superstition - a rational discourse y. nigale (2 mb pdf) - Arvind Gupta

178 Pages·2012·1.4 MB·English

Superstition:
A Rational Discourse
Yadnyeshwar Nigale
(TranslatedbyMsSumanOak)
Lokbhumi Prakashan
Panaji(Goa)
Credits
Superstition:
ARationalDiscourse
Author
YadnyeshwarNigale
(TranslatedbyMsSumanOak)
©YadnyeshwarNigale
Articlesmaybereproducedfreelyacknowledgingthesourceandacopy
forwardedtoPublisher.
FirstEdition:June2012
Layout&Production
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Published&Printedby
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LokbhumiPrakashan,RoshanManzil,NearCineNational,
Panaji(Goa)403001
(Contact:9763817239/[phone])
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Rs: 150/-
2 Superstition:ARationalDiscourse
Thisbookisrespectfullydedicatedto
thememoryof
Comrade Narayan Desai
(1920-2007)
a renownedthinker,philosopher&guide
andwroteprofuselyandalsowasanactivist
intheprogressiveandrationalistmovements
Superstition:ARationalDiscourse 3
TheAuthor'sPerception
The Indian Society as a whole is beset with innumerable slovenly
andunscientificconceptslike-fatalism,fateorluck,thecycleofbirthand
death,Karmasiddhanta(presentsufferingorgoodfortuneisthefruitof
deeds in the previous births), astrology, destiny, miracles, concept of
beingauspiciousor inauspicious,vows,observancesandwhatnot.To
matchwiththisinnumerableorthodoxsenselesstraditionsandritualsare
blindlyfollowedbymostoftheIndians.Infact,thewholeedificeofthe
Indiansocietyanditscultureisfoundedontheseconstructs.Thepsyche
ofthepeopledoesnotallowthemtoexamineanycustomortraditionor
happeningandverifyitsutility,validityandlegitimacy.Forthem,theage
oldcustoms,ritualsandtraditions,startedbytheirwiseforefathersare
sacrosanctandbeyondanycriticism,leavealoneanychange.It'snotthat
onlythepoor,ignorantpeoplealoneareplaguedbythispsyche;eventhe
highlyeducated,sciencegraduatesfallpreytothisslavishmentality.Asa
result, for all the advances that science is making, science will still be
perceivedonlyasameansofgettinggoodmarkstosecureajoborenter
someprofessionandearnacomfortablelivelihood,aslongas,thestudy
ofsciencedoesnotinculcatescientificoutlookandscientificmethodof
thinking.
Science affirms that no miracle is possible in this world.
Whateverhappensinthisworldhassomescientificcause.Thingsdon't
happen because of somebody's blessings, by the grace of some deity,
miraculously or of their own accord without any cause. But people at
largearesoenamouredofmiraclesthatforthembeingabletoperform
miraclesisagodgivengift,Hisblessings.AnypettyBabaorMaharaj
whodisplaysanequallypettymiraclecancreateadmirationwithawefor
himinpeople'smind.TheBabathencaneasilytrapthesepeopleinhis
pretensestoexploitandruinthem;allthisdespitetheavowalofscience
thatnomiracleispossible.
Abumpercropofsuperstitionsgrowsinoursocietyeverywhere
inallsocialstrata.Apsychebesetwithtradition,thehaughtyprideofour
ageoldtraditionsandcustoms,totallackoflogicalandcriticalapproach
and the mindset that resists any progressive and necessary change,
although intellectually approved, hamper the process of eradication of
superstitionsinthesociety.
Allmostallthearticlesinthisbook,“Superstition:ARational
Discourse”,exposeusingscientificcriteria,somemiraclemongeringor
other that takes place every now and then. Even the so called saintly,
renowned Babas who exploit gullible people, behind the façade of
4 Superstition:ARationalDiscourse
charitablesocialworkarenotletout.Althoughthearticleswerewritten
atdifferenttimeasandwhentheepisodestookplace,thereisacommon
thread-rationalism-runningthroughallofthem.
Thisbookismysecondbookinthesamestrainasthefirstone
namely, “KisseAndhashraddheche” (meaning stories of superstition).
Mostofthearticlesinthisbookhavealreadybeenpublishedinthelocal
magazines. AdvocateAmritKasar,aprogressiveintellectualhasbeena
great guide to me in this effort. Similarly my friend and the editor of
“LokBhumi”shoulderedtheresponsibilityofpublishingit.Iowethema
lot but prefer to stay indebted to them. I am obliged by Advocate
Panduranga Nagavekar for writing a preface to the present book. I
copiouslythankhim.
-YadnyeshwarNigale
Acknowledgements
Eradication of Superstition is an issue of vital importance for
reforming and reconstructing our social structure. It is rationally
discussed in “Andhashraddha: Ek Vivekanishtha Vivechan”, the
originalbookinMarathi. Manyofmyfriendsfeltthatthethoughtof
this book should not cater only to the Marathi speaking public but
should be made available to a much larger readership. My friend
Ramesh Kolwalkar readily accepted the suggestion and decided to
publish an English version of it. Ms. Suman Oak has agreed to
translate.PrabhakarNanawaty,anactivistandrationalist,hastaken
the responsibility of editing it and Babu Gogineni, International
Director,IHEU,haswrittentheprefacetotheEnglishversion. Iam
filledwithjoythattheeffortsofallthesefriendswhohavesucceeded
inbringingoutthisEnglishversion.Iamheavilyindebtedtothemall.
IamalsoindetedtoDeepakDalvi,Pune,VamanBhate,Panaji,Goa
andPrakashMuchandi,Goa,fortheirassistanceinbringingoutthis
book. I am thankful to Sham Bhalekar for book cover and Milind
Joshiforthelayoutandproductionof books.
The dates on which these articles were earlier published in Marathi
dailies or magazines (Gomantak, Navaprabha, Taruna Bharat, etc.)
aregivenbeloweacharticletoenablethereadertoputthearticlein
properchronologicalperspective.Ithanktheeditorsofthesedailies
andmagazines.
YadnyeshwarNigale
Superstition:ARationalDiscourse 5
Preface
(TranslationofMarathiEdition)
ThesociallifeofGoa,forthelastseveralyears,isbeingpollutedby
some people who egg on superstitious behavior. Yadnyeshwar Nigale
could never acquiesce with this tendency and severely criticized it
through his public lectures and meetings. Through his writings he
exposedmanyareligiousimposters,sothoroughlythattheyhadtotake
totheirheels.Ofcourse,hehimselfhadtofaceseverecriticismfromthe
faithful,especiallytheHinduswhoaccusedhimofnotdaringtocriticize
religionsotherthantheHindureligion. Hereceivedmanythreatsfrom
the orthodox communities. But he did not relent. He continues his
crusadeoferadicatingsuperstition,unabated.Thisbook,'Superstition:A
RationalDiscourse'isthesumtotalofallhisendaevours,sofarandisthe
second book of its kind; the first being 'Kisse Andhashraddheche'
(meaningstoriesofsuperstition).
Mr.Nigalehasputacrosshisthoughts,bluntlyandfranklyenough,
through 40 articles and clarified his stand against superstition. The
Gomantak (Goa) society ought to be cleansed of the pestilence of
superstition.To achieve this task, Mr. Nigale is uniting people against
superstition. This book will prove instrumental in spreading his
revolutionary thoughts and awakening the people from their religious
stupor.
History of all religions tells us that no religion has escaped from
superstition.Superstitionrisesoutoftheweakmindofthepeopleand
nurturedfurtherbyreligion.MostoftheHindumythologicalstoriesare
basedonsuperstition.DuttaGuruisonesuchdeityinventedaboutjust
450 years ago, in Maharashtra. There is a reason for this fantastic
invention. In that period of history, saint Nivrittinath and many other
saints like him, were trying to awaken people and break the chains of
superstition and casteism (among the Marathi people) through their
'AbhangVani'(hymns).Theyfounded'BhagavatDharma'(atheistbut
6 Superstition:ARationalDiscourse
equalizing sect) and crisscrossed the country right up to the Punjab to
spread it. The Marathi mind was the most affected by it and Marathi
peoplealmostforgotthecaste-baseddistinctionwhichnaturallyirritated
theorthodoxreligionists.
Theywantedpeopletobelieveinthebirth-basedcasteandcolour
discriminationandinferiorityofthefairsexandtotreatwomenandother
inferior castes accordingly. Inventing Datta Maharaj who would take
careoftheseneedsoftheorthodoxbecameanecessity.(InBrahmaPuran
itissaidthatDattaMaharajrestoredthelostgloryoftheVedas,therituals
and Yadnyas. He reorganized and strengthened the 'Chaturvarnya
System').Anothersuchdeitynamely,Satyanarayan,wasinventedonly
250yearsbackafterthedemiseofthePeshavarule.Thestoryandthe
ritualsstipulatedinitarewrittenpurelywiththeintensionofsecuringthe
livelihoodoftheBrahmincommunitybyspreadingsuperstition.Many
other observances- Vrata Vaikalya of comparatively modern times are
written for appeasing some newly invented deities, Satyamba,
VaradalaxmiandSantoshiMata.Theoldestexampleofthiskindisthe
Manusmriti,whichissupposedtohavebeencomposedintheyear230
BC,inMaharashtra,duringtheSatavahanEmpire.This2237yearsold
tome was written by Hindu luminaries to subdue some of their own
brethrens and keep them sunk in the swamp of superstition.All these
Puranasandmythicalstoriesbasedonsuperstitionhavebeenlegitimized
bytheHinducustomsandTraditions.Theyhaveinawayobligedpeople
toremainsuperstitious.
Afterallwe,humanbeings,aresuperstitiousinonewayorother.My
beliefmaylooktobeasuperstitiontoyouandviceversa. Wedoharbour
somesuperstitionorotherhiddeninourunconsciousmindwhichshows
up in our behaviour.Acricketer who hits a century in one match may
scoreaduckinthenext,ifhedoesnothavethesameoutfit,shoesandbat
thatheusedinthefirstmatch.Takeanyprofession.Itoughttoberidden
withsuperstition.Thereareadvocateswhobelievethattheymaylosethe
caseiftheyfailtopraygodbeforeleavingforthecourtroomfromtheir
office.Inoldendayspeopleusedtoreturnmidwayfromofficeiftheir
path got crossed by a cat. It is considered auspicious for a person, if
beforesettingoutforoffice,awomanwithapitcherfullofwatercrosses
himbutquiteinauspiciousifthepitcherisempty!
AtpresentBuvasandSaintsaredoingaroaringbusinessinGoa.The
largenumberofdevoteesattendingonthem,businessmen,industrialists,
advocates,doctors,engineersandpoliticalleadersbewilderthecommon
man.Hetooistemptedtoresolvehisproblemsnotbylegitimatemeans
Superstition:ARationalDiscourse 7
butbybecominganincreasinglysuperstitiousdevoteeoftheBaba.He
thinks all the big political leaders and educated men who follow the
Baba,haveachievedtheirhigherpositionsbecauseofBaba'sblessings.
Itisthereforallofustosee,howfamiliesareruinedbyblindlyfollowing
these Babas. There are instances where women are made to worship
strippingtheirclothes;cocksandgoatsaresacrificedtoappeasedeities;
liquor and bread are offered to the Devchar (class of daemons -
messengersofthevillagedeity);performingYadnya;bathingtheBabaat
thehandsofwomen;keepingwomeninBaba'scompanytobegetsons;
entrusting young girls to the Baba to cure them of possession;
hypnotizing women and making them dance in front of the Baba; and
accommodatingtheBabainone'shouseforlongperiodsandspendinga
fortuneonprovidinghimwithluxuriouscomforts.Thesesuperstitious
actsarecarriedoutundertheguiseofPeople'swelfare.Inrealityitisvery
dangeroustothesanityofthesociety.
ThisbookbyYadnyeshwarNigalewillproveaboon,bringingfresh
air to our society which is suffocating in the present superstitious
environment. He has studied carefully all that is happening around,
analyzedalltheincidentslogicallyandscientificallyandthendescribed
themaccuratelyandtruthfullyfortheenlightenmentofall.Thiseffortof
his will positively loosen the grip, superstition has on our people. Mr.
Nigaleisnotgoingtolookback.Heisdeterminedtotraversethevery
longandarduouspathoferadicatingsuperstition.Hiseffortswillkeepus
onarighteouspath.Iwishhimallthesuccessforhisfutureendaevours.
AdvocatePandurangNagendraNagvekar,
EarstwhilePresident,
GomantakMarathiAcademy,
Parvari,Goa,Valvai
January2008
8 Superstition:ARationalDiscourse
Preface
TheSpanishpainterFranciscodeGoyaproducedaseriesofetchings
in1797,themostfamousofwhichhetitled:Elsueñodelarazónproduce
monstruos(TheSleepofReasonbringsforthMonsters).
Inthismasterpieceofthoughtandtechnique,awriterisasleepathis
desk,hisheadrestinginhisarms,whilebehindhimareowls,bats,anda
gatheringstormofothercreaturesofthenight,allmenacinglyswooping
down on him. A perplexed cat looks on. But, soon after this daring
caution, Goya panicked and withdrew his etching for fear of the
InquisitionwhoseshadowhoveredonSpanishsocietyatthattime.
Goyacapturedthemoodofhisage,andasEuropeandAmericawoke
uptoreasonandscience,thesetwocontinentsmovedonfromthosedark
times.
Because of humanity's uneven moulting, however, the story is
Superstition:ARationalDiscourse 9