Loktantra Diwas/Matsyandranath rath yatra Praarambha/Aadhyaguru Shankaracharya Jayanti | लोकतन्त्र दिवस/मत्स्यन्द्रनाथ रथ यात्रा प्रारम्भ/आद्यगुरु शंकराचार्य जयन्ती | 2080 Baishakh 11 | Hamro Patro

Loktantra Diwas/Matsyandranath rath yatra Praarambha/Aadhyaguru Shankaracharya Jayanti

Remembering all the known and unknown martyrs of the People's Movement (Jana Andolan), and all the fighters of the democracy, paying tribute to the democrat warriors, thinkers, and soldiers who died in every series of People's War. Due to the great sacrifice and austerity of everyone, today, federal democratic Nepal has arrived at the confluence of the 17th Democratic Day.

Every Baisakh 11, the golden day in the manifestation of a newer Nepal, Happy Loktantra Diwas.

The day of the abolition of the royal family and the direct rule of the monarchy with the commencement of the democratic republic Nepal are celebrated with grandeur all over the country.

In this transformation, Nepal has seen a lot of tragedies, bloodsheds, revolutions, bullets, deaths, and dreams. Today is the day of reviewing all of them and calculating how far we ran towards the dream of a newer and prosperous Nepal.

After the Second People's Movement of 62 and 63 BS, the autocratic monarchy fell to its knees on Baishakh 11. After a decade long armed conflict in Nepal, Maoist, and other political parties agreed and started a combined revolution against the autocratic monarch. With the success of the People's Movement, the warring CPN-Maoist returned to the peace process.

While celebrating Democracy Day to commemorate the end of King Gyanendra's direct rule after the 19-day protest, many have expressed frustration and grievances on social media. It is certain that widespread corruption, inequality, factional strife and unhealthy competition for power have pushed the country away from the mainstream of development. However, 16 years ago today, the conflicting parties also came to the mainstream of politics and agreed to draw a blueprint for a new Nepal.

The former King Gyanendra Shah had gone out of the Narayanhiti Durbar by handing over the ruling power to the Nepali people, thus the journey of constitution assembly was started. Almost a decade long constitution-making efforts and two episodes of the election, Nepal finally crafted and drafted its new constitution on the Asoj 3rd of 2072 BS.

The promises are yet to be kept, to a larger extent people have started to lose their faith upon the system and a dream of newer Nepal is still predominantly dictated by the hangover of an older Nepal. The transformation is still incomplete, the imperials have just changed their forms and the Singhadurbar is not equally distributed in every corner of Nepal, this is a perfect day to look back and learn where we are failing on our pursuit to prosperity. The treasures of imperials and oppressors are yet so protected and oppressed are yet ironically voiceless.

There are so many events, sermons, workshops, political gatherings and speeches organized across Nepal, the president also delivers a speech on this day. Let democracy be proved as a true democracy, remittance of wages sent by youth Nepali from abroad is indeed not sustainable.

May justice and prosperity abode. Let there be a fire in every stove, and blossom in the courtyard.

Matsyandranath rath yatra Praarambha

Kathmandu valley annually commemorates the chariot festival (Jatra) on the glory of Yogi Matseyanandrnath since 1600 years and even more. This Jatra lasts for two months starting from Baisakh Shukla pratipada till Asar Shukla Chauthi. Today, on the Tritiya Tithi, the movement of the holy chariot is beginning, may every cyclic movement of the chariot brings peace, calmness, and prosperity, may the world be normal again.
The cultural and religious significance of Jatra is of particular importance, says the cultural expert.

The Jatra, which is one of the most important of Patan and the longest Jatra of the valley has been carrying an undisputable discipline and symmetrical faith prehistoric. Today is the commencing day of this Jatra, my utmost prayers for Matsenyanandrnath before I begin my write-up by reintroducing Yogi Matsenyanandrnath through my drab words and naive explanations, forgive me if any wrong judgment. Yogi Matsenyanandrnath is a Siddha who can control the forces of nature, he is hugely observed as a lord of rainfall in Nepal. One who practices Yoga is called Yogi and Yogi Matsenyanandrnath is a Siddha who is also acknowledged for delivering his knowledge to Gorakhnath, Yogi Gorakhnath is hugely worshipped across the globe and the Nepali royal clan expresses their large proximity with the rituals in offering and worshiping Yogi Gorakhnath. Go means "Earth" and Rakh means to protect, the entire earth is protected by a boy called Gorakhnath who is not just a disciple but also a son of Yogi Matsenyanandrnath. There is a very interesting story of the manifestation of Gorakhnath by Yogi Matsenyanandrnath, I will elaborate on that story some other day. In Sanskrit Matsenyanandrnath translates to the lord of fishes, Yogi Matsenyanandrnath is Maha svarupa, and Matsya Svarupa, he is a founder of Kaula tradition.

Let me explain Kaula to you, it is said that Yogi Matsenyanandrnath spent twelve years in the belly of fish in the ocean (this is called "Kula"). Kula is also described as an illusion that is mastered and defeated by Yogi Matsenyanandrnath, "Kaula" is the origin of Vajrayana Buddhism and Kashmiri Shaivism.

oṁ siddha yogī matsyendra nāthāya namaḥ
Matsenyanandrnath or Machindranath is called Bunga Dyah in the local Newa language, recognized by both (Hindu and Buddhists) as an incarnation of Lord Shiva in Hindu and as an incarnation of Avalokiteśvara in Buddhism.

At the beginning of the Jatra of Lalitpur-based Red Matsyendranath, the idol of Karunamayi is made from the soil of the present Mahepi hill and the spirit of the Karunamayi in the Kalash is established in that clay idol. That idol is washed today, all these rituals happen under delicate supervision and keen involvement of community people. This auspicious chariot is then carried and placed in several avenues of Lalitpur city during these two months of the Jatra celebration, finally, after showing the auspicious "Bhoto" at Jawalakhel this Jatra concludes and the idol is respectfully carried to Bungmati. The ancient village of Bungmati is the birthplace of Yogi Matsenyanandrnath, this is where the holy idol of Matsenyanandrnath rests for the next six months after the chariot festival.

This year is adverse and congregations are forbidden because of the Corona crisis. Lord Matsenyanandrnath has a million Kripas upon us, may his blessings and leadership drive us.

Meaningful wishes

Shankaracharya Jayanti

Who is Shankaracharya ?
Jagatguru Adi Shankaracharya is a champion thinker and a charmer, an unchallenged king of Santana philosophy who appeared right

on time when the entire world was sunk in a quagmire of superstitions and scriptural misinterpretations.

Shankaracharya also represents the most riotous sardonicism in the universe of philosophy, he is turned hidden Buddhist by Vedantic, and Buddhist curse him for ending the wave of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent and reestablish Vedas.

However, a single person who only lived till his mid-thirties was able to study Vedas, interpret them, reinterpret them, and travel across the Indian subcontinent organized debates and created a balance in society through delivering the knowledge of Vedas. His philosophical prowess satisfied the Vedic scholars and his sharp intellect and magical articulation defeated his philosophical rivalries. Layman was hugely pleased by his simple yet pious way of devotion, his bhajans mesmerized the crowds and the Sanatan Philosophy was reestablished with all its glory. I still can't figure out why some historians and writers blamed him as a hidden Buddhist, plausibly this could be because he redeemed falsely imposed worthless priests and ended the academic imperils of Sanatan manifest.

The contribution of Adi Guru Shankaracharya.
To understand the herculean contribution made by Jagatguru, we must go back to the 8th century CE, the religious and spiritual essence was rampant during then and the rigid and exploitive ritualism was highly prevailing in the society. Because of this rigid and exploitive ritualism, rejecting Vedas and accepting Buddhism was happening, villages and cities were transforming into anti-Sanatan ideas and the religious and spiritual transition was creating a huge wave of Buddhism into the Indian subcontinent. The essence of Sanatan philosophy with its all-embracing message of love, compassion, and pervasiveness of humankind was completely lost in the blind ritualistic performance.

Disliked by Buddhists.
On the other side, Buddhist curse him for ending the wave of expanding Budhhsim but that is nothing but a conspiracy. I belong to Nepal which is the world's only Hindu capital (Former world's only the Hindu Kingdom) but an exclusive spiritual land that holds a mesmerizing mixture of Hinduism and Buddhism. We have temples and idols where the same idols or statues are named after different gods of Hindu and Buddhist philosophies. Buddha is worshiped equally as other Hindu deities and gods, ancient pond of Kathmandu valley is believed to have been cut by the Buddhist deity "Majushree" and people from both faiths worship him. An idol at Pashupati is worshiped as Manjushree by Buddhists however, the same idol is worshipped as "Saraswoti" by Hindus. This harmony and integration were commenced and institutionalized by Jagatguru, he redefined Bhakti as a tool to achieve eternal oneness with the ultimate energy.

Shankaracharya started writing major commentaries on scriptural texts at the age of 12 and concluded his every commentaries and redefinition by the age of 16, he was a true son of God, an incarnation sent to reestablish and reconstruct the spiritual and religious essence of society. He expanded the narrow philosophies and drab systems of worship, established 4 ashrams in 4 corners of India, and institutionally placed his four disciples to propagate Advita through them. These Ashrams are the institutions that still institutionalize and safeguard Sanatan philosophies and construct researches and Sastrathas. Lend me a million words, still, they will not complete the articulation upon the contribution of Jagatguru, I must say that I am not bringing his birthplace or family or village in today's context. Jagaturu must not be confined in all these minimal identifications, an incarnation of Lord Shiva only lived till 32 years and achieved all these.

Happy birth anniversary to Jagatguru, we need another Shankaracharya today, we do.

Suyog Dhakal