“To preserve, to disseminate and to promote Hinduism – the world’s oldest living religion, the Sanātana Dharma – across the world.”

Hinduism, considered more a ‘way of dharmic life’ than a religion, is a diverse system of thought encompassing a range of philosophies and shared concepts, rituals, cosmological systems. Hinduism is a natural religion – its philosophies & concepts, beliefs & practices, rites & rituals can be universally validated on the basis of human reason and experience, and are not revealed to a prophet by a miracle or a supernatural event.

While Hinduism is characterized by huge diversity in many schools of thought, sects, and traditions, there are certain distinctive concepts that are considered fundamental and universal – such as the oneness of existence of all living beings; and pluralism, Hinduism not only accepts a different set of theories, philosophies, and beliefs but also subsumes the very best of them.

According to Hinduism, all beings, from the tiniest organism to man, are considered the manifestations of the Supreme Being, or the Brahman Himself or the manifestations of His material energies. And the entire Universe is united and is viewed as a single family – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam in Sanskrit. The phrase comes from the mantra VI-72 in Maha Upanishad which is an adjunct to Sāmaveda.

ayaṃ nijaḥ paro veti gaṇanā laghucetasām udāracaritānāṃ tu vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam ||

Hinduism also emphasizes equality of all mankind, as expressed in the ancient hymn, which means, “No one is superior, none inferior. All are brothers marching forward to prosperity.”

Hinduism is a truly universal religion which not only promotes the wellbeing of all living creatures but also actively works towards laying a path for all to achieve that objective. Hinduism enjoins the mankind to conduct themselves by their thoughts, words, and actions to uphold and to promote universal values such as truth, kindness, equanimity, empathy, generosity, equality and equity. The following Hindu invocation, popularly known as the Shanti Mantra, reflects this yearning for universal kinship, prosperity, and peace.

oṃ sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ sarve santu nirāmayāḥ sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścid-duḥkha-bhāgbhavet | oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śānti ||
May all sentient beings be at peace, may no one suffer from illness, May all see what is auspicious [or, may all experience prosperity], may no one suffer. Om peace, peace, peace.

Propagation of Śankara’s Advaita Vedānta- Advaita Vedānta is the premier and the oldest extant tradition of Vedānta, having been formed around the eighth century, a tradition of interpretation of the Prasthanatrayi – the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gitā and one of the six āstika (orthodox) schools of Hindu darśanam (philosophy). Advaita Vedānta is based on the concept that the higher or true Self is identical to Brahman, the Absolute Reality. The term advaita in Sanskrit, means ‘Not Two’.

What distinguishes Advaita from other forms of Vedānta is the belief that the Self or Soul (Atman) is identical to Brahman, the Supreme Soul. Knowledge of this oneness of Atman and Brahman is complete awareness. Advaita Vedanta also believes that this realization of Brahman is attainable while still living on Earth. According to Advaita metaphysics, Brahman – the ultimate, transcendent and immanent God of the latter Vedas – appears as the world because of His creative energy, māyā. The world has no separate existence apart from Brahman. The experiencing self (jīva) and the transcendental self of the Universe (ātman) are in reality identical – both are the manifestations of the same Brahman. These fundamental doctrines are represented in the anonymous verse:

brahma satyam jagan mithya. jīvo brahmaiva na aparah.

“Brahman is alone the Truth, and this world of plurality is an illusion, mithya. The individual self is not different from Brahman. Plurality is experienced because of error in judgments (mithya) and ignorance (avidya). Knowledge of Brahman removes these errors and causes liberation from the cycle of transmigration and worldly bondage.”

Śankarāchārya is the most preeminent scholar of the advaita school of Vedānta, and his commentaries on Prasthanatrayi are canonical texts of advaita thought. In Advaita Vedanta, Jnana yoga is the path of knowledge to moksha, or liberation from the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Ashtanga yoga is also a viable path in Advaita Vedanta because it helps the yogi control the senses and direct awareness inward.

The idealistic monism and the acceptance of pluralism, the cardinal principles of Advaita Vedānta, help unite the world. Sri Visakha Sarada Peetham wishes to make the world a more peaceful place by propagation of Śankara’s Advaita Vedānta.

Providing a Spiritual Direction to the Youth-

“If you want a crop for one year, grow millet; if you want a crop for ten years, grow a tree; And if you want a crop for one hundred years, grow men.”

Youth form the vital force that shapes the destiny of nations of the world. As the corporeal body of a man passes through the stages of boyhood, youth, and the old age [dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, Bhagavad Gita 2.13], man is the strongest – physically and mentally – during his youth. If this energy is channelized in the right direction, the youth can bring about great qualitative transformation in terms of setting the world on the right path of spiritual development and establishing lasting peace on earth. Sri Visakha Sarada Peetham acts as the beacon for the youth to guide them along the path of dharma and to mould them as the emissaries of Sanātana Dharma. The Peetham follows the dictum from Katha Upanishad, where Lord Yama advises Nachiketa thus –

uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varānnibodhata | kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā durgaṁ pathastat kavayo vadanti || [Katha Upanishad 1.3.14]

“Arise! Awake! Seek and Approach great ones and learn from them; for sharp as a razor's edge, hard to traverse, difficult to tread is that path, say the sages.”

Propagation and Dissemination of the Hindu Scriptures – the Vedās, the Upanishads, the Purānās, and the Itihāsās

Hinduism is prolific in scriptures and boasts an extensive collection of ancient religious writings. There are two historic classifications of Hindu sacred texts: Shruti – that which is heard, and Smriti – that which is remembered. The Shruti refers to the body of most authoritative, ancient religious texts, believed to be eternal knowledge authored neither by human nor divine agent but transmitted by sages (rishis). These comprise the central canon of Hinduism. It includes the four Vedas including its four types of adjunct texts – the Samhitas, the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the early Upanishads. Of the Vedic literature, the Upanishads are considered to be the most influential among the Hindus, considered scriptures par excellence of Hinduism, and their central ideas have continued to lend themselves to diverse philosophies and traditions.

The Smriti texts are a specific body of Hindu texts attributed to an author, as a derivative work they are considered subservient to Shruti. The Smriti literature is a vast corpus of diverse texts, and includes but is not limited to Vedāngas, the Hindu epics, the Sutras and Shastras (compilations of technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area), the texts of Hindu philosophies, the Purānās, the Kāvya or poetical literature, the Bhasyas, and numerous Nibandhas, or digests covering politics, ethics, culture, arts and society.

While the Scriptures delineate the right way to the mankind in conducting themselves in day-to-day lives, the rich heritage of Shruti and Smriti literature contains the wisdom of our ancient sages covering diverse fields of knowledge – astrology to zoology, medicine to systems of meditation, mathematics to astronomy, temple construction to town planning, engineering to aviation, just to name a few.

Visakha Sri Sarada Peetham has taken upon itself to distil this knowledge and to promote and disseminate the same for the welfare of the mankind.

Training the Preceptors

guśabdastvandhakāraḥ syāt ruśabdastannirodhakaḥ | andhakāranirodhitvāt gururityabhidhīyate || [Advaya Taraka Upanishad: Verse 16]
The syllable gu means darkness, the syllable ru, he who dispels them, Because of the power to dispel darkness, the guru is thus named.

In Hinduism Guru, or the preceptor enjoys the status equal to that of God.

In the Hindu tradition, the Guru is many things – a teacher of skills, a trainer who transmits experiential knowledge, a counsellor who instills values and ethics, an inspiration who helps guide his disciple’s spiritual development, a mentor who helps in the awakening of mind and realization of one's Self (Atma), an example to follow in the material and the spiritual life. At a socio-cultural and religious level, the Guru helps the society continue the religion and Hindu way of life.

It is the Peetham’s avowed objective to endeavour to create spiritual infrastructure for the aspiring gurus to train at the Peetham. Proliferation of such preceptors would go a long way in propagation, promotion, and dissemination of Vedic wisdom & the Hindu Way of Life.