THE ERA'S VOICE. Divine Disquisition ofthe Master ess Ashutosh Maharaj In the previous edition, we read about the Science of Cognition as perceived by the present day scientists. According 10 them, this entire process is based on the ‘mechanical stumius response. It involves in total four mediums: a stimulus generating medium, a stimulus receptor, ‘an ‘impulse transmission line. and, an 3 witou © 9 aamraemnmease the Eyesight, ‘brain gets the information from the ‘stimulus generating medium However, os per the perspective of the sages of India, who were scientists and philosophers par excellence, this understanding is Sean taser mee the [nsight! ‘of cognition and how it works, let's know. Ine great Indian philosophers end psychologists assert that this standpoint is incomplete. According to them. this science of cognition fails to provide answer to several Important isains fur theaghts ematians instincts will-power- these aspects cannot be explained {through the theory of stimulus response. As such, in this entire scheme of things there has tobe the ole ‘of a non-materilistc principle, which the learned ‘ones hall as the ‘mind.’ According to the Indian psychology. @ mention is made about “Antohakorana Chatushtaya” meaning, the four entities, respectively- the subconscious mind, the eg, the mind, and the intellect. The mind is an Incorporeal entity dwelling in our sube body. ‘whichis diferent rom the brain and in fact controls it mechanically. When the nerve fibres receive the ‘emotions of feelings trom the senses, then, these Ps 8 9 but With are not transmitted to the brain directly. According to the peychologists. the mind’ intervenes in between. All the emotions and upeurges ate antnicted tn tha mind. At thie stage "The tind’ takes decisions according toi volition and then conveys the decision oriented waves to the brain. On receipt of such waves, the brain makes its stand clear forexecution In this contort, would ike to narrate the details, of an experiment which will throw clear light on both the viewpoints, materialistic as well as psychological, and wil deal with them individually. ‘This experimant was carried out by a French researcher. He did experiments on hen to know in ‘whieh circumstances the hen incubstes the eggs. In this context. it is the opinion of philosophers and Paychologiss that as soon as the hen lays eggs. RUC ae ec ERR cy organs, the brain, and even Peay ne Principle, That is Soul DS ‘waves of love sarge in the ‘mind’ of the hen for its ‘chicks. These emotional waves that generate in ‘the mind are stimulated and they reach up to the brain. Thereafter, as a responsive action the brain gives diections to the hen to incubate the eggs and the hen acts accordingly. But. the researcher with his materialistic approach, estimated something else. According to his research, he found out {hat as soon as the hen lays the eggs. it sutfers from local inflammation. When it incubates the 093s the hen gets immense ret, With the heat generated thus, ts swelling decreases. According to him fretation i caused in the hen by applying chili powder, tein the samo place, then the hen wall be ready to incubate the eggs of any other hen as well. This is the materialistic approach, which has originated from the brain. Here, ifwe agree with this point of view then, feelings love, affection, compassion all these dimensions ‘willatain very argumentative and materialistic definitions. But is this approach correct? Its said that a fish named salmon swims against the current to search fora suitable location for laying eggs. Can materialist ‘commentary do justice in explaining sucha remarkable act? Does tis act not reflect the presence of certain non-materialistie. compassionate feelings hidden in a subtie form? Or shall we eategorise these polite hearty urges as part ofthe play of the hormones secreting out of the brain and remain satisfied with such conclusions? ‘According to the commentary in the Nyaaya Darshan philosophical textoftndia~ etna dveshaprayatna sukho-dukhaani aatmano lingam .c. within us aredestres and aspirations, attachments and aversions, will power to make efforts, feelings of happiness and sorrow all these cannot originate from materialistic principles. Behind all these, there must be a non-materialistic power or some incorporeal authority Tis's the viewpoint ofthe psychologists and philosopher. However this elucidation is also incomplete. Agreed, thet the mind isa non-materilistc entity, but itis not self-Duminating. It is without light ke the Moon. But then, who isthe Sun of the mind? I is the sell ‘luminating Soult According to a mantra in the Yajurveda, “Yasmaat na rite kinchana karma brite’ ‘meaning in the absence of that Consciousness, the body is unable to do any function... So, without believing in “That” authority, how can we render any explanation? Greek philosopher Plato in his book “Theory of Forms” argues, “The non-material abstract forms, and not the material world of change known to AUGUSTEra’ Volce & us through sensation passess the highest and most fundamental kind of realiy..0ur body is from ‘material world and the soul is from the World of Fos and is thus immoral It i= tomporarily ‘connected withthe body to drive.” René Descartes, the French philosopher, ‘mathematician and scientist has also made a subtle statement, “The mind exerts contol over the brain via the pineal gland... My view i that this gland is the principal seat ofthe soul.” ‘The Sage in the Maandukya Upanishad reveals- ‘The Soul Consciousness pervades this Dody. The light of Consciousness ilumines at four levels-'Soyamaatmaa chatushpaat” “The Mist level of the Consciousness is, Jeagartasthaano bahth prajnabe Sthoolabhugvaishvacnaraha prathamaha paadaha Meaning the waking state ofthe body, in wich it (the Consciousness) remains active in the working mechanism ofthe body and is known as "Vaishvaanara”. ‘Thesecondlevelofthe Gonsciousnessis, ‘Swopnasthaanontahaprajnahe... ‘taijaso dertiyaha paadaha ‘Meaning the dreaming state ofthe body, in which it(the Consciousness) aoquires the knowledge of the dream or imaginary world and is known as “tation” ‘The third level ofthe Consciousness is, ‘Sushuptasthanna ekeebhootaha ‘Projncanadhani...praajnastrtiyaha paadaha Meaning. the state of deep sleep, in which the individual is aware of his knowledge and that levelof Consciousness, is "Pragjna”. ‘The fourth level of Consciousnessis, ‘Aarisheamavyavahaarya... Chaturtha manyante sa aatma so vijneyaha Meaning the Turiya state Le. the state of neither ‘being awake, asleep, or in dream. In this state, ‘the soul remains established in the Eternal ‘The meaning is, at every level, the Consciousness remains active. This Consciousness regulates the principles releted to our body at diferent levels. This is the source of knowledge or cognition. In the Kenopanishad, an inquisitive asks in cloarterms~ eneshitam patati preshitam manaha?. Keneshitaam vaachamimoam vadant?.. (Chakshuru shrotram ko w devo yunakti? Meaning with 'Whose’ inspiration this mind cherishes the materialistic pleasures? With ‘Whose’ inspiration this voice speaks? With ‘Whose’ inspiration these ears listen and the oyessce? ‘The Sage replies- Shrotasya stvotram manaso ‘manoho.... chakshushaha chakshuhu...~ 'O Iinguistive, He' is the Ear of the ear. Ho! is the ‘Mind ofthe mind. 'H'is the Voice of the voice. ‘He'is the Eye ofthe eye. Here He's the Soul Consciousness of Brahma “Tadaiva Brahma” Conctusivel. in the ‘science of cognition. all the tools like the sense organs, the brain, and even the mind are controlled by one Principle. That is Sou! Consciousness! This is the complete science of cognition. In this context, one issue merits consideration. Tul the time we are unaware of the Soul Conecionenses. cine nagnitin or Ynautadge fe limited to sense organs, mind, and the brain only, though all these get activation (power to operate) ‘tough the energy ofthe Soulonly. However, when ‘an aspirant gets initiated into Ama Gyan or Brain Gyan. and practically experiences his Soul-force, thea, his Consciousness gets awakened and his cognition or knowledge gets lighted up with the radiant glow of that Consciousness. Plato has said~ “Only an awakened soul can access the abstract reality of the world: body can only experience shadows’ Verily, this was what Shvetaketu meant when he said, "Ido not own the eyesight, but possess ‘the power ofthe eyesightas well? 171 % (7 ive me the place to stand, and I shall move the earth" ‘Archimedes, the Greek mathematician, philosopher, ‘scientist and engineer, said this several years ago. twe ty ‘to understand this statement from a surfictl perspective, we will certainly land oursevesin confusion. After ll how sit possibleto ‘contol the entire ereation onthe basis of one stand-point? Infact, this big-headed statement by Archimedes carries a profound ‘meaning. It is just lke the grinding stone that moves with the ‘support of the tack nal) fixed in the middle oft. The steaciastness of the tack enables the grinding stone to rotate in a regulated manner. The wheel ofa vehicle too has. fixed aris through which ‘derives the movement properly. Similarly, there must}be the focal point to make the cosmos functional which provides the perennial ‘support: the focal point which remains immovable, but controls the dynamism of the entire cosmos and renders it functional. [Archimedes was hinting at uch a focal pointonly. He knew thatby iscovering that focal point, it is possible to contol the whole creation. Undoubtedly, his search was up to the mark; but, ‘unfortunately, the direction in which he was conducting the search was wrong. Archimedes continued to lookout for that focal Point in the extemal world of objects and therefore he was ‘unsucessul in achieving hisobjecive. Simlar is tho story of man in the prosont times. Confusion, ‘nunly-buny, and panicare the hallmarks of modern Ife! Tussle and competition at every step! Bvery segment of life is aghast with briskmovementsActions~ fast and speedy! Body-each and every molecule surcharged with motion! Mind pressurized with the ‘whirlpool of thoaghts without intermission! Chita ithe psyche} ‘troubled with the labyrinth of sanskarast To cause and sista) ‘these various speedy movements. there must he some controlling ‘authority, which is immutable and provides support to our existence. However, this knowledge alone is not enough fo comprehend this Immutable Power. It is necessary to get acquainted and associated with this authonty while conducting ts search through the appropriate procedures. It is so because the ‘movement alone gives rise to instability. This instabity in turn resultsin tension and restlessness, According to newro science, our brain works on 400 billion instructions per second. This ‘continuous brain processing acts adversely and creates tension. ‘Similany, the speedy onslaught of the thought processes in the ‘mind keeps an individual uneasy and perplexed. If we study the ‘outcome of many surveys relating to Thoughts per Second (TPS) ‘theconclusion would be- a Ce eT ay Cae ny CBU Coe eS De ig‘TPS IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO UNREST Meaning, the more the number of thoughts in ‘yourmind, the higher is the degree ofinsability and tension inside you. ‘To come out of this uneasiness and instability, there is but one option. It is to discover that stand point and know the art of getting established ‘nit. In this regard, our sacred scriptures promulgate thatthe art/method to lve a stable life is "Dhyana" ‘The terminology curently in vogue for this Procedure is Meditation” (However, the word ‘meditation does not address tothe exact import of the word ‘dyana’) tis not that the society today is ‘unaware ofthe importance ofthis method. Infact, ‘meaitaion nas become a'tend ora status symbol ‘This is the reason why people are knocking atthe doors of various meditation centres, so that they can find that standpoint and thus lead a tension-free Ie. They are today experimenting with various types of meditation techniques and procedures. Before entering into a profound discussion on the subject of ‘dhyana: let's throw a glance atthe various meditation techniques prevalent at present: 1. Mindful Meditation: In this technique, you are taught how to concentrate on the present state of alfars. Awareness about the present moment, armas thinking. and experiences- this is what is, professed by this type of meditation technique. technique, the seeker is gwven a secret mantra. The seeker goes on chanting this mantra within the ‘mind. The objective is to keep the seeker focussed onthis word-mantra. 3. Walking Meditation: Those practicing this technique soll in some park. They do not look here and there and concentrate their sighton the moving feet and the feel of walking. The utterly busy present generation is adopting this technique in ead 4 Journey Meditation: This type of meditation is ‘based on the power af your imagination. According to this technique, the seeker with his mental fight 22 2016, AUGUST reaches out to some peaceful and splendorous plece, like the seashore. He then paints on his ‘mental curtain the differen scenes ofthat place and the melodious sounds emanating there. His mind revels in such a beautiful world of imagination. This show Journey Meditation is practised. 5, Wibrational Meditation: In this technique, a ‘word is chosen the repetitive pronunciation of ‘which is supposed to prove peace of mind tothe ‘seeker. Then an attempt is made to feel the tune of that word in each and every part of the body. One has to try and imbibe the vibrational sensation in the inner world 6. Objective Meditation: Presently, this method is extensively prevalent, According to Ws technique, ‘the seeker concentrates his eyes on some object ike the flame ofa candle, a glowing bulb flower, ec. ‘With the medium ofthis concentration, the seeker ‘makes efforts to bring the mind to stillness. 7. Movement Meditation: According to this ‘technique, internal breathing is tuned and serpent- like mudrae aro mado in ita mhythm. One ewings and dances in an attempt to seek mind-level ‘concentration. 8 Breathing Meditation: ost of meditation techniques in the present times are based on breathing-in and breathing-out. To remain ‘concentated on the centre of the forehead and ‘watch the hreath-in and breaths phanemennn= ‘this forms the basis of Breathing Meditation. Broadly speaking. the meditation techniques prevalent in the present times are more or less ‘similar o the ones mentioned above. Undoubtedly, {in the tension-ridden life, such techniques provide ‘some relief. The mind and body get relaxed and one ‘experiences peace of mind.Butthe moot question i, for how long that peaceful state lasts and to what extent? Such techniques, atthe most, can provide ‘good exercise to your mind and body. They may be {he contributing factors towardsa suecessfullfetoa certain extent. However the supreme objective of ‘dhyana’, which we are inclined to pursue i. 19 reach outto the ultimate focal point— st possible to achieve the same with the above-mentioned techniques? This isthe big question! Let us try to apply our thought and do some research on this {ssuewith anopen mind. If we contemplate upon the prevalent ‘meditation techniques, we will find that most of the procedures are’ object or action-oriented However- Cares Po hens epee al ‘This category includes ll those meditation techniques in which the seeker is asked to focus on some special object, mantra, action, or the dancing posture. Undoubtedly, with such procedures, for some time at least, the seekers succeed in coming cout from the mess of tensions, restesmness, and ‘rustrations. These procedures make it possible for you to arrest the flow of thoughts in your mind ‘temporarily and provide @ semblance of peace. But, atthe same time, we cannot deny the truth thatthe effect ofthese procedures is ike a line thatis drawn fon water, which is momentary and is liable to isappear. There are two reasons for this ‘mpermanent peace. Pirsy, Na hyodhruvaihi pragpyate hi dhruvam tat- impermanent means ‘cannot lead to the achievement of a permanent entity. In the sacred text of Ram Charit Manas, Goswami ‘Tuisidas provides us with a lucid ‘commentary on the nature of impermanent objects Go gochara jahan lag man jaayee, so sab maya Joano bhaai~ mesning, wherever | Dhyana forms of Maya. They are liable to change and fare thus impermanent. As such it is worth considering as to how can concentration on such Perishable objects lke candle, bulb, flowers ‘word/mantra, et. yield an experience of permanent peace and bliss? Secondly, all these dhyana procedures are activated through the assistance of the sense organs. Our sense organs do the job of conduits (messengers) for the mind. Inthe external world, when an incident or scene is witnessed, immediately input about the same is conveyed to the mind by these agents sense organs). All this infomation or the signals owing through the sense organs are dropped in the ocean ofthe mind like pebbles which create waves. These waves may relate to some special word. action, or abject. Whatever be the cause of these waves, the mind ultimately becomes unstable! In a nutshell, all the extemal procedures adopted for dhyana take the mind away from sundry issues and ty to align it to a particular wave; bat that wave in itself is impermanent and it continues to keep the mind unstable. It does not allow the mind to associate with that supremely blissful standpoint, which Isbeyond words, thoughts, and karmas!{See Fig. 1) Thus, the situation is clear. With the sense organs or the objects related to sense organs, one canneverreach that supreme state of bis. Wf one cannot reach that supreme standpoint ttuough sense organs. then what is the way? What are the other lacunas in our understanding of the word Dhyana’? What real Dayana? We wl know these aspects in the upcoming our sense organs reach out, and the sites and objects which they experience, those are all theDiscipleship {nallzolationships ofthe world although the patterns of expressions difer When tcomes to the Guni-disciple relationship, then, this code attains a truly beautiful expression, which indeed ‘makes ths bond the supreme amongst al Here, the aspect of ‘giving’ is in terms of the traits lke ‘umiity, swrender, faith, sincerity, etc; while, in ‘exchange. one receives bountiful showers of tre bilss and divinity Very, when a disciple adorns his ‘persona with these traits, then the Guru in return brightens his life with the radiance of grace and love. This is the patter of ‘give and take’ in the Guru-disiple relationship. Time and again, it hes ‘been proven that those disciples who otf these attrbutes to the Guru in abundance, they then receive plentiful ‘grace’ from the collers of the ‘generous Guru~ far beyond their expectation and ‘imagination! On the contrary, those who miss upon following this tenet of ‘giving. they then become the takers of nothing but ‘disgrace'in the eyes of al! ‘A remarkable incidence recorded in the annals of eM iTal G {ve and Take" this code seems tobe evident ‘AUGUST 2016 IS history in this regard comes from the times of Adi Shanlearacharys ‘One day, Adi Shankaracharya called his lsciple, Sureshvara to his cottage. Sureshvara prostrated in the feet of his Master and with utmost reverence seid- ‘Gurudey, kindly make me your instrument so that I can serve your mission to the fullest. {promise that will eave no stone unturned to execute your command in the best possible ‘manner. 0’ Master! Your service is the sole basis for the existence of my if’ Asthe words ofthe disciple ‘genuinely reflected his inner felings, Adi Guru also blessed him with a gracious smile. Thereafter, he ‘8id to Sureshvara, “Dear son, I am happy to soe ‘your devetion and dedication on this path. On witnessing your diligence, find you appropriate to vite a detaled explanation pertaining to my ‘commentary onthe physicalexistence of abeing” On hearing such words of praise, did Sureshvara swell with ego? Or did the thought of being the most capable disciple ofthe Guru enter his mind? Nol Instead, he stuck to the principle of "aunty and seated tus. With folded hands, Sureshvara spoke- “Revered Gunidev, itis solely by your grace that this ‘writing can be accomplished. Hise, this disciple of you doesnt have the understanding through ‘which the depth of your teachings can be gauged. ‘Therefore, kindly bless me, O'Divine Lord” \Whon the othe deciploe gottoknow about thie, 4 Dagful of arguments cropped up in their minds. ‘Together they went to the Guru and began questioning him "Master! Surestwvara has recently joined your mission, that too ater he was defeated by you in a debate. He has not yet imbibed your ‘ideologies to the depth as we have. Therefore, we alltel that Sureshuara not the ight choies for this ‘esteemed work. Instead, he will prove to be a blow (on your ideals, which might disrupt even the fundamental principles of your teachings” ‘las! Under the iniuence of their ego and ‘ignorance, these disciples happened to challenge the decision ofthe Guru himself Not only did they ‘blatantly refute the choice of the Guru rather, they attempted to project infront of him that they would bbe a better choicel 0’ Master! Sureshvara isnot as ‘trustworthy as we are for this great taskot yours! He surely hasnt touched those heights of penance and renunciation as the other disciples in your refuge See Gumdev! We have much better names to Discipleship propose to you for this important ‘work. We wish to draw your attention tothe very capable disciple of yours, Padmapaad. He has exemplified such ‘great heights of faith in you that he didnot fear leven to step in the waters ofthe river, when you ‘commanded him to cross it. That's why you ‘coronated him with the name Padmapead'-the one under whose feot lotus bloomed as and when he placed themon water He befltsthelevel of devotion ‘which this task demands. Therelore, we would ‘suggest his name for your creat work! ‘Ah! The disciples were suggesting the Guru as {to what he should do! They didnt stop here instead, they went onto suggest more names tothe ‘Master The nest option that was given was that of Hastamealak. The disciples attempted to remind the (Gumuastohow adopt Hastamaalak wasin regard to ‘the scriptural texts. He was ths suitable for writing the commentary as was asked by Adi Guru On listening to them, Adi Shankaracharya tried {to mako thom comprehend that it was due to tho grace ofthe Divine Power that Hastamaalak could ‘gain expertise in scriptures. He recounted the {incidence that happened when Hastamaalak was @ child, He said that Hastamaalak was always sent ‘and never uttered even a word. He remained aloo! all the time and lived like a dea! and dumb person, However when his father roaght him in his refuge ‘he miraculously started reciting the Vedic verses. On ‘the other hand, regarding the capability of ‘Surestvara, Adi Shankaracharya emphasised upon his nigorous meditation and also the strong holdin the study of scriptural texts. He also stated that through his steadfast etforts, ureshvara drastically fexelled in his fait, devotion, as well as ‘knowledge. Therefore, he was aply suitable for the task. Adi Shankaracharya even sald that without ‘Surestvara, the great objective would remain ‘unaccomplished. However, the disciples perhaps vr ‘completely swayed by the wind of nor AUGUSTDiscipleship Zone. why, despite the Masters repeated attempts 10 remind them the tenets of discipleship, they failed to adhere to his words. Sticking to their own perception, theyleft the Master'sroom. ‘The neat day. Adi Shankaracharya called ‘Sureshvara alone and said~ “Dear son! Your brother-disciples do not consider you suitable and capable for writing the detailed version on the commentary Ihave asked you tocompile. Therefore, youleave mistask” Had you been ot Sureshwara's place, what would you have thought on listening 10 these words? Welt there is quite a high possiitiy that ‘you would have felt sad and insulted! However, a te disciple doesn’: tis because he sticks to the code of true surender and willingly accepts ‘whatever is commanded to him by his Guru. And so did Surestwarat (After some time) Ad} Guru:Listen! You do one thing: Instead of writing the commentary, you simply pen separate texton your own, with no inputs fom my end. ‘Adi Shankaracharya wanted t0 prove to his disciples the capability of Sureshvara. Although tom outside he said that he would give no input; but undoubtedly, his grace was inessanty owing ‘on his disciple! On the other end. the disciple, without questioning his Master, sincerely started working on what was sid to him. The words ofthe Maetor tothe will givone input did net dometivote ‘him: reason being, he had complete faith in his Master and knew without doubt that He ts with him allthe tine! ow, when Gurw’s grace and discipl's surrender come together, history is bound to be blessed with the exclusive tales of wonderment. ‘And so happened. Inno time, Sureshvara was able to compile a tert, nemed ‘Neishkarmya Siddhi, which has been categorised as one of the ‘masterpieces in terms ofits genre and dictions. With ‘utmost humility, be presented the text inthe feet of the Master and sad, “Gurudev, although you are all- ‘knower and can read everyone's heart yet! wish to eM iTal ‘AUGUST 2016 beg pardon i even single word of this texthas got adulterated with wrong thoughts or feelings. Master I wirte this text only in adherence to your commandment, and nowhere in my hearthad iany aspiration for slf-praise or honour. Ihave only one desire, Guradev... that every single moment ofthis life, dedicate in your service; so that Ican cherish this divine relationship with you tothe fullest in my soul” ‘Adi Shankaracharya showed the text to all tose who had questioned the capability of Sureshvara and lavishly praised his disciple. The other disciples felt ashamed on questioning the decision of the Master. As a matter of fact, even today this text is considered to be a benchmark. especially amongst the expert literates of philosophy and scriptures. Well that’s the way the Master gives! Altiough he himself does everything on the subtle plane through his grace: yet he gives allthe oreditto his disciple and deluges him with his blessings. ‘Adi Guru, then, took out two of his exclusive commentaries on Brhadaaranyak and Taitiiya Upanishads, and said to Sureshvara~ "Son, your humility and devotion has won my heart. These two tems are very dear to me. | want you to prepare explanatory notes for these. These writings will make your glory immortal. The future generations ‘will always remember this great contribution of yous ‘On receiving his Gun's orders, Sureshvara ‘worked day and night to prepare the desired ters iis dedication once again brought to him bountiful ‘blessings of his beloved Master. These two writings ‘also turned out tobe the real Iterary works, which ‘are consulted til date by the scholars to gain ‘understanding in these scriptares ‘Inthismanner, the principle of give and takin {he Gunw-diseiple relationship has found ts ultimate expression, inspiring mankind for all times to come. May we also imbibe the gravity ofthis tenet and learn to ‘give in the true sense, o that we become ‘the fortunate ones to ‘receive'inthetrue sense! 171 Bhagavad Gita and the Indian Freedom Struggle ‘any of our outstanding freedom fighters took the spark and stimulation from the Bhagavad Gita a universally accepted ‘book of wisdom. Innumerable of them took the root emilingly holding tho Gita in their anda. In 1805, the Swedeshi Movement started in Bengal, ‘where $0,000 people, each holding the Gita in their hhands, took to the streets vowing to boyeott te British goods and force the British out oftndia. Following are the personal accounts ofthe fe stories of various freedom fighters who were ‘motivated by the Gita: ‘The Gita inspires to be a fighter ‘Shri Aurobindo Ghosh (1872-1950) He was one of the earliest and the greatest revolutionaries in the Indian freedom struggle. Heindia 8 was a leamed, vstonary, and an enigmatic personality. According to him, India was subjected tocolonisationin the absence of dautless and stee! nerved leaders who would take risks and fight for ‘the Nation. He was of the firm belief thatthe only way to freedom was through the releese of individuals from their lower nature and ‘wansconding them into blissful divinity. And, this, he said canbe very well learnt from the Gita, He reiterated the message of the Gita in the elevation of India and salvation of the humarity in his beautiful essay on the Gita and its secrets “A certain class of minds shrink from aggressiveness as if it were a sin. [tis an error, ‘we repeat. to think that spirituality is @ thing ‘divorced trom ile. tis an error to think that the heights of religion are above the struggles ofthis world, The recurrent ery of Shri Krishna to Arjuna insists on the struggle; “Fight and ‘overthrow thy opponents!", “Remember Me and ‘fight! “Give up all thy works to Me with a heart fall of spirituality, and free from craving, free ‘trom selfish claims, fight! Let the ferer of thy soul assfromthee.” ‘The Gita inspires tobea visionary BankimChandra Chatter} (1828-1898) ‘Though Bankim Chandra was not a freedom sentiments and spirit through his writings, especially in his native region of Bengal. The Insightfal perception in his writings ignited nationalistic, religious, and artistic disposition in the ‘minds of people. He was the one who gave the clarion slogan "Vande Mataram, which was taken ‘om the song and poem written by him from the famous novel “hnandmath”. The Anandmath story showcases fascinating characters and. purposeful dialogues of the guemila fight of the warrior ‘Sanyasis against the Musi Rule. The Indians took this story a8 a resemblance to their situation. They ‘considered it to be a bugle to take to the arms and dre tne artis out of ie county. Vande Mararan™ became the motto ofthe Indian independence. ‘Well, the one whose writings sparked the lame of freedom struggle himself drew inspiration from the Gita! He was so much influenced by the sacred text that he was drawn into writing a commentary on the feof Lord Krishna, based on historical and terary research. However, only three quarters could be completed when he did. ‘The Gita~aspiritual dictionary! ‘Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1949) ‘The mere mention of the name of Mahatma Gandhi invokes the image of a great patriot. who revolutionised the Indian freedom struggle through {he matchless weapons of non-violence and Satyograna Verily, for this great personality as well the ‘soutce of grit and stout-heartedness was the Gita. He vites,“Ifind a solace in the Bhagavad Gita that I miss even in the Sermon on the Mount. When disappointment stares me inthe face and ait alone 1see not one ray of ight, 'go back tothe Bhagavad Gita. Ifind a verse here and a verse there, and I immediately begin to smile in the ziidst of overwhelming tragedies... my life has een ful of external tragedies: and if they have left no visible or indelible sear on me, Jowe tall so ureteucting of me Bauguvue St. noo Lokmanya Tilak (1856-1920) $e was the very first person to forcefully ask for the complete independence from Britain in the Congress sessions. How he could keep his spirits up at the time of freedom struggle can be clearly seen from his views. He explained: "The most practical teaching of the Gita, and one for which it is of abiding Interest and value to the men of the world with whom life is a series of struggies, is not to give way to any morbid sentimentality when duty demands sternness and the boldness to face terrible things.” And, "tis my firm conviction that itis of utmost importance that every man, woman and child of India understands the _message ofthe Gita.” He wrote a discourse onthe Gita called “Gita Rahasya’, which even today is one ‘of tie best books written on the Gita, Is equally appreciated notonly by the religious people butalso Dy the political and social workers. III Me Gita aschotarty troasure house! [il ‘Annie Besant C Rajagopalachar, KM. Munshi, ‘and Sit Prakesha were not only the huminaries of the Indian teedom struggle but are also respected and hold prominence as Gita scholars. Acharya Vinobha Bhave was very closely ‘associated with Mahatma Gandhi, especially in his ‘ashram’ activites along with giving scholarly support tohis Gita commentary Post-indopendence, ho started Bhuden Movement to solve the land distabution problem, ‘which was largely anew application of the Gita, ‘TeGita~aneternal soul mate! ‘Damodarpant Chapekar {executed 1898) ‘There was a calamitous plague in the late 1880's, in the province of Maharashtra in India ‘Thousands of people were killed in this plague. The ‘unhelpful British and their agricultural polices of enforcing the cotton production rather than the ‘traditional food crops heightened the impact of the plague on the people. In such critical conditions faced by Indians, grand celebrations of Queen ‘Victoria's Golden Jubilee were held in Pune, with ‘pomp and grandeur. Tis resulted in a deep seated ‘anger and resentment amongst the Indians against the Englishmen. twas at this time thatthe freedom struggle against the British was getting foothold in 4 Manereshure. Pertaining to this, an incident ‘occured. Infurated with the callous atitude of the Brith, Damodarpant Chapekar shot dead the Brith Plague Commissioner, Mr. Rand and the British officer Mr. Ayerst on June 22, 1897, in Pune. Here is a remarkable thing to know about this {reedom fighter, which shows what the Gita meant tohim— ‘When he went to the galows on April 18, 1898 after being betrayed by his friends, he was holding the Bhagavad Gitainhishandst ‘The similar devotedness to the Gita is reflected {inthelives ofthe following greatsouls- ‘Madanlal Dhingra (1883-1909) had a colourful ‘end awibrant personality and was the one who shot {dead Sir Cyraon Wylie, in London in 1909. Bhagat ‘Singh acknowledged Dhingra as his predecessor. +e was sent tothe gallows in London on August 1, 1909 and died withthe Gita inhis hands. Khudiram Bose (1889-1808) was a young, radical leader of Bengal. He had an in-depth Jnowilodge ofthe Hindu culture and hie heart sched {to see that a country known as the Golden Bird in the ancient times was aficted with the misery of ‘such high magnitude. He targeted British officals ‘and wes hung at the age of 17. He had the words “Vande Mataram” on his ips and the Bhagavad Gita {nhishands whenhe died ‘Home Kalani (1823-104), frdiam ightor from Sindh, was engaged in all aspects of the freedom struggle, fom the boycott of British ‘goods, to Gandhi's campaigns and revolutionary ‘activities. He was arrested in a conspiracy to rob the British ammuntions and pass them to Indians. His last wish was to be born again as an indian to finish the work of making India independent. Just see the herole spits of this great freedom {ighter. While marching to the gallows, instead of being afraid, he quoted the verse from the Gita ‘about the immortality ofthe soul. He also marched to the gallows with the Bhagavad Gita in his hands. 2016 Zone.