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Shree Narayan Guru:The Architect of Kerala Renaissance

  • Writer: Aneeshaa Chavan
    Aneeshaa Chavan
  • Jun 16, 2024
  • 7 min read


ABOUT:

Born on 20 August 1856 to Madan Asan and Kuttiyama in an Ezhava family in Chempazhanthy near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Shree Narayan Guru is a saint, philosopher, spiritual leader, and social reformer. During those times, Kerala was bound by oppression and discrimination because of caste. Shree Narayan Guru faced it too. This ignited a flame that changed the status quo in Kerala and empowered the lives of people. His efforts and initiatives brought immense changes. Soon, he came to be known as the ‘Father of Kerala Renaissance’.

 

Links:

  1. Shree Narayan Mission, Singapore - https://sreenarayanamission.org/about-us/about-sree-narayana-guru/

  2. Shree Narayan Mandir Samiti - https://snms.co.in/guru.php 

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EARLY LIFE:

From childhood, he had spiritual tendencies like no other. He was gifted with supernatural qualities to remove the sufferings of the poor and ignorant.

Madan Asan, his father, was a farmer as well as a teacher, with proficiency in Sanskrit, Astrology and Ayurveda, and his son, the little “Nanu” grew up listening to his narrations of the stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharatha to the local residents of the village. Nanu’s uncle Krishnan Vaidyan, a reputed Ayurvedic physician and a Sanskrit scholar, taught him the basics of Tamil and Sanskrit languages. He became a disciple of Kummampilli Raman Pillai, Asan of Karunagappally and learnt Sanskrit, poetry, Vedas, Upanishads, etc to eventually become a teacher at a nearby school.

Under the pressure of his family, he got married but his search for the ultimate truth made him a Parivrajaka. He stayed briefly with Perunnalli Krishnan Vaidyar, a renowned scholar and physician of Travancore, and studied some rare medicinal books written by him. He even met with ChattampiSwamikal who introduced him to ThycattuAyyaavu, a hathyogi who taught him yogasanas in 1884.

He did an intense penance in a cave at Marutvan Hills sustaining himself on berries and tubers and drinking from mountain brooks. Narayana Guru emerged as an enlightened Guru from Maruthvan with a peak of spiritual upliftment and cosmic consciousness.  After becoming a complete yogi, he decided and passionately dedicated his life to reforming society and eradicating the shackles of castism. 

 

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THE RENAISSANCE:

  1. Religious Renaissance

In Kerala, during those times, the lower caste were mistreated and discriminated against. He disregarded this oppression of the communities and coined the phrase ‘One Caste, One Religion, One God.’ He taught people the importance of the ‘Oneness of mankind’. 

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“Ask not, say not and think not caste” was his motto. He revolutionised the existing social, religious and philosophical systems. As a first step, he consecrated ‘Siva’ idol at Aruvippuram on a Sivaratri in 1888 in Kerala. The historic consecration and building of a temple threw open the right of worship of Hindu gods and the downtrodden. It has a tremendous impact on people unleashing a mass movement for social reforms. At the temple entrance, he displayed a message:

“Without difference in caste

Or rancour of religion

This is a model place

Where all live in brotherhood.”

 

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This temple consecration sparked a revolution. He then established 40 temples to provide the oppressed communities with an opportunity to practice their faith. He built the Sarada Mutt here in 1912. He also built temples in other places such as Thrissur, Kannur, Anchuthengu, Thalassery, Kozhikode, and Mangalore and it took him to many places including Sri Lanka which was his last big journey.

 

Links:

  1. Shree Narayan Mission, Singapore - https://sreenarayanamission.org/about-us/about-sree-narayana-guru/ 

  2. Shree Narayan Mandir Samiti - https://snms.co.in/guru.php 

 

In the temple in Kalavancode, he installed mirrors to make people realise that God is within oneself and one should find salvation through the development of the inner self. In another temple at Murikkumpuzha near Trivandrum, in place of the deity, there was a bright light that revealed the words, Truth, Duty, Kindness, Love. The eternal message of “One Caste, One Religion, One God for Mankind” was delivered at an All Kerala Fraternity Conference in 1921.

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In 1925 Guru supported the famous Vaikom Satyagraha movement, which demanded entry for people of oppressed community into the Shiva temple at Vaikom and all temples in Kerala.

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2. Educational Renaissance

Lack of education and decent livelihood was also one of the major challenge for these communities. Even attending school was considered a right of the elite. On understanding this situation, Shree Narayan Guru created a plan to provide education for all at the temple premises. He mobilised teachers and education was made available for all. Children from all backgrounds were trained to be priests at Sivagiri. Two ashrams at Sivagiri and Aluva gave immense importance to education and attached educational institutes to ashrams too. 

An Organization by the name "Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam" was also created by his devotee by keeping SHree Narayan Guru as the first President to carry forward his vision. Under SNDP Yogam, many schools and institutions of higher education were started and people were oppressed caste joined.

 

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3. Improved Standard of Living Renaissance

He believed that generating employment and entrepreneurship through temples would improve the livelihood ot the people. Post his Sri Lanka trip, he emphasised on moder modes of progress like education for all, village industries, indigenous craftsmanship-trade, and handicrafts etc. So he promoted cottage industries like weaving and handicrafts for the same. This marked an important step in the upliftment and empowerment of the oppressed class. SNDP Yogam also carried this vision forward. 

He established the Sivagiri Foundation in 1924 to promotes virtues of cleanliness, education, devotion, agriculture, handicrafts, and trade. He even encouraged industries as a means for economic independence because he believed that people could transform themselves into self-confident, self-respecting, fearless, and morally and financially strong communities with the right skills, hard work, knowledge, education, and a clean-living environment.

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4. Religious conversions

He preached equality but not at the cost of conversion and division in society. In 1923, at the All-Region Conference at Alwaye Advaita Ashram, the slogan “Not to argue and win but to know and to make known” was reported. It was to counter the religious conversions of the Ezhava community. He composed a universal prayer of 10 verses called “Daiva Daksham” which had the complete essence of the Upanishads. He consecrated 38 temples of deities like Lord Sgiva, Devi Sharada, Subramanya idols, etc across South India, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states.

According to Robin Jeffrey's "The Decline of Nair Dominance," after Shree Narayana Guru’s movement, the number of Ezhavas converting to Christianity decreased significantly. The London Missionary Society station in Attingal did not receive any Ezhava converts in the early 1900s, even though many of its members had converted 20 years prior. The missionary believed this was due to the Eluvar caste's efforts to gain social and political recognition through establishing their own associations and promoting education amongst themselves.

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5. Eight-fold path to living a good life.

He advocated Sanatan Dharma-based social engineering to Kerala society. For the comprehensive growth of society, he advocated eightfold path which progressed Kerala from a “Lunatic Asylum” back to “God’s own country”. These paths were of Education, Cleanliness, Bhakti (Piety), Organisation (Sanghatan), Agriculture, Trade, Handicrafts and Science & Technology with its training.

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TEACHINGS/SAYINGS/PHRASES:

  • One Caste, One religion, One God for man

  • Whatever the religion, it is enough if a man becomes good

  • Ask not, think not, and say not caste

  • Gain freedom through education

  • Gain strength through organization

  • Gain prosperity through industry

  • Acts that one performs for one’s own sake should also aim at the good of other men

  • Liquor is poison: make it not, sell it not and drink it not

  • Of one in kind, one in faith, one in god is man, of the same womb, one same form, difference none there is at all

 

 

HIS INFLUENCE AND IMPACT:

During this, Guru’s disciple K. Ayyapan started Sahodhara (brotherhood) movement in Cherai to eradicate the caste system by promoting inter-caste marriage and inter-dining.

In 1928, he founded Dharma Sangha, a group of sannyasins, who were also his true disciples, to propagate his teachings. 

In 1928, Shree Narayan Guru also gave blessings to observe a 10-day self-purification pilgrimage called Sivagiri Pilgrimage. It was based on the five principles of the five purities of Buddha - body, food, mind, word and deed; also called Pancha Dharma. Pilgrims could also wear the colour yellow which was the colour of Gautam Buddha’s garments. The objectives of the pilgrimage were - Education, Cleanliness, Devotion to God, Organisation, Agriculture, Trade, Handicrafts and Technical training.

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In 1922, the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore met Shree Narayan Guru and latter said, “I have been touring different parts of the world. But I have never come across one who is spiritually greater than Sree Narayana Guru”. WHile bidding goodbye he said, “ My heart changed after seeing you.”

In 1925, Mahatma Gandhi supported the Vikam Satyagraha and expressed the privilege he had to have a darshan of such an esteemed sage. 

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BOOKS:

Shree Narayana Guru had written over 62 books in Sanskrit, Malayalam and Tamil put together. Most popular among them are "Atmopadeshashadhakam" (one hundred verses of self-instruction) written in Malayalam and "Darshanamala" written in Sanskrit.

 

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