Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan inaugurates 93rd Sivagiri pilgrimage, highlights integration of spirituality and social responsibility

The Sivagiri pilgrimage teaches us the powerful truth that spiritual life and social life cannot be separated, Vice-President C.P.Radhakrishnan has said.

He was speaking after inaugurating the 93rd Sivagiri pilgrimage at Sivagiri Math at Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

“If any faith does not uplift the society, then it remains incomplete. Faith can heal society. Here spirituality is not isolated from the world, but it is integrated with the world. Faith when guided by reasoning and compassion becomes a force for social unity and collective growth. Institutions inspired by Sree Narayana Guru have a vital responsibility to guide the youth, foster harmony, resist extremism and strengthen the nation,” he said.

He said that Narayana Guru and Adi Shankaracharya are the greatest contributions of Kerala to Indian society.

“If there was no Shankaracharya, India cannot be united as it is today. If there was no Narayana Guru, there would be no reformation and no sanatana dharma in Kerala. Guru neither provoked nor divided the society; he transformed it,” he said.

Mr.Radhakrishnan said when Narayana Guru imagined about the pilgrimage, he did not imagine mere rituals or traditions, but about awakening the people.

“He wanted to awaken through education, cleanliness and through better organisation, skill training and building self-respect. It is a pilgrimage for the comprehensive betterment of man, which is a perfect blend of spiritual seeking and economic and social progress. Sivagiri pilgrimage, in which people of all religions and castes take part, is a living example of harmony,” he said.

He said that Narayana Guru’s ideas became the moral force behind movements such as the Vaikom Satyagraha.

“Guru questioned why a human being should be treated lesser than the other by birth. His ideal of one caste, one religion, one god for man sent a powerful message. These were not merely slogans but moral earthquakes, which set off a peaceful but steady revolution that is irreversible. He taught society that ignorance is the biggest prison, knowledge is total freedom and compassion is the highest power. He did not condemn or silence anyone as truth does not fear questions and faith grows stronger when reason walks beside it,” he said.

Mr. Radhakrishnan said that through the Union government’s Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme, pilgrimage sites are being upgraded.

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said Narayana Guru’s teachings have been the guiding force of today’s society.

Union Minister Suresh Gopi, Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh, Shashi Tharoor MP, Bhramashri Swami Satchidananda, president of Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust, and Sree Narayana Dharma Sangam Trust general secretary Swami Subhangananda were among those present.

Mr. Tharoor’s latest book, titled The Sage Who Reimagined Hinduism: The Life, Lessons, & Legacy of Sree Narayana Guru, was released at the function.