Ayn Rand's magnum opus "Atlas Shrugged" was published in 1957. Sometime in the next decade, K.M. Munshi, then already in his seventies - and/or his wife- read the book. Something about it hit a resonance in him: either Ayn Rand's craft as novelist, or the character of John Galt, Ayn Rand's hero. (Perhaps it was just the artistic device used by Ayn Rand in the passage quoted below. ) Whatever, the ideal of John Galt fused to some unknown non-zero extent (the reader may be the best judge of this) in Munshi's imagination with his hero of the Krishnavatara. Thus, Krishna,hero of ancient times, met the twentieth century John Galt, an event that I, personally, find very fascinating (my image of Krishna has been shaped largely by Munshi's novels).
This is the Krishna whom we venerate, the Krishna who teaches in the Bhagavad Gita, the avataar of Vishnu:
On what basis do I say this?
Well, here's a passage from Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged". Her heroine, Dagny Taggart has just recovered conciousness after her plane-crash. She opens her eyes, and (there is John Galt)
Now, here is Munshi, in Krishnavatara, Volume V:
Satyabhama, knocked unconcious by a fall, wakes up (to see Krishna):
---
Perhaps the Munshis felt justified in borrowing because
Gita 10-41
This is the Krishna whom we venerate, the Krishna who teaches in the Bhagavad Gita, the avataar of Vishnu:
Vasudeva sutam devam, Kamsa-Chanur mardanam
Devaki paramanandam, Krishnam vande jagatgurum.
Son of Vasudeva, destroyer of Kamsa and Chanur, the supreme joy of (his foster mother) Devaki, that Krishna we salute as a teacher to the world.
On what basis do I say this?
Well, here's a passage from Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged". Her heroine, Dagny Taggart has just recovered conciousness after her plane-crash. She opens her eyes, and (there is John Galt)
She was looking up at the face of a man who knelt by her side, and she knew that in all the years behind her, this was what she would have given her life to see: a face that bore no mark of pain or fear or guilt. The shape of his mouth was pride, and more: it was as if he took pride in being proud. The angular planes of his cheeks made her think of arrogance, of tension, of scorn -- yet the face had none of these qualities, it had their final sum: a look of serene determination and of certainity, and the look of a ruthless innocence which would not seek forgiveness or grant it. It was a face that had nothing to hide or escape, a face with no fear of being seen or of seeing, so that the first thing she grasped about him was the intense perceptiveness of his eyes -- he looked as if his faculty of sight were his best-loved tool and its exercise were a limitless, joyous adventure, as if his eyes imparted a superlative value to himself and the world-- to himself for his ability to see, to the world for being a place so eagerly worth seeing. It seemed to her for a moment that she was in the presence of a being who was pure conciousness-- yet she had never been so aware of a man's body . . . .
He was looking down at her with a faint trace of a smile . . .
This was her world, she thought, this was the way men were meant to be and to face their existence-- and all the rest of it, all the years of ugliness and struggle were someone's senseless joke. She smiled at him, as at a fellow conspirator, in relief, in deliverance, in radiant mockery of all the things she would never have to consider important again. He smiled in answer, it was the same smile as her own, as if he felt what she felt and knew what she meant."
Now, here is Munshi, in Krishnavatara, Volume V:
Satyabhama, knocked unconcious by a fall, wakes up (to see Krishna):
Now the man was kneeling by her side. She opened her eyes and gazed at him.
It was not a strange face at all. In all the years since childhood, she would have given her life to see this face --a face so unfamiliar to those living in her father's house; it bore no mark of pain or fear or guilt. She must be in a dream. How could this face be near hers?
She was struck by the face. Did it express pride, arrogance or scorn ? No. It had a look of serenity and innocence, a face which had nothing to hide, a face which had no fear of being seen or of seeing.
His eyes were bright and beautiful; they had an indefinable quality of seeing life as a limitless, joyous adventure; they imparted a superlative value to himself and to the world -- to himself for his ability to see; to the world for being a place so eagerly worth seeing.
Half-dazed as she was, she felt sure that she was in the presence of a divinity. She had never been so aware of a man's body . . .
She felt a strange struggle in her heart, for he was looking at her with amusement. All these years of loneliness, ugliness and struggle she had spent, she felt, were someone's senseless joke. She smiled at him and he smiled in answer as if he knew what she felt.
---
Perhaps the Munshis felt justified in borrowing because
Gita 10-41
Wherever you find strength, or beauty, or (spiritual) power, you may be sure that these have sprung from a spark of my essence.
5 comments:
Woah! Some of it is verbatim! It seems like a clear case of plagiarism to me; but was it intentional you think?
Ergo, I haven't been able to find out.
Perhaps the Munshis found some Krishna in John Galt?
Marvellous! Have read both of the books but it never striked my mind that one was inspired by the other. But now that I know, I can really feel a hint of Galt in Munshi's Krishna. Superb finding!!!
See wikipedia for the prefigurations of Galt. Even the catchphrase, "who is John Galt" seems to have been seen in the form "Who is Henry Galt" in somebody else's novel.
Excellent blog.
One of the greatest contributions of India to the world is Holy Gita which is considered to be one of the first revelations from God. The eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad-Gita are found in the Bhisma-parva-23-40, of Mahabharata which was compiled by Veda Vyasa. Let me bow with folded hands to Indian Maharishi Veda Vysa, who helped in removing the impurities of the mind through his writings on Vedas, impurities of speech through his writings on puranas, and impurities of body through his writings on other sacred texts. This is one of the most popular and accessible of all Indian scriptures, which is to be read by anyone interested in Indian philosophy. The Gita discusses selflessness, duty, devotion, and meditation, integrating many different threads of Hindu philosophy. Among all the sacred texts of India, the Bhagavad-gita greatly influenced the east and the west. Many philosophers, transcendentalists were deeply affected by its insights, and thousands of individuals struggling with the problems divided loyalties have found comfort and wisdom in its pages. The Gita begins with Sri Krishna explaining the essence of man is not the body but the immortal soul.
The spiritual philosophy and management lessons in this holy book were brought in to light of the world by Sri K.M.Munshi and other saints and they call the Bhagavad-Gita the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to practical life. Through the centuries, the sublime and ennobling counsel of the Bhagavad Gita has endeared it to truth-seekers of East & West alike. It provides "all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man to the highest possible level" and self improvement which means self guided improvement in physical, mental, social, spiritual and emotion. Its gospel of devotion to duty, without attachment or desire of reward, has shown the way of life for all men, rich or poor, learned or ignorant, who have sought for light in the dark problems of life. Energy exists in all human beings to fulfil the purpose of the aim of the life. We expect energy to get task done. The author of Bhagavad Gita Veda Vyasa Maharishi reveals the deep, universal truths of life that speak to the needs and aspirations of everyone which is even relevant today. If you look at yourself carefully, you will see that one always carries in oneself the virtue. You have a special mission, a special realisation which is your very own, and each one individually, & you carry in yourself all the obstacles necessary to make your realisation perfect. Always you will see that within you the shadow & the light are equal: you have ability, you have also the negation of this ability. But if you discover a very black hole, a thick shadow, be sure there is somewhere in you a great light. It is up to you to know how to use the one to realise the other. Evil is simply holding one's vision on one small angle.
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