BENGALURU: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in Bengaluru, said that when Hindu dharma was in danger, it was Adi Shankaracharya who gave it a big push and revamped it. Many of his teachings are relevant even today, said the Home Minister, who stayed away from any political talk on the dias. Shah attended a mass chanting of Vivekadeepini by schoolchildren, written by Shankaracharya, on Saturday.
Speaking at the occasion, Shah, who has been seen spreading awareness on the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and other issues, was seen calm and composed as he spoke about Shankaracharya’s work. “In one lifetime, Shankaracharya did so much. He died early, but travelled across the country seven times by foot. He established Sharada Peeta at four different places to spread awareness one Hindu dharma. During that time, Hindu dharma was in danger, but because of one person, it stayed strong,’’ he said.
Shah told children that whoever learns Vivekadeepini will not follow “a bad path, that is the beauty of our culture.” Through Kendra Sahitya Academi, the Union government is translating Vivekadeepini into 24 languages to reach more people, he said. “After many years, we are in a proud state to tell the entire world look at us, we have so much to give you,’’ he said. He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for flying our cultural flag across the globe.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, speaking at the occasion, said that the BJP government has already given a nod to schools to teach Vivekadeepini, and that many schools have already started teaching it from June 2019 onwards.