Srila Prabhupada’s Contribution to
India’s Freedom Movement
The general meaning of the freedom movement in India?
The phrase, “Srila Prabhupada’s contribution to India’s freedom movement” may seem contradictory. Because we all know that India’s freedom movement was a completely native movement i.e. this movement was limited to the Indians who took birth in India. The sole objective of India’s national movement was to free India from British rule and make it independent by raising the victory flag of India or handing over the administrative power in the hands of Indians. Although according to the material or (traivargika) understanding India is a country belonging to the continent of Asia. But according to the Vedic scriptures, the whole world is divided into seven regions namely, Jambu, Praksha, Kusha, Krauncha, Shaka, Pushkara, and Shalmali. Each island is further divided into several “varshas”. Among the nine varshas of Jambudvipa, the Varsha ruled by the pious and the best among saintly kings, Bharata, the eldest son of Wrishabha Deva, who appeared in Chandravamsa, is known as Bharata Varsha.
Srila Prabhupada’s Ideology:
Srila Prabhupada’s ideology is not limited to any country or era. But his purpose was to reveal the original identity of all living beings who have forgotten their own spiritual form under the influence of Maya. His perspective is universal and beyond the limit of country, caste, and time. His primary goal was to elevate all living entities to the philosophy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu predicted,
Prithivi paryanta ache yata desa grama
Sarvatra sancara haiveka Mora nama
(Sri Chaitanya Bhagavata, Antya, 4.126)
Translation: “In every town and village throughout the world,” said Lord Caitanya, – the chanting of My holy name will be heard.
For this, throughout his entire life, he invented various innovations to propagate the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and in this way, he showed his mercy to everyone. His mercy is not limited to any particular person, country, or place. Therefore the title of this essay might seem contradictory to ordinary standard points.
The real identity of India:
In the present age of Kali (iron age), we contemplate everything from the perspective of sense enjoyment. But if we view from the aspect of Vedic understanding of Varna-asrama, we can classify India and its citizens into three major categories:
- Traivargika India:- People who are addicted to the karma kanda of Vedas. They think Dharma (religious rites), Artha (wealth) & Kama (enjoyment) are the ultimate goals of human life. Shastra defines them as Karmis. For these people, Shastra instructs:
“Varnasramacara-vata purusena parah puman
visnur aradhyate pantha nanyas tosa karanam” (Visnu Purana 3.8. 8)Translation: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu is worshipped by only those who follow the rules of Varna & Ashrama. Although this verse is talking about the pleasure of Lord Vishnu, yet secondary. Mainly those who are theists and ethical, perform Varna-ashrama and maintain the balance of the material world fairly. They are obsessed with desires. They are the majority in this world.
Indians who are Traivargika, are not independent:
Although this class of people belongs to Vedic India, they are not fixed in their spiritual identity. They are influenced by Maya and the consequences of her Actions. Therefore they are not independent. They might step forward to the path of Vishnu Bhakti. But they are not free from sense gratification and their journey is confined from earth to heaven and hell.Classification and Status of Traivargika India:
Traivargika India can be divided into (a) Political India (b) Economic India and (c) Social India etc. At this level, there is no context of the spiritual identity. This ideology keeps people engrossed in materialism through material development. Therefore those who belong to this category, consider the depriving grace of Maya as real blessings and accept the servitorship of Maya. - Apavargika India:
There is another class of people in India who belong to this Apavargika category. They want to be free from the continuous cycle of birth and death. They renounce the process of earning money through ethical ways and enjoying senses through money. They are extremely eager to give up the world. Therefore they do not accept the attributes of the mundane world. They opine that the Supreme being is attributeless. They worship the formless, attributeless, action-less Brahman, which is the radiance of Bhagavan in reality. For them, the scriptures give an instruction:“brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā, na śocati na kāṅkṣatisamaḥ
sarveṣu bhūteṣu, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām”
Translation: One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state, he attains pure devotional service unto Me.
Although they have no attention to mundane activities or affairs, yet their spiritual identity is still hidden. Therefore they can not attain the bliss of serving the Lord or having His translation love. They are not under the influence of Maya. But they can not enjoy the highest bliss of independence.
- Paramarthika Bharata Varsha:
There is another class of people in India who do not belong to the two above classes. They are engaged neither in material activities nor in impersonal. Rather they are always engrossed in the service of the Lord and His devotees. They aspire to acquire the bliss attained from the unconditional service of the Lord and His devotees i.e. unalloyed Bhagavad Prema. They are Paramarthika Indians. This kind of men are engaged in hearing and chanting the holy names, forms, and glories of the Lord being fixed in their respective positions. For the scriptures instruct:
“jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva, jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām |
sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir, ye prāyaśo ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyām”||
Translation: Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their body, words, and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.
Glories of Paramarthika India in scriptures:
Vedic scriptures especially Srimad Bhagavatam sings the glories of India:
“Bharatam eva ajiram pranganam Vaikunthasya”
“aho amīṣāṁ kim akāri śobhanaṁ
prasanna eṣāṁ svid uta svayaṁ hariḥ
yair janma labdhaṁ nṛṣu bhāratājire
mukunda-sevaupayikaṁ spṛhā hi naḥ”
Krishnanugrahato lavdh manava janma bharate
Na bhaje Krishna padavjam tad atyanta vidamvana
Anyasthane ca vritha janma nisfalam ca gatagatah
Bharate ca kshana janma sarthakam suvakarmadam
Samorapya bharate janma satkarmasu paranmukha
Piyusha kalasam hitva vishabhandam sa icchati”
Translation: The land of Bharata Varsha is the gateway to Vaikuntha Dhama. The demigods said, “Since the human form of life is the sublime position for spiritual realization, all the demigods in heaven speak in this way: How wonderful it is for these human beings to have been born in the land of Bhārata-varṣa. They must have executed pious acts of austerity in the past, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself must have been pleased with them. Otherwise, how could they engage in devotional service in so many ways? We demigods can only aspire to achieve human births in Bhārata-varṣa to execute devotional service, but these human beings are already engaged there.”
Taking birth in India is possible only by the mercy of Lord Krishna. Otherwise, no noble deeds can confirm it. Those who do not worship the Lord even after attaining human birth in India, are in irony. A momentary birth in India is also beneficial and auspicious. Birth elsewhere is in vain. Because birth is useless. A person who is born in India but does not seek his own welfare renounces the vessel of nectar and drinks poison.
Chaitanya Charitamrita says,
“bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra”
Translation: “One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.
Revealing the spiritual identity is the real identity of India which is now decaying:
Paramathika Bharatvarsha is situated in a realm beyond of Traivargika and Apavargika levels. Traivargika India is absorbed in a sense of enjoyment and Apavargika in the thought of attaining salvation (Moksha). They can not think about the unalloyed Paramarthika features of India. All scholarly personalities, wellwishers, leaders, Karmis, jnanis, yogis, and ascetics think about the welfare of Traivargika and Apavargika India. But they mixed up the Paramarthika features with the Traivargika and Apavargika like an elephant throws dust all over its body just after taking a bath in clean water. Therefore seeking one’s own spiritual identity (paramartha) is the real identity of India. But day by day this is decaying.
To protect the spiritual India is the primary task of an Acharya:
Mundane scholars try to comprehend the phenomenon world through their own senses. This is called the inductive method. But they could not be able to distinct the spiritual identity of India from the material identity and finally mix them up. They attempt to blend the Paramarthika along with Traivargika and Apavargika i.e. material enjoyments or material renunciation. But one who can save the Paramarthika features of India and prevent them from getting contaminated with the desire of Nirvana is the real Acharya. Those who will investigate without any bias can realize how Srila Prabhupada acted as a savior of the truth seekers from the grip of false ideologies and materialistic enjoyment and renunciation, which can be considered as the trunk of Ganadevata as well.
Paramarthika Bharata is the independent India in its own sense and Srila Prabhupada is the Pioneer :
“bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra“
Translation: “One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.
The above quote of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has placed India on the throne of the Paramarthika kingdom. Srila Prabhupada was the only person who hoisted the flag of this kingdom as an emblem of India’s Paramarthika independence. The blind imitation of the West in the field of sense enjoyment is not our own trait. It does not mean Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azad, & Khudiram Bose did nothing. Their deep love of our motherland and the freedom movement have invaluable contributions. We offer our humble obeisances to them. But Paramarthika India is the real independent India. This will reveal the face of all cheating definitions of independence of the rest of the world. We can notice this in Srila Prabhupada’s Paramarthika India awakening movement. Although there are some people who preached the same their action did not follow their words. Finally, they mixed up the unalloyed spiritual identity with other materialistic features. But Srila Prabhupada taught us how to stand strictly holding the flag of Paramarthika India.
