News: The Vice-President of India inaugurated the 93rd Sivagiri Pilgrimage at Sivagiri Mutt, describing it as a living philosophy of social awakening envisioned by Sree Narayana Guru.
About Sree Narayana Guru
- Sree Narayana Guru (1856–1928) was one of the Hindu social and spiritual reformers of modern Kerala.
- He was born in Chempazhanthy, near present-day Thiruvananthapuram, into an Ezhava family. He was respectfully known as Gurudevan among his followers.
- Teachings and Principles
- Sree Narayana Guru emphasized self-purification, simplicity, moral living, and universal love.
- He propounded the famous principle of “One Caste, One Religion, One God for all human beings.”
- He taught that true liberation comes from knowledge, compassion, and ethical conduct rather than blind faith and ritualism.
- He regarded education as the primary means for human progress and prosperity and believed education to be the supreme remedy for social evils such as superstition and unhealthy traditions.
- He advocated equal opportunities for women and supported their education. He also initiated and inspired the establishment of many schools across Kerala to promote inclusive education.
- Temple Entry and Social Reform
- Sree Narayana Guru launched the Aruvippuram movement to assert equal rights in temple worship. In 1888, he took a ritual plunge into the Neyyar River and consecrated a Sivalinga at Aruvippuram.
- The consecration was done in a makeshift temple and directly challenged centuries-old caste-based restrictions on worship. This act symbolized the empowerment of marginalized communities and asserted their right to spiritual dignity.
- Upliftment of the Ezhava Community
- In 1903, he inspired the formation of an organization later known as the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam. The organization worked for the social, educational, and economic upliftment of the Ezhava community.
- Its ideology was based on self-respect, human dignity, and the intrinsic worth of the individual.
- It represented a protest against Brahminical values of hierarchy, purity, and pollution.
- He created parallel sources of religious and social legitimacy by establishing new institutions such as temples, priests, monks, and monasteries.
- Vaikom Satyagraha: Sree Narayana Guru extended his support to the Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–1925) in Travancore.
- The Vaikom Satyagraha was a historic non-violent movement against untouchability and caste discrimination.
- It was launched to protest the exclusion of lower-caste Hindus from using the roads leading to the Vaikom Mahadeva Temple.
- Leaders such as T. K. Madhavan, K. P. Kesava Menon, and K. Kelappan played pioneering roles in this movement.
- Institutions and Ashrams: In 1913, he founded the Advaita Ashram at Aluva. The Ashram was dedicated to the ideal “Om Sahodaryam Sarvatra,” meaning all human beings are equal in the eyes of God.
- Literary Contributions: Sree Narayana Guru was also a distinguished poet and philosopher. His important works include Anukamba Dasakam, Brahmavidya Panchakam, Asramam, Bhadrakaliashtakam, Atmopadesa Satakam, Advaitha Deepika, and Daiva Dasakam. Through his writings, he communicated spiritual wisdom, ethical values, and social reform ideas in simple yet profound language.
