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Sree Guru Narayana Jayanthi 2021

Published: 31st Aug, 2021

Context

Recently, the Prime Minister of India has paid tributes to SreeNarayana Guru on his Jayanti. 

Who was SreeNarayna Guru?

  • SreeNarayana Guru was a catalyst and leader who reformed the oppressive caste system that prevailed in society at the time.
  • His philosophy always advocated social equality, education for all, and spiritual enlightenment. The caste system was rampant in Kerala at that time.
  • Caste: Born in the Ezhava caste.
  • Narayan Guru had experienced discrimination from the upper caste of society.
  • One of his famous sayings in Malayalam was ‘One caste, one religion, one god for all.’

Contribution in anti-caste revolution

  • Narayana Guru consecrated the first temple of Lord Shiva in 1888 where an idol was ordinated by a non-brahmin in Aruvippuram village of Kerala.
  • His step sparked off the anti-caste revolution against the upper-caste Brahmin communities.
  • In 1903, he established the SreeNarayana Dharma ParipalanaYogam (SNDP) as the founder and president.
    • The organization continues to mark its strong presence to this day.

Contribution to National Movement:

  • He was in the forefront of the movement for universal temple entry and against the societal ills like the social discrimination of untouchables.
  • He provided the impetus for Vaikom agitation, which was aimed at temple entry in Travancore for the lower castes.
  • He captured the essence of Indianness in his poems, which highlighted the unity that lies beneath the world’s apparent diversity.

Literary Works:

  • He wrote various books in different languages. Few of them are: AdvaithaDeepika, Asrama, Thevarappathinkangal, BrahmavidyaPanchakam etc.

Philosophy of SreeNarayana Guru:

  • SreeNarayana Guru became one of the greatest proponents and re-evaluators of Advaita Vedanta, the principle of non-duality put forward by AdiShankara.
  • In 1913, he founded the Advaita Ashram at Aluva. This was an important event in his spiritual quest.
  • This Ashram was dedicated to a great principle – Om SahodaryamSarvatra (all men are equal in the eyes of God).

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