Shivaji Maharaj : An everflowing spring of
inspiration
Shivaji Maharaj and his
biography has an answer for any problem faced by a Hindu or Indian politicians;
however for this purpose the biography should be read with shrewdness and
insight. If read by Hindus with the immoderate vision of Gandhi with respect to
non-violence, truth, pleasing Muslims, or through the coloured spectacles of
Nehru, who with the concept of 'all religions are equal', meted out inferior
treatment to Hindus, then Hindus will not even become aware of when they were
circumscribed ! Gandhi, Nehru and their descendants had created terror in the
minds of the people about what they would have to suffer if they even uttered
the name of Shivaji Maharaj. Shivaji Maharaj has been totally eliminated today
from the history text books at the Secondary school level. History on Shivaji
Maharaj is taught and finished in the 3rd or 4th standards as if they are fairy
tales for children to read and forget. Politicians have ensured that the youth
and adults do not get any inspiration from the biography of Shivaji Maharaj
simply because it is an ever flowing spring of inspiration for Hindus ! This
article is a small effort made to get a sip of water from this pure spring on
the occasion of the birth anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj tomorrow ! - Compiler:
Shri. Sanjay Mulye, Ratnagiri
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Shivaji Maharaj was
fully aware that he had to fight the Mughals since childhood . In his book 'Chatrapati
Shivaji Maharajanche Saptaprakaranatmak Charitra’ Malhar Ramrav
Chitnis has described the mindset of Prince Shivaji when living with his father
Shahajiraje at Vijapur. He pens Prince Shivaji’s thoughts as, “ We are Hindus.
These Yavans (Muslims) are inferior to us. There is none more inferior than
them. I am distressed by serving them, eating food served by them, flattering
them or even greeting them. It is so wrong to see the ridicule of one’s own
religion. As we walk down the road we see cows being slaughtered. At that time
I feel like beheading the killers and the distress grows even more. What is the
use of living to see a cow being tormented ? I am compelled to remain silent
because of being reprimanded by my father otherwise I feel like killing the one
indulging in cow slaughter. It is not at all good to be in the company of
Muslims. So also it is inappropriate to go to the court (darbar) of the emperor
or to visit any wealthy man.” As soon as he returned from the Vijapur court he
would bathe and change his clothing. It is at this very age that young Prince
Shivaji showed his valorous nature by chopping off the hand of a butcher who
was dragging a cow for slaughter in another kingdom !
Inspiration endowed by
Chatrapati Shivaji is very clear from the above incidents. The biographer has
strengthened this further in the following words of Shivaji Maharaj, “ We are
Hindus. The entire southern region has been invaded by the Muslims and our
religion is going downhill. Hence one should not hesitate to sacrifice even
one’s life to protect religion. By doing so one would add to one’s treasure of
valorous deeds”. Soon thereafter by taking the vow of Raieshvari and conquering
the `Torana’ fort Shivaji Maharaj revealed his nature to the world.
Today people are talking
of the concept of `equality of religions’ in society. The Congress party is
trying to depict Shivaji Maharaj as non-communal and secular. Nowadays some
Hindu protagonists are trying to drag Shivaji Maharaj into the camp of
secularism by making statements such as `there were Muslim soldiers in his
army’. Really these are pearls of wisdom by these so-called ardent
(hypocritical) lovers of Hinduism!
In this context the
author of the book 'Marathi Riyasati' and a great historian, Sardessai writes,
'Towards 1649, 500-700 Pathans from Vijapur came to Shivaji Maharaj in search
of jobs. Though he did not approve of employing them, he listened to the
counsel of Gomaji Naik Pansabal who advised that 'these people have come after
hearing about your popularity so please do not disappoint them. If you remain
adamant that you will employ only Hindus and that you do not need others then
you will not be able to establish a kingdom. So include all eighteen
communities of all four varna (classes) of society and allow them to carry out
their own duties". So he employed the servitors of Radho Ballal Korde.
However the current Hindu protagonists are ignorant about the facts in this
context and about how the monarch also ensured that there were spies to keep
watch on those Muslim soldiers !
If these 500- 700
soldiers made any attempt to divide the army then as was prevalent in those
days, he would also not hesitate to punish them (by throwing them over the
cliff). It was not like today when a perpetrator of a heinous crime against the
Indian Parliament, instead of being hanged, goes scot free simply because he is
a Muslim !
In this context a
historian researcher Mr. Ninad Bedekar says, 'A new idea that Chatrapati
Shivaji Maharaj had 'several' Muslims in his army is being projected. I will
quote a few names. You can give me the rest !' When Prince Shivaji came to the
Jagirs of Pune, Indore and Supe, of the representatives of Shahajiraje only
three were Muslims, namely Siddi Ambar Bagdadi, Jainkhan Peerzade and
Bahalimkhan. Another Muslim associated with Shivaji Maharaj was Nurkhan Beg,
the chief of his infantry. But the truth is that later at some juncture all
these people were driven off because no mention of their names is made anywhere
in the historical annals. After the year 1675 these people were nowhere in the
picture.
The British army also
employed Indians as soldiers. Afzal Khan who attacked Shivaji Maharaj employed
3000 Mawalas in his army, but can we call him secular ? Why then is this cord
of secularism wound tightly (like an iguana) only around the necks of Hindus?
Claiming that Shivaji Maharaj was secular simply because he had a few Muslim
soldiers in his army is an indicator of an over liberal intellect.
Shivaji Maharaj did
everything possible to promote Hinduism in every aspect of the fight for
independence and establishing his own kingdom. Shivaji Maharaj's assembly of
eight ministers was formed based on Hindu ideals. One comes across this concept
of eight ministers in the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. King Dashrath too had
eight ministers. In the Shantiparva of the Mahabharat also it has been
suggested that an exchange of thoughts of eight ministers is necessary. During
the coronation ceremony, Maharaj changed the Persian names of the ministers to
Sanskrut as follows–
Thinking of Sanskrut
names to rename various ministers or forts was a hobby of Shivaji Maharaj. In
September 1665, that is around the time of Dasra before leaving on a journey he
named all the forts from his kingdom. Malhar Ramrav Chitnis in the biography of
the monarch, 'Chatrapati Shivaji Maharajanche Saptaprakaranatmak
Charitra' has spoken about the forts saying, "At each place after
place Shivaji Maharaj would build a new fort to frighten the enemy. Varugad,
Bhushangad, Mahimagad, Vardhangad, Sadashivgad, Macchindragad are some of
them". In the book 'Marathyancha Itihas' it is said, "Shivaji Maharaj
loved Sanskrut. There are several instances to testify this. He changed the
names of forts to Raigad, Vishalgad, Suvarnagad, Vijaydurg, Prachandgad and
Pandavgad."”
Consequences of not receiving inspiration from the
biography of Shivaji Maharaj
Shivaji Maharaj Birth
Anniversary celebrations were started by Lokmanya Tilak. He was followed by
Svantrya Veer Savarkar in 1908 in London. Both these leaders were fully aware
of the importance of Shivaji Maharaj, but Gandhi and Nehru both kept strict
vigilance over this text ever since the independence of India. This is how the
fact that a handful of Muslims invaded and destroyed Hindu kingdoms and gained
control over the Hindu empire is not known to most Hindus after 1920.
In fact it is because of
this misguidance that they accepted the division of India without offering any
resistance to it. Non-acceptance of Shivaji Maharaj and his biography, which
would have inspired Indians, has resulted in the return of Muslim powers in the
form of Pakistan and Bangladesh, to overpower Hindus. It is because the
incidents of Shivaji Maharaj tearing open Afzal Khan's abdomen and chopping off
Shahishtekhan's fingers being kept secret that today we so easily allow a
compromise by releasing hard core terrorists in return for release of the
kidnapped daughter of an Indian Minister, Mufti Mohammed.
India's External Affairs
Minister flies to the Kandahar desert in a special plane only to release
criminals who have butchered Hindus ! In Kashmir Bitta Karate who beheaded 16
Hindus is released on parole ! In the 13 days after killing Afzal Khan, Shivaji
Maharaj conquered 16 forts and in contrast within a year of India becoming
independent, our politicians lost 1/3rd of our motherland in Kashmir to enemies
! Fearing Shivaji Maharaj's valour, as long as he was alive, Aurangzeb did not
dare to even talk about conquering South India. Yet today the cunning, crafty
Musharraf arrives in India to disrupt an Agra conference or dares to hang the
Indian tricolour upside down on his personal aircraft.
Shivaji Maharaj's subjects being fully aware of
the struggle between Righteousness and unrighteousness !
Shivaji Maharaj was
fully aware that he had to fight the Mughals so also were his subjects. The
situation was such that people were worried as to whether their Maharaj would
return alive from the Agra jail. Despite that, the leaders of home rule
(swarajya) and the Mawalas did not get unnerved and as per the plan of Shivaji
Maharaj they protected his kingdom and ruled it in his absence.
The Mawalas were
prepared to sacrifice even auspicious events in their families and were willing
to face the jaws of death. Sinhagad, Pavankhind, Agra,... how many more forts
does one need to quote ? In this struggle between Righteousness and unrighteousness
many parents lost their sons and several women were widowed. They were all
fully aware of why they were fighting the Mughals. Rather than wishing that
their husbands stay at home, these women supported them in their mission
against the Mughals. They clearly choose widowhood, rather than wishing their
husbands remain passive but safe as this would have only kept their marital
status intact superficially as the women folk would have been raped by the
Mughal sardars.
Compare
this noble attitude of theirs to the tantrums thrown by the relatives of
victims of the plane hijacked by terrorists to Kandahar. Both the central
government and the majority of people of India seem to forget whom they are
fighting this battle against. The entire country is testimony to this.
The politicians of today
and most of the people are still unaware of why we drove the British out of
India. Our revolutionary Indian heroes have not shed blood in vain. If only we
were to understand this then we would not have played cricket matches with Pakistan
which is all set to wipe out Hindus in Kashmir, the land of Sage Kashyap. We
would also not have given refuge to Bangladeshi infiltrators and would have
driven off the Chinese ambassadors who have tried to stake a claim on Arunachal
Pradesh. All this is a consequence of not being inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj to fight for independence and home rule !
Shivaji Maharaj was a
Great King. His admirer Mr. M.S. Vabgaonkar writes, "Shivaji Maharaj is a
radiant flower which has blossomed from the Bharatiya creeper of Rajdharma. The
great promoter of Bharatiya Rajdharma, Kautilya in His holy text the
Arthashastra, has imagined an ideal king and two thousand years later this king
has taken birth in the form of Shivaji Maharaj. The king described by Kautilya
was one who emphasised on spying, who took full responsibility for procuring all
the benefits of an attack onto himself, who was disinterested in worldly and
sexual pleasures and was well versed in law and religion besides having an
unblemished character and punishing subjects only when required. Even this has
proved right as per Kautilya's description in case of Shivaji.
After 1920 the creeper
of Bharatiya Rajdharma was nurtured with the harmful manure of 'equality of all
religions', pleasing Muslims, etc. and thus from it sprang a number of
poisonous flowers in the form of Mohandas-Jawaharlal or Manmohan-Soniya. To
stop the blossoming of such vicious flowers, the Bharatiya Rajdharma creeper
must be punished with the support of the Sanatan Vedic religion and then
watered with pure water from the Ganga in the form of the biography of Shivaji
Maharaj ! When this happens, then from every leaf of the creeper will spring
beautiful flowers like Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Only then will this creeper
reach the skies !
(Above image is in own
writings of Samarth Ramdas Swami)
Meaning: He can be glorified as successful, famous,
blessed, valorous, meritorious and an icon of morality. There has been none
like him, a knower of Dharma, who has protected Hindu Dharma in Maharashtra.
In Maharashtra the birth
anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj is nothing but a procession, merely sprinkling
of gulal and shouting slogans in his praise. Of the 250-300 people present in
the procession only 4-5 have read the biography of Shivaji Maharaj fully. It is
unfortunate that these are the statistics in Western Maharashtra. Let us not
even ponder on how these people will celebrate the birth anniversary of Shivaji
Maharaj.
Kashiki
Kala Jati, Mathura Masid Hoti l
Agar Shivaji Na Hote, To Sunati Hot Sabaki ll
Agar Shivaji Na Hote, To Sunati Hot Sabaki ll
- A contemporary poet
named Bhushan
Meaning: Kashi would have lost its splendour,
Mathura would have become a mosque; if it had not been for Shivaji, all would
have been circumcised (converted).
और कौन गिनतीमें भूली गति भब की |
चारों वर्ण धर्म छोडि कलमा निवाज पढ़ी ,
सिवाजी न होतो तो सुनति होत सब की ||
राखी हिन्दुवानी, हिन्दुवनको तिलक राख्यो |
अस्मृती पुराण राखे वेदविधि सुनी मैं ||
आपल्या तलावारीने हिंदुत्वाचे संरक्षण केले.हिन्दुंचा तिलक राखला आहे. श्रुति, स्मृति व पुराणातील आचारधर्माचे संरक्षण केले.
राखी रजपुती , रजधानी राखी राजन की |
धरामे धर्म राख्यो , राख्यो गुन गुनी मैं ||
राजपुतांचा क्षात्र धर्म व राजांच्या राजधान्यांना आपणच स्थैर्य प्राप्त करून दिले आहे. पृथ्वीवर धर्म आपणच राखला आहे. गुणिजनांमधील श्रेष्ठ गुणांचे अस्तित्व आपल्यामुळेच राहिले आहे.
भूषण सुकवि , जीती हद्द मरह्टट्न की |
देस देस कीर्ति , बरवानी तव सुनी मैं ||
आपण महाराष्ट्राची महानता वाढवली आहे व महाराष्ट्राला श्रेष्ठता प्राप्त करून दिली आहे. आपली किर्ती दिगंतात पसरलेली आहे.
साही के सपूत , सिवराज समशेर तेरी |
दिल्ली दल दाबी कै, दिवाल राखी दुनी मैं ||
हे! शहाजींचे वीर पुत्र शिवाजी महाराज! आपल्या दिव्या तलवारीने दिल्लीपतीच्या सेनेचा पराभव करून, जगात हिंदुंच्या मान मर्यादांचे संरक्षण केले आहे.
वेद राखे विदित , पुराण राखे सारयुत |
रामनाम राख्यो , अति रसना सुघर मैं ||
वेदांचे आणि पुराणांचे सामर्थ्य आपल्यामुळेच टिकून राहिले आहे. आपल्यामुळेच भाविकांच्या जिभेवर रामनाम अस्तित्व शिल्लक आहे.
हिन्दुन की चोटी, रोटी राखी है सिपहीन की |
कान्दे मैं जनेऊ राखे , माला राखी गर मैं ||
हिंदुंच्या पवित्र शिखेला व सैनिकांच्या भाकरीला आपल्यामुळेच संरक्षण मिळाले आहे. यज्ञोपवितांना व पवित्र जपमाळांना आपण वाचाविले आहे.
मिडी राखे मुगल , मरोरी राखे पातसाह |
बैरीपिसी राखे , बरदान राख्यो कर मैं ||
मोगलांच्या सामंतांचाच नव्हे, तर बादशाहचाही आपण धुव्वा उडविलात. निग्रहानुग्रहाचे सामर्थ्य आपण प्रकट केले आहे. देवळातील देव व घरामधील धर्म केवळ आपल्यामुळेच शिल्लक राहिला आहे.
राजन की हद्द राखी , तेगबल सिवराज |
देव राखे देवल , स्वधर्म राख्यो घर मैं ||
सभोवाताली सर्व यवनांचे कार्य अक्षुण्णपणे चालू असता व यवन सैनिकांनी मंदिरे पाडून त्या जागी अल्लाचा ध्वज फडकविला असता, राजे महाराजे भयग्रस्त व पतित होऊन तोंडदेखील बाहेर काढत नव्हते.
देवल गिराविते , फिराविते निसान अली |
ऐसे डूबे रावराने , सबी गए लबकी ||गौर गणपती आप , औरनको देत ताप |
आपनी ही बार सब , मारी गये दबकी ||
थोडेसे पुजविधन चुकले तर भक्तांनाच ताप देणाय्रा देवी, गणपती आदि देवदेवतांना आपल्यावरील या यावनी संकटांचा प्रतिकार करणे अशक्य वाटून ते लपून बसले होते.
पीरा पैगंबर , दिगंबर दिखाई देत |
सिद्ध की सिदधाई गई , रही बात रब की ||
सिद्धांची सिद्धि समाप्त होवून जिकडे तिकडे पीर, पैगंबर, फकीर, अवलिया यांचेच साम्राज्य पसरलेले होते.
कासी की कला जाती, मथुरा मस्जिद होती |
सिवाजी न होते तो , सुन्नत होती सबकी ||
अशा स्थितीत जर शिवाजी महाराज झाले नसते, तर काशी कलाहीन झाली असती,मथुरेला मशीद उभा राहीली असती अणि हिन्दुंची सुन्ता झाली असती.
If you really respect
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and all that he stood for, protest against haters of Shivaji Maharaj and Hindu Dharma.
What you can do to
protect Dharma?
- Write a protest letter to the concerned authorities and Government against any defamation of Shivaji Maharaj
- Create awareness among your
friends and relatives and ask them to protest.
- Lodge the police complaint and
pursue the matter of such defamations.
And the most important
is to start your spiritual practice to attain the blessings of God and Saints
as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj did.
Har
Har Mahadev!
Jay Bhavani, Jay Shivaji!!
Jay Bhavani, Jay Shivaji!!
Courtesy from:
