CHAPTER – IV NARAYANA GURU AND HIS SOCIETAL REFORMS ...

CHAPTER – IV NARAYANA GURU AND HIS SOCIETAL REFORMS

CHAPTER – IV

NARAYANA GURU AND HIS SOCIETAL REFORMS

Introduction

Alter E.V.R. Naicker the other well known reforms in south

India was Shri Narayana Guru. All through his 72 years, it seems, he

refused to stagnate, not only in action but also in thought. That

distinguishes him from most other sanyasins. Shri Narayana Guru’s

life, on the other hand, was a continuous quest – a saga of persistent

exploration and a related cycle of action, movement and change,

intended to strengthen the bridges of understanding. He was a jnana

yogi and a karma yogi rolled into one. The crescendo of significant

action began right from his early childhood and gained in rhythm,

momentum and harmony as he matured in age and wisdom.

Early Life

The Guru was born on the 26th of August 1856, at

Chempazhanthi, a quiet little hamlet 12 km north of

Thriuvananthapuram. His father was Madan Asan, a middle level

farmer and an Asan or village schoolmaster. Kochupennu, his

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mother, was a pious and kindhearted matron. The child was named

Narayanan; the diminutive was ‘Nanoo’. The small mud walled hut-

where he saw the light of day exists even now. It is a protected

historic monument. This annex alone survives of the sprawling

Vayalvarath house, where lived a big joint family. The homestead

was located beside extensive paddy fields, which the family partly

owned and cultivated. Nanoo had three sisters. His uncle, Krishnan

Vaidyar, was an Ayurvedic physician of considerable repute.

Nanoo’s family were hardy peasants.

“The Ezhavas, the community to which the Valyalvarathu

family belonged, originated from the Uzhavars of the ancient

Dravidian / Tamil culture of South India. Uzhavar means one who

ploughs the soil. It is not a caste name, but a functional description.

The Aryan Brahminical penetration from the North did havoc to the

work oriented social set up of the South. In prehistoric times, till the

Nampoothiri Brahmins came and wrested the initiative in Kerala, the

dominant group was the tiller class of Uzhavars. There were other

specialized functionaries, like carpenters, fishermen and unskilled

labourers. Primarily it was their role in the productive process that

differentiated them. The Aryanization of the South was a

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catastrophe; it led to rifts and schisms in Uzhavar class; a breakaway

group became the Sudras of the four fold caste structure

(Varnashrama) imposed by the clever Nampoothiris. The latter

dispossessed the Uzhavars of their holdings, took over and

restructured their places of worship and branded them Avarnas

(outside the Caste system) and untouchables”.1 By cleverly

manipulating taboos and ,customs they conspired to keep the salt of

the earth as far away as possible from their freeholds and spiritual

abodes. It as pointed that the upper castes in India were the most

mobile lot who tried to spread in every nook and corner of India.

Young Nanoo hailed from a typical Ezhava family of those

days. Like most others, it was constrained to lead a hand to mouth

existence; the machinations of the Caste Hindus had reduced them to

that plight. Still it remained as integrated unit. Its members took care

of those basic tasks which a self sufficient group was expected to

cater to. Thus, agriculture, medicare, education etc crucial to

civilized existence, were provided for. Nanoo was mounded by this

hardy, independent, realistic and work oriented environment. In the

Guru’s teachings and ministry too, we come across these traits of self

sufficiency, and study independence.

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Narayana Guru’s ideas

As Shri Narayana Guru was a double pronged drive to reach

the goal of love and fellow through social change. With the historic

consecration of the Sivalinga at Aruvippuram, the thrust began. It

was energetically followed up. One after the other, many more places

of worship sprang up. “Simultaneously the temple sabha started at

Aruvippuram became a broad based forum to agitate against social

and political discrimination. Its goal was to usher in the new social

order to make universal the model abode ideal the Guru had

announced at Aruvippuram”.2

It is doubtful whether Shri Narayana Guru had at any time been

the victim of caste feeling. He himself did not observe caste. As a

boy, he took pleasure in mingling with the lower castes. During the

days of wandering and spiritual quest, he did not care at all for

religious differences or caste taboos. He mixed freely and shared

food with all and sundry - the fisher folk on the sea coast who were

depressed Christians and indigent Muslims, the impoverished

working people in inland regions, who were Pulayas or Paraiahs. He

also moved freely with Nair families. One of his bosom friends was

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Kunjan Pillai Chattampi Swamikal; to him caste or Varna systrem

was anathema. The latter fought Brahmanism uncompromisingly.

“He spoke and wrote strongly about the evil consequences of Aryan

intrigue on the Dravidian people”.3

About Shri Narayana Guru’s tactics in solving problems, he

was against confrontation or head-on collision. Frontal attack was

avoided. What he chose to do was to side-track the issue with a view

to exposing its gross inequity, his sense of humour prevailed, he

turned the tables on his adversaries, without giving room for anger or

bitterness. He however, was not a kind of Gandhians non-violence.

But he was influenced by Gandhian thought. He did not approve of

Satyagraham, as he thought it involved exploitation of sentiment and

use of moral coercion. By focusing on the irrationality of the caste

issue, he helped reason to prevail. This was the method he adopted

even in the case of religious reform. Mention has already been made

of his retort to the Nampoothiri, who questioned his right to officiate

as a priest. Perhaps the relevance of the Guru’s method of fighting

evil is greater today. It is a fact that violent, revolutionary

movements for changing society have not taken the race to the

promised goal which shows the impact of Gandhi. Many such efforts

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have misfired the creed of ‘end justifies means’ stands discredited.

Tainted means can seldom lead to noble goals. Gandhiji’s weapon of

Satyagraha had been misused by the people; it has become now the

butt of ridicule of all sensible persons. But to those who seek self

aggrandizement, it is a convenient and effective device. The Guru’s

modus operandi was in a harmony with morality and purity of means

like Gandhi. And invariably his moves were crowned with success.

Among Hindus, there has been much religious heterodoxy.

which results in utter confusion. It is much more acute than in other

world religions. Guru felt that it was a very sad state of affairs.

Divisive factors were overwhelmingly numerous in Hinduism.

Consequently the vitality of the Hindu faith, which was old, was

becoming much less. Its positive role has been lost. Chaturvarnya or

the four fold caste system was its curse. “As degeneration increased,

castes multiplied. The temple became the bastion of caste; it was also

digged in fortress of the priestly exploiters. That is why the Guru

turned his look first of all to the sanctum sanctorum and claimed his

right of entry into it.”4

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Casteism in Kerala

In Kerala, caste practices were distorted to absurd levels. The

ingenuity of Keralites especially that of the Namboothiris, is

displayed in its classic form, in the subtleties of caste distinction they

have forged. Innumerable are the castes and sub castes. There was

not only untouchability, but also unapproachability. Pollution by

sight, or even by breathing the same air, is Kerala’s ingenious

addition to the system. This was a constricting prohibition. It denied

to follow humans freedom of movement and even the right to fresh

air. In the temples as well as outside, these were enforced with

callousness. There was discrimination even in the mode and manner

of worship. The Sudras, too, “who were inducted into the caste

Hindu hierarchy for other considerations. They had to keep at a

_________________________________________________

* Foot Note:-

Perhaps Kerala being more isolated from the happenings in

Madras Presidency, it can be said that the caste system and its ‘ISM’

was more serve than in any other part of the country in peninsular

India. The Brahmin dominance had crossed all limits in exploiting the

backward community.

___________________________________________________

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humiliating distance. The chief among the varnas were Ezhavas or

Thiyas. They were kept at a safe distance of 14 feet from the

compound wall of the temple.”5 The so-called Chandalas like the

Pulayas and Pariahs were privileged to maintain a more respectable

distance! In the name of Sruti, and Smriti and Aryan intruders

controlled the temple’s core. The land and the tillers of the soil were

manipulated dexterously. Such a system of exploitation reigned

supreme in the homeland of Adi Sankara for centuries.

Who are the Namboothiris, and when, and in what manner,

they appeared on the stage of Kerala, are still matters of conjecture.

The same questions crop up in the case of the Ezhava / Thiyas also.

E.M.S. Namboothiris thinks that “the so-called colonization by the

Namboothiris and the Ezhavas is nothing more than a figurative

expression for the penetration of the Brahmin and Buddhist cultures

brought by small groups of Brahmins and Buddhists and consequent

transformation of the social organization of Kerala.”6 This is a line of

exploration which may, perhaps, yield good result. However, the fact

remains that whether the number of the migrants was big or small, the

impact of this event was considerable. The Nampoothiris by their

superior dialectical skill, managed, around the 10th century, to have a

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stronghold on the native Dravidian inhabitants and their land and

temples. Before the infiltration of this Aryan sect, Kerala, along with

the rest of South India, had settled in peace and glory brought by

Buddhism and Jainism. When this influence declined, there arose a

vacuum. This was filled by the more credible creed brought by

Nampoothiris. Were they the convincing New Scholars? The legend

of Mahabali has something to do with the Golden Age before the

Aryans came. It is thought that Kodungalloor with its present Devi

temple was once a Buddhist centre of worship. It had monasteries

and nunneries. Mention is also made of Shri Moolavasam. It was the

centre of the Buddhist civilization in the Malabar coast. The Arabian

sea submerged it. South Kerala might have had unnumerable

Buddhist places of worship. Jainism flourished in Wayanad, which

was closer to Karnataka. In all these areas there were places of

worship. They were pagoda-like in appearance. “After the

Brahminical takeover, these temples underwent change. Idol worship

was instituted.”7 It is significant that the temple architecture of Kerala

is different from that of Tamil Nadu or elsewhere in India. It

resembles more or less the structure of the Buddhist temples of Shri

Lanka. Anyhow there is no doubt that Buddhist influence in earlier

Kerala life was pervasive. But as it said that any reform movement in

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India, which tried to reform Indian society, the Brahmins have seen to

it that it resulted in a Jati-caste system: i.e. Buddhism, Jainism,

Veershaivanism etc.

The Schism which arose in the Buddhist faith helped the

revival of Brahmin influence. The Mahayana faction introduced idol

worship. Hindu rituals slowly found their place in Viharas and

Mutts. And when the priests, after edging out, managed to get control

over them, it was easy to convert them into Hindu temples. Even

Lord Buddha was deified. He was absorbed into the Hindu pantheon

as one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu. Ayyappa or Sastha is Buddha

refurbished as a Hindu god. And once the places of worship were

misappropriated, it was easy to manipulate the land as well as it

rightful owners. The priests were clever tacticians. They knew how

to divide and rule. A sizable group from among the people was

persuaded to toe their line. That group was assigned the status of the

Sudras in the four fold Caste order. “The more scholarly and fair

complexioned were, perhaps, taken straight into the Nampoothiri or

Brahmin caste. The Aryan conquerors suffered from a paucity of

spouses. To solve this problem, the system of sambandam or

morganatic marriage was devised.”8 The Nampoothiris, however,

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continued the system of primogeniture. They carried on with the

patrineial traditions of the Aryans instead of opting for the

matriarchal system of the Dravidian peoples. The first born of the

Nampoothiri alone married from his caste. Only he inherited the

property. Through his progeny, the purity of the caste was ensured.

Prosperity rights were kept in tact by this arrangement. “Younger

sons chose women from the Sudras. By their inbreeding there

emerged numerous hybrid groups. As they increased and multiplied,

they were made subordinate functionaries of the temple

establishment. In that way arose many sub castes among the so-

called Savarnas.”9

The majority was thus ostracized and segregated from the

places of worship, their land was taken away. They were physically

removed to a covenanted distance. Thus they had no options left.

They slowly switched over to earlier, primitive and obsolete forms of

worship.

There were deities which originated from ancestor worship

anthropomorphism and fertility rites. Lord Siva and Sakthi had

assumed many disgusting forms. Amman Koils or temples to the

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Mother Goddess were revived. “Goddesses Bhadrakali, Marutha and

Mariamma were rather ferocious aspects of Sakthi. Madan,

Muthappan etc were earlier forms of Lord Siva or hangovers of

ancestor worship.”10 Some of the deities of the tribals were also

available to the dispossessed majority. Animal sacrifice was revived,

black magic flourished. Liberation with liquor came in through the

backdoor. And inevitably these places of worship became musty,

stinking holes. They were sandwitched between narrow, crowned

lanes, where the tillers of the soil were forcibly herded together. The

original temple in the elevated, commanding height in a village was

out of bounds to them. “In fact the place of worship the majority

patronized fully reflected their despair, ignorance and intellectual

poverty. They showed the nature of the depression and despondency,

which became the lot of the hard working people of Kerala, after the

Buddhist Golden Age, the Mahabali Era, was past.”11

For many centuries this sorry state of affairs continued. By and

large the tyranny of the so-called Savarnas became truly oppressive.

The Sudras, as neophytes, were perhaps more aggressive. They had

slowly acquired much economic power. This enhanced their political

and social influence. Meanwhile, the non caste sector constituting the

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majority languished further. They became more and more

dehumanized as a result of persecution and denial. They had none to

lead them, to point out an escape route. “In modern times, conversion

to Christianity and Islam opened up escape routes to a small

percentage among them. The majority had to put up with social

persecution and economic exploitation. It continued till the right

leader led them out of the Slough of Despond. In Shri Narayana Guru,

they found a true Saviour and Pathfinder. He took over the leadership

of this modern Exodus. The consecration of the temple at

Aruvippuram was its signal.”12 this shows how the backwards have

suffered under the domination of Brahmanism.

His Methodology

The greatness of Shri Narayana Guru is that he analyzed the

cause and found its solution. With malice for none and love for all he

tried to implement it. He knew that the whole of the society which

was affected. Both the Avarnas and the Savarnas were afflicted by

the disease of was caste. The only way was to remove and wish to

usher in harmony where strife, rancour and dissension prevailed. A

peaceful change was called for. It would be a full fledged revolution

– a basic change in sentiments, feeling, intellect and perspective, a

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change long overdue. He strove to bring that about, with the help of

the poise, self assurance and insight that years of deep thought and

tapas had brought to him. He also preferred harmonious means.

Love and kindness had become second nature to him. He had

realized the Advaitic unity of Consciousness. With a disarming sense

of humour, he went about his task, led by the light of Truth. “The first

milestone in this historic pilgrimage to the Absolute is the

Aruvippuram Pratishta. It was meant as a bold and courageous

antidote to the caste venom. Further it was a clarion call to faith and

hope, to devotion (Bhakti) of a cleaner, nobler and purer kind.”13

Guru in action

Two things the Guru set to his heart was, one was to make

everyone realize the absurdity of caste, which is the constrictor

strangling our civilization. All alike have to be delivered from its

grip. Secondly, “he wanted to free religion from centuries old

superstitions and taboos which hindered genuine Self-Realization.

He wanted houses of gods to be clean airy, well ventilated places

where people met and mingled freely and without inhibition. They

should be abodes of Truth and Love.”14 The Guru probably had in

mind the clean and tranquil Christian Church and Muslim Masjid.

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Rituals in temples should be cut down; they have to be simple and

solemn. He also preferred the worship of deities who represented

humane and benevolent aspects of godhead as well as man. On the

other hand Gandhiji tried to even reform the Brahmins and asked

them to remove the ‘ism’ which they had attached to the caste system.

He was against the ‘ISM’.

After Aruvippuram, Narayana Guru began consecrating temple

after temple. In their holy precincts he made provision also for

schools, reading rooms, too, came into being. The teaching of

Sanskrit language and the Vedic texts denied to non-Brahmins was

provided for. He also encouraged the learning of English. A genuine

renaissance can take place only through a cross fertilization of ideas,

Times were changing, and we too have to change order, it will change

us. The society was in ferment. A subterranean rumbling could be

heard. He was foremost among those who sharpened their ears and

anticipated its beneficent results. One of the rate qualities of the Guru

was that, he could by no means be a reactionary or conservative like

the typical godmen. He looked ahead with a catholicity of outlook, he

imbibed new ideas. These he attempted to integrate with our

traditional beliefs. The chief thrust of the Upanishads is Salvation by

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Knowledge. One of the inspiring exhortations of the Guru was:

“Educate to be free”. The others which went with it were, “Organize

to be strong” and “Thrive through industry”.15 This showed a rational

perspective which agrees with our times. He had in mind two

programmes for creating enlightenment. Of these the immediate

thrust was to be on religion. He reformed its practice. Temples were

reorganized and restructured as centers of intellectual life. They were

to be arenas of genuine understanding, brotherliness and harmony.

People should also learn to cherish their links with their environment.

The way in which he accomplished this goal, threw light on the

quality of his vision. The kinds and forms of Pratishta he undertook

reveal it. Reformers tried to apply various methods in their own to

reform Indian society, in different parts of south India i.e. ‘Bombay

and Madras’ presidency. The constitutional-reform Acts had its own

impact.

One of his early Pratishtas after Aruvippuram was at a place

called Muttakkad, quite close to the famous Kovalam Beach Report.

The idol there is that of Lord Subramania.

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By now the renown of the Saint had spread far and wide. After

the Aruvippuram Pratishta, he was on the more incessantly for about

15 years. From one end of Kerala to the other and even in

TamilNadu he went raising funds for his temples, Mutts and schools,

and enthusing people in their religious and social awakening. “His

appeal for funds was generously responded to by the poor as well as

the rich. Money and land grants grew from a trickle to a steady

flow.”16

The Guru consecrated new places of worship only when the

need for one was brought to his notice by the people concerned. But

in the case of renovation, he deliberately encouraged. A stage came

when he almost set his face against new temples. He even impressed

upon people that schools and libraries should receive priority. Again,

there was a significant change in the nature and quality of the deities

installed. All these point to the fact that the Guru was a different kind

of religious teacher. He knew the spirit of the age. He acknowledge

in all his acts, the inevitability of change and the necessity of

progress. His ethos was essentially modern and realistic.

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Temple consecration was already showing results. Thereby he

was giving a fillip to the self respect of the Ezhavas / Thiyas

multitude. They were slowly cured to their century’s old lethargy and

helplessness. “The Dharma of Shri Narayana Guru was remoulding

them. The new temples side tracked to an extent the popularity as

well as prosperity of the temples under the control of the Savarnas. A

big chunk of their income was also being taken away.”17 Later on the

Guru blessed the idea of the annual pilgrimage to Sivagiri on the

threshold of the New Year. This appreciably lessened for a long

while the urge to go to Sabarimala and Kodungalloor. Being the most

numerous among the Hindus, it was the poor Ezhava folk who went

to these pilgrim centers in large numbers. In fact, as a result of such

subtle moves of the Guru, there arose a current of opinion against the

superstitious follies which had enslaved the masses for ages.

Sahodaran Ayyappan, a disciple of the Guru, a rationalist and atheist,

was doing effective propaganda against the evils prevailing in the

Hindu faith. The Christian Church was also going all out for more

converts to their faith. Eminent Ezhavas / Thiyas like C. Krishnan of

Calicut exhorted the community to embrace Buddhism en bloc. The

struggles for Human Rights launched by the backward sections in

Travancore and Cochin made steady headway. The Self Respect

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Movement and E.V. Ramasamy Naicker’s Dravida Kazhakam in the

adjoining state of Tamil Nadu also created substantial impact. No

less significant was the fact that among the Savarnas there were many

who welcomed changes in tune with the times. The famous Vaikom

Satyagraha brought to the forefront such progressive minded persons.

Many of them subscribed to the Guru’s call for ‘One Caste, one

Religion and One God for man’. “All these factors later on made

possible the historic Temple Entry Proclamation (1937) by the

Maharaja of Travancore.” 18 It has to be noted that the princely state

like Maharaja of Travancore., the justice party, the self respect

movement, Maharaja of Mysore had been inclose touch with the

Kolhapur movement. The Maharaja of Gwaliair was in touch of

reformers in North India. The princely States played and important

role for reformation of the caste-system.

Political Ideology

Shri Narayana Guru’s effort towards a reformed worship also

caused certain important side effects. Among them is the idea of a

United Kerala. The political fragmentation of the land of the

Malayalees into Travancore, Cochin and Malabar had hampered the

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flourishing of their culture, literature and arts. Human rights also

were in default. “The Guru’s efforts to build temples for the powerful

Thiya (Ezhava) community of Malabar helped to create an All Kerala

perspective. The dream of Ayka Kerala thus engendered by diverse

factors was fulfilled in 1957.”19

Thiyas of Malabar came to know about the Guru and the good

work he was doing for their counterpart in South Kerala. Some of

them met him and invited him to Malabar. Thus it was that the Guru

happened to consecrate, among several others, the three major

temples of Kozhikode, Tellicherry and Mangalore. At Kozhikode, in

the heart of the city he established the Sreekanteswaram Temple.

Rarichan Mooppan, a Thiya was then one of the very rich men of the

area. With his all out support and with the co-operation of influential

public men like C. Krishnan the temple to the Lord with the Blue

Neck was built. Its inauguration was conducted with great fanfare.

The numerically strong and economically upcoming Thiya

community approved this venture with vigour and fervour. This

enthusiasm was infectious. Other sections of society also sharpened

their ears. The enlightened among the caste Hindus welcomed the

events. There was no longer any questioning of the right of a non

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Brahmin to priesthood and its prerogatives. The Guru’s credentials

were now beyond doubt. In fact, on this occasion, the Theosophical

Society of Kozhikode accorded him a grand reception. It presented a

welcome address which, amidst other things, acknowledged that he

“was a great soul who was born with qualities befitting a great leader,

one with the true Brahmin soul sent by God as the successor of the

great Sidhas who had lived in our motherland”.20

In his native Travancore, among caste Hindus the Guru did not

receive such unreserved acceptance and admiration. The Malabar

region, because of its traumatic experiences during the Mysoream

invasion and also due to direct British rule, ceased to have the kind of

caste intolerance that Cochin and Travancore still had. In fact, caste

in these native states was an excuse and a smokescreen for

maintaining in tact undue privileges till economic and political

matters. In the name of caste was maintained a monopoly of official

patronage and the consequent material advantages. Caste in the Indian

context is essentially class polarization. The long spell of British rule

also helped to foster the national spirit in Malabar. In the two

princely states, however, “national awareness which is basically an

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urge for freedom took the form of agitations by the depressed and

backward groups for their human rights.”21

The Thiyas of Tellicherry were very enthusiastic about having

a temple of their own. Their indignation against caste Hindu

discrimination was genuine. “Still many among them were averse to

castes below theirs entering the new temple. Moorkoth Kumaran, the

eminent writer and an ardent discipline of the Guru, was on the side

of the progressive.”22 The Guru was silent till the opposing groups

ironed out the differences through long drawn out discussion. When

the conflict fizzled out, the Guru christened the place Jaganath

Temple. That was done purposely. The famous Jagannath Temple of

Puri in Orissa is unique in the sense that it has always been open to all

castes

The temple at Mangalore was set up at the request of the

Billavas or Thulu Thiyas of that area. Here also the Guru had a

specific aim. He was against ostentatious and expensive ceremonies

and rituals in temples. He advised those concerned to save money

and invest it in socially useful work like running schools, libraries and

the like. Devotees are to spend as little as possible for the purpose of

worship. Thus he hoped to plug the sleuths through which poor

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man’s money is drained by priests and their touts. The majority of

the Billavas was poor. Still they emulated well to do people, went on

pilgrimage to far away Tirupathi and wasted their resources.

Therefore the Guru chose to consecrate a replica of

Thirupatheeswaran. “He assured his followers that they would get all

the spiritual benefits of Thirupati if they worshipped at the local

shrine which he called Gokarnanath temple.”23

“Shadow can’t subsist unaided, without’s model original

‘As this manifest world itself sans its original’

Shade is it neither, nor reality; but all things

Seem like a snake an artist cleverly draws.”24

The world of reality and the world of appearance are often

juxtaposed and contrasted in Vedanta. The Guru denies this duality.

The Self, Aum or Universal Self and the image are one and the same

essence, through they appear as different. Reality and appearance

both cancel themselves out within the neutrality of the Absolute. It is

this Advaitic unity that the Guru emphasized through the Mirror

Pratishta. This tour de force marked the climax and culmination of

his mission to reform worship. He started with idols; the task ended

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with sponsoring and demonstrating the Nirguna form of worship,

which is the sublimest stage of Bhakti. The Mirror Prastishta is a

highly intellectualized symbol of Guru’s Philosophy of Atma Vidya.

Two other temples established by the Guru deserve special

notice. One is the temple of the Goddess of Learning (Saraswathi) at

Sivagiri. It is interesting to recall that the Mahadevar Pratishta there

turned out to be an ill starter. The Lingam was installed on the hill

top and a thatched shed was built over it. The plan to erect a solid

temple somehow did not materialize. And one day the thatched shed

caught fire, destroying the idol also. That was the end of it. “It is this

very spot which hosted later on the Guru’s mortal remains. The

imposing Samadhi Mandiram stands over it as the most eloquent

monument to this unique friend of man.”25

Temples

The Guru was unusually keen and enthusiastic about the temple

to Saraswathi Devi. In fact he urged and encouraged his disciplines

and the S.N.D.P. Yogam to expedite work on it. A cute little pagoda

like Sreekovil came up inside a circular enclosure with a half wall and

the yard spread with snow white sand. The beaming idols of the

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Devi, veena in hand, radiates peace and tranquility. It is pleasing as

well as elevating to gaze on it and worship. The installation

ceremony was a mammoth festival spread out over several days.

“The day of the inauguration saw one of the greatest

ceremonies witnessed in those parts. People arrived like a flood

flowing down the hill. The entire hill was gaily adorned with flags

and festoons of various colour. The caparisoned elephants, whose

gold plated ornaments covering their foreheads, reflecting the yellow,

orange the red rays of the setting sun, provided an unforgettable sight.

Instruments, music and an assorted assembly of drums, folk songs,

folk dances and procession, all provided, as Kumaran Asan put it, “a

heavenly sight never before experienced by anyone of the huge crowd

assembled there.”26 There was no Puja of the usual type. No rituals

like Nivedyam and the sterile mumbling of mandra were provided for.

Indeed, the procession of the idol, its ritual ablution, festivities and

other related observance are dispensed with. The devotees of darsan,

they sang hymns or they were lost in silent meditation. The

Brahmachari in charge, bestows floral offerings if requested to do so.

The emphasis is on silent meditation on that Power which

disseminates knowledge and helps illumine the inner light.

47


In connection with the Sarada Pratishta, the Guru, for once,

overlooked his own commandment about simplicity and against the

wasting of energy, money and resources. For him, so crucial was this

Pratishta. The Mirror Pratishta at Kalavankodam was a brain wave.

“In the case of Sarada Devi, it was the result of a well thought out

plan. ‘Educate to be free’ is one of the exhortations of the Guru. He

cherished learning as the light and illumination of life.”27 ‘Arivu’ is in

the core of his Darsanam. To him, Saraswarthi is more than the

goddess of Learning; she is also the very incarnation of Love. He

conceived here as the Eternal Mother, as the most humane and

endearning aspect of Sakthi. Mother worship is basic to Dravidian

culture. “The Ardhanareeswara concept is a unique feature of the

Saitive Philosophy. Indeed, Sarawathi was, to the Guru, a blended

symbol which harmonized the finest elements in Aryan and Dravidian

civilizations. That is, perhaps, why he gave the greatest priority and

precedence to the installation of the Goddess of learning.”28

Advaitashram founded by the Guru at alwaye. It is veritably a

prayer hall for all religions. Here is the meeting point for all

religions. Attached to it was a free Sanskrit School which welcomed

48


even the lowliest among the low-caste boys. After the establishment

of the Mutt, the Guru strove every way to further his ideal of One

Religion. In Atmopadesa Satakam (verse 49) he surmised thus:

“Always do man everyway strive

For self’s Happiness; count this

As the only Religion of this world;

And shunning evil, restrain the inner Self.”29

Self Knowledge or Atma bodha was the cornerstone of the

Guru’s Advaita philosophy. ‘Know Thyself’ is its ancient Greek

form. “This is the One Religion he projected in his greatest message,

the clarion call of his life ennobling mission, viz. One Caste, one

Religion and One God for Man.”30

The place became soon the venue of the first All Religions

Conference in India. Scholars representing different religions

participated. They compared notes. “The motto of the Conference

was understanding co-existence. The Guru instructed the following

message to be prominently displayed at the venue: ‘Not to argue and

win, but to know and to instruct’.”31 It was from Advaitashram that he

49


had the following message of far reaching significance: “Whatever be

the difference in dress, customs, caste or religions of individuals,

since they are all human beings, there can be no objection to their

inter-dining or inter-marrying.”32 Some of his ways of thinking,

approach reform resemble to a great extent that of Gandhi. It is

however doubted whether he was influenced by Gandhi or not is a

subject of research.

What Dr. Palpu said about the Guru’s temple building activity

is worth close study: “Temples and Mutts have been of great help for

the progress of this (Thiya) community. Such institutions have not

only catered to the religions needs of the people, but they also have

enthused them in many kinds of good deeds. Through their help,

people differing in social position and character have become united

with a sense of equality. Thus have been engendered in them mutual

love and a feeling of brotherhood. Temples have been helpful in

making ordinary people act with rectitude and a sense of morality.

These are verily institutions which propagate religions as well as

moral conduct. They are also intended to give craft based and

specialized kind of education and training. The community’s

resources are conserved by them to be utilized for its well being as

50


well progress. These institutions owned by them have become the

means to assert the self respect of this community which has been

thoroughly ruined by long years of social persecution. Theses

temples are intended to be accessible to members of all castes, lower

as well as higher. As a results of that, those persons who really need

this kind of opportunity will be much more benefited. That is why it

has been so decided.”33

From this it can be said that the country of backwards in the

temple in Maharashtra- madras did not and have not achieved much.

Hence ‘Guru’ Work has achieved much infighting the caste-system

compared to the other parts of south India.

“This assessment comes from one who was easily the most

dedicated leader of the Ezhava (Thiya) community. He was also an

enlightened proponent of the change and progress modern Kerala has

witnessed. He was the informing spirit, which, along with that of the

great poet, Kumaran Asan, infused dynamism into the Shri Narayana

Dharma Paripalana Yogam, the organization which undertook to

propagate and implement the teachings of this unique Guru, was

further continued. His message was for all, its emphasis being on

51


universalism. The Guru unleashed the momentum for this secular and

social thrust by being the inspiration and fountain head of a reformist

movement viz. the S.N.D.P. Yogam. There are very few instances of

a Jnanin becoming the founder and life time president of such an

organization. Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa did not think of

establishing a Sabha for the dissemination of his Dharma.”34 It was

left to his great disciple, Swami Vivekananda, to found the

Ramakrishna Mission. Luckily the Guru had in Dr. Palpu and

Kumaran Asan two illustrious lieutenants. They took upon

themselves the main burden of organizing and building up the

Yogam. In fact, the Yogam was the brain child of the indefatigable;

its foster mother was the poet. The Guru became the fountain source

of a torrential flow which inundated the parched social land scale of

Kerala. It washed away the dross and dirt of the by gone days.

Dr. Palpu himself was a victim of caste and hence and

inveterate enemy, but diverse were the ways in which he fought this

evil. It happened that he met Swami Vivekananda and took his

advice during the latter’s visit to Bangalore. The Swami is truly the

Father of Modern India, as none else had understood the nation and

felt its pulse as he had done. His comment on politics is valid even

52


today. “If you want to speak of Politics in India, you must speak

through the language of religion.”35 That is what Gandhiji did and

with tremendous success. When told by the Doctor about the plight

of his community in Kerala, Swamiji advised him to organize a

broad based movement with a religious man of sufficient following at

its head. That ensures credibility as well as acceptability.

The Guru satisfied fully this stipulation. Dr. Palpu realized that

it would be ideal to get it transformed into the organization he had in

mind. It could be the vanguard of the depressed and exploited

groups, especially of the non caste sections. The Guru fully approved

of Dr. Palpu’s suggestion. There was identity of views. He too had

felt the need of a wider forum to further his life’s work. His mission

was not to be confined within segregated limits. The target of his

religious thrust was universalism. “Thus, in the year 1903, the

Temple Sabha became the S.N.D.P. Yogam. Its aim, as the full title

declared, was to further as well as implement the Moral Law

expounded by Shri Narayana Guru. His protégé and disciple,

Kumaran Asan, was assigned the general secretaryship. The Guru

himself agreed to be its lifetime president.”36 Thus, in and through

him and the organization, socio-political and religious goals were

53


unified. And till almost the end of his life, this unity in action and

aim was maintained. The political programmes of the Yogam, with

emphasis on safeguarding and ensuring the civil rights and human

status of the community, necessarily roused ill-will amidst and

conflict with other groups and sections. This trend would undo the

harmony, universalism and sense of brotherhood the Guru hoped to

inculcate among the people as a whole. “Anticipating such a schism,

he established an Order of Monks for upholding his broad based

spiritual and moral goals.”37

The Shri Narayana Gurukulam was another independent body

which propagated the teachings of the Guru. This had won for the

Guru’s thoughts a wider audience especially abroad, with its

headquarters at Varkala, and branches in many Western countries.

“As regards the goal of social change, the Yogam became the

Guru’s most effective forum for immediate action. It was registered

as a joint stock company. Among its objectives were, besides the

dissemination of the Dharma and the administration of the Mutts and

temples, the sponsoring of the religious and secular education of the

people and also their professional advancement.”38 The majority of

54


the Ezhavas was engaged in agriculture. Many of them also took to

weaving and coir making. A small section had also ventured into

commerce and business. Significantly the temples and Mutts

established by the Guru were expected to encourage the above secular

activities also. Thus there was a genuine dove-tailing and co-

ordination of the spiritual and material needs of the community,

which has not happened with reform movements of the same

objectives which also tried for economic development.

“The Guru was above all kinds of religious prejudice`s. He

believed in the oneness of all religions. “No matter what one’s

religion is, it is enough man betters himself”, was his motto.”39

Christianity and Islam did influence him. The most distinguishing

characteristic of Islam is equality leading to brotherhood. In the

reformed worship that the Guru set up, he included many a

humanistic ideal from these world religions.

The transformation of the Temple Sabha was the signal for a

radical change in the perspective of the Ezhavas community. The

rich as well as the poor rallied behind its banner. Earlier, in different

parts of Travancore, there were many local Sabhas, Which merged in

55


the Yogam. Steadily the Guru’s influence spread and his spiritual

sway increased. With the instinct of a born leader, he noted that the

time had come to administer, preferably in homeopathic doses, his

humanistic ideas. Of course, the first step must be to enthuse those

who were already his followers. By and by, the others too will enter

the magnetic field. Thus would manifest in the whole of society a

genuine desire for change and progress. In this sense, though this

activities were confined to a particular sector, by their wider

relevance, they would come to have tremendous significance. There

is no doubt that the Guru’s modus operandi is worthy of close study

by sociologists because of its usefulness as a model to follow.

“Dr. Palpu’s aim in organizing the Yogam was, by and large,

political. He girded up his loins to fight the Travancore Government

for its consistent denial of civic and human rights. The Ezhavas were

kept arbitrarily out of schools and colleges. They were denied jobs

under the government. They were insulted with untouchability and

unapproachability. Temples and public roads were out of bounds

to them. Caste was the excuse for keeping out even well qualified

candidates, of which Dr. Palpu himself was a victim. He was denied

56


admission in Trivandrum Medical College, he fared no better. He got

an opening only in the Mysore State Medical Service.”40 *

Stray Ezhava youths who managed to crawl through the closed

door educational institutions were impudently told by the State

Government to take up their so-called caste profession viz. toddy

tapping. The resentment against such insulting treatment was

smoldering. Right from the beginning, the Yogam highlighted such

grievances. Its Secretary, Poet Kumaran Asan, took up such issues

with the authorities. The response was disappointing. But the

Yogam perished. It continued to harp vociferously on such inequality

and injustice. Simultaneously the Yogam began demanding political

rights. Appropriate representation in the legislature was an important

demand. Freedom for commuting through public roads was another.

________________________________________________________

* Foot note:-

The Mysore princely state was in close touch with the

Kolhapur movement. Besides education of the non- Brahmin masses

was the major objective of this movement, because which Palpu to

gel admitted.

57


Yet another reasonable claim was for admission into Government-run

schools and colleges which were out of bounds for non caste Hindus.

The agitation was mostly in the form of resolutions, speeches,

representations and petitions.

“The Guru approved of these moves. Simultaneously he

sought to build up the dignity and self reliance of the depressed

people. He took the far sighted, long term step of reforming and

strengthening the group from within. This two pronged thrust

produced a strong impact and led to welcome results. A high-tide of

awareness and a strong urge for change manifested themselves. The

people’s initiative was on the increase. This was exactly Gandhiji’s

modus operandi later on in the struggle for national freedom. The

similarity is not accidental. Both the Guru and the Mahatma were

products of our Renaissance. As great leaders of them, they were

reacting characteristically to the objective situation before them.”41

A brief resume of the role played by the Yogam in the socio

political transformation of Kerala during the last eight decades is of

much relevance today. The Yogam’s pre-eminence as pioneer in the

field is undisputed; its impact on the times was tremendous. The

Pulaya Mahasabha began functioning in 1905 under the leadership of

58


Ayyankali. Its services to that community were Herculean. The caste

Hindus, “especially the powerful Sudra (Nair) community, followed

suit. In 1914 came into being the Nair Service Society. To start with,

it was devoted to eradicating the taboos and false beliefs prevalent in

that community. Inspite of being comparatively affluent, the Nairs

had to redeem their honour and self respect.”42 There were among

them many silly and ridiculous customs like thalikettu and

thirandukuli. Then there was the system of morganatic marriage,

which was a shameful relationship. Subservience to the princely

establishment was economically advantageous; but it involved often

the bartering of sex. Enlightened members of the community felt that

it was an obnoxious relationship. Among the Sudras (Nairs) of those

days there were several sub castes and sects; between them was a

pracised different levels of ostracism and discrimination. The

society, started by stalwarts like the later Gandhian, Kelappan and a

distinguished judge, Changanassery Parameswaran Pillai, was

intended to cleanse the community and rid it of such humiliating

abuses and misuses. Indeed, it was essentially a social reform

movement. The society lobbyed successfully for the Nair Regulation

which was a progressive measure. One of the early leaders of the

Society was Mannath Padmanabha Pillai. He played a crucial role in

59


the Vaikom Satyagraha. In those days he was an enlightened and

forward looking leader. In his autobiography, he acknowledged his

indebtedness to the teachings and exhortations of Shri Narayana

Guru.

“The Hindu priestly class, the Nampoothiris, also organized

their own forum, the Yogakshema Sabha. The initiative for this came

from among the progressive minded young Nampoothiris. They

wanted to reform their community from within. The plight of their

womenfolk was heart rendering. They were treated just like chattel.

Widow re-marriage was one of the planks of the Sabha’s activity.”43

________________________________________________________

Foot note:-

Perhaps Gandhi was more close with the reformist who did not

propagate anti-god feelings among masses, he also felt along with

reforms, economic development was also important, which was not

the case with the Satya Shodhak movement, the justice movement,

the self-respect movement etc.

________________________________________________________

Thus came into being different organizations representing the

major sections among Hindus. These had the avowed goal of

60


exposing superstitions and fighting the inhuman custom and taboos

arising from them. The latter were vitiating the lives of all sections of

Hindus and also retarding their progress. Though the organizations

represented the respective communities, they were not communal in

the sense in which the word is understood now. They had, in fact,

constructive, progressive role to play. But once that phase was past,

they became instruments in the hands of vested interests who

exploited caste and community feelings for their selfish ends. And at

present, these organizations have more or less become the handmaids

of the communal politics which was deep rooted in Kerala –social

life.

The Yogam fulfilled a historical need, Guru was its fountain-

head; its objective was to further his chosen mission. He continued to

be its centrifugal force. For 16 years the Secretary, Poet Asan,

pleaded and petitioned. In his preface to the bye-law of the Yogam,

Asan made the objectives explicit. Reading it, one could easily see

that the rules reflect the viewpoint of the Guru along with that of Dr.

Palpu. In the bye law he points out “religion is the life breath of India.

It alone animates the people who constitute its different bodily parts.

When religion was practiced justly, the advantages arising from it

were incomparable.”44

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Right from the beginning, the Yogam emphasized two things

viz. the advantage of united action and benefits of education. The

Yogam made them the firm planks of its organized efforts. In the

first annual gathering of the Yogam, Dr. Palpu reminded the audience

about the need for united action. About education, he expostulated

thus: “A society or for that matter a group, makes durable progress

and achieves prosperity only through education. In our community

there should be none without at least primary education. For that one

and all should specially strive. When you refer to an Ezhava male or

female, it should imply that he or she is one who knows how to read

and write.”45

Dr. Palpu also emphasized the need for hard work and industry.

Indeed, the third important objective of the Yogam, and that of the

Guru, was to help the community register economic progress. Hence

the slogan. ‘Trive by industry’. “It formed the third leg of the holy

triangle of the Yogam’s long term objectives.”46

The work of the Yogam created a strong impact. Consequently

the conservative elements, having a strangle hold on the social set up

and in the Governmental system, had slowly to yield ground. The

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Yogam took up the issue of representation in the Legislature of

Travancore. That body was crammed with officials and their

nominees. Most of them belonged to the Nair community. The

Ezhavas, who formed one fifth of the population, did not have even a

single member. The Yogam repeatedly brought this anomaly to the

notice of the authorities. Meanwhile, the Legislative body in

Travancore underwent many changes. * It came to have an elected

majority. Still no Ezhava managed to get in. Even poet Kumaran

Asan failed to muster enough votes. After many urgent pleas, he and

a few others were nominated. These representatives did excellent

work from within the legislature. The views of the insulted and the

_______________________________________________________

* Foot note:-

These political changes took place because of Maontford

Chelmsford Reforms, which introduced communal representation.

Both Gandhiji and British tried use the reformers. Gandhi for

Nationalism, and the British to weaken, the non-Brahmins by

encouraging communal-representation. (Nominations was a set back

to Gandhiji`s movement.)

63


injured were thus slowly being heard in the corridors of power

(British). Another plea of the Yogam was about appointments in

Government services. The growing Christian community managed to

get in with the help of the British Resident. The Ezhavas were

systematically kept out. Right of admission for Ezhava children in

schools was another important demand. “The Yogam voiced these

grievances in all kinds of ways, through resolutions, petitions, and by

heated discussions in conferences and in the columns of journals.”47

The role of Christian missionaries also helped British role for

continuation, by providing English education to the masses.

Yogam managed to create a strong wave of awareness among

the Ezhava multitude and its intelligentsia. This had its healthy

repercussion on Kerala society as a whole. Kumaran Asan became as

a poet of distinction committed, as the Yogam Secretary, to life and

its burning problems, had a mouthpiece, a monthly journal,

‘Vivekodayam’. The title was a tribute to Swami Vivekananda, who

was the kindly light of modern India’s destiny. It was edited by

Asan. The journal did yeoman service in ventilating the views of the

Yogam. It also spread the message of the Guru. The journal was by

64


all means an instrument of enlightenment and change. “During the

first decade and half of the Yogam’s history, Poet Kumaran Asan

dominated the scene. He was not only the greatest friend of the Guru

but also his most faithful disciple and spokesman.”48

They also raised the Christian bogey, attributing to it a threat

to their religion, they exhorted Hindus to close their ranks. But the

non-caste Hindus did not oblige. They knew where their bread was

buttered. After Kumaran Asan’s exit, T.K. Madhavan, the hero of the

Vaikom Satyagraha, became the most effective spokesman of the

Yogam. In his journal, ‘Desabhimani’, he defended this movement

for Civil Rights vigorously as well as boldly: “What the sponsors of

the Civil Rights demand is only this: no discrimination on the basis of

religion or social status, which wound the self respect of individuals,

should be encouraged.”49

On caste

The Yogam was becoming in practice the organization of the

Ezhavas. He made an attempt to correct this trend. He sent the

following message to the special conference of the Yogam held at

65


Sivagiri: “No group can gain strength and achieve prosperity by any

means other than organized effort. It was on this principle that the

Yogam was established twenty five years ago. The term Ezhava does

not denote caste or religion. Therefore anyone can be made a

member of the Yogam. I wish many more joined.”50 Opposition to

caste and religious strife was the cornerstone of the Guru’s vision of

life. He wished to unite all depressed and exploited. Together they

should strive to win their rights. A socialist in its real sense was he as

Mahatmaji too was. The Yogam was basically an organization of the

toiling millions. But by and by its leadership was vested in the rising

bourgeoisie section of the community. In spite of that, the Yogam

continued to be the cradle of leaders dedicated to the cause of the

poor. Many of the socialist and communist leaders in Kerala had

their early apprenticeship in the Yogam and its spiraling activities.

The reason for Kerala becoming a haven for progressive views and

ideals can be traced to the influence of the message and mission of

Shri Narayana Guru.

Take for instance Sahodaran Ayyappan. He is one of the

incomparable leaders that modern Kerala has thrown up. Ayyappan

66


is, in all respects, an enriched product of the Shri Narayana wave.

Though an ardent disciple of the Guru, Ayyappan was an out and out

atheist. He was a rationalist and a socialist as well. Still he

contributed significantly in the propagation of the Guru’s Dharma.

While participating actively in the work of the Yogam, he also

chalked out an independent course which look the Dharma many

steps forward Ayyappan began the Sahodara Sangham or the

Brotherhood Movement in 1917. “He started a journal, Sahodaran.

Thus he came to be known as ‘Sahodaran Ayyappan’ or more

intimately ‘Sahodaran’. He sponsored inter-dining and inter-

marriage. His goal was a casteless, secular society. He tried

successfully to spread rationalism, and atheism. Like the Guru, he

believed in the magic power of education.”51

After Independence

After the dawn of independence, The Yogam began moving

away from the Dharma of the Guru. Perhaps, this degenerating trend

was endemic in post independent India. Once freedom was won, the

different segments, which were forged into unity by their common

enslavement, fell apart. The same phenomenon manifested in Kerala

also. There was realignments. The elite in all communities started

67


fighting for spoils. Real communal politics raised its ugly head. The

Guru’s message of unity and brotherhood was no longer

advantageous to the vested interest in different communities. The

thrust was not on the rights of the common man, but on safeguarding

the ill-gotten gains of the well to do sections. The Yogam, which

under the Guru’s beneficent influence, was forged as a bulwark

against oppression, exploitation and intimidation of the downtrodden

majority, ceased to be what it was. The rising bourgeoisie among the

community wrested the leadership from the representative of the

common man. Thus began a new dispensation in the S.N.D.P.

Yogam.

The Yogam, in spite of its glorious past, is now, like most of

the other sectarian organizations of Kerala, an ailing limb. Plagued

by dissension, split horizontally as well as vertically, the Yogam has

now become an arena where puny, selfish men manoeuvre for

positions and misuse its heritage and good name for gaining petty,

personal ends.

Prophet of a New Age

“So far as Kerala was concerned, Shri Narayana Gurudev was

the prophet of a new age, not only because he revived and

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strengthened Hinduism, weakened by superstitions within itself and

therefore unable to combat the onslaught from other religious with the

weapon of Adwaita but also for the reason that he reconstructed

society on the firm foundation of pure Adwaita.”52

What is the reason for stating that he was the prophet of a new

age with particular reference to Kerala only? Sri Ramakrishna, Swami

Vivekananda and Swami Dayananda were recognized and accepted at

the national and even international levels, far beyond the narrow

frontiers of their own communities and states. But Shri Narayana’s

name and fame were confined to Kerala. * Even here, he is mentioned

generally as the spiritual teacher and social reformer of a particular

community. And outside Kerala, he is hardly known. What are the

reason for this sorry state?

________________________________________________________

* Foot note:-

It is to be noted that many who have worked reformers after

independence became to be known as caste-leaders. This is how, in

India, the real history of the reformers has to be revisited, and have to

be studied in a integrated and holistic way, wherein the true history is

hidden, supposedly and intentionally by the established scholars. This

has been the faith of almost all reformers, from the different parts of

69


the southern India, which has been dominated by upper caste, not

only then but even now. Means of communications mass media have

been still under their control.

_________________________________________________

“First, that his area of activity was no doubt limited to the

community that stood in the forefront of the lower castes in Kerala.

The Swami himself was a true Sanyasin far above the considerations

of caste. He had no particular attachment to any community except

for the fact that he was born in one of them. However, the members

of the Ezhava community totally accepted him for the reason that he

was born in it. In those days when caste-distinctions were rife, it was

very difficult for him to get such wholehearted recognition from

members belonging to the higher castes.”53 It was true that several

people belonging to the Nair community treated him with the deepest

respect and without any consideration of caste. The relationship

between Shri Chattambi Swamigal and the Guru was so intimate that

they were like two bodies inhabited by a single soul. Moreover, some

of the monastic disciples of Shri Narayana Guru were members

belonging to highest caste. Nevertheless, on the whole, the higher

castes would have been reluctant to accept Shri Narayana

unreservedly without considerations of caste.

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“Naturally, the Swami started his work among the community

that was willing to respect him and receive his teachings. The fact

that his community suffered from several disabilities and that it was

a depressed class owing to generations of superstitions and practices

gave him the impetus to dedicate his services for its uplift. The truth

was that sympathy for such a down trodden people rather than

considerations of caste was that impelled him to work among those

people.”54

Another reason for the swami to remain a stranger outside

Kerala is neither so natural nor pardonable. It is manmade. A few

selfish and narrow minded people tried to make the Guru their

exclusive possession. Their minds were gripped with fear at the

thought that they would not be able to exploit the community’s

sentiments if he were viewed against the vast historical background

and placed along with other similar heroes. It was no longer possible

for them to use the name of the Guru for their own selfish ends once

the historic national importance of his life as well as the universality

of his message, cutting across all narrow boundaries, was accepted.

Therefore, they made attempts to confine the Guru to the four walls

of the Ezhava community even as they praised sky high the

71


quintessence of his sayings, ‘One caste, One religion, One god for

man’ and characterized it as unique and universal. The result was

that the glory of the Guru, like the lamp imprisoned in a pot, became

dim whereas it should have burnt bright across the entire national

horizon like that of the other illustrations men of the times.

Religion in Bharat has always been a matter of experience and

realization. The authority of the spiritual teacher is his experience

and teaching, without experience is but a body sans life. For, skill in

interpreting holy scriptures has never been considered as proof

positive of spiritual illumination. “All the illustrious men of the

nineteenth century who had brought far reaching changes were men

of spiritual realization. There was need for great souls who could live

religion and prove its truth by life, for re establishing faith in the

minds of the Hindus at a time when western material sciences were

shaking the very foundations of Hinduism. Shri Narayana Guru

belonged to such a line of spiritual teachers.”55

Shri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Maharshi Dayanand,

Aurobindo, Shri Narayana and others had all realized the truths of the

Hindu religion in their lives by long and hard tapas`s. They had

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transmitted Religion into experience. Of them, Shri Ramakrishna

was the embodiment of the harmony of all religions, “who practiced

all paths and disciplines in his life and found each one of them real,

useful and leading to truth.”56 Dayanand’s greatness lay in having

carried on an uncompromising crusade against what he considered

latter day accretions and corruptions and brought the vedic religion to

its pristine purity. Shri Narayana was the modern spokesman of pure

advaita. None of them has claimed for himself the authorship of any

new religion of philosophy. To a questioner who wanted to know

that his religion was, the Guru gave the unequivocal answer, “My

religion is Shri Sankara’s Advaita itself”.57 Nor did Shri Sankara

fashion a new religion of the Upanishads. Looking at from this point

of five, the religion that Shri Narayana lived and realized by arduous

austerities was nothing other than the religion reveled in the

Upanishads.

In the Line of the Social Reformer

When we moved from the plane of the spiritual experience to

that of social reformers, we again find the same similarity in these

illustrious personalities. Shr Ramakrishna himself did not undertake

any social service, as his life was the fountain head of sacred

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inspiration to several Karma Yogin for real social service. The great

humanitarian movemnets started by Swami Vivekananda clearly

illustrate this. In fact, it will only be proper to look upon

Ramakrishna and Vevekananda as a single entity. If the one is the

Mantra, the other is the commentary upon it.

“Each of the social reformers of the nineteenth century had

fought against the caste distinctions prevalent in the Hindu Society at

that time. There was no social reformer or spiritual teacher who had

not attacked casteism, child-marriage and polygamy. Raja Ram

Mohan Roy’s name tops the list among such.”58

Firmly rooted in the Vedic religion, Swami Dayanand fought

against all evils practices such as untouchability. He pronounced the

so-called lower classes worthy to receive the sacred Gayatri mantra

and sacred thread. He gave them authority to learn the Vedas. Like

Ram Mohan Roy, he too was uncompromising in his stand against

idol worship. In other matters, he attacked the Brahmo Samaj and

called it a new variant of Christianity.

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In Maharashtra, Mahadeo Govind Ranade and others through

Prarthana Samaj carried on a forceful struggle against evil practices.

They put forward a strong plea for the remarriage of widows and for

the abolition of child-marriage.

“Swami Vivekananda condemned caste – distinctions in very

harsh term and awakened the people against this evil practice. It was

the rampant casteism among the people that prompted Swami

Vivekananda to characterize Kerala as a vast ‘lunatic asylum.”59

Thus the spiritual teachers and social reformers throughout

India carried a ceaseless crusade against injustices, evil practices and

superstitions that were prevalent in the society. In spite of the

different methods adopted by them to suit the peculiar problems they

had to face in their respective regions, all of them considered it their

mission of purify religion and society. That was one of the common

objective of preparing Hindus and Hinduism to face the challenges of

the times successfully.

It was in Kerala that casteism, untouchability etc. had assumed

most horrible proportions. The poison of caste and untouchability had

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permeated everywhere in the social atmosphere. Therefore, “Gurudev

had to lay emphasis on his activities against casteism as also against

out work, unhealthy social practices such as ‘Pulakuli’, ‘Pulikuti’,

animal sacrifice and drinking.”60

All these great men had alike recognized the necessity and

power of education, organisation, that they had devoted the greater

part of their life for, realisation of these two aims. Raja Ram Mohan

Roy stands where English and modern science were taught. He also

founded the Brahmo Samaj. Swami Vivekanand proclaimed aloud

that a people would rise up only by education. Besides the

Ramakrishnan Mutt and Mission, also brought into being several

educational institutions. Swamy Dayanand, the founder of the Arya

Samaj equally emphasized the importance of education. He was the

inspiration for the establishment of several schools and

‘Gurukulams’. Shri Narayana who had apparently no connection

with any of them put the same ideas into practice. Gurudev insisted

upon both men and women to become educated as he found that no

community could rise without education. He started schools at

Varkala and Alwaye. Though he paid enough attention to the study

of Sanskrit, he did not at all ignore the importance of English.

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Indeed, he even pointed out that in future, English would be

increasingly useful. At one stage, the Guru felt obliged to observe,

thus: “It is not temple, but schools that we should hereafter have in

greater numbers.”61 The Swami was convinced also of the

inevitability and usefulness of organisations. ‘Be strong through

organisation’ was the message to the people. With his objective, he

founded the Shri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam and Dharma

Samgham. He made constant efforts to get hold of people having the

required qualification to run those organisations. He found an

excellent organizer in the body ‘Kumaran’. He educated the body

and enabled his to hold on the reins of the SNDP Yogam. Similarly,

he admitted boys into his ashram, educated them, gave directions to

the effect that those of them who were worthy and desirous of

becoming Sanyasins might be initiated into the order. These and

similar actions of the Swami are proof of his insight and interest in

organizational matters.

These noble souls held identical views with regard to the uplift

of the lowly and the lost – that it could not be achieved by speeches

or agitations. Those who found themselves at the lowest rung of the

social ladder owing to historical reasons had to reorganize themselves

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to acquire culture. “Once they became culturally awakened, social

progress would follow by itself. ‘Can anyone treat a person practicing

cleanliness as an untouchable and ask his to move away? Even when

asked, will he do so? You should practice cleanliness not to satisfy

others, but for yourselves. Cleanliness must begin at home, from the

kitchen of your home’ – so declared Guru Deva once. Its accent on

cultural attainment is obvious.”62This again was Gurudev’s aim in

asking them to learn Sanskrit and to keep the temples built for their

benefit neat and clean. He made them give up the outworn customs

and the lower modes of worship. He created among them a strong

opinion against even practices such as polygamy and alcoholism. He

saw that their self respect would increase if they could, like the caste

Hindus, acquire knowledge of Sanskrit. Like Swami Vivekananda,

he also believed that “in Bharat, knowledge of Sankrit and

respectability are interrelated.”63

“Do not create any commotion. It is quite unnecessary,

advised the Swami.”64 This is the key to an understanding of his

philosophy of social reforms. It is commonly understood that social

reform means organising agitations and stirring up passions and

denouncing adversaries in vituperative language. The strength of a

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social reformer these days is measured by the sharpness with which

he condemns others. The attitude of the Swami in this respect was

totally different. He believed that far from realizing the objective,

harsh language and passion rousing criticism would only help

reaction to set in. He gave firm and clear instructions to those who

were to speak on religion and social reforms: “Your speeches should,

in no circumstances, cause hurt or harm to the so-called depressed

classes. Nor should they be in style or tone such as to agitate minds

of the so-called higher castes.”65

“Shri Narayana Guru was a unique individual who initiated a

great movement without even once in his life time having spoken a

word in an angry agitated tone. He had never expressed his views in

our wonted way – attacking or condemning anything. He was able to

practice this method not because he had no views of his own or that

he did not differ. In the mould of his noble character, disagreement

and difference of opinion took the forms of sympathy on the one had

and compassion on the other. Indeed, this mental process is to noble

for the ordinary to discern.”66

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To a Brahmin who questioned, “Has an Ezhava the scriptural

sanction to install the Sivalinga, “the Swami’s calm but humorous

reply was the idol I have installed is not a Brahmin Siva, but an

Ezhava Siva.”67 This shows how the Swamy was able to disarm his

adversaries and blunt the sharp edge of their attack in his own

inimitable way. This how the reform and reformers have changed the

very approach. The non- Brahmin movement after Mahatma Jotiba

Phule and Ch. Shahu of Kolhapur turned to soft against the Brahmins

which shows the how the Gandhian philosophy has had its impacts.

His approach to social reform also was the same. Instead of

advising the lower castes to force their entry into the temples of the

higher castes, he showed interest in building temples for the former.

His aim was to bring about social reforms without quarrels and

conflicts. He did not believe in putting down caste distinctions by the

use of force. Beyond preaching reforms incessantly and practicing

them in his own life scrupulously, “the Swami did not at all made

anybody to do anything as Brother Ayyappan has pointed out.”68 Use

of force by common people, he told Gandhiji, is positively wrong.

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He desired inter-caste dinning. But he did not like the idea of

the emotionally unwilling people being forced to sit down and eat

with others. It is said that the Swami had never forced anybody to do

do. Yet even blue-blooded Brahmins without any compulsion other

than the serene presence of the Swami had gladly sat with the

Harijans for food. The difference was not in the ends but in the

means, and the Swami’s method of approach had only hastened the

realization of the objective, and never slackened it.

It can be seen that approach to social reforms was identical

with that of Swami Vivekananda. When we think of Shri Narayana

Guru’s method of bringing about social reforms, we are reminded of

the words addressed by Swami Vivekananda to the modern social

reformers who were trying to bring about reforms in society by using

harsh language against others.

“This I have to tell the social reformers of Madras that I have

the great respect and love for them. I love them for their great hearts

and their love for their country, for the poor, for the oppressed. But I

would tell them with a brother’s love and their method is not right. It

has been tried a hundred years and failed. Let us try some new

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methods.”69 these method to attack the Brahmins was sphere headed

by E.V.R.Naicker in madras. He was very harsh in his attack. Later

when the non Brahmin movement in Maharashtra was weakened

because many of then followed Gandhi`s movements in madras

presidency it was only after 1925 the Dravidian ideology was

introduced.

“Did India ever stand in want of reformers? Do you read the

history of India? Who was Ramanuja? Who was Nanak? Who was

Chaitanya? Who was Kabir? Who was Dadu? Who were all these

great preachers, one following the other, galaxy of stars of the first

magnitude? Did not Ramanuja feel for the lower classes’ Did he not

try all his life to admit even the pariah to his own fold? Did not

Nanak confer with Hindus and Mohammedans, and try to bring about

a new state of things? They all tried, and their work is still going on.

They never condemned, and looked back and said, ‘O Hindus, what

you have done is good, but, my brothers, let us do better.’ They did

not say, You have been wicked, now let us be good. They said, ‘You

have been good, but let us now be better,’ ‘That makes a whole world

of difference’.”70

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Religious Conversion

Even when he accepted all religions as true, he resisted all

attempts at religious conversions. Nor was that all. He evinced keen

interest in reclaiming those who had joined other faiths giving up the

Hindu religion. The exodus of Ezhavas to Christianity was arrested to

a very great extent when the influence of Shri Narayana Guru and the

organizational strength of the SNDP Yogam became widespread in

Travancore. Shri Narayana Guru himself personally reconverted

several Ezhavas who were Christian converts and admitted them into

the SNDP Yogam.

“Many may not be aware of the fact that some Ezhava families

living in the southern and western border areas of Neyyattinkara

taluk, like, the Pillais of Jaffna, are in reality Christians though

outwardly they appear to be Hindus. It is known that the Ezhava

leaders of that area have made a strong plea to ostracise such people

and that they have already begun to keep them out and prevent them

from participating in community celebrations and ritualistic

ceremonies. The injunction of the Swami in this respect is that other

religionists should be excluded from community functions. However,

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if they give up their new faith in writing they might be permitted to

participate in these ceremonies.”71

Following this injunction, a great many families began to

return from Christianity. ‘An Ezhava woman was in clandestine

relationship with gentleman of another religion from Thevalakkara.’

To the question whether it is proper to retain her in the community,

the Swami gives the following answer: If the nature of her clandestine

relationship is sufficiently serious according to incontrovertible

incidence, then alone, she has to be obstracised. “According to the

nature of her offence, it may be that she can be reprieved after she has

gone through the penitential and purifying ceremony. The amount

collected as penitence money may be kept as a common (trust)

fund.”72

In Cannanore, one Thiyya had embraced Christianity owing to

certain domestic problems. In deference to his request, the Swami

persuaded the members of his family to accept him back, and he was

duly readmitted into the community.

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The Swami personally reclaimed into Hinduism all the

Ezhavas who had accepted Christianity en masse and who were living

as Christians for centuries, in the area near about Neyyattinkara. He

built temples for their worship in the place of churches where they

formerly worshipped.

“Shri C. Kesavan has clearly noted in his autobiography the

grave concern, with which the Swami viewed the threat of Christian

proselytisation faced by the Hindu society, and also the real joy with

which he welcomed the efforts made by self respecting Hindus to

resist it. Referring to Sri Kuttath Krishnan Aasan, the Swami once

remarked to Sri C. Kesavan, Don’t you know Krishnan? Had it not

been for Krishnan, we would all have become Christian. And

Hinduism would have been extinct. Don’t you see?” 73

“My humble opinion is that it will not benefit us to disown and

discard our spiritual preceptor who is the architect of the

community's greatness, glory and progress to this day and whom we

claim as our proud possession. Now, to run to Ceylon or Tibet, in

search of priests is like 'throwing away the gold in hand in order to

pick up a piece of brass.”74

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Sri T.K. Madhavan also spiritedly attacked the efforts at

religious conversion. Kumaran Asan and T.K. Madhavan were

intimate disciples of the Guru. Their views in these matters can be

considered as authoritative as his own. The biographer of

Sri.T.K.Madhavan writes: "Sri Madhavan was a Sanatani Hindu and

his spiritual teacher was Shri Narayana Guru. He used to seek and

accept the advice of the Swami in all religious matters. The

machasamadhi of Shri Narayana Guru and the subsequent passing

away of Sri. T .K. Madhavan were the two events that adversely

affected the progress of the Ezhava community. There have

considerable changes taken place in the opinion of the Ezhavas..

Regarding Religion, Nation and communal relations. The present day

move of the Ezhavas for conversion is an instance in point. It is to be

seen into what abysas the present day leaders of the community will

take the people, if they go on advising their followers to trade their

religious faith for winning political rights. “Those who make a close

study of the life of Shri.T.K. Madhavan would have be fully

convinced had, alived today he would not have supported or agreed to

such movement.”75

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Let us listen to Shri.T.K. Madhavan's words: "It is our duty to

remove the severe inequalities prevalent today. I will work hard for

it the best of my ability and will never take up any suicidal campaign

of finding fault with our preceptors, Karma, and rebirth; I am

prepared to lay down my life for the removal of inequality. It is my

belief that I will attain salvation by so laying down my life for

Dharma and being born again to take up my Karma. This is no

superficial or skin deep but a faith that abides deep in my soul.”76

Shri. Moorkoth Kumaran, the noted biographer and one of the

noblest disciples of Shri Narayana Guru also held the view that mass

conversion of the Ezhavas was not only useless in putting an end to

their disabilities but that it would also create more problems. He was

pointed out that deviation from the path of progress shown by the

Swami, by leaders who came after him, was mainly responsible for

the decadence of the community: "If casteism were to be abolished

in Kerala peacefully and by common consent without giving room

for any agitation and to secure for the depressed classes, progress

and equal citizenship which they desire and richly deserve even

before they desire, the only choice before them is to work along the

lines indicated by Shri Narayana: What is the condition of the

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community these days when, 'scoffing at the Swami's directions,

many have begun to air their conflicting views - Tall talk about the

need for the organisation, but in effect, endless squabbles within

it.”77

The Swami's life was itself the clearest commentary on his

doctrines. As he was an ideal Sanyasin - A Hindu Sanyasin would be

the more appropriate word - he loved all religions. He practiced

penance and religious exercises prescribed by the Hindu tradition. He

strongly discouraged conversions of the Hindus. The Guru taught

that each one should practise his own religion with intense faith and

then also learn to love and respect other religions. This was his

prescription for eradicating religious strifes. It is neither the negation

of religion nor the creation of new ones.

Biographers say that he was fond of Islamic religious

disciplines.

Similarly tolerance was his attitude to Christianity also. This is

nothing uncommon among the Hindu saints. We see in the life of

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Shri Ramakrishna that he realised God, underwent religious practices

prescribed by every religion. This tolerance and some farsightedness

were peculiar features of the Upanishadic religion. Naturally enough,

Shri Narayana Guru embodied these virtues.

It will be pertinent here to quote the remarks of Swami

Nijananda, the President of the Sivagiri Mutt on the subject. "Shri

Narayana Guru was the votary of Sana/ana Dharama which upholds

the supreme authority of the Vedas. It is seen that he respected the

Vedas in general and the Upanishads, famed as the direct 'sruti', in

particular. It is Sankara's religion of Advaita that he is seen

elaborating in his works such as "Atmopadesa Satak.”78

Nataraja Guru, the disciple of Shri Narayana Guru, describes

the unique greatness of the latter, in his own style, thus characterized:

"Once in hundred years, solitary among a hundred thousand there

arrives at the caravansarai of life one, at the sight of whose features

the seekers instinctively arise from their varied occupations and greet

him and see in him his ways a clear commentary, a silent

interpretation, a radiant centre of all that were seeking."79

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“Narayana Guru was one of such; who followed in his life the

ancient and immortal programme of oriental saints and prophets. He

left his home in search of truth. He lived in a lonely hill, cave or

forest for years, unknown to men, performing Tapas.”80 He emerged

from seclusion having solved some great riddle in life and he wanted

to give his solution to the world at large. Therefore, without any sort

of hesitation whatever, he called himself a Guru or Teacher.

Penniless himself, he began to command an influence over rich and

poor, educated and uneducated. People flocked to take the dust of his

feet.

“Today his words are recognized as the most modem echo of

the ancient wisdom of the Orient. In him we had, combined once

again, a bird who sang about the aspirations of the soul of man, a

philanthropist whose one aim in life, night and day, was to devise

ways to minimize human suffering, and a seer whose daily food and

drink was the highest form of truth.”81

His message to the people is the subject of weekly comment

on many platforms, and scores of associations have been organized

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by various parts of South India to spread his ideals. “It can be

asserted that he has set in motion a force which is bound to spread

into a new impetus for the regeneration of India and the world.”82

The neo-critics of Shri Narayana Guru who have attempted a

critical assessment of the Guru have expressed differing view on his

historical role. One controversial topic that has come up is the

question whether the Guru was a social reformer or just a spiritual

preceptor. Even those who are unable to accept the one aspect and

reject the other land themselves on the arguments to which of the two

aspects is dominant in his life. This controversy in fact, is irrelevant

and pointless. There are those who say that the main objective of the

Guru was to introduce social reforms necessary for the removal of

casteism, untouchability and unapproachability, and that he had

accepted the doctrine of Adwaita, which is beyond all ideas of

differentiation, only in his effort to discover a philosophical authority

for the realization of the social purpose. In the eyes of others, “the

Guru was a spiritual preceptor of the Adwaitic persuasion. Social

reformism came as imposition on him by some interested individuals

as that aspect is foreign to his nature and genius.”83 This controversy,

like many others which have come up of late, is most unfortunate, for

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behind it can be seen the belief that these two aspects are

irreconcilable and contrary to each other. It comes from the mistaken

notion that a spiritual teacher cannot be a social reformer or vice

versa. Most of them are victims of western propaganda, those who

blindly believe that the spiritual philosophy of Bharat is the negation

of life in this world. But what is the truth? It can also be said that an

social reformer in Indian society is never appreciated by the people

but he is subjected to criticism. This the faith of reformers who have

contributed much to development of the backwards classes. It is

suffering to say that this reformation is still an ongoing process and

an important element of Indian-polities.

The Guru was the happy harmony of these two aspects. In his

ideal life, spiritual philosophy found an admirable reconciliation with

the social reformist zeal. The one was the complement of the other.

No spiritual philosophy can be complete without the concept of

social service. Such a philosophy is bound to remain dry and

bookish. Bhagawan Shri Ramakrishna’s advice is to look upon man

as the God in him and to serve him as to worship him. This was true

spirituality to Shri Ramakrishna.

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“It was this teaching that took Swami Vivekananda to the path

of service to mankind. Spiritual realization reaches its fulfillment in

seeing ‘Siva’ in all ‘Jivas’ and in trying to end their misery and pain.

At the same time, spirituality is the true fountainhead of inspiration

for social reforms. Again, it is from a spiritual philosophy alone that

one gets an unfailing true vision of life. It is from the fertile soil of

spirituality that one reaps the strength and lofty detachment for

fruitful work for which one bends all one’s powers and faculties

without failing or faltering, keeping the mind equable and free from,

passions such as lust and anger.”84 The Guru who had his feet firmly

planted on Advaitic experiences worked unceasingly and

energetically to set his community in order without any heat or fury

but inspired by love that streamed from the vision of oneness. As

such, he demonstrated in his life the astonishing fusion of Karma

Yoga and Jnana-Yoga.

We can see the same unique characteristics in Shri Sankara as

well. He learnt and preached pure Adwaita; but what a life of

ceaseless work and action was his. What miracles did he not perform

during his life of a bare thirty spring. “Traveling throughout the

length and breadth of Bharat several times, he laid the firm

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foundation for a new and dynamic national life by harmonizing

religions and convincing the warring groups immersed in mutual

rivalries and conflicts that they had a basic religious unity and

oneness.”85

Similarly unique was the life of Swami Vivekananda, he was

no a great or spiritualist. Within forty years of his life, he made a

whirlwind tour over the whole world, inspiring the national

renaissance movement of Bharat and preparing the ground for the

social reform movement for which he was the spiritual motivation.

Numerous such illustrations can be given. Enough to say that Shri

Narayana Guru belonged to this order and tradition. He was the

spring-head of all awakening and enlightenment in Kerala since his

days. The dried up and dormant springs of dynamism leapt to life at

his magic touch. The still and sleeping strength was revived with the

results that life at all levels – in art, literature, science, religion,

politics and social outlook began to throb with a new vitality. “This

was how the every renaissance in Bharat had taken place first a dawn

on the spiritual horizon and then its light and warmth illuminating

and energizing every aspects of life and with it a new life coming

into being. This has been the experience throughout the long history

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of Bharat. The Guru added a new chapter to that book of

experience.”86

Distinctive Features

Most of the great souls born in the nineteenth century were the

beneficiaries of western education. They benefited from a

comparative study of the various religions and cultures, a general

knowledge of the progress of science and an intimacy with the

thoughts and ideas of the west which influenced western social life.

Those sparks of fire born out of the constant clashes of ideas set their

thoughts aflame. But the Guru had no such advantages, for he did

not receive any English education and so was a stranger to the

western thought currents. The limited knowledge gathered from his

readings of Sanskrit, Malayalam and Tamil and also his extensive

knowledge of the ways of the world was all that he could lay claim

to. “But his rational outlook and his powers of observation and

enlightenment were such as to compel reverence and admiration from

even those who had attained the same due to English education. He

had an unusually correct scientific attitude and he learnt religion

scientifically which was what distinguished him from the others.”87

The Guru was a classic example to show that a scientific view point

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was not the gift of western science but one that any person could

develop by the proper study of the various branches of knowledge

that are traditional Indian.

Shri Ramakrishna and Maharshi Dayanand, like the Gurudeva,

had not acquired any western education. It was the ‘vitality of native

genius’ that manifested itself through those great souls. The facts

mentioned above were literally true in their cases. Moreover, “the

fact that these three noble souls who can be described as the prophets

of the three great renaissance movement that originated from Bharat

in the nineteenth century strongly and successfully met the defiant

western challenge from a purely Indian background declares the

deathless dynamism of Indian culture.”88

Another distinctive feature of the Guru’s life was that he was

born as the child of a lower caste community. Nineteenth century

had given birth to many others who were born in a depressed

community and yet had risen to spiritual fullness and religious

leadership. Many great souls and religious teachers were born even

in earlier times in lower caste communities. Yet, the Guru who lived

in our midst in recent times was a race phenomenon. Great men are

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not the monopoly of any caste or community. Looked at from a

historical standpoint, however, this distinction is worthy of special

mention. It is relevant here to quote a few sentences written by Dr.

C.P. Ramasamy Iyer assessing the importance of the life and teaching

of Shri Narayana Guru.

“Shri Narayana Guru is a saint in the lineage of seers, whom

India was able to produce in times of crisis. He came down to us at a

time when the currents of India’s life had ceased to flow and became

stagnant and polluted. Many parts of our community received the

benefits of his blessings. In the lives of such great men, explosive

events are naturally rare. Such men do not exhibit hysterical

tendencies in their actions. Till such time as they are capable

rendering service to others, they live their lives in comparative

isolation. Such was the life of Sri Narayana Guru Also.”89 He was a

realized soul; we know he could also transmit his realization to

others. Like Buddha and Ramanuja, he also ‘came out’, out of his

inner realization. 132

His greatest contribution was the message of ‘one caste, one

religion’. He was born at a time when ‘caste’ had become so

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powerful and all pervading that ‘man’ in men had ceased to exist.

At such a time he dedicated himself to break the barriers of

caste and unite the people. He was not an agitational reformer. But

his message sank deep into the hearts of the people.

Conclusion

“From the long-range view of history Nataraja Guru describes

Shri Narayana Guru’s Herculean task of piloting the ship of India’s

culture which was being buffeted by the waves of foreign onslaughts,

thus: “The touch of the first adventurous mariner on the coast of

India marked the beginning of a new order of things. From the sea

coast imported cultures of diverse qualities began to be absorbed

rapidly. New models of greatness were before the public eye. Moral

standards build up in the course of ages crumbled down into ruin, and

the masses were face to face with new facts which required revision

and readjustment. The rich tradition of old India began to be over

covered with the debris of its own greatness.”90

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Saint after saint arose in different parts of India painted by the

vision of the beautiful vessel, in which their forefathers withstood the

waves, drifting helplessly away from their reach. Some stood on the

foreshore imploring heaven; others were overwhelmed with emotion

and gave vent to their feelings after the style of tragic heroes. Others

went to martyrdom. Few had the courage and the presence of mind

to plunge into the waters and to something practical to save the

situation. Between the advancing and retreating waves of conflicting

influences only a sturdy swimmer could survive. The task was

difficult. To light the torch again from the dying past glory and pass

it on beyond the borders of the new, so that the best of the past could

survive in the future, this was the primary task the Guru felt called up

on perform”.

In this chapter an assessment is made of the social reformers

in south India in general. It was this part of the country that was more

affected by the migration of Aryans- deep in south and established

their superiority by using Varna Dharm. They bought along with

them various taboos, dividing the society in Shudra`s Adi Shudra`s

etc. but as the masses where deprived of many factor which

contribute to their economical and social development, their lives

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became miserable, this was attracted by Jainism Buddhism

Virshaivism but to no impact and resulted in formation of new castes.

It was only after the British established themselves in India; the

masses could learn the importance and equality.

It was in the late 1850-1930`s, the first to attack the

domination of upper castes, came from Mahatma Jotiba Phule who

rebelled against the upper caste. Even to Mahatma Jotiba Phule

education of the masses became a major factory for their

development. He started the schools for the masses, and trained

teachers to teach in this schools. He trained his wife to teach the

women in the schools. Anil Seal in his book. Nationalism –

competition and contribution has apply pointed. He was the first to

attack caste-system, who belong to the masses, and not classes, prior

to him almost all reformers belong to white collar. It is the Satya

Shodhak Samaj which he established, spread throughout southern

India. The area which had been suffering because of caste-system.

After Mahatma Jotiba Phule in 1973. the chh. Shahu Maharaja of

Kolhapur native prince in Maharashtra established a branch of Satya

Shodhak movement, and spread the movement throughout

south(Karnataka Tamil Nadu,) and in Kerala because of Tamil Nadu,

100


as Dr. T.M. Nair was part and product of justice movement. This is

how the social reform movement against the caste system has spread,

and in every region-leadership had emerged. There is still scope for

further research, but no one can deny that seeds have been shown by

Satya Shodhak Samaj, of which Dr. B.R.Ambedkar is also a product.

References

1. P.K. Gopalakrishnan, Keralathinte Samskarika Charithram

(Malayalam), Thiruvananthapuram, 1974, p.38.

2. Jayakumar Vijayalayam, Aruvippuram (Darsanika Novel)

(Malayalam), Thiruvananthapuram, 1984, p. 41.

3. Ibid.

4. K. Sreenivasan, Sree Narayana Guru – Saint Philosopher

Humanist, Thiruvananthapuram, 1989, pp. 47-48.

5. Ibid., p. 49.

6. E.M.S. Namboothirippad, Kerala; Yesterday, Today and

Tomorrow, Trichur, 1944, p. 25.

7. Ibid. p. 26.

101


8. S.V. Kadavil (1970), Nammude Gurudevan (Malayalam),

Alleppey, 1970, p.29.

9. Ibid.

10. C. Ramachandran, Sree Narayana Guru (Malayalam),

Trichur, 1981, p. 72.

11. Ibid., p. 73.

12. G. Nanu, Sree Narayana Hamsa Charithram (Malayalam),

Trivandrum, 1987, pp. 34-35.

13. Ibid.

14. C. Ramachandran, op. cit., p. 84.

15. M.K. Kumara Swamy, Mahasamadhi Prabandham

(Malayalam), Trichur, 1934, p. 57.

16. M.K. Sanu, Narayana Guru Swami (Malayalam),

Irinjalakuda, 1978, p. 66.

17. K. Balarama Panikkar, Sree Narayana Guru Devan

(Malayalam), Thiruvananthapuram, 1968, pp. 41-42.

18. K. Velayudhan, Sree Narayana Guru – A Biography,

Thiruvananthapuram, 1983, pp. 54-55.

19. R. Gangadharan, Gurudeva Smarankal (Malayalam),

Thiruvananthapuram, 1982, pp. 79-80.

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20. K. Damodaran, Sree Narayana Guruswami, Alleppey, 1962,

p. 49.

21. Ibid., p. 50.

22. K. Sreenivasan, op. cit., p. 59.

23. Ibid.

24. G. Balakrishnan Nair, Gurudev Krithikal (Malayalam),

Varkala, 1978, p. 110.


26. Moorkoth Kunhappa, Sree Narayana Guru, (Jeeva

Charitram), Kozhikode, 1977, pp. 35-36.

27. M.K. Sanu, op. Cit. p. 74.

28. Ibid.

29. Dharma Theerthar Swamy, Gurudevante Thiruvachanangal

(Malayalam), Kottayam, 1953, p. 121.

30. Ibid.

31. Ibid., p. 122.

32. Ibid.

33. M.K. Sanu, op. cit., pp. 83-84.

34. C. Ramachandra, Sree Narayanan Guru (Malayalam),

Trichur, 1981, p. 72.

103


35. K. Sreenivasan, Sree Narayana Guru – Saint Philosopher

Humanist. Thiruvananthapuram, 1989, p. 68.

36. P.S. Valayudhan, S.N.D.P. Yoga Charithram (Malayalam),

Kollam, 1978, p.17.

37. Ibid.

38. Ibid., p. 22.

39. Vasudeva Nair, Sree Narayana Gurudevan (Malayalam),

Thiruvananthapuram, 1966, p. 64.

40. C.K. Gangadharan, Dr. Palpu (Malayalam), Parur, 1981, p.

51.


42. Ibid.

43. Panikkar, K.K. Sree Narayana Paramahamsan, Alleppey,

1989, p. 44.

44. M.K. Kumara Swamy, Sree Narayana Guru

Thiruvachanangal (Malayalam), 1947, p. 72.

45. P.S. Velayudhan, op. cit., p. 107.

46. C.K. Gangadharan, op. cit., p. 107.

47. C. Ramachandra, op. cit., pp. 58-59.

48. Jayakumar Vijayalayam, Sree Narayana Guru – A Critical

Study, New Delhi, 1999, p. 112.

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49. P.S. Velayudhan, op. cit., p. 102.

50. Dharma Swamy Theerthar, Gurudevante Thiruvachanangal

(Malayalam), Kollam, 1953, p. 76.

51. Kuttukoyikkal Velayudhan, Sree Narayana Gurudevante

Sishyanmar (Malayalam), Kollam, 1971, pp. 29-30.

52. K.R. Ramankutty, Sree Narayana Guru Devan Stuti

(Malayalam), Kottayam, 1975, p. 29.

53. G. Sukumaran Nair, Chattampi Swamikal (Malayalam),

Trichur, 1998, p. 28.

54. Ibid.

55. P. Parameswaran, Narayana Guru the Prophet of

Renaissance. New Delhi, 1979, p. 147.

56. Ibid.

57. Dharma Swamy Theerthar, Gurudevante

Thiruvanchangangal (Malayalam), Kollam, 1953, p. 44.

58. Narayanan Palamattam, Brahmananda Swamikal, Rishi

Vamsa Deepam (Malayalam), Trichur, 1961, p. 24.

59. P. Parameswaran, op. cit., p. 149.

60. Ibid.

105


61. A. Padmanabha Kurup, Sree Narayana Guruvinte

Sahithyavum Darsanavum – Oru Padanam (Malayalam),

Kozhikode, 1987, p. 42.

62. M. Prabha, Sree Narayana Gurudevinte Darsanam

(Malayalam), Trichur, 1980, p. 59.

63. Jayakumar, Vijayalayam, Sree Narayana Guru: Oru

Samagra Padanam (Malayalam), Kottyam, 1990, p. 37.

64. Dharma Swamy Theerthar, op. cit., p. 27.

65. Ibid.

66. T.K. Balakrishnan, Narayana Guru – Anthology.

Palluruthy, 1984, pp.73-74.

67. P. Parameswaran, Narayana Guru the Prophet of

Renaissance, New Delhi, 1979, p. 152.

68. Ibid.

69. S.V. Kadavil, Nammude Gurudevan (Malayalam),

Alleppey, 1970, p. 104.

70. P. Parameswaran, op. cit., p. 153.

71. Vadayil Sadasivan, Sree Narayana Guru Devan – Jeeva

Charithram (Malayalam), Thiruvananthapuram, 1983, p.

80.

72. Ibid.

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73. P.Parameswaran, op. cit., p.158.

74. G. Priyadarsanan, Kumaranasante Mukhaprasangangal

(Malayalam), Kollam, 1981, pp. 62-63.

75. P.K. Madhavan, T.K. Madhavante Jeevacharithram

(Malayalam), Kottayam, 1980, pp.37-38.

76. Ibid.

77. Moorkoth Kunhappa, Sree Narayana Guru (Jeeva

Charithram) (Malayalam), Kozhikode, 1977, pp. 133-134.

78. S.V. Kadavil, op.cit., p.87.

79. Kottukoyikkal Velayudha, Sree Narayana Gurudevante

Sishyanmar (Malayalam), Kollam, 1971, p.36.

80. Tapas, meditation and self discipline performed in

retirement with a view to illumination.

81. P. Parameswaran, op.cit.,, p.161.

82. Ibid., pp. 161-162.

83. Ibid, p.162.

84. S.V. Kadavil, op.cit., p.97.


86. Ibid. pp. 163-164.

87. Jayakumar, Vijayalayam, op.cit., p.44.


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89. Vasudeva Nair, Sree Narayana Gurudevan (Malayalam),

Thiruvananthapuram, 1966, p.71.

90. K. Balarama Panikkar, Sree Narayana Gurudevan

(Malayalam), Thiruvananthapuram, 1968, p.77.

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