New Delhi July 18th 2009: It was a radio programme on the visually impaired that motivated a 16-year-old boy in a remote village in Bihar to learn how to read and write in Braille some day. Twenty-six years on, B B Chaudhary, a visionary cop has managed to translate the Bhagavad Gita into a script that can be read by the visually challenged people. An Indian police service officer, Dr.B B Chaudhary, posted as assistant commissioner in Delhi police has translated the Bhagavad Gita into Braille script to enable the visually challenged people to read this Hindu Religious book.
The small handbook is now ready for publication and will soon be distributed worldwide. “The translation of the Gita took me six months,” says the 42-year-old assistant commissioner with Delhi Police.
Hailing from a village near Sasaram in Bihar, Chaudhary came to Delhi to prepare for civil services and got selected in 1996. “I was in class VIII and was listening to one of the BBC programmes. I came to know about Braille and decided to learn it. In 1999-2000, when I was posted in Delhi, I learnt Braille at the National Association for Blind.” Besides serving in the Tsunami-hit Andaman & Nicobar Islands, he has worked as the head of various districts in Delhi and at IGI Airport. The youngest of six siblings, Chaudhary completed his schooling in Patna and holds an MBBS degree from Jamshedpur. He is currently posted at Tihar Jail.
On what made him choose the Gita one of the many Upanishads for translation, Chaudhary says, “It’s a part of Mahabharata in which Sanjay describes the war to Dhritrashtra, the Kaurava king. The idea came to my mind because Dhritrashtra was blind.” Chaudhary juggled between his busy work schedule and book translation to come out with the final draft.
Chaudhary, who has also done a masters in police administration from Amritsar University, plans to set up a toll-free call centre for the visually challenged. “We will take note of all their needs and persuade the departments concerned to address those,” he says. Stating that the government should introduce Braille in the Indian currency, he said, “When we have the currency written in so many languages, why can’t it be put in a language which the blind people recognize?”
Chaudhary’s wife, Sanjana Sinha, is also a doctor with Indian Railways, while their son is studying in class VII.
Source: The Times of India
The effort by Dr. Chaudhary to translate the Bhagavadgeeta in to “Braille” script is indeed commendable. It is very interesting to know that the source of his motivation which he says was the knowledge that in Mahabharata “Dhritarashtra was a blind person “.
As we meditate more on the very first verse of the first chapter of Bhagavadgeeta, which reads:
“Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre samaveta yuyutsavah
Mamakah pandavaschaiva kimkurvata Sanjaya”
Dhritarashtra said: “Sanjaya, gatheered on the sacred soil of Kurukshetra, eager to fight, what did my Sons and the Sons of Pandu do?”
it shows that Dhritarashtra was thinking of his Sons as different from those of Pandu,his brother, and thus started the conflict in Mahabharata. When a selfish thought of mine and that of others is created or allowed to expand in the mind the conflict would become inevitable. Thus, Dhritarashtra’s blindlness can also be considered as “spiritual blindless”. If such a thought of separateness did not exist in the mind of Dhritarashtra, the Mahabharata war could have been avoided.
In Verse 23, Arjuna is saying ” I shall scan the well-wishers in this war of evil minded Son of Dhritarashtra i.e. Duryodhana
( Dhaartarashtrasya Durbuddhe ) whoever have assembled on his side and are ready to fight” Thus the evil was in the mind of Dhritarashtra’s Son as well.
In verse 36, Arjuna is saying:”Krishna, How can we hope to be happy slaying the sons of Dhritarashtra?”
Thus, Pandavas were able to understand that killing their brothers can do no good, however, Dhritarashtra and his Sons including Duryodhana did not think so.
After the Great Lord Krishna has explained the whole life principle especially in Chapter 2 , the “Sankhya Yoga” and Chapter 3 “Karma Yoga”
Arjuna says in verse 73 of Chapter 18:
“Krishna, by Your grace my delusion has been destroyed and I have gained wisdom. I am free of all doubt. I shall do your bidding”
Thus the delusion in Arjuna’s mind was destroyed
Dr. Chaudhary’s work in “Braille” and spreading the message of Bhagavadgeeta to our visually challenged brotheren is an eye opener even for those with eyes.
Hari OM.
This is really appreciable, his efforts and dedication. In the age of time no one bother about other person. He has not only learn the Braille but written for Visual challenged pepole.
Appreciate efforts.
i want to know about the language of braile.pls help for that
no words for this great job. really appreciate effort