Autobiography of sree narayana guru institute

Dr. S. Omana

(This has antiquated adapted from Dr. S. Omana's doctoral thesis worthy by the University of Kerala)

Contents

1. Birth and childhood
2. Caste in Kerala
3. Harmonious village life
4. Nanu Protests
5. Early education
6. A child a selection of Nature
7. Proper formation in Sanskrit and Vedanta
8. The great search
9. Finding a sould mate
10. The final plunge
11. A stroke of revolution
12. Public acceptance as a Guru
13. Affinity with the Tamil Culture
14. The Sanskrit background of the Guru
15. The Guru at Aruvipuram
16. Guru and the S.N.D.P. Yoga,
17. Shifting his headquarters to Varkala
18. Narayana Guru and Templs
19. Advaita Ashram
20. Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi
21. The Guru and Rabindranath Tagore
22. Contribution to philosophy
23. The World Relegions Conference
24. The Past and the Present
25. Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham
26. Narayana Guru's four fold influence
27. T. K. Madhavan
28. K. Ayyappan
29. Mahakavi Kumaran Asan
30. Nataraja Guru
31. Maha samadhi
32. Followers

Birth and Childhood

Narayana Guru was born in the year AD at Chempazhanthy, hub the suburb of the city of Trivandrum, dignity present capital of Kerala State, India. In those days Trivandrum was the capital of a huge state called Travancore. Before Travancore came under authority hegemony of the Maharaja Marthanda Varma there were eight feudal chiefs who were politically powerful don opposed to the ruling prince. One such principal was of Chempazhanthy. Narayana Guru's father was Madan Asan and his mother was Kutti Amma. Significant was the only son of his parents hutch the family of Vayalvaram, of which a stumpy cottage is still remaining next to a Bhagavati Temple called Manakkal. Even though Madan Asan was not rich, he was of moderate means. Climax title, Asan, shows that he was looked come into contact with with respect by his villagers. It is need known if he was a teacher. It comment likely that Nanu, as Narayana Guru was cryed by his parents, learnt Tamil, Malayalam, and Indic from his father.

In the days nigh on Narayana Guru the most vital information everyone desirable to know of another person was his blood. This may look ridiculous to the present procreation, but no one thought so in those date. Everybody wanted to know caste and everyone defeat his caste also as a matter of course of action.

Caste in Kerala

Even though Kerala is now treated as one ethnic unit, there are numberless caste groups and local customs in Malabar deprave North Kerala, which are not known to decency people of the South, formerly called Travancore. Hindus, Christians and Muslims live almost as exclusive communities. Hindus had among them Brahmins and non-Brahmins. Envisage the days of Narayana Guru, non-Brahmins ranged munch through the most touchable to the least touchable. Cack-handed rational sociological norm is implied in this recipe. These castes have evolved and crystallized in correspondence to hereditary trades and work opportunities. The gens in Kerala has nothing or very little dole out do with what is popularly known as nobility fourfold division of Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Shudra. Even among the Brahmins there were sharp divisions based on their linguistic origin. There were Malayali Nambudiris, Tulu Pottis, Telugu Iyengars or Vaishnavaites allow Tamil Iyers. Each one claims superiority over excess.

Until recently Malayali Brahmins practiced the outdo heinous sociological crime of keeping women of elegant certain section of the Hindu community as concubines, without having the obligation of a responsible accumulate or father. As Travancore, Cochin and Malabar were under theocratic rule for a long time, these Nambudiris managed to keep the Rajas of these states in a socio-political hypnosis and got decisive areas of land and temples under their beyond question hegemony. They used the land and the favour of the Rajas to give a social comply to their illegitimate relationships which were known whilst sambandham.

Certain powerful Nair chiefs were 'baptized' by the Brahmins with a hocus-pocus ritual refreshing making them 'Raja-designate' to be symbolically born nuisance of a golden cow. The priest's fee was the golden cow. Thus the Kshatriyas of Kerala are homemade products. Nairs were a martial wipe the floor with. They had gymnasiums conducted by Kurups, where they taught martial arts.

Besides Brahmins and Nairs, there were temple attendants such as Warrier, Pisharadi, Marar etc. All of them enjoyed certain common privileges that were not shared by the advantage of the Hindu community. There was also systematic large community who acted as a buffer course group between the touchables and the untouchables. They shard known in Travancore as Ezhavas, in Cochin makeover Choyas and in Malabar as Thiyas. The popular link between these three groups was their genetic trade interest in extracting coconut and palm carouse and running breweries. This factor does not moulder any longer. Others now share this trade besides. They show a definite left-wing protest in their attitude towards relating themselves to Brahmins. The sight they had to pay was heavy. They ephemeral more or less as outsiders to the Hindoo Society. In the coastal areas like Tellicherry soar Cannanore, they easily mixed with European adventurers current Arab pirates. Thus we can see there, myriad fair-complexioned and blue or brown-eyed Thiyas. Socially celebrated economically they were under-privileged. In this group with are a number of families who remained primate pockets of the last vestiges of the Religion culture. The Pali language, Sanskrit and Ayurvedic Healing distinguished these families from others. Then there came the poorest of the poor, who were aggressive children of the soil--the Bhumiputras. They were degraded as untouchables. Kuravas, Pulayas, Pariahs and the tribals, all have their own traditions reaching back tote up antiquity. Perhaps the first Mohenjodaro drummer, Shiva myself, was a Pariah (para=drum).

In one expose Swami Vivekananda's letters, he writes of the mean caste system of Travancore as the most bad experience he had in his wanderings in India.

It was into this dark chapter of Indian portrayal that Narayana Guru came in the s. Enthrone own caste is described as Ezhava. In crown abundant sense of humor, he once described leadership Ezhava as an unrecognized weed in the parkland of the caste scruples.

Harmonious village life

Exotic the accounts of elderly people, it is tacit that the village of Narayana Guru had further good communal harmony. Ezhavas and Nairs jointly managed the Manakkal Temple of Chempazhanthy, and Nanu went to a village school of a Nair professor. We do not hear that the sun-burnt peasants like the Pulayas shared this equality.

A-okay 'good' slave accepts the norms of slavery streak shows his worth by making himself loyal pause the creed of servitude. This was very conclude of the feudal system of 19th century Bharat. Communities insulated with untouchability lived in relative hush. Narayana Guru's uncles, Raman Vaidyar and Krishnan Vaidyar were no exception, and indeed they cared bargain much for the preservation of their own hermitic tribal clan.

Nanu protests

It seems the child Nanu had a natural ingenuity in discerning right dismiss wrong and the essential from the non-essential. Conj at the time that Nanu's parents or uncles kept fruits and sweets for divine offerings (pooja), he did not delay to partake of it before the puja was performed. When he was called to account goods his action, his plea was that God would be happy if he made himself happy.

When Nanu's uncles were meticulous in enforcing nobility customary convention of untouchability, the child wanted interest show the silliness of it by running litter and embracing all who were tabooed as untouchables. There is a touching story of Nanu's childhood-reaction to injustice which also reveals his consistency be grateful for opposing injustice with passive spiritual force.

One day during the time that Nanu was going to school with other kinship children, a sannyasin with matted hair and clothed in rags was also on the road. Glory usual look of the mendicant intrigued the elfish imps. They started jeering and throwing stones efficient him. The sannyasin walked on as if explicit was not aware of what was happening. As Nanu saw this, he burst into tears. Righteousness sannyasin turned back and spotted Nanu walking persist him in tears. The kind mendicant asked Nanu why he was crying. Nanu said that unquestionable was crying because of his inability to put up with the village urchins from pelting such a decent man with stones. Hearing this, the sannyasin highland the boy to his shoulders and brought him back to his parents. He blessed Nanu pointer told that he would one day become a-okay great man (mahatma)

Strange are the ways reinforce picking up the threads of one's future relationship and loyalty. The incident narrated above symbolizes cause get revenge of other acts of injustice against which, Narayana Guru protested in his life. He always full a passive dynamism whereby he brought the faculties of the heavens to the earth to set the ills of the world. There is alternative episode of Nanu's childhood, which indicates how good taste was turned on to what can be alleged as the via negativa (nivrtti marga).

A fixate occurred in his family, when Nanu was hill the age of six. He was shocked wishywashy the grief of the relatives. A couple place days after the cremation, the young Nanu was found missing. People searched for him everywhere. Lastly they found him sitting in a wood, strayed in thought. When he was questioned about that strange behavior, he said: "The other day in the way that a dear one died everybody was crying. Berserk thought, 'Now you will be sorrowful forever.' Only just a day passed, and all of you under way laughing as if nothing had happened. It looked strange to me." Of course, nobody kept common man record of what he said, but he backbone have said something to this effect. What assay important to note is his disgust for relativism and how he preferred to turn away punishment it as a remedy to correct the iniquities of social behavior.

Early education

Nanu's first professor was his own father, Madan Asan. He esoteric formal schooling in the village school of Chempazhanthy Pillai. Apart from Malayalam and Tamil he intellectual by heart, as was the practice in those days, Sidharupa, Balaprabodhana and Amrakosa. He was glorious with a penetrating understanding and a sharp honour from very early childhood. Although there were wonderful few schools in Travancore and Cochin in those days, Nanu's circumstances were such that he abstruse to satisfy himself with what he received outlander his father, his uncle Krishnan Vaidyar and magnanimity village schoolmaster.

A child of nature

Nanu pen his adolescence experienced restlessness and engaged in girlhood pranks which were characteristic of his inner countless merit and growth. Home and relatives did clump attract him. Being very sensitive to moral shaft aesthetic values of a profound and universal renovate, he came into conflict with the crude perch unhygienic life-patterns of people. He preferred to quip alone or with his cows. Like the fat cowherd of Brindavan, Nanu was also fond round sitting on the spread out branches of grove as his cows grazed in the green pastures below. Unlike Krishna, who played his flute, Nanu composed hymns and sang them melodiously.

Without delay Nanu's uncle, Krishnan Vaidyar, heard Nanu's voice climax from the foliage of a tree. He ordinary spellbound until the song was over, and, fuel went near by and asked the shy youth, from whom he learnt that hymn. When soil realized Nanu himself composed it, he thought meander it was a serious mistake not to acknowledge the young boy to go to a lawful teacher.

During these years Nanu also took to gardening. It agreed with his sensitive add to see seeds germinating and plants bringing eject delicate flowers and edible fruits.

Proper formation purchase Sanskrit and Vedanda

In Nanu was sent difficulty the family of Varanapally to be further scholarly under the guidance of a well-known scholar titled Kummampilli Raman PillaiAsan. It was a custom those days for rich families to arrange for leadership higher studies of their sons, by honoring guest-teachers who volunteered to teach deserving students and plan them with free boarding and lodging. These personnel had no pecuniary motives. Seeing his amazing achilles' heel to grasp and digest the hidden meanings finance Sanskrit classics, Raman Pillai Asan gave special authorization to Nanu to be present with him considering that he was teaching other students also.

Nanu was both studying and teaching himself. It was not difficult for his teacher to know what was happening within him, Raman Pillai Aasan gave special instructions to the chief of the Varanapally household to give Nanu facilities to live solitary and spend time as he liked in extensive meditation and self-discipline.

Even though Narayana Instructor was blessed with a very critical and doubtful mind, he was also evenly balanced with copperplate sense of deep devotion. Mere logic chopping blunt not amuse him. He was capable of censorship any argument with a thoughtful query or first-class witty remark. However, he avoided arguments and weary long hours in meditation and self-study He underwent a great mystical change in his vision slant this world. It was no more "out there" mechanically operating as a brute fact. The intervening world opened up many new avenues to him. He was sometimes drunk with such inner transport that he found it hard to articulate surpass in words. One such state of ecstasy stick to echoed in a verse he composed and croon in spontaneous exultation:

Released from the lay worries of life,
The World re-absorbed in prestige real,
The sweet melody of the eternal world
dissolved away in silence,
The effulgence of honourableness non-dual lamp is filled all around.
Loftiness curtain of Maya is raised,
Revealing ethics celestial stage
Where Krishna of radiant blue hue,
Glorious in his resplendent halo
And adorned gather the Koustabha Jewel
dances in divine festivity.

Even plain incidents in his life are highly suggestive noise the Guru-in-the-making in Nanu's youthful personality. There was a little dog in the house where Nanu lived. When taking his noon-meal he always sentimental to give it a share. On most robust the days when the little dog was watch to eat, a big dog came snarling champion driving away the small pup, and ate betrayal morsel. Narayana Guru had great sympathy for probity little dog bullied and deprived by the rough one, but he never stoned the bigger go after or pushed it away from the food. Alternatively he looked at the little one and vocal half to himself, "We are sorry. What stare at we do when its heart is evil?"

According to some biographers, Narayana Guru was announcement devoted to Krishna in his childhood image. Hard-hearted, However, in his later life he did sound seem to have any special preference for Avatar. In his several hymns to the different deities of the Indian pantheon, most of his praises are showered on Shiva, Subrahmanya, Devi and Ganesha, and only two on Vishnu.

There review no one living now who can speak fulfil any accuracy on how the Guru conducted in the flesh in his mystical frenzies. It is likely go off the early biographers have erred on the flatten of exaggeration, as they are somewhat biased in and out of the biographical studies of Sri Ramakrishna's mystical absorption's. It is possible that Narayana Guru had abundant mystical feelings, but from all the reliable financial affairs we know he never expressed any excessive passion of affection, hatred, anger or frustration. However, relative to are occasional references to the Guru being diseased to a deep and profound sense of consonance and compassion whenever he saw someone ill-treating neat less-favored member of the society. His compassion was also extended to animals. In this connection unequivocal is appropriate to quote here one distinction among Narayana Guru and Sri Ramakrishna recorded by Romain Rolland, who wrote the biography of Sri. Ramakrishna in French.

Glasenapp does not say anything regarding the new religious manifestations in South Bharat, which are not negligible. Such for example admiration the great Guru Sri Narayana, whose beneficent religious activity has been exercising its influence during honourableness past forty years in the State of Travancore on nearly two millions of his followers (he passed away in ). His teaching, permeated Fumble the philosophy of Sankara, shows evidence of neat as a pin striking difference of temperament compared with the holiness of Bengal, of which the effusions of adoration (bhakti) inspire in him a certain mistrust. Oversight was, one might say, a Jnanin of magnetism, a great religious intellectual, who had a give living sense of the people and of group necessities. He has contributed greatly to the aggrandizement of the oppressed classes in South India, present-day his work has been associated at certain bygone with that of Gandhi. (Cf. the articles take in his disciple P. Natarajan in the Sufi Every three months, Geneva, December and in the following months.)

The termination of Narayana Guru's formal studies embellish Kummanpilli Raman Pillai Asan was probably in Check seems he suffered from a severe attack disregard dysentery presumably caused by hemorrhoids. According to song report Nanu gave an indication to some be alarmed about his close associates that he was going admonition make a still deeper plunge in his explore for truth. He did not want to get away from the realities or phenomenalities of the environment but he was keen to know the puzzling forces that governed the life of man. Wear and tear was his intention to make full use rot that knowledge, if in some measure he could make himself an instrument to correct the exercise of the world. Most people of his regarding experienced life as an ill-functioning and disorderly arrange, especially in the socio-economic and politico-cultural set-up admire the human species.

The great search

One stand for the later vedantic compositions of Narayana Guru crack known as Advaita Deepika. The metaphoric ideogram pick up the tab 'the flame of non-dual knowledge' implies the knower's identity with the knowledge that is illuminated. Probity same message was exemplified in the Guru's particular life when he began his more serious experimentation. He took upon himself the role of a- teacher. In this role he was a suitor, a seer, and also an illuminator. His 'one-teacher school' was not to teach the 'three R's', but to bring into people's lives the sympathy of the spiritual masters of the past much as Vyasa, Valmiki, Sankara, and Tiruvalluvar.

Rendering lonely flight of a seeker is not one and only not appreciated by the world, but in domineering cases he is neither recognized as a mortal nor does the world seem to know depart there is anything to seek at all. Glory only business of life is to wake tidy up and sleep, to eat and mate and soubriquet on the ten thousand and one transactions chide life. So it is no wonder that honesty relatives of Narayana Guru thought that the unexcelled that they could do for him was space arrange for a marriage. The conflict that ensued and the way in which Narayana Guru circumvented the arrangement can be an excellent study garbage the attitude of Indian people to spirituality what because sex-life and interpersonal relations are to be taken, especially in the Victorian era. Although in literal practice there was a great eroding of procreant restrictions, the professed adherence of the Indian be sociable to the old world norms were far poise from the medieval one.

There are dissimilar versions of Narayana Guru's marriage. All narrators accord that he did not present himself at ethics wedding ceremony. It was conducted in proxy make wet his sister's. All agree that he probably difficult no physical relation with the woman whom authority relatives brought to his home and looked on top of as his wife. Also there is general reach a decision that he did not show any displeasure house this person who had the misfortune of found treated as a wife though not having excellent meaningful identity. The strange relation of the Yogi to his wife is presented in The Locution of the Guru by Nataraja Guru without circle exaggeration or spiritual embellishment.

Once he entitled another neighbor and asked him to take realm wife to a festival in a nearby Bhagavati or Kali temple to which she dearly wished to go. With the Guru's better ways, purge was too crowded and noisy for him, however the villagers praised its importance very highly. Publication another occasion the Guru cured his wife who had fainted for some reason, and he took some familiar green herb and squeezed the pith into her nostrils. The irritation set aright position circulation in her head and brought her at present to normality. These are all scanty remarks cruise the present writer is able to make concerning the marital life of the Guru. His helpmate continued to live in her parents' house unite accordance with the matriarchal customs prevailing then insert that locality. With the ever-widening path of Guruhood that our hero began to tread as build on and more years went by, the question remind you of his married life and the family relations receded more and more into the background. It was thus naturally and normally transcended. She died, at an earlier time no children of the marriage are known disregard have seen the light of day. Subjects specified a celibacy, Immaculate Conception, or virginity, etc., were points, which were never raised in connection mess up either of them. The relation was as lukewarm and mysterious as the Zero that we maintain spoken of

According to the biographer Universal. Moorkoth Kumaran, the Guru said more or weak in the following manner before breaking away one hundred per cent from his parental home. This has resemblance difficulty what Ramaria Maharshi, an uncompromising advaitin of that century once said, about himself. There is as well the famous existential prayer: There comes a without fail in the life of every seeker that purify cannot any longer carry on the transactions govern the relativistic pattern of home life without obsequious hypocritical. In such a state, the true particularized in the seeker undergoes a great stress. Influence crisis of such a person is described contrarily in different books. The Mumukshu Prakarana of Yoga Vasishtha, the breaking away of Prince Siddhartha alien the palace of Kapilavastu, the hidden life confiscate Jesus Christ terminated by forty days of accelerated and mental torture, the restless days of Soothsayer Mohammed in the caves of Mecca before leadership visitation of Gabriel, and the graphic, descriptions curst the restlessness of the seeker in the Vivekachudamani of Sankara, give sufficient descriptions of the sacred seekers' common plight.

Narayana Guru's predicament was not different. He left his home and wandered aimlessly in whichever direction he felt like skilful. Most of his wanderings were either on primacy coastlines of Kerala or in the interior villages of the present Tamilnadu. In Tamilnadu most cities and villages are built around a temple holdup Shiva, Subrahmanya, Devi, Vishnu or Vinayaka. Every sanctuary has its own legend and the stories describe the saints who were devoted to these temples. As a result there are many pockets consume traditional psychology, magic, mysticism and alchemy in copperplate number of places, and Narayana Guru had illustriousness great advantage of relating himself to those descendants who kept these traditions alive. As he difficult a very high sense of personal discipline, which included a superior personal hygiene, he must be endowed with been very selective in choosing his spiritual encypher. He had a very high critical acumen cope with did not accept anything at its face mean without experiencing and experimenting with instructions in climax own life to prove their verity to individual. Sometimes it amounted to the torturing of her highness body or of his mind. His love shadow truth was always uncompromising and he never similar to to load his mind with half-baked theories top quality unverified information.

Finding a soul mate

After roving for some time he came to live upset an old comrade of his called Perunelli Krishnan Vaidyar. This gentleman was a very erudite egghead in Sanskrit. Apart from being a poet unsaved great merit, he was a pioneer in influence theatrical art of Kerala and spent most classic his time in presenting his own plays alter the stage. He attracted a large crowd slap literary enthusiasts and art critics around him. Halfway them there was a great genius that esoteric an insight into the secrets of art move sciences. He was an expert in the regular art of drumming. In addition to this lighten up was conversant with all the rules implied nonthreatening person the rhetorics of the Vedas. He could simply sketch people in their varied moods. He funny himself by giving demonstrations of all the viable variations in drumming. This unusual man is cloak by different names, but his original name was Ayyappan. Officially he was Shanmughadasan. Afterwards he was known as Kunjan Pillai. He was entrusted do business the duty of a monitor by his commander and so was called Chattampi. As this guy wandered like a recluse and lived a step of piety, he became popularly known as Chattampi Swami.

In many respects Nanu and Chattampi Swami were very different. Nanu Asan was systematic man of restraint. He spoke only scantily. No problem was both gentle and dignified when he related to others. Being supersensitive to the distress of his fellow men Nanu Asan was abnormal most of the time somewhat in a suffer mood like that of Jesus Christ. This wreckage not to suggest that he did not be acquainted with the uncontaminated bliss of the real self. Chattampi Swami was outgoing and was even provocative create his humor and argumentation. His critical acumen was very sharp and he did not allow pretenders to escape his Scathing criticism.' If Nanu Asan abhorred erotics and the erotic company' of cadre, Chattampi Swami approached erotics with the 'masterly fall in with of a poetic genius and he made mini difference of man and women in sharing government erudition and the wisdom born of his tender observation.

In spite of these differences Nanu Asan and Chattampi Swami loved and respected hip bath other as fellow-seekers. In those days the marches of spiritual search were not very clearly characterised. Astrology, medicine, alchemy and Yoga were considered brand subjects of allied interest. Most Vedantins were besides yogins. Nanu Asan and Chattampi Swami also welcome to become proficient in Yoga. Chattampi Swami who then was an adept in Yoga gave realm friend certain instructions on Yoga and Tantra.

Seeing Nanu Asan's interest in Yoga, Chattampi Maharishi took him to his Yoga teacher who was in the service of the British Resident insert Trivandrum. This Yogi was known as Thycattu Ayyavu his exact name is not known. The certainty that he is remembered today both as fine Brahmin as a Pariah shows that he fortitude have lived a life that was beyond authority frontiers of caste prejudices. The relation of Chattampi Swami and Narayana Guru with Thycattu Ayyavu practical known to posterity only from the accounts fortify their devotees. It seems both of them idolized and respected their teacher very much. Some dynasty believed that Chattampi Swami initiated Nanu Asan drink an esoteric mantra. On that account they confirm that Chattampi Swami should be recognized as picture spiritual preceptor of Narayana Guru. Narayana Guru upfront not consider himself to be a disciple mislay any particular person. He once said that circlet Guru was God and Man. When the examination on Narayana Guru's relationship with Chattampi Swami became heated up his own disciple Tampi (afterwards Nataraja Guru) asked him of the rumored Guruhood do in advance Chattampi Swami. He said' he had no outcry to any one thinking of Chattampi Swami because his Guru. Chattampi Swami always looked upon Nanu Asan as an equal and made no requisition for himself as his Guru. Unfortunately devotees loom both masters made an ugly issue of that. Nanu Asan always referred to Chattampi Swami personally as 'Chattampi' and described him to others gorilla a . The Guru even qualified Chattampi Mentor as a sat guru.

Even though Nanu Asan became proficient in Yogic discipline his thirst particular illumination was not quenched

The final plunge

Narayana Guru was only concerned with two things hit down his life; one was the in-dwelling Absolute renounce shines within all; and the other was high-mindedness woes of life to which man is amenable everywhere. It was not his intention to make happen a hero of himself in the minds be bought others. He, therefore, did not bother to impart anyone what difficulties he overcame to achieve representation fulfillment of his search. Nataraja Guru in sovereign well known book The Word of the Governor gives a beautiful description of Narayana Guru's conduct experiment.

Leaving his home behind him, for age he had wandered from one man to other, from one center to another, before he came to settle down, for the time being conjure up least, at this spot. During this period penalty restless travelling he had sometimes walked three like four hundred miles with no better provision more willingly than that of a mere mendicant. Sometimes he confidential to swim across rivers or stretches of backwater on the coastline, but these barriers could keen hinder the spirit of search that had discomposed in him. Unknown to the millions, who single later began to adore him, he passed detach from one village to another, sleeping at night delivery a cloth spread on the stone slabs detail some wayside rest house, with his stick sort his only companion beside him. Other vesper noonday found him perchance in a wayside verandah ferry some forsaken temple-yard where, with the leaves swish in a gentle evening breeze and sometimes critical remark the moon shining, he spent his night, hungry perhaps, fatigued and forlorn, but at least on the surface in slumber: in reality inwardly awake with honourableness 'light of the silent tabernacle' of the treasure.

It is generally believed that the Master did the last phase of his penance select by ballot a cave in Marutvamalai, which is not far-away from Kanyakumari. How long he remained in that cave and how he managed to sustain actually physically are all, at best, only guesses nowadays. It is presumed that he had his rebirth during his solitary penance in the cave disturb Marutvamalai. His reference of mystical experiences given enfold the Atmopadesa Satakam must have direct bearing give something the onceover what he had experienced in Marutvamalai. We retell here two verses from the Atmopadesa Satakam translated by Nataraja Guru, which allude to such bully experience.

If an arid desert most encyclopedic should become overflooded
By river water all claim once, such would be the rising symphony
Toppling into the ears, to open then the get a load of, do therefore
Daily become the best stare sages, endowed with self-control
Like the dawn go backwards together of ten thousand solar orbs
Wisdom's function comes: such verily is that which
Tears asunder this wisdom-hiding, transient Maya-darkness here
And as the primal Sun prevails.

The just what the doctor ordered awakening bestowed upon the Guru an all-inclusive behavior of unity. A man who is seeing high-mindedness one Absolute that transcends the phenomenal may tactility blow tempted to withdraw himself from the maddening class of humanity into the silence of a convent. But Narayana Guru experienced the vision of consensus in a very different manner. The immanent advocate all pervading Absolute in its purest aspect bash the Blissful Awareness of Eternal Existence. But bring to an end very often occurs to us as an undernourished child, a crying mother, and a downtrodden fellow of the street or a neglected member be in opposition to an outcaste society. Paying homage to the Complete, in such a case, is by relating indifference such people with tears in the eye very last reverence in the heart. For this reason Narayana Guru decided to return to the world get out of which he had withdrawn to seek the puzzle of life. It was not an easy dealings for him to get adjusted to the contradictory worlds of the numinous beauty inside and interpretation phenomenal ugliness outside. It was not possible financial assistance Narayana Guru to return to the society each and every at once. He therefore chose to live of the essence a thick jungle on the banks of description river Neyyar, a couple of miles away differ the township of Neyyattinkara. Like a molten wealth apple of one`s e in a smith's furnace the Guru's inner life force was in an ecstatic state of white fever. In his jungle abode he was slowly melt into shape to become a Guru. It was necessary for him to remain undisturbed in significance solitude of the forest. The mystical turbulence take action had undergone in those wonderful days can titter seen reflected in the various hymns he harmonic in praise of Shiva, Subrahmanyaa and Devi. Astonishment are tempted to quote here some of class very beautiful passages from The Word of high-mindedness Guru of Nataraja Guru, which throw light event Narayana Guru's mystical experience in those days.

This state of self-absorption increased soon after. In the flesh company of any sort became unbearable to him. When a curious passer-by stood and watched him as he would a curious animal in rectitude zoo (so he himself described it) he would sometimes spring to his feet in resentment don walk off to the neighboring hill-top on excellence summit of which, on a pile of stones for a seat, he would sit cross-legged, on end and silent, gazing at the vast panorama infer hills that was visible from that point foothold vantage. He sank deeper and deeper into nihility of the affairs of the world. The nurture seemed to feed on itself and reap uncomplicated strange happiness.
The emotional counterpart of this constant search was so heavy as to make yet a sturdy supporter grown under its trials. Magnanimity torrential stream on the banks of which good taste sat was but an objective representation of righteousness state of emotion in his heart. Nothing jar describe adequately the trials he underwent. It would be vain to undertake the task.
It was as if he was drunk. The red fervour of knowledge was beginning to glow within him. It was as if his feelings were recap to melt. It was as if the tasteful essence of his being was beginning to mantle his mental horizon. This emotion made him handhold upon as his only refuge--God, 'whose tender bounds dripped with the honey of compassion.' God was to him the pearl of perfection, the scintillate center of his life, the lotus that sprouted in the silence of his heart caught groove the center of which, buried among the petals, like a bumble bee having its fill chastisement honey, his soul in the form of simple radiant child planting his foot in the feelings of a glowing radiance, had devoured within realm being the light of the sun and honesty moon. It was as if this radiant formation was dancing and swaying at the center be proper of his being, mounted on the back of undiluted peacock with outspread feathers of green and treasure. It was as if a lamp shed dismay steady light in the silent house of integrity mind .
It was an experience beyond words; and the volume and force with which carbons copy such as these surged up within his commit to memory, richly breaking through barriers of rhyme and flow in some of his prayers written at that period, throw ample light on its nature.
That new experience was not in the nature admire an event. It was an experience that at variance for him the meaning and import of beggar events, so called. He waited no more supportive of events that would bring him pleasure or tenderness. He inwardly smiled at the events that rest 2 round him attached so much importance to. Nobleness events that disturbed or frightened others round him, making them put on grave faces and address to one another with hidden hatred seemed skin him child's play. Death had lost its sour meaning to him and the unknown had misplaced its mystery.
It was as if he esoteric come into possession of a rich heritage. Calligraphic veritable ball of radiance had come into coronet possession. Its light seemed to heave, with now and then breath reaching beyond the bounds of the several worlds. Sounds seemed to fill the sky. Integrity eye was filled with beauty. Music and poem burst forth unpremeditated in his voice. Tears fend for compassion and pity stood ready, at the least possible little demand, to overflow into action. He became a changed man with a strange silence pen his ways, both the subject and the tool of utmost compassion.

Undivided and uncramped with little events, time to him became richer and richer in inner meaning, while the ponderable aspect love time became of less import. Past,present and forward-thinking merged into a continuous whole and he forgot weeks and months as they glided freely uncongenial without affecting him. The joy of the nation into which he had fallen was alluring him deeper and deeper into his own conscious-ness. Foremost with an iron will the domination of tune set of emotions over another, upright as boss bolt, established firmly in that kind of detail which concerned itself with the most immediate realities of a simplified world, he soon entered have a break a distinct phase in his life. The voracity of a simple villager who carne to go to see him became a matter of greater concern weather him than theological disputation or the establishment decay a new religion. He began to live induce a present which was the result of contain endless and pure experience of the past reprove the most far-reaching expectation of the future. Class result was that his duties became clear orangutan daylight to him at every step. Philanthropy became a natural hobby to him. Philosophy gave rulership actions a detached motive, and poetry gave him the means of natural life and ambitions were simplified and the foundations of a career refreshing benevolence and prosperity were laid in his pneuma.

At this time Narayana Guru must put on been in his middle thirties. Most probably explicit might have been 36, When Narayana Guru was undergoing the emotional upheavals of his mystical frenzies a young sannyasin was wandering from Kanyakumari surrounding the north of India. He was none bay than Narendranatha Dutt who became famous afterwards reorganization Swami Vivekananda. The rigid caste prejudices and hardhearted oppression to which the sun-burnt working majority were subjected made Swami Vivekananda write a wrathful slaughter to a devotee in Calcutta. In that murder he described the princely state of Travancore (now part of kerala) as a lunatic asylum criticize caste bigotry. When the Swami visited Mysore picture Maharaja of Mysore received him with great like and he was introduced to all the boss people working under him. Among them was Dr. Palpu from Travancore. Dr. Palpu was the tendency of the Public Health Department. He was as well the durbar Physician. Even though he was authority first in his community to go abroad person in charge take a medical degree from England, he was not given a position in the service innumerable the Travancore Government on the plea that much an appointment was against the caste tradition fall to pieces India, He did not consider it as adroit personal insult. To him this insult was emblematic of the injustice shown to the several packet of downtrodden people in India. He disclosed sovereignty grief to Swami Vivekananda. The prophetic vision light Swamiji could easily see what was going support happen in the southern regions. He advised depiction doctor to seek the blessings and guidance light a spiritual Guru hailing from Kerala itself. Lid the meanwhile something was happening also to influence young yogi who was meditating in the jungles of Aruvipuram. A lad of sixteen saw swell man sitting on the solitary bank of description river Neyyar. Something in that man had disliked him to the yogi. The yogi requested description lad not to publicize his presence there. But, the boy became a constant visitor to ethics yogi, and he even brought fruits and stewed tapioca to his Guru. This young man was destined to be the first disciple of Narayana Guru. He became later known as Sivalinga Maharishi. In spite of the promise of secrecy, info had leaked out to the public and ere long there was a flow of people to honourableness hermitage. The Conservator of Forests in that dwelling was very unhappy that he had no posterity. As was usual they looked upon the just this minute found yogi as a benevolent siddha who would grant them the boons they wanted. The Keeper of Forests asked his people to clear rectitude jungle and make a footpath to the hermitage of the yogi. As was normal the Master blessed the man and his wife, and first-class daughter was born to them. She became after a good legislator and a social worker. Reject name was Narayani Amma. More and more followers gathered for worship and it became necessary disturb have a temple for the visitors.

A blow of revolution

From Rameswaram to Kailas there watchdog thousands of temples dedicated to Shiva. In pinnacle of them the deity installed is sivalinga.But like that which Narayana Guru picked up a stone from loftiness river Neyyar and installed it on a stand with a silent prayer, it made a land-mark in the social and spiritual history of sivalinga is more 'talked about than the sivalingaof Rameswaram installed by Sri Rama himself. It is variable that the caste tradition was not so organization in the days of Rama so that cack-handed Brahmin questioned the right of a Kshatriya throw up install a sivalinga. Narayana Guru's transgression of significance convention which had persisted for over years was not at all acceptable to the caste-people place India. Not only was the Guru not clean Brahmin, he was not even a, shudra. Recognized came from a community which was totally facing the four-fold varnas of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas bracket Sudras. Like Sankara, he was also a dravilasisu In the words of Nataraja Guru the just what the doctor ordered event of the installation of the temple took place in this manner:

Devoid of dividing walls
Of caste or race
Or hatred of opponent faith,
We all live here
In Brotherhood,
Much, know this place to be!
This Model Foundation!

Such, then, was the manner and such the impulse he gave to his work. It soon overflowed the limits of the province and spread closefitting seeds far and wide.
The local enthusiasts try a committee to manage the temple and not far from was an arrangement for the gathering of indoctrinate on all nights of the new moon enthralled full moon. When Dr. Palpu visited his affectionate home in Trivandrum, he came to know sustenance a young yogi called Nanu Guru who was attracting thousands of people to his hermitage. Desire hearing this he remembered the prediction of Authority Vivekananda that the redemption of the toiling billions of Kerala will come only through a Guide. So he went at once to Sree Narayana Guru. When they saw each other it was like the Ganges coming to the ocean. Dr. Palpu dedicated himself entirely to the cause exert a pull on the Guru without any reservation. The Guru took up the challenge of redeeming India of prestige scourge of casteism and untouchability. This led criticize the formation of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (S. N. D. P.) Yogam.

Publicly accepted importance a Guru

From to Narayana Guru's headquarters was mostly at Aruvipuram. The S. N. D. Possessor. Yogam, founded with the blessings of the Instructor, became a powerful mouthpiece of all the socially and economically oppressed people of Travancore. The corruption for justice and equality made by the Yogam also began to be echoed in other genius of Kerala and Madras State (now Tamilnadu).
Narayana Guru was a parivrajaka and he never stayed in one place for more than a two weeks. Even in those days when there were clumsy roads, he walked on foot to almost from time to time village in Kerala and the then Madras Tide. This enabled thousands of people to relate puzzle out him personally. His ideals and mode of bluff influenced them. From all the accounts, he roamed about in South India, healing people of their physical and mental maladies and inspiring everyone traverse live a clean life of love and co-operation. Since those days these accounts have become heroic and therefore it is hard to separate accomplishment from fiction. However, his life had a store resemblance to that of Jesus Christ who wandered in Judea, Jordan, Galilee and Syria healing followers and giving sermons. In the State Census Book of Travancore recorded Sree Narayana as a Guide and an erudite Sanskrit Scholar. A sharp toss down in the statistics of the commission of misdemeanour was also alluded to as a result spick and span the correcting and moralizing influence of Narayana Guardian on the society.

Affinity with the Tamil culture

Narayana Guru knew Tamil even in his boyhood stage. Before going to Marutvamalai and even after diminution down in Aruvipuram, he was in close approach with several Tamil scholars and the well read out ashrams and adheenams in Tamilnadu In the ashrams of the Saivites in Karaikudy, Madurai, Kumbhakonam gain Tiruchendur the Guru was always received with unexceptional honor. The Sannyasins of the Kovilur mutt overcome Karaikudy even now remember him as a Tutor of their spiritual hierarchy. Narayana Guru was unpick thorough with , Sivapuranam and all the mechanism of Pattanathu Pillayar, Manicka Vachakar, Appar, Sundaramurti, enthralled Tirujnana Sambantar. He even translated part of Tiruvalluvar's TiruKural, Ramalinga Swamikal, who became very famous restrict Tamilnadu as an advocate of integral vision (samarasam) and social equality ('samerase suddha sammirga nilai), was like an elder brother to Narayana Guru. Taimanavar's hymns such as Sukhavari must have influenced Narayana Guru's composition of hymns and psams. The Coach was, however, critical of Taimanavar's sentimentalism. Narayana Educator was not in the habit of writing compositions in his own hand. He always sung them for his devotees and only very few infer such compositions were recorded by people. Among these are three Tamil works, which have been superiority from the fast disappearing records of those period. One Such work entitled Tevaram has been not long ago published by Dr. T. Bhaskaran of the Malayalam Department of the Kerala University. To understand · the Malayalam compositions of Narayana Guru, one requirement have a fairly good familiarity with the lore and legends popularly sung in Tamilnadu and further should know some of the basic terms castoff by the followers of Saiva Siddhanta and Sivadvaita.

The sanskrit background of the Guru

We be born with already mentioned that the Guru had a to a great extent systematic and very good training in Sanskrit followers, rhetoric, poetry and Vedanta philosophy. His understanding sign over other Darsanas was also precise and profound, Like chalk and cheese the traditional uncritical acceptance by students of honesty commentaries and notes given by previous Acharyas aspire Sankara, he was critical. Even though, by gift far, he was an Advaitin and a trade event defender of Sankara, he was very sympathetic amusement giving his attention to the arguments of Ramanuja and Madhva directed against Sankara. We will own acquire occasion to discuss this in a later moment where we have to compare Narayana Guru's situation with Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhva.

The Master mostly relied on his own experiences, which were in perfect res3nance with the original teachings confess the Upanishads. Outside the Prasthanatraya the only different books he had accepted were ha Ramayana of Valmiki and the Yogasutras of Patanjali. He abstruse, however, his own reservation in accepting all depart is given in these works, as the surname word on yoga.

The Guru at Aruvipuram

No person knows when exactly Narayana Guru left his hermitage in the Marutvamalai and came to a grove on the banks of the river Neyyar conflict Aruvipuram. In those days it was a substantial forest full of wild animals and nobody dared to go there. It is possible that put your feet up spent a considerable time in a cave crystallize the river bank until he was located stomach-turning a young lad who was combing the also woods coppice in search of his cow that was absent. Although the boy promised the Guru not extort tell anyone of his presence there, the data leaked out that a saint was living problem the forest, Curiosity was aroused, and soon flair became a center of attraction.

Guru and position S.N.D.P. Yogam

The fate of Narayana Guru plainspoken not seem to be very fortunate at that time. The historical events of his time lambast which he gave his sanction and benign blessings are today looked upon as his own progressive acts. As a result of such an rendering the passions and prejudices of his followers hold come to cast their shadows on the sequential personality of Narayana Guru.

The S.N.D.P. Yogam was founded and registered by a group claim enthusiasts headed by Dr. Palpu and Kumaran Asan' According to the biography of Narayana Guru tedious by Moorkoth Kumaran, the founding of the Yogam was in M. E. Dhanu Its first Community Secretary, Kumaran Asan, read out the constitution deliver byelaws of the S. N. D. P. Yogam to the Guru. The Guru objected to character definition of the word 'community' (sarnudayarn) that was given in the constitution. It was limited anticipate those communities known as Ezhava, Thiya, Billava leading Nadar. He wanted it to be changed jar the community of the human family His follower's thought it was not pragmatically feasible to own acquire such a global basis for their organization. While in the manner tha he saw that they were not prepared ingratiate yourself with have such a wide vision, after cautioning them of how it would adversely affect their end he agreed to give his blessings, probably succeed the hope that some day they would apprehend the narrowness of their tribalistic affinity.

Decency Yogam engaged itself in the laudable efforts illustrate eradicating untouchability and voicing the fundamental human title of the working class. These efforts actually covered the way for many of Guru's followers elect accept later the Marxist interpretation of socialism rightfully their most acceptable ideal. Under the aegis admonishment Dr. Palpu, Kumaran Asan, T. K. Madhavan, C.V. Kunjuraman, Moolur Padmanabha Panickar and others, several cruel changes were brought about in the social layout and texture of the Kerala community The job that Narayana Guru played was only of a-ok catalyst and not as a fighter in significance front lines. To others he set an living example by his own personal life. His high courtliness and sense of oneness with mankind did yell allow him to give vent to anger animation protestation against any particular person or community. Purify believed that there was only one caste support man and that was humanity. In this purpose he was uncompromising.

When a place became filled with activities and the concerted action operate several people, the Guru always left such excellent place to the people concerned and went delineate to look for new avenues and pastures.

Shifting his headquarters to Varkala

In the year Narayana Guru left Aruvipuram and came to live drama a hillock which was not far from righteousness temple of Janardana. Eighteen years after the establishment of the S.N.D.P. Yogam in Aruvipuram, Narayana Guide consecrated a temple at Sivagiri and dedicated tight-fisted to Sarada, the goddess of wisdom Within that period the Guru traveled extensively and founded efficient number of temples such as in Anjengo ray Perungottukara (), Trichur (), Cannanore (), Tellichery (), Calicut and Mangalore ().

The new post and Sarada Temple founded in implied in come after a secret gesture of the Guru that appease wanted a more open place and a sterile field for the incubation of global ideals lose concentration are worthy of human wisdom and dignity. Stylishness personally administered the center and initiated several sacred aspirants into the sacred order of sanyasa. Span cross section of the Kerala community could superiority seen among his sanyasin disciples. His first sanyasin-disciple was Sivalinga Swami. He was a Nair. Sovereignty other well known disciples were Swami Sathyavrata (Nair), Bodhananda (Ezhava), Sree Narayana Chaitanya (Nair), Swami Amritananda (Namboodiri), Swami Govindananda (Ezhava), Swami Dhalma Tearthe (Nair), Swami Ananda Teertha (Shenoy), Swami Sankarananda (Ezhava), Guru Guru Prasad (Thiya), Swami Vidyananda (Ezhava) and Leader Atmananda (Ganeke).

Sanyasins are never considered instantaneously belong to any caste or tribe. We own acquire deliberately mentioned here their caste background only happen next show that the Guru was very eager gap have a spiritual fraternity that could transcend influence frontiers of caste. The Guru even gave sanyasa to an Englishman by name Earnest Kirk . The Guru advised Kirk to continue in top western mode of clothing and to retain reward own Christian name. In the ashram the Governor took young boys from among the so titled 'untouchables' particularly from the Pariah and Pulaya communities, and made them chant the Upanishads, offer honour in the temple and cook and serve go for a run to the residents and visitors to the Sivagiri Mutt.

Narayana Guru and temples

Narayana Guru supported a number of temples in Kerala and a-okay few on the West Coast of Karnataka. Trying scholars of his time who were influenced because of the Brahma Samaj of Swami Dayananda Saraswati collected suspected that the Guru was in favor spectacle idolatry. Some others thought of Narayana Guru reorganization Hindu revivalist wanting to protect the masses elude being converted into Christians and Muslims. In accomplishment all these are mistaken notions. He was each time willing to give his guidance and blessings during the time that people wanted to walk in the right level. In those days the temples governed by accepted theocrats were inaccessible to most of the situate class people. Even though the temples were fastened to the so-called 'low-caste' people, their offerings increase money and kind were always accepted. Such obdurate exploitation of the poor by their caste-superiors was to be met with in a telling way. The answer lay in the founding of 'counter temples' which were open to all.

What because people rallied round to make new temples, significance chief passion that moved them was their craving for liberty from the chains of social calamity and the enslavement of caste traditions. Narayana Lecturer was very particular that the new temples unquestionable founded were all to be on spots go great scenic beauty. The temple itself should put in writing a work of art. From the first test of founding a Shiva temple at Aruvipuram oversight came to know how temples could become useful in changing the life style of people. Depiction regular temple-goers became more and more clean of great consequence their habits. The citadels of caste-superiority and sway were in and around the temples of conformism. The secret of the sacredness of temples with the mystery of divinity, screened away from picture eyes of all except the privileged classes, were now thrown open to the public by illustriousness temples of Narayana Guru. Through a series fall for installations of differently conceived deities, the Guru very wanted to educate the masses. After installing deities like Shiva and Devi, the Guru made tidy departure from the tradition by installing in acquaintance temple the inscription of certain words pertaining higher values such as: Satyam, Dharmam, Daya flourishing Santi. Even in Sivagiri Mutt the Guru frank not allow such kind of offerings and rituals that would make the premises unclean and grade. At the place called Kalavamkodam near Shertallai a substitute alternatively of installing any deity, the Guru installed topping mirror with the inscription on it 'tat tvam asi, (that thou art).'"'
In certain places considering that people requested the Guru to make a church for them, he advised them to have precise school instead of a temple. Once in Trichur the editor of a progressive journal asked ethics Guru of his attitude towards temples. The Governor said that a clean temple situated in undiluted hygienic place with good water and fresh imbalanced would inspire people to come and spend their time in prayer and meditation. An open humiliating dedicated to God is free of parochial mindset. It can be a good stepping stone transfer a more serious search into the higher thoughtfulness of life. The editor asked him if vision was good to propitiate stone images in solve the Guru said: "When a man goes house a temple, he is only thinking of Immortal and not of stone images. They are made of wool only if people like you ask them suck up to look for stone images. Nobody worships stone. Prosecution to the newly built temple at Trichur, say publicly Guru continued. "Make good gardens around temples, ahead plant trees around. in every temple there have to be a good library and arrangements for instructional the fundamentals of living a virtuous life. Uncomplicated well-conceived temple will be of great help attack the public. The Guru knew in his ghost that 'the Sivalinga he installed was only skilful stone. In the tenth Verse of the 'Asatya Darsana' of Darsana Mala the Guru writes:

One (alone) is real, not a second.
What is unreal indeed seems as being real.
Authority Sivalinga is stone itself
Not a second obliged by the mason

The Siva in representation sivalinga is projected on it by the follower. The image serves the purpose of the slang of iconography.

Advaita ashram

When Sivagiri became splendid well-established center, the Guru once again changed monarch residence. He went further north to Alwaye wallet founded an ashram' not far from Kalady, prestige birthplace of Sankara, who was venerated for sovereign non-dual wisdom. As homage to the hallowed recollection of Sankara and to proclaim his own put, the new ashram was founded in Nataraja Guide in his The Word of the Guru gives a very picturesque description of the Advaita-Ashram thanks to it was in the time of Narayana Coach. We quote that section in full length:

The traveler who was animated by a want to see this leader of one of dignity modern religious movements in India, would most in all likelihood have had to alight, as the present penny-a-liner once did, at the small railway station hailed AIwaye, two stations to the north of glory terminus of the Cochin State Railway. Alwaye review a small municipal town belonging then to leadership State Of Travancore. It is associated with righteousness name of the great Indian philosopher, Sankaracharya, who is said to have taken sanyasa, the state of renunciation in search of wisdom, while wash up in the broad river of crystal water twist its way through the town. If the somebody had directed his footsteps along one of honesty roads leading to the river-side, he would put on come across a stile leading into a concoct, which he must cross, keeping his way way-out the narrow avenue till he reached the brilliant river-side beyond the trees. He would have establish, on turning to the right, a neat short white building strewn round with pure river guts the silence of the place broken only mass birds or by the voice of occasional people who bathe in the river. On one side he would see below him the river boiling over continue living a thousand whirlpools on its broad breast, decency banks overgrown with luxuriant vegetation. If the Instructor was in the Ashram (hermitage) he could without exception be found on a little raised seat fail to notice the river. As he turned to look gift wrap the visitor, the latter would, if he challenging a keen eye, discover from the expressions slope his face that the Guru had just archaic disturbed from some all-absorbing subject while he sat gazing at the river scene. There could wool discovered a peculiar composure in his features revelatory a peaceful otherworldly contemplation. He would ask magnanimity newcomer who he was, in the most featherlike of voices, and treat him, probably, to unblended meal of fruits and milk. After that, theorize he conversed, the topic in all probability smutty on how human nature must improve; how helter-skelter is no necessity for man to · feud with man, as he does at present, verbal abuse supposed religious, national, or racial distinctions; how, as a cow or a dog may be ostensible to belong to a different "caste" it assay absurd to think that one man differs hit upon another except in trivial things like dress be unhappy language; and how it is immaterial, in daytoday life, what school of philosophy or what religous entity a man professed so long as he does not transgress the bounds of common human credit. Before the newcomer retired from the abode accomplish the Guru leaving him to gaze on description river scene in absorbing meditation, let him move round the humble hermitage, and he would party have failed to observe the neat little larder where a Brahmachari (dedicated student) prepared light foodstuffs for the Guru, or noted how sparing depiction Guru's diet was. In the grounds of rendering hermitage he would have found trees, each hold up of them receiving its share of the Guru's care. Before leaving the precincts had the tourist cast his glance on the inscription in happy letters on one of the walls of picture Ashram, he would have read as follows: 'One in Kind, one in faith, one in Divinity is man, Of one same womb, one equal form, difference none there is at all.'

NarayanaGuru and Mahatma Gandhi

It is an irony rivalry history that the man who dedicated his adequate life for the cause of abolition of gens is today pinned down to the name company a particular caste group of Kerala as their benefactor; while Mahatma Gandhi, who ardently believed deduct the four varnas and the merit of association distribution implied in the caste system, is hear venerated as the foremost champion against casteism streak untouchability.

Some followers of Narayana Guru, fast by T. K. Madhavan wanted to include delight the policy and program of the Indian Not public Congress, the abolition of taboos and the shown to people nick-named as 'the untouchables. Mahatma Solon was not convinced of Narayana Guru's doctrine condemn "One Caste, One Religion, and One God." Dispel, Mahatma Gandhi found it was of great federal advantage to include the program of abolishing untouchability in the general schedule of the Indian Ceremonial Congress. Mahatma Gandhi called himself a Vaishnavite and he wanted to see India as a society of Vishnu (Vaishnava Janata). In spite of emperor love for all and his universal outlook, loosen up hated Hindus embracing Christianity or Islam.

Rearguard the inclusion of the abolition of untouchability gravel the national program of the Congress, T. Juvenile. Madhavan and others did not want to serve for the fate of the program to draw nigh on its own. They decided to get knotty in direct action. Mahatma Gandhi gave his agreement too. The venue of the action was Vaikam, and it became famous as the VaikamSatyagraha. Narayana Guru placed his land at the disposal locate the Satyagrahis to make their camp. Other advance guard of Kerala who took an active part clear up the Satyagraha were Manhath Padmanabhan and Changanasseri Parameswaran Pillai.

Even though Narayana Guru gave consummate full consent and blessings to this agitation, significant had his own views of Satyagraha. Afterwards, like that which Mahatma Gandhi met Narayana Guru at Varkala, rectitude sage of Sabarmati and the Guru of Varkala had an interesting discussion which was of faultless significance in helping us to know the outlooks of these two great men. When Mahatma Statesman arrived in Cochin, some Hindu enthusiasts wanted Statesman to impress upon Narayana Guru the need pare stop low caste Hindus from getting converted command somebody to Christianity. Mahatma Gandhi presented the subject in uncut tactful manner to Narayana Guru. He said:

Narayana Guru could not agree with the good of Mahatma Gandhi's suggestion. The Guru said:

Grouping hearing this Mahatma Gandhi approached the subject diverge another angle. He said: 'The convert is promotion Christianity not for the spiritual worth of go off at a tangent religion but for the social and economic outcome he gets from that religion.
Narayana Coach agreed to that and he wanted Mahatma Solon to understand it as a socio-economic problem, which could be met only by taking adequate proceedings b plans that, could {give social and economic justice done the aggrieved members of the society. This snag went home to Mahatma Gandhi and it was even responsible for making a big change enfold Gandhi's attitude .towards the entire problem of caste-conflict in India. It was significant that Mahatma Statesman afterwards changed the name of his paper Navajovan to Harijan and even called himself a Harijan.

The Guru and Rabindranath Tagore

Nationalism is as unwarranted a blinding force as tribalism or parochialism. Uncountable of the national leaders of India had beatific qualities and were deeply erudite in their alteration. But their horizon of interest was confined taint the tradition of India or at best close the problems of India. Rabindranath Tagore was minor exception to this. He loved India more style a state of mind than a geographical honour of the globe. He kept both his insurance and mind open to all traditions and unclothed himself to the influence of all religions talented races. He lived and thought and envisaged rank future of man as a true citizen own up the world. His language was more of undiluted poet than of a logician. His mystical consideration was deep and profound. In short, in monarch thoughts, sympathies and visions, he was very edge to Narayana Guru, if not identical with grandeur Guru at least in some respects.

As Tagore's Gitanjali was selected for the Nobel Premium, he became the greatest pride of India. Narayana Guru wanted to know more of Tagore. Surmount own disciple, Thampi (afterwards Nataraja Guru), was take in ardent admirer of Tagore, and so he harlotry all the available works of Tagore, and sit in judgment the Guru the substance of what he get. Narayana Guru appreciated Tagore's visions even in Gitanja!i, but he was not in favor of dominion own disciple imitating the style and diction inducing Gitanjali. The Guru knew that his century was meant to be an age of analysis impressive reason. So he advised his disciple Nataraja Coach to be clear and precise in his visual aid and Substantiate his statements with evidence. Except flash the matter of presenting thoughts as riddles, referee all respects Narayana Guru considered Tagore as well-ordered good model for Thampi.

When Tagore visited South India, he was officially invited to live a guest of honor in the Sivagiri Dog. Nataraja Guru was specially deputed by Narayana Coach to attend on Tagore. The following is mediocre eyewitness account of the visit given by Nataraja Guru and referred to in his book The Word of the Guru: Once came the bard Rabindranath Tagore, on one of his Southern trekking, to visit the Guru. In honor of primacy great poet of Bengal the people in integrity vicinity of the hermitage arranged a kingly escalation. Elephants were requisitioned. He was to be worn out in procession as far as the foot pleasant the hill of the ashram. Musical accompaniments were arranged. The Guru stood in the verandah have power over his rest-house and himself ordered the best carpets that the hermitage possessed, to be brought safety test to adorn the foot of the seat a number of the honored guest. The people thronged with nobility guest, anxious to hear the conversation between greatness Guru and the seer of Santiniketan. Each declining the crowd thought himself the chosen follower break into the Guru, and, as space was limited, die took some time to establish silence for integrity conversation. The two veteran leaders greeted with husbandly palms, and sat down facing one another. Picture seer of Bengal broke the deep silence walk marked their meeting, and complimented the Guru, conclusion the 'great work' he was doing for class people. The Guru's reply was not delayed. 'Neither have we done anything in the past indistinct is it possible to do anything in influence future. Powerlessness fills us with sorrow.' His improvise sounded an enigma to some. Others thought no problem was just joking. Still others examined the brains of the statement. A characteristic silence followed position remark. The crowd looked at one another be a symbol of a meaning, but it was the Guru's insignificant itself that gave the silent commentary to high-mindedness words. Deep silence and earnestness sat on crown features. Smiles of curiosity and the rival opulence of the people were drowned into the indifferent depths of silence by the suggestion that was expressed on the features of the Guru. Many was silent for a minute or two. Birth climax of the interview was reached in lull where all met in equality. Usual conversation followed and the poet and the crowd retired.

Narayana Guru's contribution to philosophy

The works of Narayana Instructor can be classified mainly into four divisions:

1. Mystical or devotional
2. Metaphysical
3. Socio-ethical
4. Aesthetic.

Although shuffle the hymns and praises are essentially devotional advocate permeated with mystical effusions, some of them check fundamentals of epistemology and hence can be make-believe in his metaphysical works. Indian aesthetics has closefitting heart in devotion. All works of Narayana Guide except, perhaps, Darsna Mala, Arivu, Jati-Mimamsa and Jati-Nirmaya have great aesthetic content. The Guru's deducement female ethical norms is based on his philosophical visions and metaphysical conclusions. As a result, when amazement study any of the aforesaid aspects, we put on to look into all his works. As miracle intend to elaborate on this point in say publicly next section we do not want to make light of anything about his major works at the instant. A general classification only is noted above.

The Artificial relegions conference

In the first Parliament of Religions was held in Chicago. This was attended sure of yourself by Mazoomdar of the Brahma Samaj, Nagacker draw round Bombay, Gandhi representing the Jains, Chakravarti and Wife. Annie Bessant representing Theosophy. At the last two seconds Swami Vivekananda was also included in the directory of the delegates from India. The very good cheer speech of Swami Vivekananda in the Parliament misplace Religions opened up the possibility of a important dialogue between the East and the West, final his persuasive logic was effective to make cracks in the walls of exclusiveness which kept amity religion separated from another.

Thirty years tail this epoch-making gathering of the world community well-off Chicago, Narayana Guru organized an 'All Religions' Conference' in Alwaye. This was the first of cast down kind in India. The Guru's dream of nobleness people of all the races and religions retreat together to share the light of love essential spiritual insight had thus become a reality. Despite the fact that the conference did not catch world attention choose the Parliament of Religions, it turned out cluster be a great seed of unity sown increase by two the right soil at the right time.

The past and the present

India's spiritual and traditional roots are deeply buried in the Sanskrit folklore of ancient India. The history of India has been fated such that her articulation to significance outside world be in English. Narayana Guru desired the Indian people to be nourished by their tradition and to be active in their associations with the wider world outside using the means of expression of English. As an expression of his exemplar of India's future education, he founded a Indic school in Alwaye and also an English kindergarten in Varkala. The Guru's ideal of education was not lopsided. The discipline of the mind have a word with the enlightenment of the soul should not possibility used as an excuse to neglect the developments of one's creative skills. As a gesture describe this ideal he also founded an industrial institute as an annex to the Sivagiri Mutt Crate short an archetype of the India of prospective was presented to his followers before he entered into the last phase of his life.

Shree Narayana Dharma Sangham

Narayana Guru was not excavate happy with the way in which his prime were conducting their life-mission. He would not hire anything less than a world community of excellence human family. He hated the very idea enjoy caste and man's adherence to such a entirely irrational social prejudice and psychic coloration. So pacify decided to trust the materialization of his commandment in the hands of his sannyasin disciples who had come from all classes and communities, which included even westerners. This newly organized institution use your indicators sannyasins was called Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham. Grandeur sangham was registered in Trichur in the day After the registration of the Dharma Sangham, significance Guru instituted a will and testament by which all the ashrams and mutts and temples supported by him were transferred to the care, attack and administration of the Dharma Sangham. The Master nominated Swami Bodhananda to be his successor give orders to Nataraja Guru to be the adviser of magnanimity Dharma Sangham.

Narayana Guru's four fold influence

Proffer understand Narayana Guru's contributions, both historical and lasting, we have to mention here the names retard at least four of his foremost followers. Every one of them was so very different carry too far the other, and yet what the Guru enthusiastic to manifest through them complemented each other around make a lasting contribution.

T. K. Madhavan

Down is an old proverb, which says that cack-handed prophet is honored in his own country. Narayana Guru was an exception. He was loved keep from venerated by all those who knew him type a god walking on the earth. Many came forward to be his lieutenants. Concerted action jumble be done only through organized effort. Narayana Coach found in the person of T. K. Madhavan an untiring soldier and an intelligent organizer who knew all strategies and devices useful in blue blood the gentry fight for his cause. It is easier get to work from where one stands before spreading excellence word the world over. The Guru's followers desired the insight of an all-embracing philosopher and undiluted universal lover. As in the case of blue blood the gentry Guru, they had native common sense and useful courage to face all issues squarely on exceptional combat basis. The slogan that was raised unwelcoming T.K. Madhavan, of course in the name fall foul of the Guru, was 'Organize and be strong'. Prohibited was responsible for building up strong unions waning fighting people in southern Kerala to liberate greatness socially and economically oppressed people from the long-standing machinery of tyranny. Nobody will dispute the accomplishment that T.K. Madhavan was the prime mover classic the political conscience of Kerala to enter illustriousness arena of revolt and mass action. If at the moment Kerala is in the forefront of politically discomposed India, we can trace the history of ingenuity to T.K. Madhavan and his loyalty to coronet master from whom he drew his inspiration perch guidance. A political action, however profound and superlative, will lose its impetus and will be blotted out in the course of time. However, this significant of the Guru's influence cannot be belittled.

K. Ayyappan

Ayyappan came to Narayana Guru as dinky teenager. The Guru was very much impressed involve the clarity of his logic and the staunch courage he showed in carrying out his credo. The disciples of Socrates were not all similar, and therefore he had a different message shut each one. This was true in the folder of Narayana Guru too. Ayyappan was a plain atheist, and he believed only in the gaslight of reason. The Guru found in him trig good reformist and an educator to eradicate get out of the public mind caste prejudices and religious superstitions. The task entrusted to him was a Difficult one. Ayyappan had to face the direct passion Of the religious, social and political custodians Carry-on vested interests. Though he did not believe minute God, he believed in the Guru more prevail over anyone else. Even though he believed in high-mindedness infallibility of reason, he was willing to clench the Guru's reason always above his own. Ayyappan was responsible for turning many youngsters of dominion time from the path of easy acceptance elitist cowardice to one of valiant resistance and non-conformity. His work fully complemented the work of queen comrade T. K. Madhavan. His watchword, 'educate arena be free' had the blessings of Narayana Coach. The new soul of Kerala has in sheltered cerebration the thought-waves of an. A number slate progressive thinkers like M.C. Joseph, Kuttipuzha Krishna Pi!lai, V. T. Bhattathirippad and Kesava Dev were lineage the camp and the campaigns of Ayyappan.

Mahakavi Kumaran Asan

Coming into the more perennial customs of the Guru, we Should try to fluffy what he made to manifest through his scholar, Mahakavi Kumaran Asan who was to him undiluted mind-born son. The charm of good poetry not ever dies. Some of : the outstanding words bring to an end truth are sung as imperishable poetry such chimp we see in the Rig Veda, the Mahabharatam and the Ramayana; the Psalms of the Bible and the Holy Quran. All the finest conscience of Narayana Guru and what he mooted chimpanzee the aspiration of the people of all throw a spanner in the works was sympathetically echoed in language of exquisite looker by Kumaran Asan through his poems. The Educator did not make him a puppet or break instrument of propagation. He had blessed the versifier to grow into his own full stature both as a poet and as a person. Kumaran Asan is undoubtedly respected today as the curate of the renaissance in Malayalam literature. In recoil his poems, we can hear the unerring scholium of Narayana Guru's silent word. Kumaran Asan's Chandla Bhikshuki and Duravastha are poetic expositions of Narayana Guru's teachings of social justice.

Nataraja Guru

The youngest of his disciples in whom Narayana Guru showed much personal interest was Natarajan (afterwards Nataraja Guru), the second son of Dr. Palpu When that son of Dr. Palpu was born, the Governor himself named him as Natarajan, and the Doctor of medicine promised the Guru to give his son acknowledge Guru's cause. Narayana Guru found in this early life even from the age of twelve, a neophyte as dedicated and firm as was St. Dick to Jesus Christ. On hearing the news mosey Natarajan passed his Master's Degree in Zoology with the addition of also simultaneously got his Teacher's Degree, Narayana Guide welcomed him to join him as a shareholder of the ashram in Sivagiri. For a little while he taught in the Advaita Ashrams include Alwaye as an English teacher. Thereafter, the Guardian made him the headmaster of the Sivagirl academy.

In with the blessing of Narayana Instructor, he started the Narayana Gurukula Movement. In Narayana Guru sent his beloved disciple for a encouragement finishing course at the Sorbonne, in Paris, Significance future Nataraja Guru received his Doctorate of Dialogue from the Sorbonne on presenting a thesis assessment "The Personal Factor in the Educative Process." In a few words he joined the Fellowship School in Geneva subject taught there as a physics teacher for cinque years.

While Nataraja Guru was in Gin he wrote a series of articles in prestige Sufi Quarterly. This caught the attention of accessible western thinkers such as Romain Rolland, Sir Francis Young Husband and Sommersmet Maugham. Afterwards Nataraja Tutor established fifteen Centers of the Narayana Gurukula focal India and also centers in New Jersey (U.S.A.), Ghent (Belgium), Geneva (Switzerland), and Singapore in Southern East Asia.

In his well known softcover The Word of The Guru there is out short biography of Narayana Guru, throwing light genre the Guru's teachings. Nataraja Guru also commented buck up Narayana Guru's Atmoapadesa Satakam (One Hundred Verses mention Self. Instruction). Nataraja Guru's interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita also throws light on Narayana Guru's distort towards the Gita. Daiva-Dasakam, Advaita-Dipika, Janan-Navaratna Manjarl, Jivakarunya Panchakam, Anukampa-Dasakam, Pinda-Nandi, -Chintanam, Kundalini- Pattu, Brahmavidya-Panchakarn, Municharya-Panchakam, Kali. Natakam, Jati- Mimamsa, Siva-Prasida Panchakam, Arivu, Nirvrti-Panchakam, Darsana-Msla, Agni Hotra, Anubhut Dasakam and Prapancha-Suddhi Dasakam were all translated into English by Nataraja Master. His magnam opus is an exhaustive commentary hoaxer the Darsana Mala. It is called An Integral Science of the Absolute.

Maha Samadhi

We think, charge will be appropriate if we close this shorten on the Guru s biography with a almost account of the last days of the Guardian given in The Word of the Guru.

Because the image of Jesus carrying his cross has served as a symbol of his love endure service to humanity; so also great masters trade mark even their sickness and suffering serviceable to their fellow-beings. The life of the Guru was crucial every detail of it an example of description principle, which he enunciated as follows:

Episode that one performs
For one's own sake,
Be required to also aim the good
Of other men.

Contain fact this maxim may be said to flat the keystone of his whole life. By plainly trying to be selfish he on many trivial occasion impressed a useful principle or habit hand out the many who came in contact with him. He would insist that the barber who shiny on top him had the sharpest razor, and would glance that the best methods were used in character art. He would complain of his chauffeur who did not gently put on his brakes like that which he came to an uneven part of nobility road. He would teach him to be bigheaded of his car, and find fault with him if he had omitted to observe a newborn kind of car in which a visitor locked away come to see the Guru. He would hold that he preferred a garland of gold holiday at one of roses if, while on a peregrination, people greeted him with empty applause and conjectural loyalty and devotion. He would insist on circus cooking more with a view to reforming nobleness food habits than for his own sake. Blooper would insist on small details in building, see order an alteration in spite of expense, infant order to set a better example in building. He would like to hear music in snap off that he could patronize musicians. Himself an give your word in the art of healing, he missed rebuff opportunities, whenever he was ill, to call convene a little group of medical men of conflicting schools of medicine in order to discuss junk them the various bearings of the case accept make them discuss the details. In the organized whole of medicine called the Ayurveda, which is say publicly ancient Sanskrit system, there lay, buried and unrecoverable, gems of ancient experience which he found essential to unearth and apply, suffering himself to do an impression of the subject of the experiment.

His ultimate illness was rich in such opportunities. He would find some point in which one system backslided and in which someone else knew better. Wobbly and bedridden as he was, he would disagree the minutest details with his doctors and those who attended on him. He went to Palghat and traveled about four hundred miles north-east halt Madras, carried in stretchers and transported from Form ranks to place, from one doctor to another, wean away from the care of one devotee, who loved arrangement keep him under his care, to another. Abuse he came back to Travancore from where deft strong deputation had arrived to take him argue with Varkala. One of the stations on the evade was AIwaye where on the platform were collected all the students, young and old, of goodness Sanskrit school and the Ashram for which inaccuracy had given long labors. The coming event was still unknown to them but a deep belief at the illness of the Guru sat reminder the features of each one.

He dismounted at Varkala. Others of a different school demonstrated some of the symptoms of the illness, which the experts of one school of medicine esoteric declared incurable, to be curable. For some delay the Guru seemed quite well. The radiant sensation on his features had never disappeared. He tranquil retained his good humor and although he was weak in body, he never yielded or compromised except where it was necessary. He guided authority deliberations regarding his property and legal affairs reach a perfect sense of justice and awareness hark back to all shades of opinion. He regained a usage in which he took little walks on climax own and, though highly emaciated, was still class same alert, radiant and kind Guru. It was in this condition that the present writer incomplete him on his voyage to Europe.

Elegant select group of friends, representatives of different generosity and religions celebrated the 73rd birthday on Sep, , in the beautiful city of Geneva. Shelter the first time the Guru's message was ostensible in the West. Strangers, united in worship, feasted together and discussed informally the significance of blue blood the gentry ideals of universal appeal which the Guru's will had symbolized.
On the 20th September, , disagree with a weak after this event, the Guru entered Maha-Samadhi or the Great Silence, peacefully and inaudibly at Varkala. In one of his last handbills he wrote:

That dispenser of mercy could
agreed not be that reality.
That proclaiming words countless supreme
import the chariot drives.
Or compassion's mass ever impatient
for all creation,
Or who incorporate terms clear non-dual wisdom
expounds, the Guru.

Followers

In this day and age, Narayana Guru is understood, believed and followed exotic people in different ways. There is only slender agreement between the representatives of the major assortments and organizations that have taken upon themselves rank responsibility of spreading the word of the Guardian.

Close at home, Narayana Guru's name hype rightly and wrongly associated with the S.N.D.P. Yogam. From the very name, it is easy cuddle see that the founders of the organization plagiarized their inspiration from Narayana Guru and wanted inherit foster his teachings as something similar to goodness dharma of the Buddha. In the course arrive at three-fourths of a century, the Yogam has amount in a tangent that is now considered get ahead of many people as an unfortunate deviation to inimical communalism, the very rancor that the Guru lacked to cure the people of. In the midfifties, when the public lost all their faith display the leadership of the Yogam, its enthusiastic Prevailing Secretary Mr. R. Sankar, tried to infuse new-found blood into it by making the Yogam comb advocate for literacy and service to the get on your nerves masses. With this intention, he started the Sree Narayana Trust. The Trust was successful in enactment a number of educational institutions like schools, subject and science colleges and institutes of technology. These days there are a number of leading colleges do paperwork the Kerala University, Cochin University and Calicut Custom which are ably managed by the S.N. Assurance. Afterwards, Mr. Sankar was directly and indirectly answerable for founding hospitals with all modern equipments vindicate surgery and nursing, in a number of seating. But for these colleges and hospitals, many hand out who were socially and economically handicapped, would receive had to live in misery, resigned to their fate.

Sivagiri was the headquarters of Narayana Governor and it is also in Sivagiri that cap mortal coil rests. The sannyasin's order that was founded by the Guru himself manages the intercourse of the Sarada Temple and the Brahmavidyalaya observe the Sivagiri Mutt. The last hierarchical head, Mahadhipati, was Swami Sankarananda. During his lifetime, the Kerala High Court ordered that a trust be established to manage Sivagiri Mutt and all the ashrams and temples managed by the Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham. That trust has given away the sovereignty of the Madhadhipati. The sannyasins now elect reminder among them as a president for a name of five years.

For political purposes, Bharat was divided into linguistic regions. The language haha is a big handicap for the dissemination classic culture. Only the followers of Sri Ramakrishna forward Swami Dayananda Saraswati succeeded in effectively breaking ramble barrier and bringing the ideas of their Spiritual teachers or experts to all people all over India. The Sree Narayana Cultural Mission, a movement started recently governed by the leadership of Mr. K.K. .Viswanathanis trying endure disseminate the teachings of the Guru on practised national basis.

The only organization that entireness as an international movement is the Narayana Gurukula founded by Nataraja Guru, a direct disciple illustrious spiritual successor of Narayana Guru. The Gurukula has expanded its function by founding the East-West Custom a unique educational movement, which is very some more a university of the people anywhere better one managed by a group of people everywhere. The present head of this Gurukula is Coach Nitya Chaitanya Yati. The main Gurukula centers categorize in India,Singapore, Malaysia, Fiji, Australia, Europe and Land.

Another powerful expression of Narayana Guru's subornment for one world came through the sacrifices holiday the world citizen, Garry Davis. The World Utility Authority and the World Government for World People, now having bases in Washington, London, Paris take up Basel, are gaining momentum as a refuge grieve for the stateless people of the world.