Sankaracharya, 1989 - Stamp, First Day Cover and Brochure

A commemorative stamp in the denomination of 60P on Śrī Śaṅkarācārya was released on 17.05.1989 with an FDC and Brochure. The stamp displays a stylised design of "Advaita" in Hindi, The FDC carries two mantras written in Sanskrit Devanāgarī script.

The first line is from the Ṛgveda, 1st Maṇḍala, 164th Sūkta, 46th Mantra.
एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति
ekaṁ sad, viprā bahudhā vadanti
"Atman is One; the Sages speak of it variously."


इन्द्रं॑ मि॒त्रं वरु॑णम॒ग्निमा॑हु॒रथो॑ दि॒व्यः स सु॑प॒र्णो ग॒रुत्मा॑न् ।  

एकं॒ सद्विप्रा॑ बहु॒धा व॑दन्त्य॒ग्निं य॒मं मा॑त॒रिश्वा॑नमाहुः ॥

indraṃ mitráṃ váruṇam agním āhur átho divyáḥ sá suparṇó garútmān;
ekaṃ sád víprā bahudhā́ vadanty agníṃ yamáṃ mātaríśvānam āhuḥ.

They called him Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni; yea, he is heavenly Garuḍa, who has beautiful wings. That which is One, the sages speak of as many; they called him Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan. 

According to the earliest commentator Sāyanācārya, this ṛk (verse) is a praise to Āditya (the Sun). Being illumined, it can be Brahman too. One Āditya can be called by many names as the sages know the essence of nature. Sāyaṇa follows only Yāska, the author of Nirukta and Nighaṇtu, while giving this interpretation. Each of the Devatās has some significant qualities which is praiseworthy. Agni is mentioned twice here the meaning of one of which is to be taken as Lightning. Sat is Paramātman (Absolute Truth). Thus it is decisively concluded that God is One.

The second line (stylised) is one of the four* Mahāvākyas (Great Sayings) taken from the Bṛhadāraṇyka-Upaniṣad, I.4.10, which belongs to the Śukḷa-Yajurveda.

अहं ब्रह्मास्मि

ahaṃ brahma asmi 

"I am the Infinite Reality"

Śrī Svāmī Vidyāraṇya* gives the meaning in a nutshell -- 

स्वतः पूर्णः परात्माऽत्र ब्रह्मशब्देन वर्णितः | 

अस्मीत्यैक्य-परामर्शः तेन ब्रह्म भवाम्यहम् ||

"Infinite by nature, the Supreme Self is described here by the word Brahman; the word asmi denotes the identity of ahaṃ and Brahman. Therefore, (the meaning of the sentence is) "I am Brahman."

Unwanted Notes

The other three Mahā-vākyas are:

1. prajñānam brahma - "prajñānam is brahman" (Aitareya-Upaniṣad, 3.3 of the Rg-veda).
2. ayam ātmā brahma - "I am this Self; that is Brahman" (Māndūkya-Upaniṣad, 1.2 of the Atharva-veda).
3. tat tvam asi - "Thou art That" (Chāndogya-Upaniṣad, 6.8.7 of the Sāma-veda).
*Pañcadasī, 4.

Personalities Stamp Series, Max Muller, 1974 - Stamp and First Day Cover

Swami Vivekananda who was the foremost disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa met Max Muller over a lunch on 28 May, 1896. The Swami  later  wrote  for  the  Brahmavādin, from London, June 6, 1896.  

"Whoever could have thought that the life and teachings of a boy born of poor Brâhmin parents in a wayside Bengal village would, in a few years, reach such distant lands as our ancestors never even dreamed of? I refer to Bhagavan Ramâkrishna. Do you know that Prof. Max Müller has already written an article on Shri Ramakrishna for the Nineteenth Century, and will be very glad to write a larger and fuller account of his life and teachings if sufficient materials are forth-coming? What an extraordinary man is Prof. Max Müller! I paid a visit to him a few days ago. I should say, that I went to pay my respects to him, for whosoever loves Shri Ramakrishna, whatever be his or her sect, or creed, or nationality, my visit to that person I hold as a pilgrimage. 

"मद्भक्तानां च ये भक्तास्ते मे भक्ततमा मताः*

— They who are devoted to those who love Me — they are My best devotees." Is that not true? 

The Professor was first induced to inquire about the power behind, which led to sudden and momentous changes in the life of the late Keshab Chandra Sen, the great Brâhmo leader; and since then, he has been an earnest student and admirer of the life and teachings of Shri Ramakrishna. "Ramakrishna is worshipped by thousands today, Professor", I said. "To whom else shall worship be accorded, if not to such", was the answer. The Professor was kindness itself, and asked Mr. Sturdy and myself to lunch with him. He showed us several colleges in Oxford and the Bodleian library. He also accompanied us to the railway station; and all this he did because, as he said, "It is not every day one meets a disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa."

The visit was really a revelation to me. That nice little house in its setting of a beautiful garden, the silver headed sage, with a face calm and benign, and forehead smooth as a child's in spite of seventy winters, and every line in that face speaking of a deep-seated mine of spirituality somewhere behind; that noble wife, the helpmate of his life through his long and arduous task of exciting interest, overriding opposition and contempt, and at last creating a respect for the thoughts of the sages of ancient India — the trees, the flowers, the calmness, and the clear sky — all these sent me back in imagination to the glorious days of Ancient India, the days of our Brahmarshis and Râjarshis, the days of the great Vânaprasthas, the days of Arundhatis and Vasishthas.

It was neither the philologist nor the scholar that I saw, but a soul that is every day realising its oneness with the Brahman, a heart that is every moment expanding to reach oneness with the Universal. Where others lose themselves in the desert of dry details, he has struck the well-spring of life. Indeed his heartbeats have caught the rhythm of the Upanishads --

"तमेवैकं जानथ आत्मानमन्या वाचो विमुञ्चथ"** 

-- Know the Atman alone, and leave off all other talk."

Although a world-moving scholar and philosopher, his learning and philosophy have only led him higher and higher to the realisation of the Spirit, his अपरा विद्या (lower knowledge) has indeed helped him to reach the परा विद्या (higher knowledge). This is real learning. विद्या ददाति विनयम् — "Knowledge gives humility." Of what use is knowledge if it does not show us the way to the Highest?

And what love he bears towards India! I wish I had a hundredth part of that love for my own motherland! Endued with an extraordinary, and at the same time intensely active mind, he has lived and moved in the world of Indian thought for fifty years or more, and watched the sharp interchange of light and shade in the interminable forest of Sanskrit literature with deep interest and heartfelt love, till they have all sunk into his very soul and coloured his whole being.

Max Müller is a Vedantist of Vedantists. He has, indeed, caught the real soul of the melody of the Vedanta, in the midst of all its settings of harmonies and discords — the one light that lightens the sects and creeds of the world, the Vedanta, the one principle of which all religions are only applications. And what was Ramakrishna Paramahamsa? The practical demonstration of this ancient principle, the embodiment of India that is past, and a foreshadowing of the India that is to be, the bearer of spiritual light unto nations. The jeweller alone can understand the worth of jewels; this is an old proverb. Is it a wonder that this Western sage does study and appreciate every new star in the firmament of Indian thought, before even the Indians themselves realise its magnitude?

"When are you coming to India? Every heart there would welcome one who has done so much to place the thoughts of their ancestors in the true light", I said. The face of the aged sage brightened up — there was almost a tear in his eyes, a gentle nodding of the head, and slowly the words came out: "I would not return then; you would have to cremate me there." Further questions seemed an unwarrantable intrusion into realms wherein are stored the holy secrets of man's heart. Who knows but that it was what the poet has said—

तच्चेतसा स्मरति नूनमबोधपूर्वं ।
भावस्थिराणि जननान्तरसौहृदानि ॥***

— "He remembers with his mind the friendships of former births, firmly rooted in his heart. "His life has been a blessing to the world; and may it be many, many years more, before he changes the present plane of his existence! 

-- (Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol. 4)

                                                          

What can India teach us --

In his 60s through 70s, Max Müller gave a series of lectures, which reflected a more nuanced, upbeat views in favour of Hinduism and the ancient literature from India. In his "What can India teach us?" lecture at University of Cambridge, he championed ancient Sanskrit literature and India as follows:

If I were to look over the whole world to find out the country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power, and beauty that nature can bestow – in some parts a very paradise on earth – I should point to India. If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most full developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions of some of them which well deserve the attention even of those who have studied Plato and Kant – I should point to India. And if I were to ask myself from what literature we, here in Europe, we who have been nurtured almost exclusively on the thoughts of Greeks and Romans, and of one Semitic race, the Jewish, may draw that corrective which is most wanted in order to make our inner life more perfect, more comprehensive, more universal, in fact more truly human, a life, not for this life only, but a transfigured and eternal life – again I should point to India. — Max Müller, (1883).

But unfortunately he made some unpleasant statements like this too: What would have been the reason?

The translation of the Veda will hereafter tell to a great extent on the fate of India, and on the growth of millions of souls in that country. It is the root of their religion, and to show them what the root is, is, I feel sure, is the only way of uprooting all that has sprung from it during the last 3,000 years......

Müller hoped that increased funding for education in India would promote a new form of literature combining Western and Indian traditions. In 1868 he wrote to George Campbell, the newly appointed Secretary of State for India:

"India has been conquered once, but India must be conquered again, and that second conquest should be a conquest by education. Much has been done for education of late, but if the funds were tripled and quadrupled, that would hardly be enough (...) By encouraging a study of their own ancient literature, as part of their education, a national feeling of pride and self-respect will be reawakened among those who influence the large masses of the people. A new national literature may spring up, impregnated with Western ideas, yet retaining its native spirit and character (...) A new national literature will bring with it a new national life, and new moral vigour. As to religion, that will take care of itself. The missionaries have done far more than they themselves seem to be aware of, nay, much of the work which is theirs they would probably disclaim. The Christianity of our nineteenth century will hardly be the Christianity of India. But the ancient religion of India is doomed—and if Christianity does not step in, whose fault will it be? — Max Müller, (1868) - (Courtesy - Wiki)

Perhaps his thoughts after a passage of 15 years would have refined.!!! The Arya Samajists would not approve of Max Muller because in their opinion he has depicted the Vedas in adverse light and misinterpreted it.

Whatever be the disagreements, Muller was a learned person*. He never visited India, but edited the Ṛgvedic text with Sāyaṇācārya's bhāṣya and got it printed, of course with the co-operation of a group of pundits of Kāśi. Müller's first book was a German translation of the Hitopadeśa, a collection of Indian fables by Nārāyaṇa. He was also General Editor of the Sacred Books of the East Series - a 50 Volume Set. It incorporates the essential sacred texts of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, and Islam. Muller translated the two volume Upaniṣads, portions of the Ṛgveda and part of the Gṛhya-sūtras under the Hindu group.

Nehru outlines Max Mueller's work in Discovery of India (cited above, p. 93): "Max Muller says: "Schopenhauer was the last man to write at random, or to allow himself to go into ecstasies over so-called mystic and inarticulate thought. And I am neither afraid nor ashamed to say that I share his enthusiasm for the Vedanta, and feel indebted to it for much that has been helpful to me in my passage through life." 

In another place Max Muller says: "The Upanishads are the … sources of … the Vedanta philosophy, a system in which human speculation seems to me to have reached its very acme." 

"I spend my happiest hours in reading Vedantic books. They are to me like the light of the morning, like the pure air of the mountains – so simple, so true, if once understood."

 



India Post released a 1R stamp along with other two in the Personalities Stamp Series on 15.07.1974. A brochure too was issued.

*Right or wrong, one must read through Prof. Aich's "Lies with long legs". "The author has put almost every Indologist under his investigating microscope to find out the veracity of their claims of knowing Sanskrit. In this process, he has succeeded in exposing majority of Indologists who have been regarded and accepted in the academic world as the sole sources of information over India and ancient Indian society, culture and way of life."

------------------
References added by me (not in the original):

*Muṇḍakopaniṣad, 2.2.5.
**Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Madhya, 11.28.
***Abhijñāna-sākuntalam, 5.2.

World Theatre Day, Slogan Cancellation, 1962 - On Cover

Slogan cancellations are cancellations that contain words in the form of a slogan. These types of cancellations can serve as public service announcements, promotions for charitable causes, patriotic sentiments, advertisements, propaganda, and more (Healey).

Here is one such cover on which a Sanskrit slogan is used on World Theatre Day to cancel the stamp on 28th March, 1962 by the Madras GPO.

The slogan reads --
मङ्गल्यं ललितं नाट्यम् --
maṅgalyaṃ lalitaṃ nātyam
which means
"Fine Dance is Bliss"

Dr K B Hedgewar, 1999 - First Day Cover

Dr K. B. Hedgewar, the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh - RSS - was honoured by India Post by releasing a commemorative stamp on 18.03.199 in the denomination of 300P. 

The cancellation on the First Day Cover depicts the motto of RSS which is in Sanskrit and quoted from the हितोपदेशः (Hitopadeśaḥ) of Nārāyaṇa Paṇdita.

स्वयमेव मृगेन्द्रता

svayam-eva mṛgendratā 

"Find within yourself the strength of the lion"

नाभिषेको न संस्कारः सिंहस्य क्रियते वने । 

विक्रमार्जितसत्त्वस्य स्वयमेव मृगेन्द्रता ॥ 

na abhiṣeko na saṃskārah siṃhasya kriyate vane 
vikramārjita-satvasya svayam-eva mṛgendratā 

There is no sacrament or coronation (abhiṣeka) ceremony performed to declare that the Lion is the king of the jungle. It becomes the king by its own attributes and prowess.                                                                               

Color Presentation to Madras Regiment, 1982 - Army Cover

The Army Postal Service celebrated the ceremony of Color Presentation to the Madras Regiment on 19.05.1982. On this memorable day, a special cover was released. The cachet displays the insignia of the Madras Regiment. A great Sanskrit motto is inscribed beneath the emblem which reads as under:

स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः

sva-dharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ

"It is a glory to die doing one’s duty".

 
This motto is taken from the Bhagavad-gītā 3.35. The text and along with Śrī Śaṅkara's commentary is given below in order to get the philosophical context of the verse.

श्रेयान् स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात् स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥
śreyān svadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmāt svanuṣṭhitāt
svadharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ

---------------
Though out of context, given below are some interesting examples that Śrī Svāmī Dayānanda Sarasvatī (Arsha Vidya Gurukulam) said to bring home the meaning of sva-dharma:

Better is one's own imperfectly performed dharma than the well-performed dharma of another. Death in one's own dharma is better. The dharma of another is fraught with fear.

The concept of sva-dharma needs to be seen also in the spirit of this verse. In terms of one's own karma, sva-dharma, what is to be done is to be done even if one is destroyed in the process. Doing one's own karma is far better than doing the karma of another person, meaning that it is useless to want to do what someone else is doing. Do only what you have to do.

Suppose the goalkeeper in a soccer game decides to run like the other players do, because the ball never seems to come to him anyway, it would be a disaster. In other words, if he decides to do the job of the other players, even though it is his job to stand between the posts, it would not work. What is being said here is that if standing between the posts is your job, you had better do it. If the ball does not come to you, it means the other team is not scoring goals and, if it comes too often, you can enjoy the action. It is not as though you are always going to be just standing there. Sometimes, there will be some action to perform. Just because the other players run, does not mean that you should run.

Similarly, the job of a bolt in a piece of machinery is to sit tight. But, suppose the bolt is teased by the piston that says, 'Why aren't you doing any action? I am the only one doing anything here. All you are doing is sitting there tightly. Why don't you do something?' Hearing this once or twice, the bolt may simply say, 'This fellow is just blabbering. My job is to sit tight. That's how my maker, the manufacturer, made me. Therefore, let me ignore what the piston is saying.' But eventually, the bolt may think, 'Why should I not also move? I think the piston is actually making some sense. After all, I do sit tightly all the time while he keeps going. Should I not also do something? Then he may become my friend. I am also a part of the machinery. Why shouldn't I do anything?'

Having decided thus, the bolt has to struggle to move because it has been sitting so tightly for a long time. It tries to move one way and cannot. Then it tries to move the other way and begins to shift. Happily, it says, 'I am also doing now. I am also doing now. I am also doing now. I am also doing now...' Whereupon the bolt falls to the ground! Before any time at all, the piston also falls out and the entire mechanism comes to a standstill -- all because of one bolt wanting to do someone else's job!........

    -- (Ṣrī Svāmī Dayānanda Sarasvatī, Bhagavad-gītā, Home-Study-Course (2001), p. 506, Coimbatore)

---------------
Now my favorite orthodox Śāṅkara-bhāṣya on the Bhagavad-gītā, 3.35:

One's own duty [customary or scripturally ordained observances of different castes and sects.-Tr.], though defective, is superior to another's duty well-performed. Death is better while engaged in one's own duty; another's duty is fraught with fear.

Sva-dharmaḥ, one's own duty; being practised even though vigunaḥ, defective, deficient; is śreyān, superior to, more commendable than; para-dharmāt, another's duty; though svanuṣṭhitāt, well-performed, meritoriously performed. Even nidhanam, death; is śreyaḥ, better; while engaged sva-dharme, in one's own duty, as compared with remaining alive while engaged in somebody else's duty. Why? Para-dharmaḥ, another's duty; is bhayāvahaḥ, fraught with fear, since it invites dangers such as hell, etc.

-- (Tr. Courtesy: Śrī Svāmī Gaṁbhīrānanda)

-----------------

Again a beautiful elaboration from Gūḍhārtha-dīpikā, on the same verse, by the great Śrī Madhusūdana Sarasvatī:

One's own duty, though defective, is superior to another's duty well-performed. Death is better while engaged in one's own duty; another's duty is fraught with fear.

That duty is one's own which is prescribed (by the scriptures) for the respective caste and stage of life. Sva-dharmaḥ, one's own duty; though vigunah, defective -- even though done without the perfection of all its components (i.e., incompletely); is śreyān, superior, both praiseworthy; para-dharmāt, than another's duty -- which has not been prescribed for oneself --; though svanuṣṭhitāt, well-performed, done with perfection in all its components (i.e., completely).

Indeed, nothing enjoined by an authority different from the Vedas can be a duty, on which (contrary supposition alone) the inference that 'even another's duty should be undertaken like one's own duty, because it (too) is a duty' can be an authority on this matter. For there is the dicturm, 'Duty is that which is to be undertaken for a human goal on the authority of an injunction presenting it' (Jaiminīya-sūtrā,1.1.2).

Therefore, svadharme, while engaged in one's own duty, though it be defective, in some part; even nidhanam, death; is  śreyaḥ, better, more commendable, than the life of one who is engaged in somebody else's duty. Verily, one's death while remaining engaged in one's own duty is productive of fame in this world, and it is the cause of attaining heaven, etc., hereafter. However, since para-dharmaḥ, another's duty; is bhayāvahaḥ, fraught with fear, on account of being a source of infamy in this world and instrumental in leading to hell hereafter, therefore, another's duty also should verily be shunned like one's own natural conduct that is prompted by attraction, repulsion, etc. This is the meaning.

Thus in this way it stands stated that, those who accept the teaching of Lord attain the highest good and those who do not accept that fall away from the path to the highest good. (In the verses) beginning with, 'But those who, decrying this', etc. (32), have been stated many reasons why those who have fallen from the path from the highest good engage in kāmya-karmas with desire for results and perform only sinful acts. As to that, this is the verse summarising them:

          
Loss of faith, as also cavil, evil mindedness and foolishness, being under the influence of one's own nature, and excessive attraction and repulsion and liking for another's duty -- these are said to be those that lead to the evil path (Saṅgraha-śloka).

-- (Tr. Courtesy: Śrī Svāmī Gaṁbhīrānanda, Bhagavad-gītā with the Annotation Gūḍhārtha-Dīpikā, Calcutta, Rep.2000, pp. 252-53)