ARISE! AWAKE! ... 7 (Evening edition, 24 July, 2025)

ARISE! AWAKE! ... 7

(Evening edition, 24 July, 2025)

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Editorial 

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Bengal needs manhood. Otherwise, it is doomed. India needs manhood, too. Else, she is doomed as well. This is why Vivekananda, the very embodiment of manhood, said towards the end of his life, "My life's message may be summed up in just one word---MANHOOD." Swamiji also said to Nivedita, "My mission is not Ramakrishna's nor Vedanta's nor anything but simply to bring MANHOOD to this people." Monks preaching Vedanta should take cognizance of this message of the Messiah of the Age and cultivate manhood. Devotees should feel for the bleeding heart who shortly before his death in despair lamented, "If by quirk of fate this body came into being, it was of not much use. The lads of sharp intelligence have all married or they are of weak physical constitution or slaves to name and fame...And those that are coming to me do not exhibit eagerness to comprehend the lofty ideals that I preach. Beholding this my mind is filled with despair. However, if it be Thakur's will, out of these very boys will arise valorous warriors of the Spirit." 

Seeing Nivedita dabble in politics, Swamiji had said to Sister Christine, "What does Nivedita know of Indian politics? I have done much more politics than her. The country has died. The country has rotted. What is needed now is a generation's education of the masses before the people are ready to shape their own destiny."

Thakur had said, "Naren has not come earlier nor will he come again." Of course Thakur had also said that Naren was the incarnation of the ancient sage Nara who had reincarnated in this age having been moved by the sufferings of the people on earth. Swamiji during his second visit to the West had at Mrs. Alice Hansborough's place said that he would have to be reborn in 200 years' time to be part of the entourage of Sri Ramakrishna who was due to reincarnate then. Hence, we must not take Thakur's words literally that Swamiji would never again come to earth. Rather we should ask ourselves: What have we done with his present advent? Have we studied him in depth, in detail? Have we followed him? Have we been his worthy inheritors, the rightful carriers of his leonine legacy? Have we not massively failed him?

Yours truly,

Sugata Bose