An inquiry into Hindu philosophy
Subrata Kumar Das recommends a fascinating work
Three separate long essays on the Vedas, the concept of God in Hinduism and the philosophy of the Gita comprise the book Sonaton Sonskriti (Hindu Culture). The title is well enough to make one understand the contents of the book written by Subrata Bhattacharya, a philanthropic knowledge-seeker of Kurigram, Bangladesh. The worthy introduction by the noted naturalist Dwijen Sharma along with lucidity in language and simplicity in presentation have made Sonaton Sonskriti a good handbook for every reader, irrespective of religious beliefs or inclination. Sonaton Sonskriti is not a book that speaks of the orthodox or of mere traditional dogmas. Rather it exhibits the unfathomable knowledge that is stored in the ancient scriptures, called the Vedas. As the author rightly says, the 'Vedas are for everyone, all humans under the sun'. Dwijen Sharma also asserts in his introduction that it was the Vedas that first discovered the existence of life in plants. He thus emphasises the need for all who are in search of knowledge to read the work. 'Ognimile Purohitm', 'Sorbeswarbadi Sonaton', and 'Shorodorshan O Gita' are the tree chapters of this helpful handbook, which borrows the first title from the first hymn of the Rig Vega that reads 'I Laud Agni, the chosen Priest, God, minister of sacrifice / The hotar, lavishest of wealth'. The second one explores the many diversified beliefs regarding God that are available in the Hindu scriptures while the third chapter is the evaluation of the Gita as a genesis of all the philosophies that prevailed in the millennia before the birth of Christ. In the four sections of 'Ognimile Purohitm', the four Vedas have been briefly dwelt upon. In each of those the author showcases the elementary information of all the Vedas, namely, Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva. Along with the basic data, the philosophical aspects that abound in the Vedas are also studied in detail. Let us not forget that Hinduism manifests monotheism as it does not refute polytheism. Neither does it cancel out idolatry. Sonaton Sonskriti tries to explain how these outwardly contradictory beliefs emerged in ancient Indian society and how they complement each other and thus highlight a religion that encompasses some of the best and profoundest of thoughts on life and faith. It enumerates the different beliefs that the ancient sages of our soil spoke of regarding everything around us. The author gradually places before us a list of the many speakers of the Vedic hymns along with their female counterparts. Moreover, he expounds the interpretations that we have been recipient of on the Vedas during different ages. While delving into the most enigmatic stanzas of the scriptures, the author makes references and cross references, whenever necessary, and thus upgrades his book as a good read for a wide range of readers. In the chapter on Gita and its core philosophies, the author inquires into the existing philosophical schools called Samkhya, Yaga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta that prevailed in earlier ages and all together created an upheaval of a lofty and cosmopolitan trend of ideologies which, till date, have proved to be worth reading and are the subject of research across the globe. Anil Sen, a working journalist and a former student of Subrata Bhattacharya, during his school days, is the key man behind the work. His has been a vital role in encouraging his teacher to write the book, which deals with a very sophisticated arena of knowledge. It is remarkable that the work has been published from a Dhaka publishing house. In Bangladesh society, where books on Hinduism, well written from a modern point of view, are scarce, Sonaton Sonskriti may be cited as a worthy example for the general run of believers as well as the intellectually advanced literati to draw inspiration from.
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