Ritual ties

Last month, I raised the question why the Gayatri mantra was regarded as the most potent of all mantras. Professor V.N. Datta has sent me excerpts from the autobiography of Maharshi Debendranath Tagore which throw light on how two staunch Brahmo Samajis, the Maharshi and his son, Rabindranath Tagore, looked upon the mantra:

“As soon as I saw the efficacy of the Gayatri for Brahman worship, as taught by Ram Mohan Roy, it sank deep in me. With constant repetition of its meaning I meditated on it. Though I did not succeed in helping others by propounding the Gayatri mantras, in my case it did much good. I continued to worship Him daily through the Gayatri mantras. The deep significance of the Gayatri became clear to me. Gradually the spirit of ‘dhiyo yo nah pracho dayat’ filled my heart. I established a certain connection with Him. Formerly, I had deemed it a privilege to salute Him from a distance. Now I realised that He was not far from me. When not knowing Him, I was wandering aimlessly, sad and despondent. He gradually opened my inner eye, the eye of wisdom. All this time I did not know that He was leading me by the hand. Now I walked under his guidance. Then I prayed to Him to inspire me with righteousness, to guard me with moral strength, to give me patience, courage, fortitude and contentment. What profits beyond all expectations had I not gained by adopting the Gayatri mantra? I had seen Him face to face, had heard His voice of command and had become His constant companion. Even as He, dwelling in the sky, guides the stars and planets, so does He dwelling within my heart inspire all my righteous feelings and guide my soul. When I did some good in secret, He openly rewarded me: I saw His benign countenance, and my heart was purified. I felt that ever enshrined within my heart. He taught me wisdom like a Guru and prompted me to do good. I exclaimed: ‘Thou art Father too and Mother; Thou art the Guru and bestower of all wisdom.’ In punishment as in reward, I discerned His love alone. Nurtured by His love, falling to rise again, I have come thus far.”

And this is what his son, Rabindranath Tagore, had to say on the subject:“ ‘Aum, bhur bhuvah svah’, the viyahritis shall have to be concerted. The three planes of bhur bhuvah svah that constitute the whole universe shall have to be brought into focus. In other words, it must be established in mind that I belong to no particular country but am a dweller of the whole universe. In this way, those who are Aryans, find themselves established in the Sun, the Moon, the planets and the stars at least once a day, and thus renew their unbreakable ties with the manifest universe.

“Tat saviturvareniam bhargo devasia dhimahi: we meditate on the adorable and ever pure effulgence of the resplendent Vivifier of the Universe. But by what formula can he maintain his link with this boundless Power that manifests itself?

“The formula is: dhiyo yo na prachodayat

“There is no doubt that God may stimulate our mental faculties and direct us to do noble deeds. By what power do we see the light of the sun? The rays that the sun sheds on us make us see the light. Similarly, the Vivifier of the Universe directs our intellect to know ourselves and the universe.

“Thus, we come to know God as the Director of our intellect. Knowing this secret we find ourselves closer to the Universe and nearer to God, and by His grace we find our hearts free from all the evils likely to beset it.

“Thus we gain nearness to God.”

Professor Datta also quotes Italian Indologist, Professor Marta Vanucci: “In very ancient times, the best way was through metrical poetry, more easily memorized than prose and liable to be crystallized as mantras. It seems to me that under this perspective the Gayatri is undoubtedly the synthetic expression of the knowledge acquired by the ancient sages of the Vedic period. The knowledge expressed by the Gayatri mantra became one of the basic religious beliefs of Vedic Man which has survived the test of time.

“It is illogical to test the validity of ancient knowledge with XX (sic) century methods and techniques. Statements should be assessed in the context of the level of culture and language of the time when they were expressed.

“One of the greatest... achievements of the Vedic Age, man’s knowledge, or science, is synthesized in the Gayatri. This is what the sages saw (hence the term Ved, akin to Latin vedere, to see). They scrutinized the entire Universe with the method of observation and logical deduction as far as the human sense organs permitted, in a holistic manner. They correctly realised that we are part of an infinitely large system, the cosmos, in which all the parts, both material and living, are inter-dependent and inter-related.”

So far so good. But how does the repetition of any mantra, however potent, open doors to wisdom? At best it is a method of self-hypnosis which many construe as peace of mind.

How to make it to the top

Every time a new literary journal comes into the market, I say a short prayer for its survival. It takes a lot of money, advertisement support and readership before it can become economically viable. I had the same reaction when I read the first issue of The Idler, edited by Ajay Singh Yadav. Besides starting the serialization of his own novel, Tibet: the Lost Treaty, he has been able to put together a good essay on Pachmarhi, short stories and poems. However, I doubt if he will be able to sustain it for too long unless he is flush with money or has a wealthy patron. A short poem, “Indian Software”, by Sanjay Singh on the pervading mental state of the nation deserves to be quoted:

Sycophancy is a practice in which

Modern-day India is patently rich.

Servility is the surest way;

It’s better than the finest resume.

Boot-licking gets you to the top,

Whether you’re a clerk or a cop.

It’s plain magic, wiping the arse,

Up goes your pay, up goes your class.

Even better, some kiss the dick,

And are amazed how soon things click.

The ghost comes back

Bofors bhoot is again out for a hunt

Where was Lindstrom all along?

Let’s be blunt

He is the one to answer questions

Rather than offer devious suggestions

Could the whole thing be an election stunt?

(Courtesy: J.R. Jyoti, Secunderabad)