Itihas Divakar - April 2017
Editorial: Gita Rahasya: Karma Yoga Shastra
Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak, the announcer of "Swaraj is our birthright" in India's freedom movement, was a fierce patriot and a prominent proponent of national cultural thought. Due to his active role in the national movement against the British rule, he was sent to Mandalay jail by the British government in 1908, where he stayed until 1914. During this time, between Kartik Shukla Pratipada and Chaitra Krishna Amavasya of Vikrami Samvat 1967, he wrote the first manuscript of the book 'Gita Rahasya' in jail. This was the year 5012 of Kaliyugabda and 1910-11 according to the Gregorian calendar. After his release from jail, Gita Rahasya was published in Marathi in 1915, and a hundred years ago from today, in 1917, the Hindi version of Gita Rahasya was published.
Lokmanya Tilak ji has described the ever-relevant, timeless, true, eternal principles of the Gita in 'Gita Rahasya' in a detailed, simple, and clear style. The Gita considers Nishkama Karma (selfless action) as the best path to welfare. On this basis, Gita Rahasya has been called Karma Yoga Shastra. It is extremely essential to have the 'Atmaupamya Drishti', which is the perspective of equality, of treating others as oneself, while working selflessly for the benefit of all in society. An article related to this 'Atmaupamya Drishti' described in the twelfth chapter of Gita Rahasya is included in this issue of Itihas Divakar.
Nav Samvatsar Special: Ugatu Panchang and Nav Samvatsar
Dr. Om Prakash Sharma
Ugatu is a traditional hill almanac (Panchang) of Himachal Pradesh. Himachal encompasses the chronological aspects of creation, existence, and rhythm. These chronological aspects are reflected in the various traditions and practices of the society here. The intellectual wealth present in the society settled in the river valleys and plains of the Himalayas has special significance for the principles of time calculation. On the basis of these principles, the society here has progressed on the path of civilization. A special role of the principles of time calculation is also seen in the life philosophy of the society. In order to give society a proper sense of cosmic and human creation, various traditions and systems of time calculation have been established here. A similar system is found in the hill almanac Ugatu.
Method of Time Calculation: The search for Ugatu begins in the month of Margashirsha. Magh, Phalgun, and Chaitra are considered special months for time calculation. In these three months, the process of time calculation is completed. First, the knowledgeable scholar of astrology in the village selects a place in the village temple where the sun's rays fall directly. In fact, the establishment of the temple is in accordance with Vastu Shastra.
The Virtuous King Vikramaditya
Krishna Chand Mahadeviya
It is a matter of old times that there was a king named Vikramaditya. He was a very handsome, healthy, brave, fearless, and truthful king who delivered true justice. In his kingdom, all people and even birds and animals lived in great happiness. There was no shortage of food and wealth. There was peace and contentment all around. No human was unhappy in his kingdom. The king himself used to roam his kingdom in disguise to gather information.
Once, what happened was that King Vikramaditya, while wandering alone in his kingdom, went very far. He was in disguise. The king saw a snake with its hood raised, ready to eat a frog. The frog was pleading in a very pathetic tone to save its life. Compassion arose in Vikramaditya's heart. He prayed to the snake not to eat the frog.
Discourse: The View of Equality (Atmaupamya Drishti) in Karma Yoga
Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak
The intellect of a Sthitaprajna (a person of steady wisdom) and his conduct are the basis of ethics and moral science. The moral rules that emerge from them have to be changed slightly in the imperfect state of society, despite their being eternal. And even when they are changed in this manner, why and how is there no obstacle to the eternity of the moral rules in that change. Now, let's consider that first question: what is the root or seed-element of the conduct of a Sthitaprajna sage in an imperfect society? This can be considered in two ways. One, by giving primacy to the doer's intellect, and second, by his external behavior. If we consider only from the second perspective, it will be evident that whatever behavior the Sthitaprajna exhibits, it is mostly for the benefit of all people.
