The Hindu : Tribute to Rajaji

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 30, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Tribute to Rajaji

Sir, — My friend of school days, Gopal Gandhi's tribute to his illustrious maternal grandfather, Rajaji (`The wisest man in India', Dec. 22), makes compelling reading. It is Gopal's construction of what was in Rajaji's mind when he composed `Kurai Onrum Illai', movingly sung by the legendary M.S. Subbulakshmi. However, given Rajaji's view that knowledge and Bhakti are closely related as evidenced by his introduction to the Bhaja Govindam song, his vast knowledge of the Vedanta and south India's Bhakti tradition going back to the soul stirring hymns of the Alwars and the Nayanars, there could be other plausible explanations for `Kurai Onrum Illai'. Thus the Bhakti tradition did not recognise any barriers of caste and creed. The Vedantic concept of Vasudeva Kutumbakam (universal family) did not take cognisance of even national boundaries, leave alone communal differences. The union of the individual soul with the divine and complete surrender to Him, which is what `Kurai Onrum Illai' is all about, precludes the identity of the individual, his body and mind. When Rajaji thus surrendered to the Almighty, what regrets indeed could he have had?

L.S. Vishwanath,
Pondicherry

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

Stories in this Section

Immunity for the citizen

Community and conservation

Turbulence ahead

On human rights and radical evil

Apprehensions remain

Bhakti & VHP

Animals & experiments

Judicial independence

Tribute to Rajaji