Opinion: Honouring Gita Press Gorakhpur is honouring the Sanatan philosophy

Gita Press Gorakhpur represents the finest traditions of ‘gyan parampara’ or the knowledge system of our civilisation. This 100-year-old institution led the renaissance of Hindu dharma in colonial times when the British had a full grip over Bharat. They had launched their ambitious project of colonising Bharatiya minds with their education system and create citizens who would be brown only in skin colour but fully deracinated minds that would think like British and have very poor opinions about their own culture, tradition and scientific achievements. It was a grand project to make Indians forget their great Indian Knowledge System.

It was during this time that Gita Press founders lit a lamp to dispel the darkness of ignorance that was about to envelop us. That lamp has flickered gloriously and defiantly under all circumstances and kept educating Bharatiya people about their scriptures, their knowledge and philosophy. One can say that Gita Press led the renaissance of Bharatiya philosophy, hence of national selfhood.

Nearly 3500 manuscripts have been published and republished millions of times. According to its official website, the Gita Press has printed more than 41.7 crore books. Apart from Hindi, these books are available in 14 languages, including Marathi, Gujarati, Odia, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Nepali, English, Bangla, Tamil, Assamese and Malayalam. Gita Press has so far printed more than 16.21 crore copies of Shrimad Bhagwat Gita. Apart from this, it has printed 11.73 crore compositions by Tulsidas and 2.68 crore copies of Puranas and Upanishads.

In the true spirit of a Sanatani intellectual Kshatriya, the founders did not attempt to whitewash anything that went against the spirit of the times in which they were operating. They published every scripture honestly and objectively with honest translations. It was left to the readers to take what they found fit and forego what they found outdated. Not for them the convenient way out of publishing abridged or new ‘revised’ editions of the scriptures. This is the strength of Hindu dharma and its intellectual traditions that it can review and reform with changing times and is not bound by shibboleths of ‘no change’ possible etc. Dharma is Sanatan (ever living) but practices and rituals are open to reforms within dharmic principles.

One can safely say that there would hardly be an Indian in Bharat or a person of Indian origin abroad who does not have a copy of some scripture or other published by Gita Press. The most popular being Shrimad Bhagwat Gita and Ramcharitmanas of Goswami Tulsidas. Not only did this institution publish the rare scriptures and helped them reach distant homes in the remotest corners of the world, but also kept the cost to the minimum, thus reaching the poorest devotees.

Sanatan philosophy believes in disseminating knowledge without the motive of profit, as a service. Gandhi ji talked about the principle of trusteeship, where the business owner treats self only as a trustee of the wealth, he/she creates. Ishopanishad enjoins us:

Tena tyaktena bhunjitha

Ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam

That is, "What is given by Him, allotted to you, you enjoy that, but do not encroach upon others' property."

These are the principles on which the three patriotic citizens of Bharat Mata founded Gita Press on April 29, 1923. Of the trio of Jai Dayal Goenka, Ghanshyam Das Jalan and Hanuman Prasad Poddar, Bhai ji Poddar was the one who carried to torch for the longest time. One of the founders, Hanuman Prasad Poddar, was also the lifelong editor of 'Kalyan' magazine of Gita Press. To run a difficult industry like publishing with trusteeship principles for hundred years and still survive and thrive is a tribute to the commitment of the founders and their heirs. This is the true form of ‘non-attachment’ that Ishopanishad enjoins.

Kalyan may be a rare periodical that has been published continuously for hundred years. It is not just a religious periodical but also has comments on many social and on rare occasions, political issues when they impinge upon the Hindu community and Bharatiya interests.

What could be a more telling example of the respect that Kalyan magazine commands and also offers to big leaders that it does not carry any advertisements to this day. This is to honour the instructions that Gandhi ji gave to Bhai ji that he should not insert any advertisements because that could influence its independence. However, it did not stop Bhai ji to question Gandhi ji on critical issues like the Khilafat riots and Partition. This is in true Bharatiya traditions where you agree to disagree respectfully without any bitterness or sense of animosity.

It was in this very tradition of Bharatiya philosophy that many outstanding scholars and political leaders contributed to the magazine despite differences of opinion during the turbulent times of Partition. Eminent Congress leaders like C Rajagopalachari, Dr Rajendra Prasad, G B Pant, K M Munshi, Pattabhi Sitaramayya, and Lal Bahadur Shastri wrote for Kalyan. It is only in Bharat that we respect leaders with opposing views.

By honouring Gita Press, the Government of India is honouring the undying spirit of Bharatiyata, of the quest for truth. It is recognition of the struggle for ‘Swa’ – selfhood in which Gita Press played a crucial role.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts, analysis, assumptions, and perspectives appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Republic TV/ Republic World/ ARG Outlier Media Pvt. Ltd.)