Saint
Morari Bapu
Born
Morari Bapu

(1946-03-02) 2 March 1946 (age 78)
Talgajarda, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India
NationalityIndian
CitizenshipIndian
Occupation(s)Reciter, Ram Charit Manas
SpouseNarmadaben Hariyani
Children4
Websitechitrakutdhamtalgajarda.org

Morari Bapu (born Moraridas Prabhudas Hariyani, 2 March 1946) is an Indian spiritual leader and narrator of Rama katha from Gujarat. He is an exponent of Ramcharitmanas with more than 900 kathas recited over the last 60 years.[1] Bapu's core message is truth, love, and compassion (satya-prem-karuna) and encouraging awareness about Hindu scriptures.[2][3]

Early life

Morari Bapu was born on 2 March 1946 (Maha Shivaratri according to the Hindu calendar) in Talgajarda village in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, to Prabhudas Hariyani and Savitriben Hariyani, in a family of six brothers and two sisters.[4][5] His family followed Nimbarka Sampradaya, a Hindu Vaishnava tradition.[6] Both the Ramcharitmanas and the Bhagavad Gita were embedded in Bapu's life from childhood.[7]

Tribhuvandas, grandfather and guru of Bapu, taught him the deeper meanings of Goswami Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas and initiated him on the path of recitation of the sacred text, i.e., the narration of katha. Bapu recited the Ramcharitmanas Chaupais (stanzas or couplets) while walking to and from school, and thus began his journey of oration.[8][9]

After completing secondary education, Bapu joined the Shahpur Teacher's Training College in Junagadh. In 1966, Bapu started teaching at a primary school in Mahuva.[6]

Lineage

Nimbarkiya Lineage

Dhyanswami Bapa, the first from Bapu's lineage of saints (sadhu parampara), followed the Nimbark tradition.[10] Dhyanswami Bapa immersed himself in the ground alive (took Jeevant Samadhi) at Senjal Dham, approximately an hour away from Mahuva. Dhyanswami Bapa's disciple, Jeevandas Bapa, decided to devote his life to the service of humanity; however, on guidance from Dhyanswami Bapa, he got married, and this formed Bapu's ancestral origin.[10] Tribhuvandas Bapu's younger brother, Vishnu Devanand Giri, was the 6th Mahamandaleshwar of Kailash Ashram, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Uttarakhand (India).[9]

Career

When Bapu was 14 years old, he began reciting Ram Katha under the guidance and encouragement of his grandfather and spiritual mentor, Tribhuvandas Bapu.[4] Initially, he would recite verses from the Ramcharitmanas to a small group of people under a banyan tree named Tribhuvan Vat, named after his grandfather, mentor, and guru in his village.[6][11] As time went on, he began to recite at the Ram Temple in both his village, Talgajarda, and the nearby town of Mahuva.[12][7]

Bapu's first 9-day katha outside of Talgajarda was in 1966 at Ramfaldas Maharaj's ashram in Ganthila village, Gujarat. He gave his first discourse abroad in Nairobi, Kenya in 1976.[4][7][13][14] Kathas based in Gujarat are narrated in Gujarati, and in the rest of India and abroad, in Hindi.[9][8]

Bapu has also narrated the 19 verses of the Gopi Geet as Manas Gopi Geet.[3]

Bapu's Ram Kathas can be seen on the Aastha TV network[15][16][17] and the Chitrakutdham Talgajarda YouTube channel. [17][18] The largest gathering at one of Bapu's Ram Kathas to date has been 1.2 million people over the course of nine days in Nathdwara, Rajasthan (India).[19]

Bapu has traversed major areas and pilgrimages in India, including Amarnath, Vaishno Devi, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Kurukshetra, Vraj Chaurasi, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Hastinapur, Naimisharanya, Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Bet Dwarka, Bodh Gaya, Jagannath Puri, Dhanushkodi, Rameshwaram, Somnath, Vaishno Devi, Ambaji and Ayodhya. Some overseas Kathas would include Toronto, Atlanta, Panama, Amazon Rainforest, London, Paris, Switzerland, Vatican City, Athens, South Africa, Mauritius, Jordan, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Rakshastal, Kailash, Bhushundi Sarovar, Moscow, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Bali, Hiroshima, Sydney and New Zealand.[20] Bapu's other unique Kathas include – A Katha on board a cruise ship and on board a flight;[21] Katha in the Cambridge University Campus having UK Prime minister Rishi Sunak attend on 77th Indian Independence Day and greeted the audience with Jai Siya Ram;[22] A 12 Jyotirlings Katha journey of 12000 km by train in 18 days from Kedarnath to Somnath; A Katha at Ayodhya to celebrate Ram Temple Consecration ceremony.[23][24]

Bapu does not charge for his recitations of Ram Katha. His sermons are open to everyone without financial or other restrictions, regardless of age, gender, caste, creed, or social status.[7][3]

Spiritual views and Teachings

Bapu's overall ethos of katha is universal peace by reciting nine-day discourses, spreading the message of truth (satya), love (prem), and compassion (karuna), and relating the Ramcharitmanas scripture to everyday lives, embedding spirituality rather than religion.[25][26][27]

Bapu defines religion as truth, love, and compassion. According to him, the conventional idea of being religious is confined to going to temples or churches and observing fasts, but the idea of religion as truth, love, and compassion goes beyond the boundaries of countries and continents.[28]

Bapu's line of thought is “not to improve, but to accept all”.[7] Bapu does not see those who listen to or attend the Ram Kathas as his followers. Instead, he calls them "flowers".[3]

Bapu spreads awareness about the essentials of life, which captures the interest of numerous young individuals who are also drawn to attend katha. People should come out of the mental crises of jealousy (Īrṣyā), backbiting and criticism (ninda) and hatred (dvesh).[9]

Bapu supports environment-related causes.[29] Cows should be nurtured and worshipped, not harmed.[30][31][32] Bapu believes in ‘Pravahi Parampara’ (flowing tradition). He has been speaking for progressive norms in the 21st century and feels there should be no stagnancy in religious beliefs.[33]

Bapu says that the Ramcharitmanas is meant for the welfare and development of every living being.[25]

Bapu has faith in the five elements (Pancha tattva) philosophy.[34] As per him, the five cardinal elements of Sanatan Dharma are: Bhagavan Ganesha, Bhagavan Rama, Bhagavan Krishna, Bhagavan Shiva, Goddess Durga (representing all goddesses).[34] And all philosophy is contained in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, the Bhagvad Gita and the Ramayana.

Bapu celebrates and espouses the importance of Sanatan Dharma festivals like Diwali,[35] Janmashtami, Ram Navami,[36] Shravan Maas and Navratri[37] and encourages vegetarianism[38] and keeping the Holy Basil Plant (Tulsi) in homes.[39][40]

Morari Bapu himself follows the tradition of bhiksha, a sacred ritual in the Sanatan Dharma of accepting food as alms without any personal choices and eating whatever is served.[41]

Philanthropy

Bapu has reached the "last man" by actively contributing to various possible social causes based on the needs of the hour.

References

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