Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji on Independence Day Celebrations – August 15, 2012 – Mysore
Jaya Guru Datta
Independence Day celebration. We heard the speech of Mr. Krishnappa who spoke both in English and Kannada. The Telugu devotees are looking lost. When we sing our patriotic songs, especially Vande Mataram, it appears as if it is composed in different languages, in the languages of the Gods, Mani pravala, consisting of the praise of Mother Goddess Durga Parameshwari, the deity who protects.
Go and observe in any country, anywhere, there will be a shrine for Mother Goddess. Britishers, Romans, Chinese, and see their border regions, or see their royal palaces or ancient forts, you will find that a deity has been worshiped. We may not hear such songs as these, but only songs in praise of the kings. The king is considered as God. In Thailand that is the sentiment even today. Even here we shared the same feeling. Now we feel love for the nation, patriotism. Our country became divided into small kingdoms. The British were very wicked and evil in dividing and ruling the kingdom by creating enmities between the smaller kingdoms.
Our country is rich in history. Like a coconut, when broken, it gives sweet water, sweet fruit, oil, and the husk that is excellent fiber. Rather than call our country the land of gold, we should call it the land of fruit, or the land of the coconut. It is a nectarine fruit, the fruit of immortality. Other countries may have coconuts but our symbolic coconut yields all. The Britishers have looted us and have taken away the fruit, drank the juice, ate the pulp, took the oil and have left us only the dry husk, and the dry empty shell.
Like they, now everyone here is obsessed with making money. That is the legacy that they have left us. They have taught us to hold the empty coconut shell to go begging. That attitude of poverty and greed is what they have left us. They have left us the husk alone even in the villages.
They have looted our temples, just as the Muslim invaders had done before them, and broke the sculptures and structures to rob us of all our precious treasures. Let us not fall prey to such looting and greedy tendencies.
May Mother India bless us all.
Sri Guru Datta