Vishvaguru () or Vishwaguru is a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
phrase and idea which translates to world or global teacher,
world
guru
Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...
, tutors of the world,
world leader,
or teacher to the world or universe.
Translation
() consists of two words: () and ().
Contemporary references
In 1999,
Rajendra Singh
Rajendra Singh (born 6 August 1959) is an Indian water conservationist and environmentalist from Alwar district, Rajasthan in India. Also known as "waterman of India", he won the Magsaysay Award in 2001 and Stockholm Water Prize in 2015. He ...
, the fourth
Sarsanghchalak, or leader, of the
Hindu nationalist
Hindu nationalism has been collectively referred to as the expression of political thought, based on the native social and cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent. "Hindu nationalism" is a simplistic translation of . It is better descri ...
volunteer organisation,
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS,, ) is an Indian right-wing politics, right-wing, Hindutva, Hindu nationalist volunteer paramilitary organisation. It is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar ( ...
(RSS), wrote "people have to forego and limit their personal pleasure and work for the realisation of the dream of making
Bharat
Bharat, or Bharath, may refer to:
* Bharat (term), the name for India in various Indian languages
** India, a country
** Bharata Khanda, the Sanskrit name for the Indian subcontinent
** Bharatavarsha, another Sanskrit name for the Indian subcon ...
the ''Vishwaguru'' again. Great men such as
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda () (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindus, Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. Vivekananda was a major figu ...
,
Savarkar, Dr.
Hedgewar
Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (1 April 1889 – 21 June 1940), also known by his moniker Doctorji, was an Indian physician who founded the Hindutva paramilitary organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), in Nagpur in 1925.
Early life
Hedgewar ...
,
Subhas Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose (23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945) was an Indian independence movement, Indian nationalist whose defiance of British raj, British authority in India made him a hero among many Indians, but his wartime alliances with ...
,
Aurobindo Ghose
Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian yogi, maharishi, and Indian nationalist. He also edited the newspaper ''Bande Mataram''.
Aurobindo studied for the Indian Civil Service at King's ...
, saw this dream and did wonderful work towards its realisation."
The phrase has also been used by the sixth RSS head
Mohan Bhagwat
Mohan Madhukar Rao Bhagwat (; born 11 September 1950) is the sixth and current '' Sarsanghchalak'' (Chief) of the nationalist social organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since 2009.
Early life
Mohan Madhukar Bhagwat was born in a M ...
.
The word has been used during the
premiership of Narendra Modi
The premiership of Narendra Modi began 26 May 2014 with his swearing-in as the prime minister of India at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He succeeded Manmohan Singh of the Indian National Congress (INC). Modi's first cabinet consisted of 45 ministe ...
as a political catchphrase, as a long-term strategy, and to remind Indians of past glory.
The Vice President of India,
M. Venkaiah Naidu, used the phrase with reference the India's
National Education Policy of 2020.
, widely known as the Father of the
Green Revolution in India
The Green Revolution in India was a period that began in the delhi and bhoj converted into a modern industrial system by the adoption of technology, such as the use of high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, mechanized farm tools, irrigation facil ...
, has been called a "Vishwa Guru in Agriculture, a teacher and a scholar who continues to leave his inspirational, ideational thought prints on the world" by Naidu.
Shivshankar Menon
Shivshankar Menon (born 5 July 1949) is a retired Indian diplomat of Indian Foreign Service who served as National Security Advisor of India to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He had previously served as the Foreign Secretary in the Minist ...
, India's fourth
National Security Advisor, has commented on the usage of the phrase under Modi, saying that India is not now, or anywhere near, being a net exporter of knowledge and ideas.
On a more practical level, Menon says that it is not clear "how ''vishwaguru'' status would address the immediate problems of livelihood and security that the Indian people and nation face".
Further reading
*
*
*
See also
*
Vishvamitra
Vishvamitra (, ) is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India. Vishvamitra is one of the seven Brahmarshi. According to Hindu tradition, he is stated to have written most of the Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Gay ...
*
Hindu Mythology
Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...
References
; Notes
; Citations
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Sanskrit words and phrases