Sri Muralidhara Swamiji
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[edit] About Sri Swamiji
Sri Muralidhara Swamiji, affectionately called Guruji by his devotees, renounced his worldly ties at an early age to partake in the redeeming of the Hindu faith and philosophy. His respect and love for Vedas and other ancient scriptures is unmatched. Equally,he holds the path of Bhakti through Nãma Kirtan (singing the names and glories of the Lord) in great esteem. He favours Nãma Kirtan as the most relevant path in today's context, as it is the easiest way to reach God.
Sri Swamiji has built a temple of Lord Srinivãsa and Radha-Krishna (Sri Premika Varadan with Madhuri Sakhi as his consort) in Chennai,India. He has also established a beautiful temple of Sri KalyãnaSrinivãsa Perumãl near Chennai. A grand and bewitching sight, Sri Srinivãsa Perumãl has attracted Bhaktas in droves. Sri Swamiji plans to build a Radha-Krishna Temple in Brindãvan. Sri Swamiji has composed (and is still composing) kirtans in Tamil and Sanskrit, that are sweet and simple, brimming with devotion and praising the glories of his Guru and the Lord. He inculcates a spirit of universal acceptance, coupled with intense faith and steadfast devotion on the path the spiritual seeker is treading on.
In an endeavor to spread the essence of Sanãthana Dharma and the path of Bhakti through Nãma Kirtan to the masses, Sri Swamiji has been offering daily discourses in Tamil on Raj TV and Raj Digital Plus television channels. The telecast has reached a large audience and has spread Sri Swamiji’s message among vast populace throughout the country and abroad.
[edit] Guruji Sri Muralidhara Swamigal Mission
Established on April 16, 1993 by Sri Muralidhara Swamiji, the main objective of Guruji Sri Muralidhara Swamigal Mission is the propagation of Bhãgavata Dharma and to carry out the spiritual and religious activities as ordained in the Shãstras of Sanãthana Dharma. An Ãshram in the peaceful and rustic surroundings outside Chennai is also established as a part of the mission’s activities. In addition to spiritual and charitable activities, daily Nityotsav and annual Brahmotsav activities for the deity Madhuri Sakhi Sametha Sri Premika Varadan are also carried out.
Various Utsavams and celebrations like Sri Gokulãshtami, Sri Ramanavami, Sri Radha Ashtami, Vaikunta Ekãdasi, Guru Poornima, etc. are celebrated with grandeur. The Annual Brahmotsav of the deity Madhuri Sakhi Sametha Sri Premika Varadan, starting on the Gokulãshtami day, consisting of Nandotsavam, Govinda Pattãbhishekam, Nikunjotsavam, Radha Kalyãnam and other devotional activities is a joyous celebration over 10 days wherein devotees congregate in large numbers and enjoy the Lord’s grace.
The mission regularly honors Vedic scholars and Bhãgavathas. In addition, the mission regularly undertakes the renovation of various dilapidated temples, well known and not so well known, and also built new temples where there were none.
Sri Swamiji believes that protecting Vedas is of paramount importance as this will in turn enable society to get rid of its trials, tribulations and evils, and to this end he directs all his activities and teachings. As an ardent believer in Sri Kãnchi Mahaperiyava’s movement for Veda Samrakshana, Sri Swamiji established the Sandeepani Gurukulam Trust in June 1995. The sole intention of this trust is to perpetuate learning of the Vedas, which is verily the life line of Bhãrata Desa and the essence of Sanãthana Dharma. This is accomplished by running Yajur and Sãma Veda Pãtashãlas in traditional style.
The Veda Pãtashãlas are located in various cities in Tamizh Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the country. Currently, about 100 students are pursuing vedic education in these pãtasãlas.
To overcome the ill-effects of Kaliyuga, to be liberated from the bondages and tragedies of human existence, and progress towards achieving the highest state of liberation and attanining oneness with the Divine, like the great saints Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Bhagavannama Bodhendra, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sri Swamiji pleads “Nãma Sankirtan” and “Nãma Japa” are the only paths, and the easy ones as well, and repeatedly stresses on the same. To this end, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Nama Bhiksha Kendra, another entity founded by Sri Swamiji, initiates Satsangs in various parts of Southern India and abroad to regularly chant the Maha Mantra:
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare ! Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare !!
In Sri Swamiji's view, the path of Nãma Kirtan is the only way to liberation in this age as prescribed by the ancient Sanãthana Dharma in the Vedas.
