Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa - Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan

InvocationSwapkayc xmRSy svRxmR Svéip[E,Avtar viróay ramk«:[ayte nm>.sthäpakäyaca dharmasya sarvadharma svarupiëai|avatära variñöhäya rämakåñëäyate namaù||O! Ramakrishna, founder of a faith which is embodiment of all variant faiths,To Thee, the noblest of Divine Incarnations, I offer my salutation.Yuva bharati - 2 - February 2011

EditorialTamasoma Jyotirgamaya...thhe beginning of 19 century was a period when our nation wassubmerged in a delusion. Not sure whether to wage a warTagainst the occupiers, the country witnessed sporadic outburstswhenever the aggressors tested the limits of tolerance of our countrymen by trampling theage old customs and traditions. But the society of that time had started drifting away fromits glorious spiritual wisdom. Many obsolete customs were burdening the society whichcould not shrug these burdens. Ritualism and dogmatism were the norms whereintrospection would be labeled as rebellious. This dormant situation provided the fodderfor the aggressors who tainted our culture as uncivilized. This perverted notion was takenas a credible one by a credulous generation molded by a new educational system.Many movements came to revamp the society by removing the “evils” and thesemovements, mostly reactionaries, were gaining ground since they addressed theproblems which our society faced, though they failed to diagnose the roots of the malaise.It was during this time Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa came and with him came thePhilosophy of universal love and realization of god through service to mankind. Theseforgotten ideals were revitalised during his period.When the entire society was swept by the waves of reforms and revolutions he sought toreinvent the ideals of Dharma. Unlike the learned “reactionaries” who were all educatedunder the debasing British educational system, here was an uneducated man who stoodaloft and his shraddha made him delve deep into the traditions which were being decriedby the new crop of educated Indians. His openness and earnestness in the search fordivine made him more cosmopolitan than the educated elites who were gullible enough toswallow all those concocted Racial theories dumped on them. With these qualities he liveda life which is now a text book for those who want to know about the spiritual realm. Hisgreatest contribution came in the form of his disciples. Among them Swami Vivekanandawould have become an agnostic but for the persuasive efforts of Sri Ramakrishna.Bhagwan Sri Ramakrishna clearly showed the way to the society that Religion is not justabout Dogmas and Doctrines. He lived as an example to show that through love one canget the ability to discriminate and through true knowledge of Universal love one can livein this world amidst wealth and worldliness without getting attached to them, a sure wayto be rid of sorrow and grief.V.V.BalasubramanianYB-ETYuva bharati - 3 - February 2011

Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa : ThethGreatest Advaitin of the 20 centurySqn.Ldr. Dr. P.Ramaniri Ramakrishna was born on August 16,1886 at Kamarpukur, West Bengal in anorthodox brahmin family. His father SKhudiram Chattopadhyaya and motherChandramani Devi were simple, pious andreligious people. It isb e l i e v e d t h a tChandramani Devi had avision that Lord Shivahimself would be born toher as her son.S r i R a m a k r i s h n aattended the villageschool as a Young boy.Soon he realized that thetraditional schoolingcould yield him only'breadwinning skills'Kamarpukur is locatedstrategically on the routeto Puri, the holy place.Sri Ramakrishna came incontact with the holymen, heard from thems e v e r a l r e l i g i o u saccounts and becamefamiliar with the Puranas,the Ramayana, the Mahabharatha and theBhagavata Purana.First Spiritual ecstasySri Ramakrishna was walking along the greenpaddy fields when he was six years old. Hewas impressed by the greenery. Against thisbackdrop, he found a flock of white cranesflying. The thunderclouds were gathering. SriRamakrishna was over whelmed by this raresight. He experienced a sense of joysubconsciously. He forgot himself outworldlyand was in a deeptrance. Since then, SriR a m a k r i s h n aunderwent similarexperiences in hisc h i l d h o o d a s h eworshipped GoddessKali and Visalakshi.Once, he adornedhimself as Lord Shivain a school culturalprogramme and hewent into a trance.Even when he was inten or eleven, he usedto get into a tranceevery other day.Sri Ramakrishna losthis father in 1843. Theabsence of his fatherdrew him nearer to hismother. Apart fromthe regular household chores and worship offamily deities, he used to engage himself in theintensive study of the sacred epics of the land.His brother Ramkumar started a sankrit schoolin Calcutta in 1852 while serving as a priest in aYuva bharati - 4 - February 2011

temple. Ramakrishna assisted his brother inhis duties.Ramkumar was appointed the priest ofDakshineswar Kali Temple. Ramakrishnaand his nephew, Hriday assisted Ramkumar.In 1856, Ramkumar died and Sri Ramakrishnabecame the priest of the Kali temple.Sri Ramakrishna believed Kali as his motherand the mother of the universe. He engagedhimself in penances to have a darshan (vision)of Kali. He believed that idol of Kali wasliving and breathing. Some people thoughtthat Sri Ramakrishna was an eccentric. Hisstrong desire to have the vision of Kali wasfulfilled by the divine Mother Kali. He hadthe experience of viewing 'an infiniteshoreless sea of light'. He also experiencedthe shining waves moving one after anothertowards him.Ramakrishna who was 23, was married toSaradamani Mukophadyaya in 1859.Ramakrishna influenced Sarada Devi in everyway. Saradadevi became the chief disciple ofSri Ramakrishna. After his marriage. SriRamakrishna's spiritual fervor becamestronger.Equality and EquanimitySri Ramakrishna believed the high caste andlow caste people are one and the samechildren of God. He would visit the livingquarters of low caste people and clean theirquarters with his hands. He startedrenouncing materialistic pleasures. The verypresence of money would make him veryuncomfortable.Tantric TrainingBhairavi Brahmani, an ascetic, initiated SriRamakrishna into the cult of Tantrism whichfocused on the worship of Shakti or Mahakali.Bhairavi believed Sri Ramakrishna an 'avatara',the incarnation of the Divine. He learnt theKumari Puja and it made him worship SriSaradadevi as his divine mother.Sri Ramakrishna's experiences with KrishnaSri Ramakrishna believed himself to be one ofthe Gopis and engaged himself in the practice ofmadhura bhava. He believed Madhura Bhava ispracticed to root out the feelings of sex whichact as a hindrance to the spiritual life. TheSwami attained this experience of madhurabhava, the vision and union with Lord Krishna.Training in Advaita VedantaIn 1865, Sri Ramakrishna was initiated intosanyasa by Totapuri, a monk. Tota Puri taughtSwamiji Hindu philosophy and the AdvaitaVedanta. Advaita Vedanta primarily exphasizesthe non-dualism of a human beings. For elevenmonths, Sri Ramakrishna was under the directguidance of his Guru, Totapuri. He practicednirvikalpa Samadhi the highest state in spiritualrealization. It is believed that he received acommand from Mother Kali to remain in a stateof Bhavamukha for the enlightenment and wellbeingof people. Bhavanmukha is a state ofexistence between Samadhi and normalconsciousness.He wanted the assimilation of Hindupolytheism into Brahmoism of Brahmo Samaj.Sri Ramakrishna's disciples joined him between1879-1885. Grihastas or the householdersmonastic disciples and a small group of womendisciples took Mantra Deeksha. The chiefdisciple was Sarada Devi. By the time, SriSarada Devi joined him, Swami Ramakrishnahad already embraced the monastic life of aSanyasi. He performed the Shodashi Puja onSarada Devi. He made her sit in the seat ofYuva bharati - 5 - February 2011

goddess Kali and worshipped her as DivineMother. He addressed her as the HolyMother.Towards his last days, Swami Ramakrishnawas affected by throat cancer. He was lookedafter by the disciples and Sarada Devi. It isbelieved that before his Samadhi SwamiRamakrishna transferred his spiritual powersto Vivekananda. He asked Vivekananda tolook after his disciples. On August 16, 1886,he left his mortal coil in the early hoursattaining Mahasamadhi. The followersestablished the first Mutt on the banks of theGanges. The Ramakrishna holy order wasborn. The Ramakrishna Mission has thousandsof service and charitable institutions worldover and they take care of the overalldevelopment to the body, the mind and thes o u l . T h u s S r i R a m a k r i s h n a , a navatarapurusha and the greatest advaitin of thetwentieth century has influenced millions ofpeople world over.Yuva bharati - 6 - February 2011

Samartha Ramadas SwamiSatish Shamrao Chowkulkarharatvarsha is not just a country or astate with a geographical entity. It is aBspiritual and cultural entity. It is aDharma-Bhoomi. Its emergence has been inresponse to the prayers of Rishis and Munis tothe Ishvar—the projector of the Srushti, forproviding a forum to do the tapas forsustenance of the Dharma. This purpose of itsemergence makes it a Tapo-Bhoomi and Karma-Bhoomi. Therefore, whenever there are crisesin the society, Rishis, Munis and Saints appearon the scene and take steps to restore theDharma. In the same lineage one Narayanawas born in the family of Suryajipant Thosarof Jamb (Dist. Aurangabad, Maharashtra).His mother Ranu Bai devoted lady had hell ofa time in controlling this active son. Rightfrom his childhood, he had the Kripa Drishti ofs a i n t E k n a t h M a h a r a j o f P a i t h a n(Maharashtra). No wonder right from hischildhood, he was “a child with a difference”.He was watching the socio-cultural situationaround, which was deteriorating day-by-day,due to misrule and the atrocities at the handsof Muslim ruler. He was also trying to find asolution for the inaction, insensitivity andindifference of the powerful Sardars and bravemen who had kept their strength and braveryat the disposal of these arrogant and atrociousMuslim rulers. Silence of the strong, braveand capable persons was inexplicable. Therewas a dire need to arouse the spirit ofSwadharma and self-confidence among theyouth in particular, who only could havesalvaged the situation.He therefore abandoned his home and hearth,just before he was being compelled to enter intothe Grihasthasrama. He then took up theresponsibility of the society on his shoulders.He first developed his own physical, mental,intellectual and spiritual strength throughintense tapas at Panchavadi-near Nashik for 12years. He then moved around the Bharatvarshato take stock of the situation. He used spiritualYuva bharati - 9 - February 2011

money at once, but they had none now.” Theattitude of the state was to collect as muchrevenue as possible even in difficult times,thereby pushing the farmers into debt andpoverty. The following words taken from aletter written by John Bruce Norton, anofficial, to another official in 1854 mentionsthe condition of the farmers. “Now, it maycertainly be said of almost the whole of theryots, …………, that they are always inpoverty and generally in debt.”Their taxation system was so oppressive thateven a few of their own officials voiced theiropinions against it. For example, FrederickJohn Shore of the Bengali Civil Service hadrecorded in 1837: “The fundamental principleof the English has been to make the wholeIndian nation subservient, in every possibleway, in the interests and benefits ofthemselves. They have been taxed to theutmost limit; every successive province, as ithas fallen into our possession, has been madea field of higher exaction; ……………. Thesummary is that the British IndianGovernment has been practically one of themost extortionate and oppressive that existedever in India -- ……….”The native industries, that were admired andrespected for their products of highest qualitythroughout the world, were killed by theBritish within a short period. India, thatremained an exporter of textiles for centuriessince the ancient times earning enormoussurpluses to the treasury, was forced to importfrom Britain due to their one-sided policies.Even Karl Marx who otherwise supported theBritish rule in India noted in 1853: “It was theBritish intruder who broke up the Indianhand-loom and destroyed the spinningwheel.England began with driving the Indiancottons from theEuropean market; itthen introducedt w i s t i n t oHindostan, and inthe end inundatedthe very mothercountry of cottonwith cottons. From1818 to 1836 theexport of twist fromGreat Britain toKarl MarxIndia rose in theproportion of 1 to 5,200. In 1824 the export ofBritish muslins to India hardly amounted to1,000,000 yards, while in 1837 it surpassed64,000,000 of yards. But at the same time thepopulation of Dacca decreased from 150,000inhabitants to 20,000. This decline of Indiantowns celebrated for their fabrics was by nomeans the worst consequence. British steamand science uprooted, over the whole surface ofHindostan, the union between agriculture andmanufacturing industry.” As a result the localindustries were wiped out leading to the “deindustrialisation”of the country. Millions ofFamine struck indians during the british rajartisan families with skills acquired throughcenturies of involvement in their vocation losttheir livelihood and were pushed into landbased activities and other menial jobs as therewas no place for them to go. This, of course,Yuva bharati - 15 - February 2011

gave further pressure to the alreadystruggling agricultural sector.India was well known for exports since theancient periods. Experts note that the countryhas a proud record of at least five thousandyears in trade. The important point to beremembered is that India had maintained afavorable balance in international trade fromthe beginning, resulting in hugeaccumulation of gold and silver in the country.But all this changed with the entry of theBritish. India was made to become a netimporter. Jawaharlal Nehru made thefollowing observations on the trade practicesof the British and their consequences in thecountry. “It was pure loot. The 'Pagoda tree'was shaken again and again till the mostterrible famines ravaged Bengal. This processwas called trade later on but that made littledifference. Government called this so-calledtrade, and trade was plunder. There are fewinstances in history of anything like it. And itmust be remembered that this lasted, undervarious names and under different forms, notfor a few years but for generations. ”The destruction of all the critical sectors of theeconomy, namely agriculture, industry andtrade severely affected the overall performanceof the country. Besides the other services sectoractivities also suffered serious blows. Thefigures provided by Maddison show as to howthe share of India in the global GDP went downdrastically from the eighteenth century, whilethat of the UK had increased many times.The figures show that India's share of globalGDP, which in fact was the highest in theworld in 1700, came down to 4.2 per cent in1950, about one sixth of what it was justbefore 250 years. At the same time, the shareof the U K, whose GDP was less than oneeighth of that of India's in 1700, overtookIndia in 1913. Studies undertaken during thepast few years indicate that it was the stolenwealth from India which was mainlyresponsible for the “industrial revolution” inthe U K.The destruction of the native economicsystems and the consequent difficulties ledto the growth rates of per capita GDP ofIndians to almost zero or negative, beginningf ro m t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y t i l lindependence. The above rate during 1913-50 was a pathetic -0.22 per cent. So whenIndia got her independence, she was a poor,illiterate and underdeveloped country. Thiswas not due to any fault in her economicsystems. India was made poor, illiterate andunderdeveloped as the colonial rulers did notallow the home- grown systems to function,even while bleeding the country of all herresources and imposing alien systems thatsuited their self interests. As a result the mostsustainable and effective economic systemever practiced in the history of mankind, whichmade India remain a superpowercontinuously for centuries had become extinctby time the British handed over the reins of theGovernment to the Indians.ReferencesAngus Maddison, The World Economy- A MillennialPerspective, Overseas Press ( India) Private Limited, NewDelhi, 2003Dadabhai Naoroji, Poverty and the Un-British Rule in India,Second Edition, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,Government of India, 1996Jawaharlal Nehru, Discovery of India, Penguin, New Delhi,2004Karl Marx, 'The British Rule in India', New-York HeraldTribune, June 10, 1853Yuva bharati - 16 - February 2011

CULTURAL ROOTS-7Freedom of ChoicePramod KumarTo Choose or Not to Choose!Youngsters in India often rebel against rulesand regulations in the name of 'freedom ofchoice' or 'freedom of expression'. “Collegesshould not impose a dress code on students,”some say, claimingthat they are nowg r o w n u p a n dcapable of makingtheir own choices.“ C e l l p h o n e sshould be allowedin the campus,”others say citingthe need for latestt e c h n o l o g y .“Friendly raggingis not a crime,” afew others argue,c l a i m i n g t h a tragging is only ameans to befrienda n d a c q u a i n tthemselves witht h e j u n i o r s .“Parents shouldnot impose careerchoices on us,” isyet another often heard complaint.“Marriages need not be arranged in today'sworld and we should have a right to chooseour life partner” etc. The list of theircomplaints is long and they all have onebottom line: “It's my life and I will do as Iwish.”It will be interesting to study this conflict ofgenerations and culture from a Vedanticperspective. What do our Shastras say on thisissue? Do they recommend freedom of choicefor individuals or are theShastras morally rigid?T h e P r i n c i p l e o fInterconnectedness“The entireuniverse isi n d w e l t ,enveloped,covered bythe SupremeB e i n g ,w h a t e v e rthis world be- moving ornon-moving,l i v i n g o rotherwise.”- IshaUpanishadThe principle of interconnectedness is the key tounderstanding the nature of freedom granted toevery individual. This concept must be taughtto our children from a young age so that theyperceive the interconnectedness of all beingsand grow up into mature human beings whoYuva bharati - 19 - February 2011

understand that freedom comes with greatresponsibility.We are all interconnected. Therefore, what wethink and what we do necessarily impactseveryone around us. To declare that “this ismy life and I have the freedom to do what Iwish,” is a cantankerous attitude and notconducive to our collective well-being. It is nota free for all as it has been made out to be in thepublic discourse and media frenzy for liberty.A cursory glance at the crises humanity iswitnessing today like global warming,terrorism, harsh economic disparities etc. areall a result of this fundamental error born ofignorance. Individuals and nations want tosurvive and grow at the expense of others,with gross disregard to this principle, notrealizing that the world is round and what wedo to others is eventually going to come backto us.Every choice we make should therefore bee v a l u a t e d w i t h t h e p r i n c i p l e o finterconnectedness and only that freedom ofchoice which does not violate this principlecan be considered to be beneficial. Any choicewhich violates others' freedom is to beconsidered harmful to oneself.Freedom comes with ResponsibilityThe freedom we enjoy today as individuals,societies and nations is a fruit of the hardlabour and sacrifice of our ancestors. Freedommust be earned by performing one's duty,through seva and tyaga as SwamiVivekananda would have put it. Even theinternational human rights discourse hasbegun to veer around to India's time testedemphasis on duties rather than rights.Do we have the freedom to choose our duties?Duties are assigned to individuals accordingto their role and station in life. A duty wellperformed gives us the privilege of enjoying aright which can then be considered wellearned.A soldier who leads his nation tovictory in battle earns the honour andprivileges which his countrymen proudlybestow on him. Will a killer who snatches awaythe inherent right to life of another humanbeing deserve such honour even though boththe soldier and the killer have committed thesame act of killing, so to say?Dharma is the foundation of FreedomThe above illustration shows that the multidimensionalconcept of Dharma is thefoundation of the other three purusharthas:Artha, Kama and Moksha. Unless a man'spursuit of wealth and pleasure are rooted indharma, he cannot attain freedom or mokshafrom the transmigration of birth and death.Prof. Kapil Kapoor says, “Dharma is the onewordunwritten constitution of India.” Even anilliterate person in India has an ingrainedunderstanding of dharma whereas even themost educated elite in this country may nothave ever read the Constitution of India.We must equip our youth to understand theinherent dharma of every situation so that theycan make the right choices in life with clarityand conviction.The Ramayana and Mahabharata are thereforeconsidered as the two pillars of Indian Culturesince they expound and elaborate on theintricacies of Dharma. The Mahabharatanarrates the beautiful story of Dharma Vyadhaand the housewife who attain moksha bydiligent performance of their everyday duties.What an irony that a section of our youthconsider it to be unfashionable to study theRamayana and the Mahabharata today andthere are politicians who question the veryexistence of Lord Rama and Krishna! NoYuva bharati - 20 - February 2011

Unfortunately, most of the counsellors aretrained and rooted only in westernpsychology and have a poor understanding ofthe Indian milieu. This becomes glaring whenone reads the sexual counselling columns innewspapers and magazines. The advice givenby these counsellors is short sighted and atcomplete variance with the rules andregulations laid down by our scriptures. Suchcounsellors often encourage students on thedegenerating path of Preyas with least regardfor consequences. Nor do they takeresponsibility for what happens to the youthwho follow their blinkered advice. We need anew breed of counsellors who are also trainedin yoga, meditation and Vedanta who can giveholistic ideas to the youth instead ofmisguiding them.Educational institutions in particular shouldexercise caution while employing counsellorsand ensure that they are given a suitableorientation to understand the value systems oftheir schools or colleges.Swami Vivekananda's Dream of a YoungIndiaSwami Vivekananda had great faith in ouryouth and often dreamt of a glorious MotherIndia reinstated in her pristine glory by herpatriotic children. Swami Ranganathanandatoo advocated the concept of enlightenedcitizenship, of citizens who would live not justfor themselves but for the larger good of society.Let us lead our youth from attachment toPreyas to faith in Shreyas by practice andprecept.Yuva bharati - 22 - February 2011

VK SAMACHARKodungallurSURYA KIRAN – 2011Suryakiran, a Samuhika Suryanamaskar programme was successfullyheld on Sunday, 9 January 2011,at themassive ground of Gurusree PublicSchool. Fifteen schools in and aroundKodungallur were approached and 11schools responded. A total of 730 schoolchildren including 16 children from ourJai Srima Samskar varg participated.The programme started at 7.30 am withinvocation by Ku. Radhika. MananeeyaLakshmi Didi welcomed the gathering.Sri Hanumanth Rao ji, All IndiaTreasurer, Vivekananda Kendra,Master AMAR LAL WITH MANANEEYA LAKSHMI DIDIAND SRI HANUMANTA RAO ANDDR VIJAYAN ARE ALSO SEENKanyakumari was the Chief Guest. Hegraced the programme by lighting thelamp and also addressed the gathering.Our close well-wisher Dr. N.M Vijayangave a short benedictory address. SriStudents performing Surya NamaskarSangameswaran, the Secretary of theGuru Sree Public school, Kodungallurwhere the programme was held and Sri Vinod Kumar, Chairman, Parents & Teachers associationwere also present on the occasion. Master Amar Lal who won the fifth position in yoga Olympiadprogramme organized by SVYASA, Bangalore was also honoured on the occasion. All the schoolswho had shown keen interest in sending the children for the Surya Kiran were given a smallmemento as a token of appreciation.A gathering of 200 parents and teachers were also present to witness the programme. The two hourprogramme was much appreciated by all and was covered by the Local TV channels.Yuva bharati - 25 - February 2011

BrahmapurSamartha Bharat Parva - 2011VK Brahmapur, Odishac e l e b r a t e d S w a m iVivekananda Jayanti on 12 January 2011. This year 11o r g a n i s a t i o n s f r o mBrahmapur town camet o g e t h e r f o r t h i sc e l e b r a t i o n . B h a r a tSwabhiman, ChinmayaMission, Divine LifeSociety, Gayatri ShaktiPeeth, RamakrishnaS a r a d a S e v a S a n g h ,Rashtriya SwayamsevakS a n g h , S w a m iVivekananda ShishuVidya Mandir, Vishwa H i n d u P a r i s h a d ,Vivekananda Shikhsa Shri Kishore Ch. Raut, Swami SriKrishnanandaji Kendra, Yoga VedantaSeva Samiti also joined and Shri. Hayagreeva Tripathy their hands.A rally was organised at morning hours from Khallikote College Ground to Lingraj Hall, passingthrough old bus stand, Annapurna Market, Mayuri towers area. 200 students from 4 schools andkaryakartas of these organisations joined the rally. Tahasildar Shri. Shatrughna Kar flagged off therally.A public meeting was organised at Diamond Jubilee Town Hall at evening. SwamiSrikrishnanandaji Maharaj, Adhyaksha, Rama Krishna Math, Puri was present as Chief Guest andShri. Hayagreeva Tripathy, a noted scholar from Brahmapur was the Chief speaker for theoccasion.Uttishthata! Jagrata! Yuva ShibirA three day residential Uttishthata! Jagrata! Yuva Prerana Shibir was organised on 28, 29 and 30December 2010 at Sanjaya Memorial Institute of Technology ( SMIT), Ankushpur wherein 49 youthfrom 5 districts of Odishaparticipated. Theseyouth were selected afterUttishthata! Jagrata!Yuva Pratiyogita in whichmore than 600 youthfrom degree collegesparticipated.T h e s h i b i r w a sinaugurated by Shri.B h a g a b a n G a n t a y a t ,President, SMIT. Thetopics like Yuva JageRashtra Jage, SanatanBharat- Swarnima Bharat, S a m a r t h a B h a r a t ,S a n g a t h i t K a r y a K iY u v a B h a r a t w e r esessions by Shri. LaxmiSamartha Yuva- Samartha Bharat –Surya Namaskar Practice.Avashyakata, Utho Jagodiscussed in lectureNarayanji, Prof. BasudevChhatoi, Prof. Kishore Ch. Raut, Mananeeya Bhanudasji and others.Yoga Pratiman Pariksha De Haste! Haste! was introduced in morning Yoga sessions. Shri.Bhagaban Padhi, a leading Charted Accountant and noted Social worker from Brahmapur, sharedhis experiences in Vijay Kshan with participants.Yuva bharati - 26 - February 2011

RELEVANCE OF RABINDRANATH TAGORE TOMODERN TIMESSubhrendu Bhattacharyaabindranath is ever memorable, he isthalways with us. His 150 birthanniversary is being observed almost Reverywhere in India and elsewhere,particularly Bangladesh. The Government ofIndia, the Government of our State and eventhe Government ofBangladesh as wella s a h o s t o fRabindra-centricorganizations havetaken up differentc u l t u r a lp r o g r a m m e s t oc e l e b r a t e t h i ssolemn occasion inbefitting manner notonly to pay homageto the great poet butalso to remind us ofh i s v a r i e g a t e da c h i e v e m e n t s .Besides, Sanskriti(Cultural) Express,f u l l y a i r -conditioned fivecoach ExhibitionTrain, depicting thelife and works of theuniversal poet istravelling all overIndia to make people aware of his versatilecreations. This apart, as proposed byMrs.Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister ofBangladesh, the Railway Minister incollaboration with the Govt. of India as of latedecided to run Sonartari Express, after thename of one of Tagore's great works, betweenKolkata and Dhaka. All this happens to be ahappy augury to all Rabindra-admirers as wellas other people. Simultaneously, all suchactivities justify amply that Tagore is notforgotten by us, he can never be forgotten.However, how Tagore deserves to be a man,relevant to our present age, is the main concernof this article. In thisrespect, it is perhaps verydifficult to do justice tohim, as ChinmohanSehanavis observed :H o wrelevant isRabindranath today toIndia? It isnot easy toanswer thisq u e s t i o n ,particularlyin regard toa s m u l t i -f a c e t e d a spersonalityas Tagore's.For while hew a sprimarily agreat artist –p o e t ,composer, short-story writer,novelist, playwright and painter –he was also a thinker who wroteinnumerable articles and deliveredlectures and addresses, andeducationist – a practical man –who founded and ran institutionsYuva bharati - 27 - February 2011

like Shantiniketan and VisvaBharati. He was also a socialw o r k e r w h o a l o n g s i d eShantiniketan organized cooperatives,the Sreeniketan and aPalli Charcha Kendra (Centre forStudy of Rural Work andDevelopment). And he neverhesitated to intervene in thepolitical turmoils of India whenmatters came to a head anddemanded his attention.Keeping all this fully in mind, I intend to putforward Tagore, in order to show hisrelevance to modern times, through thefollowing specific heads for discussion.Patriot, Nationalist and Humanist : Our heartthrobs in pride and glory when the Tagoresong Jana gana mana, recognized as ournational anthem, is sung and listened to by usall standing in national and internationalgathering and forums. Actually, itreverberates in our mind a strong sense ofnational spirit, and this brings home to thepoet's patriotic fervour instilled in his mind.It was also a source of inspiration to thefreedom fighters of our country, as HirenMukherjee observed :….Tagore's own song Jana ganamana was adopted by free Indiaas its anthem, used to be sungfirst, all standing at nationalgatherings, and whose first twowords Hail Motherland were thebattle-cry of our people duringmore than three decades ofstruggle.Besides, even now it is reckoned as a prayersong, sung by students of many educationalinstitutions and this will remain so in theyears to come. How popular is the nationalanthem to one and all!Though not directly involved in the politicalhappenings of his time including the freedommovement of the country, he was not obliviousof national interest and sentiment. In 1905 LordCurzon, a shrewd diplomat and the GovernorGeneral of India, declared arbitrarily thebifurcation of Bengal into two parts – EastBengal and West Bengal – for the sake of goodadministration. But the real intention ofCurzon was to bring about schism between theHindus and the Muslims, and thereby causingdisunity between them. As a result, all sectionsof people – Hindus and Muslims – came over tothe street to protest vociferously against thepartition of Bengal. Tagore did not remainsilent; as a true nationalist and patriot, hehimself joined the procession of Rakhi Bandhan(occasion of tying emblem of fraternity),conducted by the people in large number. Thiswas a step towards maintaining unity betweenthe Hindus and the Muslims and to showstrong resentment against the imperialisticdesign of the British.Again in 1919 Tagore came to the forefront as agreat patriot as well as a true humanist. TheJallianwala Bagh massacre of the innocentpeople at Amritsar in the Punjab on 6 April 1919shocked him so profoundly that the true self inhim urged him to do something for hiscountrymen. What the British imperialists didunder the supervision of General Dyer wasnothing but the barbaric perpetration,committed to the innocent human beings.Tagore's reaction to this incident was forthright;he in his letter to the then Viceroy of India dated30 May 1919 stated his decision to quit hisKnighthood, conferred on him by the Britishgovernment earlier to devoid himself of allspecial distinctions and to stand by the side ofhis innocent countrymen who had to succumbto the bullets aimed at them by the nefariousBritish soldiers. To him it was a great ignominyand even to all Indians irrespective of caste,creed, religion and language as well as tohumanity at large. So Tagore's relevance tomodern times is found to be rooted in his noblevirtues like patriotism, nationalism andhumanism which are perennial by nature.Nature-Lover and Environmentalist : HereYuva bharati - 28 - February 2011

stress will be laid on the impact of nature onTagore and his role as an environmentalist.Admittedly, Tagore in his childhood days, aswe know, could hardly have any freedom toenjoy the beauty of his surroundings, for hehad to pass most of his time in a cloisteredroom of the outhouse of his ancestral home atJorasanka under the surveillance of domesticservants. But his imaginative faculty wasvery sharp and he made attempts to composesmall poems looking at the sky, pond and treesoutside his room. Time passed by and whenhe became young he was sent to Silaidaha inthe district of Kustia (now in Bangladesh) tolook after the ancestral estate. There he camein close contact with the bounties of nature theimpact of which was so profound that hecould not but express his feelings in a naïveway. He said :…When I was about 25 years Iused to live in utmost seclusion inthe solitude of an obscure Bengalvillage by the river Ganga in aboathouse. The wild duckswhich came during the time ofautumn from the Himalayanlakes were my only companions,and in that solitude I seem to havedrunk in the open space like wineoverflowing with sunshine andthe murmur of the river used tospeak to me and tell me thesecrets of nature.In this way and fashion Tagore felt in thedepth of his heart a perpetual touch of natureand thus became a worshipper of nature asWilliam Wordsworth, Romantic poet ofEnglish literature. His interaction WilliamWordsworth, Romantic poet of Englishliterature. His interaction with naturebecame deepened when he came toShantiniketan in Bolpur in the district ofBirbhum in 1901 and started a school therewhich eventually became a university,named Visva Bharati, in 1921. Here it ispertinent to note that though he was bornand brought up in Calcutta he did like to livein a secluded place amidst naturalsurroundings, far away from the maddingcrowd and the din and bustle of the city life.The choice of founding his school atShantiniketan was largely due to the naturalambience. Trees here and there, laden withflowers of different hues and sizes are a treat towatch. Classes are held in the open under theshadow of trees, because it is incumbent on thepart of the learners to come in direct touchwith nature. Bereft of nature education isincomplete, for the learners have to suck outthe resources which nature offers, and therebysupplementing and enriching the course ofstudies. In the midst of nature the mind mayhave its fearless freedom to dream its owndream and create new things. Tagore's deeplove for nature reminds us of our starkindifference to her. Here it is apt to quote whatTagore thought of our indifference:Man is extravagant inhis attitude to nature. Solong as he was attached toher, his interaction with herwas full of cordiality. Astime passed by, he becamecity-centric and thus lost histenderness to her.Furthermore, Tagore's own creation,Sreeniketan still seems to be an epitome ofgreenery, free from environmental pollution.Though Viswa Bharati has lost much of itsformer luster, still one may find peace in mindin its natural surroundings. Willy-nilly manhas now become selfish, and for that matter heis found to be forgetful of nature's gifts,bestowed on us. Recently we have come toknow that the trees in the mangrove forests ofthe Sundarbans were felled indiscriminatelyand thereby causing much damage to itsecology. This proves how cruel man can betowards nature. To counter this, we must takelessons from Tagore. Interestingly, he wasmuch ahead of his time; tree plantation is not apassion, rather a reality. So to him, treeplantationis a part of our life. What he did forYuva bharati - 29 - February 2011

this was to earmark a particular day in theyear as the day of tree-plantation (Briksharoponday) and the learners at Shantiniketanwere instructed to plant saplings so that asweet rapport between man and nature couldbe established. Further, as Tagore believed inthe maxim 'Cleaniness is next to godliness', headvised his pupils to maintain cleanliness inevery aspect of life. So he, as a naturalist aswell as environmentalist, showed us the wayas to how to lead healthy life, free fromenvironmental contamination.Social Worker: Paradoxical though it seems tobe, Tagore was a social worker par excellenceand obviously in his own inimitable way.Here social work does not mean socialreformation, rather it relates to what is ruralupliftment. Undoubtedly, Tagore hadgathered vast experience about the problemsof rural people by associating himself with hisown people i.e. subjects of Silaidaha estateand the villagers living adjoining toShantiniketan after he had come there. Whathe realized first was that for the improvementof their economic condition they would haveto work unitedly and methodically undersomeone's guidance.Tagore, in order to introduce village selfgovernment,divided his estate into three subdivisions– (i) Shajadpur (Pabna – now inBangladesh), (ii) Kaligram (Rajshahi – now inBangladesh) and (iii) Birahimpur (Nadia –West Bengal). As usual, Silaidaha remainedas Headquarters. In each of the three subdivisions,Hitaishi Sabha (WelfareOrganization) was instituted, headed by thePradhan (Headman) who was selected by allthe villagers as members. To defray expensestowards management of the Sabha andwelfare schemes, a Common Fund wasconstituted with the collection of membershipsubscription and to add to this, Tagore asmanager of his estate, contributed Rs.2000 asexgratia. The main functions, however, were(i) improvement of economic condition (ii)opening of schools and health centres,particularly for eradication of malaria and (iii)road construction. Encouraged andempowered, the villagers began theirmultifarious activities.Significantly, within three years from theinception of the Hitaishi Sabha the villagersshowed spectacular results. With the jointeffort, the villagers were able to found somepathshalas (primary schools), some minorschools and a high school at Patisar. Somehealth centres were also set up. Provided theCommon Fund could not afford to bear theexpenses towards the construction of schooland hostel buildings, Tagore would allotnecessary amount of money from his estate.Besides, Tagore thought agriculture could notbe the sole income of the villagers, so heencouraged them to resort to handicrafts suchas pottery, weaving, umbrella-making etc. toearn supplementary income. Even he believedthat they could use modern means of farminglike tractors, husking machines etc. for betteragricultural output, which was possiblethrough the formation of co-operative farmingand in that case villagers would be equalsharers as members. Further, the villagers wereentrusted with the task of digging ponds,constructed a concrete road from Silaidaha toKustia, the sub-divisional town, by them andobviously with his own expense. Sreeniketan,his own creation, is still an eye-opener to all sofar as modernization of agriculture isconcerned. Even for informal and adulteducation, he started a Night School to imparteducation to the adult and the female members.All this apart, Tagore, to avoid litigation towhich the villagers were prone, set up twoarbitration courts at Kaligram and Birhimpur totry the cases arising out of all kinds of disputes.Pradhans, with the inclusion of senior membersof the villages, were given power to try cases forsettlement of disputes to the satisfaction of allconcerned. With the decisions of the courts onemight not be satisfied, and for that matter onecould appeal to the zamindar of the estate. Inthat situation, Tagore himself would go throughthe proceedings of the case and deliver hisjudgement to mitigate the sufferings of theYuva bharati - 30 - February 2011

victims. In this respect, one can find a clue tothe institution of Lok Adalat, much in voguein modern India.Thus Tagore proved himself to be a pioneer insetting up the village self-government and forthat matter it is heartening to note that theBalwantri Rao Mehta Commission whichrecommended after independence to theGovernment of India for the introduction ofthe present three-tier Panchayati Raj Systemthroughout the country had to take Rabindricmodelof village self-government into dueconsideration. Hence Tagore's concern for therural upliftment still holds water.Tagore – an optimist : Finally, Tagore likeSwam Vivekananda did not lose faith in hiscountrymen, as he anticipated far in advancethat India would emerge as a free countrysooner or later – the British would have to quitIndia. To fulfil this vision or dream, as we maycall so, he had reposed full faith in hiscountrymen who had been subject to all sortsof harassment and humiliation, meted out tothem by the British Government. In thisrespect, what Tagore remarked in his 'Crisis inCiviliztion' is a case in point.The wheels of Fate will someday compel the English to give uptheir Indian Empire. But what kindof India will they leave behind,what stark misery? …. As I lookaround, I see the crumbling rins of aproud civilization strewn like a vastheap of futility. But yet I shall notcommit the grievous sin of losingfaith in Man. I would rather lookforward to the opening of a newchapter in history after thecataclysm is over and theatmosphere rendered clean with thespirit of service and sacrifice.Perhaps that dawn will come fromthe horizon, from the East where thesun rises.Tagore, versatile genius, was a greatphenomenon in the horizon of the East as wellas of the West. He was, as if, a beacon light notonly to Indians but also to mankind for he wasable to show true path for us to tread ontowards progress. Before I conclude, I repeatthe very first sentence of this article –Rabindranath is ever memorable, he is alwayswith us.God is in all men, but allmen are not in God; that iswhy we suffer.Ramakrishna ParamahamsaYuva bharati - 31 - February 2011

Sister Nivedita – Who Gave Her All to India – 5‘Realisations'Anirban Gangulyhile it is true that Swamiji spoke ofthe universality of mankind andWrepeatedly expounded on theharmony of religions and cultures it also bearsreminding that this universality and harmonywas not and was never meant to be a one wayflow or a process of unilateral acceptance inhis scheme of things. In his first public lecturein London during his second visit in 1896Swamiji did speak of doing away with,'All…narrow, limited [and] fighting ideas ofreligion'. 'As the human mind broadens, so itsspiritual steps must broaden' he observed,and as the physical world was growing nearerand so too the future religions of the world1have to become universal and wide. But therewas also a clear demand made as a conditionof this universality, ' What is needed,' saidSwamiji, ' is a fellow-feeling between thedifferent types of religion…and not thecondescending, patronizing, niggardlyexpression of goodwill unfortunately in2vogue at the present time with many.’ It isthis second condition, this second demandthat is forgotten and almost alwaysdeliberately omitted by those in the habit ofpontificating ad nauseam on the virtues ofunity of religions and secularism.The 'condescending' and 'patronisingexpression of goodwill' towards India, herreligion, her people and her problems wassomething that no cell of Sister Nivedita'sbody contained. Such an attitude was whollyalien and abhorrent to her being; it was ratherwith an attitude of the servitor that sheapproached her adopted land and her people.Rabindranath Tagore, poet laureate, whoseobservations on Sister Nivedita we shall haveoccasion to discuss in detail later, had caughtthe essence of her dedication to India. In histribute to her, Tagore wrote that 'She wasindeed a Lokmata, a mother to the people. Weare familiar with the mother's role in a family;but the image of a mother whose love enfoldeda whole people was something we had neverseen before…So genuine was Sister Nivedita'sYuva bharati - 34 - February 2011

love of the people that those who hadobserved it could easily see the differencebetween her love and our concern for the3people… It is a national pastime today tomostly fete and commemorate those who,playing to the galleries, condescended toserve India and her people in a patronising yetsubtly disguised expression of goodwill andto relegate or marginalize those whodynamically but silently reflected throughtheir lives, work, sacrifice and suffering thepoet's eloquent assessment. When it comes toSister Nivedita, the marginalizing silence isonly too deafening!Swamiji once said the he had pouredmaximum time and energy in preparing Sister4Nivedita. Looking at the second Europeanperiod – 1896 – one sees this preparationproceeding apace. Lyrically expressing thisprocess of preparation and her growingperception of the country she was to serve aspart of her Master's ordained work,celebrated Bengali writer Mohitlal Majumdar(1888-1952) in his discussion of SisterNivedita's life, wrote, 'a lotus is doubtless abig flower; but still it does not blossomwithout sunlight. Swamiji was the sun thatblossomed the lotus called Nivedita. Sheloved India and dedicated her whole life to itsservice…Swamiji made Nivedita see Indiawith the eyes with which he had seen thisgreat country. It is almost as if he had5implanted his own heart within her bosom.’While the ignition for the Indian workproceeded, the work of preparing the spiritcontinued with full vigour. Sister Niveditagave expression to this preparatory process[1896 in London], as discussed earlier, in herimmortal 'The Master as I Saw Him' consideredby Sri Aurobindo to be the greatest book on6Swami Vivekananda. Even a brief immersionin some of these thoughts of Swamiji asexpressed by his 'spiritual daughter' is indeed aliberating experience.‘Destruction of local mythologies': Aninteresting thought that preoccupied Swamiji,as Sister Nivedita read it during this period,was the need for the Indian thought to preserveand survive 'that destruction of localmythologies which is an inevitable result of all7world-consolidations.’ It was on this that heconstantly dwelt and expounded. Such aconcern expressed by Swamiji then in an era ofpolitical empires assumes greater relevancytoday when a process of rapid and irreversibleglobalization is ushering in an era of forcedcultural uniformity destroying diversities ofreligion, culture and lifestyles. Destruction oflocal mythologies had to be prevented in orderto ward off the spectre of a mono-culturalexistence starkly contradictory to a true andessential universality.'Thou art He, O Man! Thou art He!': Describingthe growth of the religious idea and itsevolution in the spiritual growth and unfoldingof the individual Swamiji or as Sister Niveditaaddressed him 'the Swami' spoke of the goalbeing at first far and without and the need for itto be brought near and closer until 'the God ofHeaven becomes the God in Nature, till the Godin Nature becomes the God who is Nature, andthe God who is Nature, becomes within thistemple of the body, and the God dwelling in thetemple of the body becomes the temple itself,becomes the soul of man…' The Centre, Himwho has been sought through the ages 'is in our8own hearts. Thou art He, O Man! Thou art He!”There was to be no rejection of matter butinstead its recognition of divinity.‘Cover this reality with a mist': His efforts ondescribing the concept of Maya were striking.Yuva bharati - 35 - February 2011

According to Sister Nivedita the Swami feltthese to be 'his greatest intellectual9achievement during this period.’ Thefollowing of the Swami's words, as heard andrecorded by Sister Nivedita, were a milestonein the description of the concept, 'Because wetalk in vain, and because we are satisfied withthe things of the senses and because we arerunning after desires, therefore we, as it were,10cover this reality with a mist.” In herinterpretation of the word Maya through thewords of the Swami Sister Nivedita observedthat the word did not merely describe theUniverse as seen through the sense but also'describes the tortuous, erroneous, and selfcontradictorycharacter of knowledge.' 'This astatement of fact, not a theory,' Sister Niveditarecords Swamiji as saying, 'that this world is aTantalus' hell, that we do not know anythingabout this Universe, yet at the same time wecannot say that we do not know. To walk in themidst of a dream, half sleeping, half waking,passing all our lives in a haze, this is the fate of11all sense knowledge. This is the Universe.’True existence, true vision had to be lived andsought beyond the senses. But yet it is in thatstate of Maya, in that perpetual state of fluxthat most of our days and actions emerge andpass – a perpetually fleeting state of halfexistence.This is how Margaret grasped theessence, 'By Maya is thus meant thatshimmering, elusive, half-real, half-unrealcomplexity, in which there is no rest, nosatisfaction, no ultimate certainty, of which webecome aware through the senses, andthrough the mind as dependent on the senses.At the same time - “… That by which all this ispervaded, know That to be the Lord12Himself!”‘Transference of the centre of gravity' and'Renunciation': Thus actual spiritual growthand spiritual evolution in the individual had tobe preceded by a 'gradual transference of thecentre of gravity, as it were, out of the one into13the other, - out of Maya into the Self.’ For a trueliving, this bondage of Maya – this half andconfused existence had to be broken. Thisbreaking of bondage into true living was'freedom', 'Mukti'. The 'would be breaker ofbondage' had to seek this 'freedom' through14'renunciation' and not through 'enjoyment.’But it was in his definition or perception of'renunciation' that Sister Nivedita felt that theSwami differed from most other teachers; hesaw 'every kind of mastery as a form ofrenunciation'. Any supreme mastery wasachieved after a mighty renunciation and yetSister Nivedita saw in the Swami's spirit anddefinition of renunciation the fire of a conquestas characterized by his own life. Supporting hisdescription of 'renunciation' the Swami pointedout that ' it was by renunciation, that is to say, bysustained and determined effort, by absorptionin hard problems through lonely hours, bychoosing toil and refusing ease, thatStephenson, for instance, invented the steam-15engine.’ It was an example that his Londonaudience understood well. There was no placefor a passive-renunciation; it had to be dynamicand goal-oriented and in this Sister Nivedita'slife itself can be said to be a perfect expression ofSwamiji's definition of the term.What then was the process that Sister Niveditaunderwent living through the second visit andattending these classes and lectures? Each ofthese vibrant sessions were spiritual nurseriesopening up the directions of a new life and werenot mere periods of intellectualisations tosolely stimulate the mind. Describing these assuch she wrote, 'In the meantime as I look backupon the time, I feel that what we all reallyentered upon in the Swami's classes was not soYuva bharati - 36 - February 2011

much an intellectual exposition, as a life ofnew and lofty emotions, - or, as they would be16called in India, 'realisations.’The realisations served to prepare the servitor.The transference of the centre of gravitypreceded the beginning of the ignition of theIndian work. We shall next see how the Indianwork was ignited and what initial roleMargaret played in sustaining it.1.Marie Louise Burke, Swami Vivekananda in theWest – New Discoveries –The World Teacher,thvol.4, (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 16 imp.,2007) p.212.2. Ibid.3.Tagore's tribute to Sister Nivedita translated byKshitis Roy and Krishna Kripalani and cited in anEnglish rendering of Mohitlal Majumdar's 'SisterNivedita Swami Vivekananda's Spiritual Daughter'written for the Golden Jubilee issue of Udbodhan.Source: Vedanta Kesari, Vol.95, No.7, July 2009,p.256.4. Sankari Prasad Basu, Nivedita Lokmata, vol.1th(Beng), (Kolkata: Ananda Publishers, 5 imp,1406 (Beng. era), p.3.5.Vedanta Kesari, Vol.95, No.7, op. cit., p.258.6. Sankari Prasad Basu, op.cit., p.3.7. Sister Nivedita, The Master as I Saw Him –being pages from the Life of Swami Vivekananda,(London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1910) p.24.8. Ibid., p.25.9. Ibid., p.25.10. Ibid., p.26.11. Ibid., p.27.12. Ibid., p.28.13. Ibid., p.28.14. Ibid., p.29.15. Ibid., pp.29-30.16. Ibid., p.37.Yuva bharati - 37 - February 2011

Continued from December '10 issueAlexander – The InvaderDr. K. M. Rao“Thereafter Alexander pushed on Hyphasis(River Beas) near somewhere Gurudaspur.Here his army mutinied and refused to gofurther. They were tired. The rains had toldheavily on them and they had been shaken bythe severe fighting on the Jhelum and at Sangala.Reports received from emissaries said thatacross the Beas there were another Aratta people(possibly Mahlava and Ashwaka people) with acontingent of innumerable number of very largeand brave elephants: after their terrifyingexperience with elephants in war at Jhelum withPurushottam, they had no courage to meet thoseelephants so trained in warfare… they hadunderstood the conquest of Persia, but now theydid not know what they were doing or wherethey were going; they wanted to go home. It wasa severe blow to Alexander. True, he could nothave gone much furtherin any case; only half hisa r m y w a s o n h i scommunications withTaxila and he was tryingto use the troops ofP u r u s h o t t a m f o rgarrison.H i s t o r y s p e a k seloquently the tragicplight of the Greeksoldiers through theselines, “they had nodesire to meet those elephants. They hadunderstood the conquest of Persia, but now theydid not know what they were doing or wherethey were going; they wanted to go home”.Greek soldiers understood they were giving uptheir lives not to annex new lands for Greekempire but for Purushottam's (Porus') Kingdom.The revolt in rank and file of Army certainly hadthe backing of their respective commanders.Alexander being in predicament, torn by twoopposing pulls—right demand of his soldiers'Mutiny in Alexander's ArmyYuva bharati - 41 - February 2011and the compulsive situation—had shut himselffor three days, in his camp to win over theresentful army.Chapter IIIThe Sixth Battle of Malli-AshwakaAlexander has set out to sail down the Jhelum toArabian sea and soon learnt Mahlava (Malli) andAshwaka (Oxydracae) were preparing to opposehim. He met the Malli (Mahlava) near theconfluence of Jhelum and Chenab. Curtius andDiodorus speak of a people Sibi that inhabited inthat area.What was the fate of Alexander's Battle againstthe Malli and Ashwaka people?Alexander 'fought a battle at the 'FORD', and shutup some of them (Malli-Mahlavas) in a town onthe west of river. Thetown was easily taken,but the Mahlavas retiredt o t h e c i t a d e l ; t h eMacedonians hung-back,and Alexander snatcheda storming-ladder wentup the wall himself,followed by his shieldbearer,Peucestus andLeonnastus, Abreas—ac o r p o r a l - m o u n t e danother ladder; then bothladders broke, leavingAlexander and the three on the wall. He wentdown into the citadel, and fought single-handedwith his back to the wall till the three joined him;Abreas was killed and Alexander was shotthrough corselet and breast by a long arrow.Peucestus covered him in front with the holyshield of Illium and Leonnastus on one side; a treeprevented attack on the other; they kept theenemy off till the army broke in and killed everyliving creature there. Alexander was carried outfainting due to heavy bleeding; Perdiceas cut thearrow with his sword and he finally fainted andlost consciousness. The report went forth to his

dwindling army that he was dead. As soon as hecould be moved, had himself carried on a shipand shown to the army.Among Alexander's battles, this is ghastliest inits dreadful record of gruesome slaughter. Theexplanation probably is that the army lost itsmorale and frustrated. They hated it; they hadno wish to fight, but as they had to as if by force,they took no chance and indulged in slaughter toquell a fresh rising, so that they will not beturned back from their way-home. TwiceAlexander had to mount the wall, first to get hissoldiers follow; it was indeed time for the tiredarmy to go home. Indirectly, this the least of hismilitary campaigns was to cost him his life, forthe wound left him weakened.The Greek soldiers did not believe that he wasalive even seeing him laid. Alexander had toraise his head to show he was alive. The Mahlavaand Ashwaka were 'Aratta', i.e., Araja kinglesspeople – i.e., Gana Rajya. They were freedomloversand valorous. It is said that the Dograwarriors of Jammu region too participated inthis battle. In the meanwhile, Abhsaresh, king ofRajouri, Bhimber of Jammu joined the army ofPurushottam.Alexander's command on his army was gravelydiminishing day by day. When he saw his ordersand commands yielded no spell on his army, he–'Alexander saw his men falter, impetuouslyseized a ladder and planted it against the walland mounted it crouched under his shield”,aptly shows his command on his army hadalready been lessened. Strangely enough, noneof his Generals was there by his side, nor any-ledthe forces, nor any cavalry, was there. Alexanderfought as a foot-soldier, though Craterus,Hephaestion, Ptolemy, Seleucus, Philip,Nearchus etc. Generals were there with thearmy. The revolt in the army was so strong thatCoenus, the spokesman for the army, had saidbluntly to Alexander: “Do not lead us nowagainst our will for then thou will no longer findus the men in regard to dangers, since free—willbe wanting to us in the contests”. This speechshows what a sea-change happened in Greekarmy following the devastating defeat in theJhelum war with Purushottam. Coenus wasproved correct when Alexander was mortallywounded. One very important fact needs to belooked into at this cross-currents of events.Right before this Malli (Mahlava) battle,Alexander was sailing down the Jhelum inNovember 326 BCE, to leave Bharat bywaterways. Purushottam who used to send hisarmy to garrison and annex the land so gained byAlexander, did not send his army in this journey.It means, he knew Alexander was not in a positionto take the risk to return from Bharat along theland route (by road) through which he had comebecause those people whom he had subduedwhile coming were now in arms in rebellion totake revenge on Alexander; even Ambhi ofTakshasile (Taxila) and the people of Gandharwere now about to rebel.So Alexander preferred to go southward throughMakran (Gedrosia) of Sindh to reach the mouth ofIndus and to set sail therefrom. Aman, Nearchusand Curtius have given a full description of howhe had prepared for the same.“The order of March” was as follows:While Alexander with the hypaspists, Agrianians,cretan archers and the agema of companions saildown the Jhelum, the rest of the army was tomarch in three columns:one under Craterus on the right bank;a second under Hephaestian on the left bank;and a third under Philip, Satrap of Gandhara,three days march in the rear.Nearchus was given command of the fleet. Butthis design has crushed on the dock, 'before theadvance of fleeing army reached the confluence ofChenab and Jhelum news was received that theMalli and Ashwaka (Oxydracae) were preparingto attack it.The Malli-Ashwaka battle was qualitativelydifferent. Here Alexander did not storm them toconquer their land but the Malli-Ashwaka armyfought to drive Alexander out of their land. Theoutcome of this last and final battle in whichAlexander was mortally wounded has been statedYuva bharati - 42 - February 2011

earlier.After the disastrous defeat of Malli-Ashwakabattle, all the battle plans of Alexander fell intopieces. It is historically crucial to know how theGreeks fled from Bharat in 325 BCE.All Greeks fled from Bharat in aberrant andbizarre route as if different authorities had giventhem different orders.(1) Craterus was sent with three battalionsof the phalanx, some archers, batteredsoldiers and men unfit of furtherservice with heavy baggage andlimping horses by way of Mulla pass.(2) Nearchus was the head of ship voyage.Arrian states all other commandersrefused Alexander's order to head thevoyage except Nearchus. The voyagewas of 10 to 15 tiny ships, having 10days ration, five days water provisionfor crews, some archers, mercenariesand catapults. It started in lateSeptember, 325 BCE.And Alexander's escape from Bharat, it is said,began from Patala (at the mouth of Indus,wherefrom Nearchus set for sail) throughMakran having with him four battalions of thephalanx, the hypas Agrianians, the archers andall the Macedonians of the companions and thehorse archers. It is said that he movedsouthward along the coast to dig wells for waterand store foodstuff in wells for Nearchus' sailingpeople as the ships were not suitable to carrymore than ten-day ration and five days water.And then 'as there was no shore route, he wasthen compelled to travel inland along the trackwhich connects Makran and Sind. The countrythrough which he supposedly marched wasdevoid of water for long stretches and the heatwas so intense that the retreating army had tomarch by night. Afterall the baggage had beenlost-the transport animals either died or wereeaten-the army again reached the coast at Pasniand Gwadur struck the road which led to Persia.The non-combatant forces almost all perishedand army suffered great loss in this arduousjourney.Some true points of circumstantial evidence ofAlexander's death1. Was this abhorrent, brazenly selectedroute at all led by Alexander? Whyshould he follow such a route and hisGeneral Craterus preceded him along amore sensible route through Mulla passleaving him mortally wounded behindenemy lines in a hostile land of powerfulenemies?2. Was not Alexander already dead inBharat and his Generals after Malli-Ashwaka battle in which he died shortlyafter decided amidst themselves toescape in three routes under threegenerals as they could not agree, whoshould be the supreme commander incase all moved along the same route?3. Nowhere in the escape route 'cavalry'was mentioned. Was that becausecavalry was completely decimated in theJhelum battle?4. Alexander while in the escape route wasdigging wells in seashore to store foodand water for Nearchus's voyagers wassimply a fictional narration to suppresswho led actually the third route of escape.The third route took elephants with it.Given Seleucus's and Ptolemy's liking forelephants, was it Seleucus and Ptolemywho led the third route of escape and notAlexander?The names of Ptolemy and Seleucus werefound nowhere in the third escape routerecords. Arrian followed Ptolemyfragmented writings after 400 years. DidPtolemy suppress their names and putAlexander's name instead. Alexander'sname may be a later interpolation.5. Many of the satraps appointed byAlexander to administer various parts ofPersian Empire and Greek Stateincluding Macedonia were murdered in324 and 323 BCE in the name ofAlexander. Were those done by a handfulof his major generals who partitioned hisvast empire amidst themselves just towipe out resistance to their designs?They kept his death in Bharat suppressedYuva bharati - 43 - February 2011

till they themselves could have reachedto Babylon and settle the partition ofempire amidst themselves and thendeclared Alexander's death in Babylon?Philip whom Alexander had appointedas satrap of Gandhara and westernUpaganastan (Afghanistan) wasmurdered when Greeks were retreatingfrom Bharat.6. Alexander's mother, wife and son weremurdered by Cassander, Alexander'scompanion General who, afterAlexander's death became the king ofMacedonia and master of Greece as peragreement amidst his Generals whogathered at Babylon for the partition ofhis empire.Alexander's defeat, death and epitaphWhat were the fettle and form of Alexander'shealth mind prior to and right afterMalli–Ashwaka battle i.e., in his last combativedays in Bharat?“He left his arrangements in Bharat, anunfinished sketch, to be sponged off the canvasthe moment he died. He meekly handed over allthe country upto Beas to Purushottam after hisdefeat, and who in spite of his, Abhisaresh didnot come to him, he accepted his excuses,confirmed him in his Kingdom as a tributaryprince and gave him authority over theneighbouring ruler of Hazara. This clearlyshows that Alexander had lost all authority overwhat happened at East of Jhelum”.The EpitaphA doleful, melancholy, resigned Alexander hisnemesis catching him up will be the apt lines ofEpitaph on his grave.History has got a way of its own to take revenge.Alexander's Defeat : Martially and SpirituallyAlexander was defeated martially in Bharat. Heagreed to be a covenant of subsidiary alliancewhile Purushottam annexed all his landsconquered so far and ascended the throne. Hefaced revolt from his disgruntled and batteredarmy. He was mortally wounded, lost thefighting spirit and became doleful. He died, allcircumstantial evidences, press to conclude, inBharat in 325 BCE because of being mortallywounded in the Malli-Ashwaka battle.Alexander once wished to meet a yogi Sadhak. Inhis arrogance, Alexander sent men summoningthe saint to meet him, saying “if he meets, he willbe rewarded with gifts, if not will be put to death”.The yogi sitting on his seat made of leaves andgrass, smiled and said that Alexander had nothingworthy to offer to him as the yogi got the bareneeds from God—the light, the sky, the forest andthe river sufficed his needs, if killed, his soulwould go back there wherefrom it had come.Hence he felt, he had no necessity of meetingAlexander. Alexander could not fathom themeaning of the words of the saint and his blissfulsmile. Alexander felt humbled by the wisdom ofthe detached words uttered by the saint.QED : Had Napoleon invaded England would theBritish people call him, 'Napoleon the Great?Never. Alexander should properly be calledAlexander the Invader instead of Alexander thegreat in our History Text books.Megasthenes who came and stayed in Bharatshortly after Alexander's death commented:“That we have never been attacked by others norhad themselves attacked others”.Alexander had no geographical knowledge ofBharat. He had no idea of the vastness of Bharat,her main land, mass of continental proportionsand huge roaring rivers and world's highestmountain ranges extending over thousands ofmiles. Alexander's invasion was only marginalon the borders of Purushottam's Kingdom. Inthose days in Northern Bharat, Pataliputra, thecapital of Chandragupta of Maurya dynasty 324BCE was the principal imperial power. Alexanderwas one thousand five hundred miles away fromthe seat of this most powerful cogent political cummartial command in Bharat.ConcludedYuva bharati - 44 - February 2011