Bhagwan Birsa Munda

Humble tributes to the legendary freedom fighter and fearless tribal leader,  

How BirsaMunda became "Bhagwan Birsa Munda" by the age of 25?

Missionaries forcefully converted BirsaMunda to Christianity & named him "Birsa David" when he was a child. They gave him admission in a missionary school for doing this.As he grew up, he realised that missionaries are frauds & are looting the natives. Soon, he got disenchanted with X'tianity & left it.

To counter these missionaries & rampant conversion of tribals, he started mocking Christians & their practices. HE STARTED CALLING HIMSELF MESSENGER OF GOD OR THE PROPHET.

Birsa also started learning about Hindu religious teachings & started studying the old scriptures along with the Ramayana and Mahabharata. He wore the sacred thread, worshipped the tulsi plant and gave up meat. On top of that, he started doing Ghar Vaapsi of the converted tribals.

Soon, he became famous. Other tribals started seeing him as a preacher, healer & a miracle man. People started calling him "Dharti Abba" & he became their leader or Bhagwan. 

People stopped converting to Christianity after listening to him. 

He also launched series of revolts against Britishers to take back their land.

All this irked the missionaries & Britishers. 

Birsa was caught by Britishers on 3 Feb 1900. They wanted to hang him but that would have antagonised the tirbals further.

So, they poisoned him to death on 9 June 1900 & claimed he died coz of Cholera & they had nothing to do with his death.

Alasinga Perumal

 The very salt of Swami Vivekananda's Legacy !

 There are few personalities who chose to live a life dedicated to Guru. For some Guru is window for self realisation and for some he becomes the very destiny. Alsinga Perumal is one such soul who chose Swamiji to be his very destiny.

Born in an orthodox Vaishnavite family at Chikkamagalur of Mysore, he took his education in Madras. After obtaining a B.A. degree in science at Madras Christian College ( MCC), he started his career as a school teacher and then as a Head Master at Pachaiyappa School at Madras. Being an ardent follower of sanatana dharma, he and his friends decided to start an organisation for the propogation of Hindu ideals and values. After they set to work in the society, to their utter disappointment they realised either people are too orthodox willing to lead an isolated life. All they wanted was a wrestling match with other sects forgetting the macro picture about what Hinduism stands for.

It was at this moment they got to know that there is going to be a World Parliament of Religions in Chicago.

He and his group of other friends were on a frantic search to find someone who is suitable to represent Hinduism at the World Parliament of Religions. It was that time , they came in contact with Swamiji.

He and his friends worked to collect money for Vivekananda' journey. In August 1893, Vivekananda informed Alasinga from America about the financial troubles he was facing at that time. After receiving this information, Alasinga borrowed ₹ 1000 from a merchant, and even sold his wife's gold ornament to collect money for Vivekananda.

In 1896, under the inspiration of Swamiji, Alasinga started publishing a religious journal Brahmavadin. The journal published until 1914 and then inspired Vedanta Kesari. Alasinga died on 11 May 1909 when he was just forty-four years old.

Swami Nikhilananda

Once a devotee approached Swami Nikhilananda ( a direct disciple of Swami Vivekananda) and said this,

 " Swami ! Tomorrow I have an open heart surgery. Please bless me."

Swami : You will be saved! Don't worry.

Devotee: Then you mean that I won't die. Am I right ?

Swami : No I meant that You will be saved even if you die !

Shree Ashtavakra

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When Rishi Ashtavakra was twelve years old, King Janaka had hosted a huge spiritual debating conference, invited the pundits of the whole country. He had one thousand cows placed at the palace gate and had the horns of the cows plated with gold and decorated with jewels. He proclaimed, ”Whoever is victorious, shall take possession of these cows.”

It was a great debate. Ashtavakra’s father also participated. As dusk was falling, the message came to Ashtavakra that his father was losing. He had already defeated all the others, but was about to be defeated by a pundit named Vandin. Receiving this message Ashtavakra went to the palace. The hall was decorated. The debate was in its final stage and the decisive moment was fast approaching. His father’s defeat was a complete forgone conclusion – he was on the very edge of defeat.

The pundits saw the young Ashtavakra as he entered the royal court. They were all learned scholars. His body was bent and deformed in eight places: he had just to move and anyone would start laughing. His very movement was a laughing matter. The whole palace broke into laughter. 

Now...  Rishi Ashtavakra also roared aloud with even more laughter. ..and King  Janaka finally asked, ”Everyone else is laughing. I can understand why they laugh, but why did you laugh, my son?”

Ashtavakra said, ”I am laughing because the highest truth is being decided in this conference of lowly butchers” – the man must have been extraordinary - 

”What are all these skinners doing here?”

A deep silence fell over the meeting. Butchers? Skinners? The king asked, ”What do you mean?”

Ashtavakra said, ”It is simple and straightforward: They only see skin, they don’t see me. It is difficult to find a man more pure and simple than me, but they don’t see this; they see a bent and deformed body. They are skinners, they judge by the skin.

Your Majesty, 

in the Curve of a Temple is the Sky Curved ?! 

When a pot is smashed, is the sky within it smashed? The sky is beyond change. My body is twisted, but I am not. Look at the one Within. 

You can’t find anything more straight and pure.”

It was a very startling declaration !!

There must have been pin-drop silence. Janaka was highly impressed, astounded: ”Absolutely right, why had he gathered a crowd of skinners there?”

He became repentant, he felt guilty that he too had laughed. That day the king couldn’t manage to say anything, but the following day when he was out on his morning ride he saw Ashtavakra on the way. 

Janaka dismounted from his horse and fell at his feet. The day before, in front of everyone, he couldn’t find the courage.

The day before he had said, ”Why do you laugh, my son?” Ashtavakra was a boy of twelve years, and Janaka had considered his age. This day he didn’t notice the age. This day he got down from his horse and fell at Ashtavakra’s feet in humble prostration.

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