‘The meaning of sannyas is to work for the society by rising above oneself, and to live for the sake of society. The expansion of the self up to the community. For a sanyasi, service towards living beings is the lord’s service, seeing Shiva in the living being is paramount,’ said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He addressed the birth centenary celebration of Swami Atmasthananda via video message on Sunday. He paid his tributes to Swami Atmasthananda Ji by reminiscing the time he spent with Swami Ji. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that ‘this event is filled with many feelings and memories. I have always been blessed by him, there was an opportunity to be with him. It is my good fortune that I kept in touch with him till the last moment.’
He Minister remarked that Swami Vivekanand Ji moulded the great tradition of sanyasth into a modern form. Swami Atmasthananand Ji also retired to this form and lived and implemented it in life. Modi also highlighted the tremendous relief and rescue operations that were carried out not just in India but also in Nepal and Bangladesh under his directive by Belur Matt and Ramakrishna Mission.
He mentioned the relentless work that Swami Ji did for the welfare of the people in rural areas and also remarked on the institutions created by Swami Ji for helping the poor in employment and livelihood. Modi stated that Swami Ji considered the service of the poor, the spread of knowledge and its work, as worship.
Modi highlighted that the ideals of Ramakrishna Mission are to work in mission mode, to create new institutions, and to strengthen the institutions. The Prime Minister remarked that wherever there are such saints, the centers of service to humanity come up on its own, Swami ji proved this by his sanyasa life.
Modi said that be it Adi Shankaracharya from hundreds of years ago or Swami Vivekananda in modern times, the saint tradition of India has always been proclaiming ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’. The establishment of Ramakrishna Mission is also associated with the idea of ’Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’.
