The Hindu : Karnataka News : An embodiment of simplicity and spirituality

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Tuesday, Feb 03, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka

An embodiment of simplicity and spirituality

It is more than one hundred years ago that the Sri Siddaganga Math started both “Annadana” (serving food free of costs) and “Vidyadana” (providing modern and ancient [including Sanskrit studies] education). These were taken up in addition to the math’s religious activity, which can be described as “Dharmadana” (promotion of moral conduct among the people). Its present pontiff, Shivakumara Swamiji, has been carrying on the tenets of these three salient traditional legacies very well. He is known as “Tri-vidh Dasohi” precisely for this reason.

Siddaganga Math is a holy shrine for many. People throng the math to have spiritual solace too.

The math commands a very big following among all sections of people in Karnataka and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

History records that the math is more than eight hundred years old.

Gosala Siddeswara, who was the fifteenth head of the “Shoonya Simhasana Peetha.” (a spiritual chair named after the philosophy of the 12th Century social reformer, Basavanna), at Haradanahalli (in the present Chamaraja Nagar District) was believed to have worried over the growing number of saints at the Peetha.

He wanted to disperse them in such a way that each one of them can concentrate on his own penance.

It is said Siddeswara himself stirred out of that place along with nearly 100 saint-disciples in search of a serene place for them to pursue their spiritual activity.

After many days of intense look out, he chose the Ketesamudra Hills (now called Kyatsandra) as their new abode. It was in the early part of the 14th Century.

It is on this hill that the Siddaganga Math was first established. It has expanded into a big educational complex at the foothills on a campus of over 50 hectares. Over a lakh students are pursuing their studies in 134 different institutions of the math.

Three thousand teachers are engaged in imparting excellent modern education. The country’s biggest Sanskrit College, run by the math, is located here and Sanskrit education is imparted up to post-graduate level in Vyakarana (Grammar), Tarka (Logic), and Alankara (Poetics). Vedic and Prakrit schools are run on a special pattern.

Sri Shivakumara Swamiji, himself a scholar in Sanskrit, Kannada and English, has superbly combined the traditional methods of education with modern trends. Contemporary subjects of technology, pharmacy, medicine, have been introduced. Recently, he devoted his attention towards training rural youths in skilled works and started industrial training institutes and polytechnics.

Karnataka University conferred on him a doctoral degree in 1965. Last year, Tumkur University conferred another doctoral degree on him. Government of Karnataka decorated him with Karnataka Ratna – the state’s highest civilian award in 2007.

As early as in 1902, when the math founded its free boarding home and Sanskrit College, the math threw open all its facilities to the children from all castes, creeds and communities. Muslims and Christian children have learnt Sanskrit in the math. Children from fifty-four castes are among the 8,000 inmates in its orphanage.

In those days, it may be noted, even the Governments were encouraging establishment of caste-based students hostels and were allotting funds and lands to different castes for founding their own hostels.

The math virtually paved the way for the robust growth of secular credentials in the country.

Sri Shivakumara Swamiji is highly secular. His catholic attitude has endeared him to the people of all sections. His words are honoured. He wakes up at 2.45 am daily and finishes his personal work and as well of those of the math and its institutions in the forenoon, so that he could be available for the public freely for the rest of the day.

People invite him to be present at all sorts of functions, big or small. He travels far and wide, meets people and exchanges ideas. He is credited with having influenced quite many people to follow the example of his service activity.

Staunch follower of Basavanna, the swamiji believes that a man must eat only after putting in physical work and earning his meal.

He is shy of publicity. He achieves silently. He is an embodiment of simplicity, although he has created a big world of institutions, thriving on wonderfully well. His food and clothing and shelter, all together, will not cost more than a thousand rupees a month. He is so simple.

He works more than nineteen hours a day. At the age of 101, the swamiji is found quite strong and astonishingly dynamic. He evokes respect from one and all.

The math holds annual Jatra and Cattle Fair at the time of the Mahashivaratri. The swamiji made it more meaningful by starting annual “Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition” for the benefit of the farmers who would gather to sell or buy their cattle.

He publishes a monthly magazine SIDDAGANGA, which is devoted for spiritual, moral and educational articles. Old boys of the math, numbering several millions, have formed an association, and are assisting all his efforts towards increasing efficiency of his services, improving their quality and enhancing their reach.

Sri Swamiji raised his voice against exploitation of farmers in villages by moneylenders. He persuaded the Government to free the farmers from the clutches of these moneylenders. The last three Governments in the state responded to his plea and curbed the local money-lending system. He also appealed to the Government to ban arrack and the latter obliged him. He has been pondering over ways to improve the economic status of the people in villages.

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