~ Boletín Arsha Vidya ~

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1 ~ Boletín Arsha Vidya ~ Knowledge of the Rishis Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

2 Fundación Arsha Vidya A nonprofit foundation for the study of Vedanta, Sanskrit, yoga and Vedic culture. Board of Directors Swamini Vilasananda Saraswati President Dr. Alfredo Lauría Secretary Raúl Rishi Verma Treasurer Consejeros honorarios Dr. Roberto Toranzo Dr. Horacio y Silvia Vajovsky Antonio Perrone Marcos Erize Jorge Luis Jáuregui STAFF Boletín Arsha Vidya Swamini Vilasananda Saraswati Director of publication María Lorena Reynoso Writing and publishing Commentaries and suggestions Fundación Arsha Vidya J. Salguero 2225, C.A.B.A. Tel fundacionarshavidya@gmail.com Boletín Arsha Vidya In fearless voice may we proclaim The Rishi s message from all house tops And bring the men Of different claim To a fold of Love where Oneness lasts! With the blessings of Brahmaleena Pujya Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati We offer the 1 st quarterly issue-2016 of Boletín Arsha Vidya Om Sri Gurubhyo Namaù Om Gaëeçäya Namaù Hariù Om ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents - In commemoration of a Master of Masters. 2 - Bhu Samadhi of Pujya Swamiji. 3 - Shodasi at Rishikesh 6 - Shraddhanjali at Rishikesh 8 - Last Moments of a Legendary Life 12 - Swami Dayananda, a venerable Hindu Monk Sthitaprajñā The Wise Person 18 - Prime Minister ModiJi received the blessings of his guru in Rishikesh 19 - The Teaching Legacy of Pujya Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati in Argentina 20 - Classes and Study Groups in Argentina The Return of Swami Svatmananda 27 - Wise Teachings of Pujya Swamiji 28 - Gurukulam websites and contact info 29 Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

3 SWAMI DAYANANDA SARASWATI In commemoration of a Master of Masters- The legacy of wisdom and compassion of our beloved Teacher will always be present in the hearts of all of us around the world who have been graced by His Love and His Vision. Let us celebrate His life as he was a true Rishi in our midst. May we be able to commit ourselves to this Vision and make it our own, so that His Presence in our respective lives truly counts. Only for that He became present in this lifetime. Jorge Luis Jáuregui. Gururbrahmā Gururviṣṇūḥ Gururdevo maheśvaraḥ Guruḥsakṣat param brahmā Tasmai śri gurave namaḥ Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

4 Bhū Samādhi of Pujya Swamiji This article was originally published in the October issue of Arsha Vidya Newsletter, DIVINE MOMENTS : Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati came back from the hospital to Swami Dayananda Ashram, Rishikesh on September 23, 2015 around noon. All the Swamis, Swaminis, students and devotees did pranams to Pujya Swamiji. In a divine and peaceful atmosphere, Gajendra moksha, Gita 8th and 15th chapters, Vishnu sahasranama and Om Namah shivaya mahā mantra were chanted, by Swamiji s disciples. As the chanting was on, it looked as though Pujya Swamiji was in meditation. Swamiji attained Mahāsamādhi at p.m. It was Pujya Swamiji s sankalpa, that he attained Mahāsamādhi in Purani Jhadi, Rishikesh on the banks of river Ganga. His sankalpa fructified and he attained videhamukti in a peaceful, beautiful and dignified manner, amidst the holy chanting. PUBLIC HOMAGE: After that Pujya Swamiji s sacred body was kept in the lecture hall in a glass cabin with ice slabs until the early morning of September 25, In a holy atmosphere of Vedic chanting, Swamis, Swaminis, students and devotees, dignitaries paid their respects to Pujya Swamiji. Common citizens and children of Rishikesh stood in long serpentine queue even past midnight to offer their homage. Pujya Swamiji has touched the hearts of not only the Scholars but the common man too. FINAL RITUALS : On September 25, 2015 around 8 a.m., Pujya Swamiji s sacred body was taken from the lecture hall in a procession with ringing of bell, blowing of Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1st quarterly issue 2016 In meditative posture conch and holy chants to a place between the lecture hall and the Gangadhareshwarar temple on the banks of river Ganga near the ashwatha tree. A shivalinga was placed nearby. ABHISEKA : As per yati aaradhana shodasaupacara, worship was done to Swamiji s sacred body and the Shivalinga simultaneously. The solemn ritual was performed by Swami Suddhananda assisted by Swami Brahmavidyananda, Swami Santatmananda and other Swamis, with the guidance of Jambhunata Ganapatikal. Abiseka for Shivalinga and samprokshana for Pujya Swamiji s sacred body with ekaadasarudra chanted, Ganga jal, Gangadareswara abishekajal was done, followed by other shodasa puja vidhi, including astotra-archana. Swami Paramarthananda led the chanting. -3-

5 Bhū Samādhi ceremony Mahā-samādhi - reverence to Guru Bhū Samādhi Preparation Śodasa Upacara Pūjā Ritviks Chanting Śiva linga at adhiṣṭhānam Mahā-samādhi with Ganges at background Adhiṣthānam Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

6 BHU SAMADHI : With holy chants and mangala dwani, Pujya Swamiji s sacred body facing river Ganga was lowered onto a platform inside a pit. The exact place of Swamiji s sacred body was marked by extending a rod from inside the pit up to the ground level. With the continuation of chanting of mantras, vibuti (holy ash), turmeric and sandal were offered, first by Swami Suddhananda and later by Sadhus and other devotees. The holy samadhi was filled up with sacks of salt, vibuti, sand, sandal, turmeric, cow dung and charcoal. The ceremony ended around a.m. in Swami Dayananda Ashram, Rishikesh. In future a small shrine will be built in that location and will be called 'adhiṣṭhānam'. THE WISDOM LIGHT IS ALIVE : Although Pujya Swamiji is not amidst us in flesh and blood, he continues to exist in the form of his teachings, and the legacy of disciple-teachers and through the various institutions established by him. The teaching is not separate from the Teacher. All that is here is Ishvara is the main teaching of Swamiji and hence this teaching is also Ishvara. Swamiji is Ishvara. ADHISHTANAM : Pujya Swamiji s Samadhi Report by N. Avinashilingam and the Siva linga are kept facing river Ganga ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pujya Swamiji taught Vedanta in Rishikesh during his last weeks Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

7 Shodasi at Rishikesh This article was originally published in the October issue of Arsha Vidya Newsletter, SHODASI : Shodasi or 16th day ceremony of Pujya Swami Dayanananda Saraswati s Mahā Samadhi was observed at Swami Dayananda Ashram, Rishikesh on October 8, BHU SAMADHI STHALA : The place where the bhu Samadhi is situated within the Ashram on the banks of river Ganga was beautifully decorated with flower pandal by Florist from Chennai. The devotees were awe struck with the beautiful flower arrangement made on the bhu Samadhi. HONOURING MAHATMAS : Seventeen Maha Mandaleshwars and Mandaleshwars from Rishikesh and Haridwar participated in the ceremony. They first offered floral tribute to Pujya Swamiji s Bhu Samadhi. Puja was done to the Maha Mandaleshwars and Mandaleshwars. They were honoured with memorable gifts and Guru dakshina. Bhandara was first offered to these Mahatmas. SADHU BHANDARA : After that Sadhu bhandara was offered in four batches. More than 3000 Sadhus were offered bhandara and dakshina. Sadhus came from Rishikesh and Haridwar. It was a great sight to see ochre clad Sadhus moving in and moving out of the Ashram in such great numbers. GENERAL BHANDARA : On October 9, 2015, the next day, general bhandara was offered to citizens of Rishikesh. More than 6,000 people took part in the general bhandara. FITTING SHODASI : Everything about the shodasi was fitting the magnanimity of Pujya Swamiji. The gifts and Guru dakshina offered to the Maha mandaleshwars and Mandaleshwars were very generous. The number of Sadhus who were offered bhandara and dakshina was more than 3,000. The number of Rishikesh citizens who were offered bhandara was more than 6,000. Even after Maha Samadhi, Pujya Swamiji continues be a great contributor. Report by N. Avinashilingam Mahamandaleshwars offering tribute Prayers at the decorated Samadhi-sthala Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

8 Mahamandaleswars being honoured Manasa Smaraami Sadgurum Samashti Bhandara view Sadhu-vrnda in front of the Samadhi-sthala Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

9 Sraddhanjali at Rishikesh On the eve of Pujya Swamiji s Shodasi function held at Rishikesh on October 8, 2015, tributes by Pujya Swamiji s disciple students and swamijis were given, a gist of which is reproduced here. This article was originally published in the December issue of Arsha Vidya Newsletter, as Shodasi talks in Rishikesh: Swami Viditatmananda: Everybody knows that Pujya Swamiji was a teacher, but now we can share our personal experiences of how he was as a person. Pujya Swamiji is a manydimensional great person. As I talked to different people I found how in so many different ways he has touched people. He was a teacher, of course, par excellence, but he was also a highly talented person. We could see his depths of knowledge and understanding in many different fields. Without any formal training he displayed a deep knowledge of music. His compositions are outstanding from the point of view of the lyrics and from the technicalities of the music, not only from the standpoint of the composition, also how the bhavas were expressed. Swamiji was a follower of astrology. He connected with many people through astrology. In every conceivable area Pujya Swamiji could counsel people. In psychology, he was a great counselor. He wanted to remove the pain and grief of all those who surrendered to him. His concern for Hindu dharma was just amazing. You could see the pride that he had about the tradition, about Hinduism, about scriptures. He was very inspired about Hinduism and listening to him the same thing would arise in you. At the Hindu- Jewish Meet a few years ago, the Chief Rabbi of Israel became his devotee. In the next meeting, Pujya Swamiji taught them Vedanta. It s just amazing, some kind of magic. He could attract people; he could touch them. He always used to say in talking about personnel management, how to manage persons, "When somebody comes to you, he should feel elevated in your presence". He was so humble and so accepting, so accommodating, so compassionate. I recently heard that many years ago in the seventies when both Sri Swami Chinmayanandaji and Pujya Swamiji used to go to the United States, somebody asked: Why did you give this name to Swamiji? Dayananda is a common name, the founder of Arya Samaj had that name. Why didn t you give some other name? Swami Chinmayanandaji replied, "I had no choice". Pujya Swamiji s compassion was just flowing and everybody felt that. Swami Brahmavidyananda: Swamiji was one person whom I met who really lived up to what he said. Giving, giving, giving, and giving. He wouldn t take anything unless it was necessary, but on the other hand he was ready to give to anyone who came to Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

10 him. Swamiji was yathoktākari. As a teacher Swamiji did not have any other commitment. Jagat kāraṇam brahman, aham asmi. There was no other commitment in terms of the tattva. But when it comes to people who came to him, he would reach out and make the person feel connected. Everyone felt that in his presence, I am the most intimately connected to Swamiji. It is not an easy thing to do. He used to say that your heart should be so huge that you can make it accommodate. He was the very embodiment of accommodation, giving and understanding. Swamini Brahmaprakasananda: Om Sri Guruve namaḥ. Actually I have no words to tell anything just now. I am so overwhelmed. I don t feel like telling anything except that the very purpose of my life has been to meet him, to be with him, to learn from him. With his great blessings and grace, what a chance to be of any use to him as a physician. My becoming a physician was cheritārtha in just doing any little thing I could do for him. We all learned ātmājñanam from him, how to understand life from him. Sheela Balaji: Swamini Brahmaprakasanandaji has said, it is too early for us to share what Swamiji has done for us. In my case, I think I came very, very late. I did not come to study so much. I was attending Swami Paramarthanandaji s classes on Sundays from I only heard Pujya Swamiji in 1997 when he gave a talk on the Need for Cognitive Change. That really changed my life, because after that, I met Swamiji. I think that Pujya Swamiji was also diversifying into seva, into all the publications, and I guess that my interest or whatever talent or skill I had at that time made us just join together and there has been no looking back. It s been 12 years now that I ve been working very closely with Swamiji with what was his home town, with AIM for Seva, with the books as you can all see. He was very proud of Manjakuddi. It is his birth place. Although he says that as a sannyasi the whole world is his place. But I like to think that Manjakuddi was special because he came every year. Our children, the students were very blessed to have him there with them. To the extent of allowing his body to suffer, he accommodated everyone. And to me there is no greater compassion than that. He accommodated everyone, just suffered inside without any complaint. And I think that was truly his dayā, compassion. I am very privileged to have known him. Swamini Pramananda: For many of us the mind tends to keep going back because we don t know how to think forward without his physical presence. For me personally it is a very big era from very young years. Yes, mahāvākya has been his key and that key we all carry. We have carried it and we will continue to carry it together in this life. But as we carry that key and we live life, as so beautifully Swamiji has said, "Life doesn t just bring an equation, it is about living that equation. It is about actualizing that equation into our entire thought system, our thoughts and words and actions, that whole Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

11 transforming process, that cognitive change, that shift, that internal shift. Srinivasan: As much as Swamijis and other devotees qualifications, the only qualification I have to stand before you is that I am the younger brother of Pujya Sri Swamiji. We are all blessed that Swamiji came from our family. Swamiji has been going all over the world. He was roaring like a lion about the Sanathana Dharma, our scriptures, upaṇiṣads, Vedanta and values, and he had established, you know very well, different institutions in different places, to spread this knowledge of Vedanta. All his disciples have the privilege of knowing these teachings and spreading and keeping the flag flying. I pray that Swamiji s teachings will be spread throughout the world by our more than 200 students who are spread out in the world and they will prove that Sanatana Dharma is the best for the individual to follow. Swami Paramatmananda: Namaste. I had some pūṇyam to have a lot of quality time with Swamiji. Since we are talking about personal experiences, I would share what Swamiji said himself to me. Pujya Swamiji met with Prime Minister Modi in 2012 when there was a crisis. He was only there for two days. I still remember vividly what he said. We three were sitting. Swamiji was in the middle holding ModiJi s hand. Swamiji looked at me and smiled. Then he said to ModiJi: "You know I am a yuga purusha as a teacher and I see you as a yuga purusha as a ruler". I used to tell him, Swamiji you are like a laser beam. Any field he goes into, he sees through and through. And when we look back at the work that he has accomplished in one lifetime, and the teaching that he has done, we thought it was a matter of imagination that someone could do. In a real sense, he was a vibhuti. In a real sense there was an amsha, I can say. Once when I wanted to do something my way, he said to me that if Shankara was a alive today, he would do this. What a way of communication. I know what we will miss, India will miss, dharma will miss, culture will miss.... I feel like an orphan. From the day before, I started some decisions, where to go? It s such a vacuum. At political level, national level, social... you name it. And that heart! So many sadhus, mathadipadis, felt that he is like a father. They have gone beyond their mariyadas. With this, pranams to Swamiji and with a prayer that we relax and become stronger to fulfill his vision. Namaste. Maharajapuram S. Ramachandran: Pujya Swamiji has knowledge in every field, whatever he chooses, especially with regard to music. Since I am a musician, I want to say something about that. Since his childhood, he has been hearing the music of stalwarts like my grandfather Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, Ariyakudi Ramanujam and others. Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

12 In those days, when Swamiji was a child, he was asked to attend to these musicians in marriage concerts, to assist them. In this way he picked up interest in this music. Even though he attended all the concerts, he had a special liking for my grandfather, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer s concerts. He used to say, "I don t know anything about music", but when he composed songs like Someswaram, Mahālingavibho, nobody can believe his statement. That s what I feel. Two years back in Saylorsburg he started composing Mahālingavibho. Around eleven o clock in the night, even though he was not well, he wanted to complete this composition. So he called Gita, who was attending to him. She called me from Swamiji s kutia saying, Swamiji is asking you to come and tune this song. So at 11 o clock, he wanted me to sing this song. In all his songs, he used to say, the opening should be like this. Then, I could not change it. How he got that kind of opening, I don t know. He fixes his mind. He says that he doesn t know music, but how the opening of the song or the follow up of the anupalabdhi or the sharanam comes, we don t know. It is Isvara s blessings on him, Tyagaraja swami s blessings on him. He did not want this Mahalingavibho and the Sivalingaji to be in any other raga, he specifically told me. Sivaranjali, he said, should be a closed Sivaranjali. No, I don t want any other gandharam in that, he insisted during that night. With all his sufferings, with the operation he underwent, we completed a song. The next day at breakfast, that whole song was going on and on. I slept very well, he was telling me. Occasions like these I can never forget. And I am very blessed because he had a very great liking for my music and my father s music also. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Adhiṣṭhānam - Pūjā The bhū-samādhi, where Pujya Swamiji s sacred body was placed is now considered as a holy place like any other shrine or temple. Immediately after the bhū-samādhi rituals, every day pūjā, including asthotram, to Swamiji s photo placed near the bhūsamādhi, is done morning and evening subsequent to the pūjā to Narmadheshwara. Every day various floral arrangements are made on the adhiṣṭhānam. Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

13 Last Moments of a legendary Life This article was originally published in the November issue of Arsha Vidya Newsletter, The majority of the people are like birds flying in the sky leaving behind no trace of their footprints. But, one in a billion, bestrides the worldly stage like a Colossus leaving indelible marks of his sacred sojourn on the earth. Swami Dayanandaji was indeed such a Spiritual Giant! Swami Suddhananda Saraswatiji narrated to me the moving story of the last moments of Swami Dayanandaji. I am relating that touching tale below for the benefit of all. Pujya Sri Swami Suddhananda Saraswati ji Swami Suddhanandaji said: I reached Rishikesh on 9th December, 1962 but could not find a place for my stay. Finally, I was able to secure a shelter in the Andhra Ashram where Swami Gopalanandaji was the Manager. He was kind enough to accommodate me in a room where a cement bench was only available to lie on for sleep. I was, however, lucky enough to get a blanket with two holes in it to serve as my bed. I folded the blanket to hide the holes and used it cover the upper part of my body in that chilly weather. I slept in that manner for some time and then changed the torn blanket to cover the lower part of my body to sleep for some more time. The ways of Providence are inscrutable! I take this experience as God s way of giving me practical training in titiksha! (the spirit of stoic endurance). In the year 1963, when I was the manager of Andhra Ashram, Swami Dayanandaji arrived and I was blessed enough to offer accommodation to him who was a Brahmanishta fully contented with having the sky for his roof and the quarters for his enclosure. Swamiji was an epitome of simplicity. His demeanour and deportment unmistakably revealed the innate divinity and glory of a Mahatma. He always sported an enchanting smile. Our joint Spiritual Voyage that was to last for many decades to come commenced then in right earnest. One day Swamiji decided to leave the Andhra Ashram and shift his place of stay to the banks of the sacred Ganga. He disclosed his decision to me and invited me to go with him and stay there with him. I readily acceded to his request. Myself and Swami Gopalananda ji decided to join him and distributed 20 Acres of land of Andhra Ashram which was in our custody to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. I consider this episode as a test by Swamiji to gauge the intensity of my devotion to him. We stayed together on the banks of the Ganga. Sublime memories of my stay with him and willing performance of my daily chores, like cooking etc. and taking care Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

14 of other matters in that place, are still green in my mind. Later in the year 1967, Swamiji left for the Chinmaya Mission in deference to the instructions of his Guru Swami Chinmayanandaji. The place which was an island continued to serve as his accommodation in spite of his inner desire to hand it over to the Chinmaya Mission. Such was the good luck of that place in unshakably retaining a Mahatma! I named the place Swami Dayanandaji Ashram and continued to develop it to its present state. I also was with pujya swamiji in Sandeepani Sadhanalaya, Mumbai, taking care of Building construction and purchase of the ashram. There are many sweet experiences I had with Swamiji. I had always seen that his VAK TAPAS had a great value. Pujya Swamiji once indicated to me that the Andhra Ashram will not survive in the hands of the current management. At that point of time I was the manager of the Ashram. To my wonder I saw how the ashram had not survived the current management and had gone to the Government of Andhra Pradesh. One more incident which I would like to recall is, once Pujya Swamiji was visited by a devotee and who offered Rs-1500/- in cash. At that time, I was requiring Rs-1500/- to run this place for a month. Pujya swamiji handed over that money to me. Later on the same day one Mahatma who was staying at Rishikesh had gone to Pujya swamiji and asked some help of Rs-1500/-. Those were difficult times when ashram had no money at all. Pujya Swamiji called me and asked me to hand over that Rs-1500/- to this Mahatma. I was little hesitant to give but at the same time it was GURU VAKYA. I gave the money and ran to pujya swamiji to ask him how do I manage this place now. Swamiji said Suddhananda, we should be thankful to GOD that the Mahatma asked just what we had. If he had asked more I would had been put into a situation to say no. He also said when you give you will get back. To my surprise, in the evening I received an invitation to attend a Sadhu Bhandara in Baba Kali Kambaliwala where blankets, groceries as well as some Dakshina in cash was distributed by someone. It was more than enough for a month to run the show. There were many such occasions which I could recall, however, I wish to recount now the last moments of my interaction with him. I visited Pujya Swamiji at Anaikatti before he left for the US and had long and constructive dialogues with him. I had always sought his guidance regarding the arrangements to be put in place for the continuance of the Ashram because of advancing years of both of us. It was then when he spoke to me about the Will he had written and asked me to read it later. He then left for the US. And I returned to Rishikesh. He gave me instructions that Swami Tattvavidanandaji should be made a Trustee and be appointed, after his period, a Teacher to give lessons to the annual retreats. He also gave instructions that Swami Santatmanandaji would continue his 3 years course and start a new course at its end. In deference to Pujya Swamiji s command, Swami Tattvavidanandaji was made a Trustee of the Ashram. I had also requested swamiji to give two courses in March Swami Santatmananda will also be starting another course after the end of the current course. In a few days, I received the tragic news that Pujya Swami s health was not too well and Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

15 that he wanted to return to Rishikesh. He arrived in an air ambulance and upon seeing me he said, I am clutching at my breath with tenacity and I am now back here. He was looking so weak and fragile. But, I felt that he would somehow live much longer than he thought as Rishikesh was so dear to his heart that he would not brook any separation from it but resist with all his tremendous willpower any threat of tearing him away from the sacred spot. As I expected, he survived for 27 days. During those days, he spoke about various matters with his wonted liveliness. He spoke of what needed to be done in the aftermath of the shuffling of his mortal coils. Never for a moment did he lose sight of Vedanta in which he was fully immersed. I could not imagine how he applied himself to the exacting task of the editing a part of Brahmasutra Bhasya even at that critical stage. He made necessary corrections when the treatise was read to him. I was astonished by his enormous love to Vedanta and his unflagging intellectual vigour. He delivered a few lectures but his voice was low and feeble. One day he even said, I want to breathe my last in the Ashram. He spoke about the Shodasi and Samadhi to be erected. He spoke about a few other matters pertaining to that arrangement. Evidently, omniscient Swamiji must have had a premonition of the approaching end to the thrilling saga of his spiritual ministration. Suddenly, one morning, Swamiji had to be admitted into the hospital as he was gasping for breath. Ominous silence reigned supreme in the Ashram. We were all waiting for the day of his complete recovery. But, it seemed that the day to honour his wish was fast approaching. I would be failing in my duty if I do not express my gratitude to one and all who served Swamiji at the hospital with exemplary love and dedication. Suresh and the team of doctors attending on Swamiji spent many sleepless nights. Sheelaji left abruptly all things at home and stayed at the Ashram for more than 17 days. There were also others like Smt. Nirmala Guptaji etc. Arrangements were put in place for the service of dialysis to be provided for Swamiji. When Pujya Swamiji was brought to the Ashram on the banks of the holy Ganga in accordance with his wish, people had gathered around him in large numbers to chant hymns and the divine name of Om Nama Sivaaya Finally, at 10.18, Pujya Swamiji discarded his mortal frame and merged into Supreme Brahman, even as he listened to the loud chants of students and devotees. It was a peaceful end to an epochmaking life. Unable to control my emotions, I broke down and sobbed inconsolably. Pujya Swamiji was a pillar of strength for me all along. Suddenly, I experienced an utter void with none to guide me. I felt lonely and concerned that I had to do everything on my own. He had left a rich legacy. An Era had come to a close. His body had to be kept for two days to enable the devotees to offer their devoirs to him. It was decided to keep the body in an ice box at the Lecture Hall for two days. Mahatmas and devotees poured in from various places. Around 2500 people offered their worship to the body of the departed soul. I was blessed to perform the obsequies. Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

16 Guided devotedly by Swami Paramarthananadaji and assisted ably by Swami Santatmanandaji, the last rites were performed in accordance with the tradition. Students and devotees supported their might to make the event grand. It was all over now and all the students and devotees who had thronged the place had their mangala snaanam (sacred bath) in the Ganges. Now, the only rite left to be completed was the the Shodasi Bhandara for Pujya Swamiji. We had to invite 16 Mahatmas- Mandaleshwars from Haridwar and Rishikesh for the purpose. Though we needed only 16 Mahatmas-Mandaleshwars, eighteen of them turned up as if to confirm and proclaim the inherent divinity of Pujya Swamiji. After the departure of the Mahatmas, 3000 Sadhus from Haridwar and Rishikesh were invited for Samashti Bhandara. All the devotees and students had their lunch only after the last Sadhu had his bhiksha. By then, it was 3.30 PM. Pujas and prayers are conducted daily at the Samadhi Mandir. This spot has become a shrine due to the Living Presence of the Spirit of Pujya Swamiji. A Samadhi Mandir at an estimated cost of Rs.65 lakhs, is coming up according to the plan shown in the picture. The Mandir can accommodate 50 people at a time and its doors are open to all students and devotees at all times. certainly fulfil the faith reposed in me by Pujya Swamiji. This sacred place will be a sacrosanct Temple and a tranquil Sanctuary for the students and the devotees as ever before. I earnestly request you all to willingly support me in this arduous task of efficiently administering this divine Ashram by extending, as before, your unstinted cooperation and efforts. The poignant story of the last moments of Pujya Swamiji, as narrated by Swami Suddhananadaji, evokes in our minds mixed feelings of deep sorrow at the irreparable loss suffered by us, the steely determination to fulfil the lofty ideals of Pujya Swamiji and profound devotion for the Divine Personage that Pujya Swamiji ever is. Swami Santatmananda Saraswati Acharya, Swami Dayananda Ashram dayas1088@gmail.com The Will of Pujya Swamiji was read a few days after the Samadhi. According to the Will, Pujya Swamiji entrusted to me the onerous responsibilities of being the Chairman of the Trust as well as the Managing Trustee of the Ashram. I shall Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

17 Swami Dayananda, a venerable Hindu monk Originally published in the weekly India Abroad, Friday, 18th December 2015 issue, page 15, Swami Dayananda Saraswati (August 15, September 23, 2015) was an internationally known Hindu saint, a great visionary, an eminent and traditional teacher of Vedanta (the timeless religious, spiritual and core philosophy from India), a brilliant thinker, writer and an exemplary contributor to the enrichment of humanity. He attained mahāsamādhi (cessation of bodily existence) on September 23, 2015 in Rishikesh, India. Swami Dayananda s contributions in the spheres of Vedantic teaching, service to humanity, global spiritual harmony, rural education, preservation of indigenous social and religious cultures and national and religious unification in India are unparalleled in terms of the benefits and positive impacts to the spiritual and social lives of millions of people around the world. He was unequivocally a venerable teacher, exemplifier of contemporary Hinduism and a visionary to follow and emulate. Swami Dayananda exhibited unbounded love for the entire humankind and devoted his entire life for the universal emancipation and spiritual enrichment. His activities in the domain of interfaith dialogues with world religious leaders stand as testimonies to his quest for raising awareness of mutual respect and religious harmony. He had an unassailable conviction that indigenous cultures and traditions which are integral part of people and societies should be preserved and nurtured. He was fearless in advocating that the freedom to practice one s religion is not negotiable. He was indefatigable in working for the protection of that freedom. Swami Dayananda s life and work can be broadly classified in three areas as a quintessential teacher, an exemplary contributor and an initiator of global spiritual harmony. As a teacher of Vedanta, he established four traditional teaching centers and many others across the globe through his students with a primary focus on teaching Vedanta and Sanskrit and related disciplines. These traditional teaching centers carry the banner Arsha Vidya, i.e., Knowledge of the Rishis (Ancient Sages of India) and the word Arsha has also been used by many of Swami Dayananda s students in naming their facilities to mark the lineage. In order to teach the ancient wisdom of the rishis in a structured manner, which was Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

18 heretofore taught on a one-to-one basis, Swami Dayananda designed a three year curriculum. He along with his students taught several of these three-year programs and many of his students from these programs are now teaching all over India and abroad, serving as the torch bearers of the ancient Vedic wisdom. The Bhagavad Gita Home Study (BGHS) is a magnum opus of Swami Dayananda. Based on actual classroom teaching of the Bhagavad Gita to students of a three-year program, the BGHS is an innovative and efficacious plan to allow the public to imbibe the teaching of Bhagavad Gita. Because of its wide appeal, the BGHS is translated into several Indian languages such as Tamil, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi as well as other languages such as Japanese and Spanish. Besides the BGHS, Swami Dayananda s teachings, lectures and writings have been published in more than 60 titles in English. A popular book that has been translated to both Spanish and Portuguese is The Value of Values. It is particularly popular among youth as it discusses the commonly sensed human values, an appreciation of which is the most important ingredient for harmony among religions, nations and cultures. Swami Dayananda s relentless focus on the service of humankind and the betterment of the neglected people from the lower strata of the society resulted in the creation of the All India Movement (AIM) for Seva in the year As an independent public charitable trust committed to care for people who need help, it reaches out to children from the underprivileged sections of the Indian society by providing them Access to good education through an innovative model of free student homes situated near public and private schools. The student homes provide the children a clean living environment, nutritious food, uniforms, schooling needs, value based education, extra-curricular activities and more. The objective is to make a difference in the lives of children in rural areas throughout India by giving them an opportunity to be educated, to grow with self-esteem, to pursue a dream and contribute to their family, society and country. AIM for Seva has already touched the lives of thousands of students and their families and caused a life-changing transformation in rural India. Swami Dayananda worked tirelessly over several decades to promote multiple interreligious dialogues and was an author and contributor to many Joint Declarations, with Jewish and Buddhist leaders. In his obituary on Swami Dayananda, Alon Goshen-Gottstein described Swamiji as a Pioneer of Hindu- Jewish relations (Huffington Post, Sept. 25, 2015). Undoubtedly Swami Dayananda s commitment to religious harmony made him a revered spiritual leader across a wide spectrum of traditions around the world. He advocated that, religious harmony is closely dependent on the freedom each religion grants to the other, and emphasized that important message with an extraordinary clarity. Swami Dayananda was a true entrepreneur of the spirit. He excelled as a superior teacher, spiritual visionary, servant of humanity and a tireless contributor in enriching the spiritual aspects of the contemporaneous society. His far-reaching and transformational work had yielded Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

19 salutary benefits to millions across countries and continents. He will continue to live in the hearts and minds of the countless people who have been inspired by his teachings. One of the teaching centers founded by Swami Dayananda is the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam (AVG) in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. It has been serving the community for the past three decades by imparting the eternal Vedic wisdom in the traditional manner. Under the inspiring guidance of Swami Dayananda, AVG has been the home-outside-the-home, for a large number of families all over the US. Located on 14 acres in a serene setting in the Pocono Mountains, the Gurukulam offers short and long-term programs of study for guests and resident students of all ages. The campus is adorned by a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Daksinamurti, considered the first teacher of Vedic knowledge. Apart from Vedanta, classes on Sanskrit, Vedic chanting, Vedic astrology, Ayurveda, meditation and Yoga are also offered. There are ongoing meditation and Bhagavad Gita classes and Vedic Heritage program for children and youth on 1st and 3rd weekends. These classes are open to all. In Swami Dayananda s words, AVG is not an organization, nor is it merely a facility. It has a certain atmosphere, a unique personality or a soul that makes it a home. All of you can feel that this is your place, it is your home. Some may live outside, others may live inside, but for all of us it is home. avpoffice@gmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sthitaprajñā THE WISE PERSON Swami Dayananda Saraswati Just as fire is hot not because of any reason but by nature, so too a wise man is happy not because of any reason, but because happiness is his nature. Since a wise person knows that the self is the source of happiness, he requires nothing; by this knowledge, he casts away all desires. Neither a ripple nor a breaker can add to the greatness of the ocean; each is only a fleeting expression of its greatness. The ocean remains unaffected even when these forms disappear. When you gain an object of your desire, the happiness that you experience is like a wave in the ocean. It is only a momentary expression of the happiness that is yourself; and when it comes to an end, the fullness, ānanda, that you are, remains unchanged. The one who recognizes that the self is sat-cit-ānanda existence, awareness and fullness is wise. That person is called sthitaprajña, well rooted in wisdom. Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

20 Rishikesh, Sep. 11, 2015, Prime Minister Modi received the blessings of his guru Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

21 Teaching Legacy of Swami Dayananda Saraswati in Argentina During the decade of the 1990s Pujya Swamiji taught Vedanta camps in Argentina each year for nine consecutive years. He was keen on establishing a teaching center there that could serve the Spanish speaking students of the world. His efforts were rewarded when many of the Argentine students began to study three-year Vedanta and Sanskrit courses at the Arsha Vidya gurukulams in India. Due to his increasing work load in India and his declining health he could not keep coming to Argentina to teach Vedanta. So, in 2009 he passed the responsibility for building up his teaching legacy in Argentina to his one of his senior American disciples, who had settled in Argentina, Swamini Vilasananda Saraswati. Along with a group of Pujya Swamiji s Argentine disciples, she established Fundación Arsha Vidya as a legal non-profit educational trust that would carry on his work by establishing teaching centers and a gurukulam, as well as publishing his books in Spanish. Pujya Swamiji dictated the by-laws for Fundación Arsha Vidya to his secretary, Swamini Srividyananda Saraswati, who sent them to Swamini Vilasananda. The most important article with respect to Pujya Swamiji s teaching legacy is the following: Article 1.- In the City of Buenos Aires, where its legal address is established, a foundation having the name Fundación Arsha Vidya (Knowledge of the Sages), was formed on the 21st of December of 2010 for a term of 99 years, which will be able to establish itself as an educational and cultural institution in any part of the Republic of Argentina. One of the line items under Article 1 is: 5. Organize and carry out the translation to Spanish, the publication and the sale of all books by the Master Swami Dayananda Saraswati and other books by some of his disciples. In the year 2013, Fundación Arsha Vidya published two of Swami Dayananda Saraswati s books in Spanish: Todo sobre Sādhana and El Valor de los Valores. And the translation of the Bhagavad Gītā Home Study Course (BGHSC) is being prepared for its publication in 9 volumes. In 2014, with the permission of Pujya Swamiji, Swamini Vilasananda began to lay the groundwork for building the fifth Arsha Vidya Gurukulam. After consulting the manager of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Saylorsburg, Sri Suddhatma Chaitanya, and with the permission of Pujya Swamiji, she organized the first major fund raising event in Argentina in 2015 during the 25 th Anniversary of Pujya Swamiji s first visit to Argentina. Pujya Swamiji delivered his message to the Argentine students by video. There were enough donations to cover the costs of the event which included hall rental, music concerts, banquet lunch, souvenir and displays. Donations also covered lodging and other expenses for Swami Svatmananda Saraswati, who was invited to deliver public talks in the province and in Buenos Aires Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

22 City and the main talk at the anniversary. This first successful attempt at fundraising was a warm-up exercise. Afterwards the foundation published another important book by Pujya Swamiji in Spanish, Tattvabodhah, 400 pages. Thirty books could be printed just in time for Swamini to bring them to Saylorsburg USA for Arsha Vidya Gurukulam s 29 th anniversary, where Pujya Swamiji would officially release the new book. The book was presented by Pujya Swamiji, but afterwards his health continued to decline and he attained his Mahā Samadhi later in Rishikesh on the 23 rd of September. It was very difficult to think about what to do after that. By Īśvara s grace Swamini Vilasananda began thinking about making a trip to the province of Cordoba to see if there could be a suitable property for building the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Argentina. These thoughts kept getting stronger, almost as if being called to go there. As it turned out, one of the Vedanta students was going to Cordoba in mid-december and she offered to find a place for both to stay for one week in the most beautiful part of the province. Every-thing began to fall into place, as if Pujya Swamiji s grace were propelling this to happen. After seeing four or five properties, Swamini Vilasananda and Florencia were taken to see the most beautiful property imaginable on the last day. It already had the buildings that a gurukulam requires, situated on more than 12 acres (5 hectares) of land with a brook running through it. If Fundación Arsha Vidya can purchase this property, the gurukulam could be started almost immediately. There would be a possibility of negotiating to lower the asking price, which is one million US dollars, because after seeing the property the Argentine peso was devaluated, which caused the dollar value to increase. If Fundación Arsha Vidya buys the property, we would also require funds to maintain it. Like the other four Arsha Vidya Gurukulams, three in India and one in USA, this property has the spiritual atmosphere and the inspiring natural beauty of its surroundings to qualify as the fifth gurukulam established by Pujya Swamiji to serve students from all over the world. The capital of the province of Cordoba has an international airport which is 60 km from the town of Huerta Grande situated next to the property. That distance can be covered in one hour by car on highway 38. There are also buses. For further details on how to donate and be part of the undertaking once a final decision is made, please contact Swamini Vilasananda at Fundación Arsha Vidya: fundacionarshavidya@gmail.com Telephone: Website: More photos follow: Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

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26 Vedanta teaching in Argentina Classes and Study Groups Vedanta in Mar del Plata ISHA UPANISHAD of SHUKLA YAJUR VEDA (Also known as Ishavasya Upanishad, Ishavasyopanishad, or Ishopanishad) ॐ ईश व स यम द सव यत क ञ च जगकय जगत त न कयक त न भ ञ ज थ ग ध स यत स वद धन १ This is the first mantra of the Upanishad: "All that exists in this changeful universe is pervaded by the self, the pure awareness. Support yourself by renunciation. Do not covet the wealth of anyone." Group study of the Vedic text and its 18 mantras with the commentaries of Adi Shankaracharya * Recitation of the text following the original with Vedic accents * Recitation of traditional Vedic prayers * Study material for printing * Ideas of how the Devanagari script is used in the Sanskrit language Prof. Antonio Perrone CLASSES BEGIN ON: WEDNESDAY 9 TH OF MARCH PLACE: BELGRANO 3333, between Salta & Jujuy MAR DEL PLATA SCHEDULE: Every Wednesday from 10:00 to 12:00. The final class is on Dec. 14, 2016 For additional information &/or to inscribe write to: omnamahshivaya108@yahoo.com.ar Tel.: (0223) Vedanta in the City of Buenos Aires TATTVABODHA (THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ABSOLUTE REALITY) of Shankaracharya taught by Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati Our Tattvabodha classes resume Feb. 14 th & every week after, on Sundays. We already had 5 classes in For more information, &/or to inscribe write to: fundacionarshavidya@gmail.com Tel. (5411) El hall is on Uriburu between Santa Fe and Marcelo de Alvear near the City Center. We arrive at 9:45am and the class begins at 10am. Duration is one hour. Sri Swamini Vilasananda Saraswati Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

27 Vedanta in the City of Buenos Aires THE SACRED TEXTS Teacher: V.S. Dr. Horacio E. Vajovsky weekly. In the year 1985 I came into contact with Indian culture and tradition. In 1990 I had the great blessing to become a student Sri Pujya Swami Dayananda. In the year 2007 I completed the three-and-a-half-year Vedanta course, as resident in the City of Nagpur, India, taught by Mataji Brahmaprakashananda Saraswati, where I also received on September 8, 2007 the qualification of Vedanta Shastri Title granted by the Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University of the city of Nagpur. Afterwards, on the advice and with the blessings of Mataji, I began teaching courses on Introduction to Vedanta and Sanscrit, Tattva Bodhah, Mundaka Upanisad and Katha Upanishad among other texts. In addition, I conduct another group in which I share advanced Vedanta texts Contact: arshavidyahv@gmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Chanting Tradition Beginners: Starting the traditional prayers. Advanced: Ganapati Atharva Shirsha Upanishad, Aditya Hrdaya Stotram, and others with Bhashyam. Sri Rudram: and Shanti mantras, propitiatory, and commentaries of Swami Dayananda. V.S Silvia Vajovsky silviavajos@yahoo.com.ar Bhagavad Gita Home Study Groups Following the advice of Swami Svatmananda, we are focusing on the formation of various Bhagavad Gita Home Study groups in different localities of the City, and of the province, of Buenos Aires. The idea is to form groups of between 7 and 11 persons who meet weekly to read, analyze and study the teachings of Pujya Swamiji in the 9 volumes of his monumental work on the Bhagavad Gita which he himself highly recommends as the first step in the study of Vedanta. Dr. Roberto Toranzo (11) rtesh07@hotmail.com.ar Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

28 Swami Svatmananda Saraswati to return to Argentina in November 2016 We happily announce that Sri Swami Svatmananda Saraswati will be in Argentina for the month of November of His first visit was in 2015 for our 25th anniversary. Now we are planning his program of public talks and Vedanta classes and would like to receive requests from centers with ample halls located in different cities and towns. If you are interested in inviting Sri Swami Svatmananda Saraswati to give a talk or series of classes on Vedanta at your center, open to the public, please send your request to fundacionarshavidya@gmail.com or call Dr. Roberto Toranzo at (5411) Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue

29 Wise teachings of Pujya Swamiji THE SELF AND THE TOTAL "Whether I understand it the fact that I am helpless is very clear because I cannot even predict what I am going to think next. What will be my next thought? Since I cannot even do this, I do not have the future in my control. The forces that I have to deal with are more powerful than the power that I can command. I try to manipulate the world as much as I can, but the world also manipulates me, because I form the world for others. I try to change people and they try to change me. Every individual feels this helplessness. Either I am stuck with this helplessness or I deal with it. This is where I have to make use of my knowledge of Īśvara. When we are talking of the total, however, there is no separation. This entire jagat, which is empirically real, is a manifestation of Īśvara, who is Bhagavan. In this manifestation, you as an individual have an identity, a confinement, in which you do not extend beyond the extremity of your anatomy. Up to this skin alone you go. Beyond that is the world. If Īśvara pervades everything, then he pervades your body/mind/sense complex also. Then how do you have an individuality? As an individual I always remain related to the Lord. This relationship is between the individual and the total. This gives me a certain space while I play different roles in my life. This awareness of self-identity is the freedom, the awareness of the self being free, free from the role." UNDERSTANDING THE ROOT OF WORLD AND MIND In psychology there is no solution, in Vedānta there is no problem. Trying to understand the root of both the world and mind alone will help. That root is ātmā, the satyaṃ. When the truth ātmā is known as satyaṃ, the world and the mind are understood as mithyā. The world and the mind will continue to be experienced. It will be like a movie on a screen. The screen is ātmā. They will continue to be experienced. You do not try to handle them independently. You do not negate them also. You only deflate the mind and the world of their reality. You allow them to be and continue to experience them but they cannot cause any saṃsāra because mithyā cannot touch the satyaṃ. The mind and the world are not tackled directly but only by understanding the truth of the world and the mind. The mind and the world are two and the adhiṣṭhānam is one. The dream-object and the dream-thought are two but the adhiṣṭhānam is one, the waker. The waker alone is getting divided into dream thoughts and dream objects. Swami Dayananda Saraswati Boletín Arsha Vidya, 1 st quarterly issue