2024 is coming to an end, and I realised this year I’ve spent more time than usual being hooked on Indian politics.
We’ve had quite the year in the UK with our politics.
But for the world’s biggest democracy, there’s never been a dull moment.
Recently, the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, gave a speech in the Lok Sabha, and used the word ‘Tapasya’.
He said it meant ‘generating heat in the body’.
There was a huge uproar of ridicule in response.
It did make me laugh too let’s be honest.
He is known for his previous blunders.
However, on reflection, it made some sense why he spoke about ‘heat’.
I always assumed the word ‘tapasya’ was associated with the word ‘penance’.
I’ve often heard the word in religious sermons or TV series tracing the lives of important figures in our faith.
But looking into the origins and history, there is a link to heat and burning.
‘Tapasya’ derives from Sanskrit term ‘tapas’.
‘Heat’ and ‘energy’ feature in its definition but through the idea of purification and ‘fiery discipline’ by meditation to make oneself more seasoned and mature.
Heat features because of part of the term is ‘tap’ meaning ‘to burn’.
To be fair to Rahul Gandhi, he did mention this.
The definition also makes sense because in Gujarati we have a word called ‘તાપણી’ ‘(tapani)’ and the closest meaning in English is ‘fireplace’.
But if you go deeper into the meaning and consequences of ‘Tapasya’, the word ‘austerity’ is associated too.
Austerity comes from the Latin ‘austerus’ meaning ‘severe’.
And this makes sense around the concept of ‘fiery discipline’.
‘Tapasya’ also means the ‘art of self control’ (if you look at the Yogic school of Philosophy)
We do see the link to the concept of ‘penance’.
‘Penance’ also is from the Latin ‘paenitere’ meaning ‘be sorry’ and the Latin ‘paenitentia’ meaning ‘repentance’.
This wisdom library has 32 iterations of defining what ‘Tapasya’ means too.
Penance, austerity and dedication by burning something also makes sense if you look at sayings like ‘burn the boats’.
The saying ‘burn the boats’ is from the story of the Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés and his 1519 expedition to Mexico.
Cortés ordered his men to burn the ships, giving a signal that there was no turning back and that failure was not an option.
It became a huge metaphor for being fully committed to a goal and direction you want to go in.
In order to do that you would need to burn the things that no longer serve you.
‘Tapasya’ has this spirit too.
At its core, it is the process of purification to become a more seasoned person, and thus the concept of burning away the layers is central to its meaning.
There is much to be desired on the speech the Leader of Opposition in India gave, especially about what ‘Tapasya’ means.
I think the intention of explaining what ‘Tapasya’ means was there.
The delivery, however, could have done with some further work on understanding the word (and its history) in its entirety.
But that doesn’t take away from the ability to see that a ‘tapasya’ is necessary in life, maybe more than once, if we want to evolve ourselves for the future.
So on that note, burn away what doesn’t serve you in 2025.
And see where you go.