ED Nabs Kupwara
life, he felt that despite fully living the “bhakti”, there was a void, a distance, adding that it was the joy of “bhajan kirtan” that enabled his full immersion in the moment.
“I have personally felt the power of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s tradition. I was clapping today as a devotee and not as a prime minister when the kirtan was on,” he said.
The biggest manifestation of distance from one’s own roots is forgetting one’s capabilities and strengths, Modi said, ruing that this happened with the glorious tradition of “bhakti” too.
He said “bhakti”, rationality and modernity are considered contradictory to each other by many, adding that devotion is not despair, but hope and confidence. It involves securing victory over oneself and working for the humanity.
Due to this spirit, India never attacked other countries to expand its borders, the prime minister said.
“Today, in the Amrit Kaal of independence, the country is taking forward the resolve of the saints by taking the pledge of freedom from the mentality of slavery,” he added.
Saints propagating the “bhakti” tradition have played an invaluable role not only in the freedom movement but also in guiding the country through every challenging phase, Modi said. Throughout India’s tumultuous history, eminent saints and spiritual leaders have emerged to provide direction to the country in various capacities, he added.
Describing Srila Prabhupada’s life as an example of “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat”, Modi noted that he was born in Puri, took initiation in the tradition of Ramanujacharya, who was from south India, and carried on the tradition of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who had his monastery in Bengal.
“Bengal is a source of constant energy from spirituality and intellectuality,” the prime minister said, adding that it has given the country saints like Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Rabindranath Tagore and Raja Rammohan Roy.
Special Judge ACB (CBI-Cases) Srinagar, Kashmir, which has granted the custody of the accused to it till February 13.