New Delhi: The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that bridging the urban rural divide is crucial for uniform development and unity of the country. He was addressing the gathering at the 103rd Birth Anniversary Celebrations of His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Mahaswamiji, in Mysuru today. He also inaugurated the new building of Gurukula at the holy place of Suttur. The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Calling his Holiness Dr. Rajendra Mahaswamiji’s a visionary beyond ordinary, the Vice President said that he was a Guru in the real sense of the term and thought ahead of his times and dreamt of India which is rich in its heritage but poor in material wellbeing.
The Vice President said that Maths like Suttur Srikshethra, Mysore are tirelessly working and contributing immensely to keep the spiritual torch burning. He also lauded the math for providing education & health for people in rural Karnataka and said that voluntary organizations and private sector must supplement the efforts of government in providing amenities and services.
The Vice President said that the Gurukula system symbolises the extraordinary relationship between Guru and student and no other culture accords such importance to Guru-Sishiya parampara as we do in India. It is one of the most unique and ancient traditions of India and a guru is considered as God in human form and accorded the highest respect in the social hierarchy next to parents, he added.
Saying that learning under a Guru is like a sacred act of penance, the Vice President said that the ancient Gurukula system has to be re-introduced across the country and the private sector and NGOs must come forward in a big way to set up such Gurukulas. Education has the power to transform Rural India and development must improve lives of people living in rural India, he added.
The Vice President said that agriculture is our basic culture and it is the backbone of our economy. We need to take steps to make it economically viable and we must make united efforts to improve lives of farmers, he added.
“It is indeed a moment of joy for all as we gather here for two important events—firstly, the celebrations of 103rd birth celebrations of His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Mahaswamiji, the 23rd Pontiff of this renowned Math, a personification of service and sacrifice for the welfare of humanity, whose foresight and dedication have immensely enriched our society.
Secondly, Sri Suttur Math, as its wont, is laying its fine prints of service to nation by opening a new facility for the sadhaks and monks with state-of the-art facilities. I find immense joy in inaugurating the new building of Gurukula at this holy place of Suttur. It is indeed rare to find financial support of this magnitude exclusively for the training of sadhaks in spirituality. India being the spiritual hub of the world, Maths like this are tirelessly working and contributing immensely to keep the spiritual torch burning.
Sri Suttur Math with its unique history of thousand years has been a pioneer in many a fields of social service. Each of the 23 Pontiffs had his own vision towards building a society which will be free of grief and hunger. His Holiness Dr. Rajendra Mahaswamiji’s vision was beyond ordinary . He was a Guru in the real sense of the term.
His Holiness Swamiji thought beyond his times and dreamt of India which is rich in its heritage but poor in material wellbeing. He rightly believed that education alone can transform especially rural India. His compassion for the rural poor was unmatched and he took steps to establish schools and hostels for them in distant tiny villages in southern Karnataka. His mission continued with establishing hundreds of schools, colleges, hostels and hospitals across South India. With the motto of ‘Work is worship’, a new generation of committed citizenry is being created in the vast empire of JSS educational institutes in India and abroad.
With vast population suffering from poverty, illiteracy and diseases, India faced a formidable task at the time of Independence. The efforts of the Government alone were not adequate to provide education for education and healthcare for all. That was the time when many philanthropists, social workers, religious maths and industrialists came forward for building new India with all their might. Karnataka was unique in a way with hundreds of religious maths across the State focusing on education as a top priority. Taking it up as a mission, they provided free boarding and school education.
Literally, every veerashaiva math was running a free hostel for the poor irrespective of caste or creed. Sri Suttur Math was in the forefront along with other Maths in providing free education for the rural poor.
Sri Suttur Math opened hundreds of schools and colleges, including universities. Tens of thousands of students study and obtain unique educational training. Form crèche to post doctoral courses, JSS offers unique blend of learning experiences. Presently, JSS Mahavidyapeetha with more than 350 institutions of every hue, including two universities across the globe, is in its own league and carved out a niche for itself as a unique education provider.
Besides providing education for the poor at affordable cost, the Srimath under the guidance of Swamiji has embarked upon rural development programmes, especially for farming community. Krishivigyan Kendra at Suttur is an inclusive centre and helping farmers to adopt the latest techniques of agricultural farming. This indicates that the welfare of the rural poor was the foremost concern of His Holiness Swamiji. Hence hundreds of schools and hostels have been opened in rural areas for their benefit.
Devotion and realisation is not limited to any particular time, place or culture. Such a noble soul was His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Mahaswamiji, the Seer who transformed the spiritual and educational landscape of Karnataka. He had nothing but compassion for the needy. Today, we have gathered here to pay respects and homage to this great seer on his 103rdJayanthi who had the vision of transforming our lives through spirituality, societal upliftment and educational renaissance. We find in him the essence Indianness which lies in its unique philosophy of ‘all in one and one in all’ —the same is exemplified in Yajur Veda lucidly as follows:
O seeker, know the true nature of your soul, and identify yourself with it completely.
O Lord, (may we attain) the everlasting consciousness of Supreme Light and Joy.
May we resolve to dedicate our life to the service of humankind, and uplift them to Divinity.
One is surprised to see the array of institutions JSS Mahavidyapeetha administers. The true culture of India is reflected in its institutions. The schools for the poor located here are housing more than 4000 poorest of the poor students hailing from all over country. It is a reflection of un-diminished zeal of the Srimath under the leadership of present pontiff. The Srimath is also trying hard to perpetuate in its pristine the Gurukul system of education especially for young sanyasis and sadhaks.
This tradition of Gurukula is one of the most unique and ancient traditions of Hinduism. A guru is considered in Hinduism as God himself in human form and accorded the highest respect in the social hierarchy next to parents. A student is expected to pay utmost respect to his Guru and qualify himself to earn his grace and obtain spiritual knowledge.
The celebrated Sharane Akka Mahadevi in one of her vachanas elaborates the prime place of guru in one’s life as follows:
ಅರಸಿಮೊರೆವೊಕ್ಕಡೆ ಕಾವ ಗುರುವೆ,
ಜಯ ಜಯ ಗುರುವೆ,
ಆರೂ ಅರಿಯದ ಬಯಲೊಳಗೆ ಬಯಲಾಗಿ ನಿಂದ ನಿಲವ
ಹಿಡಿದೆನ್ನ ಕರದಲ್ಲಿ ತೋರದ ಗುರುವೆ,
ಚೆನ್ನಮಲ್ಲಿಕಾರ್ಜುನ ಗುರುವೆ, ಜಯ ಜಯ ಗುರುವೆ.
అరసిమొరెవొక్కడె కావ గురువె,
జయ జయ గురువె,
ఆరూ అరియద బయలొళగె బయలాగి నింద నిలవ
హిడిదెన్న కరదల్లి తోరద గురువె,
చెన్నమల్లికార్జున గురువె, జయ జయ గురువె.
Guru, who savest those
Who, seeking Thee, surrender unto Thee,
O Guru, to Thee all hail !
Thou who hast manifested on my palm
Incorporating that void Being which
Abides in the unknowable Void,
O Guru, hail, O hail !
Cenna Makllikarjuna Lord !
The Gurukula which is dedicated today symbolises this extraordinary relationship between Guru and student. No other culture accords such importance to Guru-Sishiya parampara as we do in India. Learning under a Guru is like a sacred act of penance.
I feel the ancient Gurukula system has to be re-introduced across the country and the private sector and NGOs must come forward in a big way to set up such Gurukulas.
With accommodation for more than 250 sadhaks, JSS Gurukula is an ideal place for true learning and saadana.Pranams to HH Swamiji and best wishes to you all.”
