Bhagavad Gita and Anti-Corruption Movement - A Bunch of Thoughts

Kesahava Shet Revankar

(Here is an interesting take on the on-going anti-corruption movement. The author, an octogenarian, was an officer with MIG Aircraft Division, HAL, Nasik, and now spends his time between Kundapur (Karnataka) and Dubai)

This article is an attempt to show the parallel between Anna Hazare of Jan Lokpal Bill (JLP) and Krishna of Bhagavad Gita. Anna Hazare belongs to Mahratta caste and is being supported by the Saffron outfit called BJP, who primed him with a slogan "Jan Lokpal" and using him as a spiritual Leader to come to power. Krishna who belongs to Yadava Caste was a folk- hero darling of milkmaids and later became a shrewd, flamboyant, manipulative politician among Aryan kings (If at all this is History). His name is used by the parivar of Vedic /Sanskrit scholars, promoted him as Vishnu’s Avatar with divine power and put words in his mouth to implement their agenda through the document - Bhagavad Gita.(BG) The circumstances too are similar. While the Sangh Parivar wants to grab power by hook or crook, the Vaidic Purohitshahi wanted to perpetuate "Chatur Varna" & the Brhaminic supremacy over the entire Hindu society. Both are Political Agendas.

After the banishment of Buddhism, Hindu society became increasingly supernatural centered society -lured by abstract, magical, and divinely approved Brahminic ceremonial purity. Such a society provides a fertile ground for mushroom like growth of charlatans, Babas of double Sri types, fake spiritual Gurus, predator-astrologers, self deluding Yoga-packages and ever increasing priestly-shenanigans. Modern science has placed in their hands gadgets like cell-phones etc, but the minds are firmly set in the medieval times Such a society encourages some clever individuals to invent modi operandi to create spiritual facade around them.

The evils of mankind are caused by the Individual's self-transcending identification with groups whose common denominator is low intelligence and high emotionality (Arthur Koestler). Anna Hazare found at the right time, a self-transcending cause of 'corruption' and got the backing of such groups who were fueled by a political force – the saffron outfits. These groups have short memory and are totally blank about history.

Just before Anna announced his resolve of fasting, he was accosted by a lady reporter from a TV channel. During the conversation he was heard uttering, as though mumbling to himself, a few words from Bhagavad Gita -"Sambhawami.Yuge Yuge”. Krishna had said that whenever evil becomes predominant he will appear millennium after millennium to restore morality. Krishna never came even after 3500 years as promised. Perhaps Anna Saheb might have thought to himself that now is the right time to do something Big.

As regards Anna Hazare, he comes from a humble background of Mahratta caste, joined Indian Amy, came out and settled in his village Ralegav Siddhi. Seeing the conditions in the village his Army discipline prompted him to bring about some reform. Hundred others, men and women, did become sensitive to social issues and have done significant service in the rural areas. Anna Hazare took up issue of corruption and found success in a few cases of corruption in his state. One significant fact is that all the while he was leading an absolutely simple life, may be reading Bhagavad Gita in Marathi and taking part in singing Bhajans in a temple. This has created a halo around him and people started touching his feet wherever he went. When the mega-corruption cases came to light and the government .succeeded in sending half a dozen prominent men behind bars, the saffron front were frantic to snatch some credit to themselves and found Anna the right choice to stage a huge agitation. They unleashed their cadre of RSS and ABVP to mobilize and lift Anna on the national Arena. Thus a team of Father, Son, and a Holy Ghost and two archangels was formed which created a high decibel cacophony with the Mantra "J.L.P Bill“ to give an impression to the masses that this will banish corruption overnight.

The overflowing of self-righteousness becomes hubris of spiritual kind which has made Anna Saheb loose his track and his later utterances showed that he has lost his mind also. There are 70000 villages like his village which are dens of superstitions and a large section of society in towns and villages has sunk to a frightening depth of obscurantism in recent past. He should  realise that corruption is ingrained in the Hindu-Psyche. From childhood to the grave Hindu has to bribe Gods through priests, for every desire and problem, and every God has given a package of rituals to the priests. Marking of  Hindutva on the forehead has become a fashion, so much so that in a  few years it is feared that their grey cells may turn Saffron

Let me quote what Dr.Prabhakara Kamath, a practicing psychiatrist in USA, has written in March 2011 (www.nirmukta.com). “Since God is invisible, first made him visible making an idol of him (what is MAYA, the cosmic illusion, is brought down and formed into a legion of deities by our crafty Purohiths} put him on a pedestal and built a structure over him to protect him from nature. In the morning wake him up from sleep by ringing bells and beating drums. Then bathe him with abhisheka, deodorize him with sandal wood paste, dress him with silk pithambara, adorn him with flowers and jewels, entertain him with songs and dance routine, praise him with mantras and bhajans, warm him with Aarthi, feed him with rice, coconuts and bananas, offer him smoke of yajna, take him for a ride on palanquins and chariots, bribe him with donations so on and so forth. If these activities are not plain stupid, what is it? Thus deluded by brahminic shenanigans, millions of people visit these temple-casinos hoping in vain that these Gods would some how fulfill their desires and protect them from evils of life. And the Brahmins operating these temple-casino-complexes are having a good laugh at the stupid people lining up to get a darshan of their stone idols while the priests are lining their own deep pockets with cash. It is disgusting to see well adorned modern rich ladies bringing home made butter and curds and smearing them on the stone "phallus" in Shiva temples. Most of the ancient tribal people were worshipping both male and female reproductive symbols in stone as fertility rites Hebrew Heathen Religion-Chap. 8 describes the cult in full details. Later this 'Phallic Symbol' of Hebrew tribes became the symbol of their supreme God, “Jehovah”. In India, people are still practising this tribal cult.

Since Anna Saheb is not able to read BG with critical insight, only ‘Sambhawami Yuge Yuge' inspired him. So. It is necessary to tell him the truth. The renowned historian Damodhar Dharmanand Kosambi has come to this conclusion that the "Gita with all its brilliant Sanskrit and superb inconsistencies, is a book that allows the reader to justify almost any action while shrugging off its consequences" Even though some profound Upanishadic thoughts are scattered here and there, ambiguities and contradictions galore. Listing them chapter by chapter is out of scope of this article. Only a few are mentioned here.

The first chapter itself is a 'license' to kill to Arjun. Bhagavad Gita rationalizes and justifies killing of one's near and dear ones glorifying the duty of a kshatriya. What a pervert philosophy to come from a divinity! All the saints and prophets spoke of Humanity as one but, Bhagavad Gita justifies Genocide .In Chap.4:13, Krishna says "Even though I created "Chatur Varna" (Four Castes), I can not roll back" giving an eternal warranty clause to the Brahmins and Kshatriyas. The consequences were tragic. The four castes divided into thousands of castes. Division always brings conflicts. Thus we see now thousand conflicts, thousand loyalties, and thousand mutinies. Chatur Varna killed communion within each caste and across castes. Community building was rarely seen in India. As individuals become self-centered their concern is only for own family and their gods. Krishna's Chatur Varna killed egalitarianism and compassion within castes and between castes. Shudras were made to obey the Divine mandate that there is salvation in servitude. [Chap.18:44]. As they can not dream of a better life their creativity and productivity got destroyed over time. As each caste followed their Kula Dharma (caste based occupation) and Kula Deva (Family Deity), what was inherited at birth got transmitted to the blood-line and this became part of the person himself. These castes remained stagnant for centuries. That is how social "entropy" increased over 2000 years. The result of which is the present heart rending poverty in many parts of the country. Even if the State injects thousands of crores of money state could not bring about negative Entropy.

Krishna tells in Chap.9:32-33 that women, Shudras and Vaishyas are of sinful origin (papa yoni). They have to surrender to him and sing bhajans all their life to deserve a place in His abode (Vaikunta). But Brahmins and Kshatriyas were already blessed. The author forgot that these two are also born to women. How absurd is this?

When Bhagavad Gita was presented as the Divine mandate by a conclave (Parivar) of Vaidic Priests there was no debate, as rulers found that ruling of their kingdom was made easy, when 80 percent of the populace was condemned as Shudras and their servitude was guaranteed. There was no Media and whatever Priests said was law. Now the very same forces have bought the Media to create an avatar of Anna. Mainstream Visual Media has given the impression that they are intellectually bankrupt and are only obsessed with the TRP and are subservient to their corporate bosses.

Hazare should now go around the country and exhort Hindus not to bribe the Gods. Instead of mixing bhajans with politics and making it a cocktail of spiritual fascisms, he should pray to gods to divest their hoarded gold and cash worth a trillion rupees. for the welfare of the poor. He should realize that no other people in the world spend so much money, time and energy on an illusion of immortality created by Brahminism.

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