Shri V.S. Sunil Kumar, Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture,

Shrimad Vasudevananda Brahmananda Bhoothi,

Shrimad Parameswara Brahmanandha Theertha,

Smt. M.S. Sampoorna, Councilor, Thrissur Corporation,

Shri Vadakkumpad Narayanan,

Shri Krishnananda,

Sahodaree Sahodaranmare,

EllavarkkumEnte Namaskaram.

       I feel very happy and blessed to address this august gathering after unveiling the Statue of Jagadguru Sree Sankaracharya at  Thekke Swamiyar Madham, Thrissur.

       Let me, at the outset, pay my humble homage to the great Saint and Philosopher, Adi Sankara, the great advocate of social progress who believed that every human being irrespective of caste or creed was entitled to Salvation.

       I would also express my deep sense of appreciation for the office bearers of the Thekke Swamiyar Madham for their initiative in installing this statue.

       As we all know, the Thekke Swamiyar Madham is one of the ancient hermitages founded by Padma Paadacharya, the first disciple of Sree Sankaracharya. I am informed that the Madham follows the same customs and rituals of the Govardhana Peedham of Puri, which was established by Sree Sankara and later on handed-over to Padmapada. It is gratifying to know that Thekke Madham has been regularly organizing Vedic conferences which have attracted Sanyasis and scholars from all over the country.

       As an organization which seeks to strengthen the knowledge base of philosophical studies, this Madham has been honouring Vedic scholars every year with titles like Acharyarantha and awards likeSankarapadmam. That the award for last year was presented to Dr. K.J. Yesudas is ample evidence to the cosmopolitan outlook of the Madham, truly in tune with the ideals of Adi Sankara.

       As we all know, Jagad Guru Adi Shankara, whose scholarly and systematic reviews and commentaries on ancient Indian texts have guided generations on the essence of Indian philosophy, continues to inspire scholars. His greatest commentary, known as the Brahmasutra Bhaashya has been regarded as a foundation of the school of Hinduism. The Late Dr. S.Radhakrishnan, our philosopher President had referred to Sree Sankaracharya as one of the three greatest thinker who healed the world. The other two were Plato of Greece and Emmanuel Kant of Germany, who, of course lived during different ages. He had also attributed Sankaracharya's plan of establishing Madhams at different parts of the country to his farsighted vision about the oneness of this nation.

       Sree Sankaracharya also had the clearest vision about education. He saw it as a means to liberation.  And, education was the attainment of wisdom and not merely knowledge. One achieves wisdom by getting to the root of every subject of inquiry. This understanding adds beauty to one's reasoning and creations.  This also explains why the works of this matchless philosopher are also rated as the highest form of literature. I must add that the belief about the presence of Saraswati Devi, the Goddess of knowledge, is also an indication of Adi Sankara's faith in wisdom. The belief is that Goddess Saraswati appeared before Sree Sankara at Thekke Madham.

       The true greatness of the teachings of Adi Sankara is that their essence has been flowing smoothly to society, guiding us through the teachings and writings of Sree Ramakrishna, Swamy Vivekananda, Gurudev Tagore and Gandhiji. But the lineage of wisdom cannot end there. It has to flow through coming generations, for which we need to spread awareness about such teachings in society. I am certain that the Sanskrit classes imparted by Thekke Madham for those who want to learn the language, would be of great help. I am happy that the number of students getting interested in studying Sanskrit is on the increase.  

       The Thekke Madham's continuous efforts in publishing books on Veda and Vedanta and the Veda-sapthaaham, introduced to analyze Veda Sookthas are truly laudable. Since the Madham proposes to procure audio-visual equipment including computers, I would suggest that even the study of Veda and Advaita has to accept the path of modernization. While publishing the Vedic-Scientific books   will be helpful for the common man, giving philosophy an entry into the area of technology will not be out of place.

       I suggest this because our younger generation as well as the elder one is now engrossed in digital devices which are slowly replacing tutors. At the same time, the techno-savvy generation is also under acute pressure due to the unmanageable speed of life. The lessons of our culture and values should spread to our society through these digital devices too. When basic literacy itself is being defined digitally, I think, cultural literacy should not be left behind.

       By installing this statue of Jagad Guru Adi Sankaracharya who is credited to have unified various currents of philosophical thought in Indian culture in general and Hinduism in particular, Thekke Madham has reinforced its commitment to usher in a spiritual unity into society. What we require is the adherence to the teachings of Sankaracharya, which point to a spiritual and social vision based on equality. As Dr. S. Radhakrishnan said, Sankaracharya was a prophet of reconciliation in his own time and if we follow his teachings, he will also be a prophet of reconciliation and harmony to the whole world.

       I wish the Thekke Madham all the best in taking the message of Adi Sankara to the world.

       I also compliment the sculptor who has created the statue and the organizers for conducting this function in a befitting manner.

Ellavarkkum Ente aashamsakal

Nanni

Jai Hind

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