Bhubaneswar: India is a country where the Gods also embark on journeys along with devotees. In a few days, the world will witness the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath who is the lord of the world, but the poor and downtrodden have a special participation in his journey. God also walks along with every section and person of the society, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.
Our Upanishads mention about a life mantra- ‘Charaiveti-Charaiveti-Charaiveti’. It means – keep going, keep going. This mantra is so popular in our country because it is part of our nature to keep moving, to be dynamic, he said.
While addressing the nation on radio programme Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, Modi said, “As a nation, we have come this far through a journey of development spanning thousands of years. As a society, we have always moved ahead by accepting new ideas, new changes. Our cultural mobility and travels have contributed a lot in this. That is why our sages and saints had entrusted us with spiritual responsibilities like pilgrimage.”
Below are the excerpts of the PM’s speech:
All of us go on varied pilgrimages. You must have seen that this time a large number of devotees participated in the Chardham Yatra. In our country, from time to time, different Dev-yatras also take place. Dev Yatras… that is, in which not only the devotees but also our Gods go on a journey. In just a few days from now on the 1st of July, the famous journey of Lord Jagannath is going to commence.
All of us are familiar with the Puri yatra in Odisha. People make efforts to ensure that on this occasion they get the good fortune of going to Puri. In other states too, Jagannath Yatras are taken out with great gaiety and fervour. Bhagwan Jagannath Yatra begins on Dwitiya, the second day of the month of Ashadha.
In our texts ‘Ashadhasya Dwitiya divase… Rath Yatra’, this is how the description is found in Sanskrit shlokas. In Ahmedabad, Gujrat too, every year Rath Yatra begins from Ashadh Dwitiya. I was in Gujarat, so I also used to get the privilege of serving in this Yatra every year.
Ashadha Dwitiya, also known as Ashadhi Bij, marks the beginning of the new year of Kutch on this day. I also wish Happy New Year to all my Kutchi brothers and sisters. For me this day is also very special – I remember, a day before Ashadha Dwitiya, that is, on the first Tithi of Ashadha, we started a Sanskrit festival in Gujarat, which comprises songs, music and cultural programs in Sanskrit language.
The name of this event is – ‘Ashadhasya Pratham Diwase’. There is also a reason behind giving this special name to the festival. Actually, the great Sanskrit poet Kalidas wrote the Meghdootam on the arrival of rain from the month of Ashadh. There is a verse in Meghdootam – Ashadhasya Pratham Diwase, Megham Ashlishta Sanum, that is, mountain peaks covered with clouds on the first day of Ashadha, this verse became the basis of this event.
Be it Ahmedabad or Puri, Lord Jagannath also gives us many deep human messages through this journey.
Similarly, in all the journeys that take place in our country, there is no such distinction between poor and rich, high and low. Rising above all discrimination, the journey itself is paramount. As you must have heard about the Yatra of Pandharpur in Maharashtra…. In the Pandharpur Yatra, one is neither big nor small.
Everyone is a Varkari, a servant of Bhagwan Vitthal. Just 4 days later,the Amarnath Yatra is also going to start from the 30th of June. Devotees from all over the country reach Jammu Kashmir for the Amarnath Yatra. The local people of Jammu Kashmir take the responsibility of this Yatra with equal reverence, and cooperate with the pilgrims.
Friends, the Sabarimala Yatra has the same importance in the South. This pilgrimage to seek Darshan of Bhagwan Ayyappa on the hills of Sabarimala has been going on from the times when this path was completely surrounded by forests.
Even today, when people go on these yatras, how many opportunities are created for the poor… from religious rituals to lodging arrangements… that is, these yatras directly give us an opportunity to serve the poor and are equally beneficial to them.
That is why the country, too, is now making many efforts to increase the facilities for the devotees in their spiritual journeys. If you too go on such a journey, you will also have a glance of Ek Bharat- Shreshtha Bharat along with spirituality.
