Text of Vice-President’s address on Parayan viz. “Namah Shivaya,” in Bengaluru

श्रद्धेय श्री जगद्गुरु शंकराचार्य श्री श्री विधुशेखर भारती महास्वामीजी, दक्षिणामलई, श्री शारदापीठम, शृंगेरी जहां भी हैं हमारे साथ हैं, हमें उनका आशीर्वाद प्राप्त है। वो सर्व विद्यमान हैं, मैं उनको प्रणाम करता हूँ, नमन करता हूँ। श्री श्री शंकरभारती महास्वामी जी, श्री श्री ब्रह्मानन्द महास्वामीजी, Honourable Union Minister, Shri Prahad Joshiji, Honourable Union Minister of State, Shri V. Somanna Ji and everyone present here. Each one present here is custodian, ambassador and foot soldier of our culture. It was unbelievable. It was soothing. It was splendid! It was sublime what I saw. One has to see to believe. The ecosystem here is truly magnificent. A mesmerizing tapestry of tradition and beliefs. The rhythmic chanting of mantra, and got me with my mind, heart and soul in togetherness. I was lost somewhere else, thousands in numbers, that chanting purifies our heart. Such vast gathering of thousands unified by one spirit, one bondage-Indian culture. There is touch of divinity because our culture.Things of entire humanity. Vasudhaiva kutumbakam, that is our philosophy. Sanatana stands for empathy, sympathy, compassion, tolerance, nonviolence, virtuosity, sublimity, religiosity, and all this converge in one word, inclusivity. We don't need lessons in this country. We don't need sermonization and preachings. As to what is inclusivity. We live inclusivity every moment, every day. This nation, Bharat, home to one sixth of humanity, has for centuries demonstrated to the world what is inclusivity. ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ नमः शिवाय It is my great fortune to be blessed by way of association with this unique event that pristinely captures the cultural and spiritual wealth of Bharat. We are without a parallel. There is no other situation in the world. and we stand for entire humanity across the planet. In all humility and earnestness, it is my profound privilege and a moment to be ever cherished, a moment that always will be in my heart to offer my revered salutations to Jagatguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharatiteertha Mahaswami Ji. It is our good fortune. to have his divine guidance. He's all-pervasive. Physically, he can be at one place. But we know he resides in our hearts. He influences our mind. He teaches us through our heart to love everyone. He stirs our thought. He mesmerizes our soul to think of  everyone and not of the self. It is our good fortune therefore that when society and the world is in turbulence, We are fortunate to have his guidance. His wisdom and knowledge are a beacon of hope and enlightenment. This makes our path unique. It is gratifying, a great occasion, an occasion that demonstrates service of its own kind to humanity for a period of over five decades, and it goes on. Swarn Bharati, the golden jubilee celebrations of sannyas. And sannyas has a meaning which many thinkers in the world have travelled to this country to find out the essence. This sannyas is the meaning of the word sannyas. Longevity of that is our above. It is immortal, but in terms of time and space, five decades. And therefore, silver jubilee celebrations of sannyas, of Jagatguru Shankracharya, Sri Sri Bharatiteertha Mahaswamiji is being organized by Sri Sringeri Shardapeetham and Shri Swedant Bharti. What an exemplary convergence for such a worthy occasion that will give guidance to the entire world. We all are indeed indebted and blessed that this sublime celebration has benevolent guidance of Sri Sri Shankar Bharti Swamiji, Peethadheeswar of Yadathore, Sri Yoganandeshwar Math. We are honoured, privileged. What a spiritually rewarding and fulfilling environment that is. Blessed are those and thousands are here who can be on this occasion mantra cosmopolis- A rare spectacle, spectacular, touches mind, heart and soul. All are in unison. Those minutes I spent have surcharged me, energized me, motivated me, inspired me to be in service of Bharat in any capacity forever, to serve the society with guidance and enlightenment emanating from the holy chair. What I found, Dhvani of Mantas created calmness, the composer, rhythm, unison, people will believe it only when they witness it. And this befittingly in sync with the occasion, the chanting was in sync with the occasion, the occasion is golden jubilee of initiation into sannyas, of Peethadhipati of Shri Sharda Pitam Sringeri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Shri Bharatiteerth Swamiji. The scene here, and it will be disseminated widely in public domain, the scene here has to be understood. the depth of it, the essence of it, the nectar of it, because the scene here reflects sublimity, spirituality, religiousity, a rewarding experience of what is the meaning of human existence. Are we here only to eke out a livelihood or live a life? Such kind of occasions give us a meaning much beyond what we normally think. They justify our existence on the planet. Invocation of countless mantras of Shastras with heavenly experience and divinity. Taitreya Samhita of Krishan, Yajurveda calls the practice of parayan as the ritual that connects the mortal realm ourselves with the divine. This moment, enchantment of mantras transports us in the blissful presence of divinity. We express something which is indescribable but lives with us forever, becomes part of our personality. Vedic chanting represents one of humanity's most ancient and unbroken oral traditions. Vedic chanting is a bridge, a living bridge to our ancestors' profound spiritual wisdom. What I have seen, the precise rhythms, intonations and vibrations of these sacred mantras are known to create and have created at the moment a powerful resonance that brings peace to the mind and harmony to the environment. When we gather to experience this chanting today, the one we have witnessed a while ago, we connect ourselves to the eternal chain of human experience that has been preserved with remarkable fidelity for millennia. Look at what we have seen. The systematic compositions of Vedic verses, the intricate rules of their recitation, this demonstrates the scientific sophistication of our ancient scholars. This has been accomplished without pen or without pen drive. Harmonious articulation of syllables has been transmitted through generations and what an absorbing capacity we have. I had the good fortune to sit here. For a moment imagine the genius of that ancient Indian mind that composed these verses. Imagine what depth of intellect must have been there when these verses were composed. It was real intelligence, much beyond artificial intelligence. The mind was blossomed. That is our heritage, and this parayan is demonstration of the utmost confidence that we shall pass this time-honored tradition in future generations with pride. Distinguished audience, the Ashok Chakra which you see quite often in our flag, it symbolizes the importance of dharma, the importance we have given to dharma throughout civilizational period. Bharat has one of the world's largest collections of intelligible, intangible-both cultural heritage, including traditional arts, music and customs, and all of them reflect our culture, our spirituality. Indian culture's unique characteristic is unity in diversity, formed through the synthesis of various cultures over the time. Our core values and the world is coming to recognize them more during this time period. They are humility, nonviolence, respect for elders and teachers. And that is why, just think for a moment. It is the birthplace of major religions like Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. Dharma is considered the most fundamental concept of Indian culture. It's a barometer that guides us, guiding all aspects of life. Dharma represents both the path, the passage, as also the destination and the goal, applying to all spheres of existence, including divine beings, and serves as a practical rather than utopian ideal for righteous living. Dharma doesn't tell you to live something which is not implementable, not achievable, not available. Dharma is, if you define in that terms, a utopian concept accomplished. There is a contradiction, but Dharma solves that contradiction. Distinguished audience. From times immemorial, India has been regarded as a spiritual center of the world. We continue to be one. The earliest quiz to find the meaning and purpose of life was a subject matter of deep contemplation by ancient Rishis and Sages of India. Truth contained in Shruti is perhaps the greatest among them is Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, the foremost exponent of Advait school of Vedanta. If there is one philosophy, friends, that is best suited to explain and expound unity, it is Adi Shankaracharya philosophy. This philosophy exhorts us to look at the entire humanity, the entire world, the entire cosmos as divine. The obvious issue arises. If the Divine resides everywhere, if the Divine is only present, If the divine is in everyone, how can you discriminate and divide? And that is why I said and I reiterate, we define inclusivity. We define absorption. We define acceptability. Our civilization doesn't teach us to be in a retrievable confrontational stance. We are tolerant in thought, action and deeds. Hence, we see Indian sacred texts, lest with all types of knowledge, intertwined with each other. Go to our texts. What I've said will find. I'll make one reference to Bhagavad Gita. Sankhya Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. Sankhya Yoga and Bhakti Yoga co-exist with Karma Yoga. This is the philosophy of life. Teachings of Gita, remarkable and ever to be remembered. Look at one of the finest treatises on law and governance. When it comes to law and governance, we remember one, Chanakya. We remember Chanakyaneeti, And what he said? “सुखस्य मूलं धर्मं, धर्मस्य मूलं अर्थं” And this, my friends, is most quoted. We need to learn our lessons of life. If we understand the meaning of it, it will change the course of our life. We will cease to be reckless. We will be empathic in our behavior. And this says, premise of happiness, foundation of happiness is righteousness. It is not a simulation of wealth. It is not invocation of power or authority. Happiness lies in righteousness. If you are right to yourself, you are right to others, you believe in righteousness to all human and living beings, you will be in the blessed state of happiness. And dharma is nothing but wealth, the ultimate wealth, a wealth you don't have to keep in digital account or in a safe. No one can steal it. It is your integral part. It is inalienable facet of your life. Belief in dharma means you are existing beyond contemplation, the highest form of human life. These are the teachings of our great sages. We have the benefit of one of them amongst us. Lucky to be here. Our seers have exhorted us to be guided by dharmic values in all our actions. Where can you see a congregation of this nature? What is the uniting fabric of it? Dharma, belief in Dharma. Our commitment is this. Each one you hear, as I said earlier is epicenter, nerve center of ambassador, custodian and propagandist of our Dharma. When we use Daridra Narayan, our civilization is the only one in the entire world that uses Daridra Narayan. What does it say? In the poor, in the marginalized, in the vulnerable, in the challenged, that Daridra we see Narayan, we see God in such a man, it calls upon us when you see a Daridra Narayan, the handicapped, the challenged, the deaf, the dumb, the marginalized, the vulnerable, the weaker segments. We must devote our lives to be in their service. Friends, we need to remind ourselves that what a cultural and spiritual power Bharat was. When we peep into our stream, we are stunned and amazed, and global leadership is finding it increasingly interesting that they resisted hard with that value system. Soothing aspect is that we are on our way to regaining it. We need to fast track it. यह बहुत बड़ा हवन है, इस हवन में हर किसी की आहुति की आवश्यकता है हमें बहुत बड़े ज्ञानवान पुरुष मिले हुए हैं, पूर्ण आहुति बहुत शीघ्र होनी चाहिए ताकि भारत जो एक समय स्वर्णिम था। The golden period of culture. We regain that back. By returning to the timeless teachings housed in the spiritual treasures and treasure troves of Bharat, we can create a society where the wealth, pursuit of wealth harmonizes with human welfare. There is nothing wrong in being in pursuit of wealth, but pursuit of wealth should not be reckless, self-centered only for consumption, only for shows. If you harmonize your creation of wealth with human welfare, the society will accolade you. Your conscience will be pure. You will get happiness. When it comes to business ethics, align your business ethics with the spiritual principles, keeping in mind that dharma is wedded to fairness to all, equitable behavior to all, equality for all. Inequities have no place in a society governed by dharma. Our Bharat, as I said, friends, is home to one sixth of humanity. We are outstandingly unique amongst the comity of nations for our cultural wealth and civilizational ethos. And this is not for a century or two. For 5,000 years, the wealth, the seamless wisdom, and knowledge have been nurtured and safeguarded, and well safeguarded by our sages and gurus all throughout. Look at history of the last century itself, for a century before. All kinds of efforts were made to run down our culture, taint and tarnish our culture, destroy our cultural fabric. This was by bigoted minds. The nation has survived because our culture is indestructible. It can't be destroyed or decimated,and friends, amongst this luminous class is Adi Shankaracharya, who devotedly worked to liberate society from its suffering. We owe to him, we owe a great debt to Adi Shankaracharya ji for revival of timeless tradition of India's spirituality and philosophy, legendary and easily comprehensible teachings of Adi Shankaracharya and his reflections on our scriptures catalyzed unifying spirit across Bharat. The burden of his timeless legacy, timeless legacy of Adi Shankaracharya ji, is now being but nurtured and blossomed in our times by Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji. We are fortunate friends with rare command over several languages and scholarship Sri Sri Bharatiteertha Mahaswamit is influencing society in right direction of righteousness. This massive participation, this emotive participation, this involved participation, this heartily participation is a testament to his pivotal, historic, phenomenal, exponential contribution to our society. Friends, undoubtedly these celebrations will be inspirational for treading path of spirituality and further the ascents of teachings of Adi Shankaracharya ji. I must remind you, there are challenges. Challenges we cannot ignore or overlook. We have to countenance them. Preservation of our cultural identity is our uppermost priority. Challenges are emanating from quarters on premises that are deeply to be looked into. For guidance and enlightenment, we look up to our sages and saints and glorified ones adorn the dais today. It has been rightly said if you want to destroy a country, you don't need armies. You don't have to destroy its buildings or infrastructure. You will succeed if you destroy its culture. And therefore, always be on guard to preserve our culture. I would once again like to thank organizers for giving me this unique opportunity, an opportunity I never thought I will have. I'm ever indebted for this to be at this blissful event at a momentous occasion in the company of our revered sages. Let us contemplate this timeless truth, a truth we have lived with and we are bound to live with it forever-Satyam Shivam Sundaram. May our practice of Namah Shivaya illuminate our path from darkness to light, from ignorance to wisdom, from mortality to immortality. Om Namah Shivaya Om Namah Shivaya Om Namah Shivaya **** JK/RC/SM श्रद्धेय श्री जगद्गुरु शंकराचार्य श्री श्री विधुशेखर भारती महास्वामीजी, दक्षिणामलई, श्री शारदापीठम, शृंगेरी जहां भी हैं हमारे साथ हैं, हमें उनका आशीर्वाद प्राप्त है। वो सर्व विद्यमान हैं, मैं उनको प्रणाम करता हूँ, नमन करता हूँ। श्री श्री शंकरभारती महास्वामी जी, श्री श्री ब्रह्मानन्द महास्वामीजी, Honourable Union Minister, Shri Prahad Joshiji, Honourable Union Minister of State, Shri V. Somanna Ji and everyone present here. Each one present here is custodian, ambassador and foot soldier of our culture. It was unbelievable. It was soothing. It was splendid! It was sublime what I saw. One has to see to believe. The ecosystem here is truly magnificent. A mesmerizing tapestry of tradition and beliefs. The rhythmic chanting of mantra, and got me with my mind, heart and soul in togetherness. I was lost somewhere else, thousands in numbers, that chanting purifies our heart. Such vast gathering of thousands unified by one spirit, one bondage-Indian culture. There is touch of divinity because our culture.Things of entire humanity. Vasudhaiva kutumbakam, that is our philosophy. Sanatana stands for empathy, sympathy, compassion, tolerance, nonviolence, virtuosity, sublimity, religiosity, and all this converge in one word, inclusivity. We don't need lessons in this country. We don't need sermonization and preachings. As to what is inclusivity. We live inclusivity every moment, every day. This nation, Bharat, home to one sixth of humanity, has for centuries demonstrated to the world what is inclusivity. ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ नमः शिवाय It is my great fortune to be blessed by way of association with this unique event that pristinely captures the cultural and spiritual wealth of Bharat. We are without a parallel. There is no other situation in the world. and we stand for entire humanity across the planet. In all humility and earnestness, it is my profound privilege and a moment to be ever cherished, a moment that always will be in my heart to offer my revered salutations to Jagatguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharatiteertha Mahaswami Ji. It is our good fortune. to have his divine guidance. He's all-pervasive. Physically, he can be at one place. But we know he resides in our hearts. He influences our mind. He teaches us through our heart to love everyone. He stirs our thought. He mesmerizes our soul to think of  everyone and not of the self. It is our good fortune therefore that when society and the world is in turbulence, We are fortunate to have his guidance. His wisdom and knowledge are a beacon of hope and enlightenment. This makes our path unique. It is gratifying, a great occasion, an occasion that demonstrates service of its own kind to humanity for a period of over five decades, and it goes on. Swarn Bharati, the golden jubilee celebrations of sannyas. And sannyas has a meaning which many thinkers in the world have travelled to this country to find out the essence. This sannyas is the meaning of the word sannyas. Longevity of that is our above. It is immortal, but in terms of time and space, five decades. And therefore, silver jubilee celebrations of sannyas, of Jagatguru Shankracharya, Sri Sri Bharatiteertha Mahaswamiji is being organized by Sri Sringeri Shardapeetham and Shri Swedant Bharti. What an exemplary convergence for such a worthy occasion that will give guidance to the entire world. We all are indeed indebted and blessed that this sublime celebration has benevolent guidance of Sri Sri Shankar Bharti Swamiji, Peethadheeswar of Yadathore, Sri Yoganandeshwar Math. We are honoured, privileged. What a spiritually rewarding and fulfilling environment that is. Blessed are those and thousands are here who can be on this occasion mantra cosmopolis- A rare spectacle, spectacular, touches mind, heart and soul. All are in unison. Those minutes I spent have surcharged me, energized me, motivated me, inspired me to be in service of Bharat in any capacity forever, to serve the society with guidance and enlightenment emanating from the holy chair. What I found, Dhvani of Mantas created calmness, the composer, rhythm, unison, people will believe it only when they witness it. And this befittingly in sync with the occasion, the chanting was in sync with the occasion, the occasion is golden jubilee of initiation into sannyas, of Peethadhipati of Shri Sharda Pitam Sringeri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Shri Bharatiteerth Swamiji. The scene here, and it will be disseminated widely in public domain, the scene here has to be understood. the depth of it, the essence of it, the nectar of it, because the scene here reflects sublimity, spirituality, religiousity, a rewarding experience of what is the meaning of human existence. Are we here only to eke out a livelihood or live a life? Such kind of occasions give us a meaning much beyond what we normally think. They justify our existence on the planet. Invocation of countless mantras of Shastras with heavenly experience and divinity. Taitreya Samhita of Krishan, Yajurveda calls the practice of parayan as the ritual that connects the mortal realm ourselves with the divine. This moment, enchantment of mantras transports us in the blissful presence of divinity. We express something which is indescribable but lives with us forever, becomes part of our personality. Vedic chanting represents one of humanity's most ancient and unbroken oral traditions. Vedic chanting is a bridge, a living bridge to our ancestors' profound spiritual wisdom. What I have seen, the precise rhythms, intonations and vibrations of these sacred mantras are known to create and have created at the moment a powerful resonance that brings peace to the mind and harmony to the environment. When we gather to experience this chanting today, the one we have witnessed a while ago, we connect ourselves to the eternal chain of human experience that has been preserved with remarkable fidelity for millennia. Look at what we have seen. The systematic compositions of Vedic verses, the intricate rules of their recitation, this demonstrates the scientific sophistication of our ancient scholars. This has been accomplished without pen or without pen drive. Harmonious articulation of syllables has been transmitted through generations and what an absorbing capacity we have. I had the good fortune to sit here. For a moment imagine the genius of that ancient Indian mind that composed these verses. Imagine what depth of intellect must have been there when these verses were composed. It was real intelligence, much beyond artificial intelligence. The mind was blossomed. That is our heritage, and this parayan is demonstration of the utmost confidence that we shall pass this time-honored tradition in future generations with pride. Distinguished audience, the Ashok Chakra which you see quite often in our flag, it symbolizes the importance of dharma, the importance we have given to dharma throughout civilizational period. Bharat has one of the world's largest collections of intelligible, intangible-both cultural heritage, including traditional arts, music and customs, and all of them reflect our culture, our spirituality. Indian culture's unique characteristic is unity in diversity, formed through the synthesis of various cultures over the time. Our core values and the world is coming to recognize them more during this time period. They are humility, nonviolence, respect for elders and teachers. And that is why, just think for a moment. It is the birthplace of major religions like Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. Dharma is considered the most fundamental concept of Indian culture. It's a barometer that guides us, guiding all aspects of life. Dharma represents both the path, the passage, as also the destination and the goal, applying to all spheres of existence, including divine beings, and serves as a practical rather than utopian ideal for righteous living. Dharma doesn't tell you to live something which is not implementable, not achievable, not available. Dharma is, if you define in that terms, a utopian concept accomplished. There is a contradiction, but Dharma solves that contradiction. Distinguished audience. From times immemorial, India has been regarded as a spiritual center of the world. We continue to be one. The earliest quiz to find the meaning and purpose of life was a subject matter of deep contemplation by ancient Rishis and Sages of India. Truth contained in Shruti is perhaps the greatest among them is Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, the foremost exponent of Advait school of Vedanta. If there is one philosophy, friends, that is best suited to explain and expound unity, it is Adi Shankaracharya philosophy. This philosophy exhorts us to look at the entire humanity, the entire world, the entire cosmos as divine. The obvious issue arises. If the Divine resides everywhere, if the Divine is only present, If the divine is in everyone, how can you discriminate and divide? And that is why I said and I reiterate, we define inclusivity. We define absorption. We define acceptability. Our civilization doesn't teach us to be in a retrievable confrontational stance. We are tolerant in thought, action and deeds. Hence, we see Indian sacred texts, lest with all types of knowledge, intertwined with each other. Go to our texts. What I've said will find. I'll make one reference to Bhagavad Gita. Sankhya Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. Sankhya Yoga and Bhakti Yoga co-exist with Karma Yoga. This is the philosophy of life. Teachings of Gita, remarkable and ever to be remembered. Look at one of the finest treatises on law and governance. When it comes to law and governance, we remember one, Chanakya. We remember Chanakyaneeti, And what he said? “सुखस्य मूलं धर्मं, धर्मस्य मूलं अर्थं” And this, my friends, is most quoted. We need to learn our lessons of life. If we understand the meaning of it, it will change the course of our life. We will cease to be reckless. We will be empathic in our behavior. And this says, premise of happiness, foundation of happiness is righteousness. It is not a simulation of wealth. It is not invocation of power or authority. Happiness lies in righteousness. If you are right to yourself, you are right to others, you believe in righteousness to all human and living beings, you will be in the blessed state of happiness. And dharma is nothing but wealth, the ultimate wealth, a wealth you don't have to keep in digital account or in a safe. No one can steal it. It is your integral part. It is inalienable facet of your life. Belief in dharma means you are existing beyond contemplation, the highest form of human life. These are the teachings of our great sages. We have the benefit of one of them amongst us. Lucky to be here. Our seers have exhorted us to be guided by dharmic values in all our actions. Where can you see a congregation of this nature? What is the uniting fabric of it? Dharma, belief in Dharma. Our commitment is this. Each one you hear, as I said earlier is epicenter, nerve center of ambassador, custodian and propagandist of our Dharma. When we use Daridra Narayan, our civilization is the only one in the entire world that uses Daridra Narayan. What does it say? In the poor, in the marginalized, in the vulnerable, in the challenged, that Daridra we see Narayan, we see God in such a man, it calls upon us when you see a Daridra Narayan, the handicapped, the challenged, the deaf, the dumb, the marginalized, the vulnerable, the weaker segments. We must devote our lives to be in their service. Friends, we need to remind ourselves that what a cultural and spiritual power Bharat was. When we peep into our stream, we are stunned and amazed, and global leadership is finding it increasingly interesting that they resisted hard with that value system. Soothing aspect is that we are on our way to regaining it. We need to fast track it. यह बहुत बड़ा हवन है, इस हवन में हर किसी की आहुति की आवश्यकता है हमें बहुत बड़े ज्ञानवान पुरुष मिले हुए हैं, पूर्ण आहुति बहुत शीघ्र होनी चाहिए ताकि भारत जो एक समय स्वर्णिम था। The golden period of culture. We regain that back. By returning to the timeless teachings housed in the spiritual treasures and treasure troves of Bharat, we can create a society where the wealth, pursuit of wealth harmonizes with human welfare. There is nothing wrong in being in pursuit of wealth, but pursuit of wealth should not be reckless, self-centered only for consumption, only for shows. If you harmonize your creation of wealth with human welfare, the society will accolade you. Your conscience will be pure. You will get happiness. When it comes to business ethics, align your business ethics with the spiritual principles, keeping in mind that dharma is wedded to fairness to all, equitable behavior to all, equality for all. Inequities have no place in a society governed by dharma. Our Bharat, as I said, friends, is home to one sixth of humanity. We are outstandingly unique amongst the comity of nations for our cultural wealth and civilizational ethos. And this is not for a century or two. For 5,000 years, the wealth, the seamless wisdom, and knowledge have been nurtured and safeguarded, and well safeguarded by our sages and gurus all throughout. Look at history of the last century itself, for a century before. All kinds of efforts were made to run down our culture, taint and tarnish our culture, destroy our cultural fabric. This was by bigoted minds. The nation has survived because our culture is indestructible. It can't be destroyed or decimated,and friends, amongst this luminous class is Adi Shankaracharya, who devotedly worked to liberate society from its suffering. We owe to him, we owe a great debt to Adi Shankaracharya ji for revival of timeless tradition of India's spirituality and philosophy, legendary and easily comprehensible teachings of Adi Shankaracharya and his reflections on our scriptures catalyzed unifying spirit across Bharat. The burden of his timeless legacy, timeless legacy of Adi Shankaracharya ji, is now being but nurtured and blossomed in our times by Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji. We are fortunate friends with rare command over several languages and scholarship Sri Sri Bharatiteertha Mahaswamit is influencing society in right direction of righteousness. This massive participation, this emotive participation, this involved participation, this heartily participation is a testament to his pivotal, historic, phenomenal, exponential contribution to our society. Friends, undoubtedly these celebrations will be inspirational for treading path of spirituality and further the ascents of teachings of Adi Shankaracharya ji. I must remind you, there are challenges. Challenges we cannot ignore or overlook. We have to countenance them. Preservation of our cultural identity is our uppermost priority. Challenges are emanating from quarters on premises that are deeply to be looked into. For guidance and enlightenment, we look up to our sages and saints and glorified ones adorn the dais today. It has been rightly said if you want to destroy a country, you don't need armies. You don't have to destroy its buildings or infrastructure. You will succeed if you destroy its culture. And therefore, always be on guard to preserve our culture. I would once again like to thank organizers for giving me this unique opportunity, an opportunity I never thought I will have. I'm ever indebted for this to be at this blissful event at a momentous occasion in the company of our revered sages. Let us contemplate this timeless truth, a truth we have lived with and we are bound to live with it forever-Satyam Shivam Sundaram. May our practice of Namah Shivaya illuminate our path from darkness to light, from ignorance to wisdom, from mortality to immortality. Om Namah Shivaya Om Namah Shivaya Om Namah Shivaya **** JK/RC/SM