76th Republic Day of India: Hindutva Juggernaut Rolls on to Demolish Democratic-Secular Indian Republic!

Since Narender Bhai Modi, who claims to be a ‘Hindu Nationalist’ and member of RSS took charge as PM of India in 2014, the largest democracy in the world, has no respite from receiving fatal blows. Sadly, judiciary which was to function as watchdog of the Republic has completely capitulated to the Hindutva agenda. The consecration of Ram Temple by Modi performing the role of a main priest on January 22, 2024 seems to be the beginning of end of the Indian Republic. This would be clear by the perusal of an extra-ordinary resolution passed by Modi’s Cabinet which congratulated PM Modi for a new Ram Temple at Ayodhya. It stated that while “the body of the country attained independence” in 1947, the “Pran Pratishtha [putting life into the idol of Ram by PM Modi] of its soul was done on January 22, 2024”, and “everyone experienced spiritual satisfaction.” [‘Cabinet hails Modi: Country’s body got freedom in 1947, soul on Jan 22, 2024’, The Indian Express, Delhi, January 25, 2024 https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cabinet-hails- modi-countrys-body-got-freedom-in-1947-soul-on-jan-22-2024-9126442/]

Thus, freedom of India and its becoming a Republic was simply declared as physical independence but fulfillment of a majoritarian sectarian agenda under PM Modi’s supervision was declared to be the liberation of the ‘Soul’ that too Hindu!

We should not fail to understand that whatever is being done by the RSS/BJP rulers to destroy the present Indian polity is part of a well-thought strategy to convert India into a theocratic and totalitarian state as per the diktats of the Hindutva idea of India. For this reason RSS-Hindu Mahasabha opposed freedom struggle for an all-inclusive India. It has not been a hidden agenda of RSS except that we have been unaware of it to the perils of our Republic. When the Constituent Assembly of India had finalized the Constitution of India RSS was not happy. Its organ, Organizer, 4 days after this historical event, in an editorial on November 30, 1949, complained,

"But in our constitution there is no mention of the unique constitutional development in ancient Bharat. Manu’s Laws were written long before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To this day his laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits that means nothing."

How loyal the RSS is to the Constitution of India can be known by the following statement of Golwalkar which is being reproduced from Bunch of Thought which is not only selection of the writings of Golwalkar but also a Bible for the RSS cadres.

"Our Constitution too is just a cumbersome and heterogeneous piecing together of various articles from various Constitutions of Western countries. It has absolutely nothing which can be called our own. Is there a single word of reference in its guiding principles as to what our national mission is and what our keynote in life is? No."

[MS Golwalkar, Bunch of Thoughts, Sahitya Sindhu, Bangalore, 1996, p. 238.]

What kind of civilization the RSS wants to build by enforcing the laws of Manu, can be known by having a glimpse of the laws prescribed by Manu for the Dalits/Untouchables and women. Some of these dehumanizing and degenerate laws, which are presented here, are self- explanatory.

LAWS OF MANU CONCERNING DALITS/UNTOUCHABLES.

(1) For the sake of the prosperity of the worlds (the divine one) caused the Brahmana, the Kshatriya, the Vaisya, and the Sudra to proceed from his mouth,

his arm, his thighs and his feet.

(2) One occupation only the lord prescribed to the Sudras, to serve meekly even these (other) three castes.

(3) Once-born man (a Sudra), who insults a twice-born man with gross invective, shall have his tongue cut out; for he is of low origin.

(4) If he mentions the names and castes (jati) of the (twice-born) with contumely, an iron nail, ten fingers long, shall be thrust red-hot into his mouth.

(5) If he arrogantly teaches Brahmanas their duty, the king shall cause hot oil to be poured into his mouth and into his ears.

(6) With whatever limb a man of a low caste does hurt to (a man of the three) highest (castes), even that limb shall be cut off; that is the teaching of Manu.

(7) He who raises his hand or a stick, shall have his hand cut off; he who in anger kicks with his foot, shall have his foot cut off.

(8) A low-caste man who tries to place himself on the same seat with a man of a high caste, shall be branded on his hip and be banished, or (the king) shall cause his buttock to be gashed.

LAWS OF MANU CONCRNING WOMEN

1.     Day and night woman must be kept in dependence by the males (of) their (families), and, if they attach themselves to sensual enjoyments, they must be

kept under one‟s control.

2.     Her father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her) in youth, and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for independence.

3.     Women must particularly be guarded against evil inclinations, however trifling (they may appear); for, if they are not guarded, they will bring sorrow on two families.

4.     No man can completely guard women by force; but they can be guarded by the employment of the (following) expedients:

5.     Let the (husband) employ his (wife) in the collection and expenditure of his wealth, in keeping (everything) clean, in (the fulfillment of) religious duties, in the preparation of his food, and in looking after the household utensils.

6.     Women do not care for beauty, nor is their attention fixed on age; (thinking), „(It is enough that) he is a man,‟ they give themselves to the handsome and to the ugly.

7.     Through their passion for men, through their mutable temper, through their natural heartlessness, they become disloyal towards their husbands, however carefully they may be guarded in this (world).

10.(When creating them) Manu allotted to women (a love of their) bed, (of their) seat and (of) ornament, impure desires, wrath, dishonesty, malice, and bad conduct.

It is to be noted here that a copy of Manusmriti was burnt as a protest in the presence of Dr. BR Ambedkar himself during historic Mahad agitation on December 25, 1927 and it was decided to commemorate this day in future as 'Manusmriti dahan divas' [Manusmriti Burnning Day].

Against Secularism

 

The RSS demands total loyalty to the Indian Nation from minorities. It is another thing that it does not feel it proper to be loyal to the constitutional-legal set up of this very Nation. The study of Prarthana (prayer) and Pratigya (oath) as practiced in the shakhas of the RSS is an example of how the Indian nationalism has been equated with Hinduism, in the same way as the Muslim League had combined Islam with nationality. Significantly, both Prarthana and Pratigya are in direct contravention to the existence of an Indian Secular State which is an important ‘Basic’ feature of the Constitution of India. It is very important to note here that those groups which have been decrying and opposing the Indian constitutional set- up have been facing the might of the Indian state in the form of bullets, gallows or jails but here is the RSS which openly rejects the legitimacy of the constitutional system of the country still is allowed to have a free run of the country.

Just imagine PM Modi and most of his ruler colleagues who took oath to uphold the integrity of a democratic and secular India were also committed to the task of creating a Hindu Rashtra as per the texts of the Prayer and Oath as essential for the RSS cadres.

RSS Prayer:

"Affectionate Motherland, I eternally bow to you/O Land of Hindus, you have reared me in comfort/O Sacred Land, the Great Creator of Good, may this body of mine be dedicated to you/I again and again bow before You/O God almighty, we the integral part of the Hindu Rashtra salute you in reverence/For Your cause have we girded up our loins/Give us Your Blessings for its accomplishment."

[Shakha Darshikha, Gyan Ganga, Jaipur, 1997, p. 1.]

RSS Oath:

"Before the all-powerful God and my ancestors, I most solemnly take this oath, that I become a member of the RSS in order to achieve all

round greatness of Bharatvarsha by fostering the growth of my sacred Hindu religion, Hindu society, and Hindu culture. I shall perform the work of the Sangh honestly, disinterestedly, with my heart and soul, and I shall adhere to this goal all my life. Bharat Mata Ki Jai."

[Shakha Darshikha, Gyan Ganga, Jaipur, 1997, p. 66.]

Thus they were not faithful to the Indian Nation as it existed as a legal entity but wanted to subvert it into a theocratic state like Muslim League which created Pakistan in the name of Islam.

Against Democracy

The RSS contrary to the principles of democracy has been constantly demanding India to be ruled under a totalitarian regime. Golwalkar while delivering a speech before the 1350 top level cadres of the RSS in 1940 declared,

RSS inspired by one flag, one leader and one ideology is lighting the flame of Hindutva in each and every corner of this great land.

[MS Golwalkar, Shri Guruji Samagar Darshan (collected works of Golwalkar in Hindi), Bhartiya Vichar Sadhna, Nagpur, nd., vol. I, p. 11.]

This slogan of one flag, one leader and one ideology has directly been borrowed from the programmes of Nazi and Fascist parties of Europe.

Against Federalism

The RSS is also dead against federal structure of the constitution, again a „Basic‟ feature of the India polity. This is clear from the following communication of Golwalkar which he sent to the first session of the National Integration Council in 1961. It read,

“Today’s federal form of government not only gives birth but also nourishes the feelings of separatism, in a way refuses to recognize the fact of one nation and destroys it. It must be completely uprooted, constitution purified and unitary form of government be established.”

[MS Golwalkar, Shri Guruji Samagar Darshan (collected works of Golwalkar in Hindi), Bhartiya Vichar Sadhna, Nagpur, nd., vol. III, p. 128.]

These have not been some stray ideas of the RSS ideologue on Indian Federalism. The Bible of the RSS, Bunch of Thoughts, has an exclusive chapter titled, „Wanted a unitary state.‟ While presenting his remedy to the federal set-up of India he writes,

“The most important and effective step will be to bury deep for good all talk of a

federal structure of our country’s Constitution, to sweep away the existence of all

‘autonomous’ or semi-autonomous ‘states’ within the one state viz., Bharat and proclaim ‘One Country, One State, One Legislature, One Executive’ with no trace of fragmentational, regional, sectarian, linguistic or other types of pride being given a scope for playing havoc with our integrated harmony. Let the Constitution be re- examined and re-drafted, so as to establish this Unitary form of Government and thus effectively disprove the mischievous propaganda indulged in by the British and so unwittingly imbibed by the present leaders, about our being just a juxtaposition of so many distinct ‘ethnic groups’ or ‘nationalities’ happening to live side by side and grouped together by the accident of geographical contiguity and one uniform supreme foreign domination.”

[MS Golwalkar, Bunch of Thoughts, Sahitya Sindhu, Bangalore, 1996,

p. 227.]

 

It is important to note that Indian Supreme Court in the SR Bommai vs Union of India 1994 case

declared federal structure, secularism socialism, social justice, unity and integrity of democratic- secular India as inviolable 'Basic Features' of the Indian Constitution; the fundamental characteristics to which RSS is totally opposed.

Thus, RSS represents the most lethal danger to the existence of Indian Republic visualized by the Constitution framers like Dr. BR Ambedkar. If our Indian Republic is to be saved, the anti-national and inhuman ideology of RSS; the Hindutva must be confronted in Parliament, judicial rooms, corridors of administration, educational institutions and outside. We should not overlook the fact that with RSS ruling India there is need of any foreign enemy to undo democratic- secular Indian Republic. There is no choice unless we decide to collude with the Hindutva gang!

Shamsul Islam January 26, 2025

Link for some of S. Islam's writings in English, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati and video interviews/debates:

http://du-in.academia.edu/ShamsulIslam  Facebook: https://facebook.com/shamsul.islam.332 Twitter: @shamsforjustice http://shamsforpeace.blogspot.com/

Email: notoinjustice@gmail.com

Link for procuring Shamsul Islam’s books in English, Hindi & Urdu:

https://tinyurl.com/shams-books

 

Journey of a Hindutva devotee DY Chanrachud as Justice/Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India

 

Journey of a Hindutva devotee as Justice/Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India

D Y Chandrachud took charge as Chief Justice of the Indian Supreme Court (SC) on November 09, 2022. On this occasion many of the pseudo-liberals who claimed to be defenders of the democratic-secular polity of India manifested great happiness. They declared that the time of SC being an appendage of the RSS-BJP government headed by PM Modi was over as Justice Chandrachud was a liberal judge committed to the democratic-secular polity of India.

This eulogization had started when he was only a Justice at the SC Bench. A renowned constitutional expert representing this tribe of pseudo-liberals, stressed that “[SC] Judges have been not only fair but also sensitive to Muslim causes”. Justice D Y Chandrachud was described as a “scholar judge”. Faizan continued to elaborate:

“On June 20 [2022], Justice D Y Chandrachud was asked about the judiciary’s treatment of Muslims at King’s College London. Justice Chandrachud didn’t take offence to the question but answered it politely…our judges do not have the litigant’s religious identity in mind while dispensing justice.” 

(‘Muslims and Judiciary: We do not have Muslim or non-Muslim judges in India’, the Indian Express, July 8, 2022. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/muslims-and-judiciary-we-do-not-have-muslim-or-non-muslim-judges-in-india-8008761/)

We find the pseudo-liberal fans keeping mum when the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Chandrachud on October 20, 2024, disclosed in a meeting in his ancestral village in Maharashtra that

"Very often we have cases (to adjudicate) but we don't arrive at a solution. Something similar happened during the Ayodhya (Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute) which was in front of me for three months…I sat before the deity and told him he needs to find a solution."

How he found the solution was made clear by the following words of him: "Believe me, if you have faith, God will always find a way". He did not disclose which deity he consulted and whether Lord Ram was one from whom he sought guidance but it was clear Muslim God was not consulted! By indulging in this Heavenly Guidance Chandrachud only manifested his lowest level of IQ and grasp of law-justice. Only an insane person could do it as Hindu deity was a party to the suit.

An illustrious former Judge of Delhi High Court, Justice Rekha Sharma talking to Karan Thapar (The Wire) stated that “I was dumbfounded, I couldn’t believe my ears and I felt I should hear it again and again to be sure that I had heard right”. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxWUYBfwfhM]

SN Sahu, a former Press Secretary to President of India late KR Narayanan, rightly, asked, that for Chandrachud:

“[The] principles of the Constitution, law and jurisprudence did not determine the process of adjudication, and a faith-based approach was adopted to invoke a divine figure to find a way out…Does the Constitution permit any judge, including the CJI, to find a judicial remedy to a dispute by praying to a deity who was a party to the dispute?”

(‘Sat before God, prayed for solution: Chief Justice Chandrachud on Ayodhya dispute’, India Today, Delhi, October 21, 2024. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/law-news/story/chief-justice-of-india-dy-chandrachud-ayodhya-verdict-god-prayers-ram-janmabhoomi-babri-masjid-dispute-2620215-2024-10-21)

Chandrachud’s term as Justice and CJI at SC is a narrative of his consistent devotion to the Hindutva ideology and its practitioners as we will see in the following.

Justice Chandrachud as author of Babri mosque-Ram Janam Bhoomi judgement delivered on November 9, 2019

It is established that despite irrefutable contrary facts corroborated by the SC in its own Judgment, the site of the Babri mosque was handed over to RSS-VHP.

1.     “The exclusion of the Muslims from worship and possession took place on the intervening night between 22/23 December 1949 when the mosque was desecrated by the installation of Hindu idols. The ouster of the Muslims on that occasion was not through any lawful authority but through an act which was calculated to deprive them of their place of worship.” [Supreme Court Judgment dated November 9, 2019, pp. 921-22]

2.     “On 6 December 1992, the structure of the mosque was brought down, and the mosque was destroyed. The destruction of the mosque took place in breach of the order of status quo and an assurance given to this Court. The destruction of the mosque and the obliteration of the Islamic structure was an egregious violation of the rule of law.” [Supreme Court Judgment pp. 913-14]

3.     The Judgment also nowhere mentioned that Babri Mosque was built after destroying a Ram Temple in the past. [‘No, the Supreme Court did not uphold the claim that Babri Masjid was built by demolishing a temple’, November 11, 2019. https://scroll.in/article/943337/no-the-supreme-court-did-not-uphold-the-claim-that-babri-masjid-was-built-by-demolishing-a-temple]

Supreme Court took a U turn handing over the site for Ram Temple building to the same group of Hindutva organization which had conspired in both the cases. Supreme Court ensured that no Hindu competitor of RSS-VHP is allowed any participation in latter’s Ram Temple project, disallowed claim of Nirmohi Akhada, the original claimant of Ram Temple at the site of Babri Mosque.  [Supreme Court Judgment p. 925]. 

This Judgment legitimized the criminal acts of the Hindutva zealots; what Hindutva goons could not achieve on December 22-23, 1949, and December 6, 1992, was got delivered to RSS through this Judgment thanks to the guidance of a Hindu deity! It is important to note that Babri mosque-Ramjanam Bhoomi case was not a Hindu-Muslim issue which was made out by Hindutva organizations and later SC falling for it.

CJI Chandrachud facilitated Hindutva project of taking over major Muslim mosques

In the wake of aggressive Hindutva campaign for demolition of Babri mosque, Indian Parliament passed Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 so that except Babri mosque no other place of worship as it existed on the 15th day of August 1947, will be disputed. [https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/PlaceWorshipAct1991.pdf] Even Ayodhya judgement penned by Chandrachud upheld this Act. However, in Gyanvapi Survey case SC Bench headed by CJI (August 4, 2023), questioned its applicability thus opening flood gates of disputes over religious places, specially, mosques. Indeed, it happened with a flood of copy-paste petitions against prominent mosques. [‘To Demolish Gyanvapi, A Deluge Of Copy-Paste Petitions Aims To Overwhelm Muslim Defendants & India’s Judiciary’, Article 14, Bangaluru, May 30, 2022. https://article-14.com/post/to-demolish-gyanvapi-a-deluge-of-copy-paste-petitions-aims-to-overwhelm-muslim-defendants-india-s-judiciary--62942636cb6fd]

Renowned political analyst, Ashutosh stated that 1991 Act was expected to put at rest the Hindutva project of demolition of innumerable mosques. On the contrary,

“While hearing the Gyanvapi petition, Justice Chandrachud opined that the 1991 Act does not stop the ‘ascertainment of the religious character of the place’…Now anyone can go to court and put a question mark over the veracity of any mosque or temple or Gurudwara or church or a synagogue and request to change its status…Therefore the Supreme Court has practically made every religious place in the country suspect and disputed. Would it be correct to say that the Supreme Court in its deliberation has, mistakenly, been impacted by the majoritarian thought process?”

  [‘Supreme Court does not stop Gyanvapi survey: Use methods that are non-invasive’, The Indian Express, August 5, 2023. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/supreme-court-declines-to-stay-hc-order-permitting-asi-survey-of-gyanvapi-mosque-8876521/]

Saffron flag as the unifying flag: chief justice of India reaffirms commitment to Hindutva

If one needed another proof of his love for Hindutva we must take note of his love for saffron flag as flag of justice and not the National Flag; the Tricolour. While addressing the legal fraternity of Rajkot, Gujarat, Justice Chandrachud after performing pooja at Hindu temples of Dwarikadhish and Somnath with his family in Gujarat on January 6 (2024) had no qualms in stating:

“I was inspired this morning by the dhwaja [flag] at Dwarikadhish ji, very similar to the dhwaja, which I saw at Jagannath Puri. But look at this universality of the tradition in our nation, which binds all of us together. This dhwaja has a special meaning for us. And that meaning which the dhwaja gives us is – there is some unifying force above all of us, as lawyers, as judges, as citizens. And that unifying force is our humanity, which is governed by the rule of law and by the Constitution of India,”

[‘After temple visits, CJI D Y Chandrachud flags ‘dhwaja of justice’ to district court lawyers’ The Indian Express, January 7, 2024. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/after-temple-visits-cji-flags-dhwaja-of-justice-to-district-court-lawyers-9098282/]

It is to be noted that all the above referred temples fly saffron/yellow flags and CJI Chandrachud implied that Tricolour; the Indian National Flag was not the “unifying force” but the flags flying at the temples. The above statement of CJI was, in fact, rephrasing of the statement of the most prominent ideologue of RSS, M S Golwalkar who while addressing a Gurupurnima gathering in Nagpur on July 14, 1946, stated:

“It was the saffron flag which in totality represented Bhartiya [Indian] culture. It was the embodiment of God. We firmly believe that in the end the whole nation will bow before this saffron flag.”

[Golwalkar, M.S., Shri Guruji Samagar Darshan (collected works of Golwalkar in Hindi), Bhartiya Vichar Sadhna, Nagpur, nd., volume 1, p. 98.]

This hatred for the Tricolour led RSS to declare the Tricolour as ‘evil’ on the eve of Independence. The RSS English mouthpiece ORGANIZER demeaning the choice of the National Flag (14 August 1947) wrote:

"The people who have come to power by the kick of fate may give in our hands the Tricolour, but it never be respected and owned by Hindus. The word three is in itself an evil, and a flag having three colours will certainly produce a very bad psychological effect and is injurious to a country."

It is horrendous that CJI of Indian Supreme Court who is duty-bound to safeguard the democratic-secular polity of India with Tricolour as a unique symbol of it, is renegading on his OATH which he took while assuming the office as the 50^th CJI on November 9, 2022!

CJI invited PM Modi for Ganesh prayer at his official residence

The Supreme Court of India came into existence on January 28, 1950. Since its inception it never witnessed the spectacle which Indian nation came across on September 11, 2024, at the official residence of CJI in Delhi. During the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations PM Modi was exclusively invited for puja (Ganesh worship). The visuals made it clear that it was not puja conducted by CJI or his wife or a priest but PM in the centre conducted the puja. It was again an open display of Hindu identity by the CJI and his devotion to the Hindu Hirday Samrat, PM Modi. It was no private puja as the national-international media was invited to record the event. CJI was not bothered that with Maharashtra Assembly elections approaching (November 20th) it would give electoral advantage to BJP and its allies. Of course, he was least bothered that he headed the highest court of justice of a democratic-secular India! The speculation may be right that CJI was looking for post-retirement sinecures from Modi known for his large-heartedness towards the kowtowing Justices. Will it be a seat at the Hague International Court of Justice? But the issue is at what cost!

 

[Photo courtesy Business Standard]

The journey of DY Chandrachud as a Justice and CJI of the Supreme Court of India makes it glaringly clear that he retained all the characteristics of a Hindutva cadre throughout. He continuously indulged in double/triple talk, played majoritarian card, hobnobbed with the Hindutva rulers and bothered least about constitutional propriety. He succeeded in his designs as he had the advantage of being a High Caste Hindu.

Shamsul Islam

October 26, 2024

Link for some of S. Islam's writings in English, Hindi, Urdu and translations into Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, and video interviews/debates:

http://du-in.academia.edu/ShamsulIslam

Facebook: https://facebook.com/shamsul.islam.332

Twitter: @shamsforjustice

http://shamsforpeace.blogspot.com/

Email: notoinjustice@gmail.com

Link for procuring Shamsul Islam’s books in English, Hindi & Urdu:

https://tinyurl.com/shams-books

[A related article in The Indian Express, Delhi titled ‘’Justice above community’ on July 8, 2022. Link: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/indian-muslims-needs-independent-judiciary-8015877/]

 

 

SWAMI DAYANAND SARSWATI ON SWAMI NARAYAN CULT

 

The Swami Narayana Cult.

Q. - What do you think of Swami Narayana Cult?

A. ~ The proverb "Like the goddess Shitla, like her beast for riding the donkey" aptly applies to

This sect. In other words, the followers of Swami Narayana resort to the same sort of wonderful

trickery in order to fleece others as the Gosaeens. The brief history of this sect is as follows: -

There was a man called Shjanand. He was a native of a village near Ayodhya. While he was

wandering as a Brahmachari through Gujarat., Kathiawar, Kutch and the like countries, he

noticed that the natives of those countries were very ignorant and guileless, one could easily lead

them to believe in whatever religion one liked. He, therefore, cast his net of fraud and hypocrisy

there and made three or four disciples who took counsel among themselves and gave it out that

Sahjanand was an incarnation of Narayana and possessed of great miraculous powers.

He could assume the four-armed body of Narayana Himself for the pleasure of those who are

devoted to him. One of this disciples asked Dada Khachar, a great landowner of Paran in

Kathiawar, that if he desired to see the four-armed Narayana they could request Sahjanand to

grant his wish. He answered that he thought, it would be a very good thing, if Sahjanand could do

it. That Dada Khachar was a perfect dunce. Sahjanand in dark room put a diadem on his head and held a conch-shell in one hand and a discus in the other - both hands lifted upwards.

Another man stood behind him with a mace in one hand and a lotus in the other and then thrust

his hands forward under his armpits and lo there was a veritable four-armed Narayana! The

disciples of Sahjanand instructed him to have only one peep at Narayana and then immediately

close his eyes and come out of the room, otherwise if he looked at him too long Narayana might

get angry with him.

They took him to the dark room in which Sahjanand was standing motionless, like a statue,

wearing shining silk garments. They turned light on him by means of a lantern. The moment Dada

Khachar saw the form of the four-armed Narayana, light was turned off. All of them fell down on

their knees and paid their homage to Narayana and came out of the room. At the same time they

said to Dada Khachar that he was a very lucky man, he should now become the disciple of His

Holiness. He assented to their proposal. By the time they got to another room, Sahjanand had

change his dress and was found seated on a cushioned seat there.

They pointed out to Dada Khachar that His Holiness had assumed another form and was present

there. He fell in their tap and from that very moment the Swami Narayana cult took root as Dada

Khachar was a great landowner. Sahjanand made that place his headquarters. He wandered

here and there preaching to all. He initiated (sadhus) many of his disciples into the Order of

mendicants.

Occasionally he would press some nerve in the neck of a sadhu (disciple) and render him

unconscious and tell people that he had caused him to attain the clairvoyant state. The simple,

guileless people of Kathiawar were ensnared by him by such acts of scoundrelism. After his

death, his followers practiced a great deal of fraud and hypocrisy. Their case will be aptly

illustrated by the following story:-

A man was caught burgling. The judge ordered his nose and ears to be cut off by way of

punishment. As soon as his nose was cut, that scoundrel began to sing, dance and laugh. The

people asked him why he did it. He replied it was not a thing that could be told. They, again,

inquired what kind of thing it was that could not be talked about. He answered it was such a thing that he had never heard of it before. They again said; "come, come, tell us what it is." He rejoined that he could see the very four-armed Narayana Himself standing before him and that is the reason that he sang and dances and blessed his stars that he had seen the Lord face to face. The people wanted to know why they

could not see Narayana. He replied that their noses were in the way, they could only see Him

when their noses were cut off, and not otherwise.

Some dunce among the people wanted to see Narayana even at the sacrifice of his nose. He

offered his nose to be cut so that he could see Narayana. That rogue chopped off his nose and

whispered in his ears, "you should also do like me, otherwise we shall be laughed at." Thereupon

that man also began to sing, dance, skip about, play and laugh, and say that he could also see

Narayana. By and by, the mumber of the people who had their noses cut in order to see

Narayana, reached about 1,000. There was then a great hallabaloo, they called their sect "The

cult of Narayana-seers."

An ignorant king heard of it and sent for those people. when they got there, they began to sing,

dance and laugh. The king asked them the reason of all this. They replied that they saw the

Narayana Himwself face to face. The king asked why he did not see Him. The Narayana-seers

answered that he could not do so on account of his nose. A soon as he would have his nose cut,

he would see Narayana face to face.

The King thought that it appeared to be right. He, thereupon, asked his astrologer to find out the

most auspicious time for having his nose removed. He replied: "May it please Your Majesty! O

giver of food! * o'clock on the morning of the tenth instant, is the most auspicious time for having

Your Majesty's nose cut and for seeing Narayana." Well done, O Pope! Is in your almanack

recorded even the time for chopping off one's nose.

When the king made up his mind to have his nose cut off, he ordered that all those thousand men

be fed at the expense of the State. On this they went into ecstasy and began to sing, dance and

skip about. The ministers and some other wise people of the State did not like this affair. There

was an old man 90 years old who was Prime Minister four generations back. His great grandson

who was Prime Minster at the time told him everything. Thereupon he said: "That man is a

scoundrel, take me to the king." He did as he was asked to do. When he had taken his seat, the king gladly told him everything about the Narayana-seers. The old Diwan, i.e. the ex-Prime Minister answered, "Hear, O King. Do not be in such a hurry. One soon repents of what one has done precipitately without properly inquiring into it."

King - Could all those thousand men be telling a lie?

Diwan ~ They might be telling the truth or a lie. That cannot be decided until the matter has been

properly investigated.

King - How to investigate

Diwan ~ By the help of our knowledge of the Laws of Nature and the eight kinds of evidence,

such as Direct Cognition.

King - How can one, who has not read, inquire into a matter?

Diwan ~ By advancing his knowledge, by associating with the learned.

King - What should one do if one could not find a learned man?

Diwan ~ Nothing is impossible for one who strives after a thing.

King - Pray, then, tell us what is to be done in this case

King ~ I am an old man, live an indoor life, and have only a few days more to live, let me then first

test the truth of the contention of these men. You can afterwards do what ever you thing proper.

King - it is a very good suggestion. Find out, O Astrologer, the most auspicious time for our

beloved Diwan (to have his nose cut).

Astrologer - May it pleas Your Majesty! 10 a.m. on the 5th of the bright half of the current month is

the most propitious time for this purpose.

On the appointed day the old Diwan went to the King at 8 a.m., and asked him to take a couple

thousand soldiers with him (to the place where his nose was to be cut).

King - What is the use of the soldiers there?

Diwan - Your Majesty is not so well-versed in statecraft. Have the kindness to do as I suggest.

King - "Well General! Go and get the soldiers ready."

The King formed a procession and set out with ministers and other influential men at 9:30 a.m.

When the Narayana-seers saw the king coming towards them, they began to sing and dance. The King sent for their leader who was the founder of this sect and was the first one whose nose was cut, spoke to him thus: "Show Naryana to our Diwan to-day." He assented. When it was ten o'clock, a man held a plate under the nose of the old Diwan, while the leader of the Narayana-seers chopped off his nose with a sharp knife and placed it on the plate. A stream of blood began to flow from his nose, and the Diwan's face

became pale. The rascal, then, whispered into his ear. "You do also laugh and tell the people that

you see Narayana now. Remember a cut nose cannot be made whole and if you don't say what I

tell you, everybody will laugh at you."

After he had said this, he stood apart. The Diwan took his handkerchief and pressed it against his

cut nose. The king asked him, "Tell us pray if you see Narayana now." He whispered in the King's

ear, "I see nothing. This rascal has, without any cause, disfigured and misled these thousand

people." The king, then, asked him what he advised him to do. The Dwan answered, "Arrest them

all, inflict heavy punishment on them and keep them in prison as long as they live, whilst the

scoundrel who led them all astray should be placed on the back of a donkey.

Let various indignities be heaped upon him and let him, then, be put to death. When the

Narayana-seers saw the King and his Diwan whispering into each other's ears, they made

preparations for running away, but being surrounded on all sides by the soldiers they could not

escape. The King ordered. "Let all of them be arrested and fettered. Let their villainous ringleader's

face be blackened. Let him be made to ride on a donkey and wear a necklace of torn and tattered

shoes and pass through all the principal streets of the town in this condition. Let the children

throw dust and ashes on him.

Let him them be beaten with shoes in all the chief thoroughfares and finally out to death by being

torn to pieces by dongs. If this rogue be suffered to go unpunished, nothing will deter other from

following his evil example." Thus did the cult of the Narayana-seers come to an ignominious end.

Like them there are plenty of other people opposed to the teachings of the Veda who are very

clever in defrauding other of their money. Such are the evil doings of various sects.

The followers of the Swami Narayana cult resort to trickery, fraud, and imposition in order to

fleece others. Many among them, in order to mislead the ignorant, declare on their death-bed that

Sahjanand seated on a white horse has come to convey them to heaven and that he always

came to that temple once a day. On the occasion of a fair the priests remain inside the temple

while down below a shop is kept open which communicates with the temple through an opening. Whenever a cocoanut has been offered in the temple, it is thrown down into the shop through that hole. That cocoanut is again bought and offered by some other worshipper. Thus the same cocoanut is sold

about a thousand times in a single day. Other articles are sold in the same way.

There is another thing peculiar to this sect. A Sadhu of this sect is made to do the work of the

caste he belongs to, for instance, a barber Sadhu shaves, a potter Sadhu makes pots, a Sadhu

who belongs to the artisan caste does the work of an artisan. A Sadhu, who is a bania (a

shopkeeper) by caste does the work of bania. A Shudra Sadhu that of a Shudra..

The priests of this sect have imposed a sort of taxc on their followers and by their quackery

amassed millions which go on multiplying every day. whoever succeeds to the Sahjanand throne

marries and becomes a householder, wears jewelry (ornaments). Whenever he is invited to the

house of one of his disciples, like the Gosaeens he accepts offerings in his own name as well as

in that of his wife, children, etc. The followers of this sect call themselves good company, whilst

other they call bad company!

They never serve anyone or show respect to anyone, however good and learned he may be. If he

belongs to some other faith, as it is considered a sin by them to do so. In public the Sadhus of

this sect do not even see the face of a woman but in private who knows what evil practices are

rampant among them. Not much has come to light. Here and there a few cases of sodomy have come out. When those who hold high positions among them are about to die, their disciples throw them sown into a

secret well and give it out that such and such a holy man with body and all has gone to heaven.

Sahjanand himself came to take him away. He carried him away, in spite of our repeated

requests, to let that holy man remain here as he was of great use here on this earth, but he

replied that he was badly needed in heaven. They would say that they saw Sahjanand and the

air-ship with their own eyes. He seated that holy man in the air-ship with their own eyes. He

seated that holy man in the air-ship and carried him up, while flowers were being showered on

him.

Whenever a Sadhu falls ill and there is not hope of his recovery, he declares that he will go to

heaven tomorrow night. The rumor has it that even if he did not happen to die that night but

merely lost consciousness, he is nevertheless thrown (alive) into a well for fear of his prophecy turning out to be false. Similarly, when a Gokalaya Gosaeen dies, his disciples say that the Gosaeen has spread out his lila (sport). The mantra that is taught by the Gosaeens and Swami Narayana priests is the same, viz., "Shri Krishna my shelter" which they say, means "Shri Krishna is my shelter" but may also mean "let

Shri Krishna seek my shelter."

All these sects compose mantras of absurd construction quite contrary to the rules of Grammar,

etc. Their leaders being illiterate, cannot be acquainted with the laws of Grammar and Logic.

[LIGHT OF TRUTH, pp-460-466]