Vol. 129, No.

1
January 2024
Periodicity: Monthly
Publication city: Kolkata
PB RABUDDHA
HARATA
3

`: 125/-

Managing Editor Advaita Mysticism

Swami Shuddhidananda

Editor Contents
Swami Vireshananda

Associate Editor 1 Traditional Wisdom

Swami Jnanishananda 5 Editorial: Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati:
Production Editor A Confluence of the East and the West
Swami Paramahamsananda 10 A Letter of Holy Mother and
Cover Design Advaitic Ideal of Mayavati Ashrama
Sudhir Mirage Notes by Swami Videhatmananda
Circulation 14 Dimensions of Mystical Experience
Indrajit Sinha, Tapas Jana Swami Bhajanananda
22 Mayavati Advaita Ashrama:
Editorial Office
A Dreamland of Swami Vivekananda
Prabuddha Bharata
Advaita Ashrama Swami Chetanananda
PO Mayavati, Via Lohaghat 26 Evidence of the Self in Everyday Experience
Dt Champawat · 262 524 Swami Atmarupananda
Uttarakhand, India
Tel: 91 · 98316 98812 33 Shravana-Manana-Nididhyasana: Vedantic Sadhana
(Whatsapp call only) Swami Nityasthananda
[email protected]
38 Mayavati Ashrama: Its First Newspaper-report
Printed and Published by Swami Videhatmananda
Swami Vedavratananda 41 Mysticism in Spiritual Life
Swami Satyapriyananda
Publication Office
Advaita Ashrama 47 ‘Advaita must become living, poetic, in everyday life’
5 Dehi Entally Road Swami Atmapriyananda
Kolkata · 700 014
West Bengal, India 54 Mysticism in Mythology
Tel: 91 · 7439664481 / 7603067067 Pravrajika Shuddhatmaprana
[email protected]
61 Raja Yoga—A Path leading to the Realm of Advaita
Internet Edition
www.advaitaashrama.org Pravrajika Brahmaprana

PRABUDDHA BHARATA (OR AWAKENED INDIA)

A monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order started by Swami Vivekananda in 1896
4

67 The ‘A Horseman Hidden In The Dust’: The Sufi Tradition Of Jalal-Al-Din Rumi
Swami Atmajnanananda
72 Advaita Mysticism
Swami Satyamayananda
77 The Beginning of Advaitic Studies in the Ramakrishna Mission
Swami Dakshajananda
83 Sri Ramakrishna and the Ashtavakra Samhita
Swami Madhurananda
92 Demystifying Mysticism
Swami Vidyanathananda
98 An Expedition through Advaita: From Mysticism to Metaphysics
Swami Jnanasudhananda
103 Death Begrimed and Black
Swami Krishnasakhananda
108 Bondage and Freedom of the Soul: The Bhamati’s Perspective
Vachaspati Mishra and His Works
Swami Vedarthananda
118 Advaitic Mysticism in Upanishads
Swami Aghaharananda
124 The Egalitarian Model of Mysticism of the Ramakrishna Order
Swami Paravarananda
127 Sadashiva Brahmendra: A Poet-Mystic Saint of South India
Swami Pramathadhipananda
133 The Ultimate Fringe of Advaitic Thinking: The ‘Fringe Benefits’ of Shaktadvaitavada
Babaji Bob Kindler
138 The Well of Peace
Dr Alan Hunter
144 What Makes the Four Yogas Work?
Swami Vivekananda’s Philosophy of Advaitic Pluralism
Jeffery D. Long
152 Advaita Ashrama at Mayavati: Historical Significance in the
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Movement
Dr Jayasree Mukhopadhyay
 5

161 Reflections on Oneness from a Christian Practitioner

Rachel Mary Joanna
174 Mystical Experiences in the Four Stages of Spiritual Development: Some Examples
Gopal Stavig
179 The ‘Descendant Path’ to Realisation of That: Advaita Mysticism for a New Yuga
Patrick Beldio
186 Thoreau and Whitman: American Mystics
Anna Hourihan
192 Ramana, Dialogue, and the Value of Spiritual Testimony
Dr Thomas A. Forsthoefel
199 Swami Ashokananda and Advaita
Dr Arpita Mitra
206 Tyagaraja, the Mystic
Sudha Emany
211 The Mysticism of Alvars and Nayanmars
Prema Raghunathan
216 Reports

Artist's Concept of the Cover Page

Advaita—The Universal Oneness:
With the grace of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami
Vivekananda experienced Nirvikalpa Samadhi
during his formative years. In an endeavor to
promote the profound ideals of ancient Advaita
Philosophy, he aspired to establish a haven
where these principles would be authentically
practiced. Hence, Advaita Ashrama at Mayavati
came into existence.
Several years later, Swamiji experienced
profound joy upon visiting the place, a mani-
festation perfectly aligned with his spiritual The illustration on the cover page serves as a
vision. Here, he likely encountered the tran- modest tribute, expressing Swamiji's complete
scendent essence of Advaita, sensing a univer- identification with the Advaita Ashrama and its
sal interconnectedness that offered a uniquely boundless, expansive surroundings.
transformative experience. —Sudhir Mirage
 15

EDITORIAL
Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati:
A Confluence of the East and the West

A dvaita Asharama, Mayavati is celebrating

its 125 years of glorious existence. This
Ashrama, in its significance, transcends
the physical barrier and leaps into the transcen-
dental realm of the Oneness of existence and the
Divinity of the human being—the two cardinal
principles of Advaita philosophy. It is not just an
Ashrama with buildings of bricks and mortar;
it is the personification of Advaita way of living,
a dream of Swami Vivekananda that has come Advaita Ashrama at Mayavati (Early days)

true. Its beautiful natural environs sing the glory the people as is evident in the frequent eruption
of Brahman, the ultimate cause of this universe of conflicts— even in this age —based on reli-
and Its identification with the individual self. Its gion, race, and nationality. Hence we can safely
heritage and legacy have been interwoven with say that physical connectedness through techno-
the struggles and sacrifices of scores of dedicated logical means has failed to meet the expectation
monks, who gave up their lives at the altar of of leading to global harmony and peace.
their cherished goal. In all, Advaita Ashrama, The next higher level of confluence is intellec-
Mayavati, stands for the highest principle of life tual confluence, which has been going on for many
one can live on this earth. years among several nations. The study of culture
and civilisations, exchange of ideas, and cooper-
Sangama ation in the form of of combined academic pro-
Sangama is a beautiful word in Sanskrit, which grams have enriched world literature and culture
indicates the tone and spirit of the word ‘con- and have contributed to a better understanding
fluence’. The idea of confluence can be under- and sympathy among nations. However, such an
stood in three realms: 1. Physical Confluence attempt has not been able to achieve brotherhood
2. Intellectual Confluence and 3.Spiritual Con- and oneness among the citizens of the world.
fluence. Meeting and blending in the physical The highest level of confluence is the spiritual
sense is more possible in this age of globalisa- confluence that Advaita Vedanta stands for. It
tion than ever before. The world has literally be- declares that differences between men and women
come a global village, in which communication are but false representations of the one Divine
and exchange of knowledge and information are Reality. In Advaita, every human being is a mani-
done seamlessly through widespread internet festation of the Universal Truth, which is of the
networks. However, such physical confluence nature of spiritual consciousness. This is the real
has failed to bring about ‘belongingness’ among confluence where all the differences vanish and only

Prabuddha Bharata January 2024 5

 20

A Letter of Holy Mother and

Advaitic Ideal of Mayavati Ashrama
With Explanatory Notes by Swami Videhatmananda
(We are deeply indebted to Swami Chetanananda, the minister-in-charge, Vedanta Society of St. Louis, USA,
for making the facsimiles of the two letters reproduced here available to Prabuddha Bharata. - Editor)

W
hile Swami Vivekananda was
in Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati in
January 1901, a historical incident
occurred with respect to the fundamental idea
and aim behind founding this monastery. It is
regarding the prohibition of the ritualistic form
of religion within the precincts of Ashrama. The
first official Biography of Swamiji, which was
written under the guidance of and edited by
Swami Virajananda, who also happened to be
present there, describes the incident as follows:
‘A Thakur-ghar, or worship-room, contain-
ing the Image of Sri Ramakrishna, had from
sometime previous been established at the
Ashrama at the earnest desire of some of the in-
mates. When the Swami arrived, he chanced one
morning to see this room and found that regular
Thakur-Puja was being conducted in the Advaita
Ashrama, with flowers, incense and other of-
ferings. He said nothing at the time, but that
evening when all were gathered about the fire-
place, he spoke vehemently in denunciation of criticise. Besides, it was under the training of his
Thakur-Puja in an Advaita Ashrama. It should own Master and by his blessing that he himself
never have been done. Here attention was to be had become an Advaitin [non-dualist], and he
paid only to the subjective elements of religion, was well aware that while Sri Ramakrishna had
such as, private meditation, individual and col- ordained him to preach and teach all religious
lective studying of the Scriptures, and the teach- ideas, he had emphasised those of the Advaita-
ing and culture of the highest spiritual monism, vada [non-dualism], in his case.’1
free from any dualistic weakness or dependence. Later that month, when Swamiji returned
‘This Ashrama had been dedicated to Advaita to Belur Math, he alluded to the above matter
and Advaita alone. He had thus the right to and remarked in a tone of despair: ‘I thought

10 Prabuddha Bharata January 2024

 24

Dimensions of
Mystical Experience
Swami Bhajanananda

What Mysticism is a branch road in these religions, whereas mys-

T
here is nothing mysterious about mys- ticism forms the main road in Hinduism and
ticism. It means direct transcendental experi- other Indian religions.
ence, known in India as aparokṣānubhūti. It is often held that although religions of the
In Hinduism and all the other religions which world show great diversity in their outer expres-
originated in India, this aparokṣānubhūti is re- sions, they have a transcendental unity in mysti-
garded as the natural ultimate goal of all people. cism. That is to say, the transcendental experiences
A human being’s true nature is the Atman. It is of mystics in different religions are basically the
ignorance of this truth that is the cause of bond- same. On this point, Swami Vivekananda who
age to the wheel of Saṁsāra, and this ignorance was himself one of the greatest mystics has stated:
can be removed only through the direct mystical ‘Mystics in every religion speak the same tongue
realisation of God. So everyone is expected to and teach the same truth.’1 The well-known Ger-
strive for the direct realisation of God. Hence, man theologian Rudolf Otto wrote: ‘It is often
mysticism is regarded as a natural way of life, and claimed that mysticism is the same in all ages and
belongs to the mainstream of Hinduism. in all places, that it is timeless and independent of
In Christianity, Islam, and other religions history, it has always been identical. East and the
which originated in the Middle East, the at- West and other differences vanish here. Whether
tainment of Heaven is regarded as the ultimate the flower of mysticism blooms in India or China,
goal of life, and it is held that the attainment of in Persia or on the Rhine, its fruit is same.’2
Heaven is possible for all people who have true However, it is well known that the experi-
faith in God and who lead a moral life; direct ences of mystics of different religions, even of the
mystical experience is not an essential condition same religion, show irreducible differences. The
for the attainment of Heaven. Therefore mysti- mystical experiences of Saint Teresa and Mirabai,
cism remains only as a side road in these religions. the mystical experiences of Shankara and Eck-
Nevertheless, these Abrahamic religions pro- hart, of St. John of the Cross and Tukaram, are
duced a large number of great saints many of not the same. According to some scholars3, these
whom claimed to have direct mystical experi- differences can be explained on the basis of the
ence of God. But although the number of these differences in the cultures of those mystics. But
mystics is not small, mysticism is at best only this view is hardly convincing.

Types of Mysticism
A former Editor of Prabuddha Bharata, Revered Mysticism is generally classified into three types:
Swami Bhajananandaji Maharaj is a vice-president Soul-centred mysticism, God-centred mysticism,
of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission. and Nature-centred Mysticism.

14 Prabuddha Bharata January 2024

 32

Mayavati
Advaita Ashrama:
A Dreamland of Swami Vivekananda
Swami Chetanananda

I came to Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, on

1 December 1958 as a proofreader. Swami
Gambhirananda was the president at that
time. I worked in Calcutta and Mayavati for
twelve years, then was sent to Hollywood in
manager in Calcutta. Swami Tadrupananda was
the editor of Prabuddha Bharata. We then had
just got electricity in Mayavati, and had running
water. There were two toilets in the main build-
ing—one at the upstairs for the president and
1971. I made Advaita Ashrama my home and I another downstairs for all monks. One could
sincerely loved that centre. Even now when I reach the lower toilet by going around the exter-
visit India, I stay for a longer period in Advaita nal veranda. At night, the monks could not use
Ashrama than in other centres. Once at Belur the toilet on the lower floor due to fear of tigers
Math, a young monk teased me, saying, ‘Maharaj, and bears. So the president swami would keep
why do you stay at your “purva ashrama” instead the upper toilet door open. Near the kitchen,
of Belur Math?’ (It is considered disgraceful for there was a huge cauldron for boiling water in
a monk to return to his purva ashrama [pre-mo- the bathroom where we would bathe.
nastic home].) I replied, ‘Brother, there are a lot A man would come once a week from Loha-
of problems in the “Dvaita bhumi”, or the dual- ghat, who was our washerman, barber, carpenter,
istic plane, so I stay at “Advaita bhumi”, or the and repairperson. The mail carrier would come
nondualistic plane!’ I am blessed to have joined every day from Lohaghat with the mail, because
Advaita Ashrama, which helped me to grow. Mayavati has its own post office. The hospital’s
Mayavati Advaita Ashrama has produced deeply pharmacist was also the postmaster. The mail
spiritual and remarkably intellectual monks of carrier sometimes brought some of our groceries.
the Ramakrishna Order, many of whom became Lohaghat was then a very small place with few
presidents of the Order or came to the West. shops and a bus station. We always walked from
Lohaghat to Mayavati, which is around 9 kilo-
A Glimpse of Old Mayavati meters. We had no car. Dhan Singh was our
I went to Mayavati for the first time in 1970 agent in Lohaghat. He would help our visitors
and stayed for a few months, when I worked on and supply food.
Ramakrishna: A Biography in Pictures. In Advaita
Ashrama, at that time, Swami Budhananda was The Road to Mayavati
the president and Swami Smaranananda was the Let me tell you about the road from Lohaghat
to Mayavati. It was in 1950s, C. B. Gupta was
Swami Chetanananda is the minister-in-charge of the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. He was
the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, USA. a bachelor and an ardent devotee of Swamiji.

22 Prabuddha Bharata January 2024

 Mayavati Advaita Ashrama: A Dreamland of Swami Vivekananda 33

Mayavati Advaita Ashrama (Early Days)

He approached Gambhir Maharaj (Swami entrance. The president’s room, which had a
Gambhirananda) with the idea to build a road ‘sunroom’ of its own, was in the back. He would
from Lohaghat to Mayavati, and he would spend stay for 6 months out of the year to write and
six lakh rupees (one lac per mile at that time). edit books. The editor of Prabuddha Bharata
Gambhir Maharaj declined the offer because and his assistant lived on the upper floor of the
that would disturb the spiritual atmosphere of editor’s building; the cook and workers lived
Mayavati by inviting crowds. Mr Gupta was ad- on the bottom floor. We were 6 or 7 monks and
amant; he said: ‘Swami, I won’t listen to you. I brahmacharins. Dibyangshu Maharaj (Swami
will build that road not for you but for the poor Siddharthananda) would tease Manmatha
people who go to your hospital from far away. It Maharaj (Swami Satyavratananda), who was
is hard to carry a patient over the walking trail.’ the manager: ‘We are tired of seeing your face
It is as if Swami Vivekananda himself worked four times a day [at the dining table]. Please
through Mr. Gupta and now we enjoy the road. change your flat nose. Have a facelift.’ They
were close friends. At that time, there were sel-
The Living Quarters dom any visitors and if you wanted to see a new
In the main building, there were several small face, you would have to go to Lohaghat! In the
rooms made with wooden partitions under one afternoon, we played badminton or walked;
roof upstairs and monks would sleep there. then we had puffed rice (muri) with cucumber,
The cashier’s office was a ‘sunroom’ above the onion, and green chili, which was a favourite of

Prabuddha Bharata January 2024 23

 36

Evidence of the Self

in Everyday Experience
Swami Atmarupananda

A dvaita Vedanta makes extraordinary

claims: reality is one without a second,
beyond time, space, and causation,
without any qualities and therefore both incon-
ceivable and indescribable. The closest we can
negative sense used above. Moreover, each indi-
vidual is that reality—not a part of it, because it
is indivisible, but the whole of it.
One cannot get farther from common sense.
In our common sense world of experience,
come to a description is that it is existence itself, everything is unique, individual, separate and
consciousness itself, bliss itself. However, as Sri distinguishable from everything else. Everything
Shankaracharya says, that is not a definition, be- can be conceived of in the mind—otherwise,
cause ‘existence’, ‘consciousness’, and ‘bliss’ are we couldn’t even see it—and can therefore be
meant not as definitions but are used only to described. Everything not only possesses qual-
negate the idea that reality is non-existent, or ities, but qualities are all that we know.1 ‘Exist-
non-conscious, or non-blissful. Nor do these ence’ is a mere abstraction; we only know things
three terms imply that there are three aspects to that ‘exist’; and even to say that something exists
reality: Brahman is not ‘a being’ that is conscious is a mere abstraction of thought, as its existing
and blissful, but it is existence itself which is con- cannot be separated from the thing itself. Most
sciousness itself which is bliss itself, again in the of nature is insentient, without consciousness.
Consciousness itself is also a mere abstraction;
we only know conscious processes, whether
A former Assistant Editor of Prabuddha Bharata, thoughts or actions. ‘Infinity’, ‘unity’, ‘reality’—
Swami Atmarupananda is the president and spiritual all abstractions, useful for thinking but other-
director of the Centre Vedantique Ramakrishna, wise empty, much as imaginary numbers are
Gretz, France. useful in mathematics.

26 Prabuddha Bharata January 2024

 43

Śravaṇa-Manana-
Nididhyāsana: Vedantic Sadhana
Swami Nityasthananda

A dvaita Vedanta recognises three

stag es of spiritual evolution :
Karmakāṇda (Angavabaddha),
Upāsanākaṇda (Pratikopāsana) and Jñānakaṇda
(Ahaṁgrahopāsana). Karmakaṇda consists of
his attention, and then his attention is focused
only on the tune (Rāga). Even in the case of the
spiritual aspirant, if one follows the path sin-
cerely and systematically, all physical and mental
activities gradually drop away, making way for
different ritualistic activities and obligatory the contemplation of the Atman alone.
duties. This is also known as Angavabaddha since Now we come to our subject. This concept of
it is bound by several parts requiring several ob- Śravaṇa, Manana, Nididhyāsana is taken from
jects and persons. If these duties are performed Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. During the conver-
with detachment and adherence to moral injec- sation between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi, while
tions, they lead to the next stage through pu- explaining Atman to her, Yajnavalkya says
rification of the mind and a greater capacity आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्ः श्रीोतव्ो मन्तव्ो त्नत्दध्याात्सत-
for concentration. In the second stage, the as- व्ो—‘This Self is to be experienced (for the sake
pirant focuses on worshipping a symbolic rep- of that), one has to hear about It, think about
resentation of God (Pratīka) through prayer, It and contemplate upon It’ (Brihadaranyaka
japa and meditation. These will arm the aspir- Upanishad, 2.4.5).
ant with more purification and concentration Who is competent to follow this path of
and make one competent to follow Jñānamārga, Śravaṇa, Manana, Nididhyāsana? Firstly, the
in which enquiry into the Self and contempla- aspirant who wants to follow this path must have
tion on pure and contentless I-consciousness sufficient purity of mind by performing disin-
(Ahaṁgrahopāsana) are emphasised. This graded terested actions. The very purpose of this kind
spiritual path is, in fact, a gradual cessation of of work is to make the mind introvert through
all activities – as in the case of learning music. purification. In Naiṣkarmyasiddhi of Sri Suresh-
While learning music, the beginner must pay waracharya this idea is beautifully expressed as,
attention to many things like playing the harmo- ु ाद् शत्ु ्धितः ।
प्त्यक्प्रवणतावं बद्देःेु ः कमा्पण््यत्पु
nium, the text of the lyrics, rhythm and the like. कृ ताथा्पन्स्तंमा्यात्न्त प्ावृडन्ते घना इव ॥
However, as he advances in learning, all these be- By giving an inward direction to the intellect
come so natural to him that they go on without through purification-works, the actions withdraw
themselves with a sense of fulfilment like clouds
at the end of monsoon (1.49)
A former editor of Viveka Prabha, the Kannada
monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order, Swami Secondly, mind of the spiritual aspirant must
Nityasthananda is the Adhyaksha of Ramakrishna be sharpened, by the long practice of Upāsana
Math, Bengaluru. —meditating on the personal aspects of God.

Prabuddha Bharata January 2024 33

 48

Mayavati Ashrama:
Its First Newspaper-report
Swami Videhatmananda

I n the year 1896, Swami Vivekananda en-

visaged establishing a monastery in the deep
forests of the Himalayas. How did it come
to happen?
and the latter will devote their lives to the good
of India.’ Mr. Sevier speaking for himself and his
wife, said: ‘How nice it would be, Swami, if this
could be done. We must have such a monastery.’1
Immediately, on August 5, Swamiji wrote to his
Swamiji’s Dream of a Himalayan Retreat friend Lala Badri Sah of Almora: ‘I want to start a
After almost three years of incessant preaching Math at Almora or near Almora rather. I have heard
in the Western world, while in England, Swamiji that there was a certain Mr Ramsay who lived in a
was feeling a little tired. His friends and follow- bungalow near Almora and that he had a garden
ers proposed a holiday in the mountain ranges of around his bungalow. Can’t it be bought? What is
Europe – the Alps, which can be considered mini- the price? If not to be bought, can it be rented? Do
Himalayas. Accordingly, in July 31, 1896, Swamiji you know of any suitable place near Almora where I
and some of his English friends left for Switzerland. can build my monastery with a garden etc.? I would
There, walking ups and downs of hills Swamiji felt rather like to have a hill all to myself.’2
exhilarated. They visited several places in the Alps.
Swamiji even thought of climbing Mont Blanc, but The Dream materialised in Mayavati
due to the difficulty of the ascent, he gave up that Thereafter, the hunt for a suitable site in various
idea. Those natural surroundings often reminded parts of the Himalayas began by him and his dis-
him of his wandering days in the Himalayas. ciples and that went on for almost two and half
Between Mont Blanc and Little St. Bernard, years. In July 1898, while starting for Kashmir, at
in a small village located at the foothills, Swamiji Almora, Swamiji assigned this search to his Eng-
conceived a historic idea i.e. to found a monas- lish disciples Mr. and Mrs. Sevier. Along with
tery in the Himalayas. He told his companions: Swami Swarupananda, they travelled in the in-
‘Oh, I long for a monastery in the Himalayas, teriors of Kumaon hills, and finally ‘came upon
where I can retire from the labours of my life and the beautiful estate of Mayavati with its thickly-
spend the rest of my days in meditation. It will wooded hills commanding a magnificent view
be a centre for work and meditation, where my of the snowy ranges. It was also at an elevation of
Indian and Western disciples can live together, 6,800 feet and 50 miles from Almora. Their choice
and I shall train them as workers. The former at once fell upon it as the spot for their cherished
will go out as preachers of Vedanta to the West, scheme of starting the Advaita Ashrama and of
finding a permanent home for the ‘Prabuddha
A former editor of Vivek Jyoti, Hindi journal of the Bharata.’ The purchase was promptly made and
Ramakrishna Order, Swami Videhatmananda is actively they came to make it their retreat on the 19th of
engaged in research on Swami Vivekananda and Sister March 1899, which happened to be the auspicious
Nivedita and also in writing books in Hindi. birthday anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna.’3

38 Prabuddha Bharata January 2024

 51

Mysticism in Spiritual Life

Swami Satyapriyananda

S ri Ramakrishna is ever remembered for

his following pronouncements: ‘Through
His grace one realises Him in course of
time. God can be seen. One can talk to Him as
I am talking to you.’1 ‘Some have heard of milk,
some have seen it, and there are some, besides,
who have drunk it. God can indeed be seen; what
is more, one can talk to Him.’2 ‘That God exists
may be known by looking at the universe. But
it is one thing to hear of God, another thing to
see God, and still another thing to talk to God.
Some have heard of milk, some have seen it, and
some, again, have tasted it. You feel happy when
you see milk; you are nourished and strengthened
when you drink it. You will get peace of mind
only when you have seen God. You will enjoy
bliss and gain strength only when you have talked
to Him.’3
Those who see visions are called mystics.
There are some great souls who visualise the
Chosen Deity in their own hearts—living, com- Sri Ramakrishna
passionate, effulgent, and showering blessings
and grace. They also see their Chosen Deity in be seen with these physical eyes. In the course
others and as all-pervading. There are some like of spiritual discipline one gets a ‘love body’, en-
Sri Ramakrishna who see Consciousness even in dowed with ‘love eyes’, ‘love ears’, and so on. One
material objects. There are fortunate souls who sees God with those ‘love eyes’. One hears the
experience ecstasies. Some see mantras in shining voice of God with those ‘love ears’. With this
letters of gold; some hear divine voices chant- ‘love body’ the soul communes with God.’4 This
ing Vedic mantras. Why is this so? The capacity is the achievement of spiritual discipline. Sri
is either bestowed on a person as in the case of Ramakrishna himself saw God in samadhi as
Arjuna and Sanjaya, or it is earned by life-long well as with his physical eyes.
practice as in the case of Hanuman. ‘God cannot What if one has not developed or been gifted
with a ‘divine vision’ or ‘love body’? All the same,
God does His work in play; only we do not have
A former editor of Prabuddha Bharata, Swami
Satyapriyananda resides in Ramakrishna Math, the faintest understanding of how our lives are
Belur Math. always being guided and moulded by Divine

Prabuddha Bharata January 2024 41

 57

‘Advaita must become

living, poetic, in everyday life’
Swami Atmapriyananda

Swami Vivekananda on Advaita ‘Neo-Brahmasutras’ suited to the modern age

becoming ‘living, poetic in everyday life’ as follows:

S
wami Vivekananda (referred to here- • Each soul is potentially Divine.
after as Swamiji) believed that the highest • The goal is the manifest this Divinity within
truth of Advaita Vedanta is the simplest by controlling Nature, external and internal.
that can be grasped and practised in daily life by • Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic
everyone. Further, it is vitally relevant for our control, or philosophy; by one or more or all of
daily life because it is about our own self—in- these, and be free.
quiry into the nature of the self, who we are and • This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or
what we are. Who will not be interested in one- dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or
self as it is the dearest of the dear and knowing forms, are but secondary details.
oneself ought to be the most joyful occupation Through these simple formulae, Swamiji
of one’s life! This is all that the Upanishads teach, wanted to awaken the Atman-power (ātma-
simply and directly (sākśāt, aparokśāt).1 bala), and to arouse the inner strength of the
Swamiji therefore preached this truth to all Spirit (ātmanā vindate vīryam) hidden in all
irrespective of their adhikāritva (preliminary beings. He exhorted humanity as a whole: ‘Call
qualification)—a revolutionary step by any upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakens.
teacher in the Advaita tradition. He wanted to Power will come, glory will come, beauty will
retrieve Vedanta from the forests and the moun- come, goodness will come and all that is excel-
tain caves and make it a living philosophy for lent will come when the sleeping soul is roused
everyone everywhere as a transforming daily ex- to self-conscious activity.’2 This power would
perience. It is to the eternal credit of Swamiji resound and reverberate in the tumult of the
that he retrieved the supremely simple truth modern society, bringing about a fundamental
of one’s Self from philosophical wrangling of transformation in everyone’s world-view. That
the interpretation of the Mahavakyas (Great was why Swamiji said that he would retrieve the
Dicta) of the Upanishads by great philosophers, forest-Vedanta and cave-Vedanta from the forests
and stated their essence by the simple state- and caves, considered the exclusive possession
ment of ‘potentially divinity of the Self ’. This is of the ascetics and renouncers, and scatter them
part of a larger discourse wherein he states his broadcast in the market place and the house-
holds, thus making Vedanta a living philosophy
to be practised and lived by everybody in daily
Swami Atmapriyananda is the Pro-Chancellor of
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational life—recall his bold declaration that ‘the dry,
and Research Institute (RKMVERI), based in Belur abstract Advaita must become living, poetic,
Math. in everyday life’.3 Apart from its philosophical

Prabuddha Bharata January 2024 47

 77

‘A Horseman Hidden In The Dust’

The Sufi Tradition Of Jalal-Al-Din Rumi
Swami Atmajnanananda

W
e know compara-
tively little about the
Islamic sadhana of Sri
Ramakrishna. According to his
own account, he was initiated by
Govinda Roy, a follower of the
Sufi tradition of Islam, in 1866.
He repeated the name of Allah,
performed Namaz five times a
day, dressed like a Muslim and
even had his food cooked ac-
cording to Muslim customs.
This was typical of Sri Ram-
akrishna’s pattern of behaviour,
since whenever he practised any
particular form of sadhana, he Jalal-al-Din Rumi as depicted by Iranian artist Hossein Behzad (1957)
did his best to immerse himself
fully in the spirit of that tradition, even with re- ideas, and Sri Ramakrishna never seemed to
gard to food and dress. Thus, for three days, Sri tire of listening to his beloved Naren sing it for
Ramakrishna forgot completely about his be- him. Very likely, Sri Ramakrishna knew little,
loved Mother Kali and the other Hindu deities, if anything, about any of the great Sufi poets
lived outside of his room at Dakshineswar, and and mystics from other countries and periods.
followed Sufi devotional practices. This short However, I think we can safely assume that he
period of Islamic/Sufi sadhana came to an end would have been delighted to hear the senti-
after three days when he had a vision of a radi- ments embodied in many of these poems, which
ant figure with a white beard, which we take to so closely resemble both Vedantic thought and
mean the prophet Mohammad. the ecstatic, devotional writings of many of the
It is also hard to say how much Sri Rama- Bhakti Schools of India. One such poet/mystic
krishna knew about the distinctive teachings was Jalal-al-Din Rumi, one of the world’s great
of Islam and Sufism. One of his favourite songs, literary figures, who lived in the thirteenth
‘All That Exists Art Thou,’ is filled with Sufi century in what is present-day Afghanistan. A
great deal of the thought of Rumi is perfectly
Swami Atmajnanananda is the resident minister at
consistent with much of Vedantic thought. Just
the Vedanta Center of Greater Washington, DC in to give one example with regard to the belief
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. in rebirth:

Prabuddha Bharata January 2024 67

 82

Advaita Mysticism
Swami Satyamayananda

Advaita is Mysticism

A dvaita is the purest, the highest, and

the last word in mysticism! The ‘one-
ness’ it preaches is the highest experi-
ence a human being can have. Most religions
we know of today, not just the organised world
Mysticism is described as, ‘Belief that union
with or absorption into the Deity or the abso-
lute, or the spiritual apprehension of knowledge
inaccessible to the intellect, may be attained
through contemplation and self-surrender’.1 In
ones, but even those of local and indigenous na- India, of course, we take exception to the word
ture, have some mystical roots. Certain suitably ‘belief ’, for in India, religion and spirituality are
gifted people intuited a reality behind the phe- based on karma—work or effort. Every genuine
nomena that ordinary senses cannot apprehend. mystic anywhere in the world has borne witness
After the mystical experience, mythology and to the fact that it was hard work that helped in
later doctrines and dogmas followed, making attaining an altered state of consciousness, called
for a worldview, which was transmitted to suc- samadhi, absorption.
ceeding generations. Somehow, in the modern Vedanta mysticism, according to Swami
world, people have associated mysticism with Vivekananda, was practical first and then philo-
psychics and psychic abilities. It has, as a con- sophical. He also points out that mysticism is
sequence, become related to mysterious phe- dynamic and should be applied in life, ‘We must
nomena, clairvoyance, clairaudience, esoteric be able to carry it out in every part of our lives.
and obscure rites, occultism, spiritism, crystal And not only this, the fictitious differentiation
ball reading, cards and so on. This has vitiated between religion and the life of the world must
the real meaning of mysticism. Moreover, there vanish, for the Vedanta teaches oneness—one
is a growing subculture in the world of using life throughout.’2 Further Swamiji says that Ved-
psychotropic drugs or certain mushrooms to get anta preaches a known God! This known reality
some ‘mystical’ experience. These experiences are is called Brahman. And what is this Brahman? To
nothing but the drug-induced distortion of self make this abstract reality understood, Vedanta
and are generated by the brain’s neurons that states, ‘Janmādasya yatah; That (is Brahman)
are overwhelmed by hallucinogenic substances. from which (are derived) the birth etc. (continu-
To label these illusions of ‘mind-expanding sub- ation and destruction) of this (universe).’3
stances’ as mysticism is a hard task but what we
can do is to show that real mysticism is grounded Asmad-Yushmat Pratyaya, ‘I’ and ‘You’
in reality. It would be easy to write about Advaita by ana-
lysing the sense of ‘I’, which is one of the gates
but also one of the biggest obstacles to mystical
A former editor of Prabuddha Bharata, Swami
Satyamayananda is the assistant minister of the experiences and absorption in the deity or the
Vedanta Society of Western Washington, Seattle, USA. Absolute. This sense of asmitā, ‘I’ is the most

72 Prabuddha Bharata January 2024

 87

The Beginning of Advaitic Studies

in the Ramakrishna Mission
Swami Dakshajananda

Question: What is the difference between this

(Advaita Vedanta) and atheism? Should the cre-
ated Jiva think of himself as the Creator? What
can be more sinful than this? What ideas can
be more unreasonable than saying, “I am God,
you are God, all things that are born and die
are God.” The brains of the Rishis and Munis,
the authors of such books, must have been de-
ranged; how otherwise, could they have written
such things?
Answer: You may not accept them now; but
why do you condemn the Munis and Rishis be-
cause of that? And why do you put a limit on
the nature of God? Go on calling on Him who
is Truth itself and then believe that to be His
true nature in which He will reveal Himself
to you.

T he quoted conversation between the

young disciple and die-hard rational
Narendranath Dutta and his equally
unrelenting Master Sri Ramakrishna was the
beginning of Advaitic studies for Narendra. Sri
Swami Turiyananda

classes, as the one mentioned above, the yet-to-

Ramakrishna’s prescription to him had two an- blossom Swami Vivekananda fiercely questioned
gles—an intellectual analysis method and an- the veracity of Advaita philosophy. But, later on,
other, a heartfelt prayer method. A prayer for the his non-dual experience and its rewarding appli-
realisation of Advaitic truth is in itself a unique cation in serving human society have become an
feature different from the traditional line. Sri immortal legacy of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Ramakrishna used to ask Narendra to read out
Ashtavakra Samhita like books.1 During such Scriptural Study in the Early Monasteries
Swami Vivekananda studied Advaita philosophy
and taught his brother disciples in the Baranagar
Swami Dakshajananda serves in Vivekananda Math. He wrote his thought: ‘The abstract
Digital Archives (Conservation, archives,
Advaita must become living, poetic, in everyday
and research), Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda
Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI life’.2 Implementing the poetic Advaita, without
Deemed) University, Belur Math. formal worship or temple, he founded Advaita

Prabuddha Bharata January 2024 77

 93

Sri Ramakrishna
and the Ashtavakra Samhita
Swami Madhurananda

I n Sri Ramakrishna’s room at

Dakshineswar there was a copy of the
Ashtavakra Samhita, and he would ask
Narendra (later Swami Vivekananda) to read it
to him, indirectly infusing into Narendra non-
‘this (is) not, this (is) not’—and King Janaka, a
householder, who followed the path of affirm-
ation—iti, iti, ‘this (is), this (is)’.3 This particular
setup in the text is quite important in the present
study, as Sri Ramakrishna was a monk and, to a
dualistic ideas.1 We know that Sri Ramakrishna great extent, a householder too, and during his
was quite meticulous about many things, so we period of sadhana, he followed both the path of
can guess he was equally particular about what negation and the path of affirmation.
he would keep in his room—objects, pictures, Though the dialogue between Ashtavakra
books, and the like—especially books, which he and Janaka appears to be a traditional question-
considered unnecessary in sadhana after a certain answer dialogue between the teacher and the
stage.2 Speculations aside, of the many and taught, it is not exactly so. In the very beginning,
wonderful Advaitic treatises and scriptures that and after a few instructions given by Ashtavakra,
the Vedantic tradition has produced, what was it Janaka reaches a high level of realisation, and,
that attracted Sri Ramakrishna to the Ashtavakra henceforward, this Ashtavakra Gita becomes
Samhita? Why did he keep the book with him, a sort of jugalbandi4 between two realised
and why did he use this text, and no other, to souls, one expressing his realisations based on
instruct Narendra? It is to, primarily, answer the realisations or arguments expressed by the
these questions and, secondarily, to discuss the other. It is an ever-increasing development of
‘experiential’ Advaita Vedanta Sri Ramakrishna mystical experiences, reaching the pinnacle at
acknowledged, that the following comparative a point where both paths unite. While reading
study has been conceived. this treatise we generally tend to emphasise
Ashtavakra’s teachings, but Janaka’s expressions,
The Paths of Negation and Affirmation rather realisations, are not of a lesser order, and,
Without entering into the story that surrounds incidentally, are very much in line with several of
the Ashtavakra Samhita—also known as Ashta- Sri Ramakrishna’s mystical experiences.
vakra Gita—and going directly to its content, the Ashtavakra and Janaka reached the heights of
text is a dialogue between the monk Ashtavakra, the non-dual state by following different paths;
who followed the path of negation—neti, neti, therefore, their ways of presenting their realisa-
tions, however similar at the highest end, dif-
A former associate editor of the Prabuddha Bharata,
fer—hence the debate. Remarkably, we find Sri
Swami Madhurananda is serving in Advaita Ashrama, Ramakrishna giving instructions or express-
Mayavati. ing his highest experiences sometimes in the

Prabuddha Bharata January 2024 83

 102

Demystifying Mysticism
Swami Vidyanathananda

T
he theme of the special issue to which and bad metaphysics. On the other hand, it has
this article is submitted is ‘Advaita Mysti- been freely employed as a term of contempt
cism’. The purposely provocative title of the by those who have criticized these things. It
present article is intended to underscore and clar- is much to be hoped that it may be restored
sooner or later to its old meaning, as the science
ify a certain paradoxical content in this theme.
or art of the spiritual life...Meanwhile, those who
While the word ‘mysticism’ typically conjures up use the term ‘Mysticism’ are bound in self-de-
a sense of mystery in our minds, ‘Advaita’ on the fence to explain what they mean by it. Broadly
other hand emphasizes clear rational inquiry. A speaking, I understand it to be the expression of
partial aim of this article, therefore, is to recon- the innate tendency of the human spirit towards
cile these by showing that the two often co-exist complete harmony with the transcendental order;
and contribute to the richness of the human ex- whatever be the theological formula under
perience. Thus, we hope to find common ground which that order is understood. This tendency,
in great mystics, gradually captures the whole
and a legitimate arena for fruitful discourse.
field of consciousness; it dominates their life
What do we mean by Mysticism, and by and, in the experience called ‘mystic union,’ at-
tains its end. Whether that end be called the
Advaita?
God of Christianity, the World-soul of Pan-
Before we set about this task in earnest, it is im- theism, the Absolute of Philosophy, the desire
portant to have definitions and notions clear. Let to attain it and the movement towards it—so
us emphasize right away that mysticism is not long as this is a genuine life process and not an
obscurantism. An eloquent delineation is given intellectual speculation—is the proper subject
by Evelyn Underhill, in her introduction to her of mysticism.1
foundational volume ‘Mysticism’: The twofold subjective experience of tran-
scendence and harmony will thus broadly define
One of the most abused words in the English what we mean by mysticism in this article.
language, it (‘mysticism’) has been used in dif-
ferent and often mutually exclusive senses by We turn now to ‘Advaita’. In his lecture
religion, poetry, and philosophy: has been on ‘The Absolute and Manifestation’, Swami
claimed as an excuse for every kind of occult- Vivekananda says, ‘Thus has Advaita twice
ism, for dilute transcendentalism, vapid sym- saved India from materialism’, while referring
bolism, religious or aesthetic sentimentality, to Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism. In this art-
icle, the word ‘Advaita’ shall thus refer to the
closely related philosophies, and more import-
Swami Vidyanathananda, a monk of the antly, the methodologies, of Advaita Vedanta
Ramakrishna Order, is currently a Professor of
Mathematics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental and Madhyamaka Buddhism. It is not possible,
Research in Mumbai. nor necessary here to go into a detailed analysis

92 Prabuddha Bharata January 2024

 108

An Expedition through Advaita:

From Mysticism to Metaphysics
Swami Jnanasudhananda
(The present article, strictly speaking, is a compilation rather than an independent writing. In making this
article, passages have been drawn freely from the books A Heart Poured Out by Sister Gargi and When The
Many Become One by Swami Ashokananda. The present author has interspersed a few sentences between the
quoted passages to build a narrative.)

A high school lad in a remote village in Ben-

gal learned that someone in his village
had a copy of Swami Vivekananda’s In-
spired Talks. He begged that person to lend the
book to him. But thinking that the boy wouldn’t
understand so spiritual a work, the book’s owner
refused. But the boy persisted in his demand and
finally had the book in his hands. He took it
home and that night read it by his little lamp.
He read only a sentence or two when he saw a
flash of light. Thinking it was from some natural
source, he tested every possible cause. But there
was nothing. This was his first experience of spir-
itual light. Later on, the experiences came often,
at any time and any place, whether it was day
or night, whether his eyes were open or closed,
Swami Ashokananda, San Francisco 1940
whether he was alone or with people. He would
have a slight intimation of it immediately before
it came: his mind would become noticeably an intensely spiritual life right from his school
quiet. And afterwards, as a result of his vision, days. Even before joining the Ramakrishna
his mind would be particularly serene. Order, he received, most unexpectedly, the
That boy was Yogesh Chandra Datta who, grace of Swami Vivekananda in a vivid vision.
after entering the Ramakrishna Order, became Swamiji poured his power and spirit into him
Swami Ashokananda (1893–1969). To the just as, Swami Ashokananda would explain later,
readers of Prabuddha Bharata, Swami Asho- one pours oil from one container to the other.
kananda hardly needs an introduction. His was This vision strengthened his spiritual aspirations
and goaded him to scale new spiritual heights. In
the present article, a few of his mystical experi-
Swami Jnanasudhananda serves in the Headquarters
office of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna ences of monistic nature are presented mostly
Mission in Belur Math. in his own words. Not only are these accounts

98 Prabuddha Bharata January 2024

 113

Death Begrimed and Black

Swami Krishnasakhananda

Apocalypse The sea has joined the fray,

Imagine Sri Ramakrishna seated in the cot- and swirls up mountain waves
tage beneath Panchavati in Dakshineshwar to reach the pitchy sky.
Kali temple, trying to pull his mind away from The flash of lurid light
the Cosmic Mother but failing repeatedly. His reveals on every side
consciousness is too deeply enmeshed with the a thousand, thousand shades
Mother to be liberated easily. It is past midnight. of Death begrimed and black.3
His guru, Totapuri, is furious. He finds a shard of
glass and presses it on his forehead, commanding Pralaya is the heart of Advaita Vedanta. It
him to focus on the pain. shatters the eternal wheel of samsara—the
Resolute this time, Sri Ramakrishna invokes cycle of birth, death, old age, and disease—and
the force and willpower built up over a lifetime forever dissolves the reassuring embrace of Maya,
of sadhana and forges a sword from the prim- whether it be tamasic—our yearning for sensual
ordial furnace of Vedantic mahāvākya—ahaṁ pleasures, rajasic—our endless toil to leave a
brahmāsmi, I am the nameless, formless, ageless mark upon the society, or sattvic—our devotion
Brahman. for our Ishta, the personal god.
When the Mother appears this time to lure When cultures, learning, and civilizations
him away in her world of love and devotion, he are lost, when the fabric of reality is torn asun-
steadies his heart and cleaves her in half.1 His der, when the Mother dances her terrible dance,
world erupts in a cosmic cataclysm. Pralaya, when the illusion of Maya dissipates, the Atman
apocalypse, is upon him. awakens and roars like a lion.
Pralaya is the fate of humankind. We have
The stars are blotted out, a choice though. We can forge the sword of
The clouds are covering clouds, Advaita to court the spiritual apocalypse, or we
It is darkness vibrant, sonant.2 can greedily pursue material wealth, only to be
In the roaring whirling wind, mangled by natural disasters such as deforesta-
are the souls of a million lunatics tions, pandemics, melting ice caps, ozone layer
just loose from the prison-house, depletion, floods, famines, climate change, or
wrenching trees by the roots, even a malevolent artificial-intelligence taking
sweeping all from the path. over the reins of governments. One way or an-
other, we are to end our lives in pralaya.
Robert Oppenheimer was one of the greatest
Swami Krishnasakhananda is the editor of
Ramakrishna Jyot, the Gujarati Journal of the Rama-
scientists of the twentieth century and a leading
krishna Order published by Sri Ramakrishna engineer of the Manhattan Project, which de-
Ashrama, Rajkot. veloped the nuclear weapon—first successfully

Prabuddha Bharata January 2024 103

 118

Bondage and Freedom of the Soul:

The Bhamati’s Perspective
Vachaspati Mishra and His Works

Swami Vedarthananda

A charya Sri Vachaspati Mishra1 (circa 10th

century) was an illustrious āstika 2 phil-
osopher of uncommon scholarship and
refined literary acumen, from Mithila. A consci-
entious writer of elegant and succinct Sanskrit
prose, he authored many works that contributed
to revivifying some of the stagnant schools of
Hindu philosophy in the wake of the exigent
rise of the Shankara-Vedanta. The following are
Vachaspati’s known eight works, the last one
being considered his masterpiece:
1. Nyaya-kanika (‘A Granule of the Nyaya Sys-
tem’), a commentary on Mandana Mishra’s
‘Vidhi-viveka’, a Purva-mimamsa work. 3
2. Brahma-tattva- samiksha (‘Investigation into
the Truth of Brahman’), a hitherto unavailable Vachaspati Mishra (An imaginative Painting)
work on Mandana Mishra’s ‘Brahmasiddhi’, a Courtesy: Shri Yogendra Museum of
Vedanta work.4 Classical Yoga, The Yoga Institute, Mumbai

3. Tattva-bindu (‘A Drop of Truth’), a Purva-

mimamsa critique on the theory of sphota.5 on the Truth of Sankhya’), a commentary on
4. Nyaya-vartika-tatparya-tika (‘An Ex- Ishvarakrishna’s ‘Sankhya-karika’.
position on the Purport of the Nyaya-vart- 7. Tattva-vaisharadi [Vyakhya](‘[A Commen-
tikam’), a sub-commentary on Uddyotakara’s tary] Proficient in Truth’ / ‘A Truth Wizard’), a
‘Nyaya-varttikam. commentary on Patanjali’s ‘Yoga-sutram’.6
5. Nyaya-suchi-nibandhah (‘Construction of an 8. Bhamati [Vyakhya] (‘Brilliant [Com-
Index to the Nyaya’), an edition of the ‘Nyaya- mentary]’), a commentary to the Shari-
sutram’ of Gautama. raka-mimamsa-bhashyam of Sri Shankara
6. Sankhya-tattva-kaumudi (‘Moonlight Bhagavatpada.7 This is Vachaspati’s last work,
and it was completed during the reign of King
Mahipala (circa 912–945 CE) of the Gurjara-
Swami Vedarthananda is an Acharya in the
Probationer’s Training Centre at Ramakrishna Math, Pratihara dynasty of Kanyakubja.8
Belur Math. Through Bhamati, Vachaspati transposed

108 Prabuddha Bharata January 2024

 128

Advaitic Mysticism
in Upanishads
Swami Aghaharananda

T
here are various means to attain realisa- often transform into inflexible customs, losing
tion, which can be classified into two basic their essential spirit. However, a new seer or in-
categories: traditional religious practices carnation periodically arises, experiencing the
and the path of mystics. In traditional religious reality first-hand and providing a fresh approach
practices, we come across prescribed rituals, and renewed energy to the established system.
books, and various disciplines that must be fol- Throughout history, Vedic seers and innumer-
lowed. These practices formulate philosophy able saints have emerged during crucial periods,
and logic, aiming to demonstrate how to attain playing a pivotal role in preserving and revital-
perfection through regulated procedures. The ising mystical tradition. Thus, mysticism has
study of scriptures plays an important role in played a significant role in the development of
this process. Indian society and civilisation.
In the path of mystics, intuition and divine Though it is impossible to understand mystic
emotions play a significant role, distinguishing experiences second-hand, efforts have been ga-
them from practitioners of traditional religious lore to classify them based on their expressions.
practices. The Upanishads, in particular, house There is a major difference between Advaitic
numerous mystical experiences and expressions. mysticism and other types of mysticism. In
These experiences transcend logic and defy ade- other types of mystic experiences, the experi-
quate expression through human language. One encer and the experienced are interpreted as dif-
Upanishad poignantly declares that both mind ferent, whereas in Advaitic mysticism one loses
and speech fall short of grasping the depths of subject-object differentiation.
these experiences.
The majority of people adhere to traditional Advaitic Mystic Expressions in the
religious practices. However, without draw- Upanishads
ing inspiration from mystic experiences, these The mystic who realised Brahman sings thus:
practices can lead to dogmatism, rigid customs, ‘Oho! Oho! Oho! I am the food, I am the food,
and fanaticism. In India, we have witnessed the I am the food; I am the eater, I am the eater,
emergence of many saints and seers who have I am the eater; I am the unifier, I am the uni-
had direct encounters with the highest reality. fier, I am the unifier; I am the firstborn of this
Their disciples subsequently formulate the- world consisting of formed and the formless, I
ories and philosophies based on these realisa- am earlier than the gods. I am the navel of im-
tions. Unfortunately, over time, these teachings mortality.’ (Taittiriya Upanishad–3.10.6) Typic-
ally, food and the one who eats are considered
Swami Aghaharananda is serving in Sri Ramakrishna distinct entities. However, this individual has
Ashrama, Mysuru. transcended these boundaries and attained the

118 Prabuddha Bharata January 2024

 137

Sadashiva Brahmendra:
A Poet-Mystic Saint of South India
Swami Pramathadhipananda

Religion is a realisation, not talk, not doctrines,

nor theories, however beautiful all these may
be. Religion is being and becoming, not hearing
or acknowledging. It is not an intellectual as-
sent, but one’s whole nature becoming changed
into it.1

I
n this article, we shall explore the life and
mystical experiences of a unique personality
who was an exemplar of this quote.
The Tamil country, especially Thanjavur Sri Sadashva Brahmendra
region, saw a great flowering of spirituality under
the enlightened rule of the Madurai Nayaka and Somasundara Avadhani and his mother was Par-
Maratha dynasties. Under the aegis of Shahaji vati. They prayed to Lord Ramanathaswami of
flourished a brilliant galaxy of poets and musi- Rameshwaram for a child. Parvati was also ini-
cians, scholars and thinkers who were renowned tiated into Rama Japa which she chanted inces-
for their inner purity and acuteness of intellect. santly in order to be purified in body, mind, and
Amidst this cluster of scholars, there arose a spirit. No wonder then, a child born of her would
personality who combined mysticism, philo- then be extraordinary and endowed with know-
sophical scholarship, spiritual knowledge, and ledge and devotion; he was Shivaramakrishna.
devotion. This bright shining star is known by His parents later moved to Thiruvisanallur (for-
the name Sri Sadashiva Brahmendra or Sadashiv- merly known as Shahaji Rajapuram), a village in
endra Sarasvati. Very little is recorded about the the district of Thanjavur near Kumbakonam on
life of this saint and mystic, the details of which the banks of the Kaveri.
have to be drawn mainly from the oral tradition. When Shivaramakrishna was young ,
Somasundara Avadhani decided to continue his
Early Life life spiritually. Hence, the responsibility of the
Sadashiva Brahmendra was a great saint, a com- family fell on the shoulders of Parvati. Shivara-
poser of kīrtanas of Carnatic music and an makrishna went to a Veda pathashala where he
Advaita philosopher. Sri Sadashiva was born mastered the traditional subjects. When he at-
to a Velanāḍu Telugu couple belonging to Sri- tained the tender age of seventeen, his mother
vatsa Gotra in Madurai. His father was Moksha got Shivaramakrishna married. Even after the
marriage, he continued his education in trad-
Swami Pramathadhipananda is serving in Sri itional subjects under pandit Ramabhadra
Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysuru. Dikshita where Sri Sridhara Ayyaval was his

Prabuddha Bharata January 2024 127

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