Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India TV.
Congress has tried to stir up a new controversy regarding the inauguration of Ramjanmasthan temple in Ayodhya and the life consecration ceremony of Ramlala. Congress leaders started saying that by not inviting Shankaracharya in the consecration program, BJP has conspired to divide Hindus, BJP is trying to divide Ramanandi sect and Shaiva sect. Congress leaders said that BJP has hijacked Ramlala. The inauguration of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya has been made a political arena. Digvijay Singh said that who are BJP and Vishwa Hindu Parishad to invite the inauguration ceremony of the temple in Ayodhya? Who gave Champat Rai the right to decide who should be invited and who should not be invited? Digvijay Singh said that Shankaracharya is the bearer of Sanatan tradition, BJP and VHP are insulting Shankaracharya, that is why Shankaracharya has refused to come to this program. After this, statements of two Shankaracharyas – Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati of Jyotirmath and Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati of Puri Govardhan Math also came. Both Shankaracharyas said that they will not go to Ayodhya on 22 January. Both gave different reasons. Avimukteshwaranand said that the entire program being held in Ayodhya is political, the Prime Minister is going to consecrate Ram Lalla for his election benefit while the construction of the temple has not been completed yet. Swami Avimukteshwaranand said that no new temple is being built in Ayodhya, there was already a temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, now it is being renovated and the Prime Minister is going to install the idol of Ramlala in the middle of the half-finished work. Are going. Therefore he will not go to this program. However, Avimukteshwaranand also said that he has no problem with consecration but he will go to Ayodhya only when the temple is completed.
Swami Avimukteshwarananda and Digvijay Singh have the same thing. Why is it the same? Let me tell you this also. Swami Avimukteshwaranand and Digvijay Singh have the same guru. Swami Swaroopanand was the Shankaracharya of Saraswati Jyotirmath, the guru of Digvijay Singh, Swami Swaroopanand was called the Congress Shankaracharya. After his demise last year, Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati was made the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath. Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati’s old name was Umashankar Pandey. He took Sannyasa initiation from Swaroopanand Saraswati in Kashi in 2000 and on the basis of Swaroopanand’s will, Avimukteshwaranand was made the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath last year. But Sanyasi Akhara like Niranjani Akhara and Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad had opposed it. It was claimed that the method and tradition of appointing Shankaracharya was not followed. Let me also tell you that Swami Avimukteshwaranand is not opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi from today. He had also opposed the construction of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and sat on a fast unto death.
Another Shankaracharya is Shankaracharya Nischalanand Saraswati of Govardhan Peeth of Puri. Nishvachalanand Saraswati said that he will not go to the consecration ceremony of Ramlala to be held in Ayodhya. Nischalanand Saraswati said that he has no problem with the consecration of Ramlala’s life, this is a big work of Hindu religion, he just wants that the worship should be done as per the rituals and according to the scriptures. When he was asked why he was not going to the program, Nischalanand said that the Prime Minister would perform the consecration and he would be the one to go to the sanctum sanctorum, hence, there was no justification for his going. Nischalanand Saraswati is the 145th Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth. He is an 80 year old man and a respected saint. He took initiation into Sannyasa from Swami Karpatri Ji Maharaj. Childhood name was Nilambar Jha. His father was the royal priest of Darbhanga king. This is the problem of Swami Nischalananda. They believe that the right of the saints is to rule over the rulers, they have no problem with the inauguration of the Ram temple, they have no problem with the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla, the problem is only with the question of why Prime Minister Modi is inaugurating the temple. Are? Why would Modi go to the sanctum sanctorum? This right is of Shankaracharya, it is his. That is why Nischalanand Saraswati said that when Modi will perform the Pran Pratistha, when Modi will first see Ram Lalla, will he go there to clap? It is clear from this sentence that Swami Nischalananda’s problem is of EGO. He is unable to bear that despite being Shankaracharya, he should attend the program as a spectator. However all Shankaracharyas were invited with respect. It was said in the invitation that Pujya Shankaracharya should visit Ayodhya along with one of his associates. This very thing made Swami Nischalanand feel bad. He said what happened that he would go to Ayodhya with only one disciple and he refused to participate in the program. After this, Congress leaders started saying that all four Shankaracharyas are angry, no Shankaracharya is going to Ayodhya because BJP has made Ramlala’s program political. But the Shankaracharyas of Dwarka Peeth and Shringeri Peeth issued statements and clarified their position.
Congress minister Priyank Kharge was claiming that the four Shankaracharyas were angry, but a statement was issued in support of Pran Pratishtha from the Shankaracharya of Sringeri Peeth of Karnataka state, where he belongs. In a statement issued by Shri Bharati Tirtha, Shankaracharya of Sringeri Sharda Peetham, it was said that Shankaracharya has neither expressed any displeasure regarding the Pran Pratistha nor has Shankaracharya made any objection, some people are spreading rumors quoting Shankaracharya whereas Shankaracharya had given a message to the devotees on Diwali itself that all the devotees should chant the Ram-Tarak mantra to ensure that the life of Ramlala is completed without any hindrance. The statement said that Shankaracharya has given full blessings to this Pran Pratishtha and has also asked all his devotees to participate in the Pran Pratishtha in maximum numbers. On the other hand, Swami Sadanand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Sharda Peetham in Dwarka, said in a statement that the present Shankaracharya’s guru had made continuous efforts through the Ramalaya Trust and the Ram Janmabhoomi Purudhar Samiti to get the Ram Janmabhoomi back and now due to years of efforts, The auspicious occasion of Ramlala’s life consecration has come, at such a time Shankaracharya is very happy and he wants that all the work of life consecration should be in accordance with the scriptures and religious decorum. VHP working president Alok Kumar said that no Shankaracharya had opposed the construction of Ram temple, hence the controversy that is being created in the name of Shankaracharyas is meaningless.
It is understandable that Congress should boycott the grand ceremony to be held in Ayodhya. But it is a matter of sadness and misfortune that a saint holding a high religious post like Shankaracharya should question the consecration ceremony. At the age of just 32, Adi Shankaracharya established four monasteries that united the entire country, established monasteries in four different corners of the country, and gave the responsibility of those monasteries to the saints who showed the path to the society. This tradition has been continuing for two thousand years. Even today, Shankaracharya is respected the most among Hindu people. Shankaracharya is free from personal attachment, hatred, respect, insult, attachment and ego. Shows the path to salvation and is the bearer of the eternal tradition. In such a situation, if a Shankaracharya says why is Modi inaugurating the temple? Why is Modi the host at the Pran Pratistha ceremony? Why is the temple being inaugurated now? So this is not in accordance with his position, dignity and prestige. What does Shankaracharya have to do with when the elections are? Which party is in government? Was the auspicious time determined after seeing the elections or not? When Shankaracharya makes such statements, it raises questions on the reputation of the entire saint community. As far as Congress is concerned, Congress leaders are provoking the ego of Shankaracharya in this matter and then trying to give political color to his statements. Overall, Congress made two Shankaracharyas as pawns of its politics in this matter because the Congress high command refused to participate in the consecration ceremony. BJP made it a big issue and Congress now wants to get rid of it somehow. But this will not be so easy. (Rajat Sharma)
Watch: ‘Aaj Ki Baat with Rajat Sharma’ full episode of 11 January 2024
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