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.

Early years and education

Bhagavan Das was born in Varanasi, India on 1958. After schooling he "became a deputy in the collections bureau, and later left to continue his academic pursuits." He earned a Master of Arts degree in Calcutta. Later in life, he was honored with an LL.D (Doctor of Laws) degree at Benares and Allahabad. Some sources describe the honorary degree as a Doctorate in Literature, and he could well have received more than one honor.

Work for the Theosophical Society

"Inspired by a speech given by Annie Besant he joined The Theosophical Society in 1894."

He collaborated with Mrs. Besant in many initiatives, but strongly opposed her exhaltation of Jiddu Krishnamurti as the World Teacher, and particularly the way in which participation in the Order of the Star in the East was promoted in Central Hindu University. He wrote about that subject in his pamphlet, "The Central Hindu College and Mrs. Besant."

Career as educator

In 1898, Bhagavan Das joined the faculty of Central Hindu College, the year of its founding by Annie Besant.

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."

Political activism

"He was an advocate for national freedom from British rule; served for a time in the Central Legislative Assembly of British India, and was active on opposing rioting as a form of protest."

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 for his achievements in literature and education.

"A prominent road in New Delhi is named after him and a colony is also named after his name in Sigra area of Varanasi 'Dr. Bhagwan Das Nagar.'"

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. It was the very first title issued under the Quest Books imprint of the Theosophical Publishing House in Wheaton, Illinois.
• "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.

• The Science of Peace. 1904, 1921. Third edition: Adyar, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1948. Available at Internet Archive.

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.