Badrinath Chaturvedi's Dharma Captures The True Essence Of The Word Beyond Religion.

Badrinath Chaturvedi is known for his scholarly work on the Mahabharata and on topics like the central place of dharma in Indian thought. His book 'Swami Vivekananda: The Living Vedanta' continues to inspire readers with a fresh perspective on the man who was the living embodiment of the Vedanta he preached.

In Dharma: Hinduism and Religions in India, Badrinath argues that the Indian civilization is a 'Dharmic' one, founded as it is on the principle of dharma. Dharma has always been translated, wrongly, as 'religion'.

Also Read: A Book For the Writer, Of The Writer, By The Writer- How To Get Published in India by Meghna Pant

Badrinath talks about the history of the words 'Hindu' and 'Hinduism', Islam in relation with Hinduism, the issues that arose from the spread of Christianity in India, Jainism and Buddhism as part of dharma and Darshana and explains why organized violence in the service of religious fundamentalism is the very negation of religion with its reverence for life. This book is compiled by his daughter Tulsi Badrinath wherein she has recorded several speeches of him which he gave in India and overseas.  

Thought-provoking, perceptive and challenging many long-held notions, Dharma is a must-read for anyone who is interested in India and the interaction of different religions over centuries in the country. 

Also Read: Re-script Your Life by Reeta Gupta Perfectly Exemplifies How a Tragic Childhood Can Be Both, A Burden and A Benediction

Badrinath Chaturvedi(1933-2010) was born in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh. He was a member of the Indian Administrative Service (1957-89) and served in Tamil Nadu for thirty-one years. During 1971-73, he was a Homi Bhabha Fellow. As a visiting professor at Heidelberg University, 1971, he gave a series of four seminars on dharma and its application to modern times. He had also written regular articles about dharma in major newspapers. 

Also Read: Neeraj Kumar's Khaki Files Sits On The Edge Of Believability and Impossibility

Badrinath Chaturvedi's other published books are Dharma, India and the World Order: Twenty-one Essays ; Introduction to the Kama Sutra; Finding Jesus in Dharma: Christianity in India; Swami Vivekananda: The Living Vedanta; The Mahabharata: An Inquiry into the Human Condition and The Women of the Mahabharata: The Question of Truth. 

He passed away in 2010, a day after winning the Sahitya Akademi Award for his book The Mahabharata. In 2016, Oxford University Press brought out a collection of his essays, Unity of Life.

Also Read: 'No Regrets' By Kaveree Bamzai Is A Go-To Book As We Fumble and Stumble Through Life