By Rajesh Pandey
The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking a complete ban on the printing, publication, distribution, and circulation of the textbook “Tathakathit Gayatri Devi Mantra Ki Vastavikta” (Reality of so-called Gayatri Mantra).
The PIL petition claimed that the textbook written by Sant Gyaneshwar Swami Sadanand Ji Parmhans argues that Goddess Gayatri, the personified form of the Gayatri Mantra, a popular hymn from Vedic texts, is ‘Kalpanik (fictitious).
The said book allegedly also claims that false and imaginary images and idols of the so-called Gayatri Devi are also being created, misleading the religiously inclined people.
Dismissing the PIL filed by Satya Sanatan Dharm Dharmatma Kalyan Samiti, a division bench comprising of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra in its order dated March 12 noted that the petitioner’s another plea for a similar cause had been dismissed as infructuous in 2016. So PIL with similar cause cannot be entertained again.
It may be noted that the PIL petition submitted that the private respondents (including the publishers of the book) made insulting comments about ‘Gayatri Mantra’ and committed the deformation in this regard by publishing the said book.
The book in question, excerpts of which were attached to the PIL petition allegedly states that Gayatri is not a goddess, nor a mantra. It is merely a verse.
It also adds that the book reveals a mystery, in which millions of men, women, scholars, acharyas, and especially pandits are trapped due to confusion.
It states that this information may hurt the feelings of the readers, especially if they have a strong devotion to the so-called Gayatri Devi, however, it calls upon the readers to not feel hurt stressing that they are caught in a misleading devotion to the so-called Gayatri Devi.