Anandamath

Chapter VIII

Satyananda Thakur left the battle-field without telling anything to anybody and came to Anandamath. There on the court-yard of the Vishnu temple at dead of night he sat in deep meditation. Just then that doctor made his appearance there. Seeing him Satyananda got up and made his obeisance to him.

The doctor said, “Satyananda, to-day is the full-moon night of the month of Magh.”

Satyananda: Let us go, I am ready. But О Noble hearted one! deign to remove a certain doubt from my mind. At the very moment when I have succeeded in making the Santan religion safe through war, why do you come and recall me?

He who had come said, “Your work is accomplished, the Mussulman kingdom is destroyed. You have no other work now. Further slaughter of living creatures is useless.”

Satyananda: The Mussulman domination is done away with but no Hindu kingdom has yet been established. The English are strong in Calcutta now.

He said, “The Hindu kingdom is not destined yet to be established. Your presence here will mean useless loss of human life. So come away with me.”

Hearing this Satyananda felt acutely distressed. He said, “My Master! If the Hindu kingdom will not be established, then who will rule here? Will the Mussulman again get the upper hand?”

He said, “No, the English will rule India now.”

Tears flowed from both of Satyananda’s eyes. Turning towards the image of Mother India placed on high, he began saying in tear-choked voice with joined plams, “Alas Mother! I have failed to rescue you, you will again fall into the clutches of the Mlechhas (Non-Aryans). Do condone the failing of your child. Alas Mother! Why did I not die in the battle-field today?”

The doctor said, “Satyananda, don’t be broken-hearted. Due to your error of judgment you gathered money through robbery and thus won the war. Out of sin does not come pure achievement. So you will necessarily fail to rescue your country. Moreover, whatever will happen will be for the best. Unless the English rule this land, there is no chance of the renaissance of the eternal religion. Listen patiently. I shall explain to you as it has been seen and understood by the ancient sages. The worship of three hundred and thirty million deities is not the eternal religion; that is an inferior popular religion. Under its influence, the true religion, as the Mlechhas call it, is lost. The true Hindu religion is based on knowledge, not on action. That knowledge is of two kinds; — secular or external and spiritual or internal. The inner spiritual knowledge is the chief part of true religion. But unless secular knowledge about the outside world comes the other knowledge about the inner world cannot grow. Unless one knows what the gross is, one cannot arrive at the knowledge pertaining to the subtle. For a long time this esoteric knowledge has been lost in this country — so the true eternal religion is also lost. In order to restore the eternal religion, at the outset knowledge of the material world must be preached. There is not much material knowledge in the country now, there is none capable of teaching it. We are not adepts in spreading popular education. So the necessary knowledge has got to be brought and introduced from other countries. The English are past masters in the knowledge pertaining to the material world. They are adepts in the art of teaching. So we shall make the British our rulers. Through English education our people attaining knowledge of the material world will also be made capable of understanding inner knowledge. There will then be no obstacle against preaching the true eternal religion. True religion will, under the circumstances, grow spontaneously. So long as that does not happen, so long as the Hindus do not become wise, worthy and strong, British rule will endure. The subjects will be happy under the British control. They will pursue their religious life without hindrance. So, О wise one! Desist from fighting the British and follow me.”

Satyananda said, “O noble-hearted one! If our purpose was to put the British in control over us as our rulers, if British rule was considered beneficent for our country, then why did you engage us in this heartless fighting?”

The Saint said, “The English are now merchants, they are busy earning money, they do not care to undertake the responsibility of government. Under the pressure of this Santan rebellion they will be compelled to undertake the responsibility of governing this country. Because without that the financial resources of the country cannot be explored. The Santan rebellion has come only to put the British on the throne. Come now with me, you will understand things yourself after attaining knowledge.”

Satyananda: О Noble-hearted one! I don’t crave after knowledge, I have no use for it. I shall fulfil the vow that I have taken. Bless me so that my devotion to my Mother remains unshakable.

The Sage: Your vow stands fulfilled — you have achieved the well-being of your Mother — you have helped to establish British Rule. Give up fighting, let people engage in cultivation, let the earth become fruitful with crops, let the people of the country become prosperous.” As if sparks flew from Satyananda’s eyes. He said, “I shall drench the mother earth with the enemy’s blood and thus make her fruitful.”

The Sage: Who is your enemy? Here is hardly any enemy. The British are our ally and friendly power. Besides none has the requisite power to be victorious in the long run in a war against the British.

Satyananda: If we haven’t got the power, I shall give up my body before this image of my Motherland.

The Sage: You will die in ignorance? Come, attain knowledge first. There is the Mother’s temple on the peak of the Himalayas, from there I shall reveal and show you her true form.

Saying this the sage grasped Satyananda’s hand. How sublime! In that magnificent Vishnu temple before the huge four-handed image in dim light stood the two great personalities — talent and genius incarnate — one holding the hand of the other. Who has gripped whom? Knowledge stands wedded to devotion — religion has embraced Karma or action — renunciation is coupled with success — Kalyani has grasped the hand of Santi. This Satyananda is Santi; this Sage is Kalyani. Satyananda is success, and this Saint stands for renunciation.

Renunciation came and took success away.