Shine then today, O generous Dawn
for your (praise) singer!
Grant us the gift of life
and children!
~ (Rig Veda 1.113.17)
Children are our greatest assets. Since the dawn of civilisation Hindus have prayed for good children.
The parents' desire for children was always integrated with sincere prayer and like the fragrant smoke
of incense this sublime desire reached the Heavens. The gift of good children is always a blessing to
any parent.
Despite this blessing, every parent has the responsibility to raise and mould the child into a mature
adult. Today in a world where so many adverse forces work on the child it is necessary for parents to
consider added measures for the child's development. Swami Vivekananda pointed out that the greatest
influence on the child should come from people who are 'character-intensive'. He said, "One should live
from his very boyhood/girlhood with one whose character is a blazing fire and should have before him/her
a living example of the highest teaching." Since the child is unable to discriminate between good and
bad company the onus lies with parents to place them in a sound moral environment where there is
beneficial company.
The growing child needs to socialise in the sense that it needs to integrate itself into several
environments - its own exclusively private domain, domestic, school and the public spheres. For this
purpose the child needs skills at various levels of management. It needs skills at the time of quietness
and leisure, meeting a spectrumof people with varied personalities, dealing with the opposite sex,
having a positive attitude towards life, knowing that good triumphs over evil, the capacity to work
with others, leadership, etc. Success in all these fields emanate from the character and personality of
the child. The Russian child psychologist, Vygotsky emphasized the importance of human influence on the
growing child. He calls this the "zone of proximal development" which according to Vygotsky is "that
part of the child's potential which the child is able to achieve with structure and guidance from others
and this is far greater than a child can manage on its own." It is therefore the collective
responsibility of parents, teachers, friends and society as a whole to be sympathetic and caring for all
children.
In the life of the Holy Mother, Sri Sarada Devi, there is an amazing incident that needs our
consideration. Once the Holy Mother was on pilgrimage in holy Brindavan where Lord Krishna spent his
childhood days. On visiting one of the temples the Holy Mother spotted a child on the temple veranda.
The parents had gone into the temple. In the meantime the child had soiled itself and the veranda floor.
The Holy Mother's spontaneous response was to pick up the child and clean it. When she handed over the
child to the mother, another devotee who had witnessed the episode commented, "I thought it was your
child." The Holy Mother smiled at this. The Holy Mother's love had matured to such a degree of nobility
that she did not see 'my child' or 'your child'. In a most unostentatious manner she played her simple
role as 'treating the whole world as her own'.
Parenthood, that is, fatherhood and motherhood, must transcend our small families and sympathetically
embrace all children. This is mature parenthood which in turn is an asset to all children. Every parent
who has transcended his or her immediate family and has a broad heart to accommodate all children with
concern and love, has grown spiritually. Such parents are the mainstay of society.
(The following article is based on a discourse delivered by Swami Rasajnananda on "Sri Ramakrishna
the Great Master" in February 1996 at the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata. The
article is reproduced from the 'Bulletin', April 1996, published by the Institute.)
'As long as I live, so long do I learn.' This is what Sri Ramakrishna said, or rather used to say to
the devotees and thus impress on them the importance of lifelong learning. One learns of this from a
conversation he had with Dr Mahendralal Sarkar.
The place was Shyampukur house. Dr Sarkar, it has to be said to his credit, was trying his best to
cure him [Sri Ramakrishna]. With that end in view, he would go there three times a day - morning,
noon, and evening. Every day after his doctoral duties with his patient such as examination and
prescription, he would spend some time in conversation with him on spiritual matters. And the
devotees, who had gone there to serve Sri Ramakrishna, would sometimes join in the conversation.
One day when they heard the doctor accepting God and ascribing no limit to Him, they drew his
attention to several scientists who had done away with Him altogether. Besides, they pointed to others
who, while accepting Him, had the temerity to proclaim at the top of their voices that He was what
they conceived Him to be and that he had no power other than what they credited Him with.
Replying in the affirmative, the doctor said, 'Yes, that is very true; but do you think it is due to
knowledge? No, it is the "heat" generated by learning; it is due to an intellectual indigestion of
knowledge. They think that they have solved the whole mystery of the universe because they have been
able to know a trifling few things of His creation. These are the people with much learning but little
of experience. But those who have both these qualifications are free from this perverted outlook. As
for myself, I can never entertain such an idea.'
'You are right,' said Sri Ramakrishna. 'With the acquisition of knowledge there comes egoism: "I am a
scholar, what I have understood is the only truth; others' opinions are wrong." Man labours under many
bondages. The pride of learning is one of them. You are so learned but fortunately you have escaped
this kind of pride. That is due to His grace.'
'What I have known and understood,' said the doctor, a little warmed up, 'seems to be very little -
almost nothing. There is no reason to get proud of it. So vast and varied are the things I am yet to
learn about, that I think, or actually see, that every man knows many things which I don't know. I,
therefore, don't feel humiliated to learn anything from anybody. It appears to me that I may have many
things to learn even from them (pointing to the devotees). I am ready to take the dust of the feet of
all out of this consideration.'
It was then that Sri Ramakrishna said (showing the devotees), 'I also say to them. "O friend, as long
as I live, so long do I learn."' Pointing to the doctor, he continued, 'Do you see, how free from
pride he is? He has certainly substance in him and hence such an attitude.'
Not only was Sri Ramakrishna thus pleased with the doctor but he also took care to lead him on the
spiritual path.
They taught us how to serve: A Mother's Heart - Swami Ishanananda
(Swami Ishanananda, whose pre-monastic name was "Varada", had the good fortune of being the Holy
Mother's close attendant for eleven years. The following incident is taken from his Bengali book
"Matrisannidhye", translated by Bodhi Chaitanya.)
One morning during the rainy season in 1917, Varada arrived at the Mother's (Sri Sarada Devi) house
in Jayrambati with some vegetables and flowers for the worship. He then was told that Holy Mother had
gone to visit a certain neighbour. When the Mother returned after a while, she explained that she had
been to the house of an orphan widow who was suffering from an infection in the ears. The lady's only
relative was her small child, so she had no one to look after her. Due to lack of medical treatment
the infection was much advanced, riddled with maggots, and it smelled so badly that nobody was willing
to come near the widow. Early that morning, Holy Mother had prepared some juice of margosa leaves
(neem) and, together with a Brahmachari, had gone to see the poor lady. Squirting the liquid on the
sore, the Mother had cleaned it thoroughly. Now it was late in the morning; after finishing her bath
quickly, the Mother performed the daily worship, and then fed Varada with the consecrated food. Still
speaking about the sick widow, the Mother told him: 'Well, my dear, you sometimes take sick and
helpless people to your Koalpara Ashrama and look after them nicely. It would be a great service if
you could take her to your place and arrange for her treatment. Due to lack of care, the sore smells
very unpleasantly, and that is why no one goes near her. Her little boy is also suffering so much!'
Hearing these words of the Mother, Varada started for Koalpara immediately. When the head of the
monastery heard the story, he decided to go and fetch the widow as soon as possible. A group of
monastics left for Jayrambati by bullock cart that very night after supper, arriving at the Mother's
house early morning the next day. The Mother was very happy to see them, and exclaimed: 'Eat plenty of
puffed rice, and then take the lady with you, otherwise you will arrive at Koalpara too late at
night.' The widow was laid on a wooden plank and lifted on to the cart. Just before departure, Holy
Mother gave her some hot milk to drink and lovingly comforted her with sweet words. Covering seven or
eight miles of muddy, rainy-season tracks, the party reached Koalpara in the evening, and they called
in the village doctor at once. After the doctor had administered some medicine and bandaged the
affected area, they realised how deep the infection was. From the nose and mouth very big maggots came
out, and from the ears oozed pus and blood with a horribly rotten smell! The Ashrama members nursed
the patient day and night by shifts, but all efforts to cure her proved fruitless, and after a few
days the widow passed away. When Varada visited Jayrambati in order to make arrangements for the
funeral, he informed Holy Mother about the sad news. The Mother exclaimed: 'Alas! You have cared for
her like her sons, my dear. If she had stayed on here, with no help at all, she would probably have
died of thirst even.'
Recollections of Swami Vivekananda - Prof. William Ernest Hocking
(W E Hocking, was a Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University, from 1914 to 1943. His scholarly
publications in the fields of Theology and Human Nature are highly regarded in intellectual circles.
At the first World Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago in 1893, he had the good fortune of
hearing Swami Vivekananda speak. In this article, Hockings fondly recalls his first impression of
Swamiji, and the influence of Swamiji on his thinking. This article is reprinted from "Vedanta and
the West", No.163; published by the Vedanta Society of Southern California.)
Nothing that is real is inert. If "inertia" is the defining quality of matter-as was once
thought-matter could certainly not be the basic reality of the world. The being of a person is far
from inert: it is something active even when the person is "in repose," creating a sort of dynamic
field. To be, as a living self, is to be charged with an outgoing energy wholly independent of
effort - to be is to act.
And there are persons with whom one is peculiarly aware of this quiet radiation. To be in their
presence for even a brief time may leave a lasting impression. We all carry about with us unsolved
problems of adjustment to this many-angled world-without formulating questions, we are living quests,
unless by some rare chance our philosophy of life is entirely settled. And to meet some person may
resolve a quest wholly without his knowledge; it may be simply his mode of being that brings the
release.
This was in some measure the story of my first encounter with Swami Vivekananda, though I was only one
of an immense audience. In connection with the World's Fair in Chicago during the summer of 1893,
there was held a "Parliament of Religions." I was a casual visitor at the Fair, just turning twenty,
interested in a dozen exhibits on the Midway, enthused by the marvelous architecture of Richard
Burnham about the Lagoon, but also with special hopes related to the new university nearby, whose
doors had been opened in '91 - I was planning for five minutes with President Harper at his roll-top
desk in Cobb Hall. But aside from all this, I had a quietly rankling problem of my own.
I had been reading Herbert Spencer - all I could get of his works. Spencer's "First Principles" had
effected an inner revolution in my way of thinking. I was convinced by him; by his arguments for
evolution and for a definite rejection of the pretense of belief about things that cannot be known;
this new vista was an intellectual victory, but it was somehow a vital injury to think of man as of
the animals-birth, growth, mating, death-and nothing more-finis. I had had my religion-Methodism-an
experience of conversion with a strange enlightenment which gave me three days of what felt like a new
vision of things, strangely lifted up; Spencer had explained that all away as an emotional flurry-the
world must be faced with a steady objective eye. The Christian cosmology was fancy. But still,
Christianity was not the only religion. There were to be speakers from other traditions. They might
have some insight that would relieve the tension. I would go for an hour and listen. I didn't know the
program. It happened to be Vivekananda's period.
The speaker came forward with a calm authority but also with a fraternal at home-ness: "Sisters and
Brothers of America. . ." In an instant the immense audience was responding with a thunderous physical
wave of greeting and recognition of the accent of inner assurance. He spoke not as arguing from a
tradition, or from a book, but as from an experience and certitude of his own. I do not recall the
steps of his address. But there was a passage toward the end, in which I can still hear the ring of
his voice, and feel the silence of the crowd-almost as if shocked. The audience was well-mixed, but
could be taken as one in assuming that there had been a "Fall of man" resulting in a state of
"original sin," such that "All men have sinned and come short of the glory of God." But what is the
speaker saying? I hear his emphatic rebuke:
"Call men sinners??
It is a SIN to call men sinners!"
The way for the essential message was thus perfectly prepared; the main obstacle was identified and
attacked with an exact aim and power; through the silence I felt something like a gasp running through
the hall as the audience waited for the affirmation which must follow this blow. What his following
words were, I cannot recall with the same verbal clarity: they carried the message that in all men
there is that divine essence, undivided and eternal: reality is One, and that One, which is Brahman,
constitutes the central being of each one of us.
For me, this doctrine was a startling departure from anything which my scientific psychology could
then recognize. One must live with these ideas and consider how one's inner experience could entertain
them. But what I could feel and understand was that this man was speaking from what he knew, not from
what he had been told. He was well aware of the books; but he was more immediately aware of his own
experience and his own status in the world; and what he said would have to be taken into account in
any final world-view. I began to realize that Spencer could not be allowed the last word. And
furthermore, that this religious experience of mine, which Spencer would dismiss as a psychological
flurry, was very akin to the grounds of Vivekananda's own certitude.
For several years I lost sight of Vivekananda. My pursuit of learning-since the panic of '93 wiped out
my earnings-led me to do my first college work in Iowa rather than Chicago, as a student of
engineering. Then, encountering a work of William James, which further disenchanted me with Spencer, I
spent four years in Davenport, earning money to come East and study with James. During those years,
Vivekananda had begun his great work of founding centres for the Vedanta throughout America. In the
course of this work he came to Cambridge. I heard him twice: once in a class in metaphysics, and once
at the home of Mrs. Ole Bull on Brattle Street. It was in these informal gatherings that the quality
of the man most directly spoke, and I was confirmed in my regard, and my purpose to re-think my
philosophical foundations. My work with Royce, as well as with James, Palmer, Dickinson, Miller, and
others of the great Department at the turn of the century, gave me the mental tools for conceiving a
world unity in terms of spirit, rather than in terms of a redistribution of matter and motion.
Deussen's writings on the Vedanta, and James Woods' reports of his years in India, were of further
help in this direction-especially, let me say, my conversation with Woods over his translation of the
Yoga of Patanjali and his own experiences in that field. All of these experiences naturally made the
idea of a journey to India an attractive dream, without the slightest foundation in likelihood. But
the time came for its unexpected realization, in connection with a certain "Laymen's Inquiry" which
took me, 1931 and '32, first to London, where I met Gandhi in connection with the Round Table
Conference, and then found myself in the Calcutta neighbourhood, visiting among other places the Belur
Math, where Josephine MacLeod and Frances Leggett had helped to promote the great training place for
followers of the Ramakrishna movement. It was like returning to the rootage after many excursions in
the fruitage. Tantine had in the meantime become a warm personal friend; and in those sacred
precincts my wife and I found ourselves very much at home.
It was during this visit to India that I first met Radhakrishnan and Jawaharlal Nehru and the Poet
Rabindranath Tagore, at Santiniketan and there also Kshiti Mohan Sen the collector of marvelous Baul
poetry, and Surendra Nath Das Gupta in Kolkata, a great historian of Vedanta. These unfading
friendships and the continuing associations with the Vedanta centres near us in America, and
especially with Tantine, while she lived, have helped to keep the memory and the spirit of Swami
Vivekananda alive in our own lives.
And I must not neglect to mention the marvelous sculptures of Malvina Hoffman, figures of Ramakrishna
as the vital centre, of the "Holy Mother of India," and of Vivekananda, in which by the miracle of the
great artist, in the permanent silence of alabaster and bronze the life of these life-givers continues
to speak.
Tribute to Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa - The Honourable Mr. Justice P.N. Langa
(The 65th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Ramakrishna Centre of S.A., took place on Sunday 15 April 2007, at the Ladysmith Indoor Sports Stadium. The following is the Address delivered by the Chief Guest, The Honourable Mr Justice PN Langa, Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa.)
It is a privilege to be a guest of your religious community and to be asked to address you on what is a very special day for you. It is indeed a particular honour. I hope that my thoughts will add to your celebrations and that you will enjoy yourselves as much as I have.
The work done by the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa is truly extraordinary and a model for all South Africans who care about improving the welfare of our nation. While I am sure most of you are fully aware of the activities of your Centre, I would like to highlight a few of the most impressive achievements, achievements that we admire so much. The medical work of the Centre is perhaps its biggest physical contribution. A group of around 40 medical professionals give up their time to run clinics and perform operations. The work of the Ramakrishna Clinic has been particularly focused on some of the most needy members of society; the old, the young and the terminally ill. During 2006 the Clinic treated a remarkable 5500 patients at its many camps, clinics and outreach programs. The Clinic recently established the Ramakrishna eThembeni Home where terminally ill patients can live out their last days in comfort and dignity. It also has plans to build a new family welfare centre in Phoenix that will provide medical, educational, nutritional and legal facilities for the community as well as serving as a shelter for abused women.
The Centre's other significant activities include: the training of nursing staff, the production of literature and the hosting of seminars and lectures on a wide variety of topics. Finally, the Centre is involved in various welfare and public service projects including feeding schemes, distributing clothes, a free veterinary clinic and a legal advisory desk.
Beyond the immense material impact the Centre makes, it is first and foremost a place that promotes spirituality and tranquility; where people can find God in themselves and in those around them. While we often focus on the people's physical suffering, spiritual suffering is often much deeper and more painful. Sri Ramakrishna has truly said that 'Man suffers so much simply for want of devotion to God.' The Ramakrishna Centre provides a home for some of those who experience this deeper and more painful suffering and is hopefully a place where that suffering can be relieved.
Of the many wonderful aspects of your Centre's work and philosophy, there are two on which I wish to spend a few moments of your time. Firstly, your respect for all the world's religions and secondly, your service to the community.
At a time when religious tensions threaten peace in many parts of the world, the message of Sri Ramakrishna that all religions lead to the same God and that all religions should be treated with the utmost respect is particularly poignant. It has been truly said that: 'Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.' By focusing on what brings religions together rather than what divides them, both Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivek-ananda have built a massive following of spiritual devotees to do their work and spread their message across the globe. It also means that those outside the Hindu faith can feel comfortable to learn from and embrace many of the tenets without necessarily feeling that they should give up their own faith. That makes the message of Ramakrishna infinitely more potent.
South Africa has its own problems of religious and cultural diversity. We are a country with many religions and cultures, many of which have previously been oppressed and are now crying out for recognition, and many which are at odds with each other on important issues. We need to recognise that diversity is a wonderful asset that should be given space to enrich and develop our country; it should not be regarded as a negative force which could splinter our society and hamper our progress. We should see ourselves as a united nation with many people rather than as many different people in one country. Ramakrishna's message of the harmony of religions can be a powerful force in ensuring that diversity is embraced rather than feared and that it will be used to build rather than as a destructive force. The activities of the Ramakrishna Centre promote that message through the deepening of our spiritual lives and the continuing service to the community. South Africa, and KwaZulu-Natal in particular, are better places because of you.
The Centre's service to the community is the next point I wish to address. Our country, like many other parts of the world, contains many people who do not have access to basic conditions of living. Many people are homeless, uneducated, without water, healthcare or food. Yet we have a Constitution that aims to 'improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person.' To realise that dream the Constitution entrenches justiciable socio-economic rights, including rights to housing, healthcare, education, food, water and social security for all. The provision of these basic necessities is not simply a matter of physical comfort; it is a fundamental requirement for a society based on the protection of human dignity. To quote from one of the judgments of the Constitutional Court, 'In a society founded on human dignity, equality and freedom, it cannot be presupposed that the greatest good for the many can be achieved at the cost of intolerable hardship for the few.'3 It is difficult to live with dignity or to fulfil one's potential if one does not have access to even the most basic resources necessary for survival and participation in society. It is accordingly a worthy project for all those who have the means to ensure that the masses of our people enjoy access to the benefits of this constitutional order and not lack for at least the essential resources to allow them to lead a dignified life.
Obviously the state bears a huge responsibility to see that these rights are fulfilled. After all, the state has the power and resources to build houses, schools and hospitals, to ensure water and food are available to all and to provide social assistance to the young, old and unemployed who cannot support themselves. Yet we know that because of the immense scale of need and the legacy of our oppressive and divisive past, it is often not possible for governments to fulfil that task alone. What then should be the plight of the hungry, the sick, the homeless and the poor?
The philosophy and work of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa is a brilliant example of how society can alleviate suffering and want. It underscores the important role that civil society can and should play in improving the conditions of our communities. Your faith and your actions remind us all that we too have a role and a duty to improve the lives of those with whom we share this earth. Although the resources of government are vast, there can never be a substitute for the power of committed individuals volunteering their time, skills and money for 'the liberation of the self, and the welfare of the world'.
The service of your Centre and devotees, based as it is on unselfish devotion to others, is best encapsulated in the teachings of Swami Vivekananda who said that 'those alone live, who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.' That is a powerful and unselfish ideal that realises that people are nothing without those they live with. It shares much in common with the notion of ubuntu which teaches that we exist only as part of other human beings and therefore bear duties towards others. It also speaks to the notion that we all have inherent dignity and that we must treat others with corresponding respect. It is an idea which I hope will continue to spread far and wide.
What I have said so far, and the work of your Centre, is consistent with the ideals expressed in the Preamble of our Constitution through which our people state the following:
"We therefore, through our freely elected representatives, adopt this Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic so as to -
Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights,
Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law;
Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person; and
Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations..."
Victor Hugo once said that 'there is nothing else, not all the armies in the world, that is as powerful as an idea'. That is precisely what the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa and all of you are proving. Your ideas have enhanced the lives of many people and will, I am sure, continue to influence and inspire countless more.
Before I end, let me say something about our Consti-tution and the need for moral leadership. The Constitution affords protection for the exercise of all religions. There is freedom of belief, of worship and of association. In addition, in our multi-cultural society, people are free to live out their own cultures without hindrance. It is a Constitution based on the inherent freedom and dignity of every person. The Constitution can however never take the place of moral leadership, which is so sorely needed, in this nation. I have no doubt that religious leaders must claim that role for themselves. They are the leaders of the spiritual life of the nation and no one else can play that role as effectively as they can.
Finally, congratulations on 65 years of service and devotion and I wish you all the best for many, many more years to come.
I thank you.
Preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.
Per Sachs J.
Port Elizabeth Municipality v Various Occupiers 2005 (1) SA 217 (CC) at para 29
(The Bhagavad Gita forms part of the great Indian Epic, the Mahabharata. The words of this "divine
song" have flowed from the Lord, Sri Krishna Himself. The Gita begins with the "Gita Dhyanam" -
nine introductory verses in praise of Bhagavad Gita. In this article,
Swami Vimokshananda, President of the Ramakrishna Centre of South
Africa, looks at one of these verses. The Bhagavad Gita is studied on a weekly basis - Tuesdays, 7 -
8.00 p.m. - at the Centre, Glen Anil.)
May this lotus of the Mahabharata, born in the lake of the words of the son of Parashara (Vyasa),
sweet with the fragrance of the meaning of the Gita, with many stories as its stamens, fully opened
by the discourses on Hari, the destroyer of the sins of Kali, and drunk joyously day by day by the
bees of good men in the world, become the bestower of good to us.
Gita Dhyanam, 7
It is customary to recite the meditative verses (dhyana slokas) before beginning the study of Srimad
Bhagavad Gita proper. The poet-devotee, who composed these nine verses, has charmingly explained the
purpose, principle and the practice of the Gita in these meditative verses.
In the above seventh verse, he stresses the utmost importance of the knowledge contained in the
Mahabharata. He says that the Gita is like a full-blown lotus, grown in the vast lake of words
dictated by the son of the Sage Parashara, thereby meaning Sri Veda Vyasa (author of the Mahabharata).
The significance of not saying the name of Vyasa but indicating him as son of Parashara lies in the
wonderful combination of wisdom of the Rishi with practical sense of a fisher woman, Satyavati who was
the mother of Vyasa. Sage Vyasa, like his father Parashara, had a broad, vast knowledge of the Vedas
and like his mother, Satyavati, who would go deep into the river to catch fish, also went deep into
the meaning of Vedas.
The full-blown lotus has an extremely sweet fragrance and many soft petals. The insight of the Gita is
said to be the fragrance and the varied stories cum sub-stories that form the elaborate Mahabharata,
the petals. The lotus is fully blown by the speech of Lord Sri Krishna, who is verily Hari Himself.
The poet-devotee further says that in this world noble men joyously drink, again and again, the nectar
issuing from the lotus flower like "a six-legged bee".
A bee continues its unending search for nectar from many flowers. But it is the flower that is most
beautiful and exuberantly filled with sweet honey that attracts it the most. Likewise, we have a
number of scriptures. Of them, Srimad Bhagavad Gita, which forms part of the world's largest epic, the
Mahabharata, contains that nectar which makes the learner go beyond birth and death.
The insight that the Gita provides in controlling our life's destiny is unparallel. The Gita gives us
wonderful courage to deal with the many challenges that life poses. In order to gain the rich
experience that the Gita enumerates, noblemen - men of character - searching for the true meaning of
life come to study the Gita.
The poet-devotee of the meditative verses compares a noble-minded person with the untiring bee. Bees,
unlike other insects or birds, go much deeper into flowers. They go to the very source.
So it is clear that if we want to obtain the knowledge of the Gita, superficial study is not enough.
Merely chanting the Gita may give us a sense of peace; a little more study may lead us on a good path
to enjoy the blessings of a noble life. But only a deeper study can provide the knowledge of Atman
(Soul) which is the real nectar of the Gita. Like a bee, we must go deep - meditate deeply on each
verse of the Gita. This will light up the lamp of knowledge that is within each of us. Mahapurush
Maharaj, known as Swami Shivananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna once said, "…if you simply
read them [Gita verse], nothing will be gained. You must meditate on them. Then only will you
assimilate them. Hari Maharaj [Swami Turiyananda] used to meditate on each verse until he had mastered
it."
Furthermore, the poet-devotee has used the words "six-legged" when describing the bee. This also has
a profound significance. Merely being noble may not be sufficient to understand the inner meaning of
the Gita. Perhaps the man who is only "two-legged" has to acquire another "4 legs" in order to grasp
the inner meaning of the words that flow from Lord Sri Krishna's lips.
What then, are the "six-legs" that a noble man has to possess? They are discrimination, detachment,
divine knowledge, devotion, deep yearning and deliberate effort. Once a person of noble character
possesses these "six-legs" he will be able to hold onto the slippery petals and drive himself deep
into the nectar of inner meaning. Therefore, a study once or twice is not enough. "Again and again"
one must devotedly pursue the study so that the bad samskaras - mental impressions - that are gained
from birth to birth can be removed by continuous study of the Gita. Thus the poet-devotee concludes in
this of Dhyana Shloka on Srimad Bhagavad Gita, verse that the Gita, propounded by the Lord
Himself is great, bestows welfare and removes all the impurities that are born of this age (Kali
Yuga).
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari - Keeper of Gandhiji's Conscience - Prof. B. Singh
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
(1878 - 1972)
(Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, popularly known as "Rajaji", was a great patriot, astute politician,
incisive thinker and one of India's greatest statesmen. The author of this article, Prof B Singh, is
a general surgeon attached to the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal.
He also serves on the panel of medical professionals of the Ramakrishna Clinic of South Africa.)
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari belongs to the galaxy of great Indian nationalists - Gandhiji, Nehru,
Sardar Patel, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Azad - that collectively formed the leadership of India's
freedom struggle. A great patriot and moralist, there were several facets to the character of this
remarkable Indian that cast him literally in a category of his own. If the measure of greatness is
quantified by altruism, integrity and incisive intellect, and if this is measured in terms of social
contribution and scholarship, Rajaji belongs to that elusive category of truly great world statesmen.
Born on 10 December 1878 into a Tamil Brahmin family in Thorapalli village (then in Salem district),
Rajaji completed his law degree at the Madras Law College. He undertook legal practice in Salem,
developing an impressive reputation; with this came fame and wealth. His concern for social and
community issues led to him becoming the President of the Salem Municipal Council. He galvanized this
structure to provide adult education and night school for workers, the teaching of sciences in the
vernacular and initiating measures to improve the plight of the Harijans (socially marginalised).
Indeed, Rajaji pioneered the legislation to remove untouchability.
Early Influences
During his school days Rajaji was influenced by the ideology of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Chidambaran
Pillai; he also had admiration for Dr Annie Besant and C Vijayaraghavachariar, a founder of the
Congress Party.
The Pre-Independence Years
The turning point in Rajaji's life was his meeting with Gandhiji in 1919 (in Madras). This also
marked the beginning of a two decade association with the Congress Party.
In all he was imprisoned on five occasions and participated in several Satyagraha movements. Rajaji
fully imbibed Gandhiji's philosophies and principles and practised them privately and publicly to
the end of his life.
The extraordinary quality of Rajaji's leadership placed him firmly as one of the top leaders of
India's freedom struggle. His stature in the Congress Party was such that with Nehru and Patel they
were considered the "head, heart and hands" respectively, of Gandhiji. Many consider him, on account
of his acumen and intellect, a latter day Chanakya - the adviser and Prime Minister to the first
Maurya Emperor Chandragupta. Rajaji's incisive intellect and rapidity of thought is legendary. Thus
Nehru wrote that Rajaji's "brilliant intellect, selfless character, and penetrating powers of analysis
have been a tremendous asset to our cause".
During the period 1922 to 1942 Rajaji served as the Congress Party's Secretary General (1921-1922) and
Working Committee Member (1922-1942) and as Chief Minister of the Madras Presidency (1937-1939).
Rajaji resigned from the Congress Party in 1942 following the differences with the Party relating to
his proposal that the Indians should support the Allies during World War 2 on condition that the
British would form a national government with an assurance to transfer power at the end of the war. A
further point of difference was Rajaji's support for the partition of India before independence.
Rajaji had the ability to define the kernel of a problem and offer a pragmatic solution. With this
ability and his clarity of thought, it is not surprising that Rajaji could assess a situation far in
advance.
With hindsight, the acceptance of these proposals may have avoided the tragic bloodbath that followed
the partition and could well have favourably changed the course of India's history. These proposals
are examples of Rajaji's uncanny vision, prompting Gandhiji himself to state that "Rajaji could see
months ahead of time". Later he would caution Nehru about the expansionist ambitions of China and the
plight of Tibetans. This ability to project ahead, usually a valued trait, often cast him as a
maverick, if not a rebel. With uncanny accuracy, Rajaji cautioned about the challenges that liberation
would present. This has universal relevance. Thus, presciently, he wrote while imprisoned for civil
disobe-dience (dated 24 January 1922):
"Freedom will come; but immediately thereafter or even for a long time it may not bring the people
happiness or a good government. As soon as freedom comes, there will be a scramble for elected places;
in its wake will come corruption, injustice and the wickedness caused by money and an inefficient
administration. The life of the people will be like hell. Many will feel that the older regime, which
was comparatively more just, efficient and honest, was better. What we get from our independence will
be only freedom from indignity and slavery. Our future lies in making our youngsters good citizens by
giving them from early days an education, which is likely to create good conduct, righteousness and
mutual love. If that is not done, it is certain that they will be crushed under the wickedness of
injustice and wealth".
Rajaji administered according to his principles, based on logic rather than a blind allegiance to
party loyalty or personality. This pragmatism was often misunderstood, if not appreciated. Thus,
unkindly and without a thorough appreciation of his vision and judgement, he was labelled as the
Indian Machiavelli. He took in his stride the abuse and insults that invariably rained on him as he
steadfastly soldiered on his path of political righteousness that was defined by his integrity,
convictions and conscience. He was unshakeable in his pursuit and maintenance of his public
responsibility.
Even though Rajaji held high public office for several decades, the power of authority and corruption
that comes with such office did not affect his innate humility and modesty.
Rajaji rejoined the Congress in 1945 and went to serve successively as Governor of West Bengal
(1947-1948), the first Indian Governor General of India (1948-1950) and Home Minister in Central
Government (1950-1951). Rajaji, was controversially appointed as Chief Minister (CM) of Madras
(1952-1954). To many the position of CM would have been considered a climb down in appointment,
having held the highest office in India a few years previously; however, to Rajaji it was the call of
national duty rather than his personal benefit that mattered. As CM of Madras he contributed
significantly in addressing issues of casteism, communalism and regionalism, bringing dignity,
accountability, innovation and integrity to the administration.
Resignation from the Congress
Growing disenchantment with the existing political dispensation that showed strong socialist leanings,
the policy of heavy taxation, government control of licenses and permits led to his resignation from
the Congress Party. His concerns and proposals were memorably written in his newspaper, Swarajya:
"Encouraging competition in industry and giving incentives for higher production are good for the
public as well as for the private interests. I want an India where talent and energy can find scope
for play without having to cringe and obtain special individual permission from officials and
ministers, and where their efforts will be judged by the open market in India and abroad. ...I want
the inefficiency of public management to go where the competitive economy of private management can
look after affairs. ...I want the corruptions of the permit-license-raj to go. ...I want the officials
appointed to administer laws and policies to be free from pressures of the bosses of the ruling party,
and gradually restored back to the standards of fearless honesty which they once maintained. ... I
want real equal opportunities for all and no private monopolies created by the permit-license-raj. ...
I want the money power of big business to be isolated from politics. ...I want an India where dharma
once again rules the hearts of men and not greed."
The Swatantra Party
With luminaries such as KM Munshi, Minoo Masani, HN Patel and VP Menon, Rajaji established the
Swatantra Party in 1957. The Swatantra Party served briefly as an effective opposition to the Congress
Party. Following the death of Rajaji in 1972, the Party began to disintegrate. The Swatantra Party
finally merged with the Bharatiya Lok Dal (1974), the forerunner of the Janata Party that formed the
first non-Congress government of India.
Rajaji was an unusually versatile man; his views on the economy reflect this. At the dawn of the 21st
century, with India a rapidly developing economic giant, it is appropriate to reflect that Rajaji was
for long a champion of free enterprise and a big proponent of free market, the principles that
underpin the Indian economy today.
The Writer
Rajaji was acknowledged as a voracious reader and a proud Hindu who studied the history and culture of
India. He was a man of letters and produced a range of literary contributions that demonstrated a keen
sense of humour and subtlety. Given his clarity of thought, he had the ability to express the most
complex philosophy in simple yet lucid prose, epitomizing the lifestyle of this great Indian. Rajaji's
literary works include novels, short stories and poetry, some of which was set to music and sung to
memorable effect by the legendary MS Subbalakshmi.
His works on the Mahabharata (1951) and the Ramayana (1957) are classics that have been acclaimed by
scholars and seers, applying the morals therein to modern times.
Rajaji's other writings include: a book on Marcus Aurelius; Jail Diary (1922); The Way Out (1944);
Ambedkar Refuted (1946); Hinduism; Doctrine and a Way of Life (1959); Stories for the Innocent (1964);
Gandhi's Teaching and Philosophy (1967) and the translation of the Tirukkural from Tamil to English.
In addition to being a contributor to matters of religion and spirituality, Rajaji also applied
himself to the increasing global challenge presented by the accumulation of nuclear weaponry. On his
only voyage outside India at the age of 83 years (1961), Rajaji met President JF Kennedy in America
as a member of a peace mission sponsored by the Gandhi Peace Foundation. While the meeting may have
done little to stem the tide of arms acquisition, it was a memorable meeting for Kennedy who remarked
that his meeting with Rajaji was "one of the most civilizing influences since I became President.
Seldom have I heard a case presented with such precision, clarity and elegance of language".
Rajaji with Mahatma Gandhi
Rajaji received several accolades during his life; he was the first recipient of India's highest
award, the Bharata Ratna (1964). However, the highest accolade came from Gandhiji himself who
regarded Rajaji as the "keeper of my conscience".
Rajaji died after a short illness in 1972.
Throughout his life, he fought against untouchability and believed in the equality of all human
beings. Rajaji's care and concern for the marginalised and poor was delivered without, in his words,
"the condescension of aristocracy or the sense of extraordinary virtue". He provided yeoman service
to his country; his transformation from a successful lawyer with great material benefits to a life of
simplicity underpinned by Gandhian and the Hindu Dharma principles to the very end of his living is a
life template for all.
Bibliography:
"We The People", N Palkhivala, UBSPD Publications, New Delhi, 2006.
"A Progressive Conservative - C Rajagopalachari", K Natwar Singh, Rupa Publications, New Delhi, 2003.
"Rajaji: A Life", Rajmohan Gandhi, Penguin, New Delhi, 1997.
To the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa's Website
