Saurav
Sarmah
CEAS,
SIS, JNU
In the previous article, we discussed how the Vedic
civilization got restricted to the Indian sub-continent due to the effect of
the Kali-yuga (beginning February 18, 3012 BC). The true import of the Veda,
gradually, faded from the collective memories of several societies, reducing
them to uncivilized (non Aryan) status. Afterwards, there was a major split
near the Sindhu valley, when the deviant teachings of Zarathustra were given
the status of state religion in the Persian Empire.
The Vedic civilization weakened further
when the priestly class forgot the conclusion of the Veda (Vedanta) and
continued indiscriminate slaughter of animals in sacrifices meant for the
satisfaction of Vishnu (God). Then, out of compassion, Vishnu descended as
Buddha, deluded the demons (in the guise of priests) by preaching atheism and
wrecked havoc on the infallible status of the Veda. The message of Buddha
spread throughout the Asian continent (except perhaps the Western reaches beyond
Persia). Another threat to Vedanta philosophy emerged in the form of Adi
Shankara, when he twisted the meaning of Upanishadic statements to deny God’s
personal qualities and His eternal dominion over all living entities. The
demonic class of men became his followers all over the Indian sub-continent and
thus, he tacitly re-established the Vedic religion (after a prolonged period of
atheistic dominance).
The Vedic superstructure nearly crumbled under the
sword of Islam, which defeated the weakening and unpatriotic ruling class and
ruled for about 800 years. The so called
Hindus were persecuted and their place of worship and pilgrimages were destroyed.
In fact, the entire trace of the ancient civilization was wiped out from the
Sindhu valley (now in Pakistan). However, the mechanism of sastra-sadhu-guru
was preserved by great teachers like Visnuswami, Ramanuja, Nimbarka and Madhva
and the pure theistic message of the Veda was gradually propagated in different
parts of the sub-continent. The devotional fervour induced the appearance of
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who inaugurated the Sankirtana Movement (the pristine
form of Vedic religion recommended for the invincible Kali-yuga) for the
deliverance of the entire planet Earth from clutches of nescience.
Meanwhile, Europe had emerged from the Dark Ages (when
knowledge was choked by the doctrines of the Church) and the Crusades (the
inconclusive contest of arms between two great Semitic faiths, viz.,
Christianity and Islam). The project of colonial expansionism took the European
adventurers, traders, missionaries and mercenaries to all the continents of the
planet and the indigenous cultures alongwith their traditional socio-religious
structures and self-sufficient economies succumbed to the European onslaught. Although the
physical control over the planet was reluctantly ceded by the Europeans, they
continue to control the global knowledge system (elitist culture, school
curricula, universities, mass media, pseudo religious institutions, etc.) and
people have been turned into consumers to pump profits for the corrupt business
class. Therefore, there are so many resistant movements like Jihadism, Maoism,
local nationalist insurgencies and civil society protests. However, such forms
of material struggles have failed to resolve the real problems of our
existence.
Until the late 19th century, the Sankirtana Movement
was limited within India, where it got lost amidst the conglomeration of false
doctrines (voidism, impersonalism, mysticism, ritualism, casteism, etc.) and illicit
practices (Tantric sex, ganja smoking, etc.). Due to the efforts of three great
teachers in the lineage of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, viz., Bhaktivinoda Thakur,
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati and Prabhupada, the Movement was purged of the
degrading elements, institutionalized and then transformed into a global
phenomenon.
[Correction in BVF: Tattva-Darsana 1.1: Isopanishad is
a part of Shukla Yajur Veda: Vajasaneya Samhita]
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