SREE NARAYANA GURU
SREE NARAYANA GURU
Sree Narayana Guru, the father of Kerala Renaissance or Kerala Religious movement was born in a Eazhava family, on 20 Aug 1856
, at Chempazhanthy (near Trivandrum). His father’s name was Madan Asan and mother’s name Kuttiyamma. After the demise of his father, Guru began the life of a wandering saint. He attained spiritual attainment at Maruthwamala forest, after eight years of yogic and meditation practises.
Sree Narayana Guru was the apostle of religious equality.He demostrated a path to social emancipation. Guru’s famous teachings include “ONE CASTE, ONE RELIGION, ONE GOD FOR MAN“.
He contributed a lot towards the changing of Kerala’s Social Fabric.
He
vehemently opposed social wrongs like casteism, untouchability and
social discrimination. He advised the downtrodden community to quit
evil habit of drinking liquor. He guided them towards spirituality. His
charismatic personality pulled thousands of people towards him.
Sree Narayana Guru had
sound knowledge of vedas and upanishads. He was advocate of non-violent
philosophy. Guru was admired for his mastery over sanskrit language and
poetry, drama and literary criticism. His literary and philosophical
masterpiece “Atmopadesa Satakam” (one hundred verses of self-instruction) is considered a fertile poetic expression.
Sree Narayana Guru installed a Sivalingam at Aruvippuram near
the river Neyyar. This consecration at Aruvippuram made upper caste
persons angry. When Brahmins challenged his right towards consecration,
he said that he installed his Siva and not Brahmin Siva. He instructed
to place a plaque near the temple with the following lines…
Devoid of dividing walls of Caste
Or hatred of rival faith,
We all live here
In Brotherhood,
Such, know this place to be!
This Model Foundation!
Or hatred of rival faith,
We all live here
In Brotherhood,
Such, know this place to be!
This Model Foundation!
Sree Narayana Guru, at a later stage decided to settle at Sivagiri. He started worshipping goddess Amba. 1913, the Guru founded Advaita Ashram at Aluva. He visited Sri Lanka
between 1918 and 1923 many times . Sree Narayana Guru consecrated a
mirror,with the message “Om shanti”, in a temple in Kalavankode.
Rabindranath Tagore visited Guru in 1922 and Mahatma Gandhi in 1925.
Guru participated in the anniversary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam held at Palluruthy in 1927. In 1928, he gave away registration certificates to the branch organizations.
The Sivagiri pilgrimage was approved bySree Narayana Guru on January, 1928.
Sree Narayana Guru breathed his last 0n 20 September 1928.
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