770414 - Letter to Professor K. J. Parmar from Tamal Krsna

14 April 1977

From: Tamal Krishna

Professor K. J. Parmar

25 1st Road,

Bombay – 52

Dear Professor Parmar,

I read with keen interest your article, “A 100 Million Harijans Seek a new Messiah,” which appeared in the “Sunday Standard,” dated April 10, 1977. I certainly can appreciate your compassion for the suffering of so many unfortunate people. In light of the new Government’s interest in taking knowledge from the Vedas to help find solutions to the problems upon us, I thought you might find the following illuminating as well as helpful.

The Harijan Movement was started by Gandhiji. Seeing the suffering of millions, Gandhi thought to elevate them in their own eyes and in the eyes of others by affixing the title: Harijans. But such rubber-stamping has not actually improved their condition, as you have so thoroughly pointed out in your article: “Governments at the center have launched numerous plans, projects, schemes, and allocated more than Rs. 3,200 crores in Five-Year Plans for the welfare and amelioration of the Harijans. All efforts to raise their status and improve their living conditions by granting special rights --social, economic, political—have not made any significant impact on their condition of life.” The actual definition of Harijan is Hari: The Supreme Lord; and jan: person. In other words, Hari’s man, or one who has been elevated to the position of Hari’s association. Harijan means “mahajan.”

asito devalo vyasah

svayam caiva bravisi me

These are all Harijans. Neither Gandhiji, Dr. Ambedkar, nor any other leader has succeeded in uplifting these people. The cause of their failure is due to their inability to properly understand the reason for man’s suffering.

sri-bhagavan uvaca:

asocyan anvasocas tvam

prajna-vadams ca bhasase

gatasun agatasums ca

nanusocanti panditah

“The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.” (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, verse 11.)

And further on in the Bhagavad Gita, the following is stated:

dehino ‘smin yatha dehe

kaumaram yauvanam jara

tatha dehantara-praptir

dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change” (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, verse 13.)

This is the beginning of understanding the Bhagavad Gita and the transmigration of the soul.

The governments, their leaders, and all of their planning commissions have applied themselves only to the “dehe”, not to the “dehinah”. Measures meant for the upliftment of the Harijans have fallen short of the mark because they aimed at adjusting some bodily or mental situation, without reaching the conscious causes. This is not the path of a “dhira”, or one who is sober. No amount of land grants, work plans, defense forces, or any other economic, social, or political arrangement which you have suggested will be of any use if you fail to address yourself to the actual problem: the “dehina”, not the “dehe”. In your article you have asked: “Who are these Harijans? What is their origin? What sins did they commit for being permanently persecuted? There are no authentic answers to these basic questions.” Then how can you expect the solutions which you have suggested to work? There are authentic answers, and they have been known to such stalwart Harijans as Svayambhuva Manu, Narada Muni, Lord Siva, the Kumaras, Sri Kapiladev, Prahlad, and so many others. All of these great personalities have themselves taken instruction from Lord Hari. This instruction, unchanged, is available in the Bhagavad Gita. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad Gita. So you should take it as it is; then you can become a Harijan.

asito devalo vyasah

svayam caiva bravisi me

These are all Harijans.We have already described who are the Harijans.

As to their origin, we have merely to turn to Bhagavad Gita:

purusah prakrti-stho hi

bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan

karanam guna-sango ‘sya

sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

“The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.” (B.G. Ch. 13, v. 22) This verse describes how one is forced to take a particular birth. It is not by chance. Krishna already has explained in the 2nd chapter that one changes bodies as we change our dress. This change is due to attachment to the particular material nature. As long as one is captivated by the allurements of maya, he has to change bodies. The extent of his desire to lord it over the material nature determines what kind of body he will have next, and to what extent he will suffer or enjoy.

isvarah sarva-bhutanam

hrd-dese ‘rjuna tisthati

bhramayan sarva-bhutani

yantrarudhani mayaya

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, verse 61) We may not believe in the laws of the government, but nevertheless when the laws are broken, we have to suffer. How much more stringent then, are the laws of God, which follow a man from one life to another.

daivi hy esa guna-mayi

mama maya duratyaya

mam eva ye prapadyante

mayam etam taranti te

“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, verse 14) A government may be powerful but not so powerful that it can protect its citizens from death, disease, and old age. Though you may award all kinds of privileges to try and counteract the sufferings of one born in an unfortunate condition, those benefits will be to little avail. The position of the Harijan Community as a whole has not significantly changed. Who is checking them from improving? Neither the government, nor social pressures, nor economic blockades. No one prevented Dr. Ambedkar, nor Jagjivan Ram from rising to leadership. No. The checking is from within: “Karanam guna-sango sya, sad asad yoni janmasu” Guna-sango means association with the modes of nature.

sattvam rajas tama iti

gunah prakrti-sambhavah

nibadhnanti maha-baho

dehe dehinam avyayam

“Material nature consists of the three modes---goodness, passion and ignorance. When the living entity comes in contact with nature, he becomes conditioned by these modes. (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 14, verse 5) Association is so strong. Just like when you contact germs, you must suffer. So if you associate with tama-guna or raja-guna, then you must suffer accordingly.

To the civil-libertarian, this may all seem very unjust, that one man is condemned to sweep the latrines, while another sits comfortably in his white-collar job working in the government office. By your legislation, you may arbitrarily elevate 10% of all the sweepers to government offices, but the result will be chaos. A dog may be placed on the king’s throne, but toss him an old shoe and he’ll jump down to chew it. Similarly, by popular vote you may elect anyone to office, but if he is not qualified, his nature will betray him, and he will do all nonsense. The current world political scene sufficiently demonstrates this.

Actually the kind of work one does is directly related to the “gunas” affecting him.

catur-varnyam maya srstam

guna-karma-vibhagasah

tasya kartaram api mam

viddhy akartaram avyayam

“According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.” (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, verse 13.) and

brahmana-ksatriya-visam

sudranam ca parantapa

karmani pravibhaktani

svabhava-prabhavair gunaih

“Brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras are distinguished by their qualities of work, O chastiser of the enemy, in accordance with the modes of nature.” (B.G., 18:41)

The tendency of a particular man toward work is determined heavily by the modes of material nature which he has acquired, not by political, social, or economic pressures. This statement by Lord Krishna may bring ranker to the hearts of the modern day libertarian who is demanding equality for all, and sometimes fails to discern whether everyone actually is deserving of equality. No one can be more fair than Krishna. He is equally disposed to all creatures: “samo ham sarvau bhutesu” (B.G. 9:24) and He claims all living entities as his children: “aham bijah praja pita” (B.G.) If Krishna distinguishes one person as brahmin and another as sudra, it is not out of prejudice. It is due to karma and guna—ones work and the modes which affect one. Krishna never mentions “janma” or birth as a consideration. Some selfishly motivated individuals have used this argument of janma as a means of protecting their false elevated position above those of supposedly lower birth. This misconception has caused hatred for the caste-system, or varna-ashram system, with cries for abolishment heard from all sides. If there is a defect in the eyes, it should be cured, not plucked out. The caste system should be properly established on the basis of Bhagavad Gita’s teachings, not abolished. The fact is that in this age, everyone is born sudra—“Kalau sudra sambava”, but by proper education, anyone may be raised to the position of a brahmin. Brahmin is by qualification, not by birthright. That one’s father is a high-court justice does not qualify one to also be a high-court judge. Everyone is free to cultivate the qualities of a brahmin.

samo damas tapah saucam

ksantir arjavam eva ca

jnanam vijnanam astikyam

brahma-karma svabhava-jam

“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brahmanas work.” (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, verse 42) sama-peacefulness, damah-self-control, tapah-austerity, saucam-purity, santih-tolerance, arjavam-honesty, jnanam-wisdom, vijnanam-knowledge, astikyam-religiousness. But to demand respect without such development, is simply rubber-stamping. Krishna, the original Messiah of all Harijans, openly invites everyone:

mam hi partha vyapasritya

ye’ pi syuh papa-yonayah

striyo vaisyas tatha sudras

te ‘pi yanti param gatim

“O son of Prtha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth---women, vaisyas (merchants), as well as sudras (workers)—can approach the supreme destination.” (Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9, verse 32) By the proper education and association, anyone, no matter how degraded his birth may be, can attain to the highest position:

brahma-bhutah prasannatma

na socati na kanksati

samah sarvesu bhutesu

mad-bhaktim labhate param

“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, verse 54) Prasannatma means one who fully is joyful. Na socati na kanksati: to be completely free of all lamentation and hankerings. Since God is full, a living entity engaged in God’s service, in Krishna Consciousness, [is] also full in himself.

There is no doubt that the 100 million Harijans deserve to become happy. They are feeling frustration for lack of a leader. We, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a society dedicated to living by the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, are prepared to take responsibility for all 100 million Harijans and guide them to the highest perfection of life. The Founder and Acharya of our Movement, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, has been successfully engaged worldwide in uplifting hundreds of thousands of unfortunate souls to the platform of Krishna Consciousness. By Krishna’s Grace, I happen to be His personal secretary, and it is by His direction that I write this letter to you. He has read your article and feeling great concern for the welfare of the Harijan community, he requested me to write you and invite you to our Headquarters at Juhu, Bombay for practical discussions. If you are actually sincere in your desire to uplift the Harijans, then please do not miss this opportunity.

Yours faithfully,

Tamal Krishna Goswami

(Personal Secretary to His Divine Grace

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

TKG/pdd