Five Sankara mutts in Kannur seek revival of ancient Vedic learning
In a rare spectacle, five senior monks, including the heads of three mutts established by the four disciples of Adi Sankara in Kerala, called for the revival and rejuvenation of these establishments as the centers of spiritual learning and research. Described as a rare spiritual confluence facilitated by the centuries-old Sree Raghavapuram Sabha Yogam, the Pontiffs of Thekke Mutt, Edneer Mutt, Naduvil Mutt, and Thrikkaikattu Mutt met at Trichambaram Lord Krishna Temple in Kerala’s Taliparambu and issued a proclamation for the revival of the Gurukul system of Veda learning and bringing back the ancient system of priesthood as a deterrent against attacks on Sanatana Dharma.
The four Mutts were established by Padmapadacharya, Sureshwaracharya, Hastamalakacharya, and Totakacharya, the direct disciples of Adi Sankara, and had chronicled the events and feats associated with the Mutts. The Sree Raghavapuram Sabha Yogam itself is more than a thousand years old. The Pontiffs Srimad Vasudevananda Brahmananda Bhooti, Sachidananda Bharati, Achuthananda Bhaarati, Narayana Brahmananda Teerta, and the junior monk Parthasarathi pointed out that the Trichambaram Temple and the mutts owned hundreds of acres of agriculture and farm land before the introduction of the Land Reforms Act. The Act resulted in the mutts and temples losing their hold over the landed properties, which were usurped by forces inimical to Sanatana Dharma.
Sree Raghavapuram Sabha Yogam, a collective of Vedic scholars, was established in 793 AD. The Yogam was in the forefront of establishing Veda Patasala, institutions of higher learning in Vedas, Upanishads, philosophy, astronomy, and related sciences. “Those were the days when settlements like Pilathara and other such centers reverberated with recitation of hymns and the skyline was filled with smokes rising from agnikunds, the sacred fireplace where the holy fires burnt as part of pujas and homams,” said Hari Namboodiri, the Sabha Yogam general secretary.
In addition to the number of Veda Patasalas owned and operated by the Sabha Yogam, the scholars leading these schools were actively engaged in rural development, environmental protection, and public health. The core areas where the Sabha Yogam focused were Vedic dharma, environment, education, social welfare, history, and culture, with the objective of sustainable development of the society. Those were the days when modern-day politicians were absent. The minutes of the annual general body meetings held till the 16th century were engraved in palm leaves and have survived the test of time. These documents are available from the Sabha Yogam office.
It is this culture and tradition that the Pontiffs want to be revived and strengthened. Pilathara, a rural hamlet nearly 30 km away from Kannur, has its own unique sanctity. Besides Pilathara, there were a number of Veda Patasalas and Gurukulams spread across the region. But most of the establishments were shut down over the years, mainly due to the scarcity of funds and the indifference of the authorities to requests made by the Yogam to help preserve this rare educational system.
Education to all and preaching the Indian system of knowledge throughout the world are the missions undertaken by the institution. Indiscriminate Land Reforms enacted by the governments ruined the Vedic culture, resulting in the closure of most of the mutts and GurumKulam. The Sabha Yogam has a Yajur Veda Pata sala functioning with limited resources. The Sabha Yogam runs 3 Veda Patasalas, Gaushalas, and has many dharmic and charity initiatives, remarkably contributing to the endangered Vedic tradition of Kerala.
Thaliparamba Desham leadership, including President Meppalli Narayanan Namboothiri, Secretary Vamanan Namboothiri, and Treasurer Ettissery Narayanan Namboothiri, are the guiding force in the endeavor to bring back the spirit and dynamism to the tradition, according to Hari Namboothiri.
The unprecedented gathering of devotees and youngsters in the annual confluence of the five Sankara Paramparas (the tradition established by Jagadguru Adi Sankara) is an indication of the thirst for Vedic knowledge in the heart of Gen Z. Last but not least, all these developments are happening in Malabar, the den of Marxists and Islamic extremism.
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1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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