Udupi: Oriental conference to help India reclaim its status as ‘Vishwaguru’, says Puthige Pontiff Sri Sugunendra Tirtha

Team Udayavani, Oct 27, 2024, 9:39 AM IST

Udupi: Indian culture and philosophy are poised to guide the world once again, according to Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Sripada, the Mathadheesha of Paryaya Sri Puthige Matha. He noted that the All-India Oriental Conference would play a crucial role in helping India regain its ancient status as Vishwaguru, or world leader in wisdom.

Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Swamiji shared his blessings during the closing session of the 51st All India Oriental Conference held at the Sri Krishna Matha on Saturday. The event was organized with the collaboration of Paryaya Sri Puthige Matha, the Central Sanskrit University of New Delhi, and the Bharatiya Vidwat Parishad, among other organizations.

In his address, Swamiji emphasized India’s tradition of universal acceptance and harmony. “Few other countries demonstrate the diversity and unity seen here,” he remarked, adding that many nations limit intellectual freedom due to a singular religious focus. According to him, India’s heritage is one that seeks to bring people together. Referring to Lord Krishna’s teachings in the Bhagavad Gita, he urged the need for the protection of the righteous (Sadhu) tradition while ensuring that evildoers are punished, asserting, “For the righteous, India remains a heaven on earth.”

The seer highlighted that if the Bhagavad Gita stands as a universal scripture, Sanskrit stands as the mother of all languages, including English. He advocated for Sanskrit education, propagation, book publishing, and innovation through research among youth. He expressed hope that this conference would inspire university leaders to think in unison about these goals.

Need for Hindu Studies Centers

National General Secretary of Sanskrit Bharati, Dinesh Kamath, spoke on the need for Hindu Studies departments in universities. He pointed out that while Muslim, Buddhist, and Jain Studies centers exist, similar centers for Hindu Studies are lacking. Kamath shared that Central Sanskrit University and Lal Bahadur Shastri University have begun taking initiatives in this direction and called for the establishment of Hindu Studies centers in all universities.

He also emphasized the importance of removing colonial mindsets, suggesting that the term “Oriental” be replaced with “Oriental Knowledge” to preserve India’s ancient knowledge traditions. Alongside Sanskrit, he urged the revitalization of Pali and Prakrit languages as well.

Vision for Future Conferences

Prof. Srinivasa Varakhedi, Vice-Chancellor of Central Sanskrit University, announced plans to conduct university-level conferences ahead of the 52nd All India Oriental Conference. He suggested that these events should invite research papers, with the best submissions to be presented at the national conference.

During the session, Dr. Bhaskar Rao released a book containing translations of a speech given by Puttige Sripada at the United Nations in both Kannada and English. Junior Yati Sri Sushrindra Tirtha Sripada, Conference President Prof. Saroja Bhate, and several dignitaries, including Prof. Sachidananda, Prof. Arun Ranjan Mishra, Prof. Muralikrishna, and Prof. Korod Subrahmanyam, were in attendance. Dr. Gopalacharya of Sri Matha delivered the welcome address.

891 Research Papers Presented

The three-day conference saw registrations from 1,611 individuals, with 1,149 abstracts submitted. Of these, 891 research papers were presented across 119 sessions and 23 workshops, according to Prof. Shivani, the Secretary of Bharatiya Vidwat Parishad.

Election of New Committee for the 52nd Conference

An election for the new committee of the 52nd Oriental Conference was conducted at the Geeta Mandir, appointing Prof. Srinivasa Varakhedi as the President, Prof. Arun Ranjan Mishra as Vice-President, Prof. Shivani as Joint Secretary, and Prof. Ramakant Pandey as Treasurer, among others. Prof. Kavita Hole shared this information.