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Sopanishat: With a new Samskrit commentary by Kaulacharya Satyananda. Translated with Introduction by Jnanendralal Majumdar together with a Foreword by Arthur Avalon. Publishers: Ganesh & Co. Madras, 17. Pp. 8 plus 83. Rs. 3.

Here is an edition of the Isopanishat with a valuable and informative Introduction in English, and a new Samskrit commentary written from the view-point of Saktadvaita which differs only in one respect from Sri Samkara’s Advaita.

All the Upanishads unequivocally proclaim that “All this is Brahman” “Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma”. It is while interpreting this sentence and arriving at the relationship between this word “Idam” and the word Brahma, that the various systems of philosophy differ from each other. While explaining the process of creation generally all systems of philosophy postulate three things, viz., –Prakriti, Purusha, and Jiva. According to Sri Samkara, this world is nothing but Maya which is identical with ignorance, and as such is unreal in essence from the spiritual point of view. Jiva, in fact, when freed from illusion, is Brahman itself and there is no difference at all between the two. In truth there is neither the creator nor the creation, and all the process of creation explained in the Sastras is intended only for laymen. This in short is Sri Samkara’s philosophy, summed up in this adage:

“Brahma Satyam Jagan Midhya

Jivo Brahmaiva Narparah.”

According to the Saktadvaita also this world is identical with the Maya or Prakriti. But here, Maya is not identical with ignorance. Maya is a “Sakti” of the Brahman, and as there is no difference between Sakti and Saktiman or the possessor of Sakti, Maya is also the Brahman and hence identical with the consciousness. That ‘one’ consciousness, in the process of creation, veils herself as imperfect consciousness and manifests in the form of this world and Jiva. So according to Saktadvaita all this world is real. What appears as unconscious is only imperfectly conscious.

From the above considerations we can see that whereas Sri Samkara starts from the spiritual point of view, the Saktas present their theory from the practical point of view. As regards the interpretation of the sentence ‘Sarvam Khalu Idam Brahma’, the relationship that exists between the world and the Brahman according to Sri Samkara is that of concomitance after disillusionment (badhayam Samanadhikaranyam) whereas it is concomitance of identity (abhede Samanadhikaramnam) according to the Saktas.

Sri Satyananda ably explains the Upanishat in simple Samskrit from the Sakta point of view, but he has not shown us where, why, and how he differs from Sri Samkara. It is only in two places that he differs from the latter, (1) The world, he says, is identical with the Brahman and hence is real. Here, in order to establish his own point of view, he ought to have presented Sri Samkara’s arguments and refuted them. (2) In the 12th Mantra, the words “asambhuti” and “sambhuti”, according to Sri Samkara mean Prakriti and Saguna Brahma respectively; but Sri Satyananda interprets them to mean (1) the presiding deities of Karma, like Agni and Indra, and (2) Saguna Brahma respectively. But for this, there is not much that is original in this commentary.

The value of this book lies largely in the English Introduction covering over 25 pages. Herein we see a very clear and able exposition of the two advaitic schools of philosophy, with the final conclusion that the Sakta philosophy is not, in fundamentals and final form, at variance with Sri Samkara’s advaita, though there is considerable difference in the Sadhanas they adopt, But there is only one statement in the Introduction to which exception may be taken. Sri Majumdar says, “The value of this commentary consists in this, that it shows that the Tantric principle of monistic dualism, which allows of coalition between Jnana and Karma, is advocated for Sadhakas in the Sruti.” This is not quite correct in that Sri Samkara also in his Bhashya accepted this principle of coalition between Karma and Jnana in the sense of Devata Jnana or Upasana: and Sri Satyananda has nothing new to say here, In spite of this, the Introduction, which cannot be otherwise improved upon, is worth careful study and every Sakta should own a copy of this book.

B. KUTUMBA RAO, M.A.

The Life of Mahatma Gandhi by Louis Fischer (in two volumes): Each about 320 pages and priced Rs. 1-12-0. Published by the Book University of The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay.

The declared aim of the Book University is to produce at a cheap price, books covering the best literature in the world which stands for India and the fundamentals for which Indian culture stands–as the first step towards the ultimate goal of reintegration of Indian culture, in the light of modern needs and a resuscitation of its fundamental values.

The life of Mahatma Gandhi is admittedly an embodiment of the fundamentals and enduring elements of Indian culture, a model of successful adaptation of the ancient Indian culture to the needs and problems of modern conditions of life, and a proof of the value of such reintegration of Indian culture to the war-weary and disillusioned Western civilisation. There cannot be therefore any question of the propriety of the choice of the subject for a volume of the Book University. In fact there could be no better choice for realising the immediate objective as well as the ultimate aim.

The life of Gandhiji accredited leader of the nation in its struggle for independence, and acknowledged father of the nation reborn, is a sacred memory for Indians and hence all but too intimately familiar to all classes of Indians. Many studies of his life and personality, his methods and his principles, his philosophy and outlook have appeared recently and constitute a considerable and growing body of literature in India.

But the life of the Mahatma is not merely of national significance. His life, methods, principles and ideals have attracted the attention of all the earnest seekers in the West as well as in the East, eagerly searching for a way out of the morass into which the materialistic and machine-ridden modern European civilisation has led the world; and it is now universally recognised that his life, his methods and his ideals deserve careful and reverent consideration and study in any attempt to reorientate modern civilisation to ensure universal peace and progress. But this attempt on the part of the West to understand and appraise at its proper worth the significance of the great soul, is a difficult matter requiring flexibility of mind and genuine sympathy, intellectual and moral qualities of a very high order; and it is no ordinary task to present the life of a typically Indian mystic and saint to the materialistic and rationalistic Western mind in an intelligible form so as to impress on it the universal significance and value of it.

This is the task attempted and accomplished with admirable success by the well-known talented journalist Louis Fischer. This brilliant and seasoned writer lavishes all his talent, style, thought and energy upon the subject, eminently worthy of his supreme effort, and traces from the beginning the evolution of the personality, the politics, the philosophy and the achievement of the extraordinary soul with all the steadiness, objectivity, accuracy and intellectual power characteristic of the Western mind and The skilful selection of incident and conversation, the dramatic grouping of characters and personalities, the significant comparisons and contrasts, the reasoned conclusions of a trained journalist, and the enthusiasm and devotion of an ardent admirer with actual personal contacts with his subject, enhance the value of his intellectual appreciation and artistic presentation.

The treatment is thorough, with all the details of precious incidents and sequences of events preceding dramatic culminations, brief but clear explanations of remote and obscure references, elaborate analysis of the far-reaching implications of the actions and words in all directions of the life of humanity.

The approach is sympathetic and reverent, yet sincere, faithful, cautious and critical, the characteristic approach of a Western mind. The book is bound to prove highly useful and instructive to Indians too, in that it enables us to see the significance of our leader and the value of his achievement in the perspective of the history of the entire human world, and the nature of the contribution which India, independent and achieving a revival and resuscitation of her ancient soul, can make to the progress of Humanity.

–M.S.K.

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