Rambhadracharyaji: The Heritage of Our Nation

There are about one billion disabled people in the world. Within this, there are more than three crore disabled people in India too. AS they were called disabled, When Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, he mentioned the disabled in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ program on December 2, 2015 explaining the decision to address disabled people as ‘Divyang’.When we think about the divyang on the world stage, it is seen that in many countries including Australia, Africa, Germany, America, Britain, the divyangs have achieved extraordinary achievements in the fields of mathematics, physics, media and music. Even a divyaang person got ‘Nobel Prize’ in his field of work. But when the discussion on divyang people starts in India, the name of such a personality emerges who presents an ideal not only for 140 crore Indians but also for crores of people of the world. His life not only helps the divyang but also helps millions of such people. People get inspiration from and the name of that personality of India is Jagatguru Swami Rambhadracharya. If someone calls him visually impaired or disabled, then he says that I do not like it. I have personally seen the childhood form of Lord Maryada Purushottam with my own eyes. Born on 14 January 1950 in Shandilya Khair village of Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh, whose earlier name was Dr. Giridhar Lal Mishra, Rambhadracharyaji lost the vision of both his eyes just two months after birth, but he did not lose his courage. 14th January preparations are underway to celebrate his Amrit Mahotsav for nine days in Ayodhya in 2024.

When we study the past of Rambhadracharyaji’s life, it seems that the almighty has actually given him his power. He never used Braille script in his life. When he was five years old, he read Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta and at the age of seven, had completely memorized Shri Ramcharitmanas. Got first division and first position in all classes from beginner to Acharya (Masters). Received gold medal in Shastri and Acharya from Sampoornanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi.Subsequently, after completing his PhD research, on the instructions of Dharma Samrat Swami Karpatriji, he got initiated into the Ramanand sect and was unanimously ordained as Jagatguru Rambhadracharya. An extraordinary litterateur whose books were launched by the two most popular Prime Ministers of the country, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi respectively. The compilation of 240 texts in which works were composed in all genres of literature including four epics. He was awarded the most prestigious honor in the field of literature from the Sahitya Akademi in 2005.

On 19 November 1992, Shri Tulsi Peeth was established by Rambhadracharya in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh. Shri Tulsi Prajnyachakshu Divyang Higher Secondary School was established. Moreover, Jagatguru Rambhadracharya Divyang University is the world’s first university exclusively for the divyangat the global level, from where till now more than five thousand students have studied and are posted at many high places in the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh. University was established in 2001. After this, Shri Geeta Gyan Mandir, Rajkot, Gujarat was also established by him. Vashishtha Ayanam, Haridwar, Uttarakhand was also established by him. He was awarded Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 2015 for his literary and social contribution. He is the founder of Jagatguru Rambhadracharya Divyang University. He will remain Chancellor for the rest of his life. He was included among the nine gems by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the cleanliness campaign of the Government of India.

Despite not having physical eyes, without the use of Braille script, till now Swami Rambhadracharyaji has delivered more than 1275 stories on Shri Ramcharitmanas and has delivered more than 1115 stories on Srimad Bhagwat. He has no equal in the world in fluent Sanskrit conversation. He has the ability to compose 100 verses in an hour. He is blessed with unmatched speed in philosophy, poetry and writing.To solve immediate problems, he composes verses and other genres in languages like Sanskrit, Hindi etc. He delivered a historic sixteen-minute speech at the World Peace Summit held at the United Nations in New York. He is an expert in 22 languages. His stories have been read in many countries across the world. He has written about one and a half lakh pages of Indian poetry. He has more than one and a half lakh verses engraved in his mind. He has been given permission by the Uttar Pradesh government to do research in educational subjects.

When the Ram Janmabhoomi case was being debated in the Allahabad High Court, the Muslim side raised the question that if Babar demolished the Ram temple then why Tulsidas did not mention it. A crisis arose for the Hindu side but then Shri Rambhadracharya became the solution to the problem. He testified in the court on July 15, 2003 and narrated to the judge the couplet written in Tulsidas’s Dohashatak, in which it was said that Babar’s commander Mir Baqi had destroyed the Ram temple.

Jagatguru Swami Rambhadracharyaji says that 437 proofs of the existence of Ram temple in Ayodhya have been given to the court. Referring to the ancient texts, he says that the information about the birth of Sri Ram starts from the eighth verse of Bal Khand of Valmiki Ramayana. This is accurate proof. After this, the birthplace of Ram has been mentioned in Skanda Purana.According to this, Saryu Mata is flowing at a distance of 300 bows from Ram’s birthplace. A bow takes four hands. If measured even today, the Saryu river will be seen flowing at the same distance from the birthplace. Before this, in the second mantra of the 31st sentence of Dasham Kand of Atharva Veda, it is clearly said that Shri Ayodhya with 8 chakras and nine main gates is the abode of Shri Ram. There is a temple and palace in the same Ayodhya where Shri Ram came from heaven. Rambhadracharya ji says that there is clear evidence of Shri Ram’s birth in the Vedas also. There is evidence of this also in the tenth chapter of Rigveda. It is written very clearly in Ramcharitmanas. It is said in Tulsi Shatak that Babar’s generals and evil Yavanas demolished the temple of Ram Janmabhoomi and built the structure of the mosque and killed many Hindus. Tulsidas had also expressed grief over this in Tulsi Shatak. Even after the temple was demolished, Hindu saints continued to serve Ram Lala.

Rambhadracharyaji proved on the basis of scriptures that Punauradham, situated at a distance of three kilometers in Sitamarhi district of Bihar, is the birth place of Maa Janaki (Sitaji) and he called me and said, ‘I will continue to narrate the story of Janaki Navami here till the temple situated here It will not be renovated and it will not become a religious tourist destination.On his request, I raised this issue in the Rajya Sabha. For the first time, this fact came before the world that Punauradham, the place of birth of Jagat Janani, Mother Mithaleshwari, and it happened for the first time after independence that on the request of Guruji and me, the then Governor of Bihar, Dr. Ramnath Kovindji, who later became the President of the country in 1999, and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had come to Punouradham on Janaki Navami.Guruji and the people of Sitamarhi, including Mithila, every single person in the world is proud that the consecration of Lord Shri Ram Lalla is going to take place in Ayodhya on 22nd January. But still remains in the minds of crores of Mithila residents and countrymen that when will the renovation of Sitaji birthplace start on a large scale and when will Punauradham be built like Ayodhya Dham. Rambhadracharyaji often says that ‘Without Ram there is no Sita and without Sita there is no Ram’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also never says ‘Jai Shri Ram’ rather he says ‘Jai Siyaram’.

Jagatguru Swami Rambhadracharya is adored not only by the divyangs but also by millions of people in the world. That’s why despite being visually impaired, whatever he has done in his immortal life of 75 years is unique for the culture and cultural awakening of India in the world, incomparable and unforgettable. This is the reason why, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Chitrakoot and visited Tulasi Peeth of Swamiji on 27 October 2023, he said that ‘Rambhadracharyaji is the heritage of our nation.’