Sayed Mujtaba Ali

Sayed Mujtaba Ali was an eminent literateur and a distinguished linguist. At the call of Mahatma Gandhi, he left the school and joined the Non-violence Movement. Between 1921 and 26, he studied at Santiniketan. After the completion of his studies at the Visva-Bharati University, he went to Kabul where he was appointed a Lecturer in English and French in the Kabul Education Service. He was awarded a scholarship by the German Govt. Between 1928 and 30, he studied at the University of Berlin and Bonn and obtained his PhD degree. Afterwards, he became an itinerant and travelled across the whole of Europe including Jerusalem and Damascus. After his return in 1936, he was invited to chair the Comparative Religion Dept. at Baroda. In 1950, he joined the All India Radio as its Station Director. He headed the Dept. of Islamic Studies at Santiniketan for a few years. Among his notable publications mention may be made of Dese Bidese, Pancatantra, Cdcdkdhini etc. In 1949, he was awarded the Nara Singha Das Memorial Prize for his outstanding contributions to Bengali literature.

Like him [Sri Ramakrishna] none had ever spoke in such a simple language. His words and the way of talking have their closest similarity with that of Christ. …He was determined to attach greatest value to the folk religion, customs, rituals and language, and, hence, had continually used peoples’ language and the mode of talking with heart’s content.

…If for reasons of spiritual, social or political discord different sects living within the same society refuse to be cohesive among themselves, it results in an irreparable loss to that society as a whole, which may, even, lead to its enormous extinction. How many of the virtuous people in those days [We doubt] were aware of this truth?

…Paramahamsa Deva decided to do away with such discords, so he never avoided the pointless and unpopular discussion centring the Form and the Formless. As a proof of that we frequently see that he was not satisfied with the company of his Hindu disciples and followers alone, and has earnestly kept on asking – where is Vijay [Vijaykrishna Goswami], Sivanath [Sivanath Sastri] has assured me that he would come, Keshub [Keshub Chandra Sen] is very dear to me. But he hardly was willing to convert his Brahmo disciples to Kali-worship. With his entire heart he only yearned that the conflict should disappear. It is my firm belief that for obviating the conflict, Sri Ramakrishna deserves the unique glory.

The sage who could harmonize Gita’s doctrine of Karma, Juana and Bhakti is, as it were, the man absolute – the Supreme man. …Ever since these three ways were introduced in the Gita, no fourth method has yet been discovered. He, who could harmonize these three ways, becomes the companion of Krsna – and his name is Sri Ramakrishna.