Vrindavan, 2016.06.09 (VT): The presiding Shankaracharya of the Dwarka Sharada Peeth, Swami Swaroopananda Saraswati, was given all honors by the religious community of Vrindavan on his visit to the Shanti Seva Dham on the Chattikara Road on Tuesday. He was greeted by Devakinandan Thakur and many other of the holy town’s spiritual leaders.
The 92-year-old Shankaracharya took the occasion to condemn neo-Hindu movements like those that have arisen around Shirdi Sai Baba, Radha Soami and the Brahma Kumaris. He has made outspoken controversial statements against these sects before, especially denying that Shirdi Sai Baba, who was a meat eater and born a Muslim, could be an incarnation of God. “He is not mentioned in the Sanatan Dharma scriptures,” he said. “These movements are all part of an anti-Sanatan Dharma consipiracy.”
On the positive side, the Shankaracharya glorified Vrindavan as spreading the message and influence of Sanatan Dharma around the world. “Vrindavan’s spiritual aura is so great that even though it was half way between the two great centers of Mughal power, it stood as a bulwark against the Islamic attempts to destroy the Sanatan Dharma and they were unable to destroy it despite their efforts.”
President of the Vishwa Seva Shanti Charitable Trust, Sri Devakinandand Thakur, greeted the Shankaracharya with the appropriate honors. He was joined by many of the leaders of the sannyas community as well as Bhagavata speakers and political leaders. Devakinandan Thakur said that the Dwarka Sharada Peeth is doing remarkable work for the protection of traditional Sanatan Dharma values.
Among those present at the event were Fuldol Bihari Baba, Mahamandaleshwar Naval Giri Maharaj, Swami Ramdevananda Saraswati, Manoj Mohan Shastri, local VHP leader Saurabh Gaur and Vrindavan Municipal Chairman Mukesh Gautam.
Swami Swaroopanand has a longstanding career as a political activist for Hindu causes, from the time he was imprisoned as a freedom fighter in 1942. He later participated in Karpatriji Swami’s foray into politics, the Ramrajya Parishad Party, even becoming president. He was a student of Karpatriji.
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