In a significant address that looked to India's future by drawing from its ancient past, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat declared that the nation has moved beyond the days of foreign invasions and is now poised to unfurl its flag at the soon-to-be-consecrated Ram temple in Ayodhya.
A New Chapter for India
Speaking at the Gita Prerna Mahotsav in Lucknow on Sunday, Bhagwat powerfully connected the nation's civilisational resilience with its contemporary destiny. "Those days of grandeur did not exist and the days of invasions too passed," he stated. "Now, we are going to unfurl the flag at the Ram temple. India existed then too, it exists now as well."
He reflected on a millennium of challenges, noting that Bharatvarsh faced ruin through invasions and slavery, which led to the loss of religious sites and forced conversions. Despite this turbulent history, he emphasized that India's core identity endured.
The Bhagavad Gita as a Guide for Modern Life
Linking this national revival to personal transformation, Bhagwat positioned the Bhagavad Gita as an essential guide for a world he described as "lost, exhausted and directionless." He argued that material comforts have failed to provide inner peace or moral clarity, drawing a parallel between the confusion faced by Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra and the uncertainties of today's global landscape.
He urged the audience to move beyond mere recitation of the scripture's 700 verses. "We are here because the Gita has to be lived, not just recited," Bhagwat asserted. "Its 700 slokas must be read, contemplated and applied in our daily lives." He highlighted the Gita's call for courage and duty, quoting Lord Krishna's advice to Arjuna to stand firm, confront problems, and act without ego or fear.
Adityanath on RSS Funding and Dharma
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who also addressed the gathering, provided a robust defense of the RSS's volunteer-driven funding model. He explicitly stated that the organization does not rely on foreign or institutional money. "There is no funding pattern. No OPEC country or international church funds it," Adityanath said. "RSS stands on the strength of society and works with a spirit of service."
Echoing Bhagwat's spiritual themes, the Chief Minister described the Gita as a "divine mantra" and elaborated on the Indian concept of religion. "In our tradition, religion is not limited to rituals or methods of worship; these are only small components," he explained, adding that the essence of Sanatan Dharma is the art of living. He called on citizens to practice their duty and responsibility, stating that moral conduct yields virtue while wrongdoing brings sin.
Adityanath also took aim at those who, in his view, have corrupted the idea of service, turning it into "a tool of deals and influence." He criticized attempts to alter India's demographic character through pressure and greed. Concluding on a note of progress, he called for technological innovations, such as using robots for sewage cleaning, to improve the ease of living and reduce risks for manual workers.
