#87, IT WAS VERILY RAMA NAMA!

One blogger named Shri T S Ramachandran, Chennai wrote at his blog, as under. His Link: http://guruandnamakirtan.blogspot.com/2007/10/what-upadesa-did-ramakrishna-offer.html. I wished to record my comment there, but the blogger restricted comments to his team members only. I have, therefore, no alternative except to quote relevant portions here and write my comment here.

"What 'upadesa' did Ramakrishna offer Vivekananda, who spread the glory of his Guru all over the world and also spread his message? It was verily Rama Nãma! If Vivekananda succeeded in all his accomplishments in the world through mere fruit of Rama Nãma japa, is not one able to comprehend the glory of Nãma? ..."


"Extract from "Life of Ramakrishna" published by Advaita Ashrama and forwarded by Mahatma Gandhi".

BLOGGER'S VIEWs
Swami Vivekananda toured US and UK from 1893 to 1897, first visit. He toured from 1899 to 1900, second visit. During both the visits, I am unable to trace from his lectures or writings or letters, his having said anything about Rama Nama or its effectiveness. It is not clear why Vivekananda felt that foreigners should know only about Advaita Vedanta and not "Rama Nama".

At his Pasadena, California lecture on Jan. 31, 1900, Swamiji narrated the entire story of Ramayana to the Americans using terms like Swayamvara, Haradhanu, Setubandha. But he did not tell that hunter Valmiki became sage Valmiki by repeating "Rama Nama" several years till ant-hills surrounded his body.

Incidentally, it is relevant to mention here what Vivekananda added about Adam's Bridge (Rama Setu) in the same lecture: "...In very low water even now it is possible to cross from India to Ceylon over the sand-banks there. ..."

BLOGGER'S VIEWs
"In very low water even now it is possible etc..." : Did Vivekananda mean that it is possible to cross the Sea on foot?"

Link to Swamiji's full lecture of Ramayana at Pasadena: http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/complete_works.htm.

I request my readers to correct me, wherever I have gone wrong.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I recollect a belief (a belief only, mind you) which was prevalent in olden days - 50 or 60 years ago; it was believed that the Rama sethu was there not visible to mortals, but the 7 'chiranjeevis', viz., aSvathHAmA, mahAbali, vyAsa, hanumAn, vibheeshanA, kR^pa and paraSurAma, were changing their places of stay at periodical intervals and all of them could walk to Sreelanka over the sethu.

SV might have spoken out of such conviction.
August 9, 2008 at 6:02 AM
Anonymous said…
I just posted my comments above but forgot to add one point; SV seems to have cahnged his signature from 'Bibekananda' to 'Vivekananda' in the interval between April 1981 (stay at Baroda) and the signature in the website:
http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/complete_works.htm

Any reason given anywhere?
August 9, 2008 at 6:11 AM
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