Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati — A Symptom Of A Deeper Malaise

Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, a self-styled Shankaracharya whose status is court-stayed, wants Uddhav Thackeray back in power, believing he was betrayed.

This highlights the spiritual and ethical issues within the Hindu religious domain.

This also brings us to the question: what is the place of Dharmacharyas in today's world of politics and power?

A civilisation needs religion to sustain itself. Religion needs institutions to sustain itself. These institutions, to empower themselves, need political and financial patronage, which comes from the wealthy and powerful in that society.

But Dharma is above wealth and power. It is the voice of the voiceless. It is justice for the powerless.

Thus Dharmacharyas, when interacting with the powerful and wealthy, should be the voice of Dharma. They should speak for the voiceless and the oppressed, the downtrodden and the marginalised. In the Hindu cosmos, the need for such a voice for Dharma is a million times more.

Unfortunately, if one is to judge by the appearances, reports and the outcomes, such Dharmic interactions from the Dharmacharyas are conspicuous by their absence.

Adheenams are eating cakes in Christmas functions organised by political operators, or endorsing casteism in 'caste unity' meetings of their Purvashrama.

Jeeyars are blessing palatial buildings built by corrupt politicians when they are not criticising evolution with arguments that would make a Bible-belt Christian creationist cringe.

Shankarcaharyas seemingly wake up to life only to stress why untouchability is scientific and Dharmic — going by recent news and developments. They also attend the wedding ceremonies of the really wealthy these days.

They are meek and passive creatures asking for the grace of the powerful and the wealthy rather than being authoritative voices of Dharma.

But interestingly, they all play hero before Prime Minister Narendra Modi — because unfortunately the Prime Minister still has the old image of the Dharmacharyas in his mind.

What was the 'old image'?

• The image of Samartha Ramadas refusing to accept the vast kingdom and wealth placed at his feet by Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Such were our traditional Dharmacharyas. They were brave and Dharmic. They did not use their Dharmic authority for pettiness and perversion of politics.

Had the Swami condemned the caste discriminations in Hindu society and called for the abolition of untouchability and caste discriminations then he would have shown spiritual spine that is worthy of his seat.

Did not Adi Shankara declare that men of wisdom should be accepted as Gurus irrespective of their social status? Did he not do that in a pre-modern society where caste rigidities were considered sacrosanct?

Cannot a sanyasi in his lineage give his voice for the voiceless as Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal did in Tamil Nadu?

Did not Uddhav Thackeray betray his late father by aligning with Congress and Sharad Pawar? It is on record that Pawar lied about the Mumbai bomb blasts, adding a Hindu angle to it.

Though I may not agree with Bal Thackeray's politics, his admiration for Veer Savarkar was unquestionably sincere. But Uddav Thackeray aligned with the Congress dynast who abused Veer Savarkar’s sacrifices in the vilest way.

If ever there was a betrayal, this is it. The ideals of a father (Balasaheb Thackeray) betrayed by the son (Uddhav).

Did Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati's conscience even feel a slight pang at this betrayal?

It appears not.

Because this Shankaracharya is actually a power broker.

But he is only the symptom. There are many heads of Hindu institutions just like him.

They are casteist, parochial and fundamentalist. They have no base beyond a narrow caste circle. Their utility to the larger cause of Hindutva in today's polity is mostly nil. Who will not stop and admire a stegosaurus sitting in a lotus posture under an air-conditioned dome or a sacred room?

It is time Hindus radically think about dismantling all their old structures and build new structures of Dharma based on the principles of true Sanatana Dharma — based on rationalism, justice and hence Hindutva.