The Great Festival of Exploration of Knowledge
Vasant Panchami, which is falling on January 24 this year, is the day of incarnation and worship of Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge. In our Mission, this day is celebrated as the spiritual birthday of Yugrishi Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya, the exponent of scientific spirituality. The world is a witness to the fact that the Yugrishi spent his entire life in the dissemination of knowledge and in redefining its meaning.
In this era, Acharyasri has given a new meaning to Vasant Panchami as the day of worship of Mother Saraswati, Knowledge and the Knowledgeable. During his entire life Gurudev celebrated Vasant Panchami as the festival of pursuit of Truth and Knowledge. He taught us that worshipping Mother Saraswati is not about offering flowers at her portrait. The true worship lies in surrendering oneself to the exploration of knowledge. According to him, knowledge is that which eradicates poverty and weakness. He also emphasized that a scholar is not one who has read many books, but he is one who is tapasvi (one who has controlled his senses) and manasvi (one who has controlled his mind); one who is continuously engaged in the exploration of knowledge.
Pujya Gurudev firmly believed that solutions for the problems plaguing the country would be found only when intellectuals contemplate on these issues. He questioned the utility of those researches that finally end up in the storage cabinets of colleges and universities. What is the use of research that is of no use to oneself or anybody in real life? Similarly, what is the use of awarding degrees which are merely limited to putting the title of Dr. before recipients' names?
Gurudev believed that research is the work of rishis. Those who are really interested in research activity are the rishis of this age. As far as the issue of tumbling standards of research is concerned, it starts with choosing the topic for research. Those who choose a topic just for the sake of earning a degree, there is neither a strong basis for their work nor is there any relationship to the problem they are trying to resolve. In true sense, one needs to research for a topic to embark on research.
Expansive and holistic perspective is the basis for true research. Both life and nature are continuously evolving. The mindset of a person, circumstances, family, society and the cultural framework keep changing continuously. In the expansive context of this evolving life, both problems and solutions become obsolete. Hence, to find new solutions to newer problems, research should go hand in hand with life.
Param Pujya Gurudev performed various experiments in his life and the effective conclusions that were reached and practical techniques that were culled out were shared with the masses through the medium of Akhand Jyoti magazine. On the same lines, he established Brahmavarchas Research Institute, which in its current expanded form is known to all as Dev Sanskriti University. Param Pujya Gurudev wanted an aptitude for research to become an integral part of life and wanted to launch it as a mass campaign. Our mission is to realize this dream of Gurudev.
"Real learning comes about when the competitive spirit has ceased." — J. Krishnamurti
"The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty." — James Madison
"Science is a game — but a game with reality, a game with sharpened knives. In the presentation of a scientific problem, the other player is the good Lord." — Erwin Schrödinger (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1933)