Vedanta Kesari
Encyclopedia
Vedanta Kesari (formerly Brahmavadin) is a spiritual and cultural monthly in English being published from Sri Ramakrishna Math
, Chennai
, since 1895.
, a group of his disciples in Madras, which included G. Venkataranga Rao, M.C. Nanjunda Rao and Alasinga Perumal
, started on 14 September 1895 a monthly journal bearing the title Brahmavadin. It continued to be brought out regularly for 14 years, until Alasinga’s demise in 1909. From 1909 to 1914, the publication of Brahmavadin became quite irregular. The last issue was brought out in 1914 (March-April). Soon after, the Brahmavadin’s legacy was continued by a new journal, Vedanta Kesari, started by Sri Ramakrishna Math Chennai
, and has been in circulation ever since.
as expounded by Swami Vivekananda, the illustrious disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
, the nineteenth century mystic of India
. The focus of the magazine is to promote a spiritual and matured outlook towards life. It advocates renunciation of selfish desires along with the service to others in a spirit of worshipfulness.
Most articles published in the Vedanta Kesari are originally written for the magazine, though a few transcriptions of the lectures and speeches are also published.
The Vedanta Kesari has a long scholarly tradition. Its contributors include John Woodroffe
(Arthur Avalon, the Englishman known for pioneering work in Tantra
studies), Mahatma Gandhi
, Sarojini Naidu
, C. Rajagopalachari
(the first Governor General of Independent India), T.L. Vaswani (the founder of Vaswani Mission, Pune), K.M. Munshi (the founder of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan), Dr Karan Singh
, H.H.Dalai Lama
and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
. Many learned monks of the Ramakrishna Order
also contribute to the magazine.
The usual pattern of the contents published in the Vedanta Kesari include editorial
, Simhavalokanam (articles from the Archives of the Vedanta Kesari), articles based on the teachings and incidents in the lives of the Sri Ramakrishna
, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda - on Vedanta
, Indian culture and philosophy
, self-improvement and the ideal of service. There is a section on book review where latest books published in religion, philosophy, culture and self-improvement are reviewed by eminent men in the concerned fields. And also a news section detailing service activities carried out by world-wide centres of the Ramakrishna Math
and Mission
.
Since 1978, the magazine has been regularly bringing out an annual number dedicated to a theme. Some of its popular theme-based issues published so far are: Yoga and its Aspects, Values for the Present Age, Globalization, Religion Today, Culture and Civilization, Channeling Youth Power, Nurturing Inter - personal Relationship, Upanishads in Daily Life, among others.
Many of these numbers have later been made into books and published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.
Some of the well-known books published from the Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, were originally serialized in the Vedanta Kesari. Among such are included such popular volumes such as Upanishad Series (Sanskrit, with English translation by Swami Sharvananda), Sri Ramakrishna, the Great Master (by Swami Saradananda), Bhakti
Schools of Vedanta (by Swami Tapasyananda
), and so on.
“Swami Sharvananda who has been the President of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in Madras since 1911 and has been editing the Vedanta Kesari from its very start is retiring from work after nineteen years of strenuous labour. He means to lead at present a life of perfect solitude and retirement.
“Swami Yatiswarananda who has been in charge of the Ramakrishna Ashrama in Bombay for nearly the last two years has come over to take charge of the Math and Mission in Madras. He has spent eight years of his monastic life in South India and has an intimate knowledge of several of its parts. He is the late editor of the Prabuddha Bharata
and is well-known for his scholarship and literary abilities. He was also intimately connected with the editorial work and the publication of the Vedanta Kesari for a long period. Our Journal will appear under his editorship from May next. All official correspondence must hereafter be addressed to him. We pray to the Lord to crown his work with complete success.'
1928 May onwards, The Vedanta Kesari started printing the names of the editors. It would mention both the names (president of Madras Math and the actual editor) as 'Editors'. September 1993 onwards, nomenclature was changed over to 'Managing Editor & Editor'
Ramakrishna Math
Ramakrishna Math is a religious monastic order, considered part of the Hindu reform movements. It was set up by Swami Vivekananda to follow the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, since 1895.
History
Under the inspiration of Swami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
, a group of his disciples in Madras, which included G. Venkataranga Rao, M.C. Nanjunda Rao and Alasinga Perumal
Alasinga Perumal
Alasinga Perumal was an ardent supporter of Swami Vivekananda and a propogator of vedanta. Besides helping sponsor Vivekananda's journey to USA, he started the magazine Brahmavadin, which would later inspire Vedanta Kesari....
, started on 14 September 1895 a monthly journal bearing the title Brahmavadin. It continued to be brought out regularly for 14 years, until Alasinga’s demise in 1909. From 1909 to 1914, the publication of Brahmavadin became quite irregular. The last issue was brought out in 1914 (March-April). Soon after, the Brahmavadin’s legacy was continued by a new journal, Vedanta Kesari, started by Sri Ramakrishna Math Chennai
Sri Ramakrishna Math Chennai
Ramakrishna Math is a monastic organization for men brought into existence by Sri Ramakrishna , the great 19th century saint of Bengal. The motto of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission is: "For one's own salvation, and for the welfare of the world". Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai is the...
, and has been in circulation ever since.
Circulation
Now in its 97th year, Vedanta Kesari is one of India’s oldest religious magazines in English in circulation. It has a monthly circulation of nearly 10,000 copies of which 4000 go to public and institutional libraries across India. The magazine has its subscriber-base in 40 countries.Contents of the magazine
Vedanta Kesari contains articles on Indian spiritual traditions and scriptures, mainly focusing on VedantaVedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
as expounded by Swami Vivekananda, the illustrious disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
Ramakrishna
Ramakrishna , born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay , was a famous mystic of 19th-century India. His religious school of thought led to the formation of the Ramakrishna Mission by his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda – both were influential figures in the Bengali Renaissance as well as the Hindu...
, the nineteenth century mystic of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The focus of the magazine is to promote a spiritual and matured outlook towards life. It advocates renunciation of selfish desires along with the service to others in a spirit of worshipfulness.
Most articles published in the Vedanta Kesari are originally written for the magazine, though a few transcriptions of the lectures and speeches are also published.
The Vedanta Kesari has a long scholarly tradition. Its contributors include John Woodroffe
John Woodroffe
Sir John George Woodroffe , also known by his pseudonym Arthur Avalon, was a British Orientalist whose work helped to unleash in the West a deep and wide interest in Hindu philosophy and Yogic practices.- Life :...
(Arthur Avalon, the Englishman known for pioneering work in Tantra
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
studies), Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
, Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu , also known by the sobriquet The Nightingale of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet...
, C. Rajagopalachari
C. Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India...
(the first Governor General of Independent India), T.L. Vaswani (the founder of Vaswani Mission, Pune), K.M. Munshi (the founder of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan), Dr Karan Singh
Karan Singh
Karan Singh is an MP in the Rajya Sabha, a senior member of the ruling Indian National Congress Party serving as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Department, President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations , India's Ambassador to UNESCO, Chairman of the Auroville Foundation and of the Temple...
, H.H.Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
Abdul Kalam
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam usually referred to as A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, is a renowned aerospace engineer, professor , and first Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram , who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007...
. Many learned monks of the Ramakrishna Order
Ramakrishna Order
The Ramakrishna Order is the monastic organization founded by Sri Ramakrishna and his disciple Swami Vivekananda. It encompasses the twin organizations Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, both headquartered at Belur Math near Kolkata, India....
also contribute to the magazine.
The usual pattern of the contents published in the Vedanta Kesari include editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
, Simhavalokanam (articles from the Archives of the Vedanta Kesari), articles based on the teachings and incidents in the lives of the Sri Ramakrishna
Ramakrishna
Ramakrishna , born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay , was a famous mystic of 19th-century India. His religious school of thought led to the formation of the Ramakrishna Mission by his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda – both were influential figures in the Bengali Renaissance as well as the Hindu...
, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda - on Vedanta
Vedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
, Indian culture and philosophy
Indian philosophy
India has a rich and diverse philosophical tradition dating back to ancient times. According to Radhakrishnan, the earlier Upanisads constitute "...the earliest philosophical compositions of the world."...
, self-improvement and the ideal of service. There is a section on book review where latest books published in religion, philosophy, culture and self-improvement are reviewed by eminent men in the concerned fields. And also a news section detailing service activities carried out by world-wide centres of the Ramakrishna Math
Ramakrishna Math
Ramakrishna Math is a religious monastic order, considered part of the Hindu reform movements. It was set up by Swami Vivekananda to follow the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna...
and Mission
Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement. The Ramakrishna Mission is a philanthropic, volunteer organization founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on...
.
Since 1978, the magazine has been regularly bringing out an annual number dedicated to a theme. Some of its popular theme-based issues published so far are: Yoga and its Aspects, Values for the Present Age, Globalization, Religion Today, Culture and Civilization, Channeling Youth Power, Nurturing Inter - personal Relationship, Upanishads in Daily Life, among others.
Many of these numbers have later been made into books and published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.
Some of the well-known books published from the Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, were originally serialized in the Vedanta Kesari. Among such are included such popular volumes such as Upanishad Series (Sanskrit, with English translation by Swami Sharvananda), Sri Ramakrishna, the Great Master (by Swami Saradananda), Bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
Schools of Vedanta (by Swami Tapasyananda
Tapasyananda
Swami Tapasyananda was a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Mission. He was a disciple of Swami Shivananda, one of the eminent disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. The Swami was a vice-president of the Ramakrishna Order from 1985-1991. He was an erudite scholar in Indian and Western philosophy. He has to his...
), and so on.
Editors
From May 1914 to April 1928, there was no name of the editor mentioned. Towards the end of the April 1926 issue, page 478 it was mentioned in the News and Reports:“Swami Sharvananda who has been the President of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in Madras since 1911 and has been editing the Vedanta Kesari from its very start is retiring from work after nineteen years of strenuous labour. He means to lead at present a life of perfect solitude and retirement.
“Swami Yatiswarananda who has been in charge of the Ramakrishna Ashrama in Bombay for nearly the last two years has come over to take charge of the Math and Mission in Madras. He has spent eight years of his monastic life in South India and has an intimate knowledge of several of its parts. He is the late editor of the Prabuddha Bharata
Prabuddha Bharata
Prabuddha Bharata or Awakened India is an English-language monthly magazine of the Ramakrishna Order, in publication since July 1896. It carries articles and translations by monks, scholars, and writers on various religious and cultural themes...
and is well-known for his scholarship and literary abilities. He was also intimately connected with the editorial work and the publication of the Vedanta Kesari for a long period. Our Journal will appear under his editorship from May next. All official correspondence must hereafter be addressed to him. We pray to the Lord to crown his work with complete success.'
1928 May onwards, The Vedanta Kesari started printing the names of the editors. It would mention both the names (president of Madras Math and the actual editor) as 'Editors'. September 1993 onwards, nomenclature was changed over to 'Managing Editor & Editor'
| × | Period | Editor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 1928 to April 1931 | Br. Jnana chaitanya (Swami Taijasananda) |
| 2 | May 1931 to April 1939 | Swami Tapasyananda Tapasyananda Swami Tapasyananda was a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Mission. He was a disciple of Swami Shivananda, one of the eminent disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. The Swami was a vice-president of the Ramakrishna Order from 1985-1991. He was an erudite scholar in Indian and Western philosophy. He has to his... |
| 3 | May 1939 to April 1941 | Swami Vimalananda |
| 4 | May 1941 to April 1942 | Prof. PN Srinivasachar |
| 5 | May 1942 to November 1948 | Swami Nityabodhananda |
| 6 | December 1948 to September 1951 | Swami Kailasananda |
| 7 | October 1951 to July 1956 | Swami Budhananda |
| 8 | August 1956 to April 1962 | Swami Swahananda Swami Swahananda Swami Swahananda , a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order of India, is the minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of Southern California since 1976. He also leads the Vivekananda Retreat, Ridgely, and the Vedanta Center of Greater Washington, DC... |
| 9 | May 1962 to April 1967 | Swami Paratparananda |
| 10 | May 1967 to July 1971 | Swami Kailasananda |
| 11 | August 1971 to September 1979 | Shri R. Ramakrishnan |
| 12 | October 1979 to December 1986 | Shri CS Ramakrishnan |
| 13 | January 1987 to December 1997 | Swami Tyagananda Swami Tyagananda Swami Tyagananda is a Hindu monk of the Ramakrishna Order and presently the head of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society in Boston. Currently he is also the Hindu chaplain at MIT and Harvard. He is also a member of American Academy of Religion and the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies... |
| 14 | January 1998 to December 2000 | Swami Brahmeshananda |
| 15 | January 2001 to March 2004 | Swami Baneshananda |
| 16 | Since April 2004 | Swami Atmashraddhananda |
External links
- Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai Website
- The Vedanta Kesari magazine subscription page
- View and Download Vedanta Kesari issues
- 96 Years of Vedanta Kesari Issues on DVD
- Several Editorials of Vedanta Kesari by Swami Paratparananda, a former Editor
See also
- Ramakrishna MathRamakrishna MathRamakrishna Math is a religious monastic order, considered part of the Hindu reform movements. It was set up by Swami Vivekananda to follow the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna...
- Sri RamakrishnaRamakrishnaRamakrishna , born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay , was a famous mystic of 19th-century India. His religious school of thought led to the formation of the Ramakrishna Mission by his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda – both were influential figures in the Bengali Renaissance as well as the Hindu...
- Swami VivekanandaSwami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
- Prabuddha BharataPrabuddha BharataPrabuddha Bharata or Awakened India is an English-language monthly magazine of the Ramakrishna Order, in publication since July 1896. It carries articles and translations by monks, scholars, and writers on various religious and cultural themes...