இந்து தர்மமும் கண்ணனும் - பங்களாதேஷ் பத்திரிக்கை கட்டுரை

வாழ்க வளமுடன்

Hindu philosophy and Lord Krishna
Prem Ranjan Dev

The Hindu culture and tradition is not derived from any one prophet or founder. It has neither a uniform creed nor any organised church. Its history and prehistory are ageless. The Vedas, which are the scriptures of the Hindus, are unique in character. We find in the Vedas a great variety of subjects and a great flexibility of doctrines.

Another scripture of profound philosophic value is known as Bhagavad Gita, the song celestial, as it has been called. It forms a part of the great epic Mahabharata. The Gita attempted to bring about a synthesis of the existing Upanisads of the time.

This book has attracted the interest of the philosophers as much as have the aphorisms of the Vedanta. Almost all of the great Vedantists have some commentary on this little book of seven hundred stanzas. Besides Vedanta philosophy, there exist other systems of thought. These systems of thought are not in any sense in serious disagreement with the Vedanta.

An attempt has also been made to bring about a synthesis of all systems of thought by the Puranas. They are semi-philosophical works and there are eighteen of them, attributed by tradition to one person, Vyasa. The most outstanding of these Puranas is the Srimad Bhagavata, which itself is considered as a commentary of the Vedanta.

In this book have been fused all the great systems of Hindu philosophic thought with wonderful genius and skill. Those who are especially influenced by this book commonly go by the name Vaisnav.

Everybody knows that there is no single human authority accepted by all the Hindus, nor has there been any movement to create such a central authority. There is also no ecclesiastical or hierarchical binding authority in Hinduism. In spite of all the above considerations, there is a definite body of knowledge and common themes that can be clearly identified as Hinduism.

The rhisis, or Vedic seers, function as a binding force. Authority resides in the rhisis, and there are several of them. Rather than vie for a complete monopoly on wisdom, these rhisis respect one another and work collaboratively.

Rhisihood in Hinduism is knowledge-based. This knowledge is progressive and dynamic, capable of continuous development. The rhisis can also cultivate supernormal faculties and are very important in Hindu tradition.

Festivals, ceremonies, and rituals are integrating and uniting forces in the Hindu tradition. Pilgrimages and temples play the same role. There is a huge literature of stories, mythologies and legends that affect the imaginative man. There is also integration at the conceptual level. At this level, many systems of philosophy are developed.

Again, there is no conflict over holding the single, universal truth. Rather, each system is recognised and respected by the others.

Hinduism encompasses the entire civilisation and way of life that has evolved since the dawn of human civilisation. The Vedas, the Upanishadas, and the Bhagavad-Gita play an important role in the development and practice of Hinduism. These ancient holy scriptures uphold the eternal truth of the existence of the supreme Lord and His incarnations, the latest being Sri Krishna. "Owing to the eternal will-to-communicate God descends on earth to re-unite His joyful Self with His created beings." Essentially, God manifests Himself in human from to crush and annihilate worldly vices and revive eternal values.

Lord Krishna has bound Himself to man, and that consists the greatest glory of human existence. He came down with His full divine manifestations and raised human civilisation to a celestial plane. Thus came Sri Gauranga, and brought a heavenly unification of mankind irrespective of caste, creed, and race.

The Bhakti movement of that time, espousing whole hearted devotion to God in one aspect or another, opened up what was previously esoteric knowledge and practice for large numbers of people. Means were made available for everyone to realise God, with no conflict between knowledge and practice.

Sri Krishna focused on the philosophy of protection of good and annihilation of bad. His Gita is a deep reservoir of knowledge.

The meanings and intention of the Gita have historically found elaboration and explication. Sri Krishna attracts all beings towards Himself so that they may realise the depth of His infinite mercy and love. He maintains an existence of concrete bliss. The entity of the creatures of the cosmos is part and parcel of the Lord Creator.

Modern civilisation is now in a state of transition. If we are to survive, a moral and spiritual revolution should embrace the whole of the world. In this context, a penetrating thought and look into the totality of Lord Sri Krishna may help us much. The philosophy of Sri Krishna can contribute so much to our life and its fulfillment. Ancient Hindu wisdom continues to be a catalytic force in the transformation of the universe.

All gods and goddesses are in way renderings of Brahma. Krishna is the most perfect rendering of pure Brahma in the human experience. We can talk about Krishna, meditate on Krishna, love Krishna, and dedicate our lives to Him, and from that let us realise ultimate salvation and bliss from the Divinity.



Prem Ranjan Dev is President, Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Parishad.