The story of a philosopher, poet, and reformer whose sparkling aura remained confined to a region for so long has been spotlighted by a world-renowned author who understands the sage as well as the contours of the faith he sought to reinvent. This is what I feel about Shashi Tharoor’s book on Sree Narayana Guru.
I am certain that Tharoor’s work will greatly help in understanding a Mahaguru who is not well-known outside Kerala as he deserves to be. I hope it also encourages new studies on him. This is particularly important, as the Guru’s persona is still known only in parts — more as a social reformer than as a poet of transcendental merit or as a spiritual giant who thought beyond the frontiers of religion.
The book reflects Tharoor’s realisation that the restriction of the Guru’s legacy to sections of society was partly due to the sage’s association with just one community, when, in fact, he operated at a height of thought that surpassed divisions of any kind.
Tharoor draws upon his strength of producing passionately researched works of literature to offer a peek into the Guru’s mind and highlight his hallmark idea of “One caste, one religion, one God for humankind.”
Tharoor also explores the Guru’s understanding of the essence of Hinduism. The Guru is thus presented as a teacher for all times, in Tharoor’s affable style marked by literary finesse.
Considering the treatment of the subject and the reach Tharoor enjoys, I hope Sree Narayana Guru gains a wider world of recognition that he so richly deserves.
