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Nirad Chaudhuri's original work known as Hinduism: A Religion
to Live By has a specific focus on Hindu religious
psychology and behaviour pattern. He also examines temple and
image worship as well as three major cults — those of Shiva,
Krishna and Mother Goddess.
Interestingly,
Nirad Chaudhuri's work was completed in his 88th year. His sole
motive is to respond to an intellectual interest in Hinduism
"in all its greatness and strangeness as the product of a
particular kind of mind in a particular environment".
The great ‘brown
saheb’, who now lives in England, feels that religion
can only be a subject, a detached intellectual interest without
implication for life as lived in the here and now. Everybody
knows that Nirad Chaudhuri has strong views on men, matters and
issues. He can be sharp in his candid approach. Sometimes he may
be deliberately provocative.
He says,
"Historically, the great achievement of the Hindu religion
is that it has enabled Hindu society and culture to survive
through vicissitudes which have destroyed other societies and
cultures contemporaneous with it." This is very true.
Indeed, Hinduism has created "what must be regarded as the
true nationalism of the country". The noted thinker states:
"If Hinduism disappears at any time, the inhabitants of
India will, unless they have acquired identities derived from
other religions....cease to have any distinctive identity."
Indeed, Hinduism
has survived all possible trials and tribulations over
centuries. It so happens that it has given certain selective
political overtones never seen before.
Madeleine
Biardeau's original work called Hinduism: The Anthropology of
a Civilisation provides varied interpretations of the epics,
traditional customs and social norms. The author has banked on
archaeological monuments and literary texts to underline unity
beneath the bewildering diversity of this living tradition.
Madeleine Biardeau is Professor of Indian Religions at the Ecole
Pratique des Haites Eludes Section des Sciences Religieuses at
Paris.
D. F. Pocock, who
is Emeritus Professor of Social Anthropology and a former Dean
of the School of African and Asian Studies at the University of
Sussex, UK, in his work Mind, Body and Wealth: Belief and
Practice in an Indian Village, focuses on his field work in
Gujarat. His work provides a fascinating insight into the
thinking and practices in Hinduism.
T.N. Madan, an
honorary professor at the Institute of Economic Growth, New
Delhi, presents Hinduism as an inseparable part of secular life.
His work called Non-Renunciation: Themes and Interpretations
of Hindu Culture goes into the Hindu tradition and says that
it is a rich and sensible philosophy of life in today's world.
Interestingly, in his introduction, Madan extensively quotes
Mahatma Gandhi, whose symbolic message was: "Hinduism is
like Ganges, pure and unsullied at its source, but taking in its
course the impurities in the way". In fact, Mahatma Gandhi
tried to reinterpret the Hindu religious traditions in the 20th
century. For that matter, Sri Aurobindo, Raman Maharshi and Dr
S. Radhakrishanan saw different aspects of Hinduism differently.
Apart from new thinkers, there have emerged several new exciting
moments within Hindu religious traditions, giving it a new
strength and momentum.
Swami Vivekananda,
who founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897, had his own way of
looking at Hinduism. A great spiritual guide and thinker, Swami
Vivekananda went to the extent of warning that if India gave up
religion in favour of politics, she would die. But the harsh
realities today are different — religion and politics have got
mixed up since political leaders wish to take political
advantage in all areas of national life.
The book will be
of help to students and scholars involved in research work or
understanding what Hinduism and its fascinating epics and
literature with all its reform and non-reform aspects. The
Oxford Publishers have done a great job in presenting this
four-writer volume.
— H.J.
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Knowing the complexities of various thought processes which have evolved from Hinduism, the publishers have picked up the works of four eminent thinkers — Nirad C. Chaudhuri, Madeleine Biardeau, D. F. Pocock and T. N. Madan. They discuss Hinduism from various angles which could be based on personal experience or could be part of its rich textual tradition or various beliefs and practices.
