The main teachings of Sister Nivedita find mention in this volume. The contributors represent a cross-section of different philosophical schools and include some distinguished leaders of thought from foreign countries as well. The topics chosen are varied in character-ranging from Indian Renaissance to Comparative Religion. Care has been taken by the editorial staff to maintain a unity of thought as far as possible. It was decided that besides paying homage to her in various celebrations throughout the country a serious attempt should be made to set up a permanent memorial in the form of a commemoration volume so that the future generations of our country might draw inspiration from those ideas and ideals.
The contributors include Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, Sri S N Guha Ray,Mg, Director, Sree Saraswatyh Press Ltd, Advaita Ashrama, Sri Sankari Prasad Basu, Lecturer, Calcutta University, SriSunil Behari Ghosh of National Librar ,Sri Jogendramohan Sen and Sri Biren Sinha, Ananda Bazar Patrika, R K Sarada Mission Sister Nivedita Girls’ School, Sri Narayan Lahiri, Mg Director, Loyal Art Press Pvt Ltd.
Sister Nivedita, a most devoted disciple of Swami Vivekananda, not only interpreted the ideals of Indian life to the westerners with rare sympathy and insight, but has identified herself with its faults and failings on humble, and lowly, the downtrodden and the deprived, who’re about to lose their individuality at a time, when the impact of western education create a gulf between the elite and the masses. Had there be anything in her heart to interpret as her grand mission, it was the restoration of the national consciousness. The discerning reader will not fail to notice that in such fields where she had traversed, in philosophy and politics, in art and architecture, in education and social reconstruction, she laid the greater emphasis on national consciousness. That is why she has interpreted Dharma as the national righteousness and Vedanta as the national philosophy, inextricably related to the wholeness of common life in India. The study of Sanskrit, she believed, a ‘must’ for every Indian. She used to shudder at the consequence which could follow, if for one generation, the Indian nation were divorced from its knowledge .For, in that case, the dynamic force that gave the nation vitality and cohesion would disappear. There is yet another aspect in her thought that deserves a special consideration. She has given a new interpretation to the doctrine of human rights and to the synthesis of Indian thought. One of the fundamental human rights, she believed was "the equal right of every section of society to enter the super-social or monastic life." She says: ‘It is a man’s right to renounce the world and not manhood suffrage. As for synthesis of Indian thought, she urges with all the emphasis she commands that Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam are conflicting creeds or ways of life; rather they are different paths leading to the same goal. As she puts, "Mohammed, Krishna, the Buddha, the Sankaracharya, are not so many deplorable obstacles in each other’s paths, but rather widely separated examples of a common type-the radiant Asiatic personage, whose conception of nationality lies in a national righteousness, and whose right to be a leader of men rests on the fact that he has seen God face to face."
We believe the readers will be inspired to sift through her original works and remind themselves of the lasting contributions from her towards reconstruction of New India. We are sensible of our shortcomings; many aspects of her teachings have certainly been left out. The only excuse that we can offer is the excuse of human limitation. Our aim has not been to present a comprehensive philosophy of Nivedita, where we have tried to give a bird’s eye view of some of her systematic thoughts.
**Book's Contents and Sample Pages**
Vedas (1130)
Upanishads (472)
Puranas (611)
Ramayana (722)
Mahabharata (336)
Dharmasastras (155)
Goddess (484)
Bhakti (240)
Saints (1447)
Gods (1260)
Shiva (358)
Journal (168)
Fiction (55)
Vedanta (349)
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