Lokamanya Tilak

Convocation Address at Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth,
Pune.

Prof. K. SATCHIDANANDA MURTY

This Vidyapeeth was established sixty seven years ago in me­mory of one who had been described by Mahatma Gandhi as “a maker of modern India” and as “the man who preached the gos­pel of Swaraj* with utmost consistency and insistence”. There­fore one would be paying one’s homage to Tilak if one were to reflect on the meaning of Swaraj, the ideology of which he so tirelessly propagated. I may be permitted to do so.

Swaraj is an ancient word which occurs even in the Rig Veda in the sense of “one’s own dominion”, and in the earliest Upa­nishads too. But in two of the major Upanishads it came to be endowed with a profound significance.

The Chandogya Upanishad puts forward the concept of Bhuma. Bhuma is the vast, the unsurpassed and the abundant. Mahal, niratisayam, bahviti. That which is Bhuma is happiness as well as the immoratal. Yo vai bhuma tat sukham – tadamri­tam. It is everywhere. When one is experiencing it, nothing else is experienced. It is established on its own greatness, or not even on it at all. It is indeed all this. Sa evedam sarvam iti. It is the Self itself, which is everywhere and is indeed all this. Atmai­vedam sarvam iti. He who sees, thinks and understands this de­lights in the Self only, and becomes independent (svarad): free everywhere in every way. ‘While alive he is coronated in his own autonomy’. Jivanneva svarajye ‘bhishiktah (BHASHYA).

In another Upanishad, the Taittiriya, it is stated that the Ulti­mate Reality (Brahman) will be directly realised as the Self of all if it is first meditated as located in the interior of one’s own heart and mind. It is first within oneself that the Self has to be cognized as immoratal and effulgent. One attains the fruit of Swarajya then. (Svarajyaphalasiddhi) Swarajya is the nature (svatbhava) of one who is independent, who is himself ruler (svarad) without anyone else as his ruler (master). (BHASHYA VARTIKA ON TAI. UP., 1.6.)

Sankaracharya and his disciple Suresvara thus conceived autonomy as the final goal and perfection of man, which is to be realised through desireless action and knowledge based on meditation of the truth of one’s own real nature. This was elabo­rated further sometime between 1780-1880 A.D., by Ganga­dharendra Sarasvati in his Svarajyasiddhi and Nilakantha Tirtha in Svarajyasarvasva (which has another title Citsudharya). The former has been explained further by the author himself and an­other scholar as well in their commentaries.

Tilak correctly explained this Vedantic conception in his statements like: “What is Swaraj? A life centred in the Self and dependent upon the Self. – Swaraj is the natural consequence of diligent performance of duty.” (QUOTED IN RAM GOPAL, Loka manya Tilak: A Biography, BOMBAY, 1956, PP. 344, 390.) But his original contribution was to bring out the political dimen­sion of this conception: “What is Swaraj? It is replacement of bureaucracy by the people themselves. It is one’s birthright to govern one’s own house, none else can claim to do it.” (IBID PP. 389, 390). “It is one’s inherent right to fight for the liberty of his people, for a change in the government.” (QUOTED IN N.G. JOG, B.G. Tilak, NEW DELHI, 1962, P. 119.)

It was the greatness of Tilak to have perceived that as man is a social and political being, he cannot have cognitive and meta­physical freedom while politically unfree. It is the first duty of a man not free to free himself. A slave cannot have Swaraj by just continuing to obey his master while contemplating on himself as the Ultimate Reality or the immortal universal Self. Such thinking should be preceded by discharge of his duty, which consists in first freeing himself from slavery. Then he can do Vedanta Vichara. Political and economic freedom is the external condition in which real internal metaphysical freedom can be realised. A nation ruled by another, or a people ruled by a bureaucracy, cannot have Swaraj by any amount of meditation. The svadharma (own-duty) of a slave is first to free himself from slavery, and the svadharma of a subject nation or an oppressed people is to first overthrow the imperial power or the despotic rule. Svadhanna, well-performed for its own sake, makes one fit for the higher freedom: real Svarajya as conceived by the Upanishads. The Vedmtic goal is to realize one’s own natural and authentic nature. Slavery and bondage, whether of an individual or of a nation, are unnatural and axe obstacles to self-fulfilment. So they should first be destroyed.

Tilak was led to draw out the political implications of Ve­danta by the teaching and life of Samarth Ramdas. Ramdas (1608-1681 A.D.) deeply felt the political conditions in Maharashtra and the misery of his people. He conceived of a “Re­gion of Bliss” (in his work Anandavana - bhuvana)in which righteousness would be established after the destruction of the wicked and sinners. But the means for this, he taught, was per­formance of one’s duty to oneself and one’s nation after first setting one’s heart firmly on God. His effort was to establish national greatness on the foundation of faith in God. (R.D. RANADE, Mysticism in India, The Poet-Saints of Maharashtra, REPRINT, ALBANY, 1983, PP. 366-7, 422F.)

The Mahatma was following the same tradition when he wrote: “It is Swaraj when we learn to rule ourselves.” (HIND SWARAJ, 1938 EDN., CH. XIV.) “The most real Swarajya is to rule over oneself - Sab se sacca Swarajya to apne par sasan karna hai. That is the synonym of Moksha or Nirvana.” (Sampurna Gandhi Vangmay, VOL. 19, NEW DELHI, 1966, P. 82.) Like Tilak’s his immediate goal was more practical, viz., political independence. But its fulfilment would be when every citizen of an independent nation becomes a moral being, achieving mastery over mind and passions, and thereby comes to know himself. (HIND SWARAJ, CR. XIII.)

The essence of morality is self-control; morality is the means to self-knowledge, which results in perfect freedom, Moksha. Politics must be that which creates conditions favourable to the “observance of mortality” or “performance of duty”, which, according to Gandhi, are “convertible terms”. (op. cit.) This is a view in accordance with Indian tradition. The goal of the whole science of politics, Kautilya declared, is victory over the senses (indriya-jaya). (Arthasastra, 1.6.) This discussion of Swaraj may be concluded with Sri Aurobindo’s magisterial utterance: True Swaraj is “fulfilment of the Vedantic ideal in politics”. (Speeches, 3RD EDN, PONDICHERRY, 1952, P. 63.)

If the Upanishads provided the Swaraj-ideology, another Vedantic text helped “to solve the moral issues involved in every­day life.” (TILAK CITED BY JOG ibid., P. 133.) As was then be­lieved by many Hindus, was it necessary to renounce this world before attempting to achieve human perfection? And, after achieving it, ought one to abandon doing anything in this world? These were questions which bothered Tilak. (RAM GOPAL, ibid.: PP. 342-343.) He thought he might find answers to these in the Bhagavadgita, which was considered to be the supreme epitome of Hindu philo­sophy. His careful impartial study of it over several years resulted in his discovery that it did give the most satisfactory answers to these and other questions. He Presented the results of his study in his Bhagvadgita-Rahasya or Karmayoga-sastra. This and Sri Auro­bindo’s Essays On the Gita are the only two greatest modern Indian works on the Gita.

An autobiographical reference may be excused. If there is any truth in the doctrine that punya-phala (merit of auspicious action) not enjoyed in a particular life would be enjoyed in the next life, it was due to my past sukruta (action well-done) that I was made to study Sankara’s Bhashya on the Gita and was able to read the Telugu translation of Lokamanya’s magnum opus by myself in my teens, and had occasions to read portions of them again and again in subsequent years. The Telugu translation of Gitarahasya was done by Nori subrahmanya Sastri(Principal, Sanskrit College, Tenali) and published in 1918. A copy of it was acquired and studied intensely by my father in the year I was born. In due course I appropriated it and still cherish it.

What according to Tilak is the substance of the teaching of the Gita? He himself summarised it as follows: The Gita teaches a dharma rooted in knowledge, mainly consisting of devotion and enjoining action appropriate for life-long performance. So, it harmonizes intellect, emotion and agency, and shows a way, which assures a smooth life in the world, which does not be­come an obstacle to liberation. Everyone should worship the Supreme Self, who though One is full abiding in all beings–­in the micro- and macrocosms – through discharging his world­ly duties throughout life, according to his competence, for the good of the world (lokasangraha), without any desire, with the conviction that all are like oneself (atmaupamya-drishti) and with enthusiasm. Thus life becomes a continuous act of worship, of sacrifice. The dharma of the Gita, Tilak claims, is fearless, inclusive and equalitarian; it does not concern itself with national, racial or caste differences; and it leads all to the highest good and tolerates all other dharmas. (Gitarahasya. TELUGU TRANS., P. 696.) He chose as the epigraph for his concluding chapter (upasamhara) this text: “So, at times remember Me and fight”. (Tasmat sarveshu kaleshu man anusmara yudhya ca.)

“The word Dharma”,according to Tilak, “means a tie and comes from the root dhri, to bear or hold. What is there to hold together? To connect the soul with God, and man with man”. Dharma is what fosters unity or oneness among men and bet­ween man and Deity. (HIS ADDRESS AT BANARAS, JAN., 1906. QUOTED IN RAM GOPAL, ibid., P. 243.)

Tilak’s summary of the Gita Dharma is more or less in ac­cordance with what is found in these two lines of the famous hymns attributed to Sankara:

Atmarpanadrusa, Saparyaparyahstava
bhavatu yanme vilasitam.
Because of my self-surrender view, may all my enjoyment
and action become a substitute for your service.
                                                                                    (Ananda Lahari)

Yadyatkarma karomi tattadakhilam Sambho tavaradhanam.
Whatever action I do, all that is your worship.
(Sivamanasapuja)

Tilak was a lover of Indian tradition and a rationalist. He was a follower of Sanatana Dharma in the same sense in which Gandhi claimed to be a Sanatuni Hindu. Tilak desired to “em­phasize and preserve the national sentiment by giving due cre­dit to all that is good in the old system but without detriment to progress and reforms needed for our national uplift.” (CITED IN JOG, ibid., P. 36.) He asserted that “he would not recognize even God if He said that untouchability was ordained by Him.” (OP. CIT., P. 35.) He condemned intolerance and fanaticism­ whether of the Hindus or the Muslims – and held it should be punished. (OP. CIT., P. 52.) He gave political reform priority over social reform, and expected advocates of the latter to live up to what they preached by beginning with themselves. (OP. CIT. P. 30-31.) He had the perception and courage to say that the principles of Bolshevism were “eternal” and in tune with the teaching of the Gita: What one has in excess of one’s requirements is a trust with one for others’ benefit. Whoever keeps more than one needs is a sinner. (CITED by RAM GOPAL. ibid., P. 450.) He practised whatever he taught. No leader of the Indian Independence Movement was more sincere and selfless than him, no other leader suffered more than him, and no other leader (except Sri Aurobindo) was a greater scholar, thinker and writer than him.

The Yoga-sutra says “Vitaragavishayam va cittam”. If the mind makes one who is devoid of attachment its object for me­ditation, it would be conducive to the development of dispassion (vairagya) and thus to spiritual benefit. I hope, therefore, my dwelling on this selfless Mahapurusha’s qualities and teaching has been of some benefit to me and to all of you.

This Vidyapeeth’s objective is to actualize Tilak’s idea of national education: “That which gives us a knowledge of the experience of our ancestors, that which enables us to become true citizens and to earn our bread.” (QUOTED BY RAM GOPAL, ibid., P. 239.) It should among other things be, he said, religious and through one’s own mother-tongue. What is it to be religious? To have reverence for ideals, have devotion to the One Supreme God, and to be humble with the awareness that Truth is infinite and cannot be encompassed by the human intellect, and to endeavour to lead a life devoted to the welfare of the world. Trusting that it is education of this sort which is sought to be inculcated here, I offer my felicitations to the faculty for what they may have achieved. In an undertaking like this spectacular success is impossible. But the Vice-Chamcellor and faculty may be heartened by constantly remembering “Svalpamapyasya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat” (Even a little of this dharma protects from great fear).

December 17, 1988

* This is its popular spelling, but it ought to be Svaraajya. In the Upanishads it occurs as svaaraajya.