Shankaracharya Vs Sai Ram!
Karan Kharb
Rev Shankaracharya Swami
Swarupanand ji Maharaj is again in the news raking up a controversy that
threatens to weaken people’s faith in this high Institution of Hindu Faith.
There are many sects within Hindus and some religions – Jain, Buddhists, Sikhs
et al – that practice variants of the Primary Fatih and essentially its
subsidiaries.
A neo-entrant sect of Sai
followers seems to have annoyed him for treating Sai Baba as a divine
incarnation and eulogising the saint by installing his idols in Temples.
Issuing diktats in a Taliban style, the Shankaracharya has virtually banished
the Sai followers from the Hindu fold by decreeing that they be forbidden from
entering the Ganga and Hindu Temples even as nothing anti-human or
anti-civilisation has been observed in the practice of Sai followers.
Recently a ‘Dharma Sansad’ has
also endorsed the Shankaracharya diktat.
So much brouhaha about an innocuous practice, no matter how
superstitious or deviant it might be, is surely against the very tenets of
Hindu religion they are claiming to protect. The whole outrage against the Sai
affair is ridiculous and cheap when viewed in the light of these very high
Priests of our Faith winking at the rampant mal-practices going on in religious
places. We have not heard them condemning
the immoral activities and crimes indulged in by the likes of Swami Nityanand
Saraswati, Bapu Asa Ram and a host of other Gurus and Swamis who stand exposed
today.
Just what are the basic Articles
of Faith enshrined in our Holy Scriptrues in this context? A few excerpts from the relevant provisions
in these Scriptures:-
1. ‘Dharma’ as defined in
Manusmriti (मनुस्मृति) is a personal regime in life
adhering to ten tenets: Patience, Forgiveness, Abstinence, Freedom from Greed,
Hygiene, Suppression of Desires; Wisdom, Intellect, Truth and Freedom from
Anger.
धृति, क्षमा, दमोऽस्तेयम्, शौचम्, इन्द्रियनिग्रह |
धीर्विद्या, सत्यमक्रोध: दशकम् धर्म लक्षणम् || (Manu. 6/92)
2. In Bhagvadgita, Lord Krishna
explains 26 attributes of ‘Dharma’ to Arjun (Chapter 16, Shlokas
1-3):-
अभयम्, सत्त्वसन्शुद्धि:, ज्ञानयोग-व्यवस्थिति, दानम्, दम:, यज्ञ:, स्वाध्याय:, तप:, आर्ज्वम्. (१)
अहिंसा, सत्यं, अक्रोध:, त्याग:, शान्ति:, अपैशुनम्, भूतेशु-दया, अलोलुपत्वम्, मार्द्वम्-ह्री:, अचापलम्:. (२)
तेज:, क्षमा, धृति, शौचम्, अद्रोह:, अतिमानता न, दैवीम्, सम्पदम्, अभिजातस्य. (३).
3. What is God? The Vedas have
elaborate exponential explanations that help us to realise and understand
God. विश्व के इतिहास में यह तथ्य निर्विरोध रूप से
प्रमाणित एवं स्वीकृत है कि वेद (कम से कम ‘ऋग्वेद’) इस संसार का प्राचीनतम् ग्रन्थ है।
भारत में भी हिन्दू धर्म के सभी सम्प्रदाय/घटक वेदों को शाश्वत, सत्य एवं सर्वोपरि मानते हैं । ईश्वर
को भी वेदों में विस्तार से परिभाषित किया गया है. संक्षेप में ईश्वर के स्वरूप
को इस प्रकार वर्णित किया है:-
“ईश्वर सच्चिदानन्दस्वरूप, निराकार, सर्वशक्तिमान, न्यायकारी, दयालु, अजन्मा, अनन्त, निर्विकार, अनादि, अनुपम, सर्वाधार, सर्वेश्वर, सर्वव्यापक, सर्वान्तर्यामी, अजर, अमर, अभय, नित्य, पवित्र और सृष्टिकर्त्ता है। उसी की
उपासना करना योग्य है”।
(God
is Embodiment of Truth and Bliss. He is
Formless, Omnipotent, Judicious, Gracious, Unchanged, Sterile, Infinite,
Incomparable, Basis of all Being, Master of all, Omnipresent, Omniscient,
Enduring, Immortal, Fearless, Eternal, Pure, and Creator of Universe. Only He
is worthy of worship.)
For
more details read: Yajurveda
23/62; 31/1; 31/13; Rigveda 1-164-39; 1-52-12; 10-129-7; Satyarthaprakash
(ch. 1).
4. More than anything else, all our
scriptures preach universal fraternity (वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्). There is no room for
animosity. Only untruth, violence and vices must be shunned by all. Virtues
like TOLERANCE and FORGIVENESS cannot be discarded – more so by those who
occupy the most revered Seats of Faith.
By castigating followers of a particular sect – Sai Ram or Sat Sai Baba
- and banning them from entering the Hindu Temples is most unfair, high-headed
and impetuous besides being illegal. The
Shankaracharya posturing runs counter to the basic principles of our Faith,
eg:-
सर्वे
भवन्तु सुखिन:, सर्वे
सन्तु निरामया:।
सर्वे
भद्राणि पश्यन्तु, मा कश्चिद् दु:खभाग्भवेत ॥
None
can impair the power or influence of the Supreme Power – God, Ishwar, Bhagwan,
Allah – call Him what you will. There is no power on Earth that can guard,
protect or save God because He is immune to harm, danger or fear. It is He who
controls all. He can neither be endangered nor threatened nor diminished no
matter how many wars we might wage on each other in His name.
Only ego and ignorance will
provoke irate responses. Knowledge of Truth will foster universal Love,
Goodwill and Compassion. Lack of it will
trigger Self-righteousness, Ego, Rivalry, Jealousy and dispute.
May Truth prevail!
