Pndurang Shastri Athavale

Pandurang Shastri Athavale, popularly known as Dada, is a philosopher cum social reformer. He is credited with being the founder of the Swadhyay Movement. Not present in the world anymore, Pandurang Shastri Vaijnath Athavale was known for giving extremely moving discourses on Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads. Infact, he tried to motivate his followers to spread the thoughts of Geeta in the society. Given below is the complete biography of Pandurang Shastri Athavale His Life History Pandurang Shastri Athavale was born on 19th October 1920, in the Roha village near Mumbai city. His grandfather was Laxman Rao, a renowned scholar and Brahmin who was involved in the spread of Bhagavad Gita amongst the Dalits. Pandurang grew up watching his grandfather go to the Dalit area and then take a bath after coming back home. Surprised by this act, he asked Laxman “If in the Bhagavad Gita the Lord exclaims that God exists within all human hearts, then how can anyone, including the so-called ‘untouchables’, be considered inferior to anyone else?” After that, he made a vow to himself that he would always try to see the God within others. Hence, he became the proponent of the concept of “In-dwelling God”. By the age of 22 years, Pandurang Shastri Athavale started giving discourses at the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Pathshala, a school that was set up by his father. In the year 1954, he attended the Second World Religions Conference, which was held in Japan. At the conference, he delivered a speech on the concepts of Vedic ideals as well as the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. Even though most of the people rebuffed his views; there was one person who was very impressed with him. He was Dr. Wilson Compton, who then offered Pandurang a post in the USA to spread his ideas and views. However, Pandurang politely turned down the offer. He then devoted himself in establishing a model community, through the spread of Vedic thoughts and message of the Bhagavad Gita. Thus was born the Swadhyay (meaning ’self study’) Movement, which spread the message of the holy book not only in India, but the whole world. The family members of the Swadhyay Pariwar are called ‘Swadhyayees’ and include people from the upper as well as the lower classes. The Swadhyayees who spread the ideas of Athavale throughout the country are known as “Krutisheels’ or the people of action. Pandurang Shastri Athavale also founded an institute, known as Tatvagyan Vidhyapeeth, where young people study and learn his views and ideas. Pandurang left for the holy abode on 25th October 2003, in Mumbai. His adopted daughter, Jayshree Talwalkar, is carrying on his work today. Recognition * Ramon Magsaysay Award in Manila, Philippines (1996) – for community leadership * Templeton Prize in Westminster Abbey, London (1997) * Padma Vibhushan (1998) – for his efforts towards social reform

Worship Nature

A Hindu woman performing a religious ceremony around the tulsi plant Painting by D.V. Dhurandhar, Bombay, C.1890 (image source: V&A Museum, London) Once again this has reference to Seenu’s blog on Indian Monsoon In The Bhagavad Gita , sloka 20, Chapter 10, Lord Krishna says, “I am the Self seated in the heart of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle and the very end of all beings”. All beings have, therefore to be treated alike.” *** Our natural environment – comprising mountains and hills, rivers and dales, trees and plants – is considered auspicious enough to provide space for meditation. There are thousands of spots whose special sanctity is enhanced by the performance of daily rituals. Retreats in the Himalayas or on the river banks shelter sages who are credited with universal knowledge. Especially hallowed are the sources and confluence of rivers. Harmony with the natural world receives strong emphasis as a pervasive element in Indian spiritual beliefs and rituals. Evergreen trees were regarded as symbols of eternal life and to cut them down was to invite the wrath of the gods. Groves in forests were looked upon as habitations of the gods. It was under a banyan tree that the Hindu sages sat in a trance seeking enlightenment and it was here that they held discourses and conducted holy rituals. The ancient sacred literature of the Vedas enshrines a holistic and poetic cosmic vision. They represent the oldest, the most carefully nurtured, the most elaborately systematized and the most lovingly preserved oral tradition in the annals of the world. Unique in their perspective of time and space, their evocative poetry is a joyous and spontaneous affirmation of life and nature. The Vedic Hymn to the Earth, the Prithvi Sukta in Atharva Veda, is unquestionably the oldest and the most evocative environmental invocation. In it, the Vedic seer solemnly declares the enduring filial allegiance of humankind to Mother Earth: ‘Mata Bhumih Putroham Prithivyah: Earth is my mother, I am her son.’ Mother Earth is celebrated for all her natural bounties and particularly for her gifts of herbs and vegetation. Her blessings are sought for prosperity in all endeavours and fulfilment of all righteous aspirations. A covenant is made that humankind shall secure the Earth against all environmental trespass and shall never let her be oppressed. A soul-stirring prayer is sung in one of the hymns for the preservation and conservation of hills, snow-clad mountains, and all brown, black and red earth, unhurt, unsmitten, unwounded, unbroken and well defended by Indra. (source: The East is green – ourplanet.com).