Sri Bharatamata

Ashtottaram 33

 

33) OṀ BODHA BHŨMYAINAMAH:

OṀ (AUM) - BO -DHA - BHOO- MYAI- NA--MA- HA

 

      (Bodha: means-Teaching knowledge, wisdom and values)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 'Bodha' is that which is conducive to well-being.  There are different ways one can educate the others: conduct, social, philosophical, spiritual and political, etc. It is very common in India that teachers, parents, relatives, friends and sometimes even neighbors teach children good conduct, manners and behavior if they happened to see the child behaving rudely, inappropriately or disrespectfully. Elders don't have the attitude of 'why should I care, it is not my child'. In the society each and everyone plays a role in a child's upbringing. They do not have the fear of lawsuits like westerners do. They all chip in, in advising the child not to speak vulgarly, and teach them how to behave properly and respectfully.

 

Swamis are the preceptors who teach Self-knowledge and remove one's ignorance about his/her true nature of Bliss. Guatama Buddha of Buddhism has experienced enlightenment under a 'Bodhi tree' and is hence called 'Bodhisattva'. His teachings are available as fables and tales to humanity to take their journey in righteous path. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekānanda contributed to the world in general and to India in many ways through their bodhanās (teachings). Swami Vivekānanda restored the national self-respect of the Indians by re-educating them in their past glory, advised them against blindly imitating the west, but also exhorted them to learn best from it, in which we have been deficient. He effectively pointed out that religion in the sense of spiritual evolution-is the soul of India and that all developments or reformations should be done only through that.

 

Lord Sri Krishna did Gīta bodha to Arjuna on the battle field-the Bhagavdgīta, which is a household book at every Hindu's home. Vishnu Śharma taught political nēti (conduct, rules and regulations to be a king) to the princes of a King and these bodhās are well known to Indians as 'Panchatantra'. These tales and fables about conduct are very useful at this time for everyone around the world. We have Swamis like Sri Ramaṇamaharshi, Sri Vidyāraṇya swami, Sri Dayananda Saraswati and many more teachers spent their lives in teaching us the code of conduct, spiritual knowledge, and self knowledge to pave our lives in a righteous path.

 

The motherland which has teachers that teach us the right path and values is 'Bodha Bhūmi'.