TNN | Dec 19, 2011, 01.30AM IST
BANGALORE: The Bhagawad Gita may have run into controversy in a Siberian court, but one of Russia’s greatest sons, humanist and artist Nicholas K Roerich and his family had made the text a part of their lives.
Prof M S Nanjunda Rao, founder-secretary of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, which hosts a Roerich gallery, had in 2006 written in an essay to Lalit Kala Akademi, about Nicholas K Roerich and his son Svetoslav, the painter, and the importance of the Gita in their lives.
“In 1923, Prof. Nicholas, his wife Madam Helena Roerich, their sons, Svetoslav, a painter in the class of his father, and George, a scientist and archaeologist, came to India. They lived near Darjeeling, but later established the Urusvati Research Institute in the Kulu Valley, where the family still has its residence…
“In his (Roerich’s essay) ‘Tagore and Tolstoy’, Roerich remembers with great enthusiasm his first meeting with Tagore. He recalls that Mme. Roerich’s first ties with India were the writings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. In the Roerich family ‘The Bhagawad Gita’ and Tagore’s ‘Gitanjali’ had a place of honour and accompanied them on all journeys.
“Since coming to India, Roerich dedicated thousands of paintings to the ethereal beauty of the Himalayas, to the sacred concepts of the ancient wisdom of India. Prof. Roerich concludes the chapter on India in his inspiring book ‘Altai Himalaya’ as follows: “We know thy fragrant essence, India. We know the great Aum which leads to the inexpressible heights. India, we know thy ancient wisdom. Roerich’s ties with India began from early childhood. His father’s estate had the name ‘Iswara’…”
Gita misinterpreted
There is no doubt that Bhagawad Gita is misinterpreted by a section of people in Russia. It doesn’t preach anything that creates any disharmony in society. Lord Krishna explains how to maintain the health of the individual, family and society. It deals with diet, sleep, exercise and other rituals. Lord Krishna said ‘Chaaturvarnam Maya Srustam’ (I created four varnas). By saying so, he meant division of society based on occupation and not caste — not the basis of birth but ‘karma’ (occupation). There is a tendency to say that Krishna sought to divide society on caste basis, which is wrong. Mahatma Gandhi was a secular man and for him, the Gita was a guiding spirit.
Dr Jayateerthacharya Malagi | professor of Sanskrit, karnatak university, dharwad
Iskcon launches online campaign
Times news network
A possible ban on the Bhagawad Gita across Russia for spreading ‘social discord’ has raised resentment in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) camp in Bangalore.
“We strongly object and protest such a biased view of the as-it-is translation of Bhagawad Gita of our founder AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. There seems to be some serious misunderstanding of the text by the authorities concerned,” said Chanchalapathi Dasa, vice-president of Iskcon, Bangalore.
Hundreds of Iskcon devotees from across India have been sending email petitions against the possible ban.
Authorities in Bangalore said this book was first translated and published 35-odd years ago. Scholars have high praise for the book, and many universities in the West and Australia have included it as a textbook in their curriculum on Hinduism and Indian religion.
source: The Times Of India
Adi Lila Chapter 9 text 41
One who has taken his birth as human being in the land of India (bharata varsa) should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.