A Handbook of Religion

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Sree Krishna represents the universal Atma within the seventh psychic centre situated in the crown of the head, the Sharadala Padma; the melody of His flute is the mystic sound of Pranava which the Yogi hears during Samadhy; Vridavana with its thousand forests represents the human head with Sharadala Padma. The sixteen hundred petals of the manas chakra, a centre situated just below the Sharadala Padma represents the 1600 damsels of the Lord. The spiritual ambrosia called Amrita in Yoga philosophy is Krishna's love. Radhika the chief beloved with her 8 companions is pera-Bhakti and Chanadrabuth with her 8 companions is Apara-Bhakti. Again if we look to His name, its derived from Kri = all, and na = Atma.

Thakur Bhagwati Din Singh Sahib was an enlightened soul whose intellectual prowess encompassed the diverse fields of Law, Philosophy, Education and Public Health. A resident of Madho Patti, a small village near the city of Jaunpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Thakur Bhagwati Din Singh was the patriarch of a family that has brought this rural hamlet into national prominence because of the achievements of his progeny and descendants. As the son of a patriot and a freedom fighter-Thakur Suraj Bali Singh, who worked as a court official at the Allahabad High Court, Bhagwati Din Singh was inspired to take up the study of Law to serve the nation and the community. He was educated at Allahabad University and was privileged to have been mentored by Bharat Ratna Dr Bhagwan Das who remained a lifelong source of inspiration and guidance. Thakur Bhagwati Din Singh studied English Literature, History and Philosophy at the University of Allahabad. In 1917, he received a Master's in Philosophy and a Bachelor's in Law from the University of Allahabad, after which he pursued a successful legal career in Jaunpur.

Thakur Bhagwati Din Singh was an innovative thinker, well ahead of his time, as evidenced in his direct involvement in education and in the field of public health. Thakur Bhagwati Din Singh received a number of Sanads during the years 1927-1928 from the Government of the United Provinces, recognising his valuable contributions during the plague outbreaks and towards the cause of vaccinations of the general public. In recognition of the fact that the upliftment of the general public was predicated on the dual pillars of good health and a good education, he collaborated with his close friend Thakur Tilak Dhari Singh, and co-founded and managed a school for the further education of young men in the town of Jaunpur. Today this institution, Tilak Dhari P.G. College, is a renowned and respected centre of higher learning. Additionally, he encouraged his wife to begin teaching, a service which she continued with dedication and staunch commitment for twenty-two years.

Thakur Bhagwati Din Singh was a role model for many during the course of his life and career. His dedication to the service of the nation, to the empowerment of women, to the upliftment of society through the advancement of health and education, and his legacy as an individual who led by example in thought, word, and actions, enable him to be a source of inspiration for all times.

This booklet was written by my father, Late Shri Bhagwati Din Singh, sometime in the twenties but was left somewhat incomplete at the time of his premature death in 1935. It was never intended to be anything more than a 'Handbook of Religion' for the aspirants of the Higher Path. The author was singularly privileged in his pursuit by being not only a student of Late Dr. Bhagwandas, but also by getting the latter's continued affection and encouragement. The tenets of Theosophy had made an immense impact on his life and thinking, as his autobiographical introduction would show. But he could not develop this contact further due to his preoccupation with the legal profession, with the result that he remained unknown outside his native town of Jaunpur.

The Handbook contains some of the finest efflorescences of human speculation. The author has given expression to some of his own experiences and ideas in the form of short, suggestive passages, and introductory discussions. But as originality is the last virtue to be either found or desired in a work of this nature, any unacknowledged references, should they appear, may kindly be pardoned.