A Few Problems Solved Part 3

“The History of Ráŕh” (retitled, after the current edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 3, “The History of Ráŕhbhúm”).

Chapter 1	A Few Problems Solved Part 3

A few days ago a journalist asked me my views about the destructive effectiveness of atom bombs and their future reaction on the human race. Ordinarily, I do not have any contact with journalists. But I did give a reply to this question. I said, “Human strength is much more powerful than the strength of atom bombs.” Therefore, to think that atom bombs will annihilate the human race is nothing but to defame human intellect and psychic power because atom bombs are the creation of human beings. Human beings are the creators of atom bombs, so how can atom bombs destroy human beings? It is a fact that in the past human beings discovered many destructive weapons and those weapons have killed human beings. In that sense atom bombs can also kill human beings – hundreds of thousands of people may be killed at a time. The operation of many gigantic machines by human beings can kill many lives. This fear of atom bombs is of course there, but that is not the appropriate reply to the question. The reply is that human beings are the creators of atom bombs – the physical strength that a person has is definitely much less than the physical strength or the crude strength that atom bombs have. The physical strength of human beings is much less than that of an elephant, but when a small mahout sits on the elephant, the strength of the elephant is fifty times more than that of the mahout who drives the elephant. No matter how great the strength of an elephant and how little the physical strength of a person, in psychic strength human beings far exceed the elephant. Similarly, if an atom bomb is taken to be a gigantic Rakśasa or ferocious demon which has physical strength but no psychic strength, human beings can keep it under control. Not only that, human beings can easily discover a weapon to counter act the strength of atom bombs, and the function of that weapon will be to obstruct and to hinder the destructive reaction of atom bombs. Now the point is that where the creator is a unit mind, its physical strength will always be less powerful than its psychic strength.

Whatever a person manufactures contains only physical strength; it does not possess any psychic strength. Atom bombs have nothing which can be called a mind. But in the future, human beings may manufacture something about which I have already hinted which may possess a mind also, but in that case the mind of that object will be weaker than the mind of its creator, the human being. Its physical strength may be more – definitely it may be more. So there is no reason to be restless and to cry about the impending dangers from atom bombs. There is only one thing for human beings to be afraid of. What is that? Human beings have to be alert against those who are demons in human form, those who posses immense psychic power and yet behave like demons, causing harm to humanity. Collective efforts have to be made to protect humanity from these demons. That is the only fear. What is the way out?

Yato váco nivartante aprápya manasá saha;
Ánandaḿ bráhmańo vidván na vibheti kutashcana.

[Parama Puruśa cannot be reached by words only but by mind. Words return without attaining Him. One who knows the Supreme Blissful Stance attains Him. One who attains Brahma is not afraid of anything.]

Where did these immoral persons get their psychic strength? They got it from Parama Puruśa. And the moralists who are afraid of the immoralists also got their strength from Parama Puruśa. So instead of thinking that you are fighting the battle alone, if you think that you are the children of Parama Puruśa and have come to this world to accomplish the job assigned by Parama Puruśa, that you are never alone and that you are a small baby always sitting on the lap of Parama Puruśa, why should you be afraid of anything? There is no reason to be afraid of any thing.

Na vibheti kutashcana.

[One who attains Brahma is not afraid of anything.]

You should not be afraid of any power in the universe. Atom bombs are so insignificant. Human beings will discover much more powerful weapons in future, so there is no reason at all why moralists should be afraid of them.

Chapter 2	A Few Problems Solved Part 3

Samánam ejati iti samájah.

“Society is the collective movement of a group of individuals who have made a unanimous decision to move together towards a common goal.”

When the members of a society come to a unanimous decision, “We’ll move together, we’ll live together in good times or bad,” then their collective movement is known as Samaj or society. Some may have moved far ahead; some may have lagged behind. Some may be unable to walk due to pain in their legs. Some may have fallen on their faces. Those who do not even care to look after their companions trailing behind them are not worthy to be called members of society. The proper thing is for all members of the society to move in unison; and while moving together, each member should feel a responsibility for every other member of society. Those who are unable to move must be carried so that the rhythm of the collective movement remains unbroken. At present, we will have to look at everything in this world from the perspective of our solar system, even if we do not yet look at things from a cosmological perspective. We must move ahead, looking upon this solar system as one integral entity. But in the future, human beings from other planets and satellites will join our movement; we will have to build our society together with all. We will have to look upon this whole world as an integral entity.

What do we see today? In some homes people are rolling in luxury; in others people are dying of starvation. One section of society is breathing a free atmosphere of light and air while the major portion of society, perhaps 80% of the population, has been kept confined within their four walls. That is, one section of the population has been granted license to do whatever they please, and no one even raises a finger in protest, while the other section, if they make even the slightest mistake, is subjected to severe treatment by the society. This sort of discriminatory treatment cannot be tolerated.

Discrimination has been practiced for a long time. But today the gap between an educated and an uneducated person has become almost too wide to be bridged. A male member of a family may be highly educated while his wife is totally illiterate: the gap between them is extremely wide. There are various undesirable social discrepancies like this. Even if there is no acceleration in our speed, we will have to bring with us all those people who are moving slowly or who have lagged behind. If, while moving with all, my speed decreases somewhat, this will have to be accepted. But we must move together; this is the Supreme Truth. Those who wish to move together with all require sufficient physical and psychic strength. In addition to that, if they really wish to move collectively, they must possess some additional strength as well. That is why I tell you that you must not be like average people: you will have to be above average. It is not enough to move alone, you will have to take others with you, and for that you will have to acquire additional strength. You must prepare yourself accordingly.

Some time ago I said,

Trividhaduhkasya átyantrkii nivrttih paramárthah.

“That which brings permanent relief is called Paramártha.”

Suppose a man has no clothes and feels cold. Having no money he cannot afford to buy clothes and having no food, he feels hungry. If he gets some money he can remove his hunger by procuring food and thus he can remove his afflictions. People buy food, clothes, etc., with money and so money in Saḿskrta is called artha. But it should be remembered that money is only artha and not paramártha, for Paramártha means “that which removes one’s afflictions forever” – once the afflictions are gone they will never return. Suppose we buy food with money today; tomorrow we will again feel the pangs of hunger. So, money is Artha, not Paramártha. Paramártha is that which brings permanent cessation from the triple afflictions – physical, mental and spiritual.

All the afflictions in the physical sphere are due to lack of food, clothes and the like. Now the question is, to what extent can money remove these afflictions? You can at best temporarily relieve them, but the next day the trouble will return again. The only way to bring permanent relief is Paramártha. With the help of Paramártha, human beings can develop such a social order that there will never be a shortage of food and clothes, etc. This will require a fundamental change in the social order. And those who are the pioneers in such a task, what will they do? They will have to acquire far more strength than average people. The pioneers who want to travel through thick jungles will have to clear part of the jungle and build a road. Once the road is constructed, those who come behind will be able to travel easily through that jungle.

What is the nature of psychic afflictions? Suppose we remove the mundane problems forever. (PROUT was formulated for this very purpose of removing mundane problems and helping human beings attain Paramártha.) I have not said anywhere that society should give plenty of money to everyone; I have only said that the purchasing power of each and every person should be increased. Suppose the price of rice is Rs. 5 per kilo: it does not matter if the per capita income is as much as Rs. 1,000. Whether the salary is high or low is not the point: the main thing is the purchasing power. If the purchasing power of each and every individual is increased, there will be no physical trouble. But, supposing physical troubles have been removed, psychic afflictions will still remain. Even at that stage there is pain and grief, there are sorrowful feelings and sentiments. Everyone mourns the death of their nearest and dearest ones; so the psychic afflictions remain. To eradicate them, one must undergo proper psycho-spiritual training so that one’s mind can be properly prepared to fight against adverse circumstances. All responsible members of society will have to do this. Here, whom do I mean? I mean those who have realized that they will have to acquire the requisite power, or even more than the requisite power, in order to equip themselves for the onerous task before them. Those who do not have the capacity to realize this, those who have understood little, are also our blood brothers and sisters; they, too, are our close relations. So in order to help them, we must acquire a little more strength than necessary. Otherwise we will not be able to help them.

Take the case of India. We are not as developed as we should be. Why? One of the reasons is that we have kept women confined within the walls of their homes, resulting in the progress of only fifty percent of the population – the males. And as only the men are progressing, they will have to carry the load of 50% of the population. Thus the speed of progress is reduced. Ideally, women should also move with their own strength and with the same speed as their male counterparts. In the process of movement, if they feel pain in their legs, if they fall on their faces, they should be physically lifted up. But not only women may need assistance: the males may also fall down, and then it will be the duty of women to extend their helping hand to carry the load of their male counterparts. We cannot expect that, in relation to men, the position of women will remain one of subordinated cooperation: it may also be one of coordinated cooperation. The position of males may even be one of subordinated cooperation. Nothing can be said emphatically in this world. The fact is that we must move together in unison with all.

In the psychic sphere too, the same practice should be followed. Those who have begun to realize this should understand it still more deeply. As a result they will be able to comprehend the position of those who have less capacity to understand or to judge.

The third category of affliction is spiritual affliction. Whatever people might say outwardly, they know that they are the progeny of the Supreme Consciousness, and that He is always observing them. They know that they are never alone, not even for a moment. Even confirmed atheists, whatever they might say verbally, pray in their heart of hearts, “Oh Lord, please save me.” So, those who say that they do not believe in God, or words to that effect, should be labelled as hypocrites for they do not speak their minds. No indulgence should be given to hypocrisy. All human beings know that Parama Puruśa belongs to them, and that they belong to Parama Puruśa. But in spite of this knowledge they cannot easily attain Parama Puruśa with their whole being. The pain caused by this non-attainment of Parama Puruśa is called spiritual affliction. One can overcome spiritual affliction only through spiritual practice, through meditation. The supreme and final aspect of meditation is devotion. One may not possess knowledge or intelligence; but if one has devotion, that is enough. So devotion must be aroused by all means. After coming in contact with a devotional person, thousands and thousands of people may also become devotional.

Many are aware of the fact that Mahaprabhu Caetanya Deva had a great devotee, Yavana Haridas by name, who was of a low caste. When Haridas would do kiirtan, Mahaprabhu would often touch his body. The orthodox pandits would say, “You’d better take a bath in the Ganges now, otherwise you won’t be able to enter the house.” So, Mahaprabhu had to take a bath in the Ganges, even in the winter’s cold. How troublesome for him! Haridas used to say, “Thakur, why do you touch my body? For this you have to take so much trouble at night.” However, Mahaprabhu would still touch him. So Haridas used to sit at a little distance from Mahaprabhu, and when Mahaprabhu was about to touch him, he would run away as fast as he could. But Mahaprabhu was about 20 years old at the time and Haridas was much older than him. So how could he escape from Mahaprabhu? Mahaprabhu would easily overtake him. Then Mahaprabhu would again have to take a bath in the Ganges. With tears in his eyes, Haridas complained, “Oh Lord, why do you touch me? What do you gain thereby? You simply have to undergo a lot of trouble by having to take a bath on a cold winter’s night.”

Mahaprabhu said, “Haridas, you are such a good devotee, you have such devotion in your heart, that I just wish to touch you and thereby make myself holier. You are full of so much devotion that you can make the whole universe holy.” Devotion has tremendous power which neither knowledge nor action has. Rather, people of knowledge, the jiṋániis, have a subtle sense of vanity, of which common people are afraid. So they maintain some distance from the jiṋániis saying, “Good heavens, they are such scholars, how can we go near them?”. But no one is afraid of people with devotion. Rather they think, “After all they are devotees, so let us go and sit near them for a while.” So, if you can arouse devotion, then by coming in contact with you, thousands upon thousands of people will attain real Paramártha and spiritual salvation. That is, in order to attain liberation from the triple bondages – physical, psychic and spiritual – you will have to attain Paramártha: and you will have to attain it in such a way that those who are spiritually undeveloped will also be benefited by your contact.

Chapter 3	A Few Problems Solved Part 3

Once a certain boy asked me to say something on music and dance. I said that the subject was very interesting, that I would write an essay on it in the future – that would be better. Now I will only say something in brief.

Everyone knows that Sadáshiva was the original propounder of the science of music in this world. The same Sadáshiva was the propounder of Áyurveda, the science of medicine. At the same time He invented dances, songs, the science of instrumental music and many other things. Besides these, He found the link between the exhalation and inhalation of breath on one side, and dance, song and instrumental music on the other. This is called Svara Shástra. The collective name of dance, song and instrumental music is saḿgiita, or music. The word giita is derived from the root gae plus the suffix-kta. Now the question is, why was Sadáshiva so interested in the arts of dance, song and instrumental music?

I have already said on many occasions that ours is a subjective approach with objective adjustment – that is, to proceed through objective adjustment towards the fundamental cause. Adjustment means to arrange everything in such a way as to be acceptable. For instance, while cooking something, an expert cook always takes care that things are neither salty, pungent nor sour: everything is in proper proportion. For instance, while preparing pulses (legumes), additional spices are fried in cooking oil and then the whole thing is thoroughly mixed into the dish. This is called Sambára [mixing] or santulan in Bengali. Actually, Santulan means to bring a mixture to the point of being tasty.

When Sadáshiva introduced the science of intuitional practice, He had to keep in mind that there must be adjustment in the objective life of those who followed Dharma sadhana. In the absence of this adjustment, the mind becomes irritated and degenerates, and no concentration in sadhana is possible for such a mind. Thus Shiva selected three things which are very much in use in the objective world but which are, at the same time, immensely helpful in spiritual life as well: these three are collectively known as saḿgiita, of which the first part is giita, or song.

Songs [vocal] are rooted in the physical world, but their impact is on the subtler layers of the human mind. The mental world is the ectoplasmic world, the world composed of ectoplasmic stuff (cittáńu). Songs produce a vibrational wave which makes our mental waves straight, and these straightened mental waves in turn ultimately touch the point of the soul. Now to touch the embodied soul, the songs must have rhythm, melody and feeling (bháva). If there is no feeling, the song will lack sweetness. Therefore, songs must have deep ideas.

Simultaneously, Lord Shiva invented two more things: vádya [playing of instruments] and nrtya [dance]. What is vádya? Indo-Aryan music is divided into two main schools: Hindustani music and Deccan or Carnatic music. The basic characteristics of those two schools of music are that, based on specific rágas or rágińiis, they give expression to different feelings. Then again, there are other sub-schools of music. Each person tries to please Parama Puruśa in a particular style which is unique to him or her; these styles are known as gharáńás. In Bengal there is Viśńupuri gharáńá. In kiirtana there are different musical styles or gharáńá, such as Manoharshahi, Ranihati, Garanhata, Mandaran,⁽¹⁾ etc.

The speciality of these gharáńás is that they channelize a specific mental feeling towards the Supreme Desideratum through the structures of the rágas and rágińiis. Songs have bháva [suggestive meanings] and rhythm and melody also. But their soul is Bháva.

Vádya [playing of musical instruments] is not like that. Then what is the role of vádya? It vibrates the mind and hence directly vibrates the ectoplasm and maintains parallelism with bháva. Once vádya loses its basic property to maintain parallelism with bháva, it becomes useless.

Now, regarding dance: dance expresses inner psychic feelings through chanda [rhythm] and mudrá [specialised gestures], without the help of language or words. In occidental dance, there is more beauty in rhythm. But oriental dance utilizes both rhythm and mudrá. These mudrás because of their close association with rhythmic qualities, have become more expressive and beautiful than the rhythmic occidental music. For instance, when we offer something, we perform a particular mudrá which is called sampradán mudrá. Similarly, there are other mudrás which also indicate different styles of offering, for example, prakśepa and such type of mudrás. We can offer things in any style we choose; we can direct a person to stop with a variety of mudrás also. Here we express ourselves without the use of words.

Now, how do these mudrás originate? The source of all sound is Paráshakti [primordial desire for expression], which is such a vast entity that it cannot be explained in words. Next comes madhyamá shakti, in which we try to translate the bháva or mental form into action. The next stage is vaekharii shakti. When translating bháva into action, we need to take the help of our vocal cords. Then comes dyotamáná shakti. At first we try to express something: we may or may not be able to do so. In your own life, sometimes you might have experienced that you are unable to exactly remember a person, for instance Hari Babu, whom you have seen numerous times: you feel that you have something in your mind to express, but you cannot give any outward expression to your mental image. This is dyotamáná shakti, that is, feelings that you actually want to express.

The last stage is shrutigocará shakti. Now the characteristic of dance is to use mudrás to give expression to this last item, that is shrutigocará shakti, without the help of words. The mudrás of dance are directly related to the ectoplasm: thus the specialities of oriental dance are easily appreciated by all.

Now, for objective adjustment in the physical world, Shiva propounded song, dance and instrumental music in such a manner so that it would directly vibrate the ectoplasm, so that the ectoplasmic movement converges into one point touching the soul point. That is why great people of all ages have encouraged all three aspects of music. In the history of saints, it is known that Maharśi Nárada played violin, sang songs and danced at the same time. In more recent times, Mahaprabhu Caetanya Deva also encouraged these three things: he said that the lyrics of the song should directly reflect Parama Puruśa Himself. And this category of song, directly reflecting Parama Puruśa is known as kiirtana. The other category of song that also reflects Parama Puruśa, but which expresses many ideas before returning to the one central idea of Parama Puruśa, is called bhajana. This is the basic difference between bhajana and kiirtana. In this respect, I fully agree with the previous propounders: I also encourage these three things.

Now lalita mármik dance can maintain adjustment with kiirtana without causing fatigue in the human body. That is why lalita is prescribed in kiirtana. Mahaprabhu also prescribed it as part of kiirtana. Now, mármik means that which touches the innermost recesses of the heart: so it is called lalita mármik. The inventor of this lalita dance was Parvati: Shiva himself did not invent it. He did invent táńd́ava however. The inner motivation of táńd́ava is the following: “Destruction is inevitable, but I will continue to fight against destruction through struggle.” So there is a skull in one hand and a dagger in the other. The skull represents destruction, and the dagger represents fight. The underlying feeling is, “I will not surrender to destruction or death. I will continue the struggle with this dagger.”

Furthermore, it is found that human beings are sometimes affected by various minor diseases; therefore they face minor, if not major, difficulties in practising sadhana. For instance, many small diseases such as liver trouble may cause problems from time to time, and to remove these types of hindrances, I invented the kaośikii dance on the 6th of September 1978. This dance serves as an antidote to twenty-two types of disease. All these things are intended to accomplish the following through objective adjustment: to stir the ectoplasmic stuff, to vibrate it, and finally to concentrate it at a point and to touch Parama Puruśa.

This is, broadly speaking, a reply to the question of the boy. If I am to reply in greater detail, I will write a longer essay on the subject, which I propose to do in the future.

Footnotes

(1) They are names of different places where these gharáńás developed. –Trans.

Chapter 4	A Few Problems Solved Part 3

Let us analyse the way human beings have evolved physically and psychically since their advent on this earth one million years ago. Human existence is trifarious: physical, psychic, and spiritual. Spiritual progress is movement towards Parama Puruśa while maintaining adjustment with the mundane world. The more human beings advance towards Parama Puruśa, the more their existence radiates the divine effulgence of Parama Puruśa, and the more they expand. When they come in the closest proximity to Parama Puruśa, they attain the state called sárśt́hi: they become like Parama Puruśa. When they merge in Him, there remains no duality – duality is converted into singularity. Spiritual progress depends on two main factors: the factor which determines a person’s physical existence and the factor which determines a person’s psychic progress.

I have already said in a Renaissance Universal meeting that human progress means spiritual progress. Although there is some progress in the quinquelemental and psychic spheres, it is greatly offset by numerous obstacles which arise on the path of progress. So on the whole one can say that there is no real progress in the mundane and psychic worlds. However, human beings will continue their endless efforts for progress because to remain stagnant is ultra-vires to human wonts. Nothing in this universe stagnates, all entities are on the move. Movement is the essence of everything. This world is called “jagat” which means that whose very nature is to keep moving (the root verb gam + kvip = jagat. Gam means to go and the suffix kvip is used to denote habituality.) When movement stops existence is jeopardized. When we say that an entity exists it implies that the entity is moving. Here, we shall make an appraisal on how far humans have progressed in the mundane world or in the psychic world. We are not supposed to consider which obstacles and hindrances have beset the path of progress because I have already said in this regard that ultimately, real progress takes place only in the spiritual sphere and not in the other two spheres.

There is a considerable difference between the physical structure of today’s human beings and the physical structure of prehistoric humans who came onto this earth a million years ago. The cranium of the prehistoric humans was small, the skull was large, the hands were long, and the lymphatic glands were very active. They were quite adept at running and jumping and could easily jump from one tree to another, just like the other creatures of the ape group. In fact human beings were members of the tailless ape group and thus there were many similarities between them and the other members of the group, the chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, etc. However, these animals have made very little progress in the mundane sphere compared to human beings. Considerable changes have also taken place in the human structure. What is the reason behind this? Even without going very deep into the subject one can understand that clash and cohesion has brought about this change in human beings. There was not much scope for the expansion and development of the nerve-cells of the tailless apes compared with human beings. That is why the tailless apes have lagged behind whereas the human beings have progressed. So, clash and cohesion caused by the natural environment helped human beings to a great extent.

Like gorillas, the primitive humans sought the relative safety of hilltops and trees for their dwelling places, although they tended to mainly live on hills. Over the course of the years they migrated through the jungles and along river banks towards the delta regions. This migration is a landmark in human civilization. There is concrete evidence to prove this contention. A hill in old Saḿskrta was called “gotra”. In those early days a particular group of humans would settle on a hill. The hill would be named after the group leader. Thus, when meeting someone one would be asked, “To which gotra do you belong?” In reply one would say, “I belong to such and such gotra.” Thus, gotra has come into common usage to denote one’s lineage. As in the society of animals, the human society was completely governed by the matriarchal order. While introducing oneself, one would mention one’s mother’s or one’s grandmother’s name because it was difficult to determine the identity of one’s father in those days. The marriage system had not been introduced at that time.

The society advanced in this way. In those days life was full of conflict. There were frequent clashes between the different hills. The people living on one hill treated each other as brothers and sisters, so whenever they wanted to get married, they had to bring men and women from other hills. Those who emerged victorious in an inter-hill conflict would marry the women of the vanquished gotra. These women were brought to the victor’s hill bound in chains. Even today in many parts of India the newly married couple knot their clothes together after marriage. This practice is symbolic of the time when the girl of the vanquished party was forcibly brought home by the bridegroom. In ancient days, they were brought home captive, their hands bound in chains. Even today in East India, particularly among the women of Bengal, there is a custom of wearing iron bangles. These bangles, reminiscent of those ancient chains, symbolize that the bride has been brought home captive. Besides that, many women had their heads cracked open in battle. Blood flowed from their gaping wounds. These days, of course, such atrocities do not occur. However, to represent the flowing blood of those wounded in battle a vermilion mark is placed on the forehead of a newly married woman.

Thus the human civilization evolved out of its primitive past. Women were the clan mothers. Every hill was governed by a leader who was the clan mother in the early stage. In Meghalaya, the matrilineal order is still in vogue. Later on the institution of clan mothers was replaced by the institution of clan fathers, and together with it came the pravara system. The men became the head of the gotras.

Civilizations have been advancing through clash and cohesion. Human beings are racking their brains in the search for new ways to win battles, and thus their brain cells are developing. They are busying their brains in various ways; they are devising new ways to preserve past history. After thinking for some time they devised words in pictures. By looking at the pictures they remembered what they did ten days ago. This is called pictography. The pictorial script was devised in this way. Even today China uses the pictorial script – the alphabet in pictures. Human beings discovered all this out of necessity. By the same process they also managed to conquer the world of animals. Then they started to struggle among themselves. Those who were less intelligent were defeated and considered as low caste people – they were exploited and thus degenerated in the society. Those who were more intelligent were considered as upper castes. And those who were even more intelligent were considered as the highest caste in society. And thus the clash of the intellect began.

Human beings have been advancing. This advancement also continued in the physical sphere of life. To protect themselves from the cold, humans started wearing clothes and garments. Next, thinking about how to move fast, they invented the wheel. This invention occurred long after the dawn of civilization. It marked the beginning of a new era in human civilization. In the absence of wheels, fast moving vehicles could not have been built.

The Mayan civilization is a transplanted Indian civilization. It migrated to Central America during the rule of the Pallavas of South India. Thus the transplanted Mayan and Indian civilizations existed side by side. The difference between them was that the Indian civilization invented the wheel. Without the wheel, the Mayan civilization lagged behind. Soon after the invention of the wheel bullock carts were invented. That invention also marked a new victory. Human beings had created something new, effecting a greater acceleration in human progress. All this took place in the physical sphere. To keep pace with these changes there were corresponding changes in the human physical structure. The cranium became larger, the skull became smaller, the arms became shorter, the body hair decreased and the jaws became more elevated. In the different parts of the world these changes took place in different ways. In some parts the jaw became more elevated, in other places it dropped. In some parts human complexion was brown, in some parts white and in other parts reddish. These physical changes occurred in adjustment with the changes in the psychic world. This is how human beings advanced.

Where does the thought which causes evolutionary change originate? It originates in the nerve cells. The human mind has two functions – thinking and memorizing. The more the thinking capacity increases the more the power of memory develops. The nerve cells also change, leading to a corresponding change in the nerve fibres. These changes create a stir and a revolution in the world of thought. Human beings started thinking, “Who am I? Where have I come from? Where shall I go hereafter?” No other creature thinks like this – only humans have the power of contemplation.

Má go ei bhávaná
Ámi kotháy chilám, kotháy elám, kotháy yábo
Nái t́hikáná.

[Oh mother, I have only one thought in my mind.
Where was I? Where am I now? Where am I going?
I have no answer to these questions.]

No other creature thinks like this. This sort of human contemplation was reflected gradually in literature, art, etc.

Human beings continued to advance and soon discovered physical sciences in the mundane sphere and philosophy in the psychic sphere. While discovering philosophy they began to search for the answers to “Why? Where? What?”, etc. In the process of humans’ continuous search, Sadashiva emerged about 7000 years ago. He consolidated all the endeavours of human beings, gave them a particular form and brought them within a particular system. This led to the formulation of education, Ayurvedic medical science, dance, song, etc. Everything received a systematic form, a new life.

Lord Krśńa came much later. He further consolidated the human race and constructed society in a better way after having laid its firm foundation stone. In pursuit of answers to the questions, “Why?” and “What?” human beings made further advancement in philosophy. Maharsi Kapil propagated the first philosophy. He tried to explain how the different objects and entities came into being. But the humans did not stop there: they made further progress and even today human beings are making steady progress on the path of spirituality.

Later on, with the further development of philosophy and science the number of impediments and obstacles faced by humans became fewer than those which the ancient humans faced while moving along the path of spirituality during the days of backward science and philosophy. The people of today do not have to labour quite as hard as Vaishishta and Vishvamitra had to do in order to discover the way to move ahead, because modern science and philosophy today are valuable aids to human progress. The people of today are able to realize the Supreme Entity in one life, or maybe in 15 to 20 years, for which they had to practice penance for lives together in the past. Apart from the direct help of philosophy and science, the spiritual quest also greatly helped human beings in their elevation. The humans of today have started to realize that they are the progeny of Parama Puruśa, an integral part of Parama Puruśa. If people can properly ideate on Parama Puruśa, they will realize Brahma. On imbibing cosmic ideation all kinds of ailments will be cured.

In this way human beings are advancing and will continue to advance in the future. In the absolute sense there cannot be any progress in the physical and psychic spheres; nor can there be any progress in the relative sense, either. However, the very endeavour to move ahead has its own importance. This endeavour has made human beings glorious and superior.

It is a fact that humans will make further progress in the future. Those who will assist in this human progress are the Sadvipras. Those who are trying to obstruct human progress are veritable demons in human form (rákśasa). Not only will human beings have to strengthen the hands of the Sadvipras to facilitate smooth social progress, they will also have to remain ever-vigilant against these demons in human form and wage constant war against them. There should not be any hesitation.

This movement of the human beings is an endless one. Human beings must advance. Some people think that one day the universe will meet its thermal death. They believe that the universe will become frozen solid, unfit for human habitation, and cause the extinction of the human race. Their statement is partially true, but the universe as a whole will never meet a thermal death. A certain planet may suffer thermal death, but certainly not the entire universe. Before thermal death occurs on a particular planet, human beings, having made great technological advances, will move to other planets by rocket. So there is no plausible reason for human beings to become frightened by the prospects of a thermal death.

Once I was asked by a Hindi journalist if I believed that atom bombs would destroy the human race. I replied that my firm conviction is that atom bombs do not have the power to annihilate the human race because they are merely a product of the human mind. They do not have the power to destroy the minds of those who created them. The human beings who invented atom bombs will also be able to provide safeguards against them. So human beings have no reason to be unduly worried or frightened.

Chapter 5	A Few Problems Solved Part 3

During my talks at the Renaissance Universal Club in Siliguri I said that civilization has been advancing. Whether people want it or not they will have to move ahead, they will have to advance. They should not remain static, either in body or mind but should move ceaselessly, because this very movement is not only the sign of life in a body, but also a sign of life in the mind, a symptom of advancement. While moving humans will have to pass through different stages. Human beings are born, and then die to be born again and to die again. In this process what does death mean? Life and death can be compared to taking a step. Lifting up the foot is life and placing it on the ground is death. In individual life, in individual movement, one is obliged to place the foot on the ground – this is the state of pause.

Many people may think, “Is it not possible to move avoiding the state of inertness? Could movement be unbroken?” Neither absolute speed or absolute pause are possible: speed and pause are always relative – the very existence of anything is relative. This universe is thronged with numerous relative factors – nothing is absolute. In our philosophy I have said somewhere that the stage when the foot is placed on the ground may be called “death” in common parlance, but it is not actual death. Actual physical death of human beings – when the dead body is buried or cremated – is not death in the real sense, but a state of pause in preparation for movement into the next step. While moving, if we do not place one foot on the ground, we cannot take the next step forward. So the left foot can only make the next step forward if the right foot makes the preparation by being placed on the ground. This is crucial for successful movement. Thus if we wish to say something about speed, or the characteristics of movement, we will have to acknowledge the necessity of the state of death, otherwise it will not be possible to move into the next stage. Moreover, the systaltic movement must be pulsative. One places the right foot on the ground and makes preparations for the movement of the left foot, which then is picked up and placed on the ground. The right foot then gathers momentum and takes its next step forward. Similarly, there is speed and pause in the psychic sphere too. In the state of pause people gather momentum for the next stage.

When people listen to something, that idea is not assimilated immediately. It only gets assimilated when the mind is in a state of pause. The subsequent expression takes place in the state of speed. When you reply to someone’s words, the matter heard by you enters through the ears, but is only assimilated when the mind is in a state of pause. Thereafter, when the mind is again in a state of speed, you give your reply by utilizing your vocal cords and mouth to produce sounds. Suppose someone said loudly, “Why did you do such a thing?” You heard this through the ears. After hearing this your mind reverted to a state of pause and then you assimilated the idea that someone was saying, “Why did you do such a thing?” Suppose someone says, “Coward, why are you running away?” The message is assimilated by you that someone is calling you a coward. Maybe you are actually a coward, but whether you will admit it or not will depend on the state of pause of your mind. Then in the subsequent stage of speed, you will say, “I won’t run away – never,” or you will say. “Do you think I’m going to stay here? Running away is the best thing to do.” Such things take place in the state of pause. This is how human beings will have to move through speed and pause.

Similarly, while doing Sádhaná in the spiritual sphere, the state of pause may come. Sometimes people say, “How strange! A few days ago I was having excellent meditation, but these days I can’t seem to concentrate at all. That’s very sad.” Or at times one may say, “The other day while meditating my body began to quiver. It was quite a pleasant experience. Why don’t I get the same experience today?” This sort of blissful experience during meditation or in concentration comes within the scope of assimilation. It becomes internalized. But if it does not find any expression within the mind, you can never experience it. Maybe after a few days you may experience an even greater bliss during incantation or meditation. All this means that even in the spiritual sphere also there is pause and speed.

In every sphere of life the same thing happens. This sort of experience is applicable to the individual body, mind and soul as much as it is to the collective mind, body and soul. In collective life the collective body, collective mind and collective soul follow the same pause and speed. During this period of systalsis, what is assimilated in a state of pause is expressed in the state of speed. Sometimes, in certain places, students read something out loud or a listener listens to something through the medium of the auditory sense organ - through the ear – but that listening or hearing alone is not enough. It has to be assimilated. Some people say, “Sh, sh,” or “Keep quiet. Let me listen!” This act of listening is not necessarily listening through the ears only; it is also an act of assimilation. No doubt the listeners listen through their ears, but in subsequent stages when they say, “Sh sh, let me listen please,” this listening is not enough. Here listening is also accompanied by assimilating.

Suppose there is some nice food item – say some Rasamalai or other delicious sweets. (Can you say who first invented these sorts of sweets? Sandesh was first invented by the confectioners of Sarai village in Hoogly District. Another sweet, Nimki, or triangular Nimki, is often found in sweet shops these days. In North India it is called Bangala Nimki and was also first invented by the famous Punt́úm Mayra of Sarai village.) Suppose you are offered a sweet and told to run as fast as you can. If you want to relish the full taste of the sweet you should not run. If you want to run fast you will not be able to taste the sweet properly. After running you would probably say, “Wait a moment, please. Let me take a rest for a while before I taste the sweet bit by bit”. While in a state of motion, the state of pause cannot occur; while running the speed of pulsation is so great that there is no chance of pause. That is why you would not be able to enjoy the complete taste of the sweet. Once you have finished running you will be able to relish the taste of the sweet.

In collective life human beings come to a stage where they prepare themselves for the next stage of speed. In India’s social life there have been long periods of pause. Sometimes during these pauses it appeared as though society would die forever, that it would never be able to raise its head again. During the last part of the British period of India it appeared as if the country had no future. The people wondered if the British would ever quit the country. Some thought that perhaps they would not, so what was the necessity of continuing the struggle for freedom? This thought frequented people’s minds. Behind all these thoughts was the state of pause, the stage of gathering momentum for the next phase.

In the social life of Bengal also there were long periods of pause followed by long periods of speed. During the Buddhist period there was a long period of speed. Then in the early part of the Hindu era the speed slackened. Later the speed picked up during the early part of the Pathan age. During the last part of the Moghul era there was no speed at all. Again, during the early part of the British rule there was tremendous speed, and again, during the last part of the British era, the speed lessened. Now there is no speed at all. But at sometime the speed will again pick up.

This speed and pause will continue. Pause means the gathering of momentum for speed in the subsequent phase. If one closely watches the effect of speed on a particular community or the entire humanity, one sees that generally people eulogize the period of speed. However, we cannot afford to ignore the state of pause, because by judging what the previous state of pause was like, we can discern the speed of the next phase.

There are some people who are pessimistic. They say that the society around us is very bleak, that it has no expression of vitality and that it seems that everyone is in a deep slumber. Pessimists say this because they have never made any detailed study of human history, nor do they care to. Had they done so, they would certainly be optimistic, because if they had looked carefully at the symptoms of pause, they would have realized that significant preparations were being made for the subsequent phase of speed. So under no circumstances should human beings be pessimistic. That is why I am always an incorrigible optimist, because I know that optimism is life.

Chapter 6	A Few Problems Solved Part 3

Today’s subject of discussion is [[“Verse, Mythology, History and Itihása”]]. Saḿskrta literature is broadly divided into four categories: verse (kávya), mythology (puráńa), history (itikathá) and itihása. What is kávya? “Vákyaḿ rasátmakaḿ kávyam.” When a certain story or event is expressed in a lucid way and in a captivating style, it is called kávya. A story may or may not be true, but it must be narrated in a charming style.

The story of a puráńa is also not true, but it has educative value. In fact, all the puráńas were written in order to educate the masses. They were mainly composed by Vyásadeva whose real name was Krśńadvaepáyana Vyása. Vyása is not his actual name, it is only a surname. At the confluence of the Gauṋga, Sarawati and Jamuna rivers near Allahabad, there is a small island with black soil which used to be under water. Many of you know that the land through which the Gauṋga flows is yellowish in colour, and thus the Ganga water is also yellowish. But the land through which the Jamuna flows is black cotton soil. And the island at the confluence of these three rivers also had black soil: thus it was named “Krśńadviipa.” There, in a fisherman’s family, Vyásadeva was born. As he was born on an island of black soil (Krśńadviipa) he was named Krśńadvaepáyana Vyása. He is the one who classified the Vedas into three parts: Rk, Yaju, and Atharva. Later on the musical portions of all these three Vedas were collected to form the fourth Veda, the Sámaveda. And as he edited and divided the Vedas into different parts, he was popularly known as Krśńadvaepáyana Vedavyása.

This Vedavyása was also the author of the Puráńas which he wrote in order to educate the common people. There are many stories in the Puránas, but they are not factually correct; the only purpose behind the stories was mass education. After writing the Puránas, Vyásadeva realized that while writing them to educate the common people, he had taken the liberty of narrating many of Parama Puruśa’s extraordinary qualities and forms out of his own imagination and he also extolled the virtues of many places of pilgrimage. Then he realized that this was not proper on his part, because Parama Puruśa is indescribable and omnipresent: to exalt a particular place of pilgrimage or to praise the qualities of Parama Puruśa was not proper. Thus in a repentant mood, he asked Parama Puruśa for forgiveness:

Rúpaḿ rupavivarjjitasya bhavato yaddhyanena kalpitam
Stutyánirvacaniiyatákhilaguro duriikrta yanmaya
Vyapitvyam ca nirakrtam bhagavato yattirtha yatradina
Kśantavyaḿ jagadisho tadvikalatadostarayam matkrtam.

The meaning of this shloka is, “Oh Parama Puruśa, you cannot be bound within the limitation of forms, yet I have described your various divine forms – this I should not have done. Secondly, I have eulogized you, I have described your virtues; but in fact your virtues are indescribable – I shall never be able to describe them all. That I have tried to do so – this was my audacity. And I know you are omnipresent, that your glory is everywhere, and yet I have glorified specific places of pilgrimage: this is also my great offence. I have knowingly committed these three serious errors due to my mental weakness; oh Parama Puruśa, I beseech your forgiveness.”

So we see that the Puráńas are fictional, but they are of immense educational value. Yet what Vyasadeva said while asking for forgiveness is also true: how can the Supreme Entity, who has created so many forms, be confined to a particular finite structure?

Dyotate kriidate yar maduyate dyotate divi
Tasmaddeva iti proktah stuyate sarvadevataeh.

Parama Puruśa cannot be limited to any finite structure. It is a fact that He is expressing His extraordinary capacity and discharging His responsibility through the medium of a particular structure, but He cannot be limited to that particular structure alone. And so far as His qualities are concerned, they are limitless. He is the Supreme Controller of everything, but no one controls Him. He is the Self-Controlled Entity (svayaḿdhá). From this Vedic Saḿskrta word svayaḿdhá, the word khodá or khudá came into the old Persian language; both have the same meaning. Svayaḿdhá literally means, “one who takes care of oneself.”

And He is endowed with countless qualities; His virtues cannot be enumerated. So He is asheśaguńaḿ – “the Entity with endless qualities.” Guńahiinamasheśagańábharanam. The word guńahiina means “devoid of guńas or binding principles”; He is guńahiina because how can the Entity who is binding all the creatures in the universe by His own binding faculties, be bound by anything else? Hence He is called guńahiina. He is not concerned with the binding faculties, for they all originate from Him.

Once some people approached the poet Padmadanta saying, “You are such an accomplished poet; why don’t you write something extolling the qualities of Parama Puruśa so that others may be benefited thereby? It may not be possible to describe His qualities in totality, but at least you can try.” To this the poet replied:

Asitagrisamam syat kaijalam sindhupátre
Surataruvarashákha nishita patramúrvii
Likhati yadi grhiitvá sáradá sarvakálam
Tathápi tava guńáńamiisha páraḿena yáti.

I think you are all familiar with an ink tablet – when it is dipped in water, it produces ink. When writing one requires ink, pen and paper, and also a writer is necessary. Here the poet has imagined that to describe Parama Puruśa, the ink tablet must as great as the Himalayan mountains, and the ink-pot must be as vast as the ocean. And what about the pen? It cannot be smaller than the párijata tree (a gigantic mythological tree in the garden of paradise). (Taru means any great and beautiful tree. In Saḿskrta taru is in masculine gender; shurataru means a tree in the garden of paradise. In mythology the párijata tree is used as the pen, and if the entire atmosphere of the earth is used as a sheet of paper, and if the Goddess of Learning herself writes with this immense pen, paper and ink-pot for eternal time, even then she cannot finish describing all the qualities of Parama Puruśa.

(Sára means knowledge; Sárada means “the entity which imparts knowledge.” So Sárada is the Goddess of Knowledge. It must be remembered that Sárada means the Goddess of Learning, the mythological Goddess Sarasvati. Sáras means “white effulgence.” And Sarasvati means “one whose body is made of white effulgence.” And Shárada means Durga. Shárada, Durga and Sarasvati are mythological goddesses, not Vedic deities. Of course, in the Vedas there is reference to one Sarasvati, but that is the name of a river. In Saḿskrta, Sara means “large pond or lake of white effulgence.” The reference to Sarasvatii in the Vedas is the river Sarasvati (Gauṋga, Jamuna and Sarasvati): Ambitame ne d́iitame Sarasvatii – “Oh, mother Sarasvatii, the greatest of all rivers.”)

If one tries to describe all the qualities of Parama Puruśa, one will never be able to do it. Yet I have tried to confine you within the bondage of my language; so apologized Vyásadeva.

Mythology (Puráńas) and History (Itikathá)

Now let us discuss the puráńas. The stories that are invented to impart knowledge to people are called puráńas (mythology). Here the events are not actually true, but many of them are highly educative. Take the case of the Rámáyańa: it is fictional, but it is of immense educational value.

Next comes history (itikathá). When we maintain a chronological record of some event, then that record is called Itikathá: Ghatánáyáh painjiin am iti itikathá ucyate. The English equivalent for itikathá is “history”. In Saḿskrta, there are other synonyms also – purákathá, itivrtta, or purávrtta. All these words mean “history.” The English word “history” is derived from a Latin root; its French equivalent “histoire” means “to record.” So whatever has been recorded, whether good or bad, whether educative or not, is termed itikathá. Whatever is taught in the history in schools and colleges is partly, if not fully, itikathá: that is, some unnecessary matters have been included, and some necessary information omitted.

The fourth category of literature is itihása. Itihásati ityarthá itihása. The word itihása is derived from iti + has + ghaiṋ. Itihása is that part of itikathá which carries some educative value. The entire history or itikathá is not all itihása; itihása, which has no English synonym, is only that particular part of itikathá which has educative value. What is taught these days to students in the name of history of India (Bharatvarsa Itihás) is not really itihás. It is actually itikathá. Take the case of the Mahabharata.

Dharmártha kámamokśarthaḿ niitisuákyasamanvitam
Purávrttakatháyuktamitihásah pracakśate

The history book which teaches the readers about the four vargas (dharma or psycho-spiritual practice, artha or intellectual pursuit, káma or physical longing and mokśa or spiritual salvation), which provides a code of ethics for human beings and presents the dos and don’ts of life, may be called itihása.

Now the question is, what are these four vargas? Human life is expressed in four major ways (vicarańa). Hence I intentionally use the word vicarańa. Carana means movement, a special kind of movement by which people find the solution to the pressing problems of their lives – problems concerning their food, clothes, education, medical treatment, shelter, etc. Vicarańa means a special type of movement keeping a vigilance on all sides.

The first varga is káma, that is, the fulfilment of the physical longings of life. According to some people, káma means sexual urge, but this is a wrong conception: people lacking in proper knowledge of the Saḿskrta language make this sort of mistake. Káma means longing for the fulfilment of all physical and mundane necessities, such as food, clothing, education, shelter, etc.

The second varga is artha. Artha means that which brings an end to suffering. Human beings usually suffer from triple afflictions: physical, mental and spiritual. That which alleviates these triple afflictions is called artha. We know that in the physical sphere human beings suffer in various ways – not only from the shortage of food and clothing, but also from others pains and sorrows as well. Suppose someone falls down while walking; this is also suffering in the physical sphere.

In the psychic sphere, too, people suffer much pain, for example at the death of a beloved one. Even those people who have no problems of food, clothing, accommodation or education or medical care, also bitterly weep at the loss of their near and dear ones. This is psychic affliction.

Then there is spiritual affliction. “Parama Puruśa is mine, and I am His – this I realize. Yet I cannot make Him exclusively my own at all times.” This affliction of not attaining Parama Puruśa as close as one desires, is spiritual affliction.

The devotees say, “I belong to Parama Puruśa and Parama Puruśa is mine – He belongs to me alone and to no one else.” The intellectuals say, “Yes, Parama Puruśa belongs to all, therefore He belongs to me also, because I am included in all.” The people of action (karmiis) say, “No Parama Puruśa is mine, and as He is mine He belongs to all. Because I am not alone in this universe, He also belongs to my father, my mother, my relatives, and to all others as well. Just as the moon is the maternal uncle (candámáma) of all – of my father and my grandfather – so Parama Puruśa is my maternal uncle as well, and He is the universal maternal uncle.”

But the devotees say, “No, no I can share all my belongings with others, but not my Parama Puruśa. He is mine and mine alone – He belongs to no one else. I cannot even think of sharing Him with anyone.”

When I realize that Parama Puruśa is my own, and yet I still cannot attain Him exclusively, then there is a profound pain in the mind, and that pain is spiritual affliction.

Now, that which removes these triple afflictions is artha. Regarding physical affliction, we know that sometimes people feel hungry. Now, how to remove this physical affliction? People go to the market with money; they buy something to eat and then their hunger is removed. Now since their hunger is temporarily relieved through the medium of money, money is termed artha in Saḿskrta.

In the human mind, too, there are various sorrows and sufferings. For instance, if one fails to understand something, one suffers mentally. Suppose someone is asked about the meaning of the Saḿskrta word aparámrst́a, but one does not know the meaning. Even while eating, or going to sleep, one suffers a feeling of uneasiness in the mind due to this lack of knowledge. Then when one suddenly comes to know from someone, or from a dictionary, the meaning of the word, then one’s mental uneasiness is relieved. So “meaning” is also called artha in Saḿskrta, because knowing the meaning of something removes one’s mental suffering. So artha means money and artha also means meaning: that which removes suffering in the physical, psychic and spiritual spheres is called artha.

Suppose one feels hungry; one may gather money and buy some bread from the market. Here money is artha. But the passing of one winter does not remove cold forever: similarly, if one eats today, it will not permanently remove one’s hunger. Tomorrow one will feel hungry again as usual, and again there will be a necessity for money. But that object which removes hunger permanently is called paramarthá: Trividha dukhasya átyantikii nirttih paramártháh. That is, only paramarthá can bring about permanent relief from the triple afflictions of human beings. Hence artha brings temporary relief, and paramarthá brings permanent relief.

The third varga is dharma. Dharma means proper conduct. When a cow behaves according to its own nature, we say that cow is good; similarly when a monkey behaves as a monkey should, we say that the monkey is good, because it is following its own intrinsic nature. Have you ever travelled by buffalo-cart? If buffaloes draw your cart into a pond, you will say that buffaloes are behaving just as buffaloes should, because the very nature of a buffalo is to forget its sense of responsibility and plunge into the water.

Similarly, if human beings act according to their allotted duties and remember that the attempt to attain Parama Puruśa is the greatest duty in human life, then only such persons deserve to be called true human beings, for only they are following their dharma. Itihása teaches humanity how to establish themselves in the true spirit of dharma.

Mokśa or salvation is the attainment of the highest goal in life – the complete self-surrender to the Supreme Desideratum of life. When human beings cultivate the spirit of Bhagavat Dharma, they are sure to attain salvation ultimately. It is the duty of history to inspire human beings to follow the path of salvation.

Thus we see that there are altogether four vargas – káma, artha, dharma and mokśa. Itihaśa is a kind of scripture which helps human beings to attain these four vargas, and which also imparts lessons of morality. Niiti or morality is derived from the Saḿskrta root verb nii + ktin suffix. Nii means “to lead” and niiti means “the code of conduct which leads human beings towards the state of highest fulfilment.” Niitivákya samanvatam: that which contains a code of morality, which provides the necessary guidance to human beings on their path of movement, is niiti.

Puravrttakathá yuktam; that is, history or itikathá of this sort is called itihása. Saḿskrta literature, as I have said earlier, is composed of four types of compositions: kávya or poetry, purána or mythology, itikathá or history, and itihása. The main purpose of all of these is to provide an understanding of what should be done and what should not be done. It is most important for human beings to move in the realm of spirituality, more than in other realms. Human beings should have followed the proper teachings, but unfortunately, previous teachers did not teach us in this way, and that is why there has been such great chaos in the social and psychic spheres.

As a result of these improper teachings, many family people have suffered from the inferiority complex that as they were living mundane lives, they were sinners. This sort of idea was firmly implanted in the minds of family people as the result of false propaganda by the opportunistic exploiters, who wanted to protect their vested interests in the spiritual sphere. These exploiters also did not want to disseminate dharma among the masses at all, for they feared that the spread of dharma would undermine their vested interests.

But Ananda Marga is for one and all: I wish to disseminate dharma among all. The dedicated monks and nuns of Ananda Marga have accepted their life of renunciation not out of any escapist mentality, but to further the cause of human welfare; and through their service, they seek to lead human beings along the path of righteousness to the abode of Supreme Bliss.

In Saḿskrta there are various verbs for “movement”: for instance, the verbs cal, braj, car, at́, and many others. Each of these verbs has different connotations; for instance, the verb at́ means to walk or to move while learning something. The person who visits different countries and learns various things is a paryatáka or tourist.

The verb braj means “to move while enjoying bliss.” While one moves from place to place, one encounters various beautiful sights and sounds and marvels at the wonderous creation of the Lord. This gives the visitor great joy and satisfaction; hence the verb braj means “to move while enjoying bliss.”

When the Aryans first left their original homeland, the Caucasian region, and arrived in India via Persia, they discovered many new things of absorbing interest and delight in Persia. Previously the Aryans did not know anything about wheat or rice, and when they first discovered wheat they found that it was extremely tasty, as if their tongues were dancing in joy tasting various dishes prepared from wheat. In Saḿskrta dhúna means “to dance in delight”; and one of the Saḿskrta synonyms of tongue is go. So that the food which delights the tongue was termed godhúma. Later it Prakrta this was distorted to gohuma; then from gohuma it became gehaḿ in Hindi, and gaham in Oriya, and gaham or gam in Bengali. All there are derived from the original Saḿskrta term godhúma.

In Persia the Aryans first came in contact with rice as well. Previously oats and barley were their staple foods, but in rice they discovered the possibility of preparing varieties of dishes such as cooked rice, rice, beaten rice, etc. Those foods which could be used for preparing types of dishes were called briihi. Just as in Saḿskrta grammar the system of combining several words into one is termed bahubriihi samása, so the Aryans named that food from which various types of dishes could be prepared as briihi. The word briihi became rihi in old Latin, rici in modern Latin, and rice in modern English.

So when the Aryans found that Persia offered them various delights, they named it aryánaḿ vraja, that is, “the bountiful land of the Aryans.” From this the county was called Iranbej, and the present name is Iran. The Arabic name of the country is Pharas, from which the word Persia has come; but the proper name of the country is Iran.

So we have seen that the word braj means, “to move while enjoying bliss.”

Similarly, the verb ejati means “to move with a particular purpose”: samanam ejatii iti ityarthe samájah. When many people of a particular community are moving forward with a munity of people who have taken a vow to move together. For particular purpose, it is called samája (Samánamejati) – the community of people who have taken a vow to move together. The people of these samajas, for instance, Utkal Samáj or Koshal Samaj, have decided to move collectively hand in hand sharing the common joys and sorrows of life, struggling collectively against wrongs and injustices. Thus samaja is derived from the root verb ej.

Another verb is cal. Cal is a general term for movement: calati, calata, calani. There is another verb car, which means to move while eating, just as cows move while eating grass. But human beings generally do not move while eating, so this verb is not used for human beings. (Sometimes we do move along the streets eating peanuts or chana chura (a fried snack); in this case, we are also moving while eating, so here the verb carati would be used; but this is an exception.)

So vicaranam means a special type of carana or movement; that is, when people move collecting the indispensable necessities of life for their all-round growth and development. Brahmani vicaranam Brahmacaryam. What is a Brahmacarin? A person who has accepted Brahma as the chief nourishment of one’s existence in the physical, psychic, and spiritual spheres of life is a Brahmacarin. Sometimes the word Brahmacarin is misconstrued to have an altogether different meaning; but the real meaning is one who moves in the Cosmic World. Brahma + car + nini + 1st case ending singular = Brahmacarin.

Our PROUT will provide all the means of nourishment – food, clothes, education, medical treatment, accommodation, etc. and thus it will lead human society towards the Supreme Goal or Parama Brahman. Human beings should move with this spirit. Thus itihása is that scripture which provides us with all the facilities for our forward movement towards the four vargas.

Dharmártha kámamokśarthaḿ niitisuákyásamanvitam
Purávrttakatháyuktamitihásah pracakśate.

Chapter 7	A Few Problems Solved Part 3

Varśa means “that which is being showered.” It is a masculine term. In its feminine form it is Varśá (the feminine suffix á is added). The second meaning of varśa is “a large island”. In the Vedic age the world was divided into several vast islands or continents – Jambudviipa, Ságardviipa, Kraoṋcadviipa, etc. The name of ancient India was Jambudviipa. This island extended from Central Asia to the frontiers of Burma. One of the regions of Jambudviipa was Bhárata Varśa. Another name of Burma was Suvarńadviipa. All the areas of the vast Jambudviipa were not equally fertile, nor equally rich in mineral resources. The particular portion of Jambudviipa which was fit for human habitation, with an abundance of food and water, was called Bhárata Varśa. Ancient Tibet was called Kiḿpuruśa Varśa. Of course, in the nomenclature of “Kiḿpuruśa Varśa”, there is some humour. Tibetan males have hardly any beard or moustache, and from a distance people may wrongly think they are women. From their appearance, at least for outsiders, it was difficult to distinguish between men and women. That is why outsiders used to joke, “Are they males or females?” or Kiḿ puruśah? in Sanskrit. Varśa means “land”. Thus, Tibet came to be known as “Kiḿpuruśa Varśa”.

The Sanskrit verb bhr means “to feed” (bharańa). So the government food department is called “Janasambharańa Vibhága”. A husband’s duty is to support his wife, that is, to provide food and drink. So a husband is called Bharttá in Sanskrit. Bhárata means the land where there is an abundance of food and drink, and ample scope for all-round development. India has not been named after King Bharata, who lived and ruled long afterwards. In the Indian constitution, “India” or “Bhárata” is mentioned, but in actual fact, the name of the land is not “Bhárata”, but “Bháratá Varśa”. Bharata + suffix śńa = bhárata. Having added the word varśa we get the compound word Bhárata Varśa. So, at the end of this compound word, the term varśa or desh should also be used. Otherwise it will be grammatically incorrect.

Instead of dwelling upon the ancient history of India [[as such]], I would rather concentrate on the Bengali New Year’s day. Here, we will have to use the term varśa in a special sense. [[Varśa can also mean “year”.]] Bengal is situated in the far eastern part of Jambudviipa or Bharata Varśa. The boundary between two countries is the line regarding which the people on one side say, “This is the limit of our land,” and the people on the other side also say, “This is the limit of our land.” For example, Srinagar District is in the north of India, but Baramulla District is the northernmost extremity of India because it borders on Pakistan. Bengal is the easternmost area between Jambudviipa and Suvarńadviipa.

You might have already heard from me that civilization advances along river banks and river valleys. If one moves even 500 miles along a river bank, one will encounter a similar type of civilization. But if one travels 40 miles inland, away from the river, the outward expression of the civilization will be quite different. For example, the river Ganges has its source at Gauṋgottarii (Some people wrongly say Gauṋgotrii, but this is incorrect). Gauṋgottarii is the place where the River Ganges originates (uttarań), and it ends at Gauṋgáságar. On either side of the Gangetic valley, the same type of civilization can be easily discerned. The civilization at Varanasi is quite similar to the civilization found at Patna, because the entire area is situated within the Gangetic valley. But if one moves only 40 miles south from Varanasi, one will notice a different culture and civilization, since that area does not come within the Gangetic valley civilization. If we study the various expressions of civilization along the river valleys, we find a certain blended civilization in Bengal.

Take the case of old Gondwanaland. In the distant past, some areas of India did not exist: There was neither the northern India area, nor the D́abák area, nor the Samatat́ area of Bengal, but there was old Gondwana. That was about 300 million years ago. At that time, the major parts of Sind, the Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and major parts of Bengal did not exist. They were all submerged under the vast oceans. The Himalayas also did not exist. But the Vindhya mountain range and its sister ranges– Sátpurá, Sahyádri, Rajmahal and Rámgarh – did exist. These mountains were very high, and always snow-covered. Because of these snow-packed mountains, the rivers originating from them used to have melted snow water year round. They never dried up. The Suvarńarekhá, the Kaḿsávatii, the Keleghái, the Haldiá, the Rúpanáráyańa, the Dvárakeshvara, the Shilávatii, the Jayapáńd́á, the Gandheshvarii, the Damodara, the Ajaya and the Mayurákśii – these are the rivers of Gondwanaland. The litho-spherical order is from the west to the east, so the rivers also flow from the west to east.

This was the soil of Ráŕh, the original homeland of the Bengali civilization. The soil of Ráŕh is 300 million years old. Later on, the Himalayan mountain range was formed as a result of a tremendous earthquake resulting from a volcanic eruption. Many rivers started to flow down the Himalayas – the Ganges, Yamuná, Gharghará, Táptii, Koshii, etc. With the sand and alluvium carried by these rivers, the vast plains of northern India came into being. With the same alluvium, Bengal was also formed. Ultimately, a huge land mass was formed between the Himalayas and Ráŕh. According to history, the eastern part of Ráŕh, that is, Tamluk Subdivision of Midnapur District, Howrah District, Hooghly District, the eastern part of Burdwan and the western part of Murshidabad District – these areas were formed out of the alluvium carried by the rivers of Ráŕh. These areas do not have the same soil as the original areas of the 300 million-year-old Ráŕh. The oldest soil is in Manbhum, Bankura, the major part of Midnapur district, the western part of Burdwan district, and Birbhum. The soil of this part of Bengal is the most ancient.

The oldest manuscripts of Bengali literature will be found, and are being found in this western part. The script which was discovered written on a rock on Shushunia Hill is the oldest Bengali script. At Beletoŕ village or Baŕjoŕá police station of Bankura district, the oldest manuscript of the Bengali language was discovered. Shrii Krśńa Kiirtana, written by Baŕu Cańd́iidása, was composed in Ráŕh. In the village Jáydá of Candil police station of the former Manbhum (Singbhum) District (now in Bihar, but in a Bengali-speaking area), the oldest Bengali script Abhijiṋána Patra – has been discovered. All these should be carefully preserved.

However, let us come to the original topic. Bengal is situated on the boundary line between Jambudviipa and Suvarńadviipa. The civilization that grew along the banks of the Mayurákśii, Ajaya and Damodara, later blended with the civilization which developed in the areas of Paond́ravardhana Bhukti (North Bengal), Samatat́ [mid-Bengal], and D́abák [mostly now in Bangladesh]. A new civilization was born in Bengal – a blending of the Ráŕh civilization of Gondwana and the Gangetic civilization. That is why the people of Bengal are not exactly the same as those of northern India. The modes of worship and the priesthood system are different from those of northern India. Bengali script and intonation are also different, as is the physical appearance of the Bengalees. From their facial lineaments, one can conclude that these people are of the Bengalee stock. These are the especial characteristics of a blended civilization.

Not only that, even the type of thought varies between the different communities. The blending of the dark-complexioned people of Ráŕh with the fair-complexioned Aryans led to the formation of the Bengalee race. But this is not the end of the story. The River Brahmaputra flowed from the interior of Tibet, where its name was Sang Po (Son of a God), into India. In other words, it came from within a Mongolian⁽¹⁾ country. The people of Tibet are Mongolian of the Indo-Tibetan group. The Mongolians are divided into a few branches, one of them being the Indo-Tibetan group. The Brahmaputra, or Sang Po, River carries that Mongolian civilization and not the Gangetic civilization. That Mongolian civilization was criticized by the Aryans in the Karma Puráńa:

Sarve máḿsaratáh múŕháh mleccháh gobrahmaghátakáh,
Kuvacakáh pare múŕháh ete kút́ayonayáh,
Teśáḿ paeshácikii bháśá lokácáro na vidyate.

“They do not protect cows and Brahmans. They eat fish and meat. When they eat fish, what sort of Aryans are they? By these acts of theirs they have degraded themselves even more. Their style of pronunciation is full of defects.”

Later on, the Bengali intonation was recognized as a Gaoŕiiya style of intonation. At Allahabad (Prayag) there was an assembly of the Brahmans of Jambudviipa (India) about 1200 or 1300 years ago, in which they declared that the culture of Bengal was different from that of other areas. It was a blended civilization, a blending of Ráŕhii and Mongolian civilizations. It cannot be accepted as a Vedic culture. So ten categories of Brahmans were recognized as the bonafide Brahmans of India. Regarding the other Brahmans it was declared that they were non-Brahmans using Brahman surnames. Those ten recognized categories of Brahmans are: 1) the Sárasvat Brahmans of Punjab and Kashmir, 2) the Gaoŕa Brahmans of Rajasthan, 3) the Kányakuvja Brahmans of Uttar Pradesh, 4) the Maethil Brahmans of Mithila of Bihar, 5) the Nágar Brahmans of Gujrat. These five categories were declared “Paiṋcagaoŕii,” that is, the five recognized groups of northern India. [[And the]] five recognized categories of Brahmans of southern India[[, known as “Paiṋcadrávid́ii,”]] were: 1) the Citpávan Brahmans of Maharastra, 2) the Utkal Brahmans of Orissa, 3) the Kannad́a Brahmans of Karnataka, 4) the Támil Brahmans of Madras [Tamil Nadu] and 5) the Traelauṋga Brahmans of Andhra Pradesh. Those are the only recognized classes of Brahmans of India. The remaining – Ráŕhii, Bárendra, Dakśinátya Vaedik, Páshcáttya Vaedik – are not recognized Brahmans but rather have been declared as non-Brahmans using Brahman surnames.

The Mongolian civilization that flourished in the Brahmaputra Valley blended with the Ráŕhii civilization and the Gangetic civilization, resulting in a new blended civilization, the Gaoŕiiya or Bengal civilization. Tantra had its origin in such a blended civilization. The Ganges and the Brahmaputra meet at Goyalanda in Bengal. Thus we see that the Bengal civilization is a mixed civilization, a blending of the Gondwana civilization of Ráŕh, the Gangetic civilization of northern India, and the Mongolian civilization of Tibet and China [whose access was via the Brahmaputra Valley]. That is why it is said that this Bengal civilization flourished in the border areas between Jambudviipa and Suvarńadviipa.

In the Bengalee race the blood of these different civilizations is mixed. Because of the blending of Australoid and Dravidoid blood, the people of Bankura, Midnapore and Purulia are mostly dark-complexioned. A certain amount of Mongolian blood is also present. The Bengalee farmers, the Rájvaḿshiis and Chákmás, have come from the Brahmaputra Valley. They are flat-nosed. As a result of the permutation and combination of these various small groups, the various castes and sub-castes of West Bengal emerged – the Brahmans, the Kayasthas, the Vaedyas, and a host of sub-castes. But the source of all these castes and sub-castes is one and the same – the blended culture of the Ráŕh, Gangetic and Brahmaputra valleys. If we take Bengal as a distinct land, it has a speciality of its own. This is due to the influence of the river valleys.

The geographical environment influences human expressions. Consequently, different schools of music and dance arose in various parts of Bengal. The same thing is taking place even today and will do so in the future as well. The topography which has resulted from the meeting of the three rivers has exerted a great influence on the Bengalee mentality. By temperament the Bengalees are a sentimental people. Sometimes they tolerate injustice for a long period without any murmur, without even a whimper. Suddenly they decide not to tolerate injustice any longer, and they rise in revolt. In a few days they get involved in a bloody rebellion. They were subjected to endless torture, insult and humiliation. They tolerated all the wrongs and injustices like a nation of lifeless corpses. But suddenly, they may erupt in strong protest. These are the symptoms of a sentimental race. The people of Bengal, particularly the people of the lower stratum of society, had to undergo tremendous torture and humiliation in the past. Suddenly they revolted and embraced Islam in large numbers. They are also Bengalees – in bone, flesh and blood. They became Muslims as a reaction to the exploitation by the contemporary society. The Jains of Bengal, particularly those of Bankura, Midnapur and Purulia, discarded the Jain religion and accepted the Vaeśńava religion of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in large numbers. Even today, there are Jain temples, but there are no Jain worshippers.

This typical sentimentality is one of the specialities of the Bengali character. The Bengalees, by struggling against the primitive culture of ancient Gondwanaland, the original cultural trend of the Gangetic valley and also the pure Mongolian culture of the Brahmaputra valley, have built a new, integrated Bengalee culture of their own. This typical Bengalee culture emerged about 3000 years ago. That is, about 3500 years ago, the Bengali language had its very old structure. That old structure of the Bengali language, through successive changes, has taken the form of the modern Bengali language. Modern Bengali is about eight hundred to one thousand years old. Thus, after the Bengalees distinguished themselves in so many ways, they thought that the ups and downs of their social life also should be directed in a particular flow, which is neither wholly in conformity with the full-fledged matriarchal system of Gondwanaland, nor the full-fledged patriarchal system of the Gangetic valley nor the Mongolian female-dominated system of the Brahmaputra valley.

In the ancient social system of Bengal, the women had a preponderant role. Members of that society would introduce themselves by the name of their mothers. As a rule, to find out the identity of a person, people would ask a person, “What’s your name? What’s your mother’s name? What’s your grandmother’s name?” Among the Khásiyás of Meghalaya, this system is still in vogue. Bengal has discarded the system long since, because it was not conducive to the growth of the Bengalees. The Bengalees built a diverse social system which contained certain characteristics of both the matriarchal and patriarchal societies, according to necessity.

For instance, in the rest of India, the property of the maternal uncle, if he dies without an heir, goes to the relatives of the father. The property of Mr. Shukla will be inherited by his nephews, though they might be his distant relations: Mr. Shukla’s own sisters’ sons will not be entitled to the property. But Bengal’s social system is different. If a maternal uncle dies without any heir, his property will be inherited by his sisters’ sons and not the more distant relations. This is the law of inheritance of Bengal, which is quite different from that of the rest of India. In the rest of India, property is not inherited by members of different lineages. If the maternal uncle’s property goes to the sister’s son, it means it goes to a different lineage. If the maternal uncle is one Mr. Banerjee, and the sister’s son is a Mr. Chatterjee, and Mr. Banerjee belongs to Sháńd́ilya lineage and Mr. Chatterjee to Káshyapa lineage, the property of the Sháńd́ilyas cannot be inherited by the Káshyapas. So it is seen that the property of the maternal uncle in northern India does not go to other lineages, which is possible in Bengal.

There is yet another speciality of the Bengalee social system. In the rest of India, a daughter, after marriage, loses the identity of her father’s family. But in Bengal this is not the case. According to social law in Bengal, a girl, after marriage, becomes a member of a new lineage no doubt. Suppose a girl of the Bose family [[marries into]] the Mitra family, she still retains her old blood. This fact cannot be ignored. She may marry into the Mitra family but she still carries the blood of the Bose family. That is why a system was introduced whereby a girl, even after marriage, will have to observe ashaoca [a purificatory period of mourning] for at least three nights after the death of any of her parent’s family. But in the rest of India this period of mourning is not required for a married woman, because now she is a member of a different lineage. Bengal adopted a system of its own because its culture is not the unmixed Gangetic culture, but a blended culture of Gangetic, Ráŕhii and Brahmaputra Valley cultures. This is how the issues of practical necessity have been inculcated in the social system.

Next comes the question of the law of inheritance. The rest of India is governed by the Mitákśará law of inheritance, which is based on the Manu Saḿhitá [as interpreted] by Vyasadeva. Bengal is governed by the Dáyabhága system which is based on the interpretation of the Manu Saḿhitá by Jiimútaváhana. In northern India, sons are entitled to ancestral property even during the lifetime of their fathers. In fact, the children, even when they are in their mothers’ wombs, acquire the right to property. When they are grown up, they can get their share by filing lawsuits against their fathers. But this is not permissible in Dáyabhága laws. As long as the fathers are alive, they [fathers] are the sole owners of the ancestral property. And if a father so likes, he can deprive his sons of their ancestral property: he may disown his son, or he may transfer the property right to other persons outside his own family. In the rest of India, there is no law to disown one’s son. Only Bengal follows that system, the Dáyabhága system of inheritance.

Not only this, there is proof that girls have a particular type of legal relationship with their parents in Bengal. One hundred years ago there was a rule. Suppose a girl’s name is Máyá, and she was born into the Basu family and married into the Mitra family. How will she maintain a relationship with her parents? Before marriage she writes her name as Máyá Basu Duhitá [daughter], whereas after marriage she writes her name as Máyá Mitra Jáyá [daughter-in-law]. Even after marriage, if she so wished she could write her name as Máyá Basu Duhitá [or Máyá Basu-Mitra]. After all, she was a daughter of the Basu family. This proves the fact that even after a girl’s marriage, her relationship with her parents is not permanently severed.

Bengal’s culture and civilization emerged from its own soil, whereas the culture and civilization of the rest of India is a product of its environment. There is some difference between the two. The Bengali civilization is indigenous, as Bengal is predominantly a land of water. People have to remain constantly vigilant as to whether there is solid ground under their feet or not. There are some places in east Bengal where the land remains under water for seven months during a year. As long as there is sufficient water in lakes and rivers, the girls can easily go to see their parents. But the rest of the year they cannot, as there is no land route.

Phiirá áisyá bandhu ámár guyápán kháio,
Náo laiyá sháon másere bandhu náiyor laiyá yáio.

[Return, O friend, and taste betel nut and betel leaves.
Come back in the month of Shrávań and take back the daughter to her father-in-law.]

This poem shows that the month of Shrávań [August-September] was a good time for married girls to visit their parents.

Now let us consider the influence of kings on the social system. In the rest of India, kings came to power through hereditary rights. But in the history of Bengal, in a number of cases, the situation was different. You should remember that 99% of Bengalees are the indigenous population – they are the children of the soil. There are only a few communities who are the original Bengalees, the forefathers of the Bengalee race: the rest of the castes and sub-castes have descended from them. Those who are regarded as the so-called upper castes – like delicacies placed on top of a pile of offerings – are also born from these original Bengalees. They are 1) Kaevartta, 2) Máháto, 3) Gop, 4) Namashudra, 5) Rájvaḿshii and 6) Cákmá. The Cákmás are the original Bengalees. Today, unfortunately, the same Cákmás are treated as tribal people of the hills. These six communities comprised the original Bengalees. Due to the intermixture of these different groups, the so-called upper castes evolved, and they later became the social parasites. These six ethnic groups are the pillars of the Bengali society: they support the Bengali social structure. They can be likened to the lamp stand, whereas the so-called upper castes are the lamp, sitting on the ethnic Bengalees. The oil trickles down the lamp stand. When only the five categories of [[Paiṋcagaoŕiiya]] Brahmans and the five categories of [[Paiṋcadrávid́ii]] Brahmans were recognized (not only the Brahmans of Bengal but also the other upper castes of Bengal were unrecognized), it was decided according to the Raghunandan social system of Bengal, that the Brahmans who were not recognized by northern India would be treated as the Brahmans of Bengal, because they were the persons who had to conduct the religious worship. The remaining non-Brahmans were declared as shúdras.

According to the Vedic system, there are four classes (catur varńa) in the society – Vaeshya, Vipra, Kśatriya and Shúdra. But in Bengal there were only two classes – Vipra and Shudra. Kśatriyas and Vaeshyas were conspicuously lacking in the society of Bengal.

In the rest of India one of the main sources of livelihood for the Brahmans was the practice of Ayurveda. But, as the Brahmans of Bengal were not recognized by North India, so those Brahmans who continued the practice of Ayurveda in Bengal were also not recognized. They were considered as a separate caste, Vaedya, whereas in fact they are also Brahmans. So, since there is a difference from the scriptural point of view, there is also a difference regarding the system of worship.

Kings ascended to the throne through the hereditary system in the north of India. Only recently in India, a certain queen wanted to install her son as king. This is possible in northern India but not in Bengal. In Bengal, the monarchy was not a hereditary institution. That is, whenever a king was found to be not properly discharging his royal duties, then those six ethnic Bengali communities would revolt against him. The Kaevarttas of Midnapur created tremendous problems for the kings of Orissa and the nawabs of Bengal, and Kaevarttas of central Bengal organized a rebellion during the reign of Devapála II during the Buddhist period. That is why when the kings of Bengal installed their heirs on the throne as crown princes, they requested their subjects to extend support to their (the kings) decision. The kings of northern India, however, when installing their princely heirs on the throne, used to request their subjects to accept them as the new kings, and to ratify the new directives. Actually this was not a request, but a virtual order. This is how the social system of Bengal evolved, as a result of which many discrepancies with other parts of India occurred during the historical battles.

During the war between the Kaoravas and the Pandavas, the kings of Bengal did not take part. “The war will do no good to Bengal,” they thought, and hence they did not want to engage themselves in unnecessary spilling of blood. “Why should thousands of soldiers die for nothing,” they argued. So they remained neutral. Due to this psychology, the kings of Bengal have always fought against the emperors of Delhi, from the Hindu era through the Moghul and Pathan eras. They have always waged war against Delhi. There has been a constant ideological conflict between Delhi and Bengal.

An interesting thing about North India is that the year is calculated according to the lunar calendar. It was supposed that the earth is stationary and the moon revolves around it. Of course, in reality the earth is not fixed but revolves around the sun. The moon also rotates, and it takes about 28 to 31 days for the moon to complete one rotation (lunar month). If we multiply the lunar month by 12 we get a lunar year of 354 or 355 days. In northern India this system of calculation is prevalent. The 11th or 12th day of the fortnight is determined according to the zodiac. In northern India ekádashii means the 11th day of the month and dvádashii means the 12th day of the month and trayodashii means the 13th day. On the 11th day, if there is tryáhasparsha (the meeting of three tithiis or lunar days in one 24-hour span) – that is, if the moon touches the three constellations – then the eleventh day will be followed by the thirteenth day in North India. So the dvádashii or twelfth day will not occur. Obviously there are many disadvantages in this calculation. You might have noticed on many occasions during the Durgá Pújá festival, the seventh day (saptamii) is followed by the ninth day (navamii). This happens due to this very reason. This is highly disadvantageous because people will not be able to utilize the intervening day. The astrologers of Bengal pondered deeply on this problem. The viḿshottariiya system of astrological calculation, followed by the Varanasi astrologers, is different from that of the calculations of the astrologers of Bengal. Let me state this fact more concisely. Let us suppose that if a person lives an average of 120 years, and if the calculation is made accordingly, the system is called viḿshottariiya, and if a person lives for an average of 108 years, the system is called aśt́ottariiya.

Now the question is, whether human beings can survive for 120 years or not: usually they do not. Whatever that may be, their system of calculation is different. The authorities of ayurveda in northern India act according to the ayurveda of the Vedas, and the Vaedyas (physicians) of Bengal follow the vaedyak shástra [Tantra]. There is a vast difference between the two. In vaedyak shástra there is a provision for the dissection of dead bodies; but in northern India, there is no such provision. Anyone doing so will run the risk of becoming an outcast. And so there is a standing rule in northern India that the Vaedyas of Bengal are not recognized as Brahmans, although, according to the liberal social system of Bengal, the Vaedyas should be recognized as Brahmans. I do not believe in casteism; I am just trying to point out the facts.

So it is seen that the systems of astrological calculation are different in Bengal and northern India. There is a clear difference in the systems of the lunar calendar and the solar calendar. I will try now to explain briefly the system of the solar calendar. Let us suppose that the earth is stationary and the sun is moving around the earth. Of course, the reality is different; the sun is stationary, and the earth is moving around the sun. In actuality, the sun is also not fixed. The sun, together with the planets, satellites, etc. is moving in its orbit in the galaxy.

A father, mother and their children sit close together in a railway compartment, talking among themselves and eating dainties and delicacies. Are they motionless or static? They are not motionless: they are also moving along with the train, and they also reach Delhi from Kolkata. In the same manner, the sun, together with the planets and satellites, is also moving, although the mutual distance between them appears to always be the same. It seems that the sun is fixed, but actually the sun is moving.

Now, if the earth is taken to be fixed, the sun takes about 365 or 366 days to complete one round of movement around the earth: this is one solar year. In the case of the moon, there is the month first, and if those months are multiplied by 12, this is the lunar year. In the case of the sun, first there is the year. By dividing the number of days in the year by 12, we get the months. How do we divide? The void containing the sun and the moon is a 360 degree void. In this path of movement lie the different stellar constellations, each one of which resembles a certain figure. There is one constellation that looks like a goat (Aries, or Meśa in Sanskrit); another looks like a bull (Taurus, or Vrśa in Sanskrit). Thus we get the 12 signs of the zodiac covering 360 degrees – Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. These are the Roman names. The corresponding Arabic names are Barak, Toŕá, Dopáttar, Kalaktor, Shushk, Kárádum, Gárádum, Nimak, Bahik, Dul, Mahik, etc. Each one forms an angle of 30 degrees at the centre. So the 12 signs make 360 degrees. The time taken by the sun to cross a particular arc opposite the 30 degree angle comprises one solar month. So, if we divide the year by 12 we also get one month. According to the Bengali calendar, the first part of the arc does not enter the calculation, only the last part. The first part of an arc is added to the previous arc; this is the system of reckoning in Bengal. But in Punjab or Kashmir the first part of the arc and not the last part is taken into the calculation. That is why yesterday [the day before the Bengali New Year’s day] was New Year’s Day in the Punjab, because they calculate on the basis of the first part of the arc. The Bengali month thus ends one day after the Punjabi month. And what has the Punjab done? They have calculated the time according to the last part of the arc. This is the system of the solar calendar.

Regarding the solar calendar, I would like to add something more here, because there is only one similarity between North India and Bengal. Ancient Bengal rejected the North Indian system of calculating time a long time ago – about 3500 years ago. So we see that the Bengali culture is at least 3500 years old, perhaps even older. The northern system of calculation is the lunar system, which centres [[around]] the full moons. The full moon has to take place in the moon of that particular planet. So the moon has to move along a similar orbit.

So a Bengalee month is named after the Zodiac sign within which the full moon takes place. For instance, to cross the area of Aries (Meśa) it takes 31 days (this Zodiac sign is not very big). There are Zodiac signs which are even larger, and it takes 32 days for the sun to cross them. The Bengali months Áśáŕh and Shrávań are as long as 32 days. Of the two calendars, Bengalee and English, the Bengalee calendar is more scientific. The Bengalee calendar mentions the exact number of days which a planet takes to cross the area of the zodiac concerned, but ordinary people do not realize exactly how many days takes – 30, 31 or 32. So although the English is unscientific, still it has one practical advantage: the number of days of each month is fixed. The sun exists in a thirty degree arc-centre for the whole Bengali month. The full moon takes place within the constellation of Vishákhá; so the name of the Bengali month is Vaeshákh (Vishákháyah puttrah ityarthe]. In the next month, the full moon takes place within the Jyaeśt́ha constellation. So the name of the month has become Jyaeśt́ha. But in Kerala, this month is called Meśa because it is in the zodiac sign of Meśa.

The people of Bengal noted that if 354 days make up a year according to the lunar calendar, then the year will advance by twelve or thirteen days in one year and by one month in three years. So while people harvest in the month of Agraháyń this year; after three years the time of harvesting will fall in the Mágha month. But that is not actually the time for harvesting. So harvesting time would have to be adjusted with the months. However, if we follow the solar calendar, then sowing, harvesting, etc. will maintain adjustment with the seasons. So the lunar calendar is impractical and we should not follow it; rather we should follow the solar calendar. Only the religious worship of deities, shráddha [last rite] ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, etc. may be conducted according the lunar calendar in the North Indian style, for these social ceremonies must be performed within a particular auspicious period, and this cannot be determined by the solar calendar.

Now, while adjusting with the people of North India, some practical difficulties arose. The people of northern India suggested, “All right, every three years, one month will have to be increased.” But how can the extra month be adjusted? It was determined that every third year would comprise 13 months, after which there would be some sort of adjustment with North India. Since then North India has declared that every third year consists of 13 months. Suppose that the additional month comes after the month of Kárttik (because that additional month will come after 30 days); the people of northern India will call it “Adhik Kártiik”. After this Adhik Kárttik comes the Agráhayań month. This additional Kárttik is called “Malmás” in Bengal.

This system of astrological calculation was first introduced in Bengal by King Sháliváhan of southern Bengal. Here southern Bengal means the area from the point where the Suvarnarekha River flows into the Bay of Bengal – that is, from Ramnagar Police Station, Bhográi-Káṋkśai, Bhográi, and Baleshvar – to the point where the Náf River in the west of Bengal meets the Bay of Bengal (up to the Chittagong-Arakan border). This was the area of southern Bengal which was once part of the Sundarban Forest. Now the Sundarban Forest has been cleared in many districts; only some forest is left, about 4000 square miles. Out of this total area 3400 square miles of forest are in Khulna and 600 square miles are in 24 Parganas. Formerly it was a vast forest area.

In olden days southern Bengal was known as Samatat́. Later on, the Samatat́ area meant Murshidabad, Nadia, Jessore, Khulna, 24 Parganas and Kolkata. The area lying on the west of the Bhagirathii was called Ráŕh. The area on the north of the river Padma was called Borin (in Sanskrit it was called Barendra) and the area east of Padma was called Vauṋga. Then Mymensingh, Dhaka, Faridpur, Barishal, and the further eastern part which was known as Cattal or Shriibhúmi (Sylhet or Shriihat́t́a). Bengal comprises of these five parts.

King Sháliváhan was the king of this Samatat́. He said that the lunar system would not suit Bengal. These days the Persian word sál is used in the sense of year; the adjective form is sálána, but actually the original word is sál. It is sál because king Sháliváhan introduced this system of astrological calculation. The calculations of the solar year were performed in ancient India according to the reckoner (ephemeris) called Sárańii in Bengali. This gave the idea of táká (rupee), ánná (1/16 of a rupee) and pái (1/192 of a rupee) in Bengal. The astrologers used to calculate the degree of angular position of the sun in detail with the help of this reckoner (Surya Siddhánta Sárańii). Even today, the reckoner is used.

Now the sun is changing its course, and the stars and planets are also changing their courses; the solar and lunar calendars are prepared according to the changing course of the stars and planets. Similarly the sidereal calendar (Nakśatra Varśa or Nakśatra Paiṋjiká) may also be adjusted. So the reckoner system will not suffice at all times. Suppose it is indicated in the almanac that a lunar eclipse will take place at 6:30. Now, if you follow the almanac, that is, the reckoner, you will not see the lunar eclipse, for the eclipse will take place 100 minutes later. So almanacs are now outdated and incorrect. This defect in the system of calculation will be easily discovered by common people. It may be in the almanac that an eclipse will be at 6:40 P.M., but actually it takes place at 7:40; then people blame the astrologer. Just to avoid this predicament, astrologers consult the marine almanac and follow the course of the flow-tide and ebb-tide. Thus they write the exact time of eclipse in the reckoner according to marine almanac. But in reality, the calendar is wrong.

About 600 years ago, a great scholar was born at Vikrampur, who with much effort prepared a new reckoner. He was very young – about twenty or twenty-three years old – but he was very intelligent and active. He showed his new reckoner to the scholars of Navadwip.⁽²⁾ It gave the exact calculations, avoiding all mistakes. The Brahman scholars of Navadwip grew extremely jealous of him. That evening at 7:00 o’clock, an eclipse was to take place; but according to that young man the eclipse would be seen at 7:30. He challenged the Navadwip astrologers to verify whose calculation was correct. That night at 7:00 sharp, the young man took a jug of water and squatted down to urinate. The elderly scholars objected, saying, “What a sacrilege! You dare to take a jug of water⁽³⁾ and urinate at the time of an eclipse!”

The young man replied, “No, no, I am not doing as you say.” Then he said, Ámi Nader mate muti. This latter utterance may be interpreted in two ways: 1) “I am urinating [at the eclipse time] according to the Nadia system of calculation;” 2) “The Nadia system of calculation is so defective that I am urinating on that system.” According to some people, the young astrologer was murdered. If that brilliant man had been allowed to survive, he could have introduced remarkable changes in the system of astrological calculation.

Another great scholar, Jayanta Páńigráhii, was born in the Contai area in Midnapore. As a result of his great effort, he also introduced a new reckoner. His views on astrological calculation remain true even today. But many more changes have since occurred, so the present reckoner should also be revised. Perhaps you know that the same Bengali calendar is prevalent in a vast area – Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Bangladesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Chotanagpur, Santhal Pargana and Purnia.

In Orissa, another great scholar was born, whose name was [Chandrasekhar Samanta]. He prepared a new almanac with great pains. Generally speaking, that almanac is still popular, but that, too, has to be revised. The astrologers of Siddhánta Paiṋjiká are trying to submit a correct calculation. I cannot say which one is perfect; but surely we will have to calculate accurately.

Thus in the path of movement through various changes, we now enter the year 1386 (Bengalee year). The sun enters the zodiac Aries. As long as the sun is in Aries, the month of Vaeshákh will last. Thus time moves on, it knows no end.

I have given you a brief survey of Bengal’s history and also the highlights of Bengal’s astrological calculation. The scholars who used to do astrological calculations in Bengal were called ácárya Bráhmań. They had a powerful centre at Bali (Howrah District). Prior to that, they used to live in Kolkata. But following the execution of Maharaj Nandakumar [by the British Government], the reputed Brahmans deserted Kolkata. They thought that the killing of a Brahman was an extremely heinous act and that had been committed on the soil of Kolkata. Most of them settled at Bali, for Kolkata was then considered an unholy land. The pandits of Bali do calculations even today as is done by Navadwip (Nadia District) and Bhát́páŕá (North 24 Parganas) scholars.

Thus I have given you at least a brief summary of Bengal’s history.

Footnotes

(1) [[Since in ancient times Mongolia was an empire, and symbolized all of north and northeast Asia, “Mongolian” here means the Oriental, or yellow, race. –Trans.]]

(2) [[Navadwip is located in Bengal’s Nadia District. –Trans.]]

(3) [[It was the custom to wash with water after urination in order to ensure cleanliness. –Trans.]]

Chapter 8	A Few Problems Solved Part 3

Not in the Ráŕh of black soil, but in the Ráŕh of laterite (red) soil, lie the following villages: Bandyogháti of Birbhum district (the original abode of the Bandyopádhyáyas, or Banerjees); Mukhot́i village of Bankura district (the original abode of the Mukhopádhyáyas, or Mukherjees); Chát́uti of West Burdwan (the ancestral home of the Chat́t́opádhyáyas, or Chatterjees); Ghośli of Manbhum (the ancestral home of the Ghośáls); and Gauṋgolii of West Burdwan District (the ancestral home of the Gauṋgopádhyáyas or Gauṋguliis). All these villages are located in the land of laterite soil; none is in the area of black soil. The Baul school of music also originated in the area of laterite soil. In the study of history, this significant fact should be remembered.

Still more [[remarkable]] is the fact that all the principalities whose names end in bhúm are situated in the land of laterite soil. For example, the northernmost region is called Birbhum. Birbhum comprised Rampurhat Subdivision, Kandi Subdivision, Pakur Subdivision, Sahebganj and Rajmahal.

In the Austric language, biir means forests; so biirbhúm means “the land of abundant forests”. Next to Birbhum is Gopabhúm, which comprised Suri Subdivision, Dumka Subdivision, and Deoghar Subdivision. The Sadgops with the surname of Ghosh used to be the rulers in this area, hence it was called Gopabhúm.

Next to Gopabhúm was Sámantabhúm, which comprised Durgapur Subdivision, Asansol Subdivision, and Jamtara Subdivision of Santhal Parganas. All these are areas of laterite soil. South of Sámantabhúm was Mallabhúm, comprising the present-day Visnupur Subdivision of Bankura District. Then Senbhúm comprising of Bankura Sadar Subdivision. The Vaidyas having the surname of Sen were the rulers here: hence the principality was known as Senbhúm and Senpáháŕii was the capital. Later King Banku Rai built a new city which was named after him, Bankurai. This was subsequently changed to Bankura.

To the west of Sámantabhúm was Shikharbhúm, which extended from the Barakar River to Parashnath Hill after Dhanbad. Parashnath Hill was the last boundary of Ráŕh, but the area was known as Shikharbhúm because the name of the hill was Sametshikhar. There is a temple there to Parashnath, but the hill is far more ancient than the temple, so the land was called Shikharbhúm.

To the west of Senbhúm was Manbhúm, which was named after King Mansing. Manbazar was its capital. South of Manbhúm was Barahabhúm. Two Munda brothers, Adibarah and Keshbarah, founded this kingdom. Barahabhúm comprises Bagmundi, Barahabazar, Balarampur, Candil, Patamda, Icagarh, and Bandoyan. Bandoyan is situated beside the Binpur police station of Jhargram Subdivision of Midnapore District. Barahabazar (Barabazar) was the capital of Barahabhúm. (Many people wrongly pronounce the word Barahabazar as Barabazar).

South or southwest of Birbhum is Singhbhum, and close to Singhbhum is Dhavalbhum. Tatanagar comes within this Dhavalbhum area. All the villages around Tatanagar are Bengali speaking. East of Dhavalbhum is Shavarbhum, which comprises Midnapore North and South Subdivisions. The Shavaras or the Kheriyamundas were its rulers, so the area was named Shavarbhum. The Kheriyas and the Cuyáŕs were the original inhabitants of Shavarbhum, and at the southwest of Dhavalbhum and Shavarbhum was Bhaiṋjabhum. The rulers of Bhaiṋjabhum used to place peacock emblems on their crowns and on their thrones: thus Bhaiṋjabhum was also known as Mayurbhaiṋja (mayúr means “peacock”).

Thus this vast area extending from Birbhum on the north to Bhaiṋjabhum in the south was known as Ráŕhbhúm, the land of laterite soil. All the people of this area spoke almost the same dialect of Bengali – Ráŕhii Bengali. Of course, there was some difference in the Ráŕhii dialect spoken in Birbhum and the dialects spoken by the Mahatos of Bhaiṋjabhum. There are some similarities also. The main speciality of the Ráŕhii dialect of Bengali is that in the future and past tenses, the suffix ek is used for transitive verbs. For instance, Kii bal-lek? [“What did he say?”] or Kuthá yábek?, [“Where will he go?”].

Formerly it was written in the third-class compartments in trains, Śát́ jan basibek [“Seats for sixty people”]. In Bengali poetry also, the suffix ek was used. In the Bengali compositions of Vidyasagar, ek was widely used. In Bengali poetry, the poet Bharatcandra wrote:

Tathástu baliyá Devii dilá baradán,
Dudhe bháte thákibek tomár santán.

[The goddess Devi granted a boon, saying, “So be it. Your children will live amidst plenty.”]

There are other specialities of the Ráŕhii dialect. In Bengali, the suffixes e and te are used in the seventh case ending; but in the second case ending, they also use e and te to indicate directions. For example, if one says, “He lives in, or at, Kolkata,” the Bengali sentence will be, Se Kalkátáy áche.

Similarly, if one wants to say, “He is going to Kolkata,” a person speaking Bengali, will say, Se Kalkátáy yácche. That is, for three prepositions – in, at, and to – the same suffix is used in Bengali.

In standard or recognized Bengali, the suffix is the same, but in Ráŕhii Bengali it is slightly different. The suffix ke is used to denote direction, and e or te is used as the 7th case ending to denote position in something (like standard Bengali). For example, Se ghare áche [“He is in the house”]. It is the same in Ráŕhii dialect and in standard Bengali. But if we say, “He is going to the house” in Ráŕhii Bengali, people will say, Se gharke yácche.

A woman has gone to a pond for a bath. In standard Bengali we will say, Bhadramahilá pukure gechen [[literally “The lady has gone to the pond”]]. But in Ráŕhii Bengali it is said, Bhadramahilá jalke gechen [[literally “The lady has gone to the water”]], because the direction is towards the pond.

The poet Rabindranath Tagore has written, Belá ye paŕe elo jalke cal [“the sun sets, let us go to the pond”]. In a Bhádu song [folk songs of Ráŕh] it is said,

Sát bhádute jalke gelo
Ámár bhádu kár báŕi,
Chay bhádute gharke elo
Ámar bhádu kárbáŕi.

[Seven damsels went to the water.
Which one is my nearest?
Six damsels came back home.
Where is my dearest?]

There is still another speciality of the Ráŕhii dialect of Bengali. For “can” and “cannot”, the standard Bengali uses párá and ná párá. But in the Ráŕhii dialect, it is different. For instance, in standard Bengali one says, se párbe [“he can”], but in the Ráŕhii Bengali dialect, it is u párbek. In standard Bengali it is said, se párbe ná; in Ráŕhii Bengali, u lárbek [“he cannot”] or u párbek nái. But better to say, u lárbek.

So this land of Ráŕh is composed of laterite soil. The eastern part of Ráŕh is composed of black soil, because that part has been formed from alluvial soil carried by the rivers. It is not exactly red because pacá gáchpála [humus or decomposed vegetation] is also mixed with the red soil. Thus the eastern Burdwan, Howrah and Hooghly Districts are very fertile. The remaining portion of Ráŕh, which is composed of laterite soil, is gradually eroding.

But how was this laterite soil formed? It has come from the constant erosion of the hills. The small hills which we see today were medium-sized hills in the past, and the undulating highlands of red soil were once great hills. Now those hills have been reduced to mere anthills. And where the land is still very high, we must infer that these were once extremely lofty peaks which in the gradual process of erosion have been reduced to small mounds. The land of Ráŕh flows in waves of hills and valleys: where the crests are lower, these areas were once valleys and smaller hills; and where the land is comparatively high, there the hills were extremely lofty. All of these hills have undergone, and are still undergoing, a gradual process of erosion. If someone travels past Bolepur station by train, one will invariably come across huge areas of extreme soil erosion (khoyái in Ráŕhii Bengali): it seems as if the skeletons of the hills are exposed. And when that soil gradually flows down towards the sea, it creates new fertile lands. By large-scale afforestation, this type of extreme erosion can be checked – there is no other alternative. In fact, it is extremely necessary now to create large new forests by afforestation, so the roots of the trees will hold the soil and prevent erosion. Of course, it is not true that the entire red soil has been lost.

Previously this whole area was completely hilly; in fact Birbhum, West Burdwan and Bankura were all hills. Thus we find this vast area of undulating land today. If there is a slight increase of rainfall, tea cultivation will be very successful. In fact, tea plantation requires just this type of land. Even coffee and cocoa may be cultivated there, because the land is sloping.

Along these high slopes one may discover many heavy minerals. In the ancient past this was a belt of hard rock; it was neither an area of sedimentary rock created by volcanic eruption, nor igneous rock; rather it was metamorphic rock (formed by extreme pressure under the ground). Wherever the land is undulating in Bankura, Birbhum, West Burdwan, Purulia etc., one can discover heavy minerals buried deep within the earth. Actually these are being discovered even now: there is a strong likelihood that great deposits of gold and copper will be found there. If the people of Bengal prepare a detailed plan for the future, they will have to take these possibilities into consideration, and accordingly they can develop industries in the area. But this will not be easy; it will demand hard labour. As Swami Vivekananda once said, nothing is accomplished without toil.

The old Bengali word for the verb “come” or “came” was ásila. What is its colloquial form now? In old Bengali this verbal form was not in existence; it was áila. In medieval Bengali, the correct term was ásila, but in colloquial language, even in ancient days, ásila was not used; the proper term was áilen or elen. The poet Krttivas Thakur wrote:

Deshete áila Ram, ánanda sabár;
Shunila Kaekeyii ráńii shubha samácár.
Abhimáne Kaekeyiir báripurńa áṋkhi;
Kathá kii kaben Rám Má baliyá d́áki.

[Ram returned to his country to everyone’s delight. When Queen Kaekeyii heard the news, her eyes were full of tears from the pain of her wounded heart. Will Ram approach her and address her as “Mother”?]

So we find the old form áila here, and now the latest colloquial form of áila is ela. The Bengali language, through gradual changes along the various river valleys, has developed into its present standard form. These river-valley languages have joined with one another in Samatat́ Bengali, from Kolkata to Goyalanda. Thus it is generally accepted that Nadia [[with its Nadia dialect]] is the central point of the Bengali language.

Chapter 9	A Few Problems Solved Part 3

Most of the people who realize that they have to do much work in life often think to themselves, “Indeed I must work – but how little is my knowledge, how scanty my intelligence – why should anyone listen to me or follow me?”

Yet, it is true that there is much work to be done. Human beings have made but little progress from the inception of their journey of evolution. During the long span of one million years since human beings came onto this earth, they could not make any significant advancement. Since the time of the bullock carts, they have had to acquire much knowledge. Perhaps you know that many of the world’s civilizations are very ancient – the Indian, Chinese and Egyptian civilizations, and the Mayan civilization of the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. But considering the vast period during which human beings have been evolving, we cannot say that they have made very remarkable progress. In some civilizations they have made some progress, yet even these civilizations could not defend themselves against the onslaught of time. The reason for their failure to survive was their lack of coordination in various aspects of life: they could not bring about a proper adjustment among the different spheres of existence.

Some people advised the entire society to renounce all and retreat to the Himalayas; obviously in this way other aspects of life would be neglected. Others advised, “No, there is no necessity of renunciation; all should remain as householders, for they also have to encounter a multitude of problems. If we tell someone to set out immediately for the North Pole, will he or she be able to do it? Rather he or she will say, ‘No, I cannot – I must wait for three months. My daughter will be married, and my son will have to appear in his examination.’ In this way householders have to face countless problems in life.”

According to still others, it is sufficient to follow moral principles. But the question is, is it really enough to follow the path of righteousness? Suppose the road you are following is very good, but how will you reach your destination? It is not enough to move upon the right path: you must also know your goal. Leading a righteous life, and knowing one’s goal – both are necessary. One must know the way to move along the right path: that is, on the journey forward, one must make provisions for the movement, one must make proper adjustment among all spheres of life. Because of the lack of this adjustment, some old civilizations perished; some are still gasping for breath; and some, after coming in contact with other civilizations, were completely transformed so that their original form is no longer recognisable.

Perhaps you know the old story of a milk vendor. Once a customer asked a milk vendor. “How is it that you sell me milk at one kilo for one rupee, whereas the other vendor gives it to my neighbour for two kilos a rupee?” The vendor replied, “If you like, I will also give it to you for two kilos a rupee.” So the vendor started giving milk at that price. After a few days, the customer said to him, “Look here, another milk vendor sells 16 kilos of milk for one rupee. Why don’t you?” The vendor replied, “I can also, if you like.” After a few more days, the customer said, “See here, another vendor is selling milk at 18 kilos for a rupee!” “I can also do that if you want,” answered the vendor, “but this time I will not be able to retain the original colour of the milk!” That is, the vendor will have to pour such a great quantity of water into the milk that it will no longer remain white!

Some civilizations after coming in contact with other civilizations have been so transformed that their original form can hardly be traced. Take the case of our old civilization of Bengal. Bengali civilization is pre-Aryan, prehistoric: its original form is no longer discernible. The women of those ancient days did not use a veil on their heads because they used to insert collyrium case in their hair bun. You know that if a collyrium case is tucked into the hair, a veil cannot be used. But today Bengali women no longer insert collyrium cases into their hair. Similarly, all the youths of Bengal used to keep with them a small box for pan and betel nuts and leaves, but they do not do so any more. Yet even today at marriage ceremonies, the bridegroom carries a nutcracker for betel nuts, and the bride wears the sis in her hair. So judging from these remnants of the old customs, one can easily surmise what type of ancient civilization it was.

Now these old customs are no longer prevalent. Everything in this universe is changing, nothing remains permanently. In some ancient civilizations like the Egyptian civilization and the Mayan civilization, even the remnants of the old customs are now no longer discernible. What was the cause of their downfall? The Mayan civilization lagged behind for one reason: they could not invent the wheel. Their sledges were drawn by deer. In the North Polar region there are still sledges without wheels in use, that are pulled along the snow and ice-covered areas. Wheels are symbols of speed, and as the Mayans could not invent the wheel, they could not develop wagons and carts. And because transport and communication were hindered and mechanical energy could not be harnessed, the civilization began to lag behind.

But the Egyptian civilization which once preserved mummies and developed so many spectacular things, also began to lag behind due to the lack of kśatriyan spirit which is essential for the preservation of civilization. The Chinese civilization did not perish altogether; it still survives through metamorphosis. The Indian civilization also did not perish; it, too, has survived through transformation. But the Indian civilization has undergone so much changes that it is extremely difficult to find its original colour these days. There is hardly any connection between the pre-Vedic and the Vedic way of life and that of modern India. One can only trace the remnants of these great civilizations with much difficulty.

To protect civilization, care has to be taken regarding certain aspects; a civilization can survive only if there is a proper balance among all these special aspects.

Now let us come to our original topic. In our spiritual way of life no aspect of life should be excluded or ignored. I have already said that dharma means the balanced state of all aspects of human life. Our ideology also provides a code of conduct for householders. Our social life includes all; we do not exclude anything or anyone, nor will we do so in future, because we want to utilize the services of all. Thus we have been able to unite the entire humanity under one banner, and in the future we will perhaps be able to do this in a still better way.

You should continue to perform your mundane duties keeping this always in your mind. You should remember that human life is not like a single flower; it is like a bouquet or a garden of flowers blooming with many varieties of flowers. And this variety of blossoms adds to the collective beauty of the garden. Had there been only magnolia graniflora or one variety of rose only blooming in the garden, although that single flower might be very attractive, still the garden as a whole would not be very lovely. A garden is all the more beautiful because of the flowers of various types and hues.

Similarly, we human beings must also move forward while maintaining a harmonious adjustment among all the diverse aspects of individual and collective life. We must discover unity in the midst of colourful diversity. Not only will we realize this in the future, we are realizing it even today, and thus we have been able to consolidate even our limited power. And you know that even a little power, if consolidated, becomes stronger than even a mighty force. You should always be vigilant that not a single individual of our collective body is in the least neglected or ignored. Let not a single boy or girl feel within them that no one is concerned about them – let not a single person be allowed to think, “No one cares whether I have taken my food or not.” You must pay special heed to this.

Particularly those of you who are in responsible positions of leadership should remember that you should never think, “No one is bothering to enquire whether I have eaten or not.” Rather, you should always be concerned with others’ necessities, not your own. You should always think more about your duties and responsibilities than about your rights.

So far as women are concerned, they already have the natural habit of paying attention to others’ comforts and necessities; and I expect our girls to pay even more attention to others’ needs. It is a fact that women habitually eat less themselves, sacrificing their share of food, to give it to the other members of the family – this is a woman’s nature. It is never the nature of a woman to eat more, thus depriving her guests.

So you should always be vigilant in collective life that no one is ignored, that no one is deprived. The seed of the true progress of society lies in remembering this principle, of thinking of others’ interest first.

Sakaler tare sakale ámra
Pratyake ámrá parer tare

[We are all for all Each of us is for others.]

Yes, I said that the ancient Mayan civilization could not invent the wheel, and since there were no wheels, there were no carts. This was due to a very minor defect in society.

There are many individuals who think that they should do something, but in spite of thinking thus, they cannot actually do the work. Others think, “Something should be done, and I will do it”; they also have the desire to work but they cannot, because they see many imperfections in themselves. They feel that they lack the knowledge or the capacity for strenuous effort necessary for the task. There are many different reasons why people cannot accomplish more in their lives. Some people have the desire to work, but they have no confidence in their own strength. They think, “Can I really do it? There are many people more intelligent than I, who are not able to do it! There are more people more courageous than I who cannot do it! How shall I be able to succeed?” Such people’s minds are full of doubts and hesitations.

Once I said that according to Lord Shiva, of all the factors for success in life, the first and most important fact is firm determination: Phaliśyatiiti vishvásah siddher prathamá lakśanam. “I shall surely succeed” – this sort of firm conviction is required for success in life. This firm determination is the most important quality. If one lacks this determination, how can it be developed?

You know, a genius is not made – only a technician is. A genius is born, and a technician is made by constant practice. Some people succeed in their efforts, and some do not; but those who have inborn capacity will surely succeed in life. Rabindranath was an inborn poet. There may be some persons who suddenly develop the desire to write poetry; some can do it, and some cannot. Moreover, the standard of many is not very high; they merely rhyme their line after much difficulty. Perhaps they will write one line:

Pátáy paŕe nishir shishir…

[On every leaf falls the night dew…]

Then they will wait for several hours until they can suddenly find another line to rhyme with the first one:

Táte kibá yáy áse ámár pisir?

[What does this matter to my aunt?]

Poets of this type should be called technicians, not geniuses.

There are many people whose original thinking is almost nil; what can they do in the field of literature? Those who have no original thinking yet still have the desire to write, select two forms of literary composition: one is literary criticism, and the other is parody. Literary critics, while making a critical appraisal of Sharatchandra, point out, “Had Sharatchandra written in this way instead of that way, it would have been much better… it was incorrect of him to write thus…” But they themselves cannot write a single line; they cannot create any thing original themselves, so they become expert in criticizing others. Regarding this band of literary critics we may say that their creative activity has reached a negative stage. When the litterateur cannot provide any original ideas to society, they turn to criticism. This is very bad. Or they write parodies – simply altering somewhat another’s original composition. For example, a poet wrote:

Pákhii sab kare rab ráti poháila

[The birds are chirping, for the night is past.]

While parodying this original line, they write,

Pákhii sab kare rab fazar haila

[The birds are chirping, the dawn has come.]

Or suppose the original line is,

Otha shishu, mukh dhao para nija besh,
Ápan pát́hete man karaha nivesh.

[Oh child, get up and wash your face, put on your dress, and put your mind on your lessons!]

While parodying this, they write,

Otho shishu oju kara para luuṋgi fej,
Ápan kitábe man karah ámej.

[Oh child, get up and take a half bath; put on your lungi and cap, and try to concentrate on your books.]

Of course, Rabindranath and other geniuses like him did sometimes themselves parody their own compositions. One of Rabindranath’s devotees was an excellent musician. Once Rabindranath went to the Star Theatre with him. They were seated in different places. After some time Rabindranath said, “I see something shining below.” When they met again, Rabindranath said, “When I was looking for you, I saw something shining below, and that convinced me that it was you sitting there, for the light was reflecting off your bald head!” Rabindranath had previously composed this song:

Amala dhavala pále legeche
Manda madhura háoyá

[On the brilliant white sails blows the gentle breeze.]

Then he parodied his own lines:

Telálo cet́alo táke legeche
Jháṋjhálo roder háoyá

[On the gleaming bald head is reflected the scorching heat of the sun.]

But in this case, this sort of parodying does not indicate the exhaustion of the poet’s genius; a genius always writes, or does, something original.

Here we are not discussing technicians, we are discussing genius. Genius is an inborn faculty; all people do not possess it. But one must always attempt to utilize whatever potentiality one possesses, and the best approach in this regard is to remember that Parama Puruśa is always with me, and I am endowed with power because of Him – I am powerful because of Him. One need not lament if one does not have sufficient power; one should think, “Since Parama Puruśa is inseparably associated with me, the flow of capability and energy will emanate from Him and operate through me. Then why cannot I do great things which others can do, certainly I can!”

However little one’s capacity might be, if one constantly remembers that Parama Puruśa is always with him or her, that they are in the closest contact with Parama Puruśa, they will be able to do everything. They are not as small as they think themselves to be. And as long as they remember this closest association with Him, they can do much more than ordinary human beings. When this idea becomes permanently established in their minds, they become great. This is why no one should be disappointed or depressed in any circumstances; let everyone constantly perform great deeds, remembering that the flow of their capacity is coming from Parama Puruśa, and thus they can do everything. Those people whom we call genii are also like this: Parama Puruśa has infused them with a special capacity, not in great measure, but to some degree.

I say only to some degree, because I have always maintained that human beings use only a small fraction of their innate ability; perhaps only 1% or 2% of their capability, and 98% remains unutilized. Let us take the case of Rabindranath Tagore. We think that he was such a great poet, but that Rabindranath hardly utilized 10% or 15 % of his entire capacity. We did not give him the opportunity to fully utilize his potentialities for he had to pass his time amidst numerous vicissitudes of life. Had we saved him from all those troubles, perhaps he would have produced much more literature. It is my personal opinion that we should help those people who have some genius to maximally utilize their potentiality. It is because human beings have to exhaust so much of their energy in coping with the numerous mundane problems of life, that they do not get any opportunity to utilize their higher capabilities. If Sharatchandra had not to be engaged in the struggle for existence, perhaps he could have produced much more literature than he did. The same applies to Rabindranath Tagore as well. In fact, this applies to most people of genius. We never appreciate them during their life times; rather we treat them with hostility and create obstructions in their activities. As a result, the entire society is harmed.

Before Rabindranath was awarded the Nobel Prize, there were many scurrilous attempts to belittle him in every way; similar attempts were made in the case of Michael Madhusudhan Dutt. He was the genius who first introduced blank verse into any Indian language. (Actually it is incorrect to say in any Indian language, because blank verse was already used in Sanskrit; therefore it would be better to say that he first introduced it into a modern Indian language.) But he had to face hostile criticism opposing his writing anything in blank verse. Michael was the first to use nám dhátu (nouns as verbs). For instance, he wrote,

Calecha ki naranáth yujhite samare
Praviira puttrer mrtyu pratividhitsite?

“Are you going on an expedition to avenge the death of your valorous son?”

[[Pratividhitsite means “Pratividhán karte” [“to avenge”].]] The use of this nám dhátu was not previously in vogue. People used to parody his language saying, “Huŕ huŕ kari, huŕukilá mashárilá mashá!” [“Clubs clubbing him and mosquitoes mosquito-ing him!”] That is, they criticized his overusing nám dhátu.

We should develop our character in such a way that we encourage people to express their latent genius, rather than pulling them down by creating obstacles in their path. One of the main defects of people is jealousy. Let us all remain free from this defect. If someone prospers in life, others always seek to pull them down saying, “Why do you rise so high above us? Sit down! Don’t rise up, we cannot tolerate it!” If we encourage a genius to unfold his or her potentialities, then the whole human society will be benefited.

And those who have less genius or none at all, if they too remember that Parama Puruśa is with them, then He will supply them with the necessary strength. Thus thinking, if they set themselves to any task, they also will be able to accomplish great deeds. Such people will achieve more than twice as much as ordinary people – in fact they will achieve two hundred or even five hundred times more!

So now you understand the difference between a genius and a technician. Genius is an inborn faculty; it cannot be created. A technician possesses an ordinary qualification, developed to an extraordinary degree of efficiency. This is the fundamental difference between a genius and a technician.

Chapter 10	A Few Problems Solved Part 3

I have been saying for a long time that human society is a singular entity, that human society is indivisible. Human beings, because of their petty interests, prefer to remain oblivious to this truth. But one should remember that to forget altogether and to remain forgetful are not the same. So many near and dear ones, so many kith and kin, whom you had loved so dearly in the past are no longer in the world. Have you forgotten them? No, you have not. You remain forgetful of them.

Bhule tháká, se to nay bholá,
Vismrtir marme pashi’
Rakte mor diyeche ye dolá.

[To remain forgetful is not to forget altogether. If a thought enters my blood or the core of my memory, it stirs up an inspiring vibration.]

Human beings remain oblivious of many things and events because if one remembers everything one’s life becomes unbearable. Judged from this viewpoint, such forgetfulness is a blessing to human beings. It is not necessary for human beings to remember the dark days of sorrow and misfortune, the calamitous nights of violent thunder and lightning. If all these images are stored in one’s memory, life will become almost unbearable.

One does not forget the fact that human society is one and indivisible, but one may remain forgetful of it. In most cases, forgetfulness is caused by the spell of selfishness. It is evident that the behavioural patterns of selfish people are the same everywhere.

People tend to classify human beings as rich or poor, educated or uneducated, etc. Those who are rich today may become poor tomorrow and conversely, those who are poor today may become rich tomorrow. To permanently divide humanity on the basis of poverty and affluence is therefore neither possible nor feasible. People whom I hate today as exploiters may deserve that hate. Under the influence of inauspicious stars, however, the same exploiters may fall to the level of the exploited. Did the same people change overnight? No, that is not the case. It is only a reversal of roles. They changed from the role of the exploiters to the role of the exploited. Conversely, those who are exploited today may become the exploiters tomorrow. So to divide the human race on the basis of such a frail classification is not feasible. The exploited have the same value as the exploiters. The only line of demarcation between them is exploitation. If we remove exploitation from society there will be neither exploiters nor exploited. The fundamental disease is exploitation, and once it is removed, there will be no further demarcation on that basis. The opportunists who utilize a situation to create rifts in the society will not get any scope to do so when exploitation is removed. That is why intelligent humans keen to promote the well-being of humanity will try to eradicate exploitation from the human society. Consequently, the struggle between the exploiters and the exploited will come to an end. Human beings will realize the supreme truth that all of humanity is bound together by common ties of fraternity.

At various times, we come across ideological conflicts among human beings. What does this ideological conflict really mean? Let human beings follow the path, the ideals, which appeal to them. If a particular theory or ideology is acceptable to some people, let them follow that ideology. Why should there be a conflict between people? Such conflicts should never occur. If anyone wants to drive a wedge into the one and indivisible human society on the basis of some ideology or theory, then this is nothing but a totally mischievous plan. Human beings can easily co-exist despite mere ideological differences.

Suppose there are four brothers in one family. Surely all of them can hold different ideas and views. Of course, these ideas and ideals should not be detrimental for human beings. Those ideologies which are harmful for the human race should never be tolerated. That would be suicidal. Different theories and doctrines with their numerous interpretations and connotations should be developed. No one should object to that, because intellectual clash and cohesion cause the human intellect to progress. Why should we keep all the doors of the human intellect closed? Let sufficient light and air enter the intellect for its overall enrichment.

Let us consider the case of race. Many people identify themselves with a particular race. If we look deeply into the subject we come to the conclusion that the human race is one. Some people have black skin, some people have yellow skin, and some people have white skin. Does it make any difference to the inner human being? No, none whatsoever. The same mother may have two children of different complexions, one fair, the other dark. Will she launch a racial fight over that difference? Will one child join the black community and the other the white community? Of course not. That would be nonsensical. The inner person has nothing to do with the colour of the skin. Differences created on the basis of caste are also pure deception.

Brahmańosya mukhamásiit váhurájanyo’bhavat;
Madhyatadasya yadvaeshyah padbhyáḿshúdrah.

[Brahmans came out of the mouth, kśatriyas were born out of the arms,
Vaeshyas came out of the trunk of the body, and shúdras were born out of the legs.]

This is the interpretation given by supporters of casteism. The true fact is that every created being in this universe longs for shelter at the feet of Parama Puruśa. The shúdras who are also born out of the holy feet of Parama Puruśa certainly deserve to be revered by all. Hence, the system of casteism is totally baseless. The so-called scriptures which are based on casteism are equally baseless. What was the motive behind this? The only motive was individual interest. Later on, the totality of individual interest took the form of collective interest.

Next comes religion. On the basis of religion human beings group together and indulge in internecine feuds. Such religions are responsible for spilling the blood of innocent men and women. I don’t want to single out any religion as most do not follow the path of logic. Instead they prefer to inject a certain type of cheap sentiment into the human mind to cripple the intellect and impair rational judgement.

Majhabme akkalká dakhl nehi hae.

[In religion there is no room for logical argument.]

In actual fact it makes the clear thinking of the human mind turbid. Religion has always commanded its followers to abide by its tenets. Those who dared show any logic were injected with a kind of fear complex. Moreover, the followers of the religions declared that their teachings were the revelations of God and had to be dutifully followed. Out of fear people submitted to this mandate. This is the basic defect of religion. On the basis of this hundreds of so-called scriptures were written in ambiguous language. Anything that destroys free thinking should not be called a scripture at all. Only that which develops the spontaneous development of human beings deserves to be called a scripture.

Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástra parikiirtitah.

“That which disciplines human beings, that which inspires human beings to follow the path of spirituality, the path of supreme benevolence, that is scripture.”

Anything else is not scripture at all. Religions create undue fear complex in the human mind. Utilizing the lure of heaven and the dread of hell they destroy nationality and humanity. Motivated by their own petty interests they create artificial divisions in the human society. Should intelligent people be bound by the serpentine nooses of such religions? No, they should not; they must not. If at all people allow themselves to be bound by nooses, it should be understood that they are intellectually bankrupt. In all countries of the world such people form separate communities. Perhaps religion has done the most damage to humanity. After all, it is in the name of religion that most human conflicts have occurred. Now the time has come to put an end to the conflict over religion forever.

There is still another thing which sounds a little harsh when clearly described, yet all intelligent people realize its malevolent influence from the depths of their hearts. It concerns the barriers of so-called nationalism. One day, Jessore and Bongaon were in one country [India]. Suddenly, a few people arbitrarily decided to put these two towns in two separate countries. Illiterate people living in Jessore heard one fine morning that they were Pakistanis, while the people of Bongaon, equally ignorant, suddenly, as they cultivated their fields, heard that they were citizens of India. This decision was enforced from the top without the prior knowledge of those at the bottom. Common people could not know anything about the crime which forced them to desert their ancestral homes forever as helpless refugees. They were unable to identify those who made them refugees.

What is the value of nationality when it changes overnight? Is it ever feasible to draw a line of demarcation between one human and another on the basis of such superficial considerations? Or is it wise? Such distinctions, imposed as they are from above, are mere figments of some people’s imagination. They are not supported by developed mentality and do not enjoy the sanction of higher human conscience. On such a basis we should never divide the human race. I repeat again, human society is a singular entity. It is indivisible.

It is often found that people who speak different languages co-exist peacefully within the same nation. Conversely, it is also found that people speaking the same language are divided into different nationalities. So it is quite clear that the question of nationality is completely meaningless and something devoid of rational judgement. One can safely conclude that anything not supported by rational judgement is prompted by selfish motives. Some people enjoy top positions without taking any responsibility or risk. They fulfil their own whims while countless common people have to carry their load, getting nothing in return. Once I said, while quoting Rabindranath Tagore, that the common people who are tortured, neglected, humiliated and exploited are just like the lamp stand, while those at the helm of society are like the lamp. Everything is illuminated by the lamp except the lamp stand, which remains obscure in darkness. Moreover, the lamp stand has to endure the burnt oil from the lamp which trickles down its side. Nationality is something like this. There is no logic behind it, nor, indeed, within it. It, too, should not be the basis for the fragmentation of the human society. Again I repeat, human society is a singular entity.

Next comes the question of language. Language is only a vehicle of expression. How does it occur? There are six stages to the expression of language: Pará, Pashyantii, Madhyámá, Dyotamáná, Vaekharii and Shrutigocará. Pará Shakti, the seed of all expression, lies in the Muladhara Cakra, but the seed is not transformed into language. It is just the seed of the idea. This is called Pará in Saḿskrta. Pashyantii, the stage where the seed of the idea sprouts, lies in the next higher Cakra, that is the Svadiśthána. In the next stage, Madhyámá, the idea is consolidated to give a picture to it. That is to say, people visualise the form of the idea they want to convey. In the Mańipura Cakra there is an urge to transform the idea into sound form. In Bengali we sometime say that such and such word is in my mind but I cannot articulate it. That is, the flow of the expression has reached Mańipura Cakra but it is not transmitted through spoken words. The memory, due to distortion, has become a little old so the picture of the word is hazy. That’s why it is difficult to transform the idea into language. In the next stage, that is Dyotamáná, the idea acquires the form of language. Dyotamáná means vibrational. In this stage there is some vibrational expression but the exact word is not formed. In the fifth stage, when the vibration reaches the vocal cord, the idea gets transformed into language. This is Vaekharii Shakti or the transformation of ideas into language. The last stage is called Shrutigocará and occurs when the word gets vocalized with the help of the tongue. These are the six main stages of the expression of language. In all languages Pará, Pashyantii, Madhyámá and Dyotamáná are uniform. Only in the fifth and sixth stages is the expression different.

So, on the basis of language, how is it possible to divide human beings? If an English-knowing boy is brought up in a Bengali family from his childhood, Bengali will become his natural tongue and he will develop total affinity for the Bengali language. Having listened to Bengali from the beginning of his life, the Vaekharii and Shrutigocará are adjusted with the Bengali language. Suppose his brother is brought up in a German family, then German will become his brother’s natural tongue. Would these brothers fight a fratricidal war on the basis of language? At the same time I will also unambiguously say that no language should ever be suppressed. If anyone tries to suppress any language the result will be disastrous, because human beings will not tolerate any undue pressure on their Vaekharii and Shrutigocará. No injustice against any language can be allowed. All languages must be given equal respect. One should remember that all languages are the languages of Parama Puruśa. I may master perhaps one, two, three or maybe 100 or 300 of these languages, but it does not mean that the languages I do not know are not the languages of Parama Puruśa. Hence, it is absurd to divide humanity on the basis of language.

In this case, as in the case of nationalism, I will sound a word of warning. Petty nationalism is detrimental to human civilization and those who seek the collective well-being of human civilization should abolish the system of passports, visas, permits, etc. The consequences of such a system are not beneficial for humanity. In the same manner I will sound a word of warning that there should be no attempts to suppress any language. The same amount of freedom that was granted to languages during British rule in India has not been granted in post-independence India. Attempts have been made to throttle a few languages, and the result has not been good. Those who have perpetrated this sort of injustice should be cautious in the future.

So we cannot divide the human race on the basis of the rich or the poor, the educated or uneducated. Nor can we divide it on the basis of ideology. It is natural that there should be minor differences of opinion, but we must see to it that the differences do not obstruct human progress. If they do, they must be resisted with an iron hand. If they do not, they should be tolerated. Let human beings follow their professed ideals as that will develop human intellect.

Again, on the basis of race we should not divide humanity into black and white, into Aryans and non-Aryans. All human beings are equal. There are only differences in the colour of people’s skin. And as I hae already said, religion is almost a non-entity. It rests on quicksand. Spirituality and religion are not synonymous; rather they are totally separate entities. Spirituality is an endless endeavour to link the microcosm with the Macrocosm, and this endeavour in individual life will stop when individuals come in closest proximity to Parama Puruśa. Human society will never attain Samadhi collectively. It is never possible to attain liberation or salvation collectively. So in individual spiritual life what is important is the feeling that human beings move collectively and help one another. In religion the feeling is that everything of mine is good and everything of yours is bad. While fighting over this people lose their natural judgement. Humanity should never be divided on the basis of such things.

Next comes nationality. The idea of nationality is so absurd, so nonsensical, that it changes its form overnight. The people of Jessore became Pakistanis in one night, and the people of Bongaon became the citizens of India overnight. So the whole idea is useless.

Finally, language. In connection with language I mentioned six stages of expression. Of the six there are differences only in the last two. The other four are all equal. Furthermore, one should remember that all languages are the languages of Parama Puruśa.

Intelligent people should never try to suppress any language. The result of suppression can never be worthwhile. Intelligent people must avoid these aforesaid factors on the basis of which some selfish people try to create rifts in human society. Wherever there is an excess in this regard they should try to integrate the human society, because the process of disintegration of the human society does no good to individuals, society or to any part of society. The more human beings live in unity, shoulder to shoulder, the greater the welfare of the human race will be. Let no one try to suppress others on the basis of nationality, language, religion or anything else in any sphere of life. Let the path of full expression of human intelligence be kept open forever.