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The Meaning of India: Essays
First published in 1996 when he was eighty-eight years old, this selection of nearly six decades of Raja Rao's non-fiction is an audacious contemplation on the deeper significance of India. A combination of fables, journeys, discussions and meditations, The Meaning of India advances the view that India is not just a geographical entity, or even a civilization-state. India is, above all, a metaphysic, a way of being and regarding the self and the world.
Drawing on a wide range of sources-including the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Gita, the Buddha, Sankara, Bhartrihari, Kalidasa, Dostoevsky, Valéry, Rilke, Mann and Mallarmé-as also meetings with Gandhi, Nehru, Forster and Malraux, Rao teases out the implications of Advaita or non-dualism, which he regards as India's unique contribution to the world.
Drawing on a wide range of sources-including the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Gita, the Buddha, Sankara, Bhartrihari, Kalidasa, Dostoevsky, Valéry, Rilke, Mann and Mallarmé-as also meetings with Gandhi, Nehru, Forster and Malraux, Rao teases out the implications of Advaita or non-dualism, which he regards as India's unique contribution to the world.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
13 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Raja Rao
29 books59 followersRaja Rao (Kannada: ರಾಜ ರಾವ್) has long been recognised as "a major novelist of our age." His five earlier novels—Kanthapura (1932), The Serpent and the Rope (1960), The Cat and Shakespeare (1965), Comrade Kirillov (1976) and The Chessmaster and His Moves (1988)—and three collections of short stories—The Cow of the Barricades and Other Stories (1947), The Policeman and the Rose (1978) and On the Ganga Ghat (1989)—won wide and exceptional international acclaim.
Raja Rao was awarded the 1988 Neustadt International Prize for Literature which is given every two years to outstanding world writers. Earlier, The Serpent and the Rope won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, India's highest literary honour. More recently, Raja Rao was elected a Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi.
Born in Mysore in 1909, Raja Rao went to Europe at the age of nineteen, researching in literature at the University of Montpellier and at the Sorbonne. He wrote and published his first stories in French and English. After living in France for a number of years, Raja Rao moved to the US where he taught at the University of Austin, Texas.
Notable work(s):
Kanthapura (1938)
The Serpent and the Rope (1960)
Notable award(s):
Sahitya Akademi Award (1964)
Padma Bhushan (1969)
Neustadt International Prize for Literature (1988)
Padma Vibhushan (2007)
Raja Rao was awarded the 1988 Neustadt International Prize for Literature which is given every two years to outstanding world writers. Earlier, The Serpent and the Rope won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, India's highest literary honour. More recently, Raja Rao was elected a Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi.
Born in Mysore in 1909, Raja Rao went to Europe at the age of nineteen, researching in literature at the University of Montpellier and at the Sorbonne. He wrote and published his first stories in French and English. After living in France for a number of years, Raja Rao moved to the US where he taught at the University of Austin, Texas.
Notable work(s):
Kanthapura (1938)
The Serpent and the Rope (1960)
Notable award(s):
Sahitya Akademi Award (1964)
Padma Bhushan (1969)
Neustadt International Prize for Literature (1988)
Padma Vibhushan (2007)
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November 28, 2020
The meaning of India - raja rao
ನಮ್ಮ ಆಧ್ಯಾತ್ವವ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಆಸ್ಥೆ ಇದ್ದವರು ಪಶ್ಚಿಮದವರಿಗೆ ಅದನ್ನು ಪರಿಚಯಿಸಿದ ಈ ಮಹನೀಯರ ಕೃತಿಗಳ ಓದದಿದ್ದರೆ ಅದು ಅವರಿಗೆ ನಷ್ಟ .
ಗಾಂಧೀಜಿ ಸಂತನೋ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಯೋ ಎಂಬ ಒಂದು ಪ್ರಬಂಧ ಸಾಕು. ಈಗಿನ ಗಾಂಧಿವಾದಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಗಲು.
ನೆಹರೂ ಕುರಿತಾದ ಎರಡು ಲೇಖನಗಳು, ಭಾರತದ ಅಂದರೆ ಏನು ಎಂಬ ಒಂದೇ ಒಂದು ಲೇಖನ ಸಾಕು ಭಾರತದ ಮಹತ್ತು ಏನು ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಹೊರಗಿನವರಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಕೆಲವು ನಮ್ಮವರಿಗೇ ಅರ್ಥ ಮಾಡಿಸಲು.
ವಿಷಯ ಅದಲ್ಲ. ರಾಜಾ ರಾವ್ ಅವರ ಓದಲು ಒಂದು ಪ್ರವೇಶ ಬೇಕು ನಿಮಗೆ. ಭಾರತದ ಆಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕ ಪರಂಪರೆಯ ಔನ್ನತ್ಯ ನಿಮಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೆ ಇದು ದಾರಿ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಕಾಡೊಳಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಸಿಲುಕಿಕೊಂಡ ಭಾವ.
ರಾಜಾರಾವ್ ಭಾಷೆ ಇತರ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷ್ ಲೇಖಕರ ಹಾಗಲ್ಲ. ಅದರ ಸೊಗಸಿಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತ ಹಾಗೂ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಬೆರೆತು ಹಾಲಿಗೆ ಜೇನು ಸೇರಿಸಿ ಕುಡಿದ ಭಾವ.
ರಾಜಾರಾವ್ ಬರೆದದ್ದು ಓದುವಾಗ ಅವರಿಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಪರಂಪರೆಯ ಕುರಿತಾಗಿ ಇರುವ ಹಿಡಿತ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ನಾನವರ ಒಂದು ಕಾದಂಬರಿ chess master and his moves ಓದಿಲ್ಲ. Comrade kirillov ಎಲ್ಲೂ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲ.
ಬಾಕಿ ಉಳಿದದ್ದು ಓದಿದ ಅನುಭವದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿರುವುದು.
ಇಂಡಿಯಾ ಅಲ್ಲ ಭಾರತ ಜಗತ್ತಿಗೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಸಾರ್ವಕಾಲಿಕ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಟ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಕಾರ ರಾಜಾರಾವ್.
ನಾವು 'ಭಾರತೀಯರು' ಓದಬೇಕಾದ್ದು ದಾಸ್ತೋವಸ್ಕಿ,ಟಾಲ್ಸ್ಟಾಯ್ ಗಿಂತ ಮೊದಲು ಇವರನ್ನು.
ಏನು ಮಾಡುವುದು ಹಿತ್ತಲ ಗಿಡ ಮದ್ದಲ್ಲ .ಅಲ್ವಾ?
ಇಷ್ಟಾಗಿಯೂ ಇವರು ಹೇಳಿದ ವಿಚಾರಗಳು ಅರ್ಥವಾಯಿತು ಎಂದಲ್ಲ ಅರ್ಥವಾದಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ್ದು ಬೆರಗು.
ನಮ್ಮ ಆಧ್ಯಾತ್ವವ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಆಸ್ಥೆ ಇದ್ದವರು ಪಶ್ಚಿಮದವರಿಗೆ ಅದನ್ನು ಪರಿಚಯಿಸಿದ ಈ ಮಹನೀಯರ ಕೃತಿಗಳ ಓದದಿದ್ದರೆ ಅದು ಅವರಿಗೆ ನಷ್ಟ .
ಗಾಂಧೀಜಿ ಸಂತನೋ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಯೋ ಎಂಬ ಒಂದು ಪ್ರಬಂಧ ಸಾಕು. ಈಗಿನ ಗಾಂಧಿವಾದಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಗಲು.
ನೆಹರೂ ಕುರಿತಾದ ಎರಡು ಲೇಖನಗಳು, ಭಾರತದ ಅಂದರೆ ಏನು ಎಂಬ ಒಂದೇ ಒಂದು ಲೇಖನ ಸಾಕು ಭಾರತದ ಮಹತ್ತು ಏನು ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಹೊರಗಿನವರಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಕೆಲವು ನಮ್ಮವರಿಗೇ ಅರ್ಥ ಮಾಡಿಸಲು.
ವಿಷಯ ಅದಲ್ಲ. ರಾಜಾ ರಾವ್ ಅವರ ಓದಲು ಒಂದು ಪ್ರವೇಶ ಬೇಕು ನಿಮಗೆ. ಭಾರತದ ಆಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕ ಪರಂಪರೆಯ ಔನ್ನತ್ಯ ನಿಮಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೆ ಇದು ದಾರಿ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಕಾಡೊಳಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಸಿಲುಕಿಕೊಂಡ ಭಾವ.
ರಾಜಾರಾವ್ ಭಾಷೆ ಇತರ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷ್ ಲೇಖಕರ ಹಾಗಲ್ಲ. ಅದರ ಸೊಗಸಿಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತ ಹಾಗೂ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಬೆರೆತು ಹಾಲಿಗೆ ಜೇನು ಸೇರಿಸಿ ಕುಡಿದ ಭಾವ.
ರಾಜಾರಾವ್ ಬರೆದದ್ದು ಓದುವಾಗ ಅವರಿಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಪರಂಪರೆಯ ಕುರಿತಾಗಿ ಇರುವ ಹಿಡಿತ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ನಾನವರ ಒಂದು ಕಾದಂಬರಿ chess master and his moves ಓದಿಲ್ಲ. Comrade kirillov ಎಲ್ಲೂ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲ.
ಬಾಕಿ ಉಳಿದದ್ದು ಓದಿದ ಅನುಭವದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿರುವುದು.
ಇಂಡಿಯಾ ಅಲ್ಲ ಭಾರತ ಜಗತ್ತಿಗೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಸಾರ್ವಕಾಲಿಕ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಟ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಕಾರ ರಾಜಾರಾವ್.
ನಾವು 'ಭಾರತೀಯರು' ಓದಬೇಕಾದ್ದು ದಾಸ್ತೋವಸ್ಕಿ,ಟಾಲ್ಸ್ಟಾಯ್ ಗಿಂತ ಮೊದಲು ಇವರನ್ನು.
ಏನು ಮಾಡುವುದು ಹಿತ್ತಲ ಗಿಡ ಮದ್ದಲ್ಲ .ಅಲ್ವಾ?
ಇಷ್ಟಾಗಿಯೂ ಇವರು ಹೇಳಿದ ವಿಚಾರಗಳು ಅರ್ಥವಾಯಿತು ಎಂದಲ್ಲ ಅರ್ಥವಾದಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ್ದು ಬೆರಗು.
November 8, 2015
Since, it's a compilation of Raja Rao's thoughts at various times so to say about the book as a whole is tough but I enjoyed most of it's literary shades and of course the intellect hues. Last two chapters in particular I liked most.
May 17, 2020
Brilliant essays. Read it long time back.
March 27, 2021
Book Review
"The Meaning Of India"
The meaning of india is came out of the light of Raja Rao's essays which were written around thirty years of time .
Rajaram displayed brilliantly that went beyond the text.
The meaning of india book has two sections, The first part of author has written prominent political personalities like Indira Gandhi,Pandita Jawaharlal Nehru,Mahatma Gandhi,Andre Naraz,and forster etc
Raja rao has written about meeting with Jawaharlal nehru in Germany talking about God and second part of Raja rao has written brilliantly about working devata with positive philosophical our day to day life.
Some part reader can also get some verse of Bhagwat Gita.
The meaning of india will give you journey from rural to urban essay complied in the book.
Raja rao has saw himself first and foremost as seeker than as twitter
Must Read this compelling book.
I would give 4 out of 5.
"The Meaning Of India"
The meaning of india is came out of the light of Raja Rao's essays which were written around thirty years of time .
Rajaram displayed brilliantly that went beyond the text.
The meaning of india book has two sections, The first part of author has written prominent political personalities like Indira Gandhi,Pandita Jawaharlal Nehru,Mahatma Gandhi,Andre Naraz,and forster etc
Raja rao has written about meeting with Jawaharlal nehru in Germany talking about God and second part of Raja rao has written brilliantly about working devata with positive philosophical our day to day life.
Some part reader can also get some verse of Bhagwat Gita.
The meaning of india will give you journey from rural to urban essay complied in the book.
Raja rao has saw himself first and foremost as seeker than as twitter
Must Read this compelling book.
I would give 4 out of 5.
April 6, 2021
The thing that i take the most out of it is the comfort that the writer feels being sure in his philosophy. He sees everything through the lens of Advaita. He seems incapable of hate or anger. Of course this is the first I've read or heard of the author and except for a little repetition the essays/speeches were enjoyable. But i can even excuse the repetitive nature, for if one thinks one has found "the true truth" then everything else will pale in significance,with the mind pointed in a single direction, bringing one calm and an assurance of one's place in this chaotic world.
Thanks again to #Indicbookclub for the recommendation.
Thanks again to #Indicbookclub for the recommendation.
March 16, 2021
The West sees the world in black and white, whereas India has many colours and shades, making it difficult for outsiders to truly ‘see’ India. Raja Rao’s collection of essays, ‘The Meaning of India,’ explains and explores India beyond the ‘good and evil’ concept of the West.
The Introduction gives an unknown insight into the life and thoughts of Raja Rao, but seems a bit lengthy wherein it fails to hold the reader’s interest till the end.
Essays on Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi give an interesting, parallel view of India’s history under the British rule. Though sometimes the reader feels slightly disappointed at the author’s climbing of the mountain of adulation, albeit hesitant, towards Nehru and his ‘extraordinary’ qualities, in some places Raja Rao subtly disagrees with Nehru’s worldly viewpoint that seems to reject the traditions and history deeply entwined with Vedic and Buddhist philosophy. The author also explains why Gandhi failed in becoming a proper guru to Nehru, in turn failing to prevent partition, the ensuing massacre.
‘One walks on the edge of history with care, lest a gesture, a word, indeed and uneven breath may mean heresy of spirit. The compassion of India flowed into our silence, and for a moment the earth seemed reassured of itself,’ he says. The book is engaging to Indophiles not just because of introduction to unknown facets of our history, but also because Raja Rao engages us in a thought-provoking comparison between European and Indian philosophical viewpoints. A lover of Buddhist philosophy, his essays advocate both Bodhisattva’s and Hindu advocacy of silence and sacrifice as ultimate.
For a reader who is totally unfamiliar with French philosophy, suddenly plunging into the midst of their works is unsettling. Raja Rao’s book seems alluring yet strange for today’s reader as we seek its relevance in today’s India which is no longer metaphysical in its psyche. No matter how much pride we take in our history, we are no longer the same – thoughtful and inquisitive as Krishna wanted us to be, compassionate as Buddha wanted us to be. Knowledge or ‘Jnana’ may be the ‘I’ and that maybe the ‘meaning of India’ according to Raja Rao, but in today’s India there do not seem to be many seekers of that knowledge. However, as Raja Rao says, ultimately ‘everyone has his own India.’
Raja Rao’s essays are to be read again and again as we Indians easily identify with his philosophy because it’s a natural part of our life.
The Introduction gives an unknown insight into the life and thoughts of Raja Rao, but seems a bit lengthy wherein it fails to hold the reader’s interest till the end.
Essays on Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi give an interesting, parallel view of India’s history under the British rule. Though sometimes the reader feels slightly disappointed at the author’s climbing of the mountain of adulation, albeit hesitant, towards Nehru and his ‘extraordinary’ qualities, in some places Raja Rao subtly disagrees with Nehru’s worldly viewpoint that seems to reject the traditions and history deeply entwined with Vedic and Buddhist philosophy. The author also explains why Gandhi failed in becoming a proper guru to Nehru, in turn failing to prevent partition, the ensuing massacre.
‘One walks on the edge of history with care, lest a gesture, a word, indeed and uneven breath may mean heresy of spirit. The compassion of India flowed into our silence, and for a moment the earth seemed reassured of itself,’ he says. The book is engaging to Indophiles not just because of introduction to unknown facets of our history, but also because Raja Rao engages us in a thought-provoking comparison between European and Indian philosophical viewpoints. A lover of Buddhist philosophy, his essays advocate both Bodhisattva’s and Hindu advocacy of silence and sacrifice as ultimate.
For a reader who is totally unfamiliar with French philosophy, suddenly plunging into the midst of their works is unsettling. Raja Rao’s book seems alluring yet strange for today’s reader as we seek its relevance in today’s India which is no longer metaphysical in its psyche. No matter how much pride we take in our history, we are no longer the same – thoughtful and inquisitive as Krishna wanted us to be, compassionate as Buddha wanted us to be. Knowledge or ‘Jnana’ may be the ‘I’ and that maybe the ‘meaning of India’ according to Raja Rao, but in today’s India there do not seem to be many seekers of that knowledge. However, as Raja Rao says, ultimately ‘everyone has his own India.’
Raja Rao’s essays are to be read again and again as we Indians easily identify with his philosophy because it’s a natural part of our life.
March 7, 2021
The meaning of India advances the view that India is not just a geographical entity, or even a civilizational state, Bhārat, above all, is a chariot leading the world towards truth. Shri Raja Rao's book helps reader to understand the deeper significance of India.
Nationalism has been a very controversial term and using it always raised eyebrows in post world war 2 europe, rightly so. Also, one needs to acknowledge that definitions change with place and time and in case of post- colonial societies like india and Africa, it has different meanings, that of consolidating and asserting there identies in front of imperial powers.
Raising above identities of ethnicity, language and purity of race, which in case of europe leads to wars and hatred towards other nationality. The very foundation of indian nationalism, as rao explains in his book, lies in advait philosophy of non-dualism, which joins people instead of deviding them.
Rao's views on nehru, gandhi and white man also help us understand how indian thought during and after independence movement. This selection of nearly six decades of raja rao's non-fiction.
A must recommended modern classic for anyone interested to know about deeper significance of bharat.
Nationalism has been a very controversial term and using it always raised eyebrows in post world war 2 europe, rightly so. Also, one needs to acknowledge that definitions change with place and time and in case of post- colonial societies like india and Africa, it has different meanings, that of consolidating and asserting there identies in front of imperial powers.
Raising above identities of ethnicity, language and purity of race, which in case of europe leads to wars and hatred towards other nationality. The very foundation of indian nationalism, as rao explains in his book, lies in advait philosophy of non-dualism, which joins people instead of deviding them.
Rao's views on nehru, gandhi and white man also help us understand how indian thought during and after independence movement. This selection of nearly six decades of raja rao's non-fiction.
A must recommended modern classic for anyone interested to know about deeper significance of bharat.
April 25, 2021
If one wants to understand of metaphysical aspect of our lives this is the book you need to read. If you want to understand how India was in 1900's, If you want to read beautiful writing and stories this is the book to go for. This would be my best discovery of 2021 in reading aspect thanks to Indic Academy and Indic Book Club. I completely loved this book. This is not the book which contains a single topic, This book contains philosophy, metaphysics, stories, Indic thought, Indian Values etc. If I had to recommend one book for Indic philosophy in Metaphysical sense Hands down I would say The Meaning of India. All I can say is this book contains such beautiful aspects. I am amazed how Andre Malraux perceives India, His perspective of Understanding India, It's just beautiful.
Thank You Indic Academy.
Thank You Indic Academy.
April 14, 2021
'The meaning of India' is a collection of literary-philosophical essays by Raja Rao.
This book is about India. Rather than talking about India from a civilizational perspective or from a geographical perspective, he dwells deeper and tells that India is, above all a metaphysic.
"India is not a country (desa), it is perspective (darsana)"
His main focus is on the idea of Non-duality.
He tells that unlike western ideas of 'good or evil', India is beyond duality. And the idea of Non-duality is the greates contribution of India to the world.
He talks about many other texts too, like the Vedas, the Mahabharata, the Gita, the Upanishads.
He also draws many ideas from the works of the Buddha, Sankara, Bhartrihari, Nagarjuna, Kalidasa, etc.
The meaning of India brings out a totally different picture of India, which isn't generally popular among masses.
But i think India has somewhat lost it's psyche of deep enquiry about metaphysics, philosophy, etc. But Raja rao said 'Everyone has it's own India'
The essays contains details about his meetings with Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi, Malraux and Forster.
He idealizes Nehru as a Bodhisattva, but when he meets him he's little bit disappointed as Nehru wasn't as much in love with India as he was.
He also idealises Gandhi as a great Saint.
Gandhi hated war but he helped the British in Boer war and world war 1. But as Raja Rao said "The saint sometimes looks a fool".
Raja rao also seems a bit too optimistic when he says that Gandhi could've stopped the second world war if he talked with Hitler.
'When Malraux meets Jawaharlal' chapter shows how foreigners were deeply impacted by Indian philosophy, but many Indians took it for granted. Malraux even said that when India gains independence it should follow the lessons of great Shankaracharya.
The book gets much better in the end, last two three chapters are very engaging. They deal with Shunya, Atman, Advaita Vedanta, I, Nirvana and other metaphysical/philosophical concepts.
The book somehow lacks coherence but it was never written as a book, rather it is a collection of essay, so can't complain.
Ram Rao has an amazing command over the language, but as a newbie reader the language was sometimes complicated for me. Also, the discussion about French philosophy might make the reader feel unsettling at times.
The book is compelling and it is filled with great intellectual and philosophical perspectives. There is ample amount of information in this book which makes you curious to learn more.
Not just the essays, even introduction by Makarand R.Paranjape was amazing.
I'll surely re-read it after few years.
Highly recommended if you want to read something different & you're interested in Indian philosophy. But you need to give it time as it is not a page-turner.
Thanks to Indicbookclub for sending me this book!
This book is about India. Rather than talking about India from a civilizational perspective or from a geographical perspective, he dwells deeper and tells that India is, above all a metaphysic.
"India is not a country (desa), it is perspective (darsana)"
His main focus is on the idea of Non-duality.
He tells that unlike western ideas of 'good or evil', India is beyond duality. And the idea of Non-duality is the greates contribution of India to the world.
He talks about many other texts too, like the Vedas, the Mahabharata, the Gita, the Upanishads.
He also draws many ideas from the works of the Buddha, Sankara, Bhartrihari, Nagarjuna, Kalidasa, etc.
The meaning of India brings out a totally different picture of India, which isn't generally popular among masses.
But i think India has somewhat lost it's psyche of deep enquiry about metaphysics, philosophy, etc. But Raja rao said 'Everyone has it's own India'
The essays contains details about his meetings with Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi, Malraux and Forster.
He idealizes Nehru as a Bodhisattva, but when he meets him he's little bit disappointed as Nehru wasn't as much in love with India as he was.
He also idealises Gandhi as a great Saint.
Gandhi hated war but he helped the British in Boer war and world war 1. But as Raja Rao said "The saint sometimes looks a fool".
Raja rao also seems a bit too optimistic when he says that Gandhi could've stopped the second world war if he talked with Hitler.
'When Malraux meets Jawaharlal' chapter shows how foreigners were deeply impacted by Indian philosophy, but many Indians took it for granted. Malraux even said that when India gains independence it should follow the lessons of great Shankaracharya.
The book gets much better in the end, last two three chapters are very engaging. They deal with Shunya, Atman, Advaita Vedanta, I, Nirvana and other metaphysical/philosophical concepts.
The book somehow lacks coherence but it was never written as a book, rather it is a collection of essay, so can't complain.
Ram Rao has an amazing command over the language, but as a newbie reader the language was sometimes complicated for me. Also, the discussion about French philosophy might make the reader feel unsettling at times.
The book is compelling and it is filled with great intellectual and philosophical perspectives. There is ample amount of information in this book which makes you curious to learn more.
Not just the essays, even introduction by Makarand R.Paranjape was amazing.
I'll surely re-read it after few years.
Highly recommended if you want to read something different & you're interested in Indian philosophy. But you need to give it time as it is not a page-turner.
Thanks to Indicbookclub for sending me this book!
June 4, 2021
You can read my detailed review here: https://idiosyncraticidiots.com/2021/...
May 3, 2021
This review is for the 2020 publication of this book by Penguin.
The Meaning of India: Raja Rao
This republication of Raja Rao's essays, originally published in 1996, brings the the forefront a writer who was a keen observer of India, its traditions and it's march from a British colony to an independent nation trying to find it's place in the world.
A masterful introduction by Makarand Paranjape sets the context for the new reader who may not have read much of Raja Rao's work earier.
Part 1 introduces the Meaning of India as interpreted by meetings with Nehru, Gandhi, Malraux and Forster
Rao declares in the eponymous essay, "India is not a country, but a perspective(darsana)" and the Darsana or philosophy is Advaita - non-duality.
His first meeting with Nehru, in Germany where Nehur was accompanying Kamala for her treatment, is so wistful in terms of Rao's longing to see someone who is beyond mortal whims and fancies, a visionary leader. What he gets instead is a short-tempered man, used to entitlements, and disconnected from the reality that is India.
"You certainly believe in somehting, Panditji? In some form of deity, in philosophy?
"Deity? What Deity?" He twitched angrily.
"Why, Siva and Parvati, Sri Krishna!"
"Three thousand years of that and where's that got us - slavery, poverty"
Rao's encounter with Gandhi is much more nuanced. He goes to meet a saint and sees what he wishes to see in this case.
Part 2 - The Meaning in meaning seems to me a mish-mash of mutipliple topics.
Rao quotes extensivey from the Upanishads, but it only serves to obscure . The sparkling clarity that Sankara brings when commenting on the Upanishads is nowhere to be seen, but in searching for meaning, words tend to obfuscate rather than shed light.
Overall, the book presents a view of India that is novel for many readers who have not lived through the transition from a poverty-ridden colony to a world-leader in many aspects. It raises the importance of understanding the Meaning of India for all us both from the perspective of the past as well as where we are going in the future.
The Meaning of India: Raja Rao
This republication of Raja Rao's essays, originally published in 1996, brings the the forefront a writer who was a keen observer of India, its traditions and it's march from a British colony to an independent nation trying to find it's place in the world.
A masterful introduction by Makarand Paranjape sets the context for the new reader who may not have read much of Raja Rao's work earier.
Part 1 introduces the Meaning of India as interpreted by meetings with Nehru, Gandhi, Malraux and Forster
Rao declares in the eponymous essay, "India is not a country, but a perspective(darsana)" and the Darsana or philosophy is Advaita - non-duality.
His first meeting with Nehru, in Germany where Nehur was accompanying Kamala for her treatment, is so wistful in terms of Rao's longing to see someone who is beyond mortal whims and fancies, a visionary leader. What he gets instead is a short-tempered man, used to entitlements, and disconnected from the reality that is India.
"You certainly believe in somehting, Panditji? In some form of deity, in philosophy?
"Deity? What Deity?" He twitched angrily.
"Why, Siva and Parvati, Sri Krishna!"
"Three thousand years of that and where's that got us - slavery, poverty"
Rao's encounter with Gandhi is much more nuanced. He goes to meet a saint and sees what he wishes to see in this case.
Part 2 - The Meaning in meaning seems to me a mish-mash of mutipliple topics.
Rao quotes extensivey from the Upanishads, but it only serves to obscure . The sparkling clarity that Sankara brings when commenting on the Upanishads is nowhere to be seen, but in searching for meaning, words tend to obfuscate rather than shed light.
Overall, the book presents a view of India that is novel for many readers who have not lived through the transition from a poverty-ridden colony to a world-leader in many aspects. It raises the importance of understanding the Meaning of India for all us both from the perspective of the past as well as where we are going in the future.
September 19, 2022
The present book ‘The Meaning of India’ is a essay-collection of memoirs, personal incidents, experiences, and meditations. Given that the world is currently undergoing great changes, the republication of ‘The Meaning of India’ is apt and especially timely. With this book, Raja Rao advocates that India as more than just a geographically contained place.
In my opinion, This book elucidates the real meaning of India. In true sense, India is a land of civilization. India is an ancient land and has always attracted a certain kind of attentive gaze from the rest of the world. This book further explores that India as it is in reality, a civilized land of development and yajna or sacrifice. Building upon a wide and varied Indian scriptures, e.g. Vedic and Puranic literature, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagvat Gita, among others, Rao gives to Indian aesthetics a movement diametrically opposed to the aesthetic tendencies of the Western perspective.
The essays in this book on Indian customs, history, philosophy, and religion inherently exhibit a distinctive writing style which captures the rhythms of Indian speech and idiomatic expression. Although the writing is complex but it is also poetic and intensely philosophical. Nevertheless this book explores the religious and mythic roots of India. For Raja Rao, myth is more real than fact, for myth leads fact out of itself. I would suggest that this book requires multiple readings; one is not enough to follow the intrinsic thought of this book.
In my opinion, This book elucidates the real meaning of India. In true sense, India is a land of civilization. India is an ancient land and has always attracted a certain kind of attentive gaze from the rest of the world. This book further explores that India as it is in reality, a civilized land of development and yajna or sacrifice. Building upon a wide and varied Indian scriptures, e.g. Vedic and Puranic literature, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagvat Gita, among others, Rao gives to Indian aesthetics a movement diametrically opposed to the aesthetic tendencies of the Western perspective.
The essays in this book on Indian customs, history, philosophy, and religion inherently exhibit a distinctive writing style which captures the rhythms of Indian speech and idiomatic expression. Although the writing is complex but it is also poetic and intensely philosophical. Nevertheless this book explores the religious and mythic roots of India. For Raja Rao, myth is more real than fact, for myth leads fact out of itself. I would suggest that this book requires multiple readings; one is not enough to follow the intrinsic thought of this book.
August 21, 2021
Thank you so much Indic Book club for sending me this book.
The Meaning of India by Raja Rao is a collection of multiple essays. A combination of fables, journeys, discussions and meditations, this book advances the view that India is not just a geographical entity or even a civilization- stat. India is above all, a metaphysic, a way of being and regarding the self and regarding the self and the world. I also got to know about Raja Rao ji after getting his book only. It was a difficult read for me but I thoroughly enjoyed.
Book also contains the conversation that happened between author and other personalities like Nehru, Gandhi, Forster, Malraux etc. His interaction with Nehru is must read. Moreover, Introduction of this new edition is given by Shri Makarand R Paranjape Ji who is a very famous author and written several books. He tells the audience about the author’s life that is really worth reading. Throughout the book, you will find that the author is highly influenced by the Advaita Philosophy and also quotes from Indian scriptures like Vedas, Upanishads etc.
Overall, it is going to be tricky read for those who are not familiar of this type writing but you should definitely give a try to read and understand the context of the book.
The Meaning of India by Raja Rao is a collection of multiple essays. A combination of fables, journeys, discussions and meditations, this book advances the view that India is not just a geographical entity or even a civilization- stat. India is above all, a metaphysic, a way of being and regarding the self and regarding the self and the world. I also got to know about Raja Rao ji after getting his book only. It was a difficult read for me but I thoroughly enjoyed.
Book also contains the conversation that happened between author and other personalities like Nehru, Gandhi, Forster, Malraux etc. His interaction with Nehru is must read. Moreover, Introduction of this new edition is given by Shri Makarand R Paranjape Ji who is a very famous author and written several books. He tells the audience about the author’s life that is really worth reading. Throughout the book, you will find that the author is highly influenced by the Advaita Philosophy and also quotes from Indian scriptures like Vedas, Upanishads etc.
Overall, it is going to be tricky read for those who are not familiar of this type writing but you should definitely give a try to read and understand the context of the book.
Read
June 5, 2021Raja Rao
The Meaning of India
“A man gazes to have the object dissolve. The tower is here to point to space, the sun is here to make the marble floor cool. The absurd is there to reveal the unanswerable.”
Profound or not the above passage from the essay in the book is a pointer of how complexity can be dissolved.
In the pantheon of writers Indians are introduced to in schools, colleges or in popular discourse Raja Rao is not easily available. For reasons unknown this continue, efforts like Indic academy (they sent me his book to review) are far and few. I am quite sure we could have had at least one of his essays or stories in English language paper or other multitude of mind-numbing courses we continue to offer in our universities. More surprising even now, it does not seem to be on agenda even now, so much for revolutions sweeping Indian politics these days.
Raja Rao writes with no malice to anyone and deep understanding of Advaita tradition. The mashup of modern world, with Advaita is easy to understand in his essays. Avoiding crafty technique for instant gratification, his writing builds slowly. He slowly envelopes the person with his thoughts and makes one not only belief that India is paramount to human evolution since time immemorial but will continue to be important in future. The grand sweep of India and how important it is for universal human experience is an important understanding after reading these essays.
On specific essays the easiest one is on meeting between French author, intellectual Malruex( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3... ) and Nehru impresses easily. Nehru himself a mass adulatory figure tongue tied in the meeting is a revelation. Some amount of understanding how the French 5th republic & India ended up having deep relation can be understood from this essay. Malruex was instrumental in getting a French Diplomatic mission in India once De Gualle came to power in post war France. How the relationship blossomed in tutelage of Maralux himself and also De Gaulle understanding of India comes out in this essay. De Gaulle is said to have stopped his ministers from mentioning China and India in the same breath. He believed that India was closer to France philosophically and culturally. He is said to have commented “China is middle kingdom, and one knows what it means”.
Malreux’s description of death in the essay and its treatment in Europe compared to India is important for today’s world, where the Prime time TV has bodies floating in Ganga as News with both sides seemingly loosing the point of it all.
In the essay “The silence of Gandhi” he equates him to divinity, Would I or you have done anything but what Raja Rao did while having audience with Gandhi. The stillness of time combined with all knowing Gandhiji makes one believe what one sees and hear.
Staying on Gandhi he debates his role surrounded as he was by a cauldron of ambitious politicians and upstarts. The inability of those in cauldron to fathom anything beyond their immediate objectives brought the resultant chaos of war and strife. Gandhi’s effort to meet Hitler and Hirohito are touched upon, a big possibility on what could have happened if Churchill had allowed these meetings? Would it have stopped the war? For all we know if would have not, but then he was Gandhi and maybe it could have stopped. We will never know as the meeting never happened.
Albeit on the passing but a nuanced play of subtle differences between Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism comes out in essays at various places. The idolatry, the practices and outcome of these is well suggested and deciphered. The comparison of Jainism with The Quakers of US is another dot well connected.
In course of his writings, he compares Nehru with Siddharth and then moves to describing Gandhi the Sage who did not want to become a saint, but pursue his discovery of truth. He seeks to convince that the essence then and still is the discovery of truth not the duality that western world drives incessantly every day. A simplistic understanding of this would bring immense peace to the current anxiety filled world.
Connecting past to present, weaving a fine mesh tapestry he brings out the nuances of continuing civilization the world calls India.
The book reinforces my experience that for some time world has more confidence in India then Indians themselves. These people believe that we the Indian have transcended their small duals of evil and good. But why does this not appeal to us and we want to emulate the West is simply beyond my comprehension.
The essays are preceded with a long introduction by Markand Paranajpe (Director of IIAS). He , one of the leading conservative writer in India. I would suggest readers to read this the last if you enjoy going into deep end of book.
I was late reviewing this book, some of it is work but more then it is time taken to understand the various essays. Some of the complicated stuff require time for beginners like me.
The Meaning of India
“A man gazes to have the object dissolve. The tower is here to point to space, the sun is here to make the marble floor cool. The absurd is there to reveal the unanswerable.”
Profound or not the above passage from the essay in the book is a pointer of how complexity can be dissolved.
In the pantheon of writers Indians are introduced to in schools, colleges or in popular discourse Raja Rao is not easily available. For reasons unknown this continue, efforts like Indic academy (they sent me his book to review) are far and few. I am quite sure we could have had at least one of his essays or stories in English language paper or other multitude of mind-numbing courses we continue to offer in our universities. More surprising even now, it does not seem to be on agenda even now, so much for revolutions sweeping Indian politics these days.
Raja Rao writes with no malice to anyone and deep understanding of Advaita tradition. The mashup of modern world, with Advaita is easy to understand in his essays. Avoiding crafty technique for instant gratification, his writing builds slowly. He slowly envelopes the person with his thoughts and makes one not only belief that India is paramount to human evolution since time immemorial but will continue to be important in future. The grand sweep of India and how important it is for universal human experience is an important understanding after reading these essays.
On specific essays the easiest one is on meeting between French author, intellectual Malruex( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3... ) and Nehru impresses easily. Nehru himself a mass adulatory figure tongue tied in the meeting is a revelation. Some amount of understanding how the French 5th republic & India ended up having deep relation can be understood from this essay. Malruex was instrumental in getting a French Diplomatic mission in India once De Gualle came to power in post war France. How the relationship blossomed in tutelage of Maralux himself and also De Gaulle understanding of India comes out in this essay. De Gaulle is said to have stopped his ministers from mentioning China and India in the same breath. He believed that India was closer to France philosophically and culturally. He is said to have commented “China is middle kingdom, and one knows what it means”.
Malreux’s description of death in the essay and its treatment in Europe compared to India is important for today’s world, where the Prime time TV has bodies floating in Ganga as News with both sides seemingly loosing the point of it all.
In the essay “The silence of Gandhi” he equates him to divinity, Would I or you have done anything but what Raja Rao did while having audience with Gandhi. The stillness of time combined with all knowing Gandhiji makes one believe what one sees and hear.
Staying on Gandhi he debates his role surrounded as he was by a cauldron of ambitious politicians and upstarts. The inability of those in cauldron to fathom anything beyond their immediate objectives brought the resultant chaos of war and strife. Gandhi’s effort to meet Hitler and Hirohito are touched upon, a big possibility on what could have happened if Churchill had allowed these meetings? Would it have stopped the war? For all we know if would have not, but then he was Gandhi and maybe it could have stopped. We will never know as the meeting never happened.
Albeit on the passing but a nuanced play of subtle differences between Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism comes out in essays at various places. The idolatry, the practices and outcome of these is well suggested and deciphered. The comparison of Jainism with The Quakers of US is another dot well connected.
In course of his writings, he compares Nehru with Siddharth and then moves to describing Gandhi the Sage who did not want to become a saint, but pursue his discovery of truth. He seeks to convince that the essence then and still is the discovery of truth not the duality that western world drives incessantly every day. A simplistic understanding of this would bring immense peace to the current anxiety filled world.
Connecting past to present, weaving a fine mesh tapestry he brings out the nuances of continuing civilization the world calls India.
The book reinforces my experience that for some time world has more confidence in India then Indians themselves. These people believe that we the Indian have transcended their small duals of evil and good. But why does this not appeal to us and we want to emulate the West is simply beyond my comprehension.
The essays are preceded with a long introduction by Markand Paranajpe (Director of IIAS). He , one of the leading conservative writer in India. I would suggest readers to read this the last if you enjoy going into deep end of book.
I was late reviewing this book, some of it is work but more then it is time taken to understand the various essays. Some of the complicated stuff require time for beginners like me.
June 6, 2021
This book is a collection of various essays (mostly from the early twentieth century before India's independence) by Raja Rao. The eponymous first section consists of 10 chapters describing in detail author's philosophical conversations with many prominent personalities of that time (prominent might be an understatement) and also a young foreign boy :-). The first chapter introduces the readers to India taking help from various tales from our history, none more famous than of the bodhisattva hare from the Jataka tales. Next is a pleasant conversation (which includes camels, elephants and goddesses - do read) with a young foreign boy during one of author's evening walks. The author's first meeting with Nehru was an eye-opener not only for him but for me too (Oh! How his perception of Nehru changed after that meeting!). The conversations with André Malraux and E.M.Forster were not only interesting but quite revealing considering how well they knew and respected Indian perspective (darsana). The author explains the life history of Gandhi and also a short and pleasant interaction with him.
Compared to first, the second section (The Meaning - in meaning) is a complex read. Consisting of 7 chapters, the author propounds his views of India based on Advaita philosophy and quoting from various Indian texts (Upanishads, Vedas and Gita). For a person like me who only has a superficial/peripheral understanding of Advaita philosophy, this section needed multiple slow reads to grasp what the author was trying to convey (I am still not sure how much I could catch hold of). There is a chapter on author's life which gave an insight into his upbringing and how his thinking transformed over the years.
Do make it a point to read the introduction by Makarand Paranjape (He wonderfully writes about Raja Rao's life and, more importantly, literary history in great detail and sets the context for this book nicely. If not for this introduction, I would have felt quite out of place because this book is quite different from the ones I usually read).
This is the first work of Raja Raoji that I have read. I admit, rather embarrassingly, that I had never heard of him even though he is widely considered as India's first English writer. His writing is top notch (his command over English is simply excellent). I feel this book will not be everyone's cup of tea. For readers who have enjoyed his other famous works (Kanthapura, The Serpent and the Rope, The Cat and Shakespeare, The Chessmaster and His Moves, The Cow of the Barricades, to name a few) and/or are familiar with Advaita/Buddhist philosophy should be able to enjoy and appreciate this book well.
Compared to first, the second section (The Meaning - in meaning) is a complex read. Consisting of 7 chapters, the author propounds his views of India based on Advaita philosophy and quoting from various Indian texts (Upanishads, Vedas and Gita). For a person like me who only has a superficial/peripheral understanding of Advaita philosophy, this section needed multiple slow reads to grasp what the author was trying to convey (I am still not sure how much I could catch hold of). There is a chapter on author's life which gave an insight into his upbringing and how his thinking transformed over the years.
Do make it a point to read the introduction by Makarand Paranjape (He wonderfully writes about Raja Rao's life and, more importantly, literary history in great detail and sets the context for this book nicely. If not for this introduction, I would have felt quite out of place because this book is quite different from the ones I usually read).
This is the first work of Raja Raoji that I have read. I admit, rather embarrassingly, that I had never heard of him even though he is widely considered as India's first English writer. His writing is top notch (his command over English is simply excellent). I feel this book will not be everyone's cup of tea. For readers who have enjoyed his other famous works (Kanthapura, The Serpent and the Rope, The Cat and Shakespeare, The Chessmaster and His Moves, The Cow of the Barricades, to name a few) and/or are familiar with Advaita/Buddhist philosophy should be able to enjoy and appreciate this book well.
July 3, 2021
This book is a collection of several essays (mostly from the early twentieth century before India's independence) by one of India's earliest recognized English author Raja Rao. It interestingly starts with a first section consisting of 10 chapters describing in detail the author's philosophical conversations with so-called prominent personalities of his time and also a young foreign boy :-). The first chapter makes the readers familiar with India using tales from our history, like the one with the bodhisattva hare from the Jataka tales. Next is an interesting conversation (which includes camels, elephants and goddesses - do read) with a young foreign boy during an evening walk. The author's first meeting with Nehru is a must read - it was an eye-opener not only for him but for me too (Oh! How his perception of Nehru changed after that meeting!). The conversations with André Malraux and E.M.Forster were not only interesting but quite revealing considering how well they knew and respected Indian perspective (Darshana). The author explains the life history of Gandhi and also a short and (un?)pleasant interaction with him.
Compared to the 1st, the 2nd section (The Meaning - in meaning) is a bit complex read. Consisting of 7 chapters, the author propounds his views of India based on Advaita philosophy and quoting from various Indian texts (Upanishads, Vedas and Gita). For a novice person person like me who only has a peripheral understanding of the Advaita doctrine, this section required multiple reads to grasp what the author was trying to convey (still unsure how much I could catch hold of). There is a chapter on author's life that gives an insight into his upbringing and how his thinking transformed over the years.
The introduction by Makarand Paranjape is a worthy read (He wonderfully writes about Raja Rao's life and, more importantly, literary history in great detail and sets the context for further reading of this book nicely. If not for this introduction, I would have lost my way traversing through this book).
This is the first work of Raja Rao that I have read, ever. I also admit that I had never heard of him even though he is widely considered, as I said at the beginning as India's first English writer. I believe this book will not be everyone's cup of tea. This is genuinely meant for readers who have enjoyed his other classics (Kanthapura, The Serpent and the Rope, The Cat and Shakespeare, The Chessmaster and His Moves, The Cow of the Barricades, to name a few) and/or are familiar with Advaita/Buddhist philosophy. They should indeed be able to enjoy and appreciate this book well.
Compared to the 1st, the 2nd section (The Meaning - in meaning) is a bit complex read. Consisting of 7 chapters, the author propounds his views of India based on Advaita philosophy and quoting from various Indian texts (Upanishads, Vedas and Gita). For a novice person person like me who only has a peripheral understanding of the Advaita doctrine, this section required multiple reads to grasp what the author was trying to convey (still unsure how much I could catch hold of). There is a chapter on author's life that gives an insight into his upbringing and how his thinking transformed over the years.
The introduction by Makarand Paranjape is a worthy read (He wonderfully writes about Raja Rao's life and, more importantly, literary history in great detail and sets the context for further reading of this book nicely. If not for this introduction, I would have lost my way traversing through this book).
This is the first work of Raja Rao that I have read, ever. I also admit that I had never heard of him even though he is widely considered, as I said at the beginning as India's first English writer. I believe this book will not be everyone's cup of tea. This is genuinely meant for readers who have enjoyed his other classics (Kanthapura, The Serpent and the Rope, The Cat and Shakespeare, The Chessmaster and His Moves, The Cow of the Barricades, to name a few) and/or are familiar with Advaita/Buddhist philosophy. They should indeed be able to enjoy and appreciate this book well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 9, 2021Shri. Raja Rao was one of the trailblazers of Indian writing in English along with Mulk Raj Anand and R.K. Narayan. Yet his oeuvre differs enormously from his contemporaries. His writing was so idiosyncratic as he not only depicted Indian ethos in colonial literature but also subsumed Epistemology and philosophy in his works.
“ The Meaning of India” is a luminous compilation of Raja Rao’s literary-philosophical essays which were written over thirty years period. In this book, the author displayed an intellectuality that goes beyond the text, through its metaphysical associations and a spiritual dimension that tells us much about India beyond geography and history.
This book has two sections. The first part recounts the author’s consortium with eminent personalities like Gandhi, Nehru, Malraux, Indira Gandhi, Forster, etc. in a quite engaging manner. But the real delight lies in the second part where Rao untangles the most esoteric philosophical debates and brilliantly synchronizes them with mundane concerns of day to day life.
Raja Rao’s Perspective on the Indian concept of writing and the Word is admirable.
“The word is indeed eternal. Man faces himself when he seeks the word. The word as the pure sound is but a communication that comes from silence. Unless the word becomes a mantra, no writer is a writer, and no reader is a reader .” This reminds me of a verse from Bhagavadgita
anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ cha yat
svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ chaiva vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa uchyate
This book will take us on a complete ride — from rural India to capitals, battlefields of colonial rule, and from holy shrines -to find common ground in the peak of plurality, and to deep within the self from the materialistic humdrum.
Last but not least, It is a sin to quit without mentioning one of the strongest merits of the book which stands out for me, THE INTRODUCTION part. Killer, I should say. The way Dr. Makarand R.Paranjape meticulously re-contextualized Rao’s work for the modern age is amazing. This fifty-page introduction will let us delve into Raja Rao’s Artistic metaphysics.
As Makarand rightly said, it is very unfortunate that Rao’s opus was not read widely as it ought to have been. Now we at last ready to celebrate the man who Indianized the novel and to receive his myriad gifts of heart mind and spirit.
“ The Meaning of India” is a luminous compilation of Raja Rao’s literary-philosophical essays which were written over thirty years period. In this book, the author displayed an intellectuality that goes beyond the text, through its metaphysical associations and a spiritual dimension that tells us much about India beyond geography and history.
This book has two sections. The first part recounts the author’s consortium with eminent personalities like Gandhi, Nehru, Malraux, Indira Gandhi, Forster, etc. in a quite engaging manner. But the real delight lies in the second part where Rao untangles the most esoteric philosophical debates and brilliantly synchronizes them with mundane concerns of day to day life.
Raja Rao’s Perspective on the Indian concept of writing and the Word is admirable.
“The word is indeed eternal. Man faces himself when he seeks the word. The word as the pure sound is but a communication that comes from silence. Unless the word becomes a mantra, no writer is a writer, and no reader is a reader .” This reminds me of a verse from Bhagavadgita
anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ cha yat
svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ chaiva vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa uchyate
This book will take us on a complete ride — from rural India to capitals, battlefields of colonial rule, and from holy shrines -to find common ground in the peak of plurality, and to deep within the self from the materialistic humdrum.
Last but not least, It is a sin to quit without mentioning one of the strongest merits of the book which stands out for me, THE INTRODUCTION part. Killer, I should say. The way Dr. Makarand R.Paranjape meticulously re-contextualized Rao’s work for the modern age is amazing. This fifty-page introduction will let us delve into Raja Rao’s Artistic metaphysics.
As Makarand rightly said, it is very unfortunate that Rao’s opus was not read widely as it ought to have been. Now we at last ready to celebrate the man who Indianized the novel and to receive his myriad gifts of heart mind and spirit.
March 31, 2021
The book as Makrand Paranjape writes in the introduction is indeed audaciously titled. In my view it can be a misleading title too. Some might take up this book thinking it for being a history of the sacred land of the Bharatvarsha capturing its 5000 year old living civilization.
But it is not about history. It is about philosophy. Though history every now and then announces its presence when the author writes about his meetings with intellectuals like Malrux and Forster and politicians like Nehru. And also when he writes about Gandhi. History is also present when he talks about the itihasa purana – The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. But the book at the end is about philosophy. And it was not started to be written as one single book. It is a collection of essays written by Shri Raja Rao over a period of more than three decades.
What I liked about the book? That this book introduced me to the writing of Raja Rao is the biggest plus. One of the most celebrated literary English language writer of Indian origin. It also introduced me to the depth of Indian philosophy and the realization that how little of it I understand, I could understand. Though I like to think of myself as having a philosophical bent of mind but still labored hard to finish the pages and the book overall which made me realize how much knowledge there is to gain and how inadequate I am to grasp it. Writing is top class.
The challenges of this book- as you might have guessed- is that it is not a page turner and not everyone would enjoy it. In fact those not having interest in philosophy might not be able to finish it. It is a difficult read. I realize that if pick up this book again after five years, I will grasp many details which I missed or failed to understand this time.
But it is not about history. It is about philosophy. Though history every now and then announces its presence when the author writes about his meetings with intellectuals like Malrux and Forster and politicians like Nehru. And also when he writes about Gandhi. History is also present when he talks about the itihasa purana – The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. But the book at the end is about philosophy. And it was not started to be written as one single book. It is a collection of essays written by Shri Raja Rao over a period of more than three decades.
What I liked about the book? That this book introduced me to the writing of Raja Rao is the biggest plus. One of the most celebrated literary English language writer of Indian origin. It also introduced me to the depth of Indian philosophy and the realization that how little of it I understand, I could understand. Though I like to think of myself as having a philosophical bent of mind but still labored hard to finish the pages and the book overall which made me realize how much knowledge there is to gain and how inadequate I am to grasp it. Writing is top class.
The challenges of this book- as you might have guessed- is that it is not a page turner and not everyone would enjoy it. In fact those not having interest in philosophy might not be able to finish it. It is a difficult read. I realize that if pick up this book again after five years, I will grasp many details which I missed or failed to understand this time.
October 19, 2021
The Meaning of India by Raja Rao is a treasure of complex and profound concepts of Dwait and Adwaitvad explained using assays and stories. I loved every page of this book. It gave me a sense of bliss and joy which may seem odd to others but relatable to people who are onto the path of Adhyatma.
The introduction penned by Makarand Pransape is the comprehensive beginning needed to hook a reader and provide them a glimpse of the book and what to expect next. The mellow language and the deep knowledge of Vedas, Upanishads and many other Grantham within its passages are a gift to human world struggling with not enough time to engage in swadhyay and guru siksha.
Raja Rao has poured the jyanam he has gained during his life as a literary figure with intriguing set of friends and acquaintances and a vedanti for the readers to learn and grow with the words of the book.
Here, I must admit that I didn’t read more than 4-5 pages at a time and I have a couple of reasons for the same. Firstly, I wanted to savour the meaning and the eminence of the texts, giving enough time to internalize them. Secondly, my humble mind and my narrow knowledge of such concepts of self and non self, horizontal and vertical needed some time ruminating on these as reading too quick and not understanding properly would have been an injustice to not only the book but to myself as a reader and a student trying to grasp the Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
Lastly, this book is a wonderful gift for anyone interested in what is unique about Bharat (India) that sets it apart from rest of the world and their philosophies.
P.S.- We as readers who know that AIT has been discredited by science must forgive or rather overlook the authors notions regarding this topic.
The introduction penned by Makarand Pransape is the comprehensive beginning needed to hook a reader and provide them a glimpse of the book and what to expect next. The mellow language and the deep knowledge of Vedas, Upanishads and many other Grantham within its passages are a gift to human world struggling with not enough time to engage in swadhyay and guru siksha.
Raja Rao has poured the jyanam he has gained during his life as a literary figure with intriguing set of friends and acquaintances and a vedanti for the readers to learn and grow with the words of the book.
Here, I must admit that I didn’t read more than 4-5 pages at a time and I have a couple of reasons for the same. Firstly, I wanted to savour the meaning and the eminence of the texts, giving enough time to internalize them. Secondly, my humble mind and my narrow knowledge of such concepts of self and non self, horizontal and vertical needed some time ruminating on these as reading too quick and not understanding properly would have been an injustice to not only the book but to myself as a reader and a student trying to grasp the Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
Lastly, this book is a wonderful gift for anyone interested in what is unique about Bharat (India) that sets it apart from rest of the world and their philosophies.
P.S.- We as readers who know that AIT has been discredited by science must forgive or rather overlook the authors notions regarding this topic.
August 12, 2021
My #bookreview The meaning of india by Shri Raja Rao.
Shri. Raja rao the renowned author who used indian writing in English. In his book "The meaning of india" he wrote philosophical essays. His book is divided into two parts. first part is having some ten numbers of essays like short stories. Those writings are based on indian culture especially the spiritual culture which mainly found in Ramayana. Mahabharata, Vedas, upanishadas. The views about nation that is "darshanas", Bodhisatva the ideology of Buddhism. Temples of different types it's architecture all are signs of non-duality (advaita- in Sanskrit) he further emphasise through his essays in which Mr.Rao found non-duality as per Shri Shankaracharya said about Shiva & Parvati about the Hindu idols. Mr. Rao mentioned about his interaction with pandit Nehru his wife, & Mahatma Gandhi . He wrote about all these three personalities having Hindu rituals also he find in them as Lord Krishna, Arjuna & Draupadi. Rao observed & wrote experiences during his travel from Karnataka, Paris, United states respectively. In the second part of book includes seven topics of essays based on the beauty of Ajanta, ellora caves, which mean the "India" in real mean. Further he mentioned a philosophical approach about duality & non-duality by giving examples of upanishadas like chandokya upanishadas, also zeroness in human life called nirvana which is explained in "Nirvanashatakam" by Shri Aadi Shankaracharya. Shri Rao covers indian things related to spiritual, cultural through philosophical approach. Nice book! one must read.
#indicbookclub #1000reviewersclub #indicacademy
Shri. Raja rao the renowned author who used indian writing in English. In his book "The meaning of india" he wrote philosophical essays. His book is divided into two parts. first part is having some ten numbers of essays like short stories. Those writings are based on indian culture especially the spiritual culture which mainly found in Ramayana. Mahabharata, Vedas, upanishadas. The views about nation that is "darshanas", Bodhisatva the ideology of Buddhism. Temples of different types it's architecture all are signs of non-duality (advaita- in Sanskrit) he further emphasise through his essays in which Mr.Rao found non-duality as per Shri Shankaracharya said about Shiva & Parvati about the Hindu idols. Mr. Rao mentioned about his interaction with pandit Nehru his wife, & Mahatma Gandhi . He wrote about all these three personalities having Hindu rituals also he find in them as Lord Krishna, Arjuna & Draupadi. Rao observed & wrote experiences during his travel from Karnataka, Paris, United states respectively. In the second part of book includes seven topics of essays based on the beauty of Ajanta, ellora caves, which mean the "India" in real mean. Further he mentioned a philosophical approach about duality & non-duality by giving examples of upanishadas like chandokya upanishadas, also zeroness in human life called nirvana which is explained in "Nirvanashatakam" by Shri Aadi Shankaracharya. Shri Rao covers indian things related to spiritual, cultural through philosophical approach. Nice book! one must read.
#indicbookclub #1000reviewersclub #indicacademy
May 2, 2021
The title itself was very intriguing for me. I started reading it two months back. The book has an introduction written by Makarand R. Paranjape which talks about Raja Rao his life experiences, and his other books. I really liked it and started reading the book.
Things I liked in book:
I like the way author wrote about his life experiences and his meetings with historical persons. I also liked the way he explains "The Ultimate Truth" and tell how India is a perspective, not just a country . Last two chapters of book are very good for people who like philosophy. The book has different quotes from different places and some of them are very good to know. This book does not have a single topic but various: Indic Values, Philosophy etc.
Things I did not like in the book:
Author seems confused between Advaita and Buddhism. We see him comparing everything and everyone with Kapilvastu which gets irritating after some time. Author also mentions Aryans as "invaders" at one place.
So, overall I have mixed feelings about this book. I neither hated nor loved it. But it is beautiful. One can read it and won't feel disappointed.
Thank You IndicBookClub & IndicAcademy for this book.
Things I liked in book:
I like the way author wrote about his life experiences and his meetings with historical persons. I also liked the way he explains "The Ultimate Truth" and tell how India is a perspective, not just a country . Last two chapters of book are very good for people who like philosophy. The book has different quotes from different places and some of them are very good to know. This book does not have a single topic but various: Indic Values, Philosophy etc.
Things I did not like in the book:
Author seems confused between Advaita and Buddhism. We see him comparing everything and everyone with Kapilvastu which gets irritating after some time. Author also mentions Aryans as "invaders" at one place.
So, overall I have mixed feelings about this book. I neither hated nor loved it. But it is beautiful. One can read it and won't feel disappointed.
Thank You IndicBookClub & IndicAcademy for this book.
August 6, 2021
I was quite surprised and impressed by Raja Rao’s approach to writing. He managed to put together the wide-ranging collection of essays. Raja Rao talks about the spritual identity of India due to Vedas, Upnishads and epics and the book explore variety of thoughts and ideas. The narration of the stories and Rao's experiences is not linear but circular, strong influence of Upnishads, which add the Indian flavours in the essays. During reading, you can clearly see his mastery in juxtaposing e.g. he collocate his visit to Black Forest with the Huan Tsang visit to Kapilavastu, compares St. Helena with Bangladesh, these type of contrasts in this book elevated the stories - spiritually. His essays are stunning, subtle and beautiful.
And 50 pages long but detailed introduction by Makarand R. Paranjape gives us an unknown insight to the first time reader of Raja Rao. The way Dr. Makarand R. Paranjape meticulously re-contextualized Rao's work is amazing.
I am looking for reading Rao's others gems too.
Great Book.
And 50 pages long but detailed introduction by Makarand R. Paranjape gives us an unknown insight to the first time reader of Raja Rao. The way Dr. Makarand R. Paranjape meticulously re-contextualized Rao's work is amazing.
I am looking for reading Rao's others gems too.
Great Book.
November 12, 2023
A wonderful book of memories and contemplations involving 20th-century India by the late author and ex-University of Texas at Austin philosophy professor Raja Rao, who knew many European and Indian philosophers, writers and politicians of the 20th century. This book of short stories is a jewel, as it shows the joyful melding of East and West during a time of hope that greater humanity would grow through the conveyance and expression of the expansive, noble and analytical spirituality then emerging from ancient Indian philosophy into the world. Especially interesting is the private, personal side that the author shows of people like Nehru and Gandhi, who were then moving this way of being/thinking, and concern for other human beings, into political and social action. Raja Rao's youthful, naive awe about them in some stories is apparent and he writes about them with a keen and passionate poetic eye.
July 10, 2021
The book is a collection of essays by Raja Rao. The most fascinating chapter for me was the first chapter. I have never seen a more wonderful explanation of Indian spirituality than the first chapter. It gave me a whole new insight into looking the world. The first chapter is definitely a wonderful experience for me.
However the 2nd chapter and last 2 chapters donot have anything of value in them and the narration is also very slow.
Also raja rao goes into detail of his experiences of Nehru and some other leaders. The views of famous foreign writers on Indian philosophy is also mentioned.
If you ask me if the book is worth the time - I will say 1st chapter definitely and other chapters not so much
However the 2nd chapter and last 2 chapters donot have anything of value in them and the narration is also very slow.
Also raja rao goes into detail of his experiences of Nehru and some other leaders. The views of famous foreign writers on Indian philosophy is also mentioned.
If you ask me if the book is worth the time - I will say 1st chapter definitely and other chapters not so much
September 26, 2021
“India is not a country (desa), it’s a perspective (darsana),” wrote Raja Rao in this book, adding, “it is not a climate but a mood (rasa) in the play of the Absolute.”
Any person, who is aware of Indian English literature, must have heard the name of Raja Rao.
The Meaning of India is his collection of philosophical essays, revolving around India, involving philosophical giants like Mahatma Gandhi, Malraux, de Gaulle and concepts like Advaita and Dvaita.
He goes on to explain his perspectives on India, followed by his interactions with the aforementioned personalities.
The book is not a easy read, however, people loving philosophy will definitely enjoy it. The terms used in the work may be hard to understand and difficult to interpret.
(Disclosure: a review copy was sent by Indic Book Club)
Any person, who is aware of Indian English literature, must have heard the name of Raja Rao.
The Meaning of India is his collection of philosophical essays, revolving around India, involving philosophical giants like Mahatma Gandhi, Malraux, de Gaulle and concepts like Advaita and Dvaita.
He goes on to explain his perspectives on India, followed by his interactions with the aforementioned personalities.
The book is not a easy read, however, people loving philosophy will definitely enjoy it. The terms used in the work may be hard to understand and difficult to interpret.
(Disclosure: a review copy was sent by Indic Book Club)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews