Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay and Sri Aurobindo
- Sources available to
learn about their visions:
Pt. Deendayalji gave a series of lectures in Mumbai in 1965 to
unfold his vision of Integral Humanism. He made it more elaborate in subsequent
talks and writings which were compiled in books like Vivechan, Mimansa, Rashtra
nirman ki disha, etc. Also the writings by P. Parameshwaran, Dattopant Thengadi
and others are useful to further understand his vision.
Sri Aurobindo led foundations of his vision in his early political
and cultural writings during the first decade of the 20th century.
(Vande Mataram, Karmayogin, etc.) He
later wrote in a periodical ‘Arya’ during second decade of the 20th
century i.e. during his early years in Pondicherry. These writings were later
compiled in several books including The Renaissance in India, The foundations
of Indian Culture, The Life Divine, The Human Cycle and The Ideal of Human
Unity. The writings by the Mother, Nirodbaran, M.P. Pandit, and many
others help to understand his vision.
- Difference in situation when the two visions were unfolded:
After independence i.e. from 1947 to 1964-65, was a period of great
opportunity which was sadly wasted. It was thought that India will be really
free and will follow her own way.
Unfortunately the leaders of free India were busy in imitating West and
all that was Indian was discarded, belittled and ridiculed. We faced partition and after independence,
lost our face in wars with neighbours. The hollowness of the imitation formula
became evident. People needed an alternate to both Socialism or Communism on
one side and Capitalism on the other. Panditji’s vision got expression at this
point of time.
1900 to 1920 was the time when India was awakening from her sleep,
the period was that of partition of Bengal, Tilak’s leadership. The extremists
as well as moderates were colliding against each others to oppose British
raj. However, initial reaction of elite
Indians was imitation of the West and
condemnation of our dharma and traditions. That of masses was tamasic following
and confusion with occasional violent self immolating spurts. With Sri
Ramkrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Dayananda and then Sri Aurobindo’s rise,
India’s Swadharma and her unique role in world symphony was clarified and got
concrete expression. That was also the time when the Western model of
industrialism, colonization and secular scientific mechanizaition got serious
jolts: With wars, reforms and finally a world war. Sri Aurobindo’s vision
unfolded at that point of time.
- Difference in
audience and thereby difference in
style of narration:
It must be remembered that Deendayalji was speaking in public
meetings and also to select aspirants when he elaborated his thought. He was
preparing intellectual foundation of his political party Jansangh. Thus his
explanation is more generic, simplified and is full of examples, anecdotes and
even sprinkles of humour. In spite of being highly rational, they have
ease, and flow to facilitate masses to get
closer to the ancient Indian vision.
Sri Aurobindo had great sense of humour, he wrote poetry,
commentaries on epics and he is easier
to understand through his letters and
evening talks with disciples. However his major works are on a serious note,
with words so measured that there is no place for humour or even relief. For these writings were for a periodical
aimed at elite global audience. The audience which is brought up in English
culture, has scientific temper and has seasoned scepticism and has not been
familiar with Indian vision or vocabulary of Veda and Upanishads or Gita. Sri
Aurobindo’s works are therefore far more elaborate, exhaustive and structured
to give every logical counterargument before he shatters them to put forth his
argument. They are at times perceived to be tough in comprehension.
- Difference in Life
missions:
Like Swami Vivekananda, Deendayalji gave his vision primarily in
public speeches, lectures and articles
which are bound to have simplicity and flow. With their great oratory power, both Swamiji
and Panditji have spoken resonating words with lasting impact. Both had grand vision but no time for writing
books, that was not their life mission. Unfortunately they both had short life
span. They had to awaken the sleeping masses of India, make them aware of their
Swadharma, take India to ‘ param
vaibhavam ‘ to the pinnacle of glory by following her own model.
Sri Aurobindo’s writings in Baroda and Calcutta are similar to those
of Swami Vivekananda in burning patriotism, spontaneity, acute intellect and
sharp aggression. However, after he withdrew from politics as per the divine
Adesha and started his tapas in Pondicherry, he rouse to higher and higher levels of consciousness, then fathomed
unconscious and inconscious to proclaim his theory of The Life Divine which
said that matter shall reveal the face of Spirit. He wrote about the theory of
involution and evolution, about India and her genius, about future race. He
wrote only out of compulsion for a periodical Arya for about five years. His
theory is based on concrete scientific experimentation about materialising spirit and spiritualizing
matter and then about Supramental consciousness which alone can solve the
problems of the present as per Sri Aurobindo. These writings were in an
uninterrupted flow for years and later were described by him as words coming
like a giant waterfall from a higher consciousness. Apart from individual books, they were also
compiled in almost thirty volumes later and published as birth centenary
edition. A literary activity of such exhaustive, voluminous, visionary,
multisided but integral nature is perhaps unparalleled in the world history.
Then he stopped writing for next thirty years or so except his work on Savitri
and letters to disciples.
- Is Swami Vivekananda
the link and the force behind?
Guruji Golawalkar was almost about to take sanyas from Swami
Vivekaknanda’s gurubandhu Swami
Akhandananda and Panditji was one of the
chosen architects of his nationalist vision. Sri Aurobindo during his
Alipore jail days got decisive Yoga inputs from Swami Vivekananda. Swamiji
visited him in Videhi ( bodyless ) state and guided him for a period and as
soon as that stage was crossed, his visits stopped.
On key issues such as uniqueness and mission of India, glory of an
Individual, Vedanta for all, role of institutions and way of their formation, and way for future world, there are
several parallels in the writings of
Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo and Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay.
It may not be audacious to say that Swami Vivekananda was the link
and the force behind several thought leaders of modern India. Sri Aurobindo and Pt. Deendayalji are among
the most illustrious exponents of the Integral thought which Swami Vivekananda
roared about and all the later developments had ‘luminous seed of Vedas’ as their source.
- It is indeed
important to see whether both these visionaries: Sri Aurobindo and Pt.
Deendayalji have some commonalities.
Following are main points of both the visions on which this work
will be done.
- The cause behind our downfall: The reason of our present
degeneration.
- Path ahead: What should we do now?
- Uniqueness of India: Chiti.
- Individual and Aggregate: Vyashti & Samashti: what is
relation between the two. An Individual is at the centre of an entire
system.
- Institutions are expressions of the innate soul. State is not
an adequate idea: group mind and Virata.
- Dharma sustains Artha, Kama and Moksha.
- Humanity as a whole needs this vision and India has a role for
the future of the new race.
These points
will be elaborated in next article and an attempt will be to see how their visions are to be interpreted for the current situation.
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