Periyava Charanam …Amazing and Mind boggling…Only divine incarnations are capable of doing such illustrious services…Hara Hara Sankara Jaya Jaya Sankara
The detailed list of the services of Sri Periyava is helpful. However, it lacks focus. Most of what he did was what was expected of the head of an orthodox Mutt: renovating temples, gifting cows, conducting Vedic /religious conferences, etc.
But where Sri Periyava distinguished himself is in respect of direct social service:
– direct outreach and work among the depressed classes
– health services through Hindu hospital missions
-educational services
-services like old age homes, warranted by the current state of Hindu society.;
– relief services at the time of natural distress,; etc
The nature of Indian , and especially Hindu, society today is much different – in fact radically different-from what it was even 50 years ago. Many strings of continuity are snapping. With the rise of political consciousness, social cohesion even at the village level has collapsed. With the collapse of the joint family system, native systems of social security have largely disappeared. Sri Periyava understood these things and responded accordingly.
In the last 200-250 years, foreign religions have been able to establish themselves riding on the twin horses of education and social, especially medical, services. In this, they were able to attract talented and committed individuals, with real missionary zeal. Though mass conversion takes place on the basis of enticements and inducements, their service facade has had real impact. It is here that Sri Periyava’s initiative in respect of direct social service filled a vital gap in the mind-set of the traditional Hindu and Hindu organizations. Among the leaders of the orthodox fold, it is only Sri Periyava who rose to the occasion and reached out to people directly.
It is necessary for us to record the full details, nature, magnitude and real significance of these measures. We have to do so in a realistic spirit, avoiding all hagiographic hyperbole.
Merely on the basis of facts, Sri Periyava will emerge as a giant of our times.
Periyava Charanam …Amazing and Mind boggling…Only divine incarnations are capable of doing such illustrious services…Hara Hara Sankara Jaya Jaya Sankara
The detailed list of the services of Sri Periyava is helpful. However, it lacks focus. Most of what he did was what was expected of the head of an orthodox Mutt: renovating temples, gifting cows, conducting Vedic /religious conferences, etc.
But where Sri Periyava distinguished himself is in respect of direct social service:
– direct outreach and work among the depressed classes
– health services through Hindu hospital missions
-educational services
-services like old age homes, warranted by the current state of Hindu society.;
– relief services at the time of natural distress,; etc
The nature of Indian , and especially Hindu, society today is much different – in fact radically different-from what it was even 50 years ago. Many strings of continuity are snapping. With the rise of political consciousness, social cohesion even at the village level has collapsed. With the collapse of the joint family system, native systems of social security have largely disappeared. Sri Periyava understood these things and responded accordingly.
In the last 200-250 years, foreign religions have been able to establish themselves riding on the twin horses of education and social, especially medical, services. In this, they were able to attract talented and committed individuals, with real missionary zeal. Though mass conversion takes place on the basis of enticements and inducements, their service facade has had real impact. It is here that Sri Periyava’s initiative in respect of direct social service filled a vital gap in the mind-set of the traditional Hindu and Hindu organizations. Among the leaders of the orthodox fold, it is only Sri Periyava who rose to the occasion and reached out to people directly.
It is necessary for us to record the full details, nature, magnitude and real significance of these measures. We have to do so in a realistic spirit, avoiding all hagiographic hyperbole.
Merely on the basis of facts, Sri Periyava will emerge as a giant of our times.
we are all thankless people not understanding the sacrifice and the service our pudupeeriyava has done