“Education is not merely a means to secure employment but a sacred endeavour to cultivate wisdom, character, and service to society,” stated Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswati in his convocation address delivered recently at the Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Viswa Maha Vidyalaya situated in Kanchipuram. This has actually been the refrain of the 70th head of the Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavadpada’s Sarvagna Moolamnaya Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, while facing anaudience of young people. One found him laying stress on character and values while speaking to the students of Polur Government High School, his alma mater, which is celebrating its centenary. “True progress is not merely economic growth but the overall well-being of an individual, which includes mental health, social responsibility, and the ability to adapt and contribute to society. This is what we call inclusive growth — an approach where education develops not only in intellectual excellence but also in moral and spiritual values,” – this about sums up the Sankaracharya’s outlook towards the youth, in whose hands lies the future of the country. That also explains the concern with which he speaks to the children and adolescents, who come for his blessings. The curriculum of the institutions run by the Kamakoti Peetham includes heritage even while keeping the demands of the modern age firmly in sight. The scholarships given by the Peetham go a long way in helping students with merit. Tirukkural, incidentally, is a major study of subject. Women’s empowerment through education and entrepreneurship has been gaining momentum too. The Sankaracharya, who for the past four years has been covering the length and breadth of the land in the form of Vijaya Yatras, again on the lines of his predecessors, is instilling the importance of unity and peace among people, as families and communities. A brief look at the Acharya’s Purvasrama background would be appropriate here. Father Mukkamala Krishnamurthi Sastry – whose centenary was recently observed – was a renowned Vedic scholar in Thandalam. He taught, without taking fees, hundreds of students, including the young Sankaranarayanan. Agriculture was the family’s vocation. Mother Ambalakshmi managed the resources to support not only her family but the village as a community. This perhaps accounts for the Acharya’s abundant love for Nature, farming and community service. Social welfare has always been a strong suit of the Kamakoti Peetham monastery order. Following in the steps of his illustrious predecessors, for whom societal and spiritual values were like two eyes, Sri Vijayendra Saraswati is expanding the horizon on this front, launching a wide spectrum of initiatives. The Sankara Eye hospital, which the Prime Minister recently declared open at Varanasi, is a feather in the cap. Preserving the rural fabric has been another priority in the welfare schemes. Creating comprehensive medical facilities to stop people, especially the aged, from migrating to the city for health care is a step in this direction. A hospital on these lines is catering to the needy at Thandalam village. People are encouraged to revive their lifeline – water bodies such as tanks and lakes. Villages, in fact, have been the focus of the Peetham’s projects. A lot is being done to revive and nourish the temples there. Priests are taken care of with at least one puja a day as the aim. It is in this context that the Acharya called for the hand over of temples by the State Government to devotees. Speaking at Prayagraj after taking a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam on Sunday, the Acharya said that a system should be put in place by which the funds generated by temples are ploughed in to activities connected to Sanathana dharma. This would include apart from the maintenance of temples, Veda Patasalas, cow protection and priests’ welfare. The Acharya was echoing what the 68th Sankaracharya Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati expressed seven decades ago and Sri Jayendra Saraswati underlined. As the way forward, the Acharya recommended a framework based on what he called the three Ps – Praja, Prabhutva and Pujari. Guided by religious heads (pujari) and supported by the Government (prabhutva) the temples should be managed with the involvement of devotees (praja), he said. What is heritage without culture and arts? The Peetham has always given top priority to rural arts, apart from the nurturing classical stream. The artists are honoured and rewarded. On many occasions they receive new instruments such as harmonium and tabla. What is heritage without culture and arts? The Peetham has always given top priority to rural arts, apart from the nurturing classical stream. The artists are honoured and rewarded. On many occasions they receive new instruments such as harmonium and tabla. Translating the discourses of Mahaswami into foreign languages has been a work in progress. Recently, the first part of Russian translation was released. The Sri Matam camp moved from Tiruvannamalai to the Tiruvanaikkaval Sankara Math, which was gearing for the Acharya’s 57th Jayanti, falling on February 25, Maga Uthiradam. Activities in terms of Veda Parayanam and homam had begun. The Math was vibrant with the sounds of Namasankirtanam, discourses and so on. Celebrations were on at the Kanchi Math, the Mahaswami Veda Patasala at Thenambakkam and the Patasala at Thandalam, the Acharya’s birth place among other places. A highlight of the Acharya’s stay was the Tatanka pratishta of Sri Akhilandeswari, performed on February 16. The odyssey continues for the Acharya, who left the comfort of his home at the age of 13 to assume sanyasa. The head of one of Adi Sankara’s Advaita Peethams is stepping into another year, which will find him thinking of more ways to strengthen Sanathana dharma even while working for the uplift of society. And this means relentless march and rigorous schedule, which he has adopted so that his spiritual and social pursuits blend in seamless unison.
