Revival of the Tamil Vaishnava Bhakti movement in North India in modern times

89 Pages·1995·14.9 MB·

by  Dr. Ranganayaki Mahapatra

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REVIVAL OF THE TAMIL VAISHNAVA BHAKTI
MOVEMENT IN NORTH INDIA
IN MODERN TIMES
— By DR. (Mrs) RANGAWAYAKt MAHAPATRA
Bharati Professor & Head of the Tamil Department
Calcutta University 7,
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^ CEKTRW-
LiaEtARY.
A PUBLICATION OF THE TAMIL OEPT. CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY
CENTRAL LIBRARY
Published By i Tlie Tamil Dept. - Calcutta University
CoPV Bight Reserved by Author >
1st Edition 1995
33*77
ns cu
at Twinslar Prnters
Other Books By Teachers of the Tamil Dept,
wip*,* Lb. (1984)
(A Gran mar of (he modem written and spoken Tamil)
— Dr. iMr$) Ranganayaki M aha pair a
2} Tamifnadu - Bengal Cultural Relations (1987)
Ed. Dr. ( Vlffi) - Ranganayskj Mahapairu
3> whin* (£},=vrfT*^-rr (Trans, from Bengali) I
Selected short stones) 1984 —Dfr (Mrs) PT Bhanumathi
4) iE $ * fl .h £ t iv { T rans. from Bengali — Beds I Sarkars
Baki llihas) 19 —Dr. (Mrs) P, Bhanumalhi
5) Tamil Script and Sound (1997)—Dr (Mrs) Ranganayaki
Mahanatrs. Dr (Mrs) P. BharumiithL Dr„ SukJa
ChakraharTy
6) i.t 7y eii [b l Sju w f'h.itjti (1993) Trans from Bengali
Qimal Har's 'Asimaya'—Dr (Mrs) P, Benumathi
7) Selected Poems from Sangam Poetry 1995 Nirvachjtg
Kaviiaguccha iSamgam Sahiiya)-Dr Sukla Chakrabarty
1) Forth coming Book? :
A Pedagogical Dictionary rf (written) Tamil Verbs
(1996) — DfP (Mrs) ftunganeyaki Mahapatra,
Dr. (Mrs) P, Rhgnumathi. Dr. Sukla Chakraberly
3) Learn Tamil (A Reader in writlen Term*)
— Dr. (Mrs) Ranganeyaki Muhapatra
Cover : Smd, RAMANUJACHARYA
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SREE BALARACV1 DHARMA SQPAN
Phone : [phone]
Sri Lakshmi Narey/in Jilt Tempi*
P.O. Halaram Dharma Sopan
K liii rdj fir 24 Purganas (N)„
West Bengal, Pin-743121
FOREWORD
I have been ai-ked by Prof, Mrs. It, Mahuputra. Ph.O.
to writ* a forewnrd for her book on Shree Vaishnavdsm in
North India.
Shree Vaishtiavism was unknown in Nonh India upto
the 19th century except in some pockets of Orissa, Bengal and
United Province on the link routes between south and north
India. But coming to the 20th century we find that It has
spread out in many of the important cetnres of north India
mainly due to efforts of three persons - Sri Rangadesjka
Swami, Sri Anantachari Swami, both from Kiincliipiinim, and
Tridandi Viswakasena Swami of Buxar. Bihar Numerous
Shree Vaishnavas can now be found through out north India
and many Shree Vaishnavu literatures are being published
in north Indian languages. But unfortunately no attempt
has'yet been made to trace out the historical aspect of such
spread of Sliree Vaishtiav bhakti movement in north India.
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In this booklet by Mrs. Mafmpgtra an stienipt h «s
been made in ibis respect ami lins nicely pointed out the
main events and workforce behind such movement leading
to the present day state of affairs of Shree Vaishrtuvism in
in north India It would act as a guideline and source of
inspiration tS those who in f uture will make an attempt to
search out (he full history of the? Shrec Vaisha&v -.t hhakti
movement from the records scattered m different pans of
north (iiJra. This book has long been waited? for.
E wo^h all success ;ind good will for (he book and to
tiie Author,,
Khardah Sd/-
5th November 1995 (NR1S1NGHA RAMANUJA DAS
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PREFACE
National integration is a topic discussed today at all
levels, Ln the interest of the country's stability and progress.
If it has been possible so Tar. for a multi lingual, multicultural,
country like ours, to boast of a common Indian heritage that
is because of the 'give and lake that has been going on in
every field oT achievement, be it religion, philosophy, litera­
ture or fine arts.
It was possible for the great Ramanuja to lit up the
torch ofBhakii in the hearts of the people across alt the regional
and linguistic boundaries, because he synthesised the Vrdio
Sanskrilic tradition i>f the north with the Tamil hteruty tradi­
tions and the personal and emotionlly powerful Uhiikti' ot the
Al wars.
Every Ot ier Bhakti movement which started in various
other regions tiki Maharashtra, Oujarat, Rajasthan, U, P,.
Bengal and Assam in l,tier periods ow;d something to the
Tamil llhakti movement, binding the people of India with
the chord of Bhaktu
Now thousand years after Ramanuja, after his Sr: Vais-
hoavi&m has given place to vanous 01 her* shades of Vaishpa-
vism in the North, an interesting phenomenon is being
noticed.
The Vaishnava Bbakti movement of the AI wars js being
revived all over North India in the path shown by Ramanuja,
Two most interesting aspects of this revival ure (1) that
it is carried on by non Tamils in the non Tamil regions, result­
ing in thousands anil thousands of mm Tamils adapting
Sri Vaishnaviam (2) For the first lime in known history the
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literature of a Dravidian language, namely, Tamil, has become
such an intimate pirn of a religious movemern in which non
Tamil* arc involved. For the first time tJna Tamil Vaistmava
literature has been translated into so many north Indian lan­
guages like Hindi. Bengali, Nepali.Gujarati etc , by non Tamils*
This movement has its impact on the social cultural and
literary activities of people of the vaiious regions also*
In one of my frequent visits to the laga.nn&Jth Temple
ui Puii, (OrissEi)t i noticed that ihc Lakslimi Temple inside
the temple Com pit* was devoted as it were to Sri Vajshnavism
with the large Life size portrayals of Ramanuja and Satagopa
Alw&r with ihc >thcr Aiuvars and Acharyas in i!ie backgrounds
This led me to the Sri Vaishnava Madias in Puri which
puzzled me all the more because insulated from the local
atmosphere, they were like live tableax of the orthodox
religious life of the Sri Vaishnavas of Tamifnadu, hodjty
lifted, with one striking dilTerenee that the innate* knew not
Tamil, though they chanted Tamil hymns in real earnest.
Another chance gift of an old c *py of the Bengali traits-
latlon-with Tamil transliteration of Silta go pa A1 war’s Tiruvay-
mozhi - titled 'Sahnsra Goeii' by Sri Yatiudra Rumanuja-
chatya printed .it Khardnh (10 miles from Calculta* kindled
my curiosity to no end 1 was on ihc irack of Swami Yatindra
Ru.manujuchaiya, convinced (hat ihcre should be more to ii
than I his single book. Pimdiy 1 got the te^d from Smt. Henna
Hasli and 1 reached my destination on the Vijaya Oasmi day
*>l jyB? stfter a long search. Swamjijj was ilie founder of
the Sri Vdishimvfl Ashiam, Sri Balram Diiarmtt Sopun,
It there ar Sri Bnlram D harm a Sopan, 1 met Swami Sri
Nn&ingha Ramanuja Das, who is running the ashram and the
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Lukshminarayan temple after Swamijis’ demist in 1975,
Another surprise wailed for me at Khardah - the Bengal
chapter or the Srj Vaishr>a\a culture. The Alwars of Kaveri
hanks were here again on the bank* of the Ganges
Thanks to Swami Sn Nrmpgha Das, I got all !he ans­
wers l was searching for. These were not arty isolated or
unconnected homages to Ramanuja or Tatullnadu. Rut these
were parts of the same, chain-of the great Sri Vaishn&va move­
ment being revived now. 1 felt excited beyond words, that
I have the privilege of witnessing history, history right when it
is happening. This is a movement, that is being revived after a
thousand years. And then for five years f went about visit ng
the different pluc.s involved in this movement. B-indasun*
Riinnrcs Kathmandu (Nepal), Dwaraka. Atmicdabad, Soniu-
naibt Bombay, Jaipur. Rishikcs, etc etc whenever I could, on
a personal or family tnp.
My hip to the Brindavan temple was most gratifying. The
head of the Govardlmn Pith extended his hospitality by giving
me access to the library documents of the largest Sri Vaish-
ivava temple in north India, i express my heart felt thanks
to him.
What overwhelmed me moie, was the ft'cl that the
devoted religious scholars in every region had their own
mother tongue version ot ihe Tamil 1/jjshnsvH literatures^
Bengali topped the Jisth almost 60 hooks by one single author !
— by the great Swami Yatindra Ramanuja Chary a, Hindi
being the next in the hst But while Sri Balaram Pharma
Sopan - the Bengali Sri Vaishnava Ashram- is its only type*
in the Hindi belt one finds a very active scencrio. Scores ol
temples have been built within the past 50 years,
(*)
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The Vaikunranath Temple at ICelikrishna Tagore Stratt -
Calcuttat by the tfaugur I Louse, ihe Sri Vcnkateswar Temple at
Partaswadi Bombay, and the one at Vasani Vihar Delhi, arc
some in the capitals Bihar seems to have the widest network
ofSii Valslmava temples, Mathns and other religious centres,
Ncpa] is p c'tog up Rajauhan has Ljuite a number of temples.
Bcnaras has an entire Ramanuja Vjbh&g in the Sumpurniinand
Sanskrit University.
But in the ahsef:e; of any research assistance E had
great cinilriints, financial as well as personnel l coaid not
travel alone to many places nor did 1 have th& access to
many iidividuaU, who could provide information as to when
and by whom a temple was bull. It will always remain a
matter of regret to me that L could nut g iJlcci (he names of the
patrons who helped building so many temples, big and small,
established schools, and c-tltrcs Of Sri Vaishnava research.provi­
ded support to all the literary output etc. etc A movement such
.is this with its sreial, religious and literary dimensions could
not have achieved so much without their fmanc a] patronage,
They certainly deserved a word of thanks
1 am happy to have witnessed the linguiMrc and Cul­
tural integration that Ramanuja dreamt, brought about even
within this tOO years Among those who have been exposed
to this new wave, whether Tamils or non Tamils there am
greater understanding and appreciation of each others' lan­
guage, literature and culture. There is mutual respret born
ol this c inning together* a common bond, a sense of
belonging No mure do they go to places just as a sightseers
but there is a meaning ia it a sense of fulfilment* they feel ii
is parr of their own, whether good ot bad Is not this national
integration ?
humblest
My thanks to Switmi Sri Nrisinghu Das, of
been
Sri Bala runt Dharraa Sopan, fur all this. It has a wonder­
ful journey for me
RANGANAYAKIMAHAPATRA
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