SWAMI, SAINT, GODMAN – A SWING IN DEFINITION

I read this article today that the Godman Chandraswami was acquitted from the St. Kitts case. The other day I see one of our respected saints commenting about the nomination of Ms. Sonia Gandhi as the Prime Minister. And nowadays we see saints, sanyasis, swamijis and swaminis trying to gain spotlight in all fronts other than spirituality.

I just wanted to check up whether the definition of these spiritual terms have changed over the period of time with liberalization and globalization of our society. From what I have learnt from my childhood days and what my elders and teachers have thought me, taking sanyas means renouncing all the worldly bonds, the passion for materialistic goals and virtually everything and seek the highest spiritual goal of uniting with the Supreme power. And as people used to climb the ladder of spirituality alienating themselves more and more from the worldly affairs, they were graded by the titles of swamijis, acharyas, rishis, brahmarishis etc.

But now the definition seems to have become diametrically opposite. A person who is a total broke or pauper, who has nothing or nobody in this world to call his own and is not even sure of his next meal takes up the spiritual path, because anyway he does not have anything to renounce and becomes a sanyasi. And there begins his quest for worldly matters. In the next few years from absolutely nobody behind him, we find atleast a thousand people crowding behind him wherever he goes, he would live in a palace like farmhouse supposedly called an “Ashram”, travel only by luxury cars and Airplanes, secured by black cat commandos, becomes the chief guest in all political, social and business gatherings and what not. Any worldly and material requirements that you can ask for is made available to the modern day spiritual leader.

I read from one of my fellow Chennai blogger (Ramya) that the “Pattu Pavadai” a traditional South Indian children wear has been re-invented and re-introduced as “Cinderella Pavadai” to suit the latest westernized Indian taste. Anyway that atleast helped in bringing back the tradition, so what if it is with a slight modification. But by changing the definition of the term "sanyas", thanks to the modern day spiritual leaders, are we not making a mockery of spirituality. I really fail to understand whether this change of definition would do us all any good at a time when foreigners are increasingly becoming more spiritual (in its earlier definition) in their thought and action so as to live in peace and tranquility.