Modernity is not opposed to religion, rather companion : Shah

way2barak, Feb 20: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah  addressed the the 152nd birth anniversary of Param Pujya Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, held at Mayapur Dham, ISKCON, in Nadia, West Bengal. Shri Shah stated that he was present at the event not as India’s Home Minister, but as a devoted follower of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Shri Amit Shah highlighted the unparalleled contributions of the great acharyas of the Gaudiya tradition, the global expansion of the Bhakti movement, and the significance of Mayapur Dham in the spread of spiritual consciousness. Shri Amit Shah stated that this sacred place will, in the times to come, emerge as a major center for global welfare and the propagation of Sanatan values. During the Event, ISKCON Namahatta President Pujya Gauranga Prem Swami Ji Maharaj, Pujya Yudhishthira Govinda Prabhu, President of the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sangh Pujya Bhakti Vedanta Janardana Swami Ji Maharaj, Secretary of the Saraswat Gaudiya Vaishnava Sangh Pujya Bhakti Vaibhava Narayana Swami Maharaj, Union Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Shri Suvendu Adhikari, West Bengal BJP State President and Rajya Sabha MP Shri Samik Bhattacharya, and other distinguished dignitaries were present.

Shah upon arriving at the sacred land of Mayapur Dham, respectful salutations were first offered to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. These two great spiritual luminaries not only carried forward the Bhakti Movement initiated by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, but also gave it a modern form, opening a path of spirituality for the youth and for souls across the world. Within a single lifetime, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu illuminated the path of devotion for countless souls suffering in the darkness of ignorance, both in India and beyond. Qualities and flaws, virtue and vice, all reside within human beings; yet when one dissolves the ego and becomes immersed in Krishna-consciousness, everything transforms into goodness. Walking this very path, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu spread the profound message of devotion through Kirtan, dance, devotional music, and the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, presenting it in an extremely simple and accessible form. From eastern India to the North-East, this message brought light into many lives clouded by ignorance. That same spiritual movement was later strengthened and expanded by Param Pujya Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada and Pujya Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, who connected it with modern times and opened a universal path of spiritual upliftment for the youth and for humanity at large.

Shah observed that even a hundred years from now, if someone were to claim that a person had remembered the name of Krishna one billion times in a single lifetime, the world would find it difficult to believe. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur liberated religion from numerous rigidities and advanced the principle that modernity is not an enemy of faith but its ally. It was emphasized that religion progresses precisely through engagement with modernity. There was a time when the printing press was considered forbidden, and the spread of devotion was believed to be appropriate only through listening and memorization. In that context, the printing press was described as the “Brihat Mridanga” explaining that while the sound of a Mridanga reaches only a limited distance, a book printed on a press can carry the message of devotion across seven seas. Breaking such entrenched orthodoxies requires exceptional courage, and such courage emerges only when devotion to Shri Krishna is unwavering, exclusive, and rooted in firm faith. Through this spirit of spiritual innovation, the tradition today continues to work for the welfare of souls across all seven continents of the world. In the course of public life, the leader recalled encounters with many great spiritual figures and offered respectful salutations to all of them. At the International Society for Krishna Consciousness temple in Ahmedabad, a saint once explained that whenever a disciple offered obeisance, the response would be ‘Dāso’smi’ meaning, “I am your servant.” When such humility resides in the heart, the Divine can never remain distant.

Hon’ble Union Home Minister & Minister of Cooperation expressed that those in whose hearts God resides describe themselves as servants of all. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur offered a profound and beautiful interpretation of the concept of the Guru. A true Guru is one who elevates the disciple through a spirit of service, one who transforms the small into the great. The one who expands limited understanding and knowledge is the real Guru. With heartfelt reverence, it was acknowledged that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur was a true Guru who introduced the true essence of the Guru’s role to the entire world. Numerous efforts were undertaken to break caste barriers. Many rigid orthodoxies were dismantled, and society was presented with a new understanding of Yukta Vairagya. Renunciation was defined not as abandoning the world, but as dedicating every element of the world to the service of Krishna. True renunciation lies in distancing oneself from vices, not in rejecting the world itself. Giving up negativity and engaging the entire creation in devotion to Shri Krishna constitutes genuine renunciation. The occasion marked the 152nd birth anniversary of such a visionary, epoch-maker, and great spiritual personality. Many regard Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur as a living encyclopedia. Profound mastery over astronomy, mathematics, and Sanskrit was combined with complete surrender at the feet of Shri Krishna, dedicating an entire life to the path of devotion. The Vedas and Upanishads proclaim that knowledge without devotion gives rise to ego, whereas devotion accompanied by knowledge leads to transformation.