I cannot remember when I read last time an engaging, intellectually stimulating book in Bengali. While I still read books in Bengali but am limited to a specific genre and, of course, books in my profession. As an educator, I regularly read as it is part of my everyday life. Professional reading is essential to growing with confidence. Such reading is also an option for professional development that enhances our knowledge and skill base in classroom practices. Nowadays it seems people are not interested in serious reading. Life is becoming too superficial. What is challenging to attain people appears to shy away or not interested to endeavour. For many, it becomes simple to be complicated and becomes difficult to be simple.
We all need to read books to feed our minds the same way we continuously provide our bodies. Our perception, thoughts, memory, determination, emotions, happiness, imagination and sensory consciousness need adequate foods to become more agile and healthy. Books are good food for our minds. Reading good books with pleasure and interest can promote one’s better health and wellbeing, helps to build better social connections and relationships with others. Books are a great source of camaraderie. Sometimes I feel despondent when I see people not interested in reading books while they are happy to waste their precious time on useless things. Having books in the home is always associated with reading enjoyment and confidence. Research carried out by McGrane et al. in 2017 entitled `progress in international reading literacy study: National report for England`. Findings suggest: 32% of children are confident readers, while 42% stated they do not read books regularly when fewer than ten books are in their homes. However, the figures are different if children have 200 books in their homes. In a later case, 73% of children stated they are confident readers while only a minority of 12% say they do not like reading. Therefore, reading books can increase our understanding of self and others, enhancing empathy, self-esteem and positive attitudes.
I vividly remember it was the most peaceful August morning in Moscow in 1988. I went to Progress Publisher landmark bookstore, located in Park Kultura, one of Moscow’s grand and busiest metro stations built in 1950 by Igor Rozhin. The same architect also designs the Luzhniki Stadium. I had the opportunity to visit this too in the early 1990s. I found a book written in Bengali in a foreign country for the first time, and I immediately took it from the shelf with joy and excitement. It was Gitanjali (Garland of Songs) by Rabindranath Tagore, first Asian Noble laureate (1861-1941), a little book of 103 poems Gitanjali first published in 1913 with a collection of 157 poems. Still, the English version of Gitanjali is a collection of 103 poems. These poems are written from the deepest part of his (Tagore) heart to show appreciable devotion to God with a truly universal message of harmony, tolerance, beauty and relationship. Tagore’s mesmerising songs and poems are life invocation for inner purification, salvation and endowment of mind. I read the book with eudaimonic happiness -a sense of joy and peace, but I must admit I did not understand the true meaning of all the poems at that age as a first-year University student.
A few years back, I have restarted reading the Bhagavad Gita, not by accident but to rediscover the spiritual, theological and scientific paths and philosophical underpinnings offered by this holy book of Hinduism. The more I read this book, the more I progress in knowledge. I feel more peaceful and confident; simultaneously, I get away with all the negativity and illusions of the mind. Reading such a book regularly with method purifies one’s mind and soul. Reading gives strengths and courage to face all uncertainties and bleakness of life. I realise success, progress, and prosperity are the consequences of reading such a noble, holly book with interest and always helps to stay calm and positive. For me, Bhagavad Gita-the root of all Vedic scriptures and philosophy is the life manual for all, the constitution of the world, father of philosophies, mother of all solutions to the problems, accumulation of many oceans of thoughts and the beauty of the brain.
Mahatma Gandhi’s (1869-1948) true reflection about the book provides a holistic view on gravity and metaphysical magnitude. He states, “When doubts haunt me when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad Gita and find a verse to comfort me, and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow”.
I would like to recall a universal phrase by Albert Einstein (1931), “This is a purely human conception of the universe”. On the 14tt of July 1930, during Tagore’s visit to Germany, he visited Albert Einstein’s house near Berlin and had a great conversation with Einstein on the nature of reality. This conversation is published later in 1931 in the January issue of Modern Review. This view of Einstein closely relates to Tagore’s belief that states, “when our universe is in harmony with man, the eternal we know it as truth, we feel it as beauty”. He further asserted that “There can be no other conception, the world is a human world-the scientific view of it is also that of the scientific man. Therefore, the world apart from us does not exist”. Tagore’s realisation of life is based on reality. That life does not break down when faced with the reversal. Fearlessness in danger or unknown, stubbornness in hopelessness, love in despairs, calm in distress and indifference in death-all things perceive as the universal mind by Tagore has a remarkable parallel to Bhagavad Gita’s core dispositions. Anyone who delves deeper into Bhagavad Gita will find many similarities with the thoughts of Tagore.
Rabindranath Tagore-A great mind, the epitome of humanity, philosopher, poet, patriot, painter, humanist, songwriter, composer and beyond who inspired three national anthems, the first non-European to win the Nobel Literature Prize, a critical exponent of Bengali renaissance. How the great epic influenced the latter part of his life, his thoughts and his writings? It is not an easy task to find some of the most critical aspects of human reality from the deep oceanic waves of Bhagavad Gita and to connect with the writings of Tagore.
Rabindrabhabnai Bhagavad Gita is the book that provides an intriguing account of intellectually most compelling insight that helps us to think fast and slow. The book is written by one of the greatest minds and prominent personalities from Bangladesh, Mr Nitya Nanda Chakraborty. He is a great orator, poet, writer, international speaker and thinker who published extensively, including some of his intellectually stimulating books SriMadbhagvadgita, Sanatani Galpo, Amar Chelebela and Budoyonto Poromporom. His intellectual contributions are highly appreciated on both sides of the Atlantic, especially among Bengalis. Recently Bangladesh Government, under the Ministry of Religion, has published 30,000 copies of the SriMadbhagvadgita book to distribute to various educational institutions across the country. A great testimony of his contribution to society.
Rabindrabhabnai Bhagavadgita is his latest book. An excellent treaty, based on the reflection of Gita’s philosophy in Tagore’s writings and written in an elegant style that combines a writer’s flair of mood description and brilliantly researched accounts. The author gives us a richly and fluently documented study. All chapters are well-grounded in novelty and the power of connectivity. It is a brilliant book of examination with a mind of curiosity. I read this book twice within a space of one month. Each chapter, words, lines and sentence are mesmerising and stimulate our thought process. This is, therefore, a book that both commands and deserves our attention. In this book, Mr Chakraborty proved him a trustworthy researcher who confidently investigates, analyses, and interprets phenomena or events/alliances between variables. Actual researchers do not speculate, and there is no room for speculation. While fabrication and supposition are the norms for some researchers, those with method and integrity will always set to the task of bringing the truth and testing evidence. The shreds of evidence and relevant sources well support discussions and arguments in every chapter.
This impressive and intellectually stimulating book lets readers think unconventionally and reflect upon some of the most salient snippets of Bhagavad Git’s core philosophical messages in Tagore’s thoughts through his writings (especially poems and songs). The book comprises 12 chapters with 175 pages. The book is further enriched with an intuitive foreword by Amiya Mukherjee, President-Aurobindo Centre, Dhaka and an insightful well-written introduction that sets the book’s rationale. The book ends with an evaluative and reflective conclusion (chapter 12). The chapters are based on common themes that are found in both Bhagavad Gita and various writings of Tagore. The recurrent thread throughout the book focuses on Souls and their immortality, Peace of mind and human life, devotion, God-Maya-Nature, the religion of man, the caste system, egoism, Karma yoga, any incarnation for the establishment of religion/Dharma.
This book by Mr Chakravorty is a most measured, researched, and robust analysis of some of the most salient aspects of Gita in Tagore’s writings; I am confident that the insightful and critical analysis will provide readers with a lot of food for thought. The author very intelligently has unveiled the wealth of spiritual wisdom of Gita that are coherently incorporated in various writings of Tagore. The book seems well-edited and relevant sources applied adequately to support discussions and arguments. While some of the terminologies are difficult to understand for layman’s, these are found to be appropriate as the intended audiences are very knowledgeable. The choice of words and framing of the lines and sentences are very consistent and balanced to provide a reading flow. The concepts such as devotion (Ch. 3), the religion of man: Gita & Rabindranath (Ch. 5), the birth of religion (Ch. 6), Karmayoga (ch.10), the establishment of religion (ch.11) all are well explained and connected within the context of the subject.
After an extended period, I had the great opportunity to read the vividly written and exhaustively researched book in Bengali. Anyone is looking for eudaimonic happiness, inner peace and tranquillity of reading books that enhance one’s knowledge and insight on Tagore’s thinking in alignment with the critical messages of Bhagavadgita must read this book.