“Echoes of Eternity: A Journey Through Indian Thought from the Rigveda to the Present” Pavan Varma
In his fine introduction to the book, Echoes of Eternity, former diplomat, Pavan K. Varma, explains very clearly his methodology for selecting the texts included in this anthology. Also, the reason for putting together this essential book. Here is an excerpt from the opening pages:
India is a civilisation of moulik such — the power of original thought. This faculty has been the bedrock on which the Indian people have survived and flourished since the dawn of time. Other ancient civilisations, such as the Greek, Roman, Persian, Assyrian and even classical Chinese, have long ceased to exist. What makes our civilisation different is a certain ability for cerebral interrogation, discovery and renewal that has bestowed the great stream of Indian ideas with antiquity, continuity, diversity, assimilation and peaks of refinement.
This compendium, or anthology, seeks to capture some of the magnitude of this vast ideational canvas. Its breadth covers a period of 7,000 years at the very least, from the Rigveda, dated circa 3500 to 3000 BCE, to the philosopher Osho, closer to the present. The subjects its includes range from philosophy, metaphysics, religion, values, politics, economics, arts, literature, poetry and aesthetics to social change and renewal. The geographical sweep is as wide, covering the whole of Bharatvarsha, from the Himalays to Kanyakumari, and Dwaraka to Puri and the Northeast. This selection would have been even richer in contenthad the script of the great Indus Valley Civilisation been deciphered, and one can only hope that scholars will succeed one day.
As can be imagined, the greatest challenge in such a task was what to select and what to leave out. Our corpus of thought is so copious that some degree of judicious selectivity had to be exercised. It also required going through tons of literary material in order to decide what the final selection would be. Certainly, there was an element of subjectivity involved in the process and the final decision was mine. I am fully conscious that there will be some who feel that the contents are incomplete, or that certain texts have been excluded which, according to their thinking, need to be there, or that the material is disproportionately focused on some texts, or even on some historical periods, to the neglect of others. I plead guilty to these accusations, since I have already made the disclaimer that a process of selectivity was involved, and that is bound to lead to some exclusions. My only defence is that I was influenced by no extraneous or ulterior agenda, that my intent was entirely benevolent, and it was my genuine attempt to provide a fair sampling of the infinite sparkle of ideas that have gone into the making of our civilisational heritage.
To my mind, even this is a good beginning to introduce readers to our remarkable legacy of thought. Many educated Indians are woefully unaware of its contents, depth and range. They are aware of some important names, and may have read a few texts, but on the whole, there is a regrettable ignorance with regard to the endless river of thought of which there are legatees. For such people, this book, I hope, will serve as an essential primer to undersand the brilliance and continuity of our cerebral evolution, and inform them that the concept of nationhood is underpinned, since time immemorial, not only by a shared geography, but also the generous benediction of application of mind that, like some exquisite weave, binds us all together.
This infusion of knowledge is particularly important for us at this juncture, when we are poised to take our legitimate place at the high table of the world.
p. ix – xi
Here are images of the list of contents that are spread across four pages. It will give a sense of the breadth of literary selections included in the volume.
From the ancient Nasadiya Sukta to twentieth-century discussions about caste and nation, this is an anthology of Indian philosophical and political thought that deserves a place on every bookshelf. Wise and diverse, reflective and provocative, each of the pieces in this collection, be it Sanskrit verse, Urdu poetry or a speech in Parliament, belongs to the canon of intellectual thought that defines Indianness.
Echoes of Eternity has its limitations as the author has recognised but it is certainly a good introduction to our rich literary inheritance. It is worth remembering.
10 May 2025
