History Optional (UPSC)

We have a surprise guest for you next week. You can all ask him questions.

The final batch of HOT500 starting this Monday. It will start with Modern India.

https://www.levelupias.com/courses/upsc-cse-history-optional-through-500-questions/

Viragi Nana

Nana would always say, “If something happens to me tomorrow, remember that I am a man of this soil. My final rites should be performed in this very soil.” Over the years, he had collected and kept aside some branches of wood from the teak tree. He would say, “Use this wood for my last rites,” but do not cut down a tree for it.

In Indian tradition, the great souls prepare for death. Not only do they settle their wealth and material possessions beforehand, often giving them away to those in need; they also prepare their mind and body for it. Raja Parikshit's story in Bhagwat Purana is very well known. Buddha had done that. Mahaparinirvana Sutra talks about dying with sati (mindfulness) and properly training mind for that. Jainism also teaches it, think of emperor Chandragupta Maurya. In the recent times, Vinoba Bhave, Raman Maharshi and Savarkar died that way.

The preparation for death is not just about dying peacefully. It is about reducing the hold that life itself has over you.

In our tradition, the state of the mind at the precise moment of death matters. Geeta says:
यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् ।
तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ॥ ८.६ ॥
“Whatever state of being one remembers when leaving the body at death, that state one attains, having been constantly absorbed in it.”

However, one cannot suddenly become spiritually prepared when death arrives. The mind has to have been trained throughout life. Vinoba used to say that the last moment cannot be improvised. You have to rehearse it every day. It is perhaps the greatest sadhana, the greatest mindfulness. Perhaps that is why the image of Nana collecting and keeping aside a few branches of wood is so powerful. He was not merely arranging his own funeral. He was practising, in a small and very concrete way, the art of dying.

A very controversial issue of Vande Mataram, and my take on that... Listen especially the last minute for a very interesting note. I am sure you will find it little provocative but it will make you think for sure. And I would love to know what you think about it. Write in the comments.

https://youtu.be/vMZpVdAZy6g?si=_VNxcYBSeg8Al_QG

The Episode 9 is now public. Its a great discussion with eminent historian Prof Richard Eaton.

What was the role of Sufis in medieval India? What role did they play in Islamization of population and Indianization of Islam?

We discussed three regional cases of role of Sufis - Deccan, Punjab and Bengal.

And what was the Sufi-State relationship? Were they agents of the Islamic states? Were chishtis really staying away from state patronage, as NCERT claims?

And a lot more interesting questions. You will definitely enjoy this conversation. Do not forget to Like, Comment and HYPE. More the hype, merrier...:)

https://youtu.be/nXjUeO3r17M

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Prof. Vinay Lal is our first guest from the American academic world, and also one of the most prominent public intellectuals among contemporary historians. If you like the podcast, which I am sure you will, please Like and Hype (on Youtube, not here). It really helps the podcast reach more people.

Prof. Lal has also asked me to share your responses, queries and questions with him. So if you have any question or doubt in mind, please leave it in the comments. I will make sure it reaches him and you get a response.

I would also like to know what you thought of this conversation. Would you like to see more such conversations on Akhyan Diaries? So far, our focus has been largely on Indian historians and Indian history. If you think this new dimension works well for the podcast, I can pursue it further.

Finally, I am always open to suggestions for future guests. If there is any historian or author you would like to see on Akhyan Diaries, please mention their name in the comments.

Prof. Vinay Lal (UCLA) joins me for Episode 8 of the Akhyan Diaries podcast. I had been watching his lectures on YouTube, especially on Modern Indian history, for many years. He has been one of those influential teachers at UCLA whose lectures taught me many fascinating aspects of history.

In this episode, we discuss some of the deeper questions raised by the Holocaust. We go beyond statistics and the conventional narrative. We talk about human dignity, resistance, the nature of evil, and our moral responsibility towards the "other."

This is not just a conversation about the Holocaust. It is also a conversation about what it means to remain human in the face of extreme inhumanity. Do watch it with empathy, imagination and, above all, a sense of the human spirit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYyHC1TkWMM

Paper 2 Live Discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6rU0ffm8yM

Best of luck for the optional paper. May all gods bless you at the same time. Sabka ashirvad/barkat/grace/pushti aapko ikattha mile. Shubham bhavatu.

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