This document summarizes the contributions of three major Indian philosophers to English literature: Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, and Jiddu Krishnamurti. It discusses their philosophical writings and teachings. Vivekananda wrote extensively on yoga and its practices. Sri Aurobindo developed the concept of evolution in Vedantic thought and the philosophy of integral yoga. Krishnamurti dissolved the organization established around him and spoke on philosophical and spiritual subjects independently. Together, these three philosophers helped spread Indian philosophy to Western audiences through their English writings.

1. International Indexed & Referred Research Journal, April, 2012. ISSN- 0975-3486, RNI-RAJBIL 2009/30097;VoL.III *ISSUE-31
Research Paper—English
Contribution of Indian Philosophers to
English Literature
April, 2012 * S. D. Deshbhratar
* Asst. Prof. Dept. of English ,Kamla Nahru Mahavidyalaya, Nagpur
A B S T R A C T
Indian literature in English has become very enriched due to the contribution of so many great people who have philosophical
bent of mind. Indian culture is having a depth of divine sublimity since civilization that same tradition remains prosperous even
in the British reign and in Independent India.
India is a country of saints but under the influence distance, without receiving a thrill through my body
of British language, when our great saints started like an electric shock. And what shocks, what
enlightening the world, their words reached to transports, must have been produced when in burning
Western World also. The depth of oriental Indian words they issued from the lips of the hero!”
philosophy spread and created tremendous impact Sri Aurobindo
all over the world. His own vision and philosophy of human
India is having the great tradition of progress and a spiritual path which he termed Integral
Philosophical writing and talking in English since Yoga. He wrote over a hundred poems, many plays
Rajaram Mohan Roy upto J Krishnamurthy. There and several books during others extended to several
philosophical writing has become the vehicle of pages of carefully composed explanations of practical
expression of vision of life and society. The whole aspects of his teachings. These were later collected
credit and responsibility in terms of it goes to the great and published in book form in three volumes of Letters
big wheels. The immortal philosophers are Swami on Yoga. Sri Aurobindo worked on a poem he had
Vivekanda, Sri Arbindo Ghosh and J started earlier. It became perhaps his greatest literary
Krishnamurthy: the Big three have pre-dominantly achievement, Savitri, an epic spiritual poem in blank
occupied the gist of entire scenario of Indian verse of approximately 24,000 lines. One of Sri
philosophy in the modern world. Aurobindo’s main philosophical achievements was
Swami Vivekananda to introduce the concept of evolution into Vedantic
Vivekananda left a body of philosophical thought. Samkhya philosophy had already proposed
works which Vedic scholar Frank Parlato has called, such a notion centuries earlier.
“the greatest comprehensive work in philosophy ever Jiddu Krishnamurti
published.” His books (compiled from lectures given He was raised under the tutelage of Annie
around the world) on the four Yogas (Raja Yoga, Karma Besant and C.W. Leadbeater, leaders of the Society at
Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga) are very influential the time, who believed him to be a “vehicle” for an
and still seen as fundamental texts for anyone expected World Teacher. As a young man, he
interested in the Hindu practice of Yoga. His letters disavowed this idea and dissolved the worldwide
are of great literary and spiritual value. He was also organization (the Order of the Star) established to
considered a very good singer and a poet. support it. He claimed allegiance to no nationality,
He had composed many songs including his favorite caste, religion, or philosophy, and spent the rest of his
Kali the Mother. His language is very free flowing. life traveling the world as an individual speaker,
His own Bengali writings stand testimony to the fact speaking to large and small groups, as well as with
that he believed that words - spoken or written should interested individuals. He authored a number of books,
be for making things easier to understand rather than among them The First and Last Freedom, The Only
show off the speaker or writer’s knowledge Revolution, and Krishnamurti’s Notebook.
The French Nobel Laureate, Romain Rolland writes, Krishnamurthy was a renowned writer and speaker
“His words are great music, phrases in the style of on philosophical and spiritual subjects.
Beethoven, stirring rhythms like the march of Handel Conclusion
choruses. I cannot touch these sayings of his, scattered In Sanskrit the philosophy is called as
as they are through the pages of books, at thirty years’ ‘Darshan Shastra’ which means giving the actual
practical experience of science. In this vein Swami
64 RESEARCH AN ALYSI S AND EVALU ATION

2. International Indexed & Referred Research Journal, April, 2012. ISSN- 0975-3486, RNI-RAJBIL 2009/30097;VoL.III *ISSUE-31
Vivekananda, Sir Aurobindo Ghosh and J While J Krishnamurthy’s subject matter had evolved
Krishnamurthy was not simply a thinker or orator, to encompass several new and different directions, the
they preached what they have experienced, that is the fundamental teachings remained unchanged. In late
basic differences in Indian philosophy and Western 1980, he took the opportunity to reaffirm the basic
philosophy. India is having a great tradition of elements of his message in a written statement that
enlighten philosophy (Bhuddhatva) like Charvaka, came to be known as the “Core of the Teaching”. An
Buddha, Mahavir and many more, the real greatness excerpt follows:
lie in the eternity of that same tradition with more “ ‘Truth is a pathless land’. Man cannot come to it
comprehensive and contemporary aspects with modern through any organization, through any creed, through
philosopher like Swami Vivekananda, Sir Aurobindo any dogma, priest or ritual, nor through any
Ghosh and J Krishnamurthy. philosophical knowledge or psychological technique.
Swami Vivekananda preached ‘Advaita Vedanta’ He has to find it through the mirror of relationship,
while Sri Aurobindo Ghosh termed the spiritual path through the understanding of the contents of his own
as ‘Internal Yoga’. His central theme is the evolution mind, through observation, and not through
of life in to a ‘Life divine’. As The Times Literary intellectual analysis or introspective dissection. Man
Supplement wrote of Aurobindo: has built in himself images as a sense of security—
“In fact, he is a new type of thinker, one who combines religious, political, personal. These manifest as
in his vision the alacrity of the West with the symbols, ideas, beliefs. The burden of these dominates
illumination of the East. To study his writings is to man’s thinking, relationships and his daily life. These
enlarge the boundaries of one’s knowledge... He is a are the causes of our problems for they divide man
yogi who writes as though he were standing among from man in every relationship.”
the stars, with the constellations for his companions”. Aurobindo Gosh and Swami Vivekanand lived and
The central theme of Sri Aurobindo’s vision is the followed the path of Ashrama but J Krishnamurthy
evolution of life into a “life divine”, in his own words: dissolved the concept of organization.
“Man is a transitional being. He is not final. The step In their philosophy we can say, their lie a Indian
from man to superman is the next approaching sublimity, this philosophy is as pure as crystal water
achievement in the earth’s evolution. It is inevitable and one can look into it to find the various themes and
because it is at once the intention of the inner spirit reality enshrined with vigorous and lucidity.
and the logic of Nature’s process.”
R E F E R E N C E
1. Gosh, Aurobindo Sri, (1969) The Life Divine — I–II, Volume 5. Potter K H, (1963) Presuppositions of Indian philosophy, New
21,22, Winconsin, Lotus Press. Jersey, Prentice Hall.
2. Vivekanada Swami, (1930), Raja Yoga or Conquering the 6. Hosper J, (1969) Introduction Reading in Aesthetics, New
Internal Nature, Mayavati Almora, Advaita Ashram York, The Free Press.
Publication. 7. Susan Langer, (1953) Feeling And Form: A Theory of Art
3. Krishnamurti, J, (1991) The Origin of Conflict, Volume 6 Developed from philosophy in New Key, Routledge and Kegan
(1949-1952), America, Kendall/Hunt Publishing. Paul.
4. Dasgupta S N, (1955) History of Indian Philosophy, Vol I and 8. Elton William, (1959) Aesthetic and Language, London,
II, London, Cambridge University Press. Oxford.
RESEARCH AN ALYSI S AND EVALU ATION
65