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KARMAYOGIN
A WEEKLY REVIEW
OF National Religion, Literature, Science,
Philosophy, &c.,
Vol. 1
7th Falgoon 1316.
No. 33
PASSING THOUGHTS. artificinl. Its centres are con English, attach an exaggerated in. The Bhagalpur Litorary Conference.
picuous by their abaence. In Europe portance to machinery, because The prevalence of annual con
the club, the literary paper, the their own machinery hou been so ferences in the semi-Europonnised
cotorie, the school of writing, the Mysocessful, their orgatiation so life of Bengal is a curious pheno.
Acadeiny are distinct entities in strong and triumphant. In the cou. menon eloquent of the unreality of
which the members of the organism ceit of this secess they imagine onr present culture and the in
have living relations, a common at- that their machinery I the only efficiency of our modernised eris
mosphere, common intellectual machinery and that the adoption of tence. Our old life was well, even
food. They have no Literary Confer- their organisation by foreign peu. minutely organised on an intelli- enec because the literary life of Eu- ples is all that is needed for perfect gent and consistent Oriontal rope is a reality. We in Indin have social and political felicity. In woode. The modern life of Europe neitherthese institutions nor any other Europe this blind attachment to is well and largely organised on an
1. centres of our own. The Conference machinery does not du fatal harm, intelligent and consistent Occiden
is a convulsive attempt to relate because the life of a free ration has tal model. Tt materialises certain
ournelves to each other, which developed the existing institutions tuin ideas of life and wellbeing,
evincos a vague desire for united and modifies them by its own irrenir provides certain centres of life,
living, but no capacity to effect tible law of life and development. *quips them efficiently, serves the
it. There was a time when a vi- But to take over those institutions objects with which they are institut
gorous literary Flife seemed about and think that they will magically ed. Our old life did the same. But
to forin itself in Bengal, and its develop European virtues, force and this is precisely what our modern
relics are seen in the literary robustness, or the vivid and vigorous life does not do. It institutions
magazine and the Sahitya Parishat; life of Europe, is as if u man were to Rre apos of a foreign plan, unintelli
but at present these serve only steal another's cont And think to gent expressions of an idea which
to record the extremely languid take over with it his character is not ours; they serve no civic,
pulsation of our intellectual exis-Have not indeert many of us thought no national purpose. They are the
tence. The great intellectual stir, by masquerrling in the ainazing pinetodic movements of an organism
hopefulness and activity of the garb which nineteenth century Euwhose own lite arrested, but
Inst century has disappeared. The rupe developed, to bucome so many which feels itself compelled to move,
individual lives to himself, vigor brown Englishmen? This curious however awkwardly and uselessly, if
ously or feebly, according to the conjuring trick did not work; butted, only to persuade itself that it is
varying robustness of his personality coated and pantalooned, wo still
or intensity of his temperament. not dead. We have for instance
kept the chaddar and the doty Coordienation is still far from us Literary Conference which meets
in our chancters. The fund atLife And Institutions. once a year, of nothing occurs to pre
tempt to become great, enlightened
Lite creates institutious; instituvent it. But such an annual celetions do not create, but express and
and civilised by borrowing European brition bas no intelligent pur
institutions will be an equally dispose cxcept the centre of an preserve life. This is a truth we
astrous failure. organised 'literary ble. The pulse are too apt to forget. The Euro Indian Conservation of our literary life is foeble and peans and especially our gurus, the lo India we were, if possible, even
