To the attention of Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, and CPM Kerala State Secretary, Comrade MV Govindan!
During the recent conference held in conjunction with the annual pilgrimage at Sivagiri Mutt, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated, “Sree Narayana Guru was neither a Vakta (spokesperson) nor a Prayokta (practitioner) of Sanatana Dharma. Efforts are being made to present him as a Sanatana Dharmi.”
Immediately after, CPM State Secretary MV Govindan also commented, “Sanatana Dharma is merely a Varna-Ashrama system. It is the obscenity of the present era.”
Healthy discussions about Sanatana Dharma and Sree Narayana Guru are encouraged. However, before we proceed, allow me to respectfully pose a few questions!
(1) The vast majority of people in India (including Kerala) are Hindus. It is a well-known fact that the true name of Hindu Dharma is Sanatana Dharma. Is it morally acceptable for prominent individuals in positions of responsibility to refer to this name in such a derogatory manner?
Keep in mind that this is the leader of a government in power, elected by a majority of Hindus. The vast majority of those who voted for the LDF are Hindus, and most of them are devout believers in Hindu Dharma.
When the District Collector removed the Cross planted on government land, you previously stated, “The Cross is a symbol of Christianity. The pain caused to believers when it is removed should have been considered.” So, when you portray Sanatana Dharma in a negative light, why do you not show the same concern for the pain caused to ordinary Hindus?
Aren’t you also the Chief Minister for the Hindus here? Are all Hindus members of the Sangh Parivar organizations?
The state secretary of the ruling party is openly criticizing Sanatana Dharma as obscene. Do the Chief Minister and prominent political leaders see no wrong or danger in insulting this community in such a manner? Or are you demeaning and assuming that Hindus are a people who will not respond, no matter what is said or done? Has the party secretary, who called Sanatana Dharma obscene, lost the awareness that in the upcoming local body and assembly elections, he will have to face voters, including Hindus, and ask for their votes?
(2) What benefit does such ridicule bring to the party and the government? Or who are you trying to please and appease?
(3) Is it right to mock the religious beliefs of only a certain group of people? Would you ever dare to say the same about other religions and their beliefs?
But I welcome the stance that a debate is needed on these 2 common accusations:
- The teachings of Sree Narayana Guru have no connection with Sanatana Dharma
- Sanatana Dharma is a Varnashrama system
These accusations need to be seriously discussed. Let’s get to that.
1) Are Sree Narayana Guru’s teachings and philosophies unrelated to Sanatana Dharma?
A person should be judged by examining his life and ideas.
When you look at the temples Gurudeva consecrated, the writings he produced, the systems he established, and the organizations he founded, it is evident to anyone that he was promoting the teachings of Sanatana Dharma. Sree Narayana Guru himself also lived his life in alignment with that philosophy.
The mistake made by the Chief Minister and the Party Secretary here lies in the misunderstanding that the fundamentalist (conservatist) theories, which emerged much later, represent Sanatana Dharma. This is not necessarily their personal fault. There is a significant misunderstanding, or perhaps deliberate misinformation and indoctrination at play. Many people have fallen victim to this form of brainwashing.
But for Sree Narayana Guru, “Sanatana Dharma” was a sacred term and a glorious philosophy. “Sanatana,” a synonym for Parameshwara, and the phrase “Sanatana Dharma,” meaning the Dharma bestowed by Sarveshwara (Parameshwara), were deeply cherished by him.
The final message sent by Gurudevan to the Pallathuruthy SNDP conference is clear proof of this. “Come to Sanatana Dharma” – Sree Narayana Gurudeva.
In his final message to the Pallathuruthy SNDP conference, Sree Narayana Guru encouraged those seeking conversion to embrace Sanatana Dharma, a philosophy that views all humans as one.
This indicates that Sree Narayana Gurudev was firmly convinced that Sanatana Dharma is a philosophy that unites all of humanity. Furthermore, he had no doubt that Sanatana Dharma belongs to the Guru Paramparas. It was this conviction that inspired Gurudev to deliver the message, “Come to Sanatana Dharma.”
This was the time when the SNDP Yogam was seriously contemplating matters related to religious conversion. Referring to this, the organizational message sent by Gurudeva in 1926 for the annual conference of the SNDP Yogam was as follows. (Gurudevan’s final message to Pallathuruthy) –
“We are very pleased to know that you are seriously considering certain thoughts regarding community organization and religious reform. However, the purpose of the organization should not be to create a community by merely including a particular caste. Religious reform should not end up being an attempt to abandon one religious group and join another. Our community organization should aim to unite all people as one. Religion should allow freedom of belief, be acceptable to all cultured minds, and guide people towards the highest ideals of humanity.”
” ‘One caste, one religion, one God for humanity’ – this is the Sanatana Dharma. We believe that uniting all those who believe in this Sanatana Dharma would be the best approach for the organization. For those who believe that inequalities and hardships will not be resolved without religious conversion, accepting ‘Sanatana Dharma’ as their religion would be both their religious conversion and declaration of freedom.”
(From the section written by Swami Aarshajnanananda in the biography written by Kumaran Asan.)
In the biography written by Moorkoth Kumaran in Malayalam, Gurudeva is addressed as ‘Sri Narayana Guru Swami, a distinguished son of the sacred Hindu religion’ (Page 79).
To know more about Aarsha Vidya Samajam, please visit: www.arshaworld.org
(to be continued…)