2019. A brief Report was given in the earlier blog post.

    The next day that is on Thursday, the 3rd January, the guests visited Dungannon that has become a place of pilgrimage where Sister Nivedita was born on Scotch Street in 1867. The first port of call was the First Steps for Women Centre, where they were received by devotees Ms Jean and Mr Larry McGuinness and Manager Mr Michael McGoldrick. Mr McGoldrick has dedicated his life to the Centre. He explained that the purpose of the Centre was to provide education for women as the first step towards literacy and to acquire skills for life and as a means to get employment. The Centre also provides for the children of attendees. Michael showed the visitors the state of the art facilities that had been funded by awards and grants. He recalled with thankfulness that In the past, the Éire Vedanta Society has also given donations and support,

    Next, was a visit to the historical site of the Hill of O’Neill and the Dungannon Visitors’ Centre. The Visitors’ Centre houses a museum and a small theatre where Jean McGuinness has put on a play called “Awakening a Nation” as a tribute to the life and speeches of Sister Nivedita (1867 – 1911). Sister Nivedita is on the Hall of Fame at the Centre and a small terracotta statue of her is preserved in a glass case. Finally, the group made their way to the Blue Plaque on Scotch Street that commemorates Margaret Elizabeth Noble (Sister Nivedita).

    On the way, the group visited the Dungannon Public Library where they met Manager Ms Elizabeth Synnott-Telford. The Library has a small section dedicated to the Complete Works of Sister Nivedita and Swami Ishatmananda pledged to donate the complete works of Swami Vivekananda and selected Nivedita publications.

    Special thanks go to Jean and Larry who always receive our guests and are passionate about our beloved Nivedita. The Chicago Swami with his devotee left for London on the morning of 4th January. Swami Purnananda and Swami Vimokshananda saw the guests off at the Dublin Airport in the morning of 4th January.

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  • Swami Ishatmananda Ji, the Head of Vivekananda Vedanta Society, Chicago arrived at Dublin on 2nd January 2019. His was the very first visit for the Dublin Eire Vedanta Society in the new Year 2019. After taking lunch and rest, he was taken to some important places in and around Dublin. He evinced great interest in seeing the Trinity College campus and the St Stephen’s Green wherein a statue of Indian Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore is maintained by the Park. The Christmas lightings were still available on the main streets of Dublin. On return, devotees were waiting for him to hear him speaking on “The Divine Grace”. A vesper service was held from 7:30 PM and immediately then Swami Purnananda Ji welcomed him and introduced him to the assembled audience. Swami Ishatmananda Ji spoke on the nature of Divine Grace and how we as devotees, should prepare ourselves so that we deserve the Grace.

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  • The Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre at Dublin in Ireland celebrated Christmas in a holy atmosphere. The occasion was marked with a warm ‘Welcome Back’ Reception to Swami Vimokshananda on Sunday, 22 December 2018. He was earlier here in June 2018 when he was appointed as Minister in Charge of the new fledgeling Centre.
    Carol songs were sung as part of Christmas Celebration. One devotee Mr Basil Conroy read out a part from the Gospel of St Luke that describes the divine birth of Jesus.

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    Another devotee Mr Jeff Delmar read an inspiring article on the Love of Jesus comparing with the Love of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.
    Swami Purnananda explained the significance of the passages from the readings to the audience. Swami Vimokshananda narrated the incident that happened at Antpur, West Bengal, India where Naren (later Swami Vivekananda) expounded on the wonderful life of sacrifice led by Jesus.
    All devotees partook the prasad at the close of the Celebration. The shrine was tastefully decorated for the occasion when about 50 people gathered. A few children were also present who joined the carol singing.

  • Today, I remember with nostalgia the wonderful Sri Jagaddhatri Puja held every year at Ramakrishna Mission TB Sanatorium in Ranchi District. By Her grace, I had the best moments of my life by organising for twelve years, this mammoth function where more than twenty thousand people were given lunch prasad! Many devotees requested me for the Jagaddhatri Stotram which I reproduce below with English Transliteration. By reading this Stotram, the grace of Divine Mother Sri Jagaddhatri will be ours. Earlier this Blog has published two posts on Mother Jagaddhatri. Links are given below:

    Joyous Jagaddhatri

    Magnanimous Mother

    श्री जगद्धात्री स्तोत्रम्

    आधाररूपे चाधेये धृतिरूपे धुरन्धरे ।
    ध्रुवे ध्रुवपदे धीरे जगद्धात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ १॥
    शवाकारे शक्तिरूपे शक्तिस्थे शक्तिविग्रहे ।
    शक्ताचारप्रिये देवि जगद्धात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ २॥
    जयदे जगदानदे जगदेकप्रपूजिते ।
    जय सर्वगते दुर्गे जगद्धात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ३॥
    सूक्ष्मातिसूक्ष्मरूपे च प्राणापानादिरूपिणि ।
    भावाभावस्वरूपे च जगद्धात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ४॥
    कालाधिरूपे कालेशे कालाकालविभेदिनि ।
    सर्वस्वरूपे सर्वज्ञे जगद्धात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ५॥
    महाविघ्ने महोत्साहे महामाये वरप्रदे ।
    प्रपञ्चसारे साध्वीशे जगद्धात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ६॥
    आगम्ये जगतामाद्ये माहेश्वरि वराङ्गने ।
    अशेषरूपे रूपस्थे जगद्धात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ७॥
    तीर्थयज्ञ-तपोदान-य्योगसारे जगन्मयि ।
    त्वमेव सर्वं सर्वस्थे जगद्धात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ८॥
    दयारूपे दयादृष्टे दयार्द्रे दुःखमोचनि ।
    सर्वापत्तारिके दुर्गे जगद्धात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ९॥
    आगम्यधाम-धामस्थे महायोगीश-हृत्पुरे ।
    अमेयभावकूटस्थे जगद्धात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ १०॥
    
    इति श्रीजगद्धात्रीस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ।
    
    Sri Jagaddhatri Stotram
    
    AdhArarUpe chAdheye dhRRitirUpe dhurandhare | 
    dhruve dhruvapade dhIre jagaddhAtri namo.astu te || 1 ||
    shavAkAre shaktirUpe shaktisthe shaktivigrahe |
    shAktAchAra priye devi jagaddhAtri namo.astu te || 2 ||
    jayade jagadAnande jagadeka prapUjjite |
    jaya sarvagate durge jagaddhAtri namo.astu te || 3 ||
    sUkShmAti sukShmarUpe cha prANapAnAdi rUpiNi |
    bhAvAbhAva svarUpe cha jagaddhAtri namo.astu te || 4 ||
    kAlAdirUpe kAleshe kAlAkAla vibhedini |
    sarvasvarUpe sarvaGYe jagaddhAtri namo.astu te || 5 ||
    mahAvighne mahotsAhe mahAmAye varaprade |
    prapanchasAre sAdhvIshe jagaddhAtri namo.astu te || 6 ||
    agamye jagatAmAdhye mAheshvari varA~Ngane |
    asheSha rUpe rUpasthe jagaddhAtri namo.astu te || 7 ||
    tIrtha yaGYa tapodAna yogasAre jaganmayi |
    tvameva sarvaM sarvasthe jagaddhAtri namo.astu te || 8 ||
    dayArUpe dayAdRRiShTe dayArdra duHkhamochani |
    sarvApattArike durge jagaddhAtri namo.astu te || 9 ||
    agamyadhAma dhAmasthe mahAyogisha-hRRitpure |
    ameyabhAva kUtasthe jagaddhAtri namo.astu te || 10 ||  
    
    iti Sri Jagaddhatri stotram sampoornam |
    
    Transliteration courtesy: Subhodeep Mukhopadhyay
    
    A few snaps of Sri Jagadddhatri Puja of this year 2018 at Ramakrishna Mission TB Sanatorium, Ranchi 
    Photos Courtesy: Debu Bhowmik, Ranchi

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  • “Deepavali” – Is Kali black?
    ——————–
    On Sunday, the 4th November 2018, brother monk Swami Shantatmananda requested me to deliver a Talk on the “Deepavali” Festival. It was held at the Sarada Auditorium. Deepavali is not a stand alone Festival as it is preceded by two other holy occasions and followed by another two holy occasions, thus can be in effect it is a Five-day Festival! I gave a synopsis of these five days’ occasions and went into introspective mode of discussing whether these five days can be imagined as linear progress in material and mental spheres of the human soul. While bringing up the topic of Kali Puja that is widely observed in the eastern parts of India on the Deepavali amavasya night, obviously the discussion veered round to a point of view on the subject of Mother Kali and the concept behind Her worship…
    This lecture can be heard here:

    A few snaps of that evening below:

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