Flowers and Light: Musings of H.H. Shri Vishveshatirtha Swamiji

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Food, sleep and sexual activity are there for animals and human beings also. It is impossible to get rid of them. In order to become good and noble, one need not leave them. The animals without observing any ethical or moral value eat the food and live. When a discipline or orderliness is added to the way of living, we can become harmless and gentle. Dharma means, the observance of justice and morale in our day-to-day life. Then only we become human beings. Today man has denounced the Dharma and progressing towards the negative evolution to prove that Darwin’s theory is topsy-turvy.

It is heartening to note that Sri L. Jaya Rao, one of my disciples has translated few of my musings from the Kannada original Hoo-Belaku” (the second edition) into English.

I hope this will delight the English readers.

I wish and extend my prayers unto the holy feet of Sri Rama Vitthala to shower knowledge and peace to him and his family.

The wonderful series of Poornaprajna Samshodhana Mandiram, under the stewardship of Dr. A.V. Nagasampige and his colleagues deserve appreciation.

H.H. Sri Vishveshatirtha Swamiji of Pejavara Matha has delivered discourses in Chaturmasya at Bangalore in 1999. These valuable thoughts were recorded by Vidwan Gopadi Raghavendra Bhat and brought to the Kannada readers under the title- Hoo-Belaku. The Kannada work containing speeches of Sri Swamiji is translated by Prof. Jaya Rao in a lucid style. I record my gratitude for his valuable service rendered to Poornaprajna Samshodhana Mandiram. I also acknowledge the help of Sri Chinthalvady K. Rama Murthy who has taken pains in proofreading and for enhancing the value of present edition by valuable suggestions. I express my gratitude to Sri Gopadi Raghavendra Bhat and Prof. Jaya Rao for their selfless service to the Poornaprajna Samshodhana Mandiram.

We also express our thanks to Prof. Radha Vallabha Tripathi, Vice-chancellor of Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, for giving all support in our academic activities.

Prof. D. Prahiadachar, Chairman of Poornaprajna Samshodhana Mandiram, is the guiding force of our academic activities and I express my gratitude for his valuable guidance in the progress of the institution.

We are extremly happy to submit this work to the English readers of the nation and abroad. I submit this publication at the holy feet of Sri Swamiji on his 71st Peetharohana celebrations with warm regards.

H.H. Sri Vishveshatirtha Swamiji of Pejawar Mutt is renowned for his deep studies of shastras. His deep knowledge of shastras is fathomless but at the same time he has the tremendous skill of conveying their message in a simple lucid style. He has a tender heart and his words ore like flowers attracting everybody. He is a creeper in whom thousands of philosophic flowers bloomed in the form of lectures. This creeper born in a village called Ramakunj has spread up to Delhi. The bloomed flowers have never withered, spreading their fragrance all around. They are attractive in their import of deep social concern, vision of truth, serious thoughts of Vedanta & life guidance. They are the guiding spirit to mankind. The fragrance has spread in all directions & appealed to all minds with a peaceful note without hurting anyone. Once smelt, its fragrance never leaves you. This “Hoo - Belaku” is a wonderful garland of such fragrant flowers.

These musings are relevant to the youth, the employed, women, politicians and even for the renounced. This is not a dry sermon from the dias but the voice of rich experience, the voice of a seven-year-old lad who left his parents dedicating his services to the society as a saint. These are the mantras of a monk, who wandered across the country for seventy long years with painful heart at the injustice and inhuman things happening around him. They offer to quench the thirst of the men riding on the horseback of desires chased by the mirage of luxuries, tired and desolate, with the elixir of compassion and solace. It is a beacon light to those who lost their way in darkness.

Flower is a symbol of love whereas the light is a symbol of friendly guidance; therefore, we chose the phrase ‘Flowers and light’ instead of calling these words of swamiji such as - the pearls of words or a universal voice. It does not need any compulsion from my side at all, to read this again and again. Simple reading does not suffice; the words that touch the heart should inspire one to act accordingly. Then only this attempt is fruitful. Here is a compilation of musings of the swamiji to commemorate his seventy-first year of sanyosa. Many of them appeared in the magazine Tatva Vada. Few others are from other sources. With the kind blessings of swamiji, this booklet, Flowers and Light, has cone out in English edition. This has been on inspiration by Sri A.Haridas Bhatt, whom I cannot forget.