Rashtriya Jagaran - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Rashtriya Jagaran" by Amarmuni:

The text, "Rashtriya Jagaran" (National Awakening), by Amarmuni, delves into the current state of India by contrasting it with its glorious past and envisioning a hopeful future. The author emphasizes the importance of understanding the present in the context of history to achieve a complete perspective.

The Golden Past:

A Beacon for the World: Amarmuni paints a vivid picture of ancient India, drawing from scriptures like the Puranas, Smritis, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Jain Agamas, and Buddhist Tripitakas. This era is characterized by dignity, bright ideals, and profound thinking that not only benefited India but also served as a living example for the entire world.
Exemplary Character: The author cites Manu Smriti (2.20), stating that all humans on Earth could learn their duties and character from the learned and virtuous individuals born in India. This is not seen as boastful but as a factual assessment of the time.
Divine Admiration: The Vishnu Purana is quoted, highlighting how even celestial beings sing songs of praise for the land of Bharat, considering it a sacred place that leads to heaven and liberation.
Mahavir's Vision: The text references Lord Mahavir's words, implying that even gods aspire to be born in a noble land like India. Amarmuni asserts that these statements are not mere poetic embellishments but direct experiences of those who had realized the truth.
Philosophy of Sacrifice and Love: The historical accounts reveal a grand life philosophy centered on sacrifice, affection, and harmony, filled with inspiring ideals and greatness. The continuous flame of sacrifice and service is evident.

Illustrious Examples from History:

Lord Rama: The character of Lord Rama in the Ramayana is presented as a true reflection of India's spiritual and moral consciousness. Rama's equanimity, whether facing coronation or exile, demonstrates a profound state of detachment and a higher value placed on parental duty and the contentment of his stepmother over personal rights. This ideal is depicted as permeating all of Indian life.
Lakshmana: Lakshmana's unwavering devotion to Rama, even abandoning his newly wedded wife and royal comforts to join Rama in exile, exemplifies this ideal. His mother, Sumitra's, encouraging words, advising him to consider Rama as his father, Sita as his mother, and the forest as Ayodhya, further underscores the depth of this selflessness and duty.
Mahavir and Buddha: The era of Mahavir and Buddha is highlighted, where they renounced immense wealth, sensual pleasures, and all material comforts to seek truth in desolate forests and difficult mountains. After achieving enlightenment, they spread their message of love and compassion to the masses, inspiring countless princes, nobles, and commoners to become ascetics and illuminate the world with their knowledge.

The Present Reality:

Disorientation and Selfishness: The author contrasts this glorious past with the present, where modern humans are described as being like directionless, cut kites, caught in petty self-interest, physical pleasures, and petty mental complexes. Their past ideals and national spirit have become fragile.
Loss of Collective Consciousness: The vastness of the human spirit envisioned in ancient texts, where thousands of heads, eyes, and feet worked together to form a unified humanity and national consciousness, seems lost today.
Moral Degradation and Corruption: The current narrow-mindedness and the pervasive issues of corruption, dishonesty, deceit, and black marketing are questioned, wondering if the source of this degradation lies in the drying up of the stream of consciousness and duty that once made the nation fertile.
Decline of Ideals: Amarmuni identifies the devaluation of ideals as the root cause of the current chaos and problems. The economic upheaval due to currency devaluation is seen as less significant than the more profound and dangerous upheaval caused by the decline of values. The ideals of Rama, Krishna, Mahavir, and Buddha have also been devalued.

Critique of "Mahatma Gandhi is a name for compulsion":

Misinterpretation of Ideals: The author strongly refutes the notion that Mahatma Gandhi represents "compulsion." He questions whether Gandhi's philosophy, considered a modern resurgence of ancient Indian thought, was born out of necessity.
Strength, Not Weakness: Satyagraha, non-cooperation, Swadeshi movements, and the practice of truth and non-violence were not signs of weakness or compulsion but represented great and noble ideals.
Compulsion of Present Self-Interest: The compulsion, the author argues, lies not in the ancient ideals but in the present self-centered thinking that has led to the devaluation of these ideals.
Abuse of "Compulsion": The excuse of "compulsion" and "need" is used to justify lying and dishonesty, even when it means abandoning one's innate conscience and the ancient ideals of great personalities. The author believes that the feeling of need and compulsion is often exaggerated to rationalize self-serving actions.

Intolerance and its Consequences:

Lack of Tolerance and Struggle: While acknowledging some hardships in the country, Amarmuni points out a lack of tolerance and the proper struggle to overcome them.
Impatience and Destructive Behavior: Instead of facing difficulties with patience and appropriate effort, people resort to vandalism, gathering crowds, burning effigies of national leaders, and destruction of national property.
Self-Destructive Actions: The author questions the logic behind destroying national property, which is essentially public property, calling it foolishness and an act of harming oneself.
The Cure: Tolerance and Contribution: The solution to hardship and compulsion is seen as tolerance, contribution to national progress, patience, and proper endeavor. The widespread impatience and intolerance are identified as a significant problem.

The Absence of National Pride:

Erosion of National Consciousness: A significant concern is the lack of national pride and the fading of national consciousness. The broad vision beyond one's immediate surroundings has diminished.
Reawakening the Spirit: True reform will only occur when national pride is awakened. Every action should be viewed not through the lens of petty self-interest but with consideration for the nation's glory.
The Example of the Freedom Struggle: The author recalls the indivisible national consciousness that flowed through the country during the freedom struggle, where Hindus and Muslims united for the motherland, and the North and South merged into an undivided India. People faced hardships, torture, and even the gallows with smiles, united by their shared joys and sorrows.
The Present Discontent: The author questions why individuals who faced such adversities with joy are now dissatisfied, dejected, and filled with resentment in their homes.
Loss of Unity: The fundamental reason for this fragmentation and sorrow is the lack of national pride and consciousness in the Indian populace.

A Hopeful Future:

Inherent Optimism: Amarmuni is not a pessimist and envisions a golden future for India, mirroring its golden past.
Temporary Darkness: The current state of indiscipline, disintegration, and devaluation of ideals is seen as a transitional phase, where darkness and hardship are temporary.
The Dawn of National Consciousness: The author predicts a time when the conch of pure national consciousness will resound, national pride will ignite within every individual, and the nation will regain its past glory and continue to shine in its present and future.
Conditions for a Brighter Tomorrow: This positive future is contingent upon the awakening of indivisible national consciousness, the rise of duty, and the illumination of mutual cooperation and harmony.

In essence, "Rashtriya Jagaran" is a call to action for Indians to reconnect with their rich cultural heritage, re-evaluate their present moral and ethical standing, and actively strive for a future where national pride, ideals, and collective consciousness guide their actions and shape a glorious nation.