Bhagavan Das

Bhagavan Das

Bhagavan Das (1869-1958) was an Indian Theosophist and educator who served as General Secretary of the Indian Section and as Secretary of Central Hindu College.

NOTE: He should not be confused with an American yogi and singer and using the same name, who is best known as the teacher of Ram Dass.

Career as educator

In 1921, working with Babu Shiv Prasad Gupt, he founded the Kashi Vidya Pith, a national University which has since been renamed Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith. He served as the first vice-chancellor. Mahatma Gandhi , Jawaharlal Nehru, and other prominent citizens were involved with the school's governance. "It was inaugurated by the father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi on the 10th of February 1921 during the non-cooperation movement of Indian freedom struggle. The university was established with the objective of enrichment of Hindi as a national language, staunch support to Indian socialism and nationalism, equality of all religions and commitment to democracy."

In recent years it has become a public university with 227 colleges, serving hundreds of thousands of students. The current objectives of the university, much in line with Theosophical principles, are "to strive to enhance and propagate:

• The development of Indian civilization & culture based on spiritualism.
• Homogeneous intermingling of all the sections of Indian society.
• Coordination among different thoughts and cultures.
• The notion of independence and patriotism along with the feeling of brotherhood & the urge to serve mankind.
• Ancient and modern development in the fields of various disciplines of learning , sculpture , science , technology etc."

Awards and honors

In 1955, Dr. Bhagavan Das was awarded the Bharat Ratna, also called the gem of India, the Republic's highest civilian award.

After his death, on January 12, 1969, India issued a stamp in commemoration. A centenary book was printed.

The Dr. Bhagwandas Central Library, also known as the Bhagwandas Swadhyaypith, was established in the year 1921 at Kashi Vidya Pith, the first Indian university founded by Indians. "This library has a great collection of books of humanities, social sciences, and science.

Writings

Dr. Bhagavan Das was much in demand as a writer for many Theosophical journals. The Union Index of Theosophical Periodicals lists 127 articles by or about the name Bhagavan Das.

• The Essential Unity of All Religions. Adyar, Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1932. Wheaton, IL, Theosophical Press, 1966, 1939. 683 pages. Other editions and publishers; also published in Hindi. This book is widely held in libraries throughout the world.
• "The Central Hindu College and Mrs. Besant". Chicago, IL: Divine Life Press, 1913. 25 pages. Signed in Benares, India on July 17, 1913. This pamphlet expresses his disappointment with Mrs. Besant in the way that Central Hindu College was made into Banaras Hindu University. It discusses the Order of the Star in the East in some detail, as is Mrs. Besant's insistence on a pledge of obedience to her among E. S. T. members; his perception of her as vindictive; his perception of neo-Theosophy; and the establishment of the [[Theosophical Educational Trust.

Other resources

• Browning, K., An epitome of the "Science of the Emotions": A Summary of the Work of Pandit Bhagavan Das Published under that Title. London: Theosophical Publishing House, 1925.
• Ginsberg, Allen. Ah, Bhagavan Das Singing. 1972.
• Khanna, D. P. S. Dr Bhagwan Das as a Social Thinker. Delhi: Shree Publishing House, 1983. 244 pages. Exhaustive bibliography of Dr. Bhagwan Das's works, p. 241-244.
• Prakasa, Sri. Bharat-Ratna Dr. Bhagavan Das. Meerut, India: Meenakshi Prakashan, 1970. "Remembered by his son, Sri Prakasa."
• Rutherford, H. C. The Message of Bhagavan Das on the Present Significance of the Vedic Social Order. Richmond Hill, Surrey, England, 1962. "New Atlantis Foundation. Lecture".
• Shastri, Raja Ram, and others, Eds. Dr. Bhagavan Das, 1869-1969: a Centenary Volume. Varanasi: Kashi Vidyapith, 1969.