인도 독립운동의 길(Marga)로서의 Karma-yoga Bhagavadgītā를 중심으로

Abstract

In order to properly understand the development of India's Independence Movement, it is desirable to study the lives and contribution of some of the greatest leaders of modern India. As it is not possible to give a record of all leaders, I confine my treatment to two important figures, B.G. Tilak and M.K. Gandhi. My chief aim is to give an account of the contributions made by the new class of nationalist leaders in the development of humanistic approach for solving the political, social and economic problems of the Country. Tilak(1856-1920) firmly believed that Indian political emancipation should be given priority over all other activities. So he raised the famous slogan: "Svarājya is the birthright of Indians." He was a leader who made great efforts to execute his ideas into concrete action. He talked of Svarājya in 1896-97 and referred to Home Rule as early as 1907. He revived the concept of Svarājya which was used to designate the polity of Shivaji. He infused the spirit of political assertiveness and patriotism among the people by his two papers―the Kesari and the Mahratta―and by Shivaji and the Ganapati festivals. He regarded Shivaji as a Vedāntist and argued that the efforts for the attainment of Svarājya in India were a part of Karma-yoga. From the Gītā, Tilak had learnt the philosophy of the fearless pursuit of one's own Dharma-Svadharma. His great faith in its teachings has given us the profound commentary of the Gītārahasya which was published in 1915. The teaching of Karma-yoga generated a strong current vital actionism in the country. Before the writing by the Gītārahasya, Tilak was a powerful political leader in India. After the publication of this book, he began to be revered also as an Acharya. So Tilak was heralded almost as a world-teacher. The mass movement in the political field which Tilak initiated worked a miracle in hands of Gandhi after the death of Tilak in 1920. In a prayer speech delivered on June 1, 1947, Gandhi said that he had learnt the significance of moral conscience(Antaratma) from Tilak. Following the Gītā, Gandhi considered yoga as efficiency in action. To him the philosophy of the Gītā was activism. In this interpretation he was one with Bal Gangadhar Tilak who wrote Gītārahasya. Bringing this teaching of the Gītā into close relation with contemporary life was Gandhi's main concern. Gandhi, by a historical accident, had thrown himself into the struggle of his own people both in South Africa and India to free themselves from thraldom to a White race. It was essentially a moral warfare for Gandhi. In this warfare he devised his new method of satyāgraha, which has a close bearing on his understanding of the Gītā. The Gītā enjoins the duty of a moral warfare against wickedness. Gandhi called his commentary on the Gītā "Anāsakti yoga'. Anāsakti means disinterestedness. Gandhi is careful to point out "Renunciation of fruit in no way means indifference to the result." It is playing the game of life as one plays good cricket, well and efficiently without the distraction of an ultimate victory or failure. This is the skill in action to be acquired according to the Gītā. Anāsakti is not renunciation of action but renunciation in action. It consists in dedicating all activities to God. Gandhiji only evolved Ahiṃsā from Anāsakti-yoga. Gandhiji thought the 'skill in action(karmasu kauśalm)' which he called Anāsakti-yoga. In order to attain the state of selflessness, one has necessarily to practice Ahiṃsā. The most original and the most revolutionary thing that Gandhi did about the Gītā is to deduce Ahiṃsā from it. Gandhiji launched three important movements for the freedom of the country. They were: (1) The Non- Cooperation Movement (1921-22), (2) The Disobedience Movement (1930-32), and (3) The Quit India Movement (1942). The unique feature of these movements was Gandhiji's insistence on Ahiṃsā. When nations as well as individuals learn to give up violence which is the mark of the brute, his teaching will be looked upon as a landmark in the history of humanity and he will be recognized as a benefactor of the species. His message is, therefore, not limited to India, or to Indians. Tilak taught that, violence or non-violence, one should follow the law of action. Gandhi differed on this point, saying that one should follow the law of action but without violence. Indeed, obedience to the law of action should be without any personal consideration(niṣkāmakarma) according to both.