Reviews

Profile of Jawaharlal Nehru by K. T. Narasimhachar. Published by The Book Centre Private Ltd., Ranade Road, Bombay. 28. Pages 266.

The author attempts in this volume a detailed study, and critical interpretation, of the ideas of Nehru.

Nehru was a humanist with a passionate devotion to the cause of human welfare, through freedom from oppression and exploitation, for every individual and nation, and the progress of the human race. Early in his life, he came under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi. Fascinated by the inspiring character and personality, as well as the original ideas and unique principles and technique of political action of the great man, he plunged into politics, joined the Congress, and played a prominent part in the national movement for the political freedom of the country. He remained to the very end an ardent admirer, a devoted disciple, and a loyal lieutenant of the great leader. But he was not a blind follower. He had ideas and ideals of his own. He was an intellectual to whom every powerful movement and great ideal of ancient and modern times, designed to promote the welfare and happiness of the individual, justice and harmony in society and, civilisation and progress of the human race, appealed, at one time or other in his life. He never hesitated to express and advocate his own opinions whenever he differed from his master, and though he endeavoured to reconcile himself to the guidance and decision of the leader, he remained equally loyal and devoted to his own ideas and ideals. He came to play, in course of time, an increasingly important part in the movement, shared in the leadership, and in the end snatched the leadership from the willing hands of a loving master who had declared him his political heir and successor. When the struggle for Independence came to a close, and the time arrived for the transfer of power from the foreign ruler, it was Nehru that took over the Government of the country and carried on the administration for 17 years, for as long as Providence spared him to the Nation. Thus it was his ideas and ideals that have shaped the Constitution and the policies and plans of development of Independent India. It may be claimed that if Gandhi is the Father of the Modern Indian Nation, Nehru is the maker of Modern India.

Nehru was essentially a man of action, though interested in ideas, and interested in ideas only in so far as they influence action, explain the course of events in the past, point the way to the proper course of action in the present and inspire our vision of the future shape of things. He was never original but an eclectic in his ideas. He did not start with any unique principles of action or definite philosophy of life but developed gradually, under the stress of events and the action necessary to meet the situations arising from time to time, a spiritual outlook and philosophy of life and a scientific attitude and approach to the problems of life. He evolved for himself a new idealism and cultivated deliberately an attitude and temper characterised at once by the spiritual outlook of the traditional culture of the land to which he belonged and the objective attitude of the scientific age to which he belonged.

It is this new idealism and approach which we find at the basis of the principles he enunciated, the policies he advocated, and the plans and programmes he sought to implement, in the national as well as international sphere, ever since he came to occupy a position of power and responsibility, as Prime Minister of Independent India, the largest democracy in the world.

A systematic study of the ideas of Nehru, a critical interpretation of them and an explanation of their bearing upon the character and achievement of the great man, should be therefore very useful, interesting and instructive. The author makes a sincere and intelligent attempt in this direction in these pages. We find in this volume, a fairly clear profile of the character and personality of Nehru, a fairly just assessment on his achievement and a fairly. convincing exposition of the guiding principles of his philosophy of life for which we should feel thankful. The chapters devoted to the ideas of Nehru on ‘The Machine and Life of man’, ‘The Individuality of Man’ and the ‘Problem of Ends and Means’ are specially significant as they offer an explanation for the individual shape and colour of Nehru’s views on socialism and non-alignment and co-existence.

The author endeavours to present an objective account of the character and achievement of Nehru but his obvious admiration for the hero carries him off his feet, on occasions, and prevents him from pursuing his argument to its logical conclusion. For instance, he quotes profusely, and apparently with approval, from the speeches and writings of Sri C. Rajagopalachari, criticising the views and policies of Nehru, but refrains from expressing any opinion of his own, or preference, or conclusion whatever.

But the study is on the whole interesting and instructive and deserves the attention of all earnest students of public affairs and admirers of Nehru.
–M. S. K.

The Gospel of Srikrishna by Duncan Greenlees. Published by The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Madras-20. Pages 46 + 279. Price Rs. 7.

Emanating from the facile pen of the famous author of the world-Gospel series, this volume which is 14th in the series is bound to have a permanent hold on the heart and mind of any English-knowing reader who has an instinct of devotion to God and to Srikrishna in particular.

This book consists of three parts. In the first part the author describes the episodes connected with the childhood of Srikrishna beginning from his nativity and ending with the slaughter of Kamsa. The volume of this portion consists in the esoteric explanations in detail of all the episodes. Srikrishna is not only the God Himself but is also a symbol of the struggling and attaining soul. 1. Putana the demoness, and the demons, 2. Sakata, 3. Trinavarta, 4. Vatsa, 5. Baka, 6. Agha, 7. Dhenuka, 8. Vrishabha and 9. Kesi symbolise 1. false teaching, 2. book-learning, 3. vain-speculation, 4. egoism. 5. outward show of devotion, 6. roughness and discourtesy, 7. sectarian bigotry, 8. over-confidence and 9. spiritual pride respectively, the obstacles that stand in the way of spiritualrealisation of a seeker. The serpent symbolises sensualism, and Kamsa stands for egoism.

Unlike many western writers who find impropriety and sensuality in the episodes of Gopika Vastrapaharana and Raasakreeda, the author understands and interprets them in their true significance. The former incident is intended to teach the value and efficacy of total surrender to God and he rightly questions those western writers in the following lines: “Remember, not only the age of the child at this time, six or seven years, but that He is the very inner self of each one of the Gopis, and this not in any solely mystical sense but in actuality. Where then any impropriety in His actions? Is the deepest secret of our own heart, then, to be veiled from our own sight?”

Raasakreeda according to the author symbolises the spiritual union between the loving soul and her beloved God. “Perhaps we have already said enough to warn the reader not stupidly to misrepresent the glorious episode of purest spiritual union between the loving soul and her beloved God.”

The third chapter wherein the love of the Gopis is described and explained in its true perspective, objectively and without any prejudice is a splendid piece of exposition, in chaste English, of the love of Gopis that makes the reader taste the ecstasy of perfect union though for a moment. True translations of important verses and Gopika Gita are given here and herein is a sumptuous dinner for the spirit of a devotee.

Part II of the work is devoted to the teachings of the Lord Srikrishna culled from Srimad Bhagavatham wherein the efficacy of devotion, love and the greatness of saints are explained in full. Part III entitled “The Lord speaks” gives a brief but analytical summary of the Bhagavagita–translation of Mukundamala is also included in the appendix II.

Throughout the book, the author, gives us parallel quotations from other religious scriptures, proving thereby that ‘Love’ or devotion to God is one of the accepted means of realisation of the supreme not only in Hinduism but in other religions also.

The importance of the message of Lord Srikrishna, to this age and in these days in particular, wherein the author’s own words “cruelty on a scale never before imagined in history rages our great areas of our lovely world” and when we have to learn “how to live in perfect love so that brotherhood may prevail and the earth becomes paradise for which Nature designed it long ago” cannot be over-emphasised. This book deserves to be widely read and understood, and the precepts therein acted up to; a precious book that is to be preserved for use in every library, public and private.
–B. K. R.

Gopalakrishna Gokhale by T. R. Deogirikar. Pages 219. Price, Rs. 2-50.

Motilal Nehru by B. R. Nanda. Pages 235. Price Rs. 2-50. Both published by the Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Delhi-6.

In spite of the Indian instinct for hero worship, we can hardly claim with any degree of confidence that justice had been done to the memory of the great political leaders and social reformers who had spent the best part of their lives in building the Indian nation on modern foundations. A few good biographies are no doubt available like R. P. Masani’s Dadabai Naoroji, H. P. Modi’s Pherozeshah Mehta and P. C. Roy’s C. R. Das. But there are wide gaps in this line, which have to be filled for the benefit of the general reader, especially of the younger generation. This task is undertaken by the Publications Division (of the Government of India), who have so far brought out a number of handy volumes in the ‘Builders of Modern India’ series, at a reasonable price, which should prove popular.

Two of the recent volumes in this series are devoted to two great men who were second to none in their intellectual stature or patriotic endeavour. Though Gokhale was five years younger than Motilal Nehru, he seems more distant now to us than the latter, partly because he died 15 years earlier, and more so because he represented an era in Indian politics soon to be superseded by the age of Gandhi with his revolutionary approach to the struggle for freedom. But it is worth remembering that Gandhi himself acknowledged Gokhale as his political guru who was mainly responsible for germinating in him the idea of ‘spiritualising politics’. To both of them political honesty and personal integrity were not two different things and ends could not be separated from means. Quite a few parallels could be found in their lives illustrating the accent on the personal ethics of political conduct. With this difference that Gokhale, the confirmed liberal that he was, believed in the beneficence of British political institutions, while for Gandhi the destiny of man was a problem of greater magnitude than the political link with, Great Britain. Mr. Deogirikar has done a conscientious job of work and his account is well-documented and reliable, though it would have been an asset to the book, if he had given his own integrated assessment of the character and personality of Gokhale, in addition to a record of the reminiscences of his contemporaries.

Gandhi, in his turn, influenced a host of giants in the political arena, some of whom seemed to tower above him. His influence on Motilal Nehru was indirect though powerful enough. It was to C. R. Das that Motilal felt drawn earlier than to Gandhi and the first two worked close in the Swaraj Party days. The younger Nehru it was who brought Gandhi into their lives and there was no looking after that. B. R. Nanda’s study has a special quality of deep perception and clear analysis, which have their full play on the portrayal of human character and the tracing of political current. The present volume is actually an abridged version of the author’s celebrated work, ‘The Nehrus’. The father-son-relation is best summed up in the words of the Mahatma who described Motilal’s greatest quality as ‘Love of his son’. “Was it not love of India?” the Mahatma was asked. “No”, he replied, “Motilal’s love for India was derived from his love for Jawaharlal.” But who can say that he loved his country any the less, because he loved his son the more?

Departed leaders from all parts of India are on the schedule for publication in this series. Readers of the South would be happy to know that to the lives of Kasturiranga Iyengar and Salem Vijayaraghavachariar will be added those of Kandukuri Veeresalingam and Andhra Kesari Prakasam, in due Course.
–D. ANJANEYULU