Adi Dev: The First Man

Author: Jagdish Chander
Publisher: Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University
Condition: Softcover, wear and tear to cover, interior clean
Respected Jagdish Chander Hassija (1929-1997) was a senior brother and one of the most prolific and articulate writers of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. Adi Dev was perhaps his most seminal work in terms of its influence and significance in the lives of many students of the Brahma Kumaris or "BKs". Written in the 1970s in the authors native Hindi and then later translated and printed in English, Adi Dev chronicles the story of the founder and the early community, along with providing the essence of knowledge that is now the foundation of all Brahma Kumaris work worldwide.

Since its printing, Adi Dev has become a story of inspiration for many. The exciting and revolutionary tale of young girls and women against the forces of tradition and patriarchal hierarchy is one that continues to move many.

In Adi Dev Jagdish artfully weaves together two key elements for the reader: the old social history and the new spiritual knowledge that took almost 30 years to become clear. The dilemma with any historical account, particularly one that is so deeply romantic and mythical in its proportions and sense-making, is its 'accuracy'.

In light of original documents re-discovered in 2007 by a couple of dedicated BKs, it became clear that some of the events, interpretations and even timeline given in Adi Dev was simplified and adjusted to create a much neater theological package, rather than the messy one that more rightly represents how the knowledge developed, and the way events occurred.