Narayana Guru | |
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| Personal life | |
| Born | (1856-08-20)20 August 1856 |
| Died | 20 September 1928(1928-09-20) (aged 72) |
| Known for | Kerala reformation movement |
| Religious life | |
| Philosophy | Interpretation ofAdvaita Vedanta |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Reformation in Kerala |
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Narayana Guru, the most prominent face of the movement |
| Background |
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SreeNarayana Guru (IPA:[nɑːrɑːjɐɳɐguˈru]) (20 August 1856 – 20 September 1928)[1] was aphilosopher,spiritual leader andsocial reformer in India. He led areform movement against the injustice in thecaste-ridden society ofKerala in order to promotespiritual enlightenment andsocial equality.[2] A quote of his that defined his movement was "one caste, one religion, and one god for all human beings." He is the author of theAdvaita poemDaiva Dasakam, which is one of the most used poem inKerala for community prayer.[3]
Narayanan, né Nanu, was born on 20 August 1856 to Madan Asan and Kuttiyamma in anEzhava family of ayurvedic physicians, in the village ofChempazhanthy nearThiruvananthapuram, in the erstwhile state ofTravancore.[5][6] Unlike other Ezhavas who confined their Sanskrit reading to ayurvedic works, Narayana guru studied religious texts as well.[7] His early education was in thegurukula way under Chempazhanthi Mootha Pillai during which time his mother died when he was 15. At the age of 21, he went to central Travancore to learn from Raman Pillai Asan, aSanskrit scholar who taught him Vedas, Upanishads and the literature and logical rhetoric of Sanskrit. A year later, he married Kaliamma but soon disassociated himself from the marriage to commence his public life as a social reformer.[5][non-primary source needed] He returned to his village in 1881, when his father was seriously ill, and started a village school where he taught local children which earned him the nameNanu Asan.[5][non-primary source needed]
Leaving home, he traveled through Kerala and Tamil Nadu and it was during these journeys, he metChattampi Swamikal, a social and religious reformer, who introduced Guru toAyyavu Swamikal from whom he learned meditation andyoga.[8] Later, he continued his wanderings until he reached the Pillathadam cave atMaruthwamala where he set up a hermitage and practiced meditation for the next eight years.[5][non-primary source needed]
In 1888, he visited Aruvippuram and spent time meditating in a cave near the Neyyar River. It was here that his first and one of his prominent disciple, Sivalingadasa Swamikal, who hailed from an orthodoxNair family, discovered him. During his stay, he consecrated a rock from the deepest part of the Neyyar River, a whirlpool sinkhole known as 'Sankaran Kuzhi'. It is believed that it was in this 'Sankaran Kuzhi' sageAgastya gave his worshipping Shiva Linga to Neyyar river somewhere before leaving. This rock was established as the idol of Shiva, and the site has since been known as the Aruvippuram Shiva Temple.[9][10][verification needed] The act, which later came to be known asAruvipuram Pratishta, created a social commotion among the upper casteBrahmins who questioned Guru's right to consecrate the idol.[11] His reply to them that "This is not a Brahmin Shiva but anEzhava Shiva"[12] later became a famous quote, used againstcasteism.[13][14] It was here, theSree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP Yogam)[15] was founded on 15 May 1903 by the efforts ofPadmanabhan Palpu with Narayana Guru as its founder president.[16]
Guru shifted his base toSivagiri, nearVarkala in 1904 where he opened a school for children from the lower strata of the society and provided free education to them without considering their caste. However, it took him seven years to build[5][non-primary source needed] a temple there, theSarada Mutt was built in 1912. He alsobuilt temples in other places such asThrissur,Kannur,Anchuthengu,Thalassery,Kozhikode, andMangalore and it took him to many places includingSri Lanka (then called Ceylon) where he made his final visit in 1926. On his return to India, he was involved in a number of activities including the planning of the Sivagiri pilgrimage which was planned after his visit toPallathuruthy in 1927 to attend the anniversary of the S.N.D.P. Yogam.[5][non-primary source needed]
Soon after the meeting at Pallathuruthy, which was the last public function he attended, Guru became ill and underwent treatment at places such as Aluva, Thrissur,Palakkad, and finally toChennai; the physicians attended to him included Ayurvedic physicians like Cholayil Mami Vaidyar, Panappally Krishnan Vaidyar and Thycauttu Divakaran Moos as well as allopathic physicians viz. . Krishnan Thampi, Panikker, Palpu and a European physician by name, Noble. He returned toSarada Mutt and died on 20 September 1928, at the age of 72.[5][non-primary source needed]
Casteism was practised in Kerala during the 19th and early 20th centuries and the backward castes such asEzhavas and otheruntouchable castes likeParaiyars,Adivasis andPulayars had to suffer discrimination from the upper caste community.[17] It was against this discrimination that Guru performed his first major public act,[5][non-primary source needed] the consecration of Siva idol at Aruvippuram in 1888.[citation needed] Overall, he consecrated forty five temples across Kerala and Tamil Nadu.[citation needed] His consecrations were not necessarily conventional deities; these included a slab inscribed with the words, "Truth, Ethics, Compassion, Love",[citation needed] a vegetarian Shiva, a mirror, and an Italian sculpture.[18] He propagated the ideals of compassion and religious tolerance and one of his noted works,Anukampadasakam, extols various religious figures such asKrishna,The Buddha,Adi Shankara,Jesus Christ.[19]
On 12 March 1925,Mahatma Gandhi visited the Sivagiri Ashram in Varkala, Kerala, during the Vaikom Satyagraha. During his stay, he met Narayana Guru, who emphasized the need for education and wealth for the upliftment of lower castes rather than mixed eating and marriages. This conversation, facilitated by a translator, also addressed religious freedom and the caste system.[20][21][need quotation to verify][22][excessive citations] Narayana Guru's logical arguments and inclusive practices profoundly impacted Gandhi. Witnessing lower-caste children reciting prayers and their knowledge of the Upanishads impressed Gandhi and challenged his casteist views. Inspired by Guru's teachings, Gandhi re-evaluated his stance on caste and untouchability.[23][24][25][26][excessive citations] As a result of this transformative experience,Mahatma Gandhi began to focus on eradicating untouchability and upliftment of Harijans (Dalits) in the national movement. He renamed his newspaper "Young India" to "Harijan" and made the eradication of untouchability a central part of his mission. This marked a significant shift in Gandhi's approach, integrating the fight against caste discrimination into the broader struggle for India's independence.[21][need quotation to verify][22]
Mahatma Gandhi subsequently renamed his newspaper from "Young India" to "Harijan" and made the eradication of untouchability and upliftment ofHarijans a part of the national movement.[27][24][25][excessive citations]
In 1905, Narayana Guru organized All India Industrial and Agricultural Exhibition at Kollam, first time in India to facilitate industrialization and agriculture.[28][unreliable source] Guru wanted to convey the importance of regaining the lost places of worship (later rebuilt by the Guru himself) and wealth.[citation needed]
The social protest ofVaikom Satyagraha was an agitation led by backward caste communities against discrimination in Hindu society of Travancore.[29] It was reported that the trigger for the protest was an incident when Narayana Guru was stopped from passing through a road leading to theVaikom Temple by an upper caste person. It promptedKumaran Asan andMuloor S.Padmanabha Panicker, both disciples of Guru, to compose poems in protest of the incident.T. K. Madhavan, another disciple, petitioned theSree Moolam Popular Assembly in 1918 for rights to enter the temple and worship, regardless of the caste.[citation needed] A host of people includingK. Kelappan andK. P. Kesava Menon formed a committee and announced theKerala Paryatanam Movement and with the support ofMahatma Gandhi.[citation needed] The agitation developed into a mass movement which resulted in the opening of the temple as well as three roads leading to it to people of all castes.[30] The protest also influenced theTemple Entry Proclamation of 1936.[31][32]
TheSivagiri pilgrimage was conceived by three of the disciples of Guru viz. Vallabhasseri Govindan Vaidyar, T. K. Kittan Writer andMuloor S. Padmanabha Panicker which Guru approved in 1928, with his own recommendations.[5][non-primary source needed] He suggested that the goals of the pilgrimage should be the promotion of education, cleanliness, devotion to God, organization, agriculture, trade, handicrafts, and technical training and advised Vaidyar and Writer to organise a series of lectures on these themes to stress the need for the practice of these ideals, stating this to be the core purpose of Sivagiri pilgrimage. However, his death soon after delayed the project until 1932 when thefirst pilgrimage was undertaken fromElavumthitta inPathanamthitta District.[33]
Guru organized anAll Religion Conference in 1923 atAlwaye Advaita Ashram, which was first such event in India.[34] During this period, communalization escalated into riots inIndia. InKerala, theMalabar rebellion occurred. According to theSimon Commission report, more than 112 major communal riots took place in India between 1922 and 1927. Throughout this time, the guru also received letters from a communal leader,Abdul Hamid Qadri Badayuni, fromUttar Pradesh, who later moved toPakistan. The guru responded to his queries and questions through letters. The All Religions' Conference, which was the first of its kind in India, was organized against this backdrop to foster peace among the various religions of the country[35][36][37] and at the entrance of the conference, he arranged for a message to be displayed which read,We meet here not to argue and win, but to know and be known. The conference has since become an annual event, organised every year at the Ashram.[38]
Narayana Guru provided spiritual initiation to people of all faiths and sects. He initiated an individual from an orthodoxNair family inKoyilandy, who missed seeing the Guru upon his arrival due to huge crowd. This individual composed a poem in praise of the Guru and sent it through a friend. Upon reading the poem, the Guru blessed him by saying he will become a great yogi. This individual later became a yogi and known as Sivananda Yogi of Koyilandy.[35]
Guru Narayana initiated Abdul Khader Masthan, aMuslim man, into spirituality. Born into the traditional Muslim family of Valiyakandy inKannur city, which was traditionally involved in the copper business, Abdul Khader Masthan came into possession of a copper plate as part of the business. The inscriptions on the copper plate were in the Chenthamizh language. Being illiterate and unable to read even Malayalam, he found it difficult to interpret this ancient script and sought help from many, but to no avail. Eventually, Narayana Guru provided a solution.[35][verification needed]
Upon examining the script, Narayana Guru read it but did not tell the meaning to him rather he smiled at Abdul Khader Masthan and advised him to consultSufi saints in Tamil Nadu, who could decipher its meaning. Following Narayana Guru's guidance, Abdul Khader met with a Sufi saint inTamil Nadu. The saint read the inscription, which turned out to be aSufi text. Inspired by this experience, Abdul Khader Masthan later became a renowned Sufi saint known as Icha Mastan. He has composed manySufi poems including praise ofShiva.[35][verification needed]
Narayana Guru welcomed aMuslim named Khader during hisSri Lankan visit who expressed a keen interest in becoming his disciple. Khader inquired whether he would be accepted into the group and if a change of religion was necessary. The Guru assured him that changing his religion was not a prerequisite to becoming a disciple. A year later, during Narayana Guru's second visit atSri Lanka, Khader met him again, this time dressed as aHindu saint instead of his usual white Muslim attire. The Guru, feigning ignorance, asked Khader who he was. Disappointed, Khader reminded the Guru that he was his disciple, initiated the previous year. Narayana Guru expressed his recognition of the 'old' Khader and reiterated that changing hisMuslim attire was not necessary to be his disciple.[39]
Guru published 45 works inMalayalam,Sanskrit andTamil languages which includeAtmopadesa Śatakam, a hundred-verse spiritual poem[citation needed] andDaiva Dasakam, a universal prayer in ten verses.[43] He also translated three major texts,Thirukural ofValluvar,Ishavasya Upanishad andOzhivil Odukkam of Kannudaiya Vallalaar.[citation needed] It was he who propagated the motto,One Caste, One Religion, One God for All (Oru Jathi, Oru Matham, Oru Daivam, Manushyanu) which has become popular as a saying in Kerala.[44] He furthered thenon-dualistic philosophy ofAdi Sankara by bringing it into practice by adding the concepts of social equality and universal brotherhood.[44]
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In 1916,Ramana Maharshi hosted Narayana Guru at hisTiruvannamalai ashram when Guru was returning from a trip toKancheepuram where Swami Govindananda, a disciple of Guru, had established the Sree Narayana Seva Ashram.[citation needed]Rabindranath Tagore met Narayana Guru at the latter's ashram in Sivagiri in November 1922. Tagore later said of Narayana Guru that, "I have never come across one who is spiritually greater than Swami Narayana Guru or a person who is at par with him in spiritual attainment".[45] Three years later,Mahatma Gandhi visited Guru during his 1925 trip to Kerala to participate in theVaikom Satyagraha[46] after which theIndian independence movement leader stated that "it was a great privilege in his life to have the darshan of an esteemed sage like Narayana Guru."[47]
On 21 August 1967, Narayana Guru was commemorated on anIndian postage stamp of denomination 15 nP.[48] Anothercommemorative stamp on him was issued bySri Lanka Post on 4 September 2009.[49] TheReserve Bank of India andSecurity Printing and Minting Corporation of India issued two sets of commemorative coins depicting Guru's image, each valued at₹5 and₹100 respectively, on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary.[50][51]
The first of the several statues of Narayana Guru was erected atJagannath Temple, Thalassery in 1927 while he was still alive.[52][unreliable source?] His statues are seen in many places in Kerala which include a 24 feet statue atKaithamukku inThiruvananthapuram.[53] TheGovernment of Kerala observes his birthday, theSri Narayana Jayanthi, and the date of his death, Sree Narayana Guru Samadhi as public holidays.[54]
The life of Narayana Guru has been portrayed in a number of movies starting with the 1986 filmSree Narayana Guru,[55] made by award-winning directorP. A. Backer.[56]Swamy Sreenarayana Guru, an IndianMalayalam-language film directed by Krishnaswamy, released the same year. Almost a decade and a half later,R. Sukumaran made a film on the life of Guru, titledYugapurushan, in 2010 withThalaivasal Vijay playing the role of Guru and the film also featuredMammootty andNavya Nair.[57]Brahmashri Narayana Guru Swamy is aTulu film made in 2014 by Rajashekar Kotian on Guru's life and the film was the 50th film made in the language.[58] His life during the eight years he spent atMaruthwamala (also known as Marunnumamala) has been adapted into a docufiction, titledMarunnumamala and the film was released byPinarayi Vijayan, the chief minister of Kerala on 9 August 2016.[59][a]
In 2016, Kerala High court observed that the statue of Narayana Guru cannot be treated as a Hindu deity.[61][62]
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Narayana Guru attainedsamadhi atSivagiri, Kerala. The cause of death wasindigestion and prostate inflammation. He had told all the great physicians and disciples of that time who came to treat him that the Guru had approached his samadhi in advance and that the ashram should be well looked after and that everyone should live as good people (18 January 1928).[weasel words] The special public meeting of the SNDP meeting held at Kottayam was the last public ceremony attended by Narayana Guru.[citation needed]
In 1927,naturopathy was carried out in Mangatukodi and Kandachira on the banks ofAshtamudikayal along with Pazhavila Chattambiasan. He was bedridden for a long time suffering from senile disease but was treated by many doctors but could not cure the disease completely. He died during meditation in the presence of devotees on 20 September 1928 (Malayalam year: 1104 Kanni 5). It was just three weeks after his 72nd birthday. The body was laid to rest inSivagiri, Kerala Mathvalap. Today there is a hall with his statue.[citation needed]
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(preface written by the author for the book,Sree Narayana Guru – Life and Times
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