The Spiritual Wisdom of Ancient Bharat

Sri Rachamallu China Venkateshwarlu was born on 13-11-1935 in Konjedu Village, Prakasam District. He studied from 1st form to SSLC in R.V.N. Board High School, Ravinuthala and Intermediate at Chirala, V.R.S. College and BA in A.C. College, Guntur. He stood first in 3rd year BA and obtained merit scholarship. He studied MA (Public Administration) and LLB in Nagpur University from 1957-60. He got scholarship for getting very good marks in LLB He also studied LLM (Constitutional and International Law in Osmania University) 1960-62.

He was selected as D.S.P. in Group-I services of A.P.P.S.C. and joined for training in Police Training College, Anantapur, on 31-12-1964. He worked as D.S.P. Jammalamadugu, Kadapa and Palakonda, in Srikakulam District where he was sanctioned an advance increment vide G.O.M.S. No. 1591 Home (Police-A) department dated, 1-11-1971 for effectively dealing with Naxalitc problem. He was promoted as Additional Superintendent of Police on 1-12-1975. He worked as Additional S. P. Tirupati and Deputy Director, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Hyderabad. He was conferred in IPS with 1977 seniority. He worked as S.P. in C.I.D. Visakhapatnam Rural, Vizianagaram, Chittoor, Khammam, Anantapur, Guntakal (Rlys), Kadapa, A.I.G. (Welfare and sports), Hyderabad. He got promotion as D.I.G. of Police in 1992 and retired in the C.I.D on 30-06-1994.

He was guest faculty in J.N.T.U. Hyderabad, teaching Business Law for MBA students and in Staff Training Centre, S.B.I. Hyderabad. He is guest faculty to the following institutions in Hyderabad: (1) A. P. Police Academy, (2) A.P. Judicial Academy, (3) S.V.P. National Police Academy, (4) National Industrial Security Academy, and C.D.T.S. (Central Detective Training School), Govt. of India Mint and B.D.L, Kanchanbagh. He worked as Chairman of Sri Sitaramaswamy Temple Trust Board for 5 years and improved a lot including the inauguration of Challagalla Narasimham Veda Patasala on 1st Oct., 1998 by Sri Jayendra Saraswathi and Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, in the premises of the temple. in Jubilee Hills Colony, Hyderabad.

As a result of the visit of Swami Vivekananda to his ancesteral house in his native village, Daivalaravur, Korisapadu Mandal, Addanki Taluk, Prakasam District in dream in 2005, he got unveiled 7 Ft bronze statue of Swamiji in new agricultural market yard, in the heart of Ongole Town by Sri Bulusu Siva Shankar Rao, Prakasam Dist. Judge on 26-01-2007.

Sri R.C. Venketeshwarlu is man of many parts. A postgraduate in Arts, Public Administration and Law, he earned kudos for his thesis on “Centre-state relations”, for his LLM from the Osmania University. Thereafter, he was baptised into the Police Department as a Deputy Superintendent of Police in 1964. He was an ideal Police Officer, earned all promotions and encomiums due during his service, and retired as a DIG of Police (CID) in 1994. He attended to his work with zeal and devotion, and on many occasions worked directly under me, particularly in the CID.

Post retirement, it was a transformation from the mundane to the sublime. He says that he was inspired to do so, by the book “A Philosophy for the Police” by Sri B. N. Mallik, Director, Intelligence Bureau, New Delhi who served as such, for almost twenty years. By popular demand, he took charge as Chairman of the Sri Sitaramaswamy Temple, Jubilee Hills in 1993 and turned to God and religion to make an exhaustive study of the Vedas, Upanishads, Brahmasutras and Bhagavad Gita. What was lying dormant all these years now came into the open.

His religious forays made him realize that there was need for a simple English text which would expose “The Spiritual Wisdom of Ancient Bharat” to the common man. With his academic background and his newfound interest he helped fill this void and authored a book on the subject. The well known Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan appreciated the Scholarly work and offered to publish the book. Swami Ranganathananda of the Belur Ramakrishna Math was so impressed with the book and wrote to him, thus: “The book is well written and it covers various aspects of our Sanatana Dharma with a modern orientation.” Naturally, the first edition was quickly sold out and the second edition is on the anvil. I have the proud privilege of writing the Foreword for this edition. I am sure this book will have many more editions and help clear many problems that the world faces today. I wish the venture all success.

I consider it a rare privilege accorded to me that I should be asked to write a foreword to this book, The Spiritual Wisdom of Ancient Bharat compiled by Sri R. C. Venkateshwarlu, I.P.S.(Retd). The main object of this book as stated by the author in the preface, is to bring out the most wonderful truths confined in our Upanishads, Scriptures, Ithihasas, Sastras and Puranas for the benefit of the common man. The said benevolent object is the need of the day. The present generation have become more materialistic by imitating the Western culture. Number of the younger generation are migrating to the foreign countries for the purpose of amassing wealth. They have become oblivious of the merits and the peaceful way of life enshrined in our scriptures. In the present set up they do not have any time to brood over our ancient culture and the way of life as envisaged in our scriptures. Many people have misconception with regard to Bhagawad Gita thinking it as a religious treatise. But, in fact, as observed by the learned author, “Bhagawad Gita is the first successful attempt in man’s cultural history to workout a complete philosophy of life, reconciling the secular and the sacred, work and worship”. As regards Sanathana Dharma, the learned author eloquently puts it that “Sanathana Dharma, does not refer to any sectarian process of religion. It is eternal function of the eternal living entities in relationship with the eternal Supreme Lord”. He also discusses about various Dharmas and the perils which a man has to face by discarding Dhanna with reference to Mahabharatha. The learned author also observes that “the economic implications of human life are circumscribed by the fourfold discipline of Dharana, Artha, Kama and Moksha and the foundation of this discipline is that material acquisition and pleasure are subordinate to Dharma for attaining salvation.” The book contains 18 chapters with Appendix I, II and III. Each chapter, beginning with efficacy of prayer, is unique by itself. The learned author quotes expansively from Vedas, Upanishads, Bra hmasutras, Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharatha and from the teachings and writings of eminent personalities, both living and dead. He, by his relentless search of scriptures, etc., brings out the precious gems of spiritual truths for our gaze: Happiness is really an inner attitude, or a subjective realization of the mind, though many are under misapprehension that it depends upon external conditions only. The outer quest for happiness will only be the game of “Hide and Seek”. Much of the sorrow, misery and depression in this universe can be averted by the practice of Yoga and by following “Sanathana Dharma” in day-to-day life. Real happiness is one that does not depend upon anything external to one’s self. It is unconditioned bliss that is permanent.

I sincerely congratulate the author of this book who has rendered a very useful service for the present generation as also to posterity, by sparing no pains in bringing out the wonderful spiritual truths from Upanishads, etc., and placing them before us for our unflinching practice with a sincere yearning for the attainment of the true purpose of life and by embodying them in the chapters of this book in the author’s felicitous and lucid style, in a masterly way.

It may not be out of place to mention here that the author Sri R. C. Venkateshwarlu was my contemporary while we were doing postgraduation in Nagpur University during 1956-58 and that link of old friendship had brought us together while we worked at Chittoor during 1983-84 and once again in connection with this book.

With all sincerity, I recommend this book to one and all as the spiritual truths compiled herein would mould their lives and lead to success in their careers.

Humanity today is at crossroads equipped with enormous powers for good or bad, entering into an age of globalization, liberalization, information, unbridled consumerism, greedy hedonism, unabashed pragmatism and extreme individualism leading to the danger of discontinuity with the wisdom of the past.

Science and technology are racing blindly dragging the humanity towards unknown, undetermined goals with its total emphasis on neutral means for lopsided development and inherent incapacity to decipher the proper ends of real human progress.

Our nation with its priceless ancient heritage enshrined in the sacred scriptures — the Vedas, Upanishads and others — on the other hand offers to us enlightenment in an integrated syncretism holistic universal philosophy of ethical means and noble ends in true knowledge of reason, and beyond reason, for the recovery and renewal of a peaceful, harmonious just new world of lasting progress, acknowledged even by the humanistic, spiritually intellectual leaders of the West.

My esteemed old friend Sri R. C. Venkateshwarlu in his spiritual nutshell, entitled Spiritual Wisdom of Ancient Bharat dealing synoptically with the comprehensive spiritual ancient insights of our country, equips us with a map, to discover the path for the pilgrims progress towards the destination of inseparable union of the drop of individual self with the infinite ocean of Universal Spirit.

The main objective of this book is twofold. 1 .To bring out the essential, eternal truths contained in our Upanishads, Brahmasutras and Bhagavad Gita to one and all as eloquently exhorted by Swami Vivekananda in his message to our countrymen. 2. To initiate, introduce and propagate the writings of Swami Vivekananda among the younger generation for better quality of citizenship. I have designed the chapters keeping in view the trends and outlook of younger generation who lack the spiritual education during their school and college days and struggle in life, unable to grapple with the problems and situations of modem times. They are more attracted towards materialism and the endless consumerism of the West and blindly imitating them without appreciating the merits and peaceful way of life enshrined in our scriptures. The whole object of this book is to direct the attention of younger generation towards the wealth of spiritual wisdom contained in our Vedas, Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita. If the younger generation imbibes the spirit of the teachings of the Upanishads and the Bhagvad-Gita during their school and college days, they will be in a better position to deal with delicate and intricate problems of modem life with much courage and confidence and achieve their noble goals and objectives in life. They lack proper perspectives about life and its sacredness. They will realize the importance of life and its noble goal of realizing God, while living on this planet earth, if they are taught the fundamentals of our eternal religion (SANATHANA DHARMA) envisioned by our Seers, Saints, Sages and Swamijis of ancient times. The present generation should practice, review and reinforce the teachings of spiritual luminaries.

Damage caused by the British Rule

The British launched a systematic multipronged attack, viz. 1. Attack through the Christian Missionaries on our Dharma as being full of superstitions, barbaric customs and devoid of any worthwhile moral or spiritual content.
2. Attack on our ancient and great educational system, which Gandhiji has described as a beautiful tree, through the infamous Macaulay system designed to create a class of brown-skinned Englishmen, who would dutifully carry out the administration of the country at the behest of the British masters. .
3. Attack on our time-honoured self-governing Panchayat system, which has remained undisturbed even during the Islamic trauma, with a view to centralizing all authority in their Imperialist hands. 4. Attack on our traditional arts and crafts and thereby destroying our self-sufficient economy and reducing our people to a mercenary army slaving for Britain’s industry and commerce, and.
5. Finally, attack on the very concept of our national entity through a well orchestrated propaganda that Bharat was never a nation and that it belonged to successive conquerors who happened to invade this land. .

Swami Vivekanancla noticed the following defects in our people, viz. .

1. Jealousy; 2. Self-centeredness; 3. Love of ease; 4. Utter lack of social awareness and work efficiency; and 5. Too much talking and too little working. .

The seven-point plan of action laid down by Swami Vivekananda for our nation-building through man-making.

1. Inter-caste marriages and family planning.
2. Expansion of education to all, i.e., 100% literacy.
3. Learning of Sanskrit language by the majority if not all.
4. Establishment of national universities for good governance.
5. Renunciation and service are our national ideals to cherish and practice. /.
6. Unity and national integration without quarrels and group rivalries. .
7. Training of our youth in the eternal values of sanatana dharma of ancient Bharat and modern scientific, technological and industrial progress of Western countries.
Conclusion

Is it not high time that all sincere adherents of Swami Vivekananda s soul-stirring vision and mission, resolve to accept the challenge and come forward to stake their all in reversing the present suicidal drift? Unless the majority of the educated population and the rich upper class become imbued with the values of truth, justice, selflessness, tyaga and seva, these values cannot become reflected at the national scene. Until this happens, the chronic illiteracy cannot be eradicated. It should be remembered that these two major evils, coupled with unemployment, have been the primary causes of other evils like separatism, violence, and other associated maladies that ail our society today.