Book Review by Prof. R. Chandraprakash Former Dean University of Mysore of
‘Indian Culture - A Compendium of Indian History, Culture and Heritage’ by Dr. S. Srikanta Sastri The people of this ancient country are shaped by high ideals. They exhibit their noble qualities in their work culture, speech, mental makeup, in commerce, in social intercourse and in political activities. If the national character is flawed, then the society rests on a bedrock of lies and deceit.
Dr. S. Srikanta Sastri.
Indian Civilization is the oldest living civilization in the world today. India is the land of religious churning. This land gave to the world - Vedas, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and innumerable other religious tenets. This land founded earlier to 3000 B. C. the world’s first universities of Taxila (Takshashila), Mithila, Sharada Peetha, Nalanda and others where scholars from the world came for intellectual enlightenment. However, geographically India, that is Bharat, today is a far smaller country than it was a millennia before. Its outer geographical contours have been dismembered and its national boundaries have been constantly reduced. For a millennia this land has been attacked and conquered by different races and its riches plundered over the centuries. A significant size of its population today belongs to different religious beliefs implanted here from foreign lands through forceful conversions.
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India’s very long history and steep sociological diversities in religious practices; of castes and subcastes; in languages; food habits and even appearances by themselves throw up great challenges to historians to establish true and verifiable narratives of its old but living civilization. To add to these challenges, the post independent historians are divided by their political dogmas and personal preferences. Universities and Institutions involved in historical research are afflicted by lack of genuine intellect. Foreign researchers are torn by their love and hate approach in narrating Indian history and culture. Post-independent archaeological findings from Dwaraka to Sinauli have thrown open factual proofs of our history and culture. A few Non-government Organisations, such as Indian History Awareness and Research [IHAR] located in United States of America and run by highly dedicated individuals from diverse fields, are doing yeomen service in igniting the interest and the awareness about India’s great past. A Timely Book It is under these conditions that Dr. S. Srikanta Sastri’s book Indian Culture – A compendium of History, Culture and Heritage, which was scripted in the pre-independence era (in 1944 to be precise), acquires a special place today when we are celebrating our 75th year of political Independence. It is a unique book as its depth of research is established in each and every page. The author has provided sources for his narratives with appropriate Sanskrit quotations from Vedic literature, Puranic Shlokas, or Mythological sources. Sanskrit quotations are also provided with English translations for easy understanding. The authenticity of the work is further established when one learns that the author has had proficiency in fourteen languages as ancient as Greek, Latin, Prakrit, and Sanskrit; apart from foreign languages like French, German; and Indian languages like Kannada, Telugu and Hindi. This book of 669 pages has broadly 12 chapters, some with subject based multiple parts. These chapters cover: Civilization and Culture; Physical Features of Sub-Continent; Early Man in India; Languages of India [Two Parts]; The Proto-Indic Culture; Vedic Culture [Three Parts]; History and Mythology; Quest After Spiritual Truths; Different Indian Philosophical Schools – Darshana Sastras; The Vedic Society; The Economy in the Vedic Age; The Political
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Institutions; Literature, Arts and Science; Greater India; and lastly, A Bird’s-Eye View of Indian Culture. Culture is defined as “the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.” Another definition is “ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.” Thus, culture is sum total of human civilization, as it is the culmination of overall human development. Therefore, this book is very appropriately titled as “Indian Culture - A Compendium of Indian History, Culture and Heritage” thereby covering most of the important variables of Indian Culture. It will be a herculean task for any reviewer to write a reasonably good review of such a rich research work. Every chapter is so deep in its research content that each of it is worth an independent review by an expert. Therefore, only limited examples are provided here so that a discerning reader is convinced that this book deserves a serious reading and a place on their bookshelves.
Aryan Culture– An Invaders’ Culture? Antiquity of Indian history and culture has been an issue of contention among the historians. Even till recently, renowned scholars of history have been weaving a history that Aryans belonged to Central Asia and emigrated into northern parts of India. A lot of logic has been built around this theory and a wedge was tried to be built that the original inhabitants of Indian continent were the Dravidians, whom the Aryans pushed down to the southern parts. And therefore, the Aryan culture is a culture of invaders!
Whereas, Dr. Sastri in chapter 3 – The Proto- Indic Culture (page104-105), has argued ‘that, Indus Valley Civilization is Dravidian and non-Aryan is not tenable’. Quoting Rig Veda, he states that Aryans worshiped all kinds of Gods – with form and without form. They were idolaters and non-idolaters. He further argues that Vedic hymns such as “Indra Vyam Vanija Hava Mahe” indicates that Aryans were sea-faring people and conducted maritime trade. Therefore, Aryans belong to India and India alone.
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Horse Theory Some historians like Wendy Doniger even till recently have argued that horses were not of Indian origin and that Aryans emigrated into India from Central Asia along with their horses and replaced the indigenous people. As against this theory, Dr. Sastri has long back stated ‘that artefacts connected with horse, such as saddle, stirrup and reins, had been excavated during the archaeological digging and therefore the horse was a familiar animal to Indus Valley people’.
The excavations in Sinauli as recently as 2018 have led to, for the first time, discovery of chariots and skeletal remains with bronze decorating pieces and armor. They further establish that horses were very much part of our civilization. This not only challenges the Aryan Invasion theory but also takes the antiquity of Indian Civilization beyond 2500 B. C.!
It is to the credit of Dr. Sastri that as early as 1944 he argued on these lines. Mythology and History One another recent argument that belittles Indian cultural antiquity has been that our epics Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavad-Gita were only works of fiction and therefore only part of mythological lore. Interestingly, it is these epics which have permeated into our divergent linguistic and geographical demographies and have galvanized our core cultural roots. No foreign historian, however learned he might be, will be in a position to fathom this. Dr.Sastri has devoted one full chapter [chapter 4 – PART IV: History and Mythology]to establish how these epics are narratives of historical events. He states “During the Samhita period, the historical details were collected and written down in Dhanastuti (inscriptions and manuscripts which recorded donations and munificence of generous persons), Gathanarashamsi (Ballad – epic songs), Ithivrutha (witness accounts) etc., and later all these things came to be incorporated into Puranas. Vyasa is credited with the division of Vedas and he is also considered as a recorder of fifth Veda – ‘Bhagavad
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Gita’. He is the architect of 18 Puranas and composer of Brahma Sutras, which contain the summary Indian Culture”.
Dr. Sastri further states “We can consider each Purana as an encyclopaedia. Apart from spiritual matters, one finds in Puranas other subjects such as jurisprudence, political administration, sculpture, medicine, literature, aesthetics, painting, astrology, architecture, etc.”
He substantiates with Sanskrit quotations the historical documentation of our cultural moorings in Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavad-Gita. He concurs that Bhagavad-Gita is fifth Veda. Quest After Spiritual Truths Liberalism is the foundation of Indian philosophy and religion. Quest after spiritual truths has been a constant endeavour of Indian philosophy. Unlike in Islam and Christianity, there is no single authority or symbol which dictates the followers of Indian religions. Indian religions provide several choices of Gods based on one’s beliefs for worship. “The six important indigenous religions of India are Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shaktha, Saura, Ganapathya and Kaumara. These religions are Astika Darshanas and for them the Vedas are the real foundation on which their beliefs stand as edifice” (p.166). It is believed that during Vedic - culture, chaturvarna prevailed even among the Gods (p.129). However, the Vedas were not unchallengeable depositories of faith and beliefs. Caravaka School of Philosophy questioned the Vedic Philosophy. In 1944, Dr. Sastri felt that there was a striking similarity between Caravaka philosophy and the ideology of Communism! As per Dr. Sastri, the main tenet of Caravaka philosophy is “as long as one is alive, one must live well. The ruling class has conspired to keep the fortunate citizens shackled in religious bondage to such things as God, heaven, hell, sin and retribution as inescapable realities. These social constraints are created by priests, wealthy landlords and by the members of ruling class (p.173).” He concludes that ‘there is a striking similarity between Caravaka philosophy and the ideology of Communism. The weak and ignorant people ended up as serfs.’ To prove his last line, Dr. Sastri elaborately quotes from a Sanskrit text which is so liberal in content and down to earth in the understanding of human existence. Few translated lines from it are worth quoting.
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“.... Once a dead body is cremated, the dead person will not come back to enjoy good things of life. ...... Similarly, such things as “this soul” and “that soul” are false assumptions. The consumption and digestion of food is a bodily function. .... A burnt dead body will not return to life.... The dim-witted emasculated men have propped up Agnihotra, the three Vedas and the parallel lines of sacred ash on the forehead and body as some kind of fanciful sport. All these religious rituals benefit only the priests, who earn donation in the form of silver or gold. The Vedas are only a means of livelihood for Brahmins. The three Vedas are composed by Rakshas, cheats and stubborn fellows. Such words as Jarbhari (nourishing) and Turphari (murderers or killers) are mere epithets invented by pandits for Caravakas (pp.173-174).
Above narratives are proofs that idolatry and blind faith are not unquestioned in Indian religious thoughts. All along the evolution of Indian philosophy, there have been challenges thrown at every religious belief and practice. If certain mundane and illogical looking practices have prevailed in religious practices today, then they might be due to the inertia generated by the impact of onslaughts of foreign religions during the past few centuries. Fundamentally, religious tolerance and liberalism have been the hallmarks of Indian Philosophy. It is such character which facilitated the spread of proselytizing religions such as Christianity and Islam in India.
History of Arts and Science Chapter-10 Art and Science has tremendous relevance to post independent India. This chapter in very minute detail, explains the state of art during our Vedic period. It narrates the linguistic excellence with details of phonetic symbols and sketches. It will be no surprise that modern computer coders find Sanskrit as the perfect coding language. This chapter also minutely narrates the heights of our knowledge of various sciences [Vedic mathematics, Architecture, Astrology, etc.] during Vedic period and thereafter.
At a time when the west is discovering fundamentals of ‘modern’ science, evidences are found in our scientific history regarding magnetic force, solar constellation, role of Sun in our universe; number of planets; relationship between Sun and the planets; characteristics of different planets like Mars, etc. Galileo was punished for stating that planets go around the Sun! Whereas, Indian
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Astronomers not only knew this but have created solar based almanacs which is even today perfect down to the milli-second.
Therefore, one should not be surprised in the least when Indians are occupying the heights of NASA and similar scientific institutions in the west today! Invaluable Book Dr. S. Srikanta Sastri scripted this valuable book in 1944, when the technological research tools available to a scholar were very limited. But he used his proficiency in our ancient languagesnamely Sanskrit and Prakrit [through which he had mastered the source materials in our Vedas to fathom the depths of our cultural history] to corroborate his narratives. He further used his knowledge of Latin, Greek, French and German to filter his historical narratives with historical sources beyond Indian boundaries.
Interestingly, the author has himself drawn the sketches and drawings of many artifacts and paintings/ sketches found in the excavations till the date of writing of this book. He has also drawn a sketch of roots of world history and culture in the form of a big tree. The reader will see in this book a sincere effort on the part of author to provide ample evidence of his narrative and his deep-rooted beliefs in the scientific research methodology. This further enhances the worth of this volume in the modern context. Translation – A Credible Work It is worth mentioning here that this valuable book was originally written in Kannada language a language confined to a small demographic and geographical boundary of India during an era of slow-moving life and limited public reach. Since I have the benefit of having read this book in Kannada, I dare say that the author belongs to a different era of Kannada language and glory. Sanskrit quotations are in Kannada script and are provided with translation of meaning either in Kannada or English which certainly enhances its value to the readers in that language.
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English is certainly a world language and also language of modern knowledge source, be it art, history, culture and science. But those who are acquainted with Indian languages will realize that the English language does not provide adequate leverage or flourish to translate the depth and essence of Indian languages. It is to be noted that Kannada version has only 316 pages and is a very handy book, whereas its English version runs into a bulky 669 pages! It is in this context that the translation of the book from chaste Kannada into English, including the rendering of Sanskrit quotations in Devanagari script (while accompanying them with their respective English translations) deserves to be lauded. This cannot be a mere translation work, but an output of loves labour. It is indeed a great contribution to the world about the greatness of Indian Culture. Prof. S. Naganath and his team involved in the translation deserve commendation.
Books such as this dealing with rich antiquity and serious research could be made more useful with a more aesthetic typography of presentation and a more detailed index at the end. The original drawings in Kannada version are so crisp, but due to enlargements, same have lost clarity in the English version. Availability of this book in English will provide a great opportunity to serious historians to ponder over the recent vitiated narratives about Indian Civilization.
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