{"id":3198,"date":"2013-07-13T01:46:36","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3198"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:46:36","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:36","slug":"20-the-chariot-of-jagannath-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/02-other-editions\/writings-in-bengali-translation\/20-the-chariot-of-jagannath-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","title":{"rendered":"-20_The Chariot of Jagannath.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n

\n
\nThe Chariot of Jagannath <\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe ideal society is the vehicle of the indwelling Godhead
\nof a human aggregate, the chariot for the journey of Jagannath. Unity, Freedom, Knowledge and Power constitute the
\nfour wheels of this chariot. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe society, created by human intellect or by the play of
\nthe impure life-impulses of Nature, belongs to a different
\norder: here it is not the chariot of God who directs the
\ndestiny of the collectivity, but a masquerading deity who
\ndeforms the divine intuition by covering up the God within; <\/font><\/p>\n

\nit is rather the vehicle of the collective ego. It wanders
\naimlessly along the path heaped with numerous pleasures,
\npulled by the immature and incomplete resolutions of the
\nintellect, and the old and new dull urges of the lower nature.
\nAs long as ego is the master, it is not possible to find the
\ngoal\u2014even when the goal is seen it is not possible to drive
\nthe chariot straight in that direction. The truth that the ego is
\nan obstacle to the divine fulness applies not only to the
\nindividual but holds equally good in the case of the collectivity. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThree main divisions of the ordinary human society are
\nnoticeable. The first is the well-built chariot, polished,
\nshining, clean and comiortable, fashioned by skilled artisans; drawn by strong well-trained horses, it goes forward cautiously at an easy pace without any haste along a good road.
\nThe Sattwjc ego is its owner-passenger. This chariot goes
\nround the temple of God situated on a high region above it.
\nUnable to go very close to the high ground, it circles it at a
\ndistance. If any one wants to go up, the rule is to get down
\nfrom the chariot and climb on foot. The ancient Aryan <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-171<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nsociety which came after the Vedic age can be calle
\na
\nchariot of this type. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe second is the motorcar of the luxury-loving efficient
\nworker. It rushes forward restless and tireless, at a break-
\nneckspeed, roaring through the storm of dust and shattering
\nthe street beneath it. Ears are defened by the noise of its
\nhorn; it relentlessly pursues its way knocking down and
\ncrushing anybody that happens to be in its path. Danger to
\nthe life of the passengers is great; accidents are frequent; the
\ncar is often smashed and repaired with difficulty, yet proudly
\nit continues. There is no fixed goal but whenever a new vista
\nis seen not too far away, immediately the owner of the car.
\nthe rajasic ego, drives in that direction shouting. This is the
\ngoal, this is the goal.’ One derives much pleasure and
\nenjoyment in riding this car; yet peril is unavoidable, and to
\nreach the Divine impossible. Modern society of the West is a
\ncar of this nature. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe third is the dirty, old, dilapidated bullock cart. slow as
\na tortoise, drawn by emaciated, starving and half-dead
\nbullocks, and going on the narrow country roads; inside the
\ncar is sitting a lazy, blind, pot-bellied, decrepit man in
\nshabby clothes; smoking with great pleasure his mud-stained
\nhukkah<\/i> and listening to the harsh creaking of the cart, he is
\nlost in the profusion of the lazy and distorted memories of
\nbygone days. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe name of the owner is tamasic ego and that of the
\ncartman book-knowledge. He consults an almanac to fix the
\ntime and direction of his departure. His lips repeat the
\n(slogan, ‘All that is or has been is good and any attempt to
\nI introduce something new is bad.’ By this chariot there is a
\nbright and early prospect of reaching, though not the Divine,
\nat least the Void of Brahman. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe bullock-cart of tamasic ego is safe as long as it rolls on
\nthe dusty unpaved village roads. We shudder to think what <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-172<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nmight happen to it if one day it got on to the broad streets of
\nthe world where fleets of rapid automobiles rush about. The
\ndanger lies in the fact that it is beyond the knowledge and
\ncapacity of the tamasic ego to recognise or admit the time for
\nchanging the vehicle. It has no inclination to do so, for, then
\nits business and ownership would be undone. When a
\ndifficulty arises, a few among the passengers say: ‘No, let it
\nalone. It is good because it is ours.’ These are orthodox Or
\nsentimental patriots. Some say: ‘Why don’t you repair it here
\nand there?’\u2014 as if by this simple expedient, the bullock-cart
\ncould be immediately transformed into a perfect and price-
\nless limousine. Such patriots are known as reformers. Others
\nsay: ‘Let us have once more our beautiful chariot of yore.’ At
\ntimes, they even try to find ways and means of accomplishing
\nthis impossibility. There is no particular indication anywhere
\nto warrant that their hopes would ever be fulfilled. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nIf we must choose one of these three vehicles, giving up
\nstill higher endeavours, then it is logical to construct a new chariot of the
\nSattwic ego. But so long as the chariot of 
\nJagannath is not built, the ideal society will also not take I
\nshape. That is the ideal and ultimate image, the manifestation of the highest and profoundest truth. Impelled by the
\nUniversal Godhead, the human race is striving to create it,
\nbut owing to the ignorance of Prakrit! it only succeeds in
\ncreating a different image either deformed, crude and ugly
\nor, if tolerably fair, incomplete in spite of its beauty. Instead
\nof creating Shiva, it fashions either a dwarf or a demon or an
\ninferior deity of the intermediate worlds. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nNobody knows the true form or design of the chariot
\nof 
\nJagannath, no artist of life is capable of drawing it. Hidden
\nunder many layers, this picture shines in the heart of the
\nUniversal Godhead. To manifest it, gradually through the
\neffort of many divine Vibhutis, seers and creators, and
\nestablish it in the material world is God’s intention. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-173<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nThe real name of the chariot of Jagannath is not society
\nbut commune. Not a loose human association with diverse
\ntendencies or merely a crowd but an unfettered indivisible
\norganisation, the gnostic community created by delight and
\nthe unifying power of self-knowledge and divine knowledge. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n"Society (sawa) is the name given to the organisation, that
\ndevice which allows a human collectivity to work together. By understanding the root of the word, we can also seize its
\nmeaning. The suffix sama<\/i> means united, the root aj<\/i> signifies
\nto go, to run, to fight. Thousands of people come together
\nfor the sake of work and to satisfy their desires. They pursue
\nnumerous aims in the same field\u2014who can come first? Who
\ncan get to the top?\u2014and because of this there is struggle and
\ncompetition, quarrel and fighting not only among themselves
\nbut with other societies as well. To bring about order into
\nthis chaos, obtain help and satisfy mental tendencies, various
\nrelations and ideals are established; the result is something
\ntemporary, incomplete and achieved with difficulty. This is
\nthe image of society, of the lower existence. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe inferior society is based upon division. A partial,
\nuncertain and short-lived unity is constructed upon that
\ndivision. The structure of the ideal society is entirely the
\nopposite. Unity is the foundation; there is a play of differentiation, for the sake of multiform delight, not for division. In I
\nthe society we find a hint of physical and mentally conceived
\nunity ansing from work, but unity based on the self is the
\nsoul of the spiritual commune." <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThere have been a number of partial and unsuccessful
\nattempts to establish a commune in a limited field, whether
\ninspired by the intellectual ideas of the West or in order to
\nfollow unhindered the discipline of inaction leading to
\nNirvana as among the Buddhists or because of the intensity
\nof spiritual feeling like the early Christian communities. But <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-174<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nbefore long all the defects, imperfections and
\nnormal tendencies of society infiltrated into the spiritual commune and
\nbrought it down to ordinary society. The idea of a restless
\nintellect cannot endure; it is washed away by the irresistible
\ncurrent of old and new life-impulses. An intensity of emotion
\ncannot bring about success in this endeavour; emotion is?
\nworn out by its own impetus. One ought to seek Nirvana all
\nalone; to form a commune for the love of Nirvana is a
\ncontradictory action. A spiritual commune is by its very
\nnature a field for the play of work and mutuality. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n The day the Self-born unity will come into being by the
\nharmony and integration of knowledge, devotion and work,
\nas impelled by the Will of the Virat Purusha, the Universal
\nPerson, on that day the chariot of Jagannath will come out
\non the avenues of the world,. radiating its light in alt
\ndirections. Satya Yuga the Age of Truth will descend upon
\nearth, the world of mortal man will become the field for the
\nplay of the Divine, the temple-city of God, the metropolis of
\nAnanda. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-175<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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