our sacred crest
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OUR SACRED CREST D. N. NADKARNI Title : OUR SACRED CREST Written by D. N. NADKARNI Printed by H. N. RAO at PHILPRESS 28-D, Police Court Lane Bombay-1. Published by D. N. NADKARNI for THE ALL INDIA SARASWAT FOUNDATiON at 4/418, Arun Chambers Tardeo Road, BOMBAY-34.TRANSCRIPT
Saraswat Sanmarg Series—I
OUR SACRED CREST
D. N. NADKARNI
THE ALL INDIA SARASWAT FOUNDATION 4/418, Arun Chambers
Tardeo Road
BOMBAY-34
© by THE ALL I NDI A SARASWAT FOUNDATI ON
Title : OUR SACRED CREST
Written by D. N. NADKARNI
Printed by H. N. RAO
at PHILPRESS
28-D, Police Court Lane
Bombay-1.
Published by D. N. NADKARNI
for THE ALL INDIA SARASWAT FOUNDATiON
at 4/418, Arun Chambers Tardeo Road, BOMBAY-34.
Price : Two Rupees
2,000 Copies; November, 1 9 7 2 .
Editors‟ Preface
SARASWAT SANMARG
The central objecl of the All India Saraswat Foundation
is to work for rejuvenation of the national ethos by inspiring
the intelligentsia to fedeem the dynamic concepts and eternal
values of the ancient culture of Aryavarta. This culture
commends a full life based on a recognition of the primacy
of the spirit over mind and instinct; of Dharma as a con-
fluence of the laws of nature and the moral law; and of
Yajna or altruistic self-discipline as the Dharma of the life
of the spirit.
The national ethos itself is but a means to an end. For,
the vindication of healthy nationalism lies in its dedication to
humanity. The larger, long-term objective of the Foundation
is therefore to secure universal acceptance of the Dharma of
the human spirit. This is not religious revivalism, for
Dharma in its correct sense stands above all differences of
faith, creed and race.
No quixotic plan to tilt at the windmill of urbanisation
and to advocate a return to the land is intended, nor an im-
becilc effort at turning back the clock of history. It is assumed
that the basic nature of human problems never changes; and
that the wisdom of an age when contemplation was honoured
as the noblest among the liberal professions may well be
salutary at a time when man is so engrossed in the means of
living as to overlook the ends of his existence on earth.
There is no evidence to indicate that human intelligence
has improved in its quality or capacity since the dawn of
history. The inventor of the decimal system of numerals
need not give precedence to Newton or Einstein; and the
author of the Mahabharata does not have to be shy in the
presence of Dante and Milton. Changes have occurred and
are now occurring, however, in the employment of the intel-
lect. The printing press has put an end to that amazing
2 SARASWAT SANMARG
exercise of the powers of memory which once preserved the
Vedas and the Maha-Kavyas, so that Tri-pathi has survived
as but a family name. A more significant change in intellec-
tual function is taking place at the present time. Man is
tending to surrender his capacity for memory as also his
power of judgment to the electronic computer.
it is perhaps too early yet to estimate the computer's
influence on man's culture. But it will not do to overlook
the fact that the surrender to the machine extends, beyond
the realm of the human intellect to the realm of the spirit of
man. What is passed on to the machine is not only the func-
tion of storing and evaluating facts, but also the right of
judgment and decision, the prerogative of inspiration to
overrule facts, and the intensely human privilege of taking
chances with error. No computer would have shifted the
telescope to the blind eye and won the battle of Trafalgar for
the British fleet; nor would a computer‟s disclosure of Satya-
kama‟s parentage have given that innocent youth and his
brave mother the immortality of the Upanishad.
Even a semblance of the surrender of the human will
to the automated machine induces the nightmare vision of
.the proliferating octopus of civilisation smothering the tender
body of culture. There is a more direct warning against man‟s
engrossment in the means to the neglect of the ends of his
existence. Western youth has started proclaiming that a com-
bination of political independence, social freedom and
economic affluence is not enough to satisfy the hunger of the
human soul. So young men and young women with freedom
of vote and freedom of mate and all the excitement that
television and racing cars provide, yet seek refuge in the fake
Yoga of opiate dreams and in a tinsel Sannyasa of listless
wandering with unkempt hair and unshod feet.
The confusion of the means for the ends is humanity‟s
primary problem today. All other problems, political or
SARASWAT SANMARG 3
economic or social, national or international, stem from it.
The problem must be solved before (the whole of
humanity is overwhelmed. And the only solution is to re-
define and re-assert the ends and aims of existence, to recog-
nise the fact of primacy of the life of the spirit over the life
of mind and instinct, to clarify the relationship between
affluence and happiness, power and peace, conscience and
convenience, civilisation and culture. Yet no government,
capitalist or socialist, secular or fanatical, gives this problem
a place in its five-year plans or annual budgets. This vital
issue is left entirely to the initiative and effort of voluntary
private enterprise.
In its modest little way, the All India Saraswat Founda-
tion aims at being one such enterprise. The fact that cele-
brated institutions like the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. the
Vivekanand Kendra, the Ramakrishna Mission and the
Chinmaya Mission are already splendidly active should
stimulate rather than inhibit the Foundation‟s efforts.
The Foundation seeks to support no dogma, to promote
no creed. Its interest is to investigate the relevance of Vedic
wisdom to the inevitable conditions of modern life, and lo
seek consistent acceptance of their demonstrated relevance in
day to day living. There is no intention, to preach the simple
life, but every intention to attempt an analysis of the complex
problems of modernism into simple, elementary factors., so
that the problems themselves stand exposed as but the hoary
maladies for which Vedic psychology had already found the
cure. There is. also the intention to act on the fundamental
fact of life, that a meaningful application of psychological or
spiritual remedies to social problems involves the offering of
voluntary service on the material plane.
The Foundation has given this plan and process the
name of Saraswat Sanmarg: The Saraswat Path of Good.
The adjective Saraswat connotes the concept of a full life led
4 SARASWAT SANMARG
in a spirit of dedication, as expressed in the Rig Vedic hymn
(VII--96-4): —
“In our devotion to our families, in the generosity of
our charity, in our spirit of progress, we do homage to God Saraswan." Saraswan, from whom the word Saraswat is derived,
stands for the diety of the sacred river Saraswati, signifying
peace and plenty; and» like all Vedic deities, is worshipped
as a form of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality: “Tvameva
Pratyaksham Brahmaasi.״
Saraswat Sanmarg commends this attitude to life. This
series of tracts and books, carrying that title, will generally
carry that commendation in dealing with a variety of concep-
-
tual as well as practical problems. Yet, that is not the only
or even the main object of the series. The principal object is
to promote, in howsoever small a degree, the habit of
thought and of an identity between thought and action.
Personal convictions, however inadequate, influence life more
effectively than a borrowed faith, however profound. Saras-
-wat Sanmarg is therefore the path of free and independent
thinking.
With an eye to efficacy rather than from modesty or
disability, the Foundation‟s field of activity will be the
middle classes of society, consisting largely of men and
women with the capacity but without the inclination or urge
to thinking.
The Foundation looks to such people for the authorship
as well as readership of the Saraswat Sanmarg series of publi-
cations.
No celebrities or professional intellectuals will be nor-
mally invited to contribute to the series. Lay men and
women, with perhaps better leisure for thought and better
SARASWAT SANMARG 5
B. P. ADARKAR
D. N. NADKARNI
Editors
Bombay,
Vijaya Dashami,
October 17, 1972.
felicity of expression than the average, are welcome as
authors. Since the objective is to promote original thinking,
skepticism and challenge will be encouraged and not dis-
counted. Readers‟ criticism will be welcomed and, as far as
may be, will be fruitfully used.
The Saraswat Sanmarg Series is an experiment in free
dialogue among equals. There is no pontification, no preach-
ing down, no blind adherence to any belief or concept.
Philosophical conundrums and subtleties will be dissolved by
common sense instead of being further complicated by
scholarship. The ancient Vedic wisdom of Aryavarta will be
put to the lest of the practical sense of the educated Indian
hesitating on the threshold of the electronic age.
Contributors to the Saraswat Sanmarg Series have full freedom of
opinion. Their v i e w s are therefore their own, and The All India
Saraswat Foundation takes no responsibility for any opinions
expressed or statements made by them.
OUR SACRED CREST
1. The Creative Sacrifice
There is no escape from Religion. No man of sound
mind is without it. For, no normal person can help wonder-
ing at the vast universe about him and his own place in the
bewildering scheme of things; and the faith or conviction or
belief or fancy emerging from this wonder and reflection is
the foundation of his religion. The relationship or attitude
that a man adopts, in consequence of this faith or fancy, with
the rest of mankind and indeed with all the life around him,
is the core of his morality. And the degree of synthesis he
achieves between his religion, his morality and his natural
zest for life and self-expression, is the measure of his culture.
There is neither morality nor culture without religion.
These processes of emotion, thought and reflection are
both conscious and sub-conscious. And the organised reli-
gions of the world are conglomerations of the thought and
experience of countless individuals through the ages. All
religions converge and cohere on a central theme, that man's
true life is the life of the spirit, and not his gross existence,
to be guarded and nourished in preference to all else.
It is given to but a few men like Gandhi and Vinoba to
put the tenets of organised religion to the test of conscious
and conscientious personal experience. Indeed, as was mani-
fest in the case of Tagore, they hold by their own thought
8 OUR SACRED CREST
and experience and call upon the known tenets of religion to
bear witness. These men revitalise and transform the brand
of religion which they eventually accept, and re-establish the
essential place of religion in human life and progress.
Most of us, on the other hand, find it convenient to
accept a handy label like Hinduism or Christianity as a cover
for our unwillingness to face our own thoughts and reflec-
tions. Indeed, we use the labels to excuse and pamper our
weaknesses. We may, however, claim the saving grace of
hypocrisy, that it is itself a tribute to virtue. We would, if we
could, be good Hindus or Muslims or Christians as the case
may be, and we are always willing to applaud the genuine
article. That is the pattern of our religion, with its corres-
ponding consequences to our morality and our culture.
A man‟s vacation will naturally influence his thinking,
but does not determine the pattern of his religion. Contrary
to the popular belief that science by its nature negates
theism, eminent scientists have proclaimed their belief in an
Omnipotent Supreme Power. The celebrated German physi-
cist Planck was responsible for the eloquent assertion that
while God was the starting point of the ignorant. He was the
crown of a scientist‟s career.
Rationalism and agnosticism are as genuine religious
attitudes as theism is. For, they are also derived from man's
reaction to the universe around him and dictate the morality
and culture of their adherents. The only difference is that
theism is the most logical in its ethical derivatives. Gandhiji
with his theism, Russell with his rationalism and Nehru with
his agnosticism reached the same moral conclusion on the
nature of man‟s mission on earth, namely, the service of his
fellowmen. Gandhiji alone reached his׳ conclusion on logical
grounds. He believed in God, and in the Hindu concept of a
divine element in all life. The purpose of man‟s existence
10 OUR SACRED CREST
was to sacrifice the self in the service of humanity, indeed of
all living beings. Rationalist Russell, on the other hand,
could put forward only the tenuous plea of utilitarianism,
that the human race could neither prosper nor even survive
on any other terms than those of selfless service. And the
agnostic Nehru‟s passionate plea for human dignity spoke
more for his nobility of mind than for his logic.
He who thinks has thus a religion of his own, with a
corresponding code of morality and standard of culture. The
dunce and the bigot are alone and alike without a genuine
religion, for neither is capable of thinking for himself. They
have therefore neither a morality nor a culture of their own.
At best they are imitators, without even the saving grace that
hypocrisy claims.
Appreciation of these primary realities gave Vedic Hindu-
ism those unique qualities which make it a universal religion.
(1) Since religion was recognised to be a process of
thought, feeling, reflection and experience, what we now
know as Vedic Hinduism was not codified and was not even
given a name.
For the same reason, it made no claim to a monopoly of
passports to salvation, witness the closing verses of the
famous Naasadeeya Sookta of the Rig Veda, which challenge
all claims to omniscience.
(2) Since religion was recognised to be a matter of per-
sonal reflection and conviction, Vedic Hinduism was never
forced on people under duress of retribution here or here-
after, so that it has left no trail of blood on the course of
human history.
(3) For the same reason, dogmatism was abjured and
the human intellect given the place of primacy which other
religions, especially the Semetic ones, give to acceptance of
commandments. Neither prophet nor saviour was recognised
except God Himself, nor was salvation promised without the
THE CREATIVE SACRIFICE 11
rigours of tapas or self-discipline. Hence the significant im-
portance given to the Gayatri Mantra with its inclusion in
three of the four Vedas.
(4) The correspondence between macrocosm and micro-
cosm, which the physical sciences are now at pains to empha-
sise; was recognised in the Vedic age. It was thus that
Dharma encompassed in itself the laws of nature as well as
the laws of morality and of social acceptance.
(5) The co-relationship between religion, ethics and
culture being perceived, the three were placed on a common
foundation. That foundation was Yajna or self-sacrifice.
The Vedic concept of Sacrifice was as an interchange
between gods and men, indicating the inter-dependence of all
things and beings in creation. The Sacrificial Altar embraces
the utmost ends of the Universe, says the Rig Veda (1-164-
35). It contains the whole cosmos, both material and
spiritual. The individual and the cosmos depend on each
other, and so do human life and the world life.
Sacrifice, thus, is the primary law of life. For that rea-
son, it cannot be negative or destructive by its nature. Mere
destruction is not Sacrifice. All Sacrifice, declares the Atharva
Veda (U-7), is a creative act, and all life and the universe
are contained in its remains. To call sacrifice a creative act
is not a contradiction in terms. The spirit is the true sub-
stance of human existence; and every denial of the life of the
mind or of the life of instinct, designed to sustain or enrich
the life of the spirit, is a creative act. It creates the man, or,
rather, re-creates his manhood.
In the narrow field of human culture, sacrifice is the key
to sound sociology. The wise giving away their wisdom, the
brave their valour, the rich their wealth, and the workers
their labour, join in a common sacrifice to create a balanced
and progressive social order.
12 OUR SACRED CREST
This is the background of Yajna which is the theme of
the crest adopted by the Ail India Saraswat Cultural Organi-
sation as well as the All India Saraswat Foundation. No
attempt is made here to present a thesis on Yajna. Neither
is an apology needed for this brief discussion of the crest
itself. For, the spirit of Yajna, as inspiration and sustenance
of social and public service, is by itself a theme undeniably
relevant to the present time. It is a tribute to our national quality of altruism, that
the number of institutions designed for selfless service con-
tinues to grow. But it is also a reflection on our national
character, that these institutions progressively suffer for lack
of dedicated men capable of sustained sacrifice. The impulse
to sacrifice is there. How else would altruistic institutions be
bom? What is lacking is the strength of faith, adequate to
sustain the sacrifice and to make it a way of life. Such faith
can draw its best sustenance from the religion and philosophy
of Yajna.
II. Yajna in Life and Culture
If the All India Saraswat Cultural Organisation were to
do no more than popularising its crest, it would achieve a
great deal more than reasonable optimism expects of it. The
AISCO crest, designed by the Preparatory Committee m an
evidently inspired moment, depicts a Yajna or sacrificial fire
with the Pranava Om superimposed and bearing the motto
“May sacrifice be attained through sacri-
fice.” A more felicitous emblem could hardly be wished.
The crest has the negative virtue of avoiding dissent as
well as the positive virtue of practical idealism. It epito-
mises the what and the why of the AISCO as well as of its
ambitious creation, the All India Saraswat Foundation.
The bewildering stresses and strains that the country is
passing through, are symptoms of an inner crisis of faith, of
a confusion in the popular concept of the meaning and pur-
pose of life. At the root of the political, economic and social
upheavals is a wavering of the spirit. The situation calls for
an appeal to the true genius of India; and that genius is
found in the inspired utterances of the seers of the Vedas.
“Back to the Vedas” is a familiar slogan, used in ear-
nest as well as in derision. It is a misleading slogan. For,
the minds of the ancient rishts are not only abreast of modem
thought but far ahead of it. It is medieval thought that is
crusted and out of date. A revival of Vedic wisdom, a re-
reading of the Veda in the modem context, and a scraping-
out of the layers of excrescence that have piled up on the
popular mind through the ages: that is the national need at
this moment. That is the core of die AISCO‟s objectives,
for the task may well be claimed to be a peculiarly Saraswat
privilege.
The genesis and pristine character of Chaturvaraya, the
Order of the Four Divisions of Society, as recorded in the
14 OUR SACRED CREST
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (I; IV; 11-15), make it the
responsibility of the Brahmanas to guard the social struc-
ture of the nation and to step in to correct any imbalances
that may emerge. At the present time, it is the responsibility
of all Brahmanas as a class, of those, that is, who claim or
own up to the Brahmanical heritage, to think out, plan and
initiate measures, within the limitations of their present con-
dition, to set right the loosened and shaking cultural struc-
ture of Indian society. And, to the extent that this' process
involves a modernised revival of Vedic wisdom, it is possible
for a vigorous Saraswat patriotism to claim precedence in the
responsibility. Whether fact, fable or legend, the story goes
that the Saraswats saved the Veda through a long period of
devastating famine. Opportunity beckons to the Saraswats
today to accept that story as an allegory, and to substantiate
the allegory with their actions.
Nothing Sectarian Here
That is the message of the crest of the All-India Saras-
wat Cultural Organisation and of the Saraswat Foundation.
A primary virtue of the design lies in the fact that it rises
above sectarian dogma and, indeed, is valid for all sects. The
divergent theological and metaphysical beliefs within the
Saraswat fold itself are reconciled. It is valid to the Dwaitin
as well as to the Adwaitin, to the Vaishnavite as well as to
the Shaivite. It proclaims a universal ideal and a universal
means of attaining it. Its message is not for Saraswats alone,
but for the nation; indeed, for all humanity.
The “Om” in the crest proclaims that universality. The
Pranava is a symbol of Truth, of the Eternal Verity in exis-
tence. The Gita (VIII-13) calls it “Brahman in a single sylla-
ble”. It is capsuled Reality,
The Katha Upanishad (1-2-15) carries this vivid des-
YAJNA IN LIFE AND CULTURE 15
cription or definition of Om : “The Goal which all the Vedas
repeatedly proclaim, which motivates all austerities, in pur-
suit of which men practise Brahmacharya, that Goal I dec-
lare to you in brief. It is Om”.
At the mention of Om, therefore, the pettiness in human
thought and action vanishes, and men‟s minds are attuned
to the sublime and the beautiful. The inscription of this
inspiring symbol in the AISCO crest is conclusive assurance
that the AISCO is motivated by the quest for national and
universal well-being, and not by any parochial ambition of
sectarian Saraswat progress. It is no wonder, therefore, that
the very first major action of the AISCO, taken within a few
weeks of its own formation, was the creation of the non-
sectarian All India Saraswat Foundation, dedicated to the
service of the nation and of humanity.
Symbol of Harl-Hara
The substance of the crest is the representation of Ya jna.
The theological significance of Yajna is not without its in-
terest to the Saraswat mind.
“Yajna is Vishnu, Protector of all that lives”, says the
Matrayam Upanishad. The Taittiriya Samhita (1-7-4)
reaffirms the statement. Sacrifice is Vishnu or the Supreme.
Vishnu makes His appearance when the Yajna
is complete. The reign of peace and plenty is an expression
of the Grace of Vishnu. But the Grace of Vishnu is not
earned until the offering to Rudra is complete.
The sacred flame of Yajna is Rudra. He is the God of
destruction, of the perennial mutation of all that has name
or form. He is therefore God of evolution as well as of
YAJNA IN LIFE AND CULTURE 17
of tha sacrificial fire, and the base of the Linga represents
the “Vedi” or “Havana-kunda”. The word “linga” means
“symbol”. The Shiva Linga is a symbol of the sacred fire,
or Yajna.
The theological concept of Yajna is the unison of Hari
and Hara. The philosophical concept is also the same. The
Grace of Vishnu is nothing less than “happiness untouched
by sorrow”. The oblation to Rudra is nothing less than all
that the sacrificer has and is. The one is conditional on the
other. In adopting the Yajna symbol for its crest, the AISCO
proclaims the Saraswat ideology of self-sacrifice for the
benefit of society at large. That is Yajna. That is the wor-
ship of Hari-Hara.
The Nature! of Yajna
Yajna is the central theme of the Vedic way of life. The
Vedic mantras have a dual implication : ritual-cum-physical,
and psychological-cum-philosophical. And, though they give
ihe impression of a miscellany, they converge into a logical,
practical and noble way of life. All references to the ritual
yajna in the Vedas thus carry, and are intended to carry,
far-reaching psychological, philosophical and sociological im-
plications. The ritual yajna is a symbol and reminder of the
philosophical concepts and psychological disciplines which
are the inner yajna.
The spiritual and ethical significance of the ritual yajna
itself is made plain by the Chkandogya Upamshad (III-17-4)
with the declaration that “austerity, charity, uprightness,
nonviolence and truthfulness are the dakshind' or gifts with
which the yajna is to be completed; in other words, that the
ritual yajna is an occasion for a renewal of the resolve to
pursue these virtues.
The Gita uses the word yajna in the psychological and
18 OUR SACRED CREST
sociological senses alone. No ritual is implied. Any doubt
on this issue that may be relevant to the Third Chapter is
dissolved by the Fourth which, in ten lucid verses (24 to
33), enumerates a variety of psychological and social dis-
ciplines as yajnas. For example,
“Some others offer their sense organs like the ears as
oblation to the fire of discipline." No ritual can possibly be
meant in réferences of this kind.
The Vedas and the Upanishads are replete with the
concept of yajna as the Law of Life. The Shatapatha
Brahmana (9-4-1-11) sums up the concept.
“All sentient beings live on yajna.” Men, like the gods,
being endowed with intelligence, are called upon to adopt
yajna, that is, self-sacrifice, as a deliberate way of life. The
right life is a series of sacrifices. Indeed, the three ritual
sacrifices that the Brahmana is expected to perform every
day are a symbol of the self-sacrifice that every man is ex-
pected to perform during the three stages of his life. Thus
the Chhandogya Upanishad (3/16/1-7) divides man's life
into three spans of yajna. The first 24 years are “Pratah·
Savana”, the morning sacrifice. The next 44 years are the
Mid-day Yajna. The last 48 years are the third or Evening
Sacrifice. Thus the man who consciously leads a life of
yajna lives 116 years. “Human life is Yajna.”
Yajna or self-sacrifice is a law of nature, a law of life,
and therefore a primary, inescapable Dharma. “Man was
created with Yajna," declares the Gita (III-10):
Yajna has three aspects : self-restraint, self-denial, and
service of others. “What is known as Yajna is Brahmacharya
YAJNA IN LIFE AND CULTURE 19
(or self-restraint) itself,” announces the Chhandogya Upon·
shad (8-5-1) :
The Gita (IV; 26-32) spells out several examples of
yajna in all three aspects : sacrifice of the senses in the fire
of Self-restraint; sacrifice of wealth in the fire of self-denial;
and sacrifice of possessions, including wealth and talent,
in the fire of altruistic service, ending up with the annihila-
tion of the ego in a dedication of life to humanity.
Pervasiveness of Yajna :
The idealist form of Yajna is the Brahma-Yajna, per-
formed in the faith that all is in reality Brahman. Self-sac-
rifice, according to the Gita (IV-24), is thus a process of
Jnana or Self-Realisation :
"The sacrifice, is offered to Brahman, the oblation is
Brahman, it is offered by Brahman in the fire that is
Brahman; thus he who is fully engrossed in this act (of sacrifice)
which is Brahman, must needs pass on to Brahman.”
To know this, is Jnana, the “Realisation of the Self'",
which is the aim of all spiritual aspiration and the goal of
all human life.
Self-denial for the universal good is also, according to
the Gita, an expression of Bhak;ti. For, all those acts and
things which, in Chapter IV of the Gita, are commended to
be performed in the spirit of sacrifice, are again commended
in Chapter IX to be surrendered to God as an expression of
Bhakti:
It is plain, therefore, that the two acts or processes, of
18 OUR SACRED CREST
sacrifice and of surrender, are spiritually identical. Yajna,
then, is Bhakti. The rationale of self-denial as a form of
sacrifice and the rationale of surrender to God as an expres-
sion of Bhakti are the same. God pervades, all. „,Brahma
havih” as the Gita puts; it : all that you can offer as oblation
is itself Brahman. The Isha Upanishad, in the celebrated
aphorism from which it takes its name, says the same thing
somewhat differently : “A11 this, whatever, moves iu this
world, is enveloped by
God.”
Even as Yajna is a process of Jnana Yoga and Bhakti
Yoga, it is also a process of Karma Yoga :
“This world of men suffers bondage from all action
save that which is done for the sake of sacrifice; therefore,
O Son of Kunti, perform all action without attachment"
(Gita, III-9). Yajna, thus, is a safety measure against the
chain-reaction of Karma; which means that it is an instru-
ment of Karma Yoga or Anasakti Yoga. Note, incidentally,
the implication of the advice to Arjuna. The implication is
that detachment, as a form of self-denial, is Yajna. And this
is re-affirmed in the next Chapter (IV-23) :
"Of the free soul who has shed all attachment, whose
mind is firmly grounded in knowledge, who acts only for
sacrifice, all Kama is extinguished”; that is, its power of
chain-reaction is destroyed.
Yajna, then, is the ground of all the. three great Paths
of Salvation ; Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga.
It is the Dharma which ensures Moksha. Without it, there is
no Moksha. It has to be the first concern of those concerned
YAJNA IN LIFE AMO CULTURE 19
with man‟s ultimate destiny. No wonder that Yajna was the
mainstay of life in the Vedic age.
The Sociology of Yajna
Even so, were the insurance of Moksha the only claim
to be made for Yajna, its use in the crest of the All India
Saraswat Cultural Organisation would have been a measure
of doubtful propriety. For, the direct and primary concern
of the AISCO will be rather with the development of Artha
and Kama than with Moksha. The AISCO will look for
ways and means of betterment of the economic, social and
cultural conditions of Saraswats and of their place in the
national life. The Saraswat Foundation will do the same for
a wider public. Their interest in spiritual advancement will
be only incidental to that search.
Yajna will not let down the AISCO or the Foundation.
The crest is assured of vindication. For, the sages of the
Vedas and Upanishads had discovered in Yajna a synthesis
of the three compelling and apparently incongruous ambi-
tions natural to man, Artha and Kama and Moksha, the
urge for physical, emotional and spiritual fulfilment.
Because yajna or self-sacrifice was the Vedic Way of
Life, it was a full life, both personally and socially. Yajna
here is a process of discipline, detachment and distribution,
not of renunciation. It is not basically the way of Sannyasa,
except the Sannyasa accepted as the fourth and final
“ashrama” or stage of the “shata-kratu”, the man who lives
a hundred years in the spirit of yajna; or of the one who
takes to Sannyasa from a compelling inner urge for self-
expression, the same kind of urge which brings forth great
poets or great musicians.
It is worth digressing here to point out that the Vedic
concept of Sannyasa itself was not quite the same as that of
later ages. The Vedic Sanayasin was not an anchorite. Not
20 OUR SACRED CREST
even the man of God-realisation was expected to withdraw
from the world. He led a vigorous, active life of usefulness
to mankind. The Murtdaka Upanishad, which treats of
Sannyasins and, indeed, derives its name from the Sannyasins‟
practice of shaving the head, makes this explicit statement :
“Sporting in the Self, delighting in the Self, a man of action
all the same, such a one is the greatest among the knowers
of Brahman.” (III-l-4) :
Great seers of the Upanishads, like Yajnavalkya, were
happily married men who earned and gave and also saved.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad ( I ־ I V 3 ׳ ) reports Yajnavalkya‟s
dictum that “the vacant part of man is completed by
the woman;‟‟ that man and wife together make a rounded
personality
:
Sex was by no means taboo in the Vedic way of life.
The Gita, indeal, gives the stamp of divine identity to the
“procreative passion‟: ”
Men are urged to produce wealth, not to shun it. The
Tattireeya Upanishad lays down the “vrata” or social disci-
pline in this respect. “Wealth should not be disparaged; that
is social discipline ..... Do not forbear to earn wealth;
that is social discipline ..... Step up economic producti-
vity, gather more wealth; that is social discipline." (The
word used in the text is “anna”, literally meaning “food”.
But the word “anna” and the relevant words “pacha” mean-
ing cooking and “ada" meaning eating are employed in Vedic
literature as well as in the Gita in the larger sense of wealth
and its use.)
YAJNA IN LIFE AMO CULTURE 21
In the context of worldly pleasures, yajna consists of
obedience to Dharma. personal and social. The Gita, again,
ennobles disciplined enjoyment. “Pleasures not averse
to Dharma" are of divine origin:
In the economic context, too, yajna consists of obe-
dience to Dharma, in adopting the Dharmic attitude to
wealth and possessions. It is an attitude of “anasakti” or
detachment, not of indifference or abhorrence. The first two
books of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, especially the cele-
brated Yajnavalkya-Maitreyi Dialogue, lay the foundation
of the Gandhian theory of the Trusteeship of Wealth, to which
the Mahatma is believed to have been inspired by the Isha
aphorism, “Find your enjoyment in a spirit of detachment:
covet not what ought to be another‟s”.
It is a form of Voluntary Socialism. Precepts like “Ati-
thi-Devo-Bhava” are derived from this concept: “Look
upon the needy as God Himself.” This voluntary socialism
of the concept of Yajna is prescribed both on moral and
practical grounds. While the “gathering of wealth״ is en-
couraged, hoarding and meanness are denounced :
“The lone eater is the lone sinner” (Rig Veda X-l 17-6).
He who uses his wealth for himself alone leads a life of sin.
That is the moral rule of the Veda. The Gita (111-13) con-
firms the rule. “Those who cook for themselves alone, feed
on sin.”
On the other hand, “those who enjoy what remains
after the performance of sacrifice (giving to the needy) are
freed from all sins.” (Gita, III-13). The residue of sacrifice
is called "amrita” or elixir of eternal life. The Manu-Smriti
22 OUR SACRED CREST
as well as the Gita uses the word “amrita” in that sense.
Thus, the Gita ( I V 3 ־ l ) .
“Those who live on amrita, that is, the residue of sacri-
fice, attain to eternal Brahman."
As wealth must be shared, so too must knowledge and
skill be shared with those who need them. That is yajna of
a high otder. The Manu-Smriti(4-2&) calls it Brahtna Yajna :
At the same time, if you are capable of building up
your own knowledge and skills, it is your duty to dp so.
Self-improvement is “Swaadhyaaya Yajna” (Gita, IV-28).
Indolence and indifference make a man 'an “ayajna”, a
wrong kind of man.
Yajna thus functions in the realm of culture, too.
Virtues like humility and non-violence are yajna, as they
involve a process of self-restraint:
“Yajna is humility.” (Yajur-Veda 13*8).
"Non-violence is Yajna.” (Skatapatha Brahmana. 1-2-4).
As a life of Yajna is commended on ethical and cultu-
ral grounds, it is also commended on the practical consi-
deration of material and social advancement. The moral
law offers the best rule of worldly achievement. Thus, the
individual who practises Yajna is better off than the one
who does not:
“Those who do not perform Yajna (do not give away
in the spirit of Yajna) go to ruin even if they are liberal in
their spending” (Rig. Veda, 1-33-4):
YAJNA JN LIFE AND CULTURE 23
“People who do not perform Yajna are humbled and
repulsed in any competition with people who do perform
yajna.” (Rig Veda, 1-33-5).
The Gita has the last word on the subject (IV-31):
"This world itself is not for the non-sacrificer. What hope
for him, then, of a higher world?”
A nation or a community of people leading an organi-
sed life of sacrifice will “attain the highest good". (Gita,
I I I - l l ) :
Call to Conscience
What is the sanction, what is the urge, behind the call
to the life of yajna?
It would be a poor yajna that is performed in blind
obedience to the Veda. For, the Veda countenances no
Commandments, except from the Acharya to the initiated
pupil. The Vedas, the Upanishads and the Gita inform,
reveal, exhort and warn; they do not command. Their
truths are announced to the human intelligence, and it is
up to every man to accept them or to pass them by. The
human will, the most precious of God‟s creations, is to be
exercised, strengthened and illumined in freedom; it is not
to be weakened, bent or suppressed by subordination. The
reins of man‟s destiny must be held by his own free and
healthy will.
So it is that the Gayatri Mantra, the most sacred of all
Mantras and the pass-word of Brahmanism, asks not for the
salvation of the soul but for illumination of (he intelligence:
“We absorb in our intellect the supreme light-energy
of the god Savitr, that he may inspire and stimulate, our
intelligence.”
24 OUR SACRED CREST
The Gita confirms this primacy of the intelligence.
"Mere action, O Dhananjaya, is far inferior to (action flow-
ing from) the Yoga of intelligence. (Therefore) take refuge
in the intelligence.” (11-49):
Openmindedness, contemplation and equanimity are
cardinal conditions of this Buddhi Yoga or recourse to the
intelligence. (Gita, 11-42. 44, 48). Dogmatism, bigotry and
blind obedience are un-Vedic attitudes. Faith itself must
stem from conviction, not hang on blind belief. Uniquely
among the great religions of the world, Vedic wisdom pro-
claims that primacy of the human intelligence and freedom
of the human will, from which the modem ideology of
Liberty and Democracy is derived.
Any possible doubt on this score is set at rest by Shree
Krishna. That is a lesson of the Gita which׳ merits more
attention than it generally׳ receives. The Divine Song took
shape, not because of Arjuna‟s “vishaada" or depression,
but in response to his insistent appeal for a commandment
or directive. Right at the beginning of the soul-stirring
dialogue, Arjuna beseeches Shree Krishna: "Tdl me for
certain wherein lies my good.” (II-7):
Shree Krishna‟s response is a dissertation on life and
death and honour. That does not satisfy Arjuna, who
repeats his appeal for a directive which he can blindly obey.
“Tell me decisively the one thing by which I can attain to
(he highest good.” (III-2):
And Arjuna does not stop with a mere appeal. Being
aware of the impropriety of blind belief in matters of the
spirit, he hastens to create that relationship between Shree
YAJNA IN LIFE AMO CULTURE 25
Krishna and himself which alone would make command
and obedience legitimate: (he Guru-Shishya relationship
“I am Thy disciple. Direct me, who seek refuge in Thee.”
(II I 7 ־ ) :
The point is that even so, Shree Krishna hands out
neither a directive nor a commandment. On the other hand,
having led his “beloved friend” Arjuna into “the mystery
of all mysteries” of existence, and having given him the
unprecedented privilege of a glimpse of Cosmic Reality, the
Lord yet calls upon him to use his own judgment to decide
what is good for him:
„Thus have I explained to you the most mysterious of
all mysterious knowledge. Ponder over it thoroughly, and
then act as you will.” (XVIII-63).
A genuine inner conviction, not formal outward con-
duct, is what matters. Sacrifice must therefore emanate from
a free, healthy and illumined intelligence. The self-sacrifice
of fools and fanatics is not Yajna. Rabble-rousing and
mass indoctrination are offences against God who made
the human intelligence as man's instrument of approach to
the divine.
The inspiration to a life of yajna must therefore come
from a free intelligence, from a clear understanding of
Dharma or the Law of Life, as a result of “pondering over
it thoroughly”. The Tcdttireeya Upanishad makes this clear:
“Sacrifice is actuated by a refinal understanding based
on sound knowledge; and so, too, are duties.” Mahatma
Gandhi called it the “inner voice”. The common, and com-
monly ill-used, name for it is Conscience.
26 OUR SACRED CREST
The Life of Yajna, then, must derive its sanction from
the conscience of man; and its driving force, as in all noble
endeavour, from Faith. And the faith, in this case, is in the
divine origin of the conscience itself.
The Yajna in the crest of the Saraswat Cultural Orga-
nisation derives its propriety from this call to conscience.
For. what is culture but an outward expression of an inner
grace?
The Badge of the Saraswat
Discipline, Detachment and Service are the three major
components of this Yajna. All other virtues flow from this
combination. Service rendered as Yajna extends to all living
beings, and becomes an act of dedication, of surrender to
God. The nature of the individual is transformed in the
process. All trace of selfishness vanishes. Life becomes a
continuous yajna. The last lingering weakness is the aware-
ness of the yajna. That, too. must go. The feeling, the satis-
faction, the exaltation of yajna must be consigned to the
flame. That is the supreme yajna. That is the culmination
and fulfilment of the life of sacrifice. Of men who accom-
plish that ultimate yajna, the Gita (IV-25) says that „They
offer Sacrifice itself as oblation to the Fire of Brahman.”
What the Gita commends to the. individual, the Rig
Veda commends to societies of men. Accept the concept of
sacrificing Sacrifice itself, and mankind will be transformed
into a race of supermen. That is the law implicit in creation,
and it is set out plainly in the most popular of all Rig Vedic
mantras, the Purusha Sookta:
“The gods worshipped yajna with yajna; and that be-
YAJNA IN LIFE AMO CULTURE 27
came the primary Dharma. Those great souls who perform
such yajna attain to the realm of the Sadhya gods of yore.”
That is the ideal invoked by the pictorial part of the
crest of the AISCO. The inscription set below it places the
idealism on the practical plane.
“May sacrifice be attained through sacrifice.” The
reference is not to the culmination of yajna, but to the pro-
cess of progressive realisation of yajna through constant
effort at self-discipline and self-sacrifice.
The quotation is from the climax of the Rudraadhyaaya,
usually known simply as “Rudra", the mantra now em-
ployed in the “abhishek” of the Shiva Linga. The Rudra-
adhyaaya is part of the Tcûttireeya Samhita. It was of
course a mantra for a ritual Yajna. Even now, “Maha-
Rudra” and “Ati-Rudra”, consisting of multiple repetitions
of the “?Mrfra”, are occasionally performed with ,,havana”
or the sacred fire. The “Rudra” is a mantra of invocation
and prayer based on a recognition of the divine in all exist-
ence and in all experience. The context of the present quo-
tation runs thus:
It is a prayer for the “attainment”, that is, for the per-
fection, of life, the vital airs, the sense organs, the mind
and the spirit, through yajna or self-discipline; and for the
progressive development of the self-discipline itself through
the practice of self-discipline. The refinement and perfection
of the senses, the mind and the vital airs through the yajna
of self-control are also referred to in the Gita (IV-26, 27,
29).
28 OUR SACRED CREST
The prayer in the “Rudra" is for the clarity of mind
to see the path of yajna, and for the strength of will to
adhere to it. It is also a prayer for “Krama-Mukii”, for the
progressive realisation of man‟s mission on earth. “The
consummation of all right endeavour is enlightenment.”
(Gita, IV-33). “Sacrifice is inspired by an enlightened
understanding.” (Tait. Up 2-5-1). Therefore, every act of
self-sacrifice adds to the sacrificer‟s enlightenment which,
in turn, inspires further and larger self-sacrifice. That is
"Krama-Mukti", a progressive course of Mukti. That is also
the process asked for in the prayer to Rudra: “May sacri-
fice be attained through sacrifice.”
There is humility in this approach, bom of a recogni-
tion of the need for divine intervention for human progress
and salvation. It is not given to man to reach his destiny by
his own effort alone. The Grace of God is essential. Grace
itself does not come as a whimsical gift. It comes in response
to prayer.
It is important, here, to appreciate the nature of prayer.
Prayer is not only to be thought, said and sung. Prayer
must be lived. Mere supplication is not prayer. The spirit
of humility which supplication implies, and the spirit of the
objective of the supplication, must alike permeate the
thought and conduct of the supplicant. Then alone is the
supplication a prayer, and will ensure divine response. Shree
Krishna has made this clear beyond doubt. (Gita, IV-11).
“As men approach Me, in that spirit do I respond.”
It is only when heart and mind are of one accord in guiding
a man‟s life and disciplining his conduct, that supplication
becomes the soul‟s prayer and evokes a response in kind, the
Grace of God. It is thus that the Shwetashwatara Upanishad
declares that man can realise his destiny only by a “a combi-
nation of the power of self-dliscipline and the Grace of God”.
YAJNA IN LIFE AMO CULTURE 29
The invocation in the “Rudra’ is primarily for this
power of self-discipline which is an essential qualification of
prayer. As prayer evokes Grace, and Grace in turn inspires
prayer, the distinction between the two tends to fade away.
Prayer and Grace become one. Bhakti which initiated prayer,
Karma which gave prayer its vlitality, and Jnana which is the
light of Grace, are then seen to be not only inseparable but
in reality the same.
For most of us, whose aims and ambitions in life do
not reach up to that denouement, it is enough to regard the
"Rudra" as an invocation to God to kindle and feed the
flame of human conscience. With divine aid, small conscien-
tious self-denials lead to major ones, and the Yajna of self-
restraint and self-denial becomes the man‟s compulsive
prakriti or nature; so that he works and sweats without
sorrow, and is happy with the "amrita" or remains of his
yajna, freely giving of his time and talent and earnings for
(he benefit of humanity. Such a man has no fear for his
position in society. As said earlier, he is assured of victory
in the competition inevitable in any social order. (Rig. Veda,
1-33-5). And he attracts the unqualified assurance given by
the Gita (13I-II) to all men of yajna, “you shall attain the
supreme good.”
This law and this goal of human existence are symbo-
lised in the crest of the All India Saraswat Cultural Organi-
sation which, in turn, has passed it on to the All India
Saraswat Foundation. The adoption of the crest implies a
commitment to live up to it, to demonstrate the beneficent
power of prayerful sacrifice to give light and strength to a
troubled nation. How far the AISCO and the Foundation will
succeed in this objective, one does not know. The sponsors,
30 OUR SACRED CREST
however, may go ahead in the confidence that their effort
is immune to frustration:
A beginning made in the cause of Dharma can never
come to nought. That is the assurance of the Gita (II-40).
The seed of sacred intentions is never destroyed. It may
take time to sprout. But some day it will inevitably grow
into a tree that gives shade and fruit.
The crest, meanwhile, is by itself an achievement. It
embodies a faith which the Saraswats may well be proud
to be known by. For, as the Gita asserts, the essence of the
human personality is faith; and a man should therefore be
identified by his faith, rather than by his works. (XVII-3):
What is true of the individual is also true of a social
group.
May the Saraswats be worthy of being identified by
their Organisation‟s Crest. May it be given to them, in an
ever increasing measure.' to continue their tradition of ser-
vice of their fellowmen. May it be given to them, more and
more, to feed the Flame of Rudra and thereby to invoke
the Grace of Vishnu to settle on this troubled land:
Saraswat Sanmarg Series — 2
“COMMUNITY AND COMMUNION : The Saraswat Experience”
—K. GURU DUTT An illuminating treatise on the true nature and the rightful rote of Indian communities. Enlightening to those connected with community institutions as well as to those keeping away from them.
THE FOUNDATION OF CULTURE
Man is not horn free. He is born with a multipli- city of obligations to a variety of individuals and insti- tutions contributing to the domestic environment and the structure of civilisation in which he must have his being. The ancients called it the triple debt, owed to the gods, to the ancestors, and to the men of wisdom.
Ironically, man is left comparatively free to honour or disown these obligations. Their voluntary acceptance in the regulation of life is the spirit of man’s culture. It leads man to the noble path : to the Saraswat Sanmarg.
That is true of the individual, as also of the com- munity, and of the group of communities known as the nation. To them all, the Saraswat Sanmarg is the path of self-fulfilment on the material as well as the spiri- tual plane.
He who looks at the marvellous harmony in the anatomy of the universe, as well as his own, is inclined to deflate his ego and devalue his individual interests. He seeks the path of social harmony, which is indeed the Saraswat Sanmarg.
The cultivation of this w׳ay of life is the objective of the All India Saraswat Foundation. Contemplation of the harmony is the object of the Saraswat Sanmarg series of publications.