A Young prince is seated on the throne. His soldiers have brought a handcuffed Patil (a village chief) before him. Patil, with a thick and long moustache, had dishonoured a helpless widow. In a stern and majestic tone the young Prince announced the judgement, “cut-off both his hands and feet!! This is the least punishment for the crime he has commited.” All present were taken aback at the firm devotion of the prince to justice. Not only were they wonderstruck but also pleased beyond measure. The village people began to say to one another: ‘Ah! Look! How devoted to justice our young prince is!’ He is kind and loving towards the poor, the downfallen and the wretched. He is ever determined to help them and to protect them. What is more, he regards all women as mothers! Don’t you wish to know who this young prince was? He
How did Shivaji acquired all these noble virtues? It was due to courage, heroism, love for the motherland and Dharma? Even when he was a little child, his mother Jijabai used to tell him stories of heroes, and sages who appeared in the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. She taught him all about Hindu samskars and patriotism. His teacher, Dadoji Kondadev was a great man. He not only taught Shivaji about all kinds of warfare tactics but also about politics and good administration. Both, Dadoji Kondadev and Jijabai, carved out his personality.
Shivaji was a great visionary and had a lot of zeal to accomplish his mission. Shivaji seemed to be successful in reading the minds of enemies. He adopted guerilla warfare. He believed in the theory of sudden attack, damage enemy’s area and run away before enemy gets alert. Speed was his mantra. He would leave the enemy miles behind after he carried out the strikes.
Coronation
Shivaji coronated himself after being insisted by his family members, and people. Chhatrapati (Lord of the Universe) Shivaji was crowned king of the Marathas in a lavish ceremony at Raigad on June 6, 1674. In the Hindu calendar it was on the 13th day (trayodashi) of the first fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha in the year 1596. Pandit Gaga Bhatt officiated the proceeding, holding a gold vessel filled with the sacred waters of the seven rivers Yamuna, Indus, Ganges, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri over Shivaji's head, and chanted the coronation mantras. 11,000 Brahmins are reported to have chanted the Vedas. Shivaji's coronation ceremony was performed according to the shastras by Vishweshwar, also called Gaga Bhatta, of Varanasi. As soon as Shivaji declared himself as a king, several aristocrats and warriors from various parts of Bharat joined him. As all kings do, Shivaji also regulated his own currency – Shivarai hon. To eradicate foreign (persian) words from the administration, he published a Rajvyavahar Kosh (a glossary of equivalent words with Samskrit origin) and implemented it in his kingdom. He established the Ashta Pradhan Mandal (a council of 8 ministers) to serve the people properly and effectively. Each minister was given the responsibility of major departments like administration, military affairs, etc.
Shivaji, such a great king, lived for around 50 years. He was born in the year 1630 and took his last breath in the year 1680. All his life, he cherished a dream of Hindavi Swarajya and brought it into reality.
—Aniket Raja
(Source: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh– Balagokulam)
Leave a Comment