Ambrish_Kumar's review about True Story of Secret India:

“True Story of Secret India” written by Shreepal Singh can be justly described as a mini encyclopaedia enshrining the immensity of the most relevant facts celebrating the glories, attainments and wonders achieved by the ancient Indians in realms of science, morality, religion, abstract philosophy, architecture, social organization, political philosophy, law, jurisprudence, logic, medicine, surgery letters, literature and many others, in an astonishingly admirable brevity. He has virtually captured and imprisoned the vastness of the world in brevity (immensitas gentium in brevitate). The book is a most desirable desideratum for every lover of ancient India and her civilization, especially in modern times, since no one seems to be possessed of sufficient time for carrying on penetrating investigation by rummaging a huge number of volumes and tracts written by Indian and foreign authors. The book, I sincerely believe, is most likely to serve as an intellectual companion to every admirer of India’s great ancient civilization. Shreepal Singh has amazingly succeeded in presenting the immeasurably vast panorama of India’s unsurpassed greatness, unexcelled magnificence, cultural brilliance, immortal philosophical truths and the dizzy heights of her glorious civilization, as it were, in a capsule – a task and a feat requiring immense patience, inexhaustible perseverance, prodigious amount of indefatigable labor, unflagging enthusiasm, passionate devotion and unswerving dedication, apart from an extensive research which is quite evident from the bibliography given at the end of the book. I am sure that he must have been divinely possessed, while writing the book. Nemo aliquid umquam facere potest, sine adflatu divino. He has paid respectful homage to the ancient Sages, and Rishis of India whose divine utterances of eternal spiritual truths and values formed the firmest foundations on which was built the noblest structure of her spiritual greatness and magnificence. Specially, some pretty little intimate vignettes about very personal incidents in the lives of these prodigious spiritual giants of ancient India, such as the conversation between Lord Buddha and his disciple Anand during the last hours of his life, is highly touching. I am reminded of a similar discourse Lord Jesus gave to his disciples at the Last Supper. His comprehensive vision would not be satisfied unless he included in the the biography of India her journey across her middle ages down to the present times, and that is what he has accomplished with a thoroughness expected of him, a man of admirable insights, a passionate love of truth and uncompromising integrity of thought and deed. He is a citizen of the world, intellectually, spiritually and philosophically as evident from his dispassionate treatment in his book of the political, economic, philosophical, cultural ideas and thoughts, institutions and movements which flourished and thrived among the European nations ab initio usque ad nunc.
But he has conspicuously focused his attention on the bright side of the ancient past of India, while regretfully ignoring the fate of the millions of her homines miserabiles (Shudras) who lived, for untold number of centuries, shamefully worse than an animal existence, worse than the beasts of burden, in abysmal poverty, abject penury, darkness, ignorance, disease, fear, fright, terror, torture and tyranny; who suffered endless humiliation, persecution and exploitation; who dwelt in perpetual denial of hopes, dreams, aspirations and ambitions; and who existed in eternal deprivation of even the most abjectly negligible crumbs of beatitudines (blessings) of this glorious civilization universally celebrated for its unprecedented greatness, richness, wealth, abundance and prosperity. Does this diabolically inhumane act of extreme barbarity and injustice heartlessly perpetrated ab aeterno ad aeternum on one-half of her mankind not most eloquently derogate from that which was famed and renowned the world over as “The Wonder That Was India”? Aequitas est anima veritatis. Would that he had pronounced some of his impartial cogitations on the causes for her afore-mentioned amazing achievements, attainments and glories as well as her unfortunate decline and fall and almost total eclipse for centuries, her defeats, her failures, her frustrations on all fronts, her enslavements and her thralldoms under foreign rulers. Nihilum oritur ex nihilo. Omnia habet causam. Nihil est sine causa.
I cannot restrain myself from expressing my astonishment at the regrettable neglect with which he has, for reasons best known to him, omitted from his deliberations and considerations some of the most ancient and equally magnificent civilizations of the countries of the Far East such as China, Japan, Chorea, Vietnam, Cambodia etc. nor has he focused his historical sights on the history of the ancient Jews. They were most probably the first to establish a republic among them. Adequate attention ought to have been bestowed to their ancient history, philosophy, their social organization, their political system, their theology, their religion, their religious institutions and traditions, precisely because they gave birth to two great religions of the world – Christianity and Islam. Both these religions have deeply and profoundly affected, influenced and inspired India in various forms, degrees and extents, at times to her advantage and at times to her misfortune. Both these religions are now part and parcel of the history of India, and therefore entitled to a dispassionate consideration at the hands of a historian, meaning thereby an unbiased and impartial discussion of the fortunes and misfortunes, evils and blessings that these two religions brought to India in their wake.
Lastly, I must express my deep sense of gratification and appreciation at the masterly fashion in which Shreepal Singh has presented the “child of his love” splendidly dressed and adorned in a charming, chaste, erudite and scholarly English language, rendering the “True Story of Secret India” est enimvero parvum miraculum eruditionis atque prudentiae.

Mar 22, 2012