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MORALITY AND RELIGION

Bankim Chandra's mature thoughts on morality and religion were published in two books: Krishna-Charitra (A Portrait of Krishna) (1884) and Dharma-Tattva (The Theory of Religion) (1888) He left behind an unfinished Commentary on the Gita which was partly serialized in a periodical during his life-time and posthumously published in 1902. Bankim had certain ideas on Hindu gods and his essays on this subject have been collected and published by his editors under the title The Theory of Gods and Hindu Religion (1938).

For Bankim Chandra the basic question confronting him as an individual is: What am I to do with this life ? His moral and spiritual philosophy is an attempt to answer this question.

He has himself given a summary of the results of his researches in this field.

Man is born with several faculties. The humanity of man consists in the development, culture and fulfilment of these faculties. The essence of religion for man consists in the above truth. These faculties are to be developed as long as there is perfeci harmony among them. This leads to happiness of man.

Is it possible for an individual to achieve such a perfect harmony of developed faculties ? God is the exemplar of such harmony.

Bankim Chandra is not satisfied with the impersonal orfeatureless God of (Non-Dualistic) Vedanta or "The Inscrutable power in Nature" postulated by Herbert Spencer. He believed in the wor­ship of personal God and in trying to realise as much of this ideal as practicable. The Bengal Vaishnavas spoke of nearness to God and being like Him. Moksa or liberation from suffering is nothing but attaining divine nature by imitating God. Bankim denounces in this connexion needless self-mortification and colourful rituals.

Bankim Chandra mentions in this context the ideal heroes eulogized in Hindu mythologies and histories and says that Rama, Bhisma, Yudisthira and Arjuna, Janaka, Vasistha and Narada were not indifferent to the problems of the world. They were kings and fighters; yet they were exemplars of highest religion. They had not renounced the worldlike the Buddha and Christ for the purpose of leading a perfectly religious life.

But the greatest exemplar of religion as understood by Bankim Chandra is Krishna who put down the wicked by force, unified India through diplomacy and strategy, preached the essence of religion as consisting in disinterested action. He emphasized that religion does not consist in obeying Vedic injunctions but in pursuing human welfare. "Krishna is the Buddha, Christ, Mohammad and Ramachandra rolled into one".

Among the faculties to be developed is the physical strength. Bankim wanted the Indians to develop their muscles, learn riding, swimming and using firearms. The women are also to be taught these skills. Bankim Chandra explicitly mentions that the heroine in one his novels was made to learn wrestling.

Bankim Chandra laid great stress on-developing our mental-faculty and not on mere acquisition of information. He thought that this stress was not found in the prevalent educational system of India.

Bankim Chandra had various interesting things to say about the need for respect for fellow human beings. The American Congress and the British Parliament are worthy of respect as associations of men though many individual members may be despicable characters. The King is a mere representative of the people and the bureaucrats are their servants. They are worthy of respect as long as they dutifully perform their jobs.
Bankim then preaches respect for Brahmins who are the intellectual leaders of society. In his monograph Equality Bankim Chandra had denounced the Brahmins as the initiators and preservers of cruel customs which ensured the tyrrany over vast majority of the Indian people. In his later writings he praises the achievements of the ancient Brahmins in defending the values of the Hindu Society. He says that ancient India could become great onlv because it appreciated the services of the Brahmins.

Bankim quotes scriptures to say that even in ancient times non-Brahmins were regarded as worthy of respect like Brahmins if they had qualities which render Brahmins worth respecting. In modern times spiritual leaders like great Keshab Chandra Sen are to be revered like great Brahmins past and present.

Bankim then discusses reverence for God. The bending of all our faculties towards God is called reverence or devotion (Bhakti) bv him. Bankim regards the version of Hinduism which is based on historically later Puranas superior to the religion of the Vedas including the Upanishads because these earlier forms of Hinduism stressed worship or knowledge alone. Devotion to God is a latter-day development. In this sense Bankim Chandra differs from Dayananda and the Brahmo-Samaj who wanted to return to pre-puranic Hinduism.

If the directing of all our faculties towards God is devotion then ihereis no conflict betweensuch devotion anddismterestedaction. All work is regarded as God's work and there is complete extinction of self interest. This view is not in conflict with attainment of liberation through knowledge for it is knowledge which removes all doubts about the intimate relation between God and the world. In Bankim Chandra's interpretation all our cognitive faculties are to developed and maximum knowledge possible is 10 be attained on all matters but we must finally know the world as God's, Talking about devotion to God. Bankim Chandra quotes a passage from the Gita which says that every one including the Shudras and women can attain the highest stage through devotion to God.

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