AGGRESSIVE HINDUISM
Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan
Founder Trustee, SISTER NIVEDITA ACADEMY,
Bharatamata Gurukula Ashram,
‘Sri Bharati Mandir’, Srinivasanagar, Kithaganur Road,
Krishnarajapuram, Bangalore 560 036.
The greatest threat to Hinduism and the Hindu Nation, Bharatavarsha, comes not from aliens from outside the country or from those children of Mother Bharat who have fallen stooges to alien culture and values of life, but from the so called sadhus, sants, spiritual heads of various sampradayas and sectarian leaders within the Hindu society who, out of their urge for domination over their blind followers, have divided the Hindu Society into multifarious groups and organizations, some even claiming themselves to be non-Hindus and minorities to enjoy political privileges and material well-being.
Hinduism has not only produced in different ages and climes great spiritual masters who have shown different pathways to God-realization, but also considered all of them as part and parcel of the hoary spiritual, cultural and national heritage of Bharatavarsha. To all of them Mother Bharat was mother of all gods, goddesses and spiritual preceptors. The Vedic seers declared “Maataa bhoomih, putroham prithivyaah”—Mother Earth is our Supreme Mother, we are Her children. The Yajurveda gave us the most ancient national anthem. Srimad Bhagavata proclaimed that the Gods in the heaven sang the praise of those born in Bharatavarsha who were right at the doorstep of highest realization, greater than heaven. Lord Rama proclaimed in Srimad Ramayana, “Jananee Janmabhoomischa swargaadapi gareeyasi”—“Mother and Motherland are greater than the heaven”. Baarhaspatya Samhita defines the word Hindu: “All those who adore and worship the land of Bharatavarsha stretching from the Sindhu river in the Himalayas upto the Sindhu (Hindu mahasagar) in the south aspitrubhooh—land of forefathers—and punyabhooh—the Holy land are Hindus.”
When Vedic rites and rituals were distorted and poor and innocent animals were sacrificed in the name of Yagas, Lord Narayana Himself took Avatar as Buddha to wean away people from meaningless killing of animals, says Jayadeva in Gita Govinda. Though Dalai Lama has declared that Buddhism is part and parcel of Hinduism, Buddhist organizations consider themselves as non-Hindu and claim Buddhism as a minority religion. Sikhism was born as a sword arm of Hinduism when onslaughts from Islamic forces tried to suppress the Hindus and subjugate Hindusthan. Guru Nanak’s son, Srichand, was a Vaishnavite saint of Sri Ramanuja Sampradaya. Guru Govind Singh was protector of Hindus. The sacred text, Granth Saahib, declared as the Guru of the Sikhs, was a compilation of sacred songs of Hindu saints. Yet, the Sikh organizations consider themselves as non-Hindu minorities. In the modern period, Maharshi Dayananda created the Arya Samaj and gave the call to the Hindus, “Go back to the Vedas”, but leaders of the Samaj in later days wanted to get a minority status. The demand was rejected by the highest court of the land. Sri Ramakrishna Mission was founded by Swami Vivekananda who emphatically declared, “My mission is not Ramakrishna’s nor Vedanta’s nor anything, but simply to bring manhood to my people.” And he gave a clarion call: “For the next fifty years this alone shall be our key-note—this, our great Mother India. Let all other vain Gods disappear for that time from our minds. This is the only God that is awake . … When we have worshipped this, we shall be able to worship all other Gods.” His illustrious disciple, Sister Nivedita wrote these words about Swamiji’s patriotism : “India was Swamiji’s greatest passion…. India throbbed in his breast, India beat in his pulses, India was his day-dream, India was his nightmare.” Such patriotism had manifested in Nivedita also. She used to recite every moment, like a sacred mantra: `Bharatvarsha, Bharatvarsha’. However, the Ramakrishna Mission distanced itself from her nationalist activities and forced her to keep herself away from the mission for that reason. In the post-independent India, the mission wanted to project itself as an independent religion and went to the court to get a non-Hindu minority status, but the highest court of the land rejected that claim.
Vaishnavam, Shaivam, Shaaktam, Gaanapatyam, Kaumaaram, and Souram are called Shanmataas or the six systems of worship of God in the forms of Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Ganapati, Kumara and Surya. In his day to day spiritual practices, a Hindu can worship God in all these forms or concentrate on any one or on combinations like Shankara Narayana or Datta Treya combining Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Hindu scriptures emphatically declare that these are all various forms of God symbolism whereas the Ultimate Reality is one and only one which is spoken of in different names and forms—Ekam Sat, vipraa bahudhaa vadanti. If any one claims that one form is superior to others and only through the worship of that form one can reach the Ultimate Reality, he is a fool, ignoramous and next door neighbour to the fanatic and fundamentalist Semitic who claims that his God alone is true and all others are false. Unfortunately, in the modern period, such sort of fanaticism and fundamentalism is creeping into the Hindu society. When one says Krishna is the Supreme God and all others are demi-gods, we are compelled to ask that fool whether there could be quarter-god, one-eighth god and one- sixteenth god and laugh at him. A staunch Vaishnavaite can stick to worship of Vishnu alone at home or in his temples, but the moment he claims that by worshipping other deities at home or visiting their temples is sin and is prohibited, he is to be pitied, because he is besmearing filth on the face of his Lord Krishna who declared in the Gita that it is He who manifests in all names and forms. Similarly if a Shaivite says that he is a Lingayat or Veerashaiva and his religion is different from Hinduism, he is to be pitied. Unfortunately there are the so called religious heads of these sects and sampradayas who want to promote the separatism and fanaticism for selfish interests, out of their urge for domination. Sometimes, politicians who want to create vote banks also promote such sort of fanaticism and separatism.
Mahakavi C. Subramania Bharati, the illustrious disciple of Sister Nivedita, proclaimed that his religion is Vaishaaktam—combination of Vaishnaism, Shaivam and Shaaktam. He, in his inspiring song addressed to a baby, gave the call—“Chetamillaatha hindusthaanam, atai deivamenru kumbidadi paappaa”—“Adore and worship the Akhand Bharat as the Supreme Deity”. He imbibed this spirit from his revered Gnana Guru, Nivedita, for whom Mother India appeared to be the Divine Energy—Shakti—clothed in the foam of the sea, the red dust of Malabar, the mud of the Ganges, the sands of the Punjab and the snows of Kashmir. To bewitch men, She let Herself be worshiped according to all the rites, and in all the temples. “Instead of being the slaves of an unknowable Brahman let us be Her slaves,” cried Nivedita. Rishi Bankim Chandra Chatterji, in his immortal ‘Bande Mataram’ song proclaimed: “Tvam hi durgaa dasha praharana dhaarini, kamala kamaladala vihaarinee, vaanee vidyaa dhaayini”—“For thou art Durga holding her ten weapons of war, Kamala at play in the lotuses and Speech, the goddess, giver of all lore, to thee I bow!” Sri Aurobindo wanted Bhavani Mandirs to be set up to adore and worship this Bharata Shakti as the Supreme Deity of the Hindu race. She is to be adored and worshipped according to Tantric rites.
This is the “Aggressive Hinduism” that Sister Nivedita preached. Sister Nivedita Academy named after her and founded in 1977 with the blessings of Acharya J.B. Kripalani and Swami Chinmayananda, brought out its maiden publication “Vande Mataram”, by Sadhu Rangarajan presenting the inspiring history of the immortal song of Bankim Chandra. Sri Bharatamata Gurukula Ashram & Yogi Ramsuratkumar Indological Research Centre was set up in Bangalore in 1999 and Sri Bharatamata Mandir was consecrated by H.H. Jagadguru Vishwesha Tirtha of Udipi Pejawar Mutt in the presence of veteran leader of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Sri H.V. Seshadri in 2004 to spread this ideal of “Aggressive Hinduism” within and outside Bharatavarsha. We rededicate ourselves to this great and grand ideal on the occasion of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sister Nivedita who dedicated her all to Mother India.
Vande Mataram!
Editorial of TATTVA DARSANA July-December 2017 issue, dedicated to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sister Nivedita. The issue, is a compilation of the articles written by Sadhu Prof. V. Rangarajan in different periods during the last four decades, and published in journals and publications. The article, ‘Sister Nivedita and Tagore Family’ is written for this issue. Link to Tattva Darsana Latest issue page in the website — http://sribharatamatamandir.org/word/?page_id=51
Source: World Hindu News (WHN)