From: Bhakti <bhakti@ren....>
To: Ánanda Márga Discourses <anandamargadiscourses@sunlink.net>
Subject: Distortion: Bhukti Pradhána -- Food-Engorging Chief?
Date: Sun, 5 Jul 2015 11:26:57 +0530
BÁBÁ
Distortion: Bhukti Pradhána -- Food-Engorging Chief?
Namaskar,
Tiljala Publications (TP) has ruined Bábá's teachings. It is laughable. Here is one prominent example-- just take the term "bhúkti". If bhukti is written without an úṋcii on the “u”, like bhukti, it means “enjoying and gorging on food”. And with an úṋcii, i.e. bhúkti, then it means “area, territory, district”. And Pradhána means "chief". Unfortunately TP has ruined the sense of Bhúkti Pradhána (BP) in Bábá’s discourses, by writing it without an úṋcii on the “u”, like bhukti. And what to speak of the many discourses where BP has been mentioned, but in the very BP chapter where BP is the main subject-- there also it has been written without úṋcii, like bhukti and this ruins the meaning.
Who is The Main Person Responsible for Distortion of AM Books
Everybody knows that although Sarvatmanandji is in Purulia jail these days on a murder case, but he is the father of the distortion scandal in Ánanda Márga Scripture since the very beginning. So this particular letter is just the tip of one iceberg. The bottom line is, the credit of ruining Ánanda Márga Shástra, goes to Sarvatmanandji.
With or Without Úṋcii
Our Ánanda Márga books are available in the open market. When non-Márgiis read about a “Bhukti Pradhána” without an úṋcii on the “u”, like Bhukti, in our AM books, then they think that in AM there is a food-engorging chief. This all came to my attention, when one non-Márgii raised the point to me, "Who is your gorging chief?" I could not understand. Then he explained more. And that became the cause of this letter.
Bábá’s Guideline - Correct Spelling of Bhúkti
First let us see what the correct way of writing Bhúkti is. In His description of the term Bhúkti provided during a field walk in Pune, in the year 1979, Bábá very clearly provides the etymology. See the following excerpt (and yellow highlighted portion for the etymology) from the As-Is transcription of the audio recording of the discourse.
Excerpt of Bábá’s Audio File Transcription
Fieldwalk Pune - 2
26 November 1979 Pune
[बाबा बोले--] हरित से हरा | हरित धान्य the land of green vegetable, vegetation | हरित धान्य माने "vegetation, not paddy" | Paddy का संस्कृत व्रीहि | तो, land of green vegetation | चारों तरफ़ हरा भरा देख रहे हैं | Central Asia के आदमी आए | Dry area के...वाह हरा है | तो, हरित धान्य → हरिया हन्य → हरि हाना → हरियाना |
[मार्गी---"हरियाना |"]
[हँसी]
[बाबा बोले--] भूक्ति-प्रधान---तो भूक्ति spelling भ में बड़ी ऊ, दीर्घ ऊ | हाँ | "भूञ्च्" धातु क्तिन्, प्र minus धा plus अनट् = भूक्ति प्रधान |
[Editor---बाबा पैदल घूम रहे हैं, जिसकी ध्वनि सुनाई दे रही है |]
[बाबा बोले--] रामानन्द !
[PA---"हाँ, बाबा !"]
[Excerpt of Bábá’s Audio File Transcription Ends Here]
Explanation in English
of Bábá’s Teaching on the Spelling of “Bhúkti”
For those who cannot read Devanágari script, the translation of Bábá’s explanation of the spelling of the word bhúkti is as follows:
Bábá says: “In the spelling of bhúkti, following “bh” is a big “ú”, long “ú”.
As per Bábá’s explanation:
Wrong spelling of the term bhukti = bhukti
Right spelling of the term bhúkti = bhúkti
Meaning of bhukti if it is spelled wrong = “enjoying and gorging on food”
Meaning of bhukti if it is spelled right = “area, territory, district”
Bábá goes on to explain the technical etymology of this word bhúkti, as further proof of why there needs to be placed an úṋcii on the “u” so as to make it long. Bábá says:
“Bhúiṋc” dhátu ktin, pr minus dhá plus anat = Bhúkti Pradhána
Bábá is explaining that the root verb itself from which the word bhúkti is made, has a long “ú” in it. And so the word bhúkti -- in order to carry the sense “area, territory, district” -- must also have a long “ú”.
The essence of Bábá’s explanation is “In the spelling of bhúkti, following “bh” is a big “ú”, long “ú”.
Grave Mistakes by TP in the Spelling of “Bhúkti – A Few Examples
TP in numerous highly critical places mistakenly used bhukti instead of bhúkti (note the use of the úṋcii on u). This is all the more problematic because the mistake has been committed on central shástras of Ánanda Márga. Let us consider a few examples.
Example # 1- Mistake in Caryácarya Part 1
Bhukti means a particular administrative area akin to a district in India or a county in Britain. The Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha (AMPS) secretary of such a bhukti will be known as a bhukti pradhána. [Pradhána means “head” or “principal person”.]
Election of Bhukti Pradhána
The sadvipras (those who are well-established in Sixteen Points(1)) of a bhukti must elect one bhukti pradhána from among themselves. The bhukti pradhána may or may not be an ácárya/á or a táttvika, but must be an educated family person. They will hold this post for three years, after which a fresh election will be held.
The Bhukti Committee
The Bhukti General Committee will be constituted of representatives elected by the sadvipras from among themselves. It will consist of a maximum of twenty-five and a minimum of fifteen members. With the consent of 80 per cent of the members, the number of members may be raised above twenty-five.
The bhukti pradhána will be the chairperson of the Bhukti General Committee. He/she will also form a Bhukti Executive Committee consisting of his/her chosen members. The number of members of the Bhukti Executive Committee will be determined at the discretion of the bhukti pradhána. A maximum of three members of the Bhukti Executive Committee may be sadvipras who are not members of the Bhukti General Committee; the rest must be members of the Bhukti General Committee.
Example # 1- Mistake in Caryácarya Part 1 (Ends here)
In the above example, we can see how our central shástra has been corrupted by the callousness of TP. In the above passage, bhúkti has been misspelled (see the red highlighted word, which is printed by TP numerous times).
Due to Distortion - Great Teachings and Ideals Ruined
This kind of error makes a mockery of the great teachings and ideals of AM. Bábá has graciously provided us the system of Ánanda Márga, the path of bliss. For an ideal society, Bábá has provided a perfect system and all the microscopic details of the same. It is our supreme duty as Ánanda Márgiis, the fortunate disciples of Shri Shri Ánandamúrtii ji, to preserve these pearls for the present as well as the posterity. Distortions of the type where bhukti is used instead of bhúkti, make a mockery of Guru’s great teachings. What is intended to mean the chief of the territory/district comes to mean a food-engorging chief due to the error TP has committed and allowed to continue for the past fifty+ years and multiple editions.
Distortion: A Deep Rooted Problem - Not an Innocent Typographical Error
This may seem on the face of it as a simple innocent typographical error. However, if that is so then why does this error still remain in the most important published books of TP after numerous rounds of editing and reprints? Caryácarya is read by countless Ánanda Márgiis across the globe, many of whom have noted and pointed out these problems in editing. In spite of that the sixth edition and second reprint still has the spelling of bhúkti incorrect. Therefore, it can be concluded that the problem is not merely of typographical nature. The problem lies in the way TP machinery works and responds to important issues as these. The problem lies in the complacency of TP.
Conclusion
The wrong spelling of the term Bhukti Pradhána is Bhukti Pradhána.
The right spelling of the term Bhúkti Pradhána is Bhúkti Pradhána.
Namaskar,
Bhakti
Note 1: The posting ends here. But those who do not understand fully, for them more materials are given below.
Example # 1- Mistake in Caryácarya Part 1 (Continued)
Duties and Responsibilities of Bhukti Pradhána
In general, the bhukti pradhána is responsible for all items of the ISMUB Department - inspection, seminars, movements, utilization and boards - at the district level. They must also maintain all records of birth, játakarma, marriage, social functions, náráyańa sevá, divorce, death, shráddha and diikśádána.
In addition, the bhukti pradhána should settle petty civil and criminal disputes, authorizing both the prosecution and defence to engage their pleaders. (Any sadvipra well versed in Caryácarya may be a pleader for the purpose.)
They are to maintain the sanctity of all jágrtis, dhvajas [flags], pratiikas and pratikrtis [photos of Márga Guru] with the help of the jágrti secretary and others.
They must maintain the social solidarity of the bhukti by never allowing the individual interest of any person to go against the collective interest, and they may take disciplinary steps against a person (in consultation with their Bhukti Executive Committee) for deviating from the path of Sixteen Points.
They must help with cash, kind, labour and other physical and intellectual power in materializing the different public welfare plans and programmes of Ánanda Márga. The bhukti pradhána will maintain proper accounts of all income and expenditure of his/her bhukti.
The purodhá pramukha may increase or decrease the duties or responsibilities of the bhukti pradhána whenever so required with or without consultation of the Central Purodhá Board.
Example # 1- Mistake in Caryácarya Part 1 (Ends)
Example # 2
Samájamitram, Smártta, Jiivamitram and Dharmamitram
The bhukti pradhána of any particular sector within whose jurisdiction there is the largest number of A-class Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha (AMPS) committees (see “Formation of Boards”), will be known as the samájamitram [friend of society] of that sector for that particular half-year (1st January to Vaeshákhii Púrńimá / Vaeshákhii Púrńimá to 1st January). They (samájamitrams) will be allowed to use the word samájamitram as a prefix to their names until another person of the same sector acquires this respectable rank. A bhukti pradhána retaining the status of samájamitram continuously for two years (four half-years) can permanently prefix the title to his/her name (but this will not be hereditary). A permanent samájamitram can no longer hold the post of bhukti pradhána.
If a bhukti pradhána is an ácárya/á, he/she will use the word smártta [“one who has proved one’s social worthiness”] and not samájamitram.
Of the nine samájamitrams, the one having the largest number of A-class committees in the world will be known as jiivamitram [friend of living beings]. A bhukti pradhána retaining the status of jiivamitram continuously for two years (four half-years) will permanently prefix the title to his/her name (but this will not be hereditary). A permanent jiivamitram can no longer hold the post of bhukti pradhána.
If a bhukti pradhána is a grhii [householder] ácárya/á, he or she will use the word dharmamitram and not jiivamitram.
If the samájamitram, smártta, jiivamitram and dharmamitram are males, it is advisable that they do not shave, although this is not compulsory.
The samájamitram and jiivamitram will deserve the same respect in the society as an ácárya/á. For this reason, even if it may seem necessary, no one will be entitled to take any social disciplinary action against them except a purodhá.
Example # 2- Mistake in Caryácarya Part 1 (Ends)
Note 2: In addition to the two examples provided above, TP has misspelled bhukti by leaving out the úṋcii, in nine other major discourses, thus giving it the incorrect meaning in those discourses as well, of “enjoying and gorging on food”.
References
(1)” Bhukti Pradhána”; Ánanda Márga Caryácarya Part 1.
(2) “Samájamitram, Smártta, Jiivamitram and Dharmamitram”; Ánanda Márga Caryácarya Part 1.
