Arise! Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached!

     To the Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna January 2009
     Vol. 114, No. 1

     I offer salutations to Ramakrishna,
     the eternal, transcendent, Narayana, who,
     though unborn and imperishable,
     incarnated to protect the world.

     I offer my salutations to Sarada,
     the mother of all beings, who,
     though unitary in nature, being the Power of Brahman,
     has taken a distinct form.

     I adore the leader of the Sangha,
     the best of Ramakrishna's companions,
     the initiator of the (new) cycle of dharma,
     in the person of Swami Vivekananda.

     To Brahmananda, the cowherd of Vraja,
     Rakhal, the mindborn son (of Ramakrishna),
     the first president of the Sangha, I bow down.

     To Shivananda, who had the constant vision
     of the tranquil, auspicious, and imperishable
     nondual abode of Ramakrishna, I bow down.


     I bow down to Saradananda, the author of Lilaprasanga,
     wherein is narrated Ramakrishna's life in all its significance.

     Ramakrishnananda, whose being was in Ramakrishna,
     who worshipped Ramakrishna, and enriched his divine play, I salute.

     Yogananda, Ramakrishna's divine companion, Sarada Devi's attendant,
     the pure, the ever free, the ever tranquil, I salute.

     The tranquil Premananda, a mother to all, the embodiment of love
     and affection, personification of Sri Radha, I salute.

     I adore Niranjanananda, Mother's ever free and pure attendant,
     who had Ramakrishna's feet for his refuge.

     I salute the sinless and wise spiritual master Akhandananda,
     who always worshipped Shiva in the orphan and the afflicted.

     I adore that Trigunatita who laid down his life after raising
     human consciousness through the publication of Udbodhan.

     I adore Swami Turiyananda, the knower of the essence of Vedanta,
     the yogi and the sage, who has surrendered himself to Ramakrishna.

     I adore the venerable Kalitapasvi, the renowned expounder
     and teacher of Vedanta, who was known as Abhedananda.

     I adore that devotee and great karmayogi called Subodhananda who,
     possessed of a childlike nature, was full of aff ection for devotees.

     I bow down to that simple and pureminded Adbhutananda who,
     though uneducated and unlettered, realized the imperishable Brahman.

     I salute the elder Gopal, the beloved attendant of Sarada,
     who is revered by the devotees as Advaitananda.

     I adore Vijnanananda, the embodiment of wisdom and bliss,
     the heroic worker, who built the charming Ramakrishna Temple.

     I adore the companions (of Ramakrishna),
     all of whom are parts of Ramakrishna,
     appearing in different forms and
     manifesting diverse spiritual moods.

     I salute again and again
     Sarada and Ramakrishna
     and the companions in their divine play,
     who are the protectors of the dharma of this age.

     -Adapted from Swami Balaramananda, Saparshadasriramakrishnapranama