The novel 'Sangacchadhvam presents a period in India's history that we don't know in the depth and detail we should. This period is that of the Rg-Veda, undoubtedly the era marking the dawn of India's eternal traditions. In his debut novel, the emerging writer Anjesh Baranwal has chosen not only this period as his subject but also adopted an engaging approach to narrate the societal aspects of this era, which we encounter through this novel. As soon as you hold this novel, it fills you with excitement and curiosity, compelling you to read it from start to finish. The entire novel is such a blend of research and imagination that even the fiction seems true. This can likely be attributed to the purpose behind its writing, a purpose that the novel certainly achieves.
The entire story is woven around the facts described in the Rg-Veda, and where imagination is employed, it carefully aligns with prevalent traditions. The characters are also constructed around historical figures mentioned in the Rg-Veda, with multiple historical personalities or events amalgamated into single characters to give them depth. For example, the main character of the novel, Vispala, embodies not only the queen Vispala mentioned in the Rg-Veda but also other historical figures like Ghosa, Apala, Indra, and Surya.
This novel successfully conveys many messages given in the Rg-Veda without deviating from its depiction of the Vedic period. The positive use of references such as the Vedic city of Hariyupiya, the Mānas Yajna, and the Purusa Sukta in the novel's final stages is remarkable. The most compelling aspect of this novel is its excellent portrayal of women of that era. Vedic women, on the one hand, composed Vedic hymns, and on the other, participated in battlefields. They bore as much responsibility for building society as men and were full of the ability to guide society in a better direction. The main character Vispala's entire life is filled with struggles, but she never strays from her duties. Her portrayal as a source of inspiration for women of any era is undoubtedly commendable.
By whose grace the mute can talk and the lame can climb mountains, I owe it to Him, whose divine inspiration sparked an unexpected motivation and commitment within me. A motivation and a commitment to give back to society something that we can in the positions we hold, in ways that we are capable of, and in measures that we can afford. 'To give back what, though? It varies from person to person, and as I began to contemplate it, several doubts plagued my mind. However, many positives convinced me that I could and should proceed. Despite this, the conflicts endured. When I looked around and considered the imperative of leaving something behind for future generations, something that had its roots in our magnificent civilisational and cultural legacy, all such doubts vanished; in fact, they were evanesced.
This generation that I speak of has been brought up and groomed in nuclear families and educated in English-medium schools. They have grown up in environments dominated by Western thought processes, and thus have had very little acquaintance with their roots. 'Know what is necessary' that has been the recurrent theme with the new generation of the youth, bright and ambitious no doubt, but also largely ignorant of the rich heritage they are a part of. Given this reality, I very much doubted if they could ever be the medium for carrying forward the legacy of our enriched past in the coming years, decades, and centuries. Thus, my introspection gained a purpose: a goal. The exercise rattled me because it brought me face to face with my own truth-one that poet Maithili Sharan Gupt reflected when he said:
"जिसको न निज गौरव, न निज देश का अभिमान है,
वह नर नहीं, निरा पशु और मृतक समान है।"
(A man that takes no pride in self or in his country is no human, but an animal and as good as dead.)
Insightful as his words are, how many of us have internalised them and acted upon them? The dismal answer is: few. Very few. The reasons for this failure can be varied. For me, the solution became clear the more I thought about it. I had to do something to contribute my might. With my mind made up, the next question was: What should I do? The foundations of our culture lie in the Rg-Veda, and so I resolved to study this ancient text.
Vedas (1232)
Upanishads (517)
Puranas (637)
Ramayana (769)
Mahabharata (381)
Dharmasastras (171)
Goddess (534)
Bhakti (253)
Saints (1640)
Gods (1319)
Shiva (409)
Journal (176)
Fiction (66)
Vedanta (386)
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