Brahmo Dharma (An Old and Rare Book)

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Though the Brahmo Samaj has declared Truth to be the eternal and imperishable scripture and does not recognise any book as the Scripture, the Brahmo Dharma of Maharshi Devendranath, has come to be regarded as an authoritative exposition of the principles of Brahmoism. Maharshi com- posed the book in that hope. Afterwards, Keshub Chunder Sen, compiled another book of a similar nature with a broader basis under the name Sloksangraha, having taken its contents from the scriptures of all important religions. Though this latter is more in consonance with the universal spirit of Brahmoism it is remarkable that it has not been as widely adopted in the Brahmo Samaj as the Brahmo Dharma of Maharshi. Within a few decades, it was translated into several vernaculars of India, and has passed through many editions in Bengali. The story of its composition is well-known, and has been recorded by Maharshi himself in his autobiography, chapter 23. It was written in the year 1848 (1770 Sak). Devendranath was then 31 years of age. The Brahmo Samaj had been well organised by that time. Many people had joined it. The form of divine service adopted by the Calcutta Brahmo Samaj and which is still followed by it (Adi Brahmo Samaj), had already been framed. The Vedanta had been discarded as insufficient to be the basis of Brahmoism, which was definitely established on the natural faculties of the human mind. But Maharshi felt the necessity of a book for Brahmos. It was in response to that felt need that the Brahmo Dharma was composed. Maharshi looked upon it as a work of inspiration. He has deliberately written in the autobiography: "It is not the product of my feeble intellect. . It is the truth of God which welled up in my heart. These living truths came down to my heart from Him who is the life and light of truth." The actual process has thus been described in the autobiography: "Now I began to think, a book is required for the Brahmos. Then I said to Akshaykumar Dutta 'please sit down with paper and pen, and take down what I dictate. Now I turned my heart, towards God, with single-mindedness. I began to dictate with authority in the language of the Upanishads, like the current of a river, the spiritual truths which flashed in my mind by His grace; and Akshaykumar took them down. In three hours the first part was completed. Maharshi has said, 'it did not involve any labour on my part, but though it took three hours to write out the book, my whole life would be spent and yet I shall not fully understand and assimilate its deep significance." Thus was the first part written. The second part was compiled sometime afterwards, and the expository notes in Bengalee were added later on after the first and second part had been published.