Gurucharithe 2 Gurucharithe PREFACE and enlivened our culture. In this age of party power, we may fail to comprehend the resplendence of their personality. Our Paragons of 1. The Place Of History In Education Dharma were taking the country, the language and the people to India, the land of Dharma attained freedom. In this new age, greater heights through inspiration and vigour. They lived an revolutionary changes are required in many fields. During our illustrious life, and their talk used to be mellifluous. Their preachings freedom movement, one of the leaders wanted our history to be were supreme. Their reminiscence is invigorating. They built and rewritten. In the post independent era, what has come to occupy a ruled monarchies; they trounced the invincible enemies. Through pre-eminent position for all round development is education. In this their powers of asceticism the entire universe stood amazed. With task, history plays a very important role in presenting us a vivid their mystic powers, they created a heaven in the world. They and comprehensive picture of the past besides inspiring our thoughts foreordained our future and enriched our language. They about the present and the future. Education sans knowledge of manifested God through the powers of Bhakthi, blissfully dancing, history is like expecting a blind to behold beauty. Every branch of singing, weeping, laughing, goading others to weep and laugh knowledge like Science, Philosophy, Art, Music has a history and religioso. They endowed the universe with the wealth of the above all the history of History. Today a historian tries to Shastras, gave the world their valuable preachings. Their deeds understand the past, present and the future as did an ascetic and words, lives, inspiration and expiration were filled with sanctity, through clairvoyance. The fact that Indians held the view that which culminated in the greatest service to mankind and served history had more to do than the famous Mahabharatha and as panacea. They were not power hungry nor overbearing nor the Vedas, corroborates the pre-eminence attached to history. egoistic nor selfish. They showed how a man can scale great heights if he becomes well versed in culture, embraces the perfect “ has been a widely accepted CÌiÉWûÉxÉmÉÑUÉhÉÉprÉÉÇ uÉåSÇ xÉqÉÑmÉoÉ×ÇWrÉãiÉç | Dharma. Their entire life pivoted on love and affection. They were view. embodiment of kindness. All their acts and deeds were motivated by devotion. It is with this, they saw the God gyrate to the pluck of 2. Special Features Of Dharmic History their monochord. They were totally detached from mundane History is multifaceted. It may be said that the history of saints allurements. Even though such divine souls could bestow has occupied a special place. In India, there is hardly any difference invaluable wealth abundantly on the universe, they were among Saints, Philosophers, Mystics, Devotionalists and themselves in penury. They were great scholars but taciturn. Religionists, whereas elsewhere the word Saint means Devotionalist. Though kings and rulers respected them greatly and looked to It is because each is not only interdependent on the other but also them for guidance, they remained insulated from power. This is is complementary. As Dharma which is vital for the Society has how they led their lives. been the very foundation of all the above whether it is literature, life; all are governed by the principles of Dharma. Therefore history This is what conferred supremacy on our culture. It is through of our Dharma and history of the saints become very important. their divine influence that our country could emerge as a guiding What is needed to understand the essence of our culture is a correct spirit for the world. They established peace in the world through knowledge of these. Thus in India, only history of Dharma took very their spiritual power. Thus it became to be called a ‘Dharmic Age’ strong roots and flourished. The Mahabharatha became a unique (Dharmayuga). Their ascetic powers instilled high thoughts even in history of Dharma amongst all the books of history in the world. the profligate. The very tiger known for its ferocity eschewing its 3. Dharmic People instinctive traits revelled in the company of its own prey peacefully. A gory indulgence like war did not transgress Dharma. Love Let us consider some of the important aspects of the history of pervaded the entire world. Co-operation, courtesy, demeanour, the Dharma. Our Dharma has evolved into a live institution. It is the quintessence of Society made life wholesome. Now the country, Dharmic people who often rejuvenated the institution of Dharma D/ SRS matha / Grurcharite 1 Gurucharithe 3 4 Gurucharithe the people, the language suffer from the absence of such saintly derision and caricature in the eyes of commoners. Today, the Society guidance and this has become responsible for the present seems to be distraught with Dharma. Rationalists argue that it is in catastrophe. The scarcity of such a tribe has paved way for Kaliyuga the fitness of things to jettison out Dharma from practice by and our country and our people are drifting towards downfall. Man expurgating the very word ‘Dharma’ from dictionary. This can be has reached the coveted goal. Now there is a downslide. Lack of attributed to the present condition in which we find Dharma being proper mentors can be ascribed to the present state of affairs. Man practised. It is believed that it serves as a mask for the traits like has become brutal; even worse. Our march is not progressive but one’s expediency, barbarity, conceit, arrogance, rascality. Though retrogressive. The result, our life unsafe and unhappy. it appears to be true, it is far from real. This is a sign of lack of wisdom and myopic sight of today’s generation. To have the It is contrary to the principles of human science to believe that manifestation of Dharma, it does not suffice to merely read books, even an ordinary man would be an exemplar. Their level of thinking to delve into history but one should strive to experience it. Only and living is different and distinguished. An ordinary man eagerly then can one realise its formidable influence. Dharma is not craves to follow in the footsteps of such luminaries. The entire Ostentation. It does not lie in daubing a thick line on the forehead, Society treads the path shown by the ascetics without any qualms. acquiring scholarship of Shastras for self-attainment, committing It is only the illusion of a daydreamer that everyone in the Society veiled acts of injustice. This is a hearty life, besides the way of leads one’s life through the light of conscience. But this is in sharp infusing the knowledge into our life. Really a power that turns what contrast to reality. It is the sacred souls in whose wisdom lies the is ephemeral to eternal. An act of austerity that brings the intense past, present and the future of the mankind. Though this appears bliss to our experience. It insulates itself from the allurements to contradict the democratic principles; it is a stark reality. The proffered by the people, the status and other mundane objects. It present state of chaos, trials and tribulations would not have been does not suffer from frailty of sternness about impulsive weakness there if they were alive. It is sad that though there are leaders who of man. It is detached from the notion that fulfilment of desires arising have proved their mettle in their respective realms, there is a total out of such frailties, such allurements is the ultimate goal of man’s absence of wisest souls to visualise the real well being of mankind aspirations. From the standpoint of Dharma, every day’s questions and be the perpetual guiding spirit. It is our misfortune; the vicious of man and the temporary problems of Society are negligible. influence of Kalipurusha. It is where the God has deceived us. Obstacles confronted by a nation, a race, in an age are trivial. The MüÉsÉÉã ÌWû SÒUÌiÉ¢üqÉÈ | ‘Sanatana Dharma’ (Dharma spanning aeons) is a perfect antidote Be that as it may, it is unpardonable that we have even failed to for all kinds of maladies of the entire world for all times. It is remember such great souls. We are sure to throw ourselves into blunderous to gauge it in a short perspective, from a stunted angle wilderness by not pursuing the path shown by them, let alone failing and from the viewpoint of specific time and place. Our problems to look upon them as our real guides. Our total dependence on cannot find solutions from it. Only Paragons can realise the meaning them is our only choice. With this as our goal, there is not even an of Dharma. It is better for others to simply follow it without any debate. iota of doubt in achieving emancipation from the sufferings in our It is in our own interest we find solution to our problems only within the life. Rather than lamenting on the absence of such leaders, it is ambit of Dharma. Instead, gloating over the transitory pleasures attained wise to remember such great souls all through the journey of our through the path trodden out of ignorance can aptly be compared to life. the life of a dog relishing its own blood caused by its gnawing pieces of The Divine Path Of Dharma bone. Therefore it calls for a great deal of judiciousness while considering The path they pursued is straight and clear rid of thorns and the aspects of Dharma. Reformers should bear in mind that it is improper hindrances. The path of Sanatana Dharma has always been fearless to criticise Dharma unrestrainedly.