Recently I saw posts on some websites and blogs that have some recordings which they claim are the original recordings of the speech delivered by Swami Vivekananda at the Parliament of religions held in Chicago in 1893.
Those recordings are not genuine. I am not commenting on the subject that has been recorded (I don't even think that I am eligible to do so), but I am saying that the voice is not of Swami Vivekananda. I say this because I enquired about these recordings with a Monk of the Ramkrishna Order who is the editor of one of the magazines brought out by Ramakrishna Math. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
There were no sophisticated recording devices when Swamiji spoke at the Parliament of religions. The diary written during the Parliament of religions (Ref: "Swami Vivekananda in The West - New Discoveries, Volume 1", Page:76, Publishers: Advaita Ashram, Calcutta) by the organizers says that stenographers were hired to take notes of the speech. If recording devices existed, then why would they hire stenographers to take notes?
There was only one recording of Swamiji's voice with the Maharaja of Mysore. It was a phonographic record (Ref: "The Life of Swami Vivekananda, by his Eastern and Western Disciples Volume 1", Page: 324 & 325. Publishers: Advaita Ashram, Calcutta). The book clearly says that the voice is now indistinct. This show the quality of recording devices that existed at that time.
The voice in these recordings is so clear that it makes anyone doubt those recordings.
In the "Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 1", some of the words are written in square brackets. The publishers (Advaita Ashram, Calcutta) say that the stenographers were unable to record some of the words of Swamiji and so are missing in their notes and because of which the publishers have put in the missing words in square brackets that seem to complete the sentence. They clearly say in the book that those words were put in by them.
If the recordings were of Swamij's own speech, then could they not have heard them over and over and got the right words?
If its indeed the voice of Swami Vivekananda, then why has the Ramakrishna Mission or the Ramakrishna Math released any audio cassettes or audio CD's containing them? Will they not be interested in making the people listen to his voice?
These recordings are just recitation of Swamiji's work by someone else. Thanks for the effort of those trying to spread his words, no matter even if its through someone else'a voice.
1 comment:
There was only one recording of Swamiji's voice with the Maharaja of Mysore. It was a phonographic record
Is it mentioned in that book that the recording was in a phonographic record disc?
Rohit had first told me about that recording and I remember reading somewhere(The Hindu?) that the Swami Vivekananda's speech was personally recorded by Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar in a Phonograph Cylinder(which was made of Paraffin and Wax) and unfortunately, it BURNT along with the earlier Wooden Palace which stood in the place of Amba Vilas Palace. :(
That recording which is being passed on the net is a prank. It is the rendition of various speeches at Chicago by Subir Ghosh(I think, commissioned by Ramakrishna Mission and released by HMV).
— ravi
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