== IS THIS PROPER TO DO?==
Namaskar,
Just as the lines and phrases in the above Prabhat Samgiita contains
unique philosophical and devotional meaning. Similarly there are various
terms employed throughout His collection of Prabhat Samgiita which are
more than mere literary forms. This following letter reviews the
meaning of the name 'Ajana Pathik' and discusses whether it should be
translated or not.
CALLING HIM
One of the greatest things in the life each and every devotee is to have
the opportunity to call the Lord. As we know Baba the Parama Purusa has
multiple names, yet it appears that a few jinanis are confused about how
to treat these beautiful appellations of Baba. Kindly read the following
and share your own thoughts as well.
OUR HOLY BABA NAM KEVALAM MANTRA
IS NEVER TRANSLATED AND SUNG
As each and every margii has the feeling in their heart, our Beloved
Baba, the divine Entity for whom we have full adoration and love, is our
be-all and end-all of life. He is our Ista and with great reverence we
chant His name in our Baba Nam Kevalam kiirtan.
But we never attempt to literally translate each term of that kiirtan
and sing the translated version as: 'father name only', instead of Baba
Nam Kevalam. Means no one sings it as: 'father name only'. Because the
words Baba-Nam-Kevalam carry a special meaning in our heart, and to sing
'father-name-only' does not reflect that same inner feeling. So we do
not do like this.
Because while chanting Baba Nam Kevalam then deep inside the idea is there that in our hearts we are calling Baba.
THEY STARTED TRANSLATING "AJANA PATHIK"
Unfortunately certain jinanis have chosen to translate one of the
revered names of Baba. Means a few jinanis literally translate 'Ajana
Pathik' to 'unknown traveler'-- when any true devotee knows that the
term 'unknown traveler does not at all carry the inner beauty and
meaning of the name: 'Ajana Pathik'.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD
Then who knows what these jinanis will do next. Tomorrow they might
literally translate our 'Baba Nam Kevalam' kiirtan to 'father name
only'. Or in their confusion they might translate His name 'Shrii Shrii
Anandamurtiji' as 'charm charm bliss embodiment'. Of course devotees
will never do like this because we feel more close to Him by saying
Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. The problem is however that a few of these
jinanis are likely to do anything, since already they have literally
translated the beautiful name 'Ajana Pathik' into the term 'unknown
traveler'.
PROPER NOUNS ARE NEVER TRANSLATED
The general rule and ethic is that nobody likes to literally translate
anything which is the proper noun of any person or place. Because then
all types of confusions can come. For example if we literally examine
the name 'Washington DC', then in their foolishness someone could change
that into 'washing' + 'ton'. Literally meaning 'cleaning' + 'tons',
meaning 'the city where a huge piles of laundry is done'.
So no sane person does like this.
Similarly no one literally translated 'Bombay' to 'Bomb' + 'ay', meaning
'the place where explosive bombs are manufactured'. Likewise no one
literally translates 'New York' as 'Fresh York'.
The overall notion is that literally translating names or proper nouns
does not work.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE TERM 'AJANA PATHIK'
The divine name 'Ajana Pathik' denotes one of Baba's special
attributions, but those jinanis do not have any sense so they do crazy
types of things like literally translating that term.
Yet we should not allow anything to occur which goes even one iota
against the spirit of Ista or reverence to Guru. So those jinanis who
are incapable to think in the proper direction should not touch this
delicate type of work of translating Prabhat Samgiita, otherwise they
will prove their impotence and futility each and every step along the
way. And ultimately they will create a mess.
And that is what they have done here. In Prabhat Samgiita number 227 these jinanis have translated the line 'Ajana Pathik ek eseche' as 'the unknown traveler has come'. But their chosen term 'unknown traveler' is just related with tourism. It does not have any devotional value.
ONE POSSIBLE SOLUTION
Instead in the translation we should keep the line as 'Ajana Pathik has
come', and mark it with an asterisk note which carefully explains that
the beautiful term Ajana Pathik is one of the names of Parama Purusa and
that it denotes one of His special attributions.
So the best way is to write it as 'The Ajana Pathik has come'. And then
by the asterisk note readers will easily understand that in this
instance Baba wants to be called Ajana Pathik. And so we will call Him
that way then in the back of our minds we will devotionally remember that:
The term Ajana Pathik means 'The Divine Entity Parama Purusa
Who moves around this entire universe and Who resides everywhere
and knows everything, and irrespective of where one goes
He remains along with you'.
That is one of His many unique attributions and that is the speciality
of the name 'Ajana Pathik'. Means the name 'Ajana Pathik' denotes this
special quality.
Hence if in translation one jinani just omits the term Ajana Pathik and
instead literally writes 'unknown traveler', then this does not at all
carry the special meaning or inner beauty of the term. And ultimately
anyone reading that (mis)translation will not be able know what Parama
Purusa really wants to say in His song.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace in our devotional life we should move ahead according to
His direction then we are sure to reach our cherished Goal.
Baba says, "Success is yours for the asking. Go on making the correct
effort." (AV-23, p.129)
Namsakar,
Amriteshwar
Note: All family members should kindly write in with their thoughts and
suggestions. By collective sharing we will surely comes up with the best
way to move ahead and serve Baba & His creation.
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Negative Teaching Makes People Cowards
Baba says, "Starving people...basing their lives' ideals on the wrong
religious concept and philosophy throughout their genealogical
traditions they come to regard their own miserable circumstances as the
God ordained destiny. If, in those days they had a high-spirited leader,
if they had heard his fiery speeches, or could get a proper lead and
guidance, they would perhaps have made a concerted assault on the then
social structure." (HS-1, p.76)
***************************************
In Ananda Marga (AM) we have seen various groupist attitudes, by a few making some amount of noise, arise. One group are those who promote what is called the four step plan (4SP). It makes all sorts of wild claims, such as leadership wanting to stay in power at all costs.
ReplyDeleteHowever, to assert that there is a leadership in AM that seeks to stay in power at any cost is merely a negative sentimental throw-away line and a form of cheap propaganda. It is a fundamentally false statement because in AM there is an election process at the central level for the Central Committee (CC) and the Central Purodha Board (CPB), and there is an appointment (selection) process for the Central Executive Committee (CEC) whereby the President (usually the Purodha Pramukha) appoints the CEC as per that person’s own choice. Currently, elections are held in a 5 year cycle. After an election, appointments are made to the CEC and there may be revocations and new appointments made subsequently.
A central tenet of 4SP is to promote discriminatory practices. 4SP cherishes discriminatory distinctions based on its notion (a false notion) of so-called ethnicity or groupifications. It should be abundantly clear that its 3 groupifications have nothing to do with any scientific approach to ethnicity. It asserts that there exist Bengali, Non-Bengali Indians and Non-Indians in Ananda Marga culture and the samgha. This is pseudo-science. Of course this has nothing to do with ethnic basis, but is a cheap form of political classification. To say Ananda Marga is based on ‘ethnic’ similarities in 3 such groups is plainly and blatantly false. The cherishment of these distinctions of 4SP while indulging in propaganda about universalism is complete hypocrisy by the proponent(s) of 4SP.
4SP tries to claim its two main goals are unity and universalism. This is slight of hand, as these are common goals of all Ananda Margiis. There is no need for 4SP proponents to try to portray to the margii community that these are the goals of 4SP and its own club of followers. Rather, everyone already knows these are common goals and that no group or groupists can lay claim to them.
Typically you will find in the 4SP propaganda that they will try to give an impression that they represent a broad number of persons. The worst form of indulgence in which they do this is to apply a label called NIM (non-Indian margii) and pretend that there is a movement called NIM that represents every single Ananda Margii outside of India. This is plainly misleading and a deception. And it is this misleading and deceptive style that you will find in the 4SP propaganda. In truth, there is no such movement that can lay claim to representing all those Ananda Margiiis outside India. The use of label NIM is sheer and gross dishonesty. The persons behind this so-called NIM are so miniscule in number, that the dishonesty of the label is abundantly apparent.
What 4SP intends to do is entrench racist and communalist (that is, discriminatory) attitudes in the structure of AM organisations, particularly at the central level. On the one hand it claims the structure of AM is rife with racism and communalism, but on the other hand it wants to entrench it by its formula system. This is called double-standards.
When you look closely at this you can see that 4SP is placing every purodha under blame, because it is all the purodhas who elect from among themselves the members of the Central Committee (CC). Therefore, 4SP vilifies every purodha because it is those purodhas who decide who goes onto the CC. As 4SP claim that the central structure is rife with racism and communalism, we should first analyse how the CC comes into being, and as pointed out by election of all the purodhas. Tracing back, we can see the 4SP implies that all the purodhas deliberately put onto the CC those who promote racism and communalism. We can see how absurd the 4SP theory is now. 4SP propaganda and booming is simply a vilification strategy – that is all. Of course we know that all the purodhas are entitled to decide (by election) this matter of the CC. How can any sensible person think that the electors are all promoting racism and communalism and how can any sensible person fall prey to this vilification strategy that 4SP promotes.
Worse still, in terms of the 4SP propaganda, it effectively says that because the President, usually the Purodha Pramukha (PP), of the Central Committee constitutes the Central Executive Committee (CEC) as per the President’s choice, that the President is responsible for racism and communalism in the structure of this CEC. After all, you see, 4SP asserts that the central structure of AM is rife with racism and communalism, but we know that one part of the structure, the CEC, is appointed by the President and so if 4SP makes its assertion, and also if the appointments rest solely with the President, then the 4SP is clearly targeting, and being completely disrespectful to the President of AMPS and to the Purodha Pramukha. In effect, 4SP asserts that the President is racist, communalist, and so on in making appointment. This is the style of propaganda we get from 4SP. It is a lowly quality and margiis should not tolerate it.