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| Remembering Dayanad, Valentine Krishnamurthi | | | Sumit Sharma | 2/11/2012 9:59:47 PM |
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Since times immemorial men have asked themselves certain questions. How to be happy? How to find peace and happiness? How to find a way out of suffering? And the answer has always been 'know thyself'. This quest to know oneself has led to innumerable branches of knowledge, many scriptures and of course many religions and sects. India has been the cradle of many religions and sects. She has been the land of saints and mystics who have inspired many souls worldwide. In the coming days we will be celebrating the birthday of Swami Dayananda Saraswati and paying tributes to the saint of modern times -J. Krishnamurti. Not only this, we will also go through the joy and sorrow that we go through in the name of St. Valentine every year on 14 the Feb.
Let's begin with St. Valentine. Ask any devout Christian, whether catholic or Protestant about St Valentine and they would not know how to answer, because it really has no sanction of their religion.
The roots of the day lye in some pagan festival.
English eighteenth-century antiquarians Alban Butler and Francis Douce, noting the obscurity of Saint Valentine's identity, suggested that Valentine's Day was created as an attempt to supersede the pagan holiday of Lupercalia. This idea has lately been contested by Professor Jack Oruch of the University of Kansas. Many of the current legends that characterise Saint Valentine were invented in the fourteenth century in England, notably by Geoffrey Chaucer and his circle, when the feast day of February 14 first became associated with romantic love. While a website of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and other sources give different lists of Saints Valentine, the Catholic Church's official list of recognized saints, the Roman Martyrology lists seven: a martyr (Roman priest or Terni bishop?) buried on the Via Flaminia (February 14); a priest from Viterbo (November 3); a bishop from Raetia who died in about 450 (January 7); a fifth-century priest and hermit (July 4); a Spanish hermit who died in about 715 (October 25); Valentine Berrio Ochoa, martyred in 1861 (November 24); and Valentine Jaunzarás Gómez, martyred in 1936 (September 18).
Ask a youngster and for him the day means an opportunity to flirt a bit.
He or she would not be bothered about existence of a saint or the religious nature of the day if any. Some people just want to have fun and some other want to make lots of money out of it.
Still some other want to gain political spotlight by vandalizing the whole show.
In this mad rush of events and passions who wants to give a thought to some one gave up his life to save the institution of marriage. Who wants to really think what love is and why should we either celebrate it or denounce it?
The fact is we don't really want to think. We have learnt to be react without thinking.
The need of the hour is to think and know things as they are. St Valentine never advocated free love.
He only stood for legitimacy of love in the form of marriage.
Now who can oppose that? In Indian context Krishna is the eternal charmer and lover and we as a nation have no problem with that. Decency? We all expect our youngsters to be decent but not only on 14th of Feb but whole year long! At the same time we cannot allow hooligans to take law in their own hands in the name of culture and religion. There is a lot of hypocrisy in our thoughts and actions and we must avoid that.
One man who fought against hypocrisy of his times all his life was Swami Dayanand Saraswati (12th Feb 1824 - 30 Oct 1903).He was the one to give the idea of 'swaraj' which was adopted by Tilak.
He refused to believe in an idol God who could not even protect itself.
He did not trust anything that was superstitious, contrary to logic and against the direct teaching of Vedas.
He even set up a PAKHAND KHANDINDI PATAKA- a flag to rip apart the hyposricy in religious matters.
He founded the arya samaj with the aim of establishing the pure teachings of Vedas.
He simplified complex rituals and taught things to the common man by translating Vedas into Hindi.
An author of more than 60 books he saved us from the slavery of mindlessly worshiping idols and reciting things that we don't understand.
He changed lives of millions and reformed Hinduism within the authority of Vedas.
For some years the Arya Samaj and The Theosophical Society united to form The Theosophical Society of Arya Samaj.
About him Col.H. S.Olcott wrote-"A man of spirit… the irrepressible, energetic reformer, whose mighty voice and passionate eloquence,,,raised thousands of people in India from, lethargic indifference and stupor into active patriotism." Subhash Chandra Bose described him as-" certainly one of the most powerful personalities who has shaped modern India… responsible for its moral regeneration and religious revival".
J. Krishnamurti, whose death anniversary falls on Feb 17th, on the other hand blasted hyposricy like no other man in the spiritual history.
He is not as popular as the mythical St Valentine or the real life hero Swami Dayananda saraswati. He was a unique man who limited himself to a select few. He laid down new rules, created a new dimension for those who are in search of truth and the eternal questions that have confounded mankind since eternity.
There was a time when each spiritual leader thought that he was the only one.
That truth was the birth right of only one community or religion but as mankind progressed we learnt that there are other religions and traditions that are equally right and wise. This required a new paradigm that was provided by World Theosophical Society- a society dedicated to studying and serving all spiritual traditions.
J.Krishnamurti(12th May 1895 - 17th Feb 1986) was selected as the world teacher by this world wide society.
But when the teacher was ready he gave a message that reminded one of Maitrya Buddha. JKrishnamurti was a profound thinker who demolished all held believes like no other teacher in the world.
His way of 'looking in to things together' did not allow any spiritual or religious crutches we are so fond of.
So obviously he was not popular with masses. For we want such god men- even if they did not ever exist-who can give us license to do what we want to do. As the poet says- to justify our bloody deeds in the name of history, in the mane of God"
(The Author is a President of D.I.S.H.A. ngo) |
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