THE LIBERATOR

The Beginning

General Montgomery was appointed to lead Allied army in African front during the Second World War. His opponent was formidable German, Field Marshal Rommel. Monty set up his desert HQ. Facing his chair was an enlarged photo of Rommel. A constant communication channel was established.

My study table has several writings on the Bhagwat Gita in the glass almirah facing my chair. With age, I spend my working hours mainly in my bed room. I have a TV on a book rack. My bedroom collection has Tagore’s poems and songs, a few light novels, a collection of funny stories by Sibram Chakraborty, a very serious book on matter and energy and my favourite edition of the Gita.

It all started on that cold and rainy winter night…..

It was past 10 pm in mid- December. There were heavy rains in the afternoon. Now it was a drizzle; but the cold wind was lashing. I was waiting at Howrah station for the train to Ranchi. Loud speakers were repeatedly blaring, ‘Due to late arrival of the rake, Ranchi Express will leave two hours late.’. The platform was nearly deserted; most passengers were in the main waiting hall, crowding the food stalls. I had taken the afternoon flight from Delhi and was adequately protected with warm anorak. I was in high spirits. My struggle of the last three years was coming to an end soon. I had a wholesome dinner in the railway rest house. I enjoyed the relative solitude and paced unhurriedly along the platform.

There was a book stall of Gita Press. There were books in various colours on the racks. I reached the counter; the lone salesman was sitting on a stool in a corner, all wrapped up protecting himself from cold wind as much as possible. On the counter was a Bengali version of the Gita, as usual with the picture of a chariot with Krishna with Arjun.

I picked up the book, and as was a habit glanced through the first verse. I knew this part: King is asking his assistant to describe the happenings of the war front. Then, as usual, turned to end to read the last verse. A year back, I was in Kolkata Book Fair. In a stall I found a copy of Somerset Maugham’s Of Human Bondage. The last sentence, Hand in hand they moved into the sun, prompted me to buy the book. Quite casually I turned the pages to reach the end.

 I felt a warm wave of kinship with the author, many thousand years old…………

From childhood, I had been hearing that the Gita is a great book. I was told that Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Baal Gangadhar Tilak and even some European thinkers had recorded that they got inspiration from the Gita. On ground, my experience was just the opposite. My mother had a copy of the Gita in her puja alcove along with a dozen photos and statuettes of gods and goddesses. Everyday, after bath she used to say her prayers and offer some sweets on a platter and a small glass of water. This was a part of her everyday chore, her hard life with her six sons. We accepted that this book was not for reading, but must be revered like any other god to bypass his or her curse.

 There was another location for the book. Whenever a person died, the body would be covered with a white sheet, and a cheap edition of the Gita would be placed on the chest. A few bouquets and garlands, primarily of white flowers would decorate to express homage to the dead and the Gita. I never saw a marriage, a birthday or any community puja, or any celebration of joy where the Gita had a place. But whenever there was a death ritual, inevitably there would be an isolated corner, quite segregated from the main stage of activity for, what we were told, Reading of Gita. We, the children were sternly told not to go and disturb the corner. We were amused to notice that mainly a very few old widows would be there, with folded hands and a priest mumbling some slokas. The earliest image of the Gita was that this was a text related to death and death rites, quite magical. I like most of my friends maintained a safe distance from this dangerous text.

With time, there were new images.

I started my schooling in Class III at Kashi Bhola Nath Visweshar Hindu Academy in Rajshahi. First thing we did was to assemble in a lawn and with folded hands pray aloud, ”You are my Father, You are my Mother, You are my friend, and so on..” I was told that this was from the Gita. Within a few months, I was admitted to Scottish Church School in Kolkata. A new prayer entered my life, “Our Father, in Heaven, and so on.” God in multiple form became a fatherly figure. I had no doubt that Gita is really a book of prayers, to be memorized and need not be studied to understand.

 The story of the epics, meant for the greens like us had quickly bypassed the Gita, merely touching upon it. My conviction that the book deals with only the phenomenon of death and post-death issues was firmly grouted. Then came the era of cinemas. Many films were based on Mahabharat episodes. The large posters of Krishna in these films had two forms: On a chariot with reins in two hands and, either floating or standing in threatening gesture with weapons in four hands. Interestingly, the dress and ornaments in both were identical; the face would be smooth without any trace of beard or whiskers.

That is all I remember of my childhood days in terms of the Gita. I had a good academic career, studied Physics, and technology and researched on Electromagnetic Field Theory. I joined teaching profession in a leading technology institute. I realized that my inner desire was to see my research outputs being used in the form of products and processes. I had to shift myself to a lesser known institute which did not hide behind academic superiority to avoid public judgement of their research. I struggled, albeit many failures, but the number of industries, described as sunrise industries, established by engineers and producing import substitution items grew in number. The concept of Technology incubator became universally practiced. Finally, came the National recognition; Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park became a national programme. All technology institutes were encouraged to adopt it.

I should have been happy: Stable professional life, secured services, a wide circle of friends and supporters. But there was a growing feeling within that I can still do something bigger. A series of disjointed incidents, that carried no meaning when they occurred, made me ponder if I had what I wanted. Events happened, quite independent of my normal flow of life, but they pulled me into a whirlpool of uncertainty. I wrote essays on the concept of development and then on the philosophy of a new institute focusing on Science and Technology for the development of the marginalized section of the society. I argued that the bests in science and technology in the world are just adequate for the weakest because they are latest in optimizing matter and energy and naturally would be most cost effective. At that time, cow dung and bullock cart were considered sufficient for village people. Several national institutes were working on improving them. And I was advocating for TV based education, data loggers, bio-technology. I had no place in institutes of higher technology.

I resigned at the peak of my career and decided to set up a model for Appropriation of Technology for village use. For long three years, I was hanging; a small income from occasional consultancy, a small mezzanine room as office. But I had friends who were dreamers like me. I moved from ministry to ministry: Education, S &T, Welfare, Rural Development, Industry: all were sympathetic but none prepared to bell the cat, to provide the initial fund and policy back-up. In desperation I wrote to the Prime Minister explaining why he had to support because my venture would be a combination of the functions of all ministries.

I was called to Delhi, spent three days and returned with the approval of the concept, a target of 100 institutes and layout for the first six. I named my organization as Society for Rural Industrialisation, defining industrialisation as a value system, distinct from the agrarian culture. It calls for enhancing scientific ability and working skill for all. I advocated that poverty and social discrimination could be wiped out if, and only if our deprived sections can access, learn and use higher knowledge and skill, higher levels of Science and Technology.

I was eager to return and took the afternoon flight to Kolkata. It was cold and raining; went to Howrah station, had a good meal preparing for the sleepless night in the unreserved compartment of Howrah-Ranchi Express.

In the book stall of Gita Press on the platform there were several volumes. I picked up one and casually turned the pages to read the concluding verse. It was a funny verse:

Sanjay said, ‘ I have no doubt that one who has superior knowledge and higher skill shall be victorious. ‘

                                 . . .

 I felt a warm wave of kinship with the author, many thousand years old, who could, quite casually come to the same dynamics of development, write it in the form of a lyric, as I have done through years of struggle, fighting my war for a social change. I was overwhelmed, but must confess felt a bit envious of the author. I knew that nuclear science, theory of relativity, modern tools were not known to the author, that he belonged to probably end of Bronze age, that he would be categorized as a primitive tribal person in today’s scale. I felt that the author must have been a pure and unalloyed academic, a wise unbiased thinker; he had limited vocabulary and with full confidence and courage wrote down what he believed to be the Truth. I was sure that the writer did not compose his verses for gaining power or fame, expecting a royal award. He felt, he understood and he wrote.

I bought four or five volumes on the Gita, displayed in the platform stall. It was the first doddering step of a novice into the labyrinth of the Gita. I was eager to find what other time-invariant conclusions the pure child- mind of a primitive man could arrive at.

The First War for Liberation

Next many months, I read several volumes written by great scholars extolling the Gita. Each is a beautiful literary composition. Each exudes the great reverence the author has for the written words. But not one word on Science and Technology, not one para to inspire a middle class engineer like me. Every text assumes that the reader knows and accepts the words as directly emerging from the mouth of god incarnate. All have surrendered and expects to be held by hand and led to the world of immortality. And here I am, struggling to solve the jig-saw puzzle the author prepared for me. I do not want an all-knowing teacher whom I can follow without question. I want a friend, a playmate with whom I can share my thoughts; I want a friend who will be standing by me whether I succeed or fail. I understand a bit of science, I have some knowledge of technology and possess some skills, both hard as well as soft. I am searching for something in the Gita to inspire such an individual. The lengthy ornamental works of the authors, to me appears to be monotonous.

Yet, I continued doggedly, read through the verses and glancing through the explanatory notes. To me the text appeared to be in a state of utter confusion. There are verses after verses which Krishna uses to describe himself, sometimes as Everything, and sometimes as only the Bests of Everything. Many verses clearly say that Krishna is not a Doer, because He is; parallelly, He seems to have created everything and thereby he cannot be everything. Spirits are described everywhere, Parmatma, Atma and Jivatma; I could not get any meaning. Some verses are positively revolting. One specifies who are authorised to study, read and even listen to the verses. To me it appeared ridiculous that I cannot study Gita before accepting it as the truth. Similarly, I found no purpose of the whole chapter where Krishna shows his huge physical form. Arjun is naturally cowed down, but remains absolutely unaffected. The last verse of the previous chapter and the first verse of the next chapter are continuous, as if the middle chapter on revelation did not exist. It must have been inserted later as an afterthought..

The verse that was most unacceptable to me was where Krisna says that He would take birth repeatedly to protect the goodness and honest persons. To me it is a humiliation , a blasphemy against good people, indicating their total incompetence to fight evil and injustice. Similarly, some comment of Arjuna relating to women marrying outside their clan appears to be irrelevant and maliciously introduced.

I also tried my engineering method for analysis, classified Krishna into clear two types, found that the Gita rightly calls the war as internal within Kuru clan and not between Kauravas and Pandavas. But my search for inspiration did not come. II had to take a bold step.

The Second War of Liberation

 I decided to write my own Gita, translated from original text. I searched and got a book where each verse is written in Bengali script and the compound words are delinked. Following it is a double column dictionary. Just the Bengali translation of each word. 

Thus equipped with only word meaning, I started composing sentences which make sense to me. To my surprise, I discovered that simple alteration of word is creating new meaning. Let me give an example. The very first verse has a word ‘also’; I made two sentences. One says that the fighting parties are Pandavas and also my sons; the second meaning is the fight is between my sons and also my children of Pandu. The fight in the second case refers to an inner conflict and the first refers to fight of self with outside. In a verse in Chapter 13, two numbers ten and one could be translated as eleven or two sets of ten and one.

My search for the scientist and engineer who composed the last verse continued. My guide during my Ph.D. work used to tell me, ‘You have to sleep with your problem; your brain must not rest even when your body sleeps’. One early morning, I woke up with a funny feeling. I opened my favourite version of the Gita and idly turned over pages.

Chapter13 is titled, Ksetra Ksetrajna Vibhaaga Yoga.

The word meaning of kshetra is FIELD and the ksetrajna means the person who knows the FIELD.

 Verse 1 of the Chapter explains : This Body is referred to as FIELD.

I laughed and laughed.

 The very first verse of Gita introduces the term FIELD , and ,I with many years of research on Electromagnetic Field considered the term as a geographical identity, a holy battleground in a place called Kuruksetra in Haryana.

I jumped back to the beginning. Kuruksetra is said to be a holy place. I went into Mahavarat to know more about it. The background of the holiness is recorded as an episode related to King Kuru, founder of the Kuru dynasty. The king was enamored with a dancer named Bohurupa, a dancer in the court of the King of Heavens, Indra. In order to marry her, Kuru undertook long penance on the advice of the girl. Indra was duly impressed. He permitted Kuru and Bohurupa to marry. As a bonus or a marriage gift Indra gave a boon that anyone killed in battle in the area will go to heaven directly.

I had my second great laugh.

The next few verses of Chapter 13 explain ‘what that field is and what its nature is.’ The verses explain that the body is not only the matter form; Kshetra includes, five elements of environment, namely, Space, Air, Water, Fire and Earth. Also included are ten sensory organs and all emotional attributes like Ego & Intelligence, Wish, Happiness, Sorrow, Animosity, Sustainability of body and mind.

Thus, the Ksetra indicates a person’s entire zone of influence, matter, sensual, emotional; it encompasses the whole universe. It indicates everything around that are influenced by it and therefore, everything around that impacts on it.

Suddenly, I perceived that the Gita is telling the Infinity in me, giving me confidence that I am never alone. I, being a part of Infinity, am Infinity. The book encourages all to find that Infinity and act accordingly.

I could understand the Gita for the first time in my own way. Simply speaking, Life is Field phenomenon. I call it Life Field. It is similar to other fields I know of. Earth is a magnet. Around it is a magnetic field. A piece of iron in this field acquire the field characteristics. So, we have three clear identities: Source, Field, Manifestation. In the Life-field, the book calls them Paramatma, Atma and Jivatma.. Everything the Gita says on the phenomenon of life just matches the theory.

A piece of iron on earth shows magnetic properties. Dissolve it in strong acid, you get a salt, which is no longer showing magnetic property, but the magnetic field remains unaffected. So, only Jivatma is transient, but not the field.

 No field is static; the constant movement of bodies renders dynamism to Gravitational field. Life field is dynamic: Life is movement says Upanishads and Socrates.

I concluded that the first verse is referring to Kuru Ksetra Dharma, lyrically presented as Kurukstra Dramaksetra. Thus, from a single entity named Kuru, it became a composite field of the Kurus. If Kuru is a royal clan, Kuru-ksetra refers to everything under its control and influence, all its strength and weakness, its dreams and ambitions, its struggle to rule and coquer, its dream of expanding empire. It also is an acceptance that the field does not exist alone; it is apart of an infinite field that has the power to influence it.

But still, I had another hurdle to cross. I reverted back to the first verse.

The Third War of Liberation

I got into a new dilemma. It indicates something called Dharma of the Field of the Kuru dynasty. What is dharma? To me Dharma indicates some religious practices adopted by a person. But then what can be religious practice of a field entity? The Gita does not define it, but uses the term all the time. There is, however, a hint that it refers to something other than religious function in several verses which use the term Swa (Self )dharma. Para ( other-than-self) dharma. Gita says that it is better to adhere to Swadharma and face difficulties, rather than trying Paradharma and achieve gain.

I tried to get a definition of Dharma from Rig Veda. The term is used at many verses, used as noun, verb, adjective. I consulted Dr.Kalam and he directed me to Mr.N.Vittal, the first Central Vigilance Commissioner. Mr. Vittal advised that I should try to gather a definition from the Upnishads. Since there are many Upnishads, he advised me to start with Brihadaranyak, the earliest of Upnishads. As advised, I collected an English version.

The first item that struck me was the definition I was looking for. Simple three words: Ksartyasya Dharmam Kshastam, the Dharma of Khastrya, a warrior is his ability to fight. It continues: One must incessantly try to improve upon and reach perfection within ones dharma. Then only he is Dharmik. Otherwise he is A-dharmik. This is exactly what is repeated in the Gita.

Thus, Dharma is not religion, nor observance of rites and rituals. It refers to one’s innate power of energy to sustain its life entity. Here again it matches the basic properties of all field phenomenon. Every field has three distinct characteristics: ability to store energy, tendency to oppose change and loss of energy. In electromagnetic field, these are expressed through three parameters: Capacitance, Inductance and Resistance. In gravitational field, these are termed as Potential & Kinetic energy, Inertia and Friction.

In Life-field, Jivatma, being a specific and unique manifestation of the field, is under stress to give up its special status. Since it is created by a special action of the field, the field itself creates an opposing reaction to bring back status quo ante.

In electromagnetic field, there is a drive, a cell, a battery or a generator to replenish the loss of energy. Dharma in the Life field of the living, is the drive actualized through constant effort to improve levels of knowledge and activity. Every cell that forms the body creates this energy through chemical reaction with oxygen. The red cells in the blood stream does the job of ferrying oxygen to each cell.

The opening verse of the Gita, each Jivatma, within its Life-field is symbolized as Kuru clan. Within each such manifestation there is a perpetual war between two forces: Force of Attrition and Force of Continuance. The closing verse is the judgement: Improved Science and Technology surely shall be the victor.

Gita has tried to explain how a Jivatma, in the form of human being would be able to identify its innate power of sustenance, its unique Drarma. The Gita suggests that this can be found by understanding one’s Aptitude & Attitude along with one’s goal and purpose. The Gita finds that whole human race can be classified into four major groups or Varnas. Each Varna is an expression of attitude and aptitude, acquired naturally. The Gita does not explain how it is acquired, and merely states that it is self-generated from within. Swabhabja is the term used. The origin is unknown, but there is no doubt that the characteristics must be due to the impact of Life field. The whole of the epic Mahabharat documents evidence of independence of aptitude-attitude from the phenomenon of birth. There is no claim in the book that the Varna-based classification indicates levels of superiority. All are integral component within Life-field, is repeated many times through several verses.

 The source may be fuzzy, but the characteristics, physical manifestations are distinct and discernable.

Aptitude wise, a few are comfortable in knowledge generation, a few find greatest challenge in wealth creation, and a third small group find its achievement through managing communities, human clusters. They are termed as Brahmin, Vaisya and Kshatriya respectively. Attitude-wise all are same: Confident to innovate, to lead and to succeed.

However, a very majority, termed as Shudra, have one of the three aptitudes, but are weak in confidence. They search for security and achievement under guidance of the other three. They provide back-up support service for the other three. In today’s terminology the first three are entrepreneurs and the fourth is service provider. It is amusing to find that the best entrepreneurial quality is functionless, ineffective and non-existent without the sustaining services of the Shudras. It is a perfect image of mutuality, a harmonious co-existence of giver-receiver; each Jivatma is simultaneously a giver and a receiver. The Gita stresses that a service-provider can surpass its leader-guide if one tries to be perfect in the task. Perfection in work is the surest route to attain the highest status, says the Gita.

It is worth recording that the dictum and observation made many centuries ago are still valid. In recent history, a cobbler became a great spiritual leader, Kutubuddin and Il-tut-mis became great emperors, starting as slaves.

It must be recorded that birth-based caste system prevailing even now in India has harmed our great tradition, dignity, world leadership more than anything else, be it invasion, occupation, looting. Only during the last decade, genetic research on DNA tracing has proved conclusively that birth-based caste differential started sometimes in early 8th Century. It has nothing to do with Vedic teaching, no relation with any religious tenet. It has been conjectured that a weak and unwise king of the Gupta era, on the advice of a coterie of very cunning social leaders introduced the concept as a Royal proclamation. One must not doubt this conjecture; there is a recorded history that during the rule of Sena dynasty with a King’s edict, Bengal accepted Kaulinya system which, even today ensures social advantage and regards for persons born in some clans. Any verse even in the Gita, which attributes birth-centered caste system as a divine expression, is a lie, an intentional falsehood. Only the society can undo this evil. I am sure that our next generations, empowered by new knowledge of genetics will one day win the battle.

Another important factor, discovered through observational tool by the author, surely a high class social scientist, is that the goal-objective, the purpose of every action, effort, initiative of human beings can be classified into only three basic class. The Gita says that these three are exclusively human traits, not found in other living objects and that there is no human being who can be free from the bondage of these three

. These three traits, Triguna, as named, are,

(a). Universal welfare of life field,

(b). Self-gain, and

(c). Harming one or more elements of life field.  

There are examples covering a wide range of subjects from eating, charity, sacrifice, learning, innovating to show and establish without any shade of doubt that the same activity by different persons is driven by three clearly visible willful objective. Over the centuries, there has been no change in these fundamental nature of human beings.The verses carefully avoid to judge if one is better that the other, if there is any good and bad differential. The episodes in the epic document how the same person expresses all three traits in different situation. To me all these contradictory behaviors is the outcome of interactions of the vast life-field.

The Gita brilliantly summarises the whole range of human activities through a couple of verses:

You must work. You have right to work, but no right to give up working;You must work with clear goal and objective, outcome and output.To achieve your goal and objective, you must put in your best.If you get the output of your effort, they are yours by right.Since, you are afield, affected by many unknown forces, the outcome is not determined by you alone, and hence you singly cannot claim the right on the outcome.A farmer plans and works to produce rice. Any rice he produces is his. But whether the plants will grow rightly and give any yield is not his decision. An attack of pests, an untimely rain, an earthquake can destroy the system; there will be cases where paddy will be there with negligible rice in it.Your experience in failing to achieve the desired level does not give you any right to stop your endeavor. You have to analyze, understand, take correctives and work again.The above is a clear assertion of the supremacy of knowledge and skill, science and technology in the life of human beings.

I can now look back within me. I realize that the motive of my struggle over many years to understand Gita in my knowledge boundary was for self-gain. I have tried repeatedly, failed and tried differently. Now I know for sure that there is Infinity within me; I am certain that I can be better than what I am. I have emerged victorious in my war to cast off some of my inhibitions. I can accept success and failures more easily than earlier. I feel more confident to grab new challenges.

But most surprisingly, my fear level has definitely come down. I have certainly not become a fearless person. But I do not get scared as easily as I used to earlier.

 I have no hope and desire that my victory will lead me to a permanent place in heaven, as has been promised in many verses of the book. To me, the Gita is not a book of death and after-death, it is a scientific treatise on how to conduct oneself in life and living.

 I have found a new meaning of Tagore’s first poem in his book, Getanjali, the Song Offering.

Thou hast made me endless, such is thy pleasure.

For me, thou indicate my Life-field. The Gita has liberated me from many small strands of bondage enabling me to enter the universe.

The Aftermath

Now, at a very ripe age, in semi-cripple condition, I feel that I can share some new understanding of the Gita that I could evolve within me. I am not a great scholar of ancient texts. I have little knowledge about Sanskrit language. I do not think that I am a great devotee. I am unfit as a critic or a judge. I have merely tried to solve some of the puzzles in the Gita which had been disturbing me.

First, let me present those verses which are revolting.

 At one place (Verse 10.34), the highest qualities like Achievement, Beauty, Communication ability, Memory, Intelligence, Stability and Magnanimity are attributed to women.

Yet at another (Verse 9.32), women are clubbed with low-birth, outcasts, and even sub-humans.

Along with these are verses (1.40- 1.43) where Arjun gives the view:

When a dynasty is destroyed, its traditions get vanquished, and the rest of the family becomes involved in irreligion.

With the preponderance of irreligion, the women of the family become immoral; and from the immorality of women, unwanted progeny are born.

Increase in unwanted children results in hellish life….

My ideal writer of the first verse can’t be as crude as to compose the others. They must be deleted by a group of scholars. I know that what we are reading as the authentic version of the epic Mahabharat, is a result of similar exercise. The research was conducted at Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune from April1,1919 to September 22, 1966. It was supported by the British rulers till 1947, and also by the Nizam of Hyderabad. Therefore, re-examining the text can be undertaken. With time, values change and that calls for re-examination for public good. The Constitution of India has been modified several times.

The verse (18.67) specifies that the Gita can be heard and recited only by unquestioning minds and all others are strictly barred. The writer, in my opinion is an incomparable scientist with keen observational power. He is wise and full of sympathy for human life. He would not hide behind public scrutiny of his hypothesis; contrarily he would welcome alternative approaches and solutions. I shudder to think what would have happened in Newton banned all who raise smallest doubt about the laws he postulated. We would have missed Einstein, we would have missed wave theory. This verse is the handiwork of weak selfish minds, who try to retain their advantageous position by spreading the virus of ignorance among others, discouraging new ideas to sprout.

This verse must be deleted from the text.

And lastly, I would like to thank the ancient author for his time- tested theories that has liberated me from many bondages. And, as is my practise, I wish to express my gratitude on behalf of many like me, by redeeming the Gita from the world of death. Gita is a song of Life, proclaiming that humanity will overcome all difficulties of living, Jivatma will ensure its rightful place as offered by Atma and Paramatma.

My humble plea to all who respect the Gita and to our Government to mobilize public support for the study of the Gita in all forums, in all occasions, within and outside India. The wealth called Gita belongs to the whole human race. We, in India are blessed and it is ordained that India spreads the thought everywhere.

In the world of today, lacerated by weak confidence, fuzzy wisdom, and blind faith, we the Indians can hold whole humanity together and

                               Let the Gita Lead 

                             from Darkness to Light,

                             from Transitory to Eternity.