Vishwabhanu - Dec - Jan 2013

DECEBBER 2012_JANUARY 2013

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VOLUME 2 –ISSUE 5

A Bi-monthly bulletin of Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation

As we watch India slipping into abysmal depths of lawlessness, immorality and terrorism, the thought that should reverberate in our minds should be Swamiji’s words – “Shall India die? Then from the world all spirituality will be extinct; all moral perfection will be extinct; all sweet-souled sympathy for religion will be extinct; all ideality will be extinct; and in its place will reign the duality of lust and luxury as the male • and female deities, with money as its priest, fraud, force and competition its ceremonies and the human soul its sacrifice. Such a thing can never be.” If India dies, not only the ozone layer but also the spiritual fragrance • which alone can purify the earth’s polluted atmosphere will disappear in toto. These thoughts brought into focus the advice of revered Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj, way back in 1981. He said that “the present day society is full of raw wounds, oozing with puss and blood with hardly any healthy tissue.” It is the duty of those who adore Swamiji to keep alive these healthy tissues by absorbing unto themselves Swamijis idealism. Youthful dedicated workers can do that service, if not anything else – live and work totally devoid of selfish motivations, with a sense of detachment and love for the country and countrymen. If we do so we would become the living tissues and can transform ourselves into centres of active regeneration of values.

M. Lakshmi Kumari

Aghosa Samity meeting at Panchayat level Geeta Jayanthi

•

Sankalpa Divasam

•

Matrupuja

•

VK Jayanthi Competitions

•

12 th JanuaryNational Youth Day, Sobha Yatra

•

Swami Vivekananda Jayanthi celebration

Swamijis 150th Birth anniversary should become an occasion for this regeneration of new, healthy, active live tissues of idealism. Swamijis is not with us any more but his thoughts are very much with us which can be • used as our tonic for our own regeneration first. Let us remember • Swamiji’s words “Atmano mokshartham jagat hitaya ca—” that each thought, word and deed should lead to our expansion and in turn result in • the welfare of the society. One thought which may arise in our mind is what can I an individual do to change the destiny of the country? When such a thought comes let us remember the little story from Tagore, ‘when the sun was about to set, he called out to the world to find out if anyone could bring some light to remove the darkness.’ No answer came, but a small fire fly shouted back “I with my small little light shall be going round in the darkness bringing a little bit of light where nothing but darkness exists.” Let this small firefly show us the way.

Inauguration of Vivekananda Yoga Club

Regular activities Didi’s programs Special report


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VIVEKANANDA YOGA CLUB

Official inauguration of the Vivekananda Yoga Club of S.N.M. Maliankara College , Moothakunnam, took place on the 7th December, in the campus auditorium of the college. Sreemad Swami Sadbhavanandaji Maharaj of Thrissur Sri Ramakrishna Math was invited to inaugurate the programme. Man. Lakshmi Didi was the Chief Guest and Sri Sudhakarji the Speaker. About thousand five hundred students attended. All the three speakers emphasised on the strength giving, confidence building thoughts of Swami Vivekananda, knowing about whom was the need of the hour. Weekly Yoga classes started on 14th December. 110 students from all the departments registered their names.

13th of December at 6p.m, SV Sarda Shati Aaghosha Samity meeting was held for the formation of Taluk level Committee. Sri Eswaranji, Prof. Bhagavan Pilli, Sri Godavarma Tamburan were present and Didi presided. 100 people including members of all works of life settled in Kodungallur Municipality

were

present

for

the

meeting.

Mananeeya Didi will be the patron, Sri Sivanji was made the Taluk level in-charge and KB Satishanji the chief convener

of Kodungallur Municipality

area. The meeting concluded at 8 pm.

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On the 18th December, Gita Chanting Competition was conducted for the junior school children. About six children from class III to Class V group and eight students from Class VI group participated. All of them were from Amrita Vidyalayam. Due to exams other schools could not send their children

for the competition. For the first

group chanting from memory, ten slokas from 12th chapter and for the second group fifteen slokas were kept. Ten Shishuvihar children also participated in the programme. Gita Jayanthi was celebrated on 23rd of December. Smt Kalpana Ganesh of Edapilli, Kochi was the Chief Guest for the programmme who inaugurated the programme by lighting the lamp. While speaking to the audience numbering fifty, Smt Kalpana spoke on the importance of Bhagavat Gita and how it cultures the mind of little children. She reminded that it is the duty of the mothers alone to mould their children and develop in them the taste for Bhagavat Gita. Smt. Kalpana also gave away the prizes for the prize winners of Gita chanting competition.

A very small amount of religious work performed, brings a large amount of result. Swami Vivekananda


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December 25th to 27th , 1892, were the days on which Swamiji meditated on the Rock at Kanyakumari. In the view of this, 25th December has been chosen by the Sarda Shati committee as the day for ‘Sankalpa Divas’ ,all over India. Vedic Vision Foundation, Anandadham, Kodungallur was the venue for Sankalpa Divas for all the workers and wellwishers belonging to Kodungallur Municipality area. On the 25th December, on Tuesday, the programme started at 10 am .Eighty five workers including all the inmates of Anandadham, took part. The programme ended by 11.30a.m.

The Sweeper A story for contemplation A highly uncultured peasant, of advanced age, comes to the doors of a monastery. When they open them, he explains himself like this," Friendly monks, I am a man with a lot of faith. I want to receive teachings." The monks talk among themselves, at the side of the newly arrived. When they verify his lack of culture, they think that he is not able to receive teachings and much less methods of self-development, but since he seems a man of faith, they tell him, "Look, good man, you are going to be in charge of sweeping the monastery every day. You may stay here and will have room and board." Months after, the monks start to see that each day the peasant is found more tranquil, with a semi-smile always drawn on his lips and a special shining in his eyes. He exhale true tranquility and is seen happy and balanced. It is so that the monks, bewildered, ask him, "Good man, it looks that during these months you have undergone a great spiritual evolution. Are you practicing any special method?" And the man answers, "Brothers, the only thing I do, with a lot of attention, clarity and love, is to sweep the monastery. I put all my vigilance and precision in that one too, when sweeping the garbage I think that I am sweeping from myself the rancor, deceptions, greed and hatred. And each day I am happier."

It is a great thing to take up a grand ideal in life and then give up one’s whole life to it. Swami

Vivekananda


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Matru Puja On 5th January 2013, along with Sandeepani Sisuvihar’s annual Matru Puja, Pada puja of the neighboring grandmothers ( ammamas) was also performed. After Bhagavathi Seva done by Sri Sivanji of the Gurupadam group, the mothers of Sishuvihar students were seated in a row facing their children, while all the thirty grandmothers were seated in two other rows. The children performed pada puja of their mothers and the grannies were worshipped by the inmates of Anandadham. The elderly women who participated, deeply appreciated the pooja. All the mothers , grannies and the children had lunch together. All could feel the silent blessings uttered by the old ladies most of who were deprived of this sought of affection at their homes.

The ideal of perfect women hood is perfect independence Swami Vivekananda

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Interschool patriotic and folk group song competitions were conducted on Tuesday,8th January. Ten schools participated. But for the sudden announcement of bus strike on that day ,many more children would have taken part in the competitions. Inspite of that eighty five students turned up along with their teachers and parents. Our judges were – Sri Balakrishnan master from Chennai and Smt Jayashri Satish , from Paravur. Programme started at10 am with deepa prajwalan by Didi . Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan topped the list in the patriotic song contest, while Govt Girls’ Higher Secondary School bagged the first prize in Folk song contest. The trophies for the competitions were claimed by these schools. The programme concluded at 1p.m. with Shanti Mantra.

Art, Science and Religion are but three diﬀerent ways of expressing a single truth.

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On 12th January, Shobha Yatra started from the South Nada ‘Bhagavathi Amman temple at 4.30 pm and reached Vivekananda Kendra campus ( 1 km ) at 5.15 pm. 4 major schools of Kodungallur viz Amrita Vidyalayam, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Phoenix Public School and Gurushree Public School took part. Tiny tots of Sandeepani Shishuvihar, children of Vinayakapuram, Samskarvarg children were also present. A total of 729 children, 150 teachers, 110 parents and other officials totaling 1250 in all, participated in the Shobha Yatra. Band troop of Phoenix School added to the grandeur of the rally . A number of students dressed in the attire of Swamiji , Sri Sarada Ma and Sri Ramakrishna were represented from each school. Amrita school had a tabloid of Sri Ramakrishna , Sri Sarada Ma and Swamiji. Concluding function took place in Vivekananda Kendra campus. Principal of Govt Girl’s Higher Secondary School, Kodungallur Smt Asha Anand was the Chief Guest . The Municipal councillors were also present. Smt Asha and Didi, spoke in the function. Smt Asha Anand spoke on Swamiji as an educationist and how one and all should adopt the path traced by Swamiji Function concluded with Shanthi mantra.

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On

Sunday,

13th

January,

Vivekananda

Jayanthi was celebrated at Anandadham at a public function open to all the people of Kodungallur. About 300 people attended the Chief guest being welcomed

Audience watching with rapt attention

function. M.L.A.Sri T.N Pratapan was the Chief Guest. Sri Prabodh Kumar ( Saraswathi Vidyaniketan,

L: Deepa

Kodakara)

was

the

Chief

Speaker. The Chief Guest was welcomed by

prajwalana, by chief guest

Kum. Anushka of Sandeepani Sishuvihar. dressed as Swamiji.

R: Book release by Chief guest, T.N .Pratapan

Apart from prize distribution for the winners of the patriotic and folk group song competitions which were held on 8th JanuWinners of running trophies for Patriotic and folk group song competitions

ary, Sri Pratapan also released the bound copy of Didi’s compilation entitled ’ Incredible India , Love India As Swami Vivekananda Loved her 'containing 366 thoughts of Swamiji with her commentaries

. The running

trophy for patriotic group competition went Scholarships being given to deserving students by Didi

to Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and that of Folk Song competition went to G.G.H.S.S Kodungallur. Ten meritorious needy students , five each from classes X and XII were given scholarships of Rs 500/- each and Sreedevi

Talk by Sri Prabodh Kumar of Saraswathi Vidya Niketan, Kodakara

Yoga Demonstration by students of Gurushree School, Pullut

Memorial Award of Rs 1000/,newly instituted in the name of late Mrs Sreedevi Namboodaripad , our close well-wisher, went to the best all-rounder of class XI Miss V.S. Sifna of the same school. There was a beautiful yoga demonstration with background music, by the students of Gurushree Public School under the guidance of their yoga teacher Smt Jaya Radha Krishnan who is also the first yoga satra participant of Anandadham.


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Samskar varga went on well at two places with 6 to 15 children attending the Sunday morning classes at Anandadham and with 20 children at Vinyakapuram, near Karur madam every month.

10 children were present for the weekly yoga class on Saturdays and Sundays. 7 ladies and five gents were present for yoga

satras

and 9 people were there for Yoga varga and 4 ladies attended the regular pranayama class. Six children were present for the follow up

camp

held

on

30th

December. They were made to contemplate on their negative and positive qualities and then find out the possible means of correcting their negative points and strengthening their positive to become better.

Ganapathi homam and Sri Chakra Puja were conducted on the pournami day. On 28th December 2012 Dr Vijayan and his wife from Gurupadam came for the puja and 27th January 2013, puja and homam were conducted by Sri Dilip Kumar.

Regular study classes on Sri Lalitha Sahasra Namam by Sri Girishji are being conducted on the last Saturday and Sunday of every month in the evenings. At present he is dealing with the elaborate explanation of the 72th sloka. of Sri Lalitha Sahasra Nama.

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CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA AT ANANDADHAM

Kunjunni Tamburan Smaraka Kala Sadassu, in collaboration with Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation ,conducted a dance recital of Kootiyattam. The topic of dance was ‘Subhadra Dhanjayam’. Performed by wellknown artist Sri Ammannur Rajanish Chakiar, Sri

Kalamandalam

Narayanan Nambiar and Sri Kalamandalam Ravi Kumar were at the Mizhavu, Sri Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan at the the Edakka and Sri Pothiyil Ranjit Chakiar was the narrator. Enacting as Subhadra, Dhananjaya, Kunthimata and other characters performed by a single performer as the name of the dance ‘Kootiyattam (Kooti–all characters together, attam-dance), with his mudras and facial expressions kept the audience spellbound. Ofcourse the narrator of the performance group gave an elaborate explanation of the dance performance before it began which made it easy for the audience to understand the tough mudras and facial expressions of the performer. More than hundred people were present for the programme which started at 6.30 p.m. and continued till 8p.m.

Flag hoisting in the campus was at 10 am. Didi hoisted the flag . Sishuvihar children , their parents and a few samskar varga children were present along with the inmates of Anandadham. On the same day ‘Kutumba Sangamam’ of Sishuvihar students and their parents and welwishers of Vivekananda Kendra was also kept . A number of games were kept for them,viz memory test, passing the parcel and musical chair. There was a quiz on Swamiji and extempore speech on swamiji’s thought. This was followed by lunch. Each family had brought one item for lunch which was shared by all.

The great quality of Bhak% is that it cleanses the mind.

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DIDI”S PRABHASANAMS DURING DECEMBER AND JANUARY 1st December Vidyadhiraja School , Angamali 8th December

Sri Ram Temple, Thalassery

15th December

Sukrutam”, Edavilangu , Matrusamagamam

22nd December

Vidyaniketan, Chalakudy, Matrupuja

23rd December

Chenmanganad, Sarda shati programme

26th December

Paralikad, Bhagavata Satra

27th December

N.S.S. Perinjanam, Message for women

30th December

Vishnu Yagam, Ponkunnam,Thrissur

1st January

SVYAS– Prashantikuteeram ,V.K.V.Bangaluru.

12th January

Shobhayatra-Kodungallur

13th January

Public function of Vivekananda jayanthi in the campus

14th January

Inauguration of ‘Sukritam” Edavilangu and IJK West Gita Pathanam Group

22th January

Sivan temple at Valappad

28th &29thJanuary

Jalgaon University– Message of Swamiji : Viveka Sopanam.

30th & 31st & 1st

Vivekananda Kendra,Nasik .

February

Vivekananda Kendra,Pune

On the 2nd of December , Didi was honored with a shawl and citation by the Pustakotsavam Samity at the 16th international Book fair (Antharastraiya Pustakotsavam), Kochi, in recognition of the services rendered by her to the spread of Swamiji’s thoughts throughout the state. Sri Anoop Jacob, Minister Civil Supplies, gave away the award. On the auspicious day of Kalpataru Divas and in commemoration of Swamiji’s 150th birth anniversary, this year, on the 1st of January, Didi was honored with the ‘Vivekananda Vibhuti Award’ for her life time contribution to the society, by Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhan Samsthana, Prasanthikuteeram, Bengaluru. Dr.H.R. Nagendra, the

present President of VYASA institute, Dr

Nagarathna, Dean, Yoga & Physical Sciences and Chief Medical Officer - Arogya Dhama, Dr Subramaniam, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the institute ,presented Didi with a shawl, cheque of Rs 51000/-a framed picture of Swamiji and a citation .

What makes one man great and another weak and low is Shraddha.

Swami Vivekananda


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DR. M. LAKSHMI KUMARI In one of the lectures delivered by Swamiji at Chicago Parliament of Religions we come across an idea that all those cultures and civilizations which had an existence “like a frog in the well”, refusing to enlarge their vision of the expansive world outside have died a natural death. This idea he reiterated again and again through his famous utterance “Expansion is life and contraction is death”. We can see this idea again in his concern for India and her ever-living’ spiritual traditions in the following famous quotation “Shall India Die?” Then from the world all spirituality will be extinct; all moral perfection will be extinct; all sweet-souled sympathy for religion will be extinct; all ideality will be extinct; and in its place will reign the duality of lust and luxury as the male and female deities with money as its priest, fraud, force, competition as its ceremonies and the human soul its sacrifice. Such a thing can never be”. To preserve Bharat in all her immortal pristine glory, raising her once again to the position of Universal Mother and Teacher, for the well being of the entire humanity is the onerous task that Swami Vivekananda has bequeathed to the youth of our country. From time immemorial, it is the youth, absorbing the eternal values of Satya and Dharma, allowing them to throb through their life impulses and to percolate into the society that has preserved the Indian spiritual heritage. One can shirk that responsibility, only at one’s own peril and at the risk of plunging the entire humanity into strife and chaos. It is this neglect and shirking of the responsibility that has led to the degradation of our nation. When the world civilizations were in their infancy, just learning to take their first steps through the corridors of history, out Motherland was also very much a part of them. She was, however, endowed fortunately with a rare insight, far sight and foresight. She was ever ready to give her helping hands to all the sister cultures in this steep ascent to the pinnacle of everlasting Life. But unfortunately, almost all of them chose to let go her grip and at some point or other faltered and fell down to be crushed under the mighty wheels of time. All along the steep pathway’s to this pinnacle of glory our ancient seers had kept signposts and guidelines so that those who came behind would not suffer from the lack of clear vision. It is such clarion calls to the entire human race that lie scattered in the most ancient of world literature the Vedas and Upanishads. ‘Uttishtata jagrata , prapya varaan nibodhata’ Kshurasya dhara nisitha niratyaaa…… Isavasyamidam sarvam…….. Tena tyaktena bhunjeetha Tameva viditwa ati mruthumeti Nanya pantha vidyate ayanaya….. So on and so forth. Each one of them is a call to the erring humanity to rectify their mistakes. Each is an exhortation to turn away from pursuing the self-destroying path of Preyas (purely materialistic pursuits) and to turn to Sreyas (the path of enlightenment). Unfortunately, addicted as their


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people were to material pleasures they did not heed the words of this wise old mother. And the result, almost all of them have disappeared from the world map of modern civilization. In our own land too though the majority were enamoured of the glamour and lure of the material, armed with the ideal of Purusharthas which kept Dharma and Moksha at the beginning and end of Artha, Kama combination, a good number of discriminative youthful intellects made it their life’s mission to follow these guidelines and helped to create an eternal monument to the glory of manhood- the Sanathana Dharma which remains to this day an ideal and a hope for the entire human race. These youth kept India rejuvenating herself through their own ideal lives. Their enrichments were in different fields of human activity, yet they all converged to one point, the Eternal Truth. It is this one Truth, which they all glorified through their multifarious activities and efforts. Some of them were ascetics as we see in the galaxy of Indian rishis, some were princes, some kings, and some of them very very common simple individuals. The list includes a good number of women as well. Is there anyone comparable to a Nachiketa, Satyakama, Sri Rama, Bharata, Prahlada, Dhruva, Janaka, Yudhishtira, Anjaneya, Gargi, Maitreyi, Sita, Urmila, Radha? Anywhere in the world literature? From the legendary times we move on to Sankara, Chaitanya, Sri Ramakrishna, and Vivekananda in modern times and see it was the youth who always upheld the banner of Satya and Dharma and established them as the cardinal pillars of Indian heritage. It is indeed strange that only in our country that even the ordinary conversations between a husband and wife or a king and his preceptor carried with it the quality of the dialogue between a teacher and disciple which in turn crystallized into an Upanishad of universal importance and application as they were all commentaries on human life on what is to be done or not to be done in the pursuit of excellence, in the pursuit of truth. The sum total of all these glorified the goal and purpose of human life, in essence, Dharma, a word even the meaning of which is difficult for an outsider to comprehend, leave alone to follow. Following Swamiji, Sister Nivedita reiterates this message in her own inimitable style “India’s youth has to add to the world knowledge through their lives based on Dharma and simultaneously enrich their mother culture….. Only the fully national can possibly contribute to the cosmo national - only the tree that is firmly rooted in its own soil can offer us a perfect crown of leaves and blossoms. And similarly, only the heart that responds perfectly to the claims of the immediate environment, only the character that fulfills to the utmost its strict civic duty, only this heart and mind is capable of talking its place in the ranks of the truly cosmopolitan.” “The indianising of India, the organizing of our national thoughts, the laying out of our ‘line of march, all this is to be done by us, not by others on our behalf. Our task is translate ancient Indian knowledge into modern equivalents. We have to cloth the old strength in a new form. New form without the old strength is nothing but a mockery. ***********************

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Those who adore Swami Vivekananda cannot but greet the month of September without a thrill. One is reminded of the World Parliament of Religions and the appearance of the young dynamic youthful Swami from India on their stage on 11th September, who shattered the fond hope of the organizers to convert the parliament into a forum to project the superiority of their own religion and culture, through five simple eloquent, soul-stirring words. “Sisters and Brothers of America’’ By addressing the sisters and brothers of the newest nation he also delivered a magnificent gift to his sisters and brothers of this most ancient nation. They can be put simply in a few words- pride in their country’s time tested religion and culture. From there starts the saga of Swami Vivekananda’s life and teachings. Four times in his three – minute lecture, he emphasized his pride in belonging to this eternally alive tradition, thereby drawing the attention of the whole world to what they had been missing in India when they looted and exploited her, and written her off as worthless. His speech came as a challenge to them to reevaluate India. The future expansion of India certainly lies in continuing our efforts in the glorification of human life pursuing the path of Satya and Dharma. Even a little knowledge of this, as Sri Krishna puts in Gita can save us from great calamities in life. In fact it is these values, which have preserved India throughout her incomparable long existence. These values more than ever need perpetuation today, not through books, dogmas, rituals, temples or constitutional amendments, but through throbbing dedicated human lives so that they stand renewed and revived, simultaneously, rejuvenating our great Mother land and enriching our world civilization. To restore our Mother back to her vigour, health and glory we have to make use of the most modern scientific knowledge blending it with our ancient wisdom. This tonic has to be mixed with portion of our hearts aspirations. It also needs curing in the fumes of our self-sacrifice. Definitely it is a better way of living than wasting our precious lives through addiction to drugs, alcohol or other varieties of self-destroying influences. Our Youth should strive for Eternal Life through their selfless surrender to the ideals our nation has always upheld. This is the challenge, which the Indian youth faces today. If we cling on to the old without allowing it to become our own lives’ experience we would become “kupamandukas” (frogs in the well) which sooner or later would lead to our cultural and spiritual death. That would also mean closing our doors on expansion, growth and freedom. Those who adore Swamiji have to see that these universal values in life are restored and not lost forever. Otherwise it would also mean the death of the most unifying and Universal Spiritual Tradition in the world. Such a thing can never be…..

VIVEKANANDA KENDRA VEDIC VISION FOUNDATION ANANDADHAM, SRINGAPURAM KODUNGALLUR, PIN 680664. KERALA

Ph. No : 0480-2803349, 2805780, 2812780

Email ID : [email protected]

Vishwabhanu - Dec - Jan 2013

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