Tulsi Badrinath’s edited collection of her late father Chaturvedi Badrinath’s essays encapsulates a range of everyday themes in a most refreshing and thought provoking manner. Ranging from those of good governance and justice to sexual, personal and social health, the essays simplify the seemingly lofty preachings of the Mahabharata and the religions of Jainism, Hinduism, and Islam. The simple and interesting use of language to elucidate on issues of truth, dharma, and individuals’ freedoms and rights among others appeals to the lay reader. The essays also draw upon the works of some eminent Western thinkers such as Ronald Dworkin and HlA Hart. Dworkin was a Jewish American philosopher who worked on American constitutional laws and Hart was a well known British legal philosopher. Awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for his The Mahabharata:An Inquiry in the Human Condition, Badrinath uses numerous anecdotes from the epic and uses them to explore and interpret today’s issues.
In the present collection of essays as well as in his award winning book, the writer has showed how the concerns dealt with in the epic are pertinent till today. Picking up ideas from the epic and the aforementioned religious ideologies, he applies them to the contemporary status quo and offers solutions with fresh perspectives. In the process, he also opens up the Mahabharata and the religion from their cocooned understanding into what is immediate as well as mundane.
Not only do the essays offer a much needed window towards the solutions for the diconcerting and issues of our times but they also take the interested reader closer to the past so as to widen his knowledge of the religious philosophies as well as to come up with his own interpretations.
The writer, undoubtedly, seems extremely well-versed with the epics and religions and exhibits skill in connecting these with the present materialistic/industrialist society. With great stress on dharma and right ways of doing things, a subtle cynicism for the global market and its emphasis on money relations is also discernible. In the opening essay of the book, Towards a World of Freedom, Badrinath states that what the global market falsely promises, that is, the twin assurances of happiness and truth, are actually completely absent from its system. But he also states that completely freeing oneself from the current materialistic circles is neither possible nor called for. The way to create harmony between our inner peace and the mad race of the world is to be found by turning towards the religious past and its archaic religious/philosophical schools of thought.
What keeps one engaged in the narrative is the technique used by the essayist in putting together the contents of each chapter. He intelligently chooses the central theme, title and the sequence of each essay. Each of them puts across the point in a concise manner without overflowing into a number of pages, and consequently not losing its essence. He uses ample examples used from both Indian as well as Western thought systems and that adds to the refined writing style of the essayist. The essays put across in strong terms the writer’s belief that the teachings of the epics and of the different schools of thought — both of our homeland as well as of the West are enriched with unending worth for man if only the latter could seek deeper into oneself with a true intention of their application.
Viewing a religious system only as a means of worshipping God to win his favours is a hazardous and illogical exercise. Religions of our country are much more than that; they are guides for enabling a healthier and harmonious life and also serve as rule books for social and political agendas. The essays bring out the essence of different religious schools while elaborating on specific concepts and ideas. The appeal to the readers in turn gets amplified by the simple yet hitting discussions of the chosen topics. One such idea that resonates throughout the work is of dharma, a Sanskrit term the writer defines as ‘foundation’. He elaborates on dharma by picking up instances from the Mahabharata and the Arthashastra.
Even before the institutions of the state, kingdom or the king appeared, dharma has served as the foundation of relationships in the society. Not to be understood solely as belief in a personal godhead, the concept serves as an umbrella term defining one’s right conduct vis-à-vis his/her station in life. Considering both to be of equal worth, the writer states the true dharma of the State/King and also of the citizens those who make up the society. If it falls on the former to be intelligent and free from arrogance and partiality, it is enjoined on the latter to have faith in the powers and judgment of the former. The two being in sync only can create a harmonious space where both exist and flourish together.
The collection of essays triggers the readers to indulge in introspection. It forces us to revisit our notions of right and wrong, of what we consider fair and how far our actions actually benefit us. In a time when basic human sensibilities are breaking down in the face of cut-throat competition in every sphere, the essays connect us to the aged but valid lessons from an epic and religious systems, forcing us to rethink and look into ourselves. The Jain philosophy of aparigraha, translated as ‘not-grasping’ by the essayist is something which is connected to all of us in this day. Far from discouraging you to enjoy the materialistic things you can have from your hard earned money, the concept actually applies to the non-materialistic things in life. Often due to our strong financial/social standing we tend to exhibit a superior or overpowering attitude towards our relationships. Treating people as commodities and trying to control or overpower them is what we need to disengage from.
What makes the book an especially interesting reading is that it does not come across as a lesson or a preaching. On the other hand, it appears extremely informative but without being too burdensome. There is a certain level of curiosity to move on to the next chapter/essay to see how the essayist has dealt with another important concept.
The reviewer is a doctoral research candidate in Contemporary Indian literature, Delhi University