Sacrifice: The basis for a great nation
Swami Vivekananda whose
message served as great inspiration for freedom movement realised that India
was not just any other nation. But India was nurtured with truth of existence
that is the world view of oneness of existence by the great sages, rishis,
saints so as to guide the humanity to evolve spiritually. Thus, India's freedom
movement was not only in India's interest but it was for the well-being of the
whole humanity.
Swami Vivekananda almost
becomes poetic while describing India. He says, 'This is the ancient land where
wisdom made its home before it went into any other country, the same India
whose influx of spirituality is represented, as it were, on the material plane,
by rolling rivers like oceans, where the eternal Himalayas, rising tier above
tier with their snow-caps, look as it were into the very mysteries of heaven.
Here is the same India whose soil has been trodden by the feet of the greatest
sages that ever lived. Here first sprang up inquiries into the nature of man
and into the internal world. Here first arose the doctrines of the immortality
of the soul, the existence of a supervising God, an immanent God in nature and
in man, and here the highest ideals of religion and philosophy have attained
their culminating points. This is the land from whence, like the tidal waves,
spirituality and philosophy have again and again rushed out and deluged the
world, and this is the land from whence once more such tides must proceed in
order to bring life and vigour into the decaying races of mankind. It is the
same India which has withstood the shocks of centuries, of hundreds of foreign
invasions of hundreds of upheavals of manners and customs. It is the same land
which stands firmer than any rock in the world, with its undying vigour,
indestructible life. Its life is of the same nature as the soul, without
beginning and without end, immortal; and we are the children of such a
country.'
The colonial rule of British
destroyed India's well spread system of education for all communities,
irrigation system and land policy which made India Sujalam-
Suphalam, flourishing industry and commerce. As India relegated to poverty
and ignorance, she forgot about her ‘Swa’ and her role in comity of
nations. The impact of British rule even after independence was not
course- corrected. Additionally, political exigencies further compounded
and prolonged the misfortune of India. Dharma is the life- center of India.
Even though there were some emperors who politically had united India, India
was always considered as one nation even when there were many political units
or kingdoms or janapadas in India. It was Dharma that united India. The
understanding of Dharma, the insistence for practice of Dharma were
common.
Thousands of freedom fighters
sacrificed their life so that India is again established firmly, vibrantly and
with conviction in oneness of existence, in divinity of human soul and divinity
of the creation and for India mould her national life on Dharma. But we forgot,
what is India, what is the life centre of India, how should we strengthen
India, what is the speciality of India etc. Fortunately, by the penance and
blessings of the great Rishis and Sadhus and the merit of sacrifice of crores
of freedom fighters, over the period, an awakening is perceived,
self-confidence is evident, and India appears getting ready to express her
'Swa'. At such opportune time, 'Azadi ka Amrit mahotsav' also has
provided an occasion for us to go deep into what India stands for; to
understand and practice Dharma to raise our nation not to dominate other
countries but to guide the whole humanity.
Swami Vivekananda had said
that Dharma is the life centre of India but unfortunately we equated Dharma
with exclusive religions and thus we failed to understand that whatever may be
the religious tradition of a person, Dharma is to be practiced by all. Dharma
is our duty towards our expanded self that is the families, society, nation,
humanity and whole creation.
Though in the days of Swami
Vivekananda religion word was used by him in his English lectures, what he
meant was always Dharma. Swami Vivekananda pointed out, 'We have seen that our
vigour, our strength, nay, our national life is in our religion. I am not going
to discuss now whether it is right or not, whether it is correct or not,
whether it is beneficial or not in the long run, to have this vitality in religion,
but for good or evil it is there; you cannot get out of it, you have it now and
for ever, and you have to stand by it, even if you have not the same faith that
I have in our religion. You are bound by it, and if you give it up, you are
smashed to pieces. That is the life of our race and that must be strengthened.
You have withstood the shocks of centuries simply because you took great care
of it, you sacrificed everything else for it. Your forefathers underwent
everything boldly, even death itself, but preserved their religion. Temple
after temple was broken down by the foreign conqueror, but no sooner had the
wave passed than the spire of the temple rose up again. Some of these old
temples of Southern India and those like Somnâth of Gujarat will teach you
volumes of wisdom, will give you a keener insight into the history of the race
than any amount of books. Mark how these temples bear the marks of a hundred
attacks and a hundred regenerations, continually destroyed and continually
springing up out of the ruins, rejuvenated and strong as ever! That is the
national mind, that is the national life-current. Follow it and it leads to
glory. Give it up and you die; death will be the only result, annihilation the
only effect, the moment you step beyond that life-current. I do not mean to say
that other things are not necessary. I do not mean to say that political or
social improvements are not necessary, but what I mean is this, and I want you
to bear it in mind, that they are secondary here and that religion is primary.'
Each soul is potential
divine. The goal of life is to manifest that divinity by controlling the nature
external and internal, so said Swami Vivekananda. The striving to manifest our
divinity by performing our duties to all collectives is Dharma. Controlling the
nature external and internal is Dharma. Getting rooted in one's own being is
Dharma. But what is my being, is in all the beings. Therefore, to
interact with everything i.e. with man and nature with feelings of oneness is
Dharma. Man is not just body, mind, intellect. Man is an expanding
consciousness which manifests as various collectives like family, society,
nation and whole creation. Being part of all these collectives, naturally man
is bound to fulfil his duty as part of the whole. Simultaneously, we have
a duty to perform and a function to enrich our larger self that is families,
society, nation and the whole creation and ultimately realize our divine
nature.
In above quotation, we have
to mark very important words of Swami Vivekananda, 'You have withstood the
shocks of centuries simply because you took great care of it (Dharma), you
sacrificed everything else for it.' We as a nation withstood the shocks for
centuries because we sacrificed everything for Dharma. It is that sacrifice
which is the need of the hour. Sacrifice not to die in the war necessarily
today, but to rebuild our nation, to express the 'Swa' of India, the oneness of
existence in all systems of national life.
The great work is done by
great sacrifices alone. As Vedas say, 'Tyagen eke amritatvamaanasu'. We
got the freedom because of the great sacrifices by all these freedom fighters
from all the parts of India, from all the communities of India, from different
social stratas. For them the education or career, the job or status, the
comforts or enjoyment were not important but making India free from colonial
rule was important. Therefore, they sacrificed everything. For rebuilding of
our nation too, we need to sacrifice. Nations are not built by selfish interests
or from comfort zones. In whatever job or profession, we are, can we
devote ourselves fully? Can we manifest excellence in each field? Can we spare
our sometime to work for good of the society without any expectation? If yes,
then we are really remembering all these great freedom fighters not just in
words or memory but also in action. And that is what they expected from us.
That was the only expectation of theirs when they went to the gallows
smilingly, that after them, would come many more who would free the country and
rebuild it with great sacrifices. May their lives as brought out in the second
volume inspire us to sacrifice, to work, to manifest our excellence in the
service of the people and our motherland.
Nivedita
Raghunath Bhide
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