BJP TODAY
August 16--31, 2003 - Vol. 12, No. 16
Book review
"Vedic Thoughts" Brig. Chitranjan Sawant VSM, published by Vijay Kumar Govindram Hasanand, Delhi (2003).
Our life is engulfed with a miasma of depression, frustratins and cut throat competitions which has adversely affected peace and happiness. Something is urgently needed as a nostrum, something that can create an outlet, something which can restore moral and physical confidence in our life. The book entitled Vedic Thoughts by Brig, Sawant makes a commendable endeavour which seems to provide some sort of therapeutic treatment and helps in neutralising the acidity of life. It is intensely stimulating, deeply inspiring and a highly pragmatic book. Though it highlights the aims, ideals and objectives of Arya Samaj yet it unobtrusively charters the path which may enable an individual to lead a life of contentment. Although the title is Vedic Thoughts, it is free from terseness and obscurity of complex ideas of the Vedas, instead the book is replete with reminiscences and anecdotes of the author and contains his perception of and reflections on the great characters from mythology and history, like Shri Ram, Shri Krishna, Maharishi Dayanand and Hansraj ji. Having served the Indian Army, the author writes in a straight forward manner and gives examples from his own experiences. No wonder, there is a reference to the India-China War (1962) and also to the Kargil War.
The book has six chapters and each chapter is further sub-divided into several headings but in totality, it deals with the philosophy of life, the ethos of the Vedas and its applicability and relevancy to our life. The author derives inspiration from the Vedas, which on the one hand reveals his extensive study but at the same, it also reflects his admirable skill in reducing some simple, easily comprehensible equations for life.
The author emphasises the knowledge of Vedas as a sine qua non for leading a contented life. This universality and this easy adaptability of its pragmatic approach seems to be its most admirable feature. The writer successfully interprets the four concepts: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha in an admirably lucid and highly convincing language. It abounds in valuable quotations from the Rig Veda and the Yajur Veda. He also gives some relevant quotations from the Gita. Simplicity of language generally comes from clarity of perception and seems to constitute the singular feature of the book.
The last chapter entitled the travelogue is highly interesting because the writer vividly narrates the Gurukul Kangri Centenary Celebrations and the Arya Maha Sammelan. It also offers a glimpse of various activities of the Arya Samaj outside India. The book ends by re-asserting the importance to the word Aum or Om by highlighting its relevance to our modern life.
Chitranjan's seminal mantra is "have faith in God and also have faith in yourself". Towards the end, there is a reference to Suraiya Begum of Sind (Pakistan) who reads the ten principles of the Arya Samaj and tells other ladies of Pakistani origin (already mentioned in detail at page 176-177) that have some sort of universal appeal and which seem to transcend the narrow paradigms of religion. The last sentence of the book justifies the title when it calls upon the people: "back to the Vedas".
Thus, the book in a nutshell distils the quintessence of knowledge from all the four Vedas and provides a means by which one may bask in the celestial bliss by coming out of the morass of depressing darkness, which may enable a man to rediscover himself what Vaughan calls "white celestial light". The union of finite with the infinite is the aim of life and the book seems to be a humble attempt towards the realisation of this lofty aim. There is also a collateral message as printed at the back page of the cover.
A.A. Sinha