Impact of Swami Vivekananda & Sri Aurobindo on Indian Freedom Movement

If you look at the freedom movement, even before the Sepoy Mutiny, there is a very strong evidence of sannyasins having played a very important role in the freedom movement. During the Sepoy Mutiny, it has been recorded that the sannyasins played a very active role. Shivaji is not complete without Rāmdas. The Brahmin power and the Kshatriya power have to go together.

The second point I would like to remind you is that ancient Indian polity was highly developed. Since the very beginning of Indian history, religion played a very important part and will continue to do so because religion and spirituality are the hallmarks of India. It is a unique feature, nonetheless, that although religion is very powerful in this country, never will there be a theocracy. Theocracy is never an Indian phenomenon. The Brahmin will never have political power in his hands. It is the Kshatriya who will hold political power. The Brahmin will stand behind and will be helping—whether it is Rishi Vashishtha or Rishi Vishwāmitra advising Rāma. Indeed, the sages have played a tremendous role in the development of India

Vivekananda and Aurobindo

There are certain points which are common to both Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurohindo. First and foremost is the adoration of India as the Mother. India is not a piece of land. India is not a collection of a billion of people. It is a living soul embodied in what we call the national soul—Mother India.

Swamiji's love for Mother India was intense. Sister Nivedita said, 'Throughout those years in which I saw him almost daily, the thought of India was to him like the air he breathed." Then she added:

But he was bom a lover, and the queen of his adoration was his Motherland. Like some delicately-poised bell, thrilled and vibrated by every sound that falls upon it. was his heart to all that concerned her. Not a sob was heard within her shores that did not find in him a responsive echo. There was no cry of fear, no tremor of weakness, no shrinking from mortification, that he had not known and understood. He was hard on her sins, unsparing of her want of worldly wisdom, but only because he felt these faults to be his own And none, on the contrary, was ever so possessed by the vision of her greatness. . His country's religion, history, geography, ethnology poured from his lips in an inexhaustible stream.

When Swamiji was in South India, in Belgaum most probably, he read in the newspaper that two Indians died of starvation. He was deeply aggrieved. He could not eat that day. Such was his heart!

The other tiling that he believed was that India has a destiny. India has a mission. If India is a soul, then there is a conscious purpose towards which she has to proceed. It depends to a certain extent upon us, the political, intellectual and cultural leaders of the country. However, in reality She does not depend upon us—whether we like the statement or not. That which is pre-destined

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shall happen because this is Nature's way of doing things. India has a spiritual mission and it is to make spirituality the centre of all her activities, of her life, and use it as a guiding power behind all our endeavours. this spiritual mission will include all of life, This mission is not going to be fulfilled by just sitting in the Himalayas, or by going to the forests, moving away from the mundane world. We have to achieve our goal sitting in the very heart of a cosmopolitan city, living amidst its hustle and bustle, and still organizing our whole life with spirituality as its central motive. Such an endeavour will include politics, economics, culture, education, and all other human activities. The distinction between spirituality and our everyday life is not that stark as we suppose commonly. In fact, life is spiritual if you know how to make it. Otherwise you say, Oh, he is in politics! He can't he spiritual.' Or, 'Oh, you are in business! You can't be spiritual.' It is utter nonsense to say like that because each of these activities can be extremely powerful spiritual tools which can eusure our growth and shape our desuny. And this is the mission of India.

The question arises: How do you do it? What are the defects that India has been suffering from for the last five or six centuries? One thing that India lacked completely was strength. Therefore, Swamiji says:

Strength, strength is what the Upanishads speak to me from every page This is the one great thing to remember, it has been the one great lesson I have been taught in my life: strength, it says, strength. O man. be not weak. Are there no human weaknesses?— says man. There are. say the Upanishads, but will more weakness heal them, would you try to wash dirt with dirt? Will sin cure sin, weakness cure weakness? Strength, O man. strength, say the Upanishads, stand up and he strong. Ay. it is the only literature in the world where you find the word 'Abhih'. 'fearless", used again and again; in no other scripture in the world is this adjective applied either to God or to man.

This is the main detect of modem India. By the term 'modem" I do not mean the last sixty years but the last few centuries. We have lost the Kshatriya power. Kshatriya valour has to be coupled with the spiritual fire of the Brahmin. This is the spiritual mission of India.

The other point to remember is that since spiritual mission is to be the way of life in India it must include all branches of secular knowledge, be it politics, economics, science, etc. We must not neglect any aspect of this secular knowledge.

At one place Swamiji says:

I have gone all over India on foot and have seen with my own eyes the ignorance, misery and squalor of our people. My whole soul is afire and I am burning with a fierce desire to change such evil conditions. Let no one talk of karma. If it was their karma to suffer, it is our karma to relieve the suffering. If you want to find God, serve Man. To reach Narayana you must serve the daridranārāyana— the Starving millions of India.

This is the root from which has sprung up the great organization—the Ramaknshna Mission.

In one of his letters he writes:

May I be born again and again and suffer thousands of miseries so that I may worship the only God that exists, the only God I believe in, the sum total of all souls: and, above all my God the wicked, my God the miserable, my God the poor of all races, of all species, is the special object of my worship.

Look at the identification of the people—'the poorest of the poor'. I give a political angle to it. In its true essence this is what 'communism' and 'socialism' mean. But it has been so much distorted by the human mind, by the lower nature of human

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beings! Now you give a spintual touch to this idea and immediately it shoots up. There is one thing very important to understand is that there is no such human effort or endeavour that cannot be raised to its apex if only we know how to spiritualize that activity. To raise the poor from their abject poverty is a profoundly spiritual motive; it is not a political or economic motive or movement alone.

Another very important point which I would like to stress is that both Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo spoke of freedom and freedom alone which is the birthright of every human being. No human being can grow to his full potentiality unless he is given freedom.

Another significant point is. though Swamiji was never involved overtly with any politics or political parties, his influence over politics was profound

Sri Aurobindo. on the contrary, was in active politics from 1906 to 1910. He was a member of the Congress Party and actively) participated in politics. Before 1906. he worked behind the scenes. Again after 1910, he started working behind the scenes, but then from a spiritual perspective.

There are five levels of freedom-political, economic, intellectual, cultural, moral and. finally, spiritual. So far as the first level is concerned. Sri Aurobindo said that Indians must throw away the rule of the foreigners even if they be angels; Indians must be ruled by Indians. Vivekananda said the same thing in a more subtle language when he gave the message that we must stand on our own feet.

Next comes economic freedom. Here, Swamiji wanted India to be developed industrially also. On the ship while going to America to attend the Parliament of Religions, he advised Jamshedji Tata to set up industry in India as She needed it as much as the West.

Swamiji speaks of intellectual freedom. That is. he speaks of man-making education. We should accept from all directions thoughts and ideas which would benefit us. but not be swept off our roots. Swamiji says, never accept things easily. His life is a glowing testimony to that statement For six years he fought Sri Ramakrishna. He loved and respected him greatly but all the same doubled his incredible divine visions. It was only after prolonged trials and verifications of his statements and immaculate character that he accepted him as an Avatāra. Indeed, disbelief and atheism are often the first steps towards genuine spirituality. Once he accepted Sri Ramakrishna as an avatārapurusha. he gave himself over to him heart and soul.

Sri Aurobindo was an agnostic at first. While he had been staying at Baroda during his early days, people asked him if God existed and he answered, 'So people say; I have no contact with him.'

One of my colleagues once said to the Mother at Pondicherry: Mother¹ I think people who are religious or spiritual are greater than the scientists who are materialistic and do not believe in God. Mother answered: Not always. Some religious men may pretend to be so. But they may not have any spiritual realization at all in all their lives, whereas a scientist is honest when he says that he does not believe in God and tries to do all things by himself. He may have at some point some spiritual realization. He may find out the truth within himself.

What I am trying to say is that do not be easy believers. Both Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo realized the Truth after intense search; Swami Vivekananda searched for six long years and Sri Aurobindo from 1904 to 1908.

Sri Aurobindo said that India's inability to progress was due to the disease called

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thought-phobia", ie India lacked the ability to do some serious thinking. In other words, we must not accept anything without questioning, finding out the truth first. Swami Vivekananda also said the same thing. A superficial religion does not take you too far. Religion is only a starting-point. From there one has to move ahead step by step from lower truth to higher and ultimately the highest Truth.

Now at present the ethical and moral freedom is lacking. The whole political system has become corrupt. Everybody is disgusted. Ethical and moral freedom is a step which will enable India to draw on its immeasurable potency which is lying deep within. Everytime India was in spiritual crisis, the sages had come to re-invigorate her. When India faced the onslaughts of Muslim aggressors a host of saints such as Tukārām. Chaitanya. Mirā Bāi. Kabir. Guru Nānak and others came to save India's sanātanadharma based on the eternal spiritual truths realized by our sages which they handed down to us from ancient times. It is to be noted here that from 8^th century onward, wherever the Muslims raided, the old culture was lost It went to Egypt and the land of Pharaoh and pyramids became Muslim. It went to Persia, modern Iran. and it was no longer the Persia of the old world. It became Muslim. It went to Iraq and Mesopotamia was lost. But India survived. Why? It was due to the spiritual wisdom that it acquired through the ages which runs through our very veins . The sages come and India becomes fresh once more spiritually.

In the 19th century Lord Macaulay said that India was on the brink of collapse. At that crucial juncture there appeared Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Vivekananda, Bankim Chandra, Jagadish Chandra Bose. Rabindranath Tagore. All had spiritual yearnings. Rabindranath through poetry. Jagadish Chandra through science, and Bankim through literature had expressed that yearning.

Sri Ramakrishna of course was a spiritual giant.

One thing to be noted here is that although we have amidst us genuine spiritual personalities, a powerful intellectual strength is also of great importance. America and England are powerful nations due to their great intellect in which we lag behind at present. We have to sharpen our intellect further and from intellect we have to graduate to spirituality. Then and then only India will find her true place in the world. But India must not under any condition decry spirituality and at the same time pose as a spiritual nation.

In 1906 when Sri Aurobindo came to Calcutta, he had a four-point programme— Swaraj, Swadesh, Boycott and National Education. Under the 'Swadesh' programme. Sri Aurobindo insisted that India must industrialize herself gradually. And as a first step she must have recourse to Boycott'. The next important step he suggested was National Education' which is to be under national control and have a national content. It is very unfortunate that India's education content at present is not sufficiently Indian. Swamiji also hoped that India would create a new social order and a new civilization by combining our best spiritual traditions with the latest advancement of science and technology. If this is done India would be rich both materially and spiritually, Swamiji affirmed.

I narrate a personal anecdote here. In 1994, when the then Army Chief B. C. Joshi visited the Pondicherry Ashrama, I told him that spirituality is the essence of India, and he agreed to it and said that he also believed it. Subsequently, when he went to America, he said that the essence of India was spirituality and the spirit of India is essentially spiritual. In 1995 when he passed away, the American Ambassador said that

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Joshi had only one phrase on his lips, that India's spirituality combined with American materialism will someday dominate the whole world.

Swami Vivekananda said :

I was asked by an English friend on the eve of my departure. "Swami how do you like now your motherland after four years' experience of the luxurious, glorious, powerful West?¹ I could only answer, 'India J loved before I came away. Now the very dust of India has become holy to me, the very air is now to me holy; it is now the holy land, the place of pilgrimage, the Tirtha '

And Sri Aurobindo said about Swami Vivekananda: 'Vivekananda was a soul of puissance if ever there was one, a v ery lion among men, but the definite work he has left behind is quite incommensurate with our impression of his creative might and energy. We perceive his influence stilt working gigantically, we know not well how, we know not well where, in something that is not yet formed, something leonine, grand, intuitive, upheaving that has entered the soul of India...

Sri Aurobindo

And now some words about Sri Aurobindo. He got married in 1901. But within a year or so he was writing to his wife:

My third madness is that while others took upon my country as an inert piece of matter, I look upon the country as the Mother. 1 adore her, I worship her as the Mother. What would a son do if a demon sat on his mother's breasis and started sucking her blood? Would he quietly sit down to his dinner and amuse himself with his wife and children? Or would he rush out to deliver his mother. I know I have the strength to deliver this race. It is not physical strength but the strength of knowledge. This feeling is not new in me. It is not of today. I was born with it. It is very much in my marrow God sent me to earth to accomplish this great mission.

This is the passion which even' patriot Indian should have. If we put this passion before us the present scenario would change. At this point let me remind you of the motto of the Indian Army: "The first and foremost is the security, welfare and the happiness of my country; second, security, welfare and happiness of my men; and third, the security, welfare and happiness of myself.

Sadly enough we practise the motto in the reverse order, that is. security, welfare and happiness of myself coming first and the result of this is too glaring to be ignored. In 1904-05 Sri Aurobindo wrote.

The deeper we look, the more we shall be convinced that one thing wanting which we must try to acquire before all other is strength- -strength physical, strength mental, strength moral, but above all Strength spiritual. It is one inexhaustible and imperishable source of all the others. If we have strength, everything else will be added to us easily and naturally. In the absence of Strength we are like men in a dream who have hands but cannot see or strike, who have feet but cannot run.

So we see that the essence of Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo is something of a solid calm, and not of excitement. For, in absolute peace and strength one works. And one has to struggle to develop that strength to work. Ostensibly, the task is not very easy.

Sri Aurobindo wrote a lovely passage in 1908. This was written when some people objected to his 'boycott' programme. He wrote more or less to this effect: Love has a place in politics; but it is love of one's country, for one's countrymen, for the glory, greatness and happiness of the race—the divine ānanda of self-immolation for one's fellows. Kshudiram is a perfect example of

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this. The ecstasy of relieving the suffering, the joy of feeling one's blood flow for country and freedom, the bliss of union in death with the father of the race, the feeling of almost physical delight in the path of the mother soil----the winds that blow from the Indian seas, of the rivers that spring from Indian hills and the hearing of Indian speech, music and poetry, in the families, sounds , sights and habits, dress, manners of our Indian life—this is the physical—[expression] of that love—the pride in our past, the pain in our present, the passion for the future or its truncated branches—this is my sorrow.

Today when I speak to hundreds of students I find they know about Singapore or .America, but they do not know about India. Where has gone the pride in our past? It is time that all our children should know their country and be proud of her. Self-sacrifice, seif-forgetting and an enduring service to the motherland are required today. And the sap which keeps it alive is the realization of the Motherhood of God in the country, the perpetual contemplation, adoration and service to the mother. What is needed now is a band of spiritual workers. This is where comes the name of the Ramaknshna Mission the ideal of which, as far as I understand, is liberation of the bonded souls through service to humanity. We need an institution which under the guidance of highly spiritual men will train workers in every field— workers for self-defence, arbitration, sanitation, famine relief and so on. Winning of independence is comparatively an easy task; the keeping of it is less easy. The first demands tremendous effort in which all the energy of the country is concentrated, while the second requires a united organized effort. When these two conditions are fulfilled nothing more is needed. All other things will inevitably follow.

Sri Aurobindo has spoken highly of the three words of the French Revolution— Liberty. Equality and Fraternity. The West had taken  those great words in political sense. Sri Aurobindo gave a spiritual meaning to those words.

Indeed, our mission is to unravel to humanity the true source of human liberty, human equality and human brotherhood. When man is truly free in spirit all other freedoms are at his command, for the free is the Lord who cannot be bound. When man knows this, he is liberated from delusion.

The first type of freedom is not merely external political freedom. Internal freedom is also extremely important. When man is liberated from delusion he perceives the divine equality of the world which fulfils itself through love and justice. This is equality , the second word of the French Revolution. And when he perceives this divine equality he is brother to the whole world, and in whatever position he is placed, he serves all men and women as his brothers and sisters by the law of love, by the law of justice. This is fraternity.

So, when the French had dreamed of moments of inspiration -Liberty. Equality and Fraternity—they gave these extremely external forms which is why they could not become successful as a whole. It is true, liberty came there to a certain extent. Russia also med to bring about equality, and to some extent initially they achieved success. But it is only India which has always hammered on the brotherhood principle. When this principle becomes the basis of social speculations and political aspirations, then liberty, equality and fraternity will take their place in the structure of the society and then the satya yuga will return. This is the Asiatic reading of the spirit of democracy which India must rediscover for herself first before she can give it to the world.

I firmly believe that Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo should be

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