Morari Bapu’s Ram Katha begins at at Sanders Theatre in Harvard on India’s 80th Independence Day

The commencement of the Katha on India’s 80th Independence Day added a special significance to the occasion. The programme began with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp and Vedic ghanapath, followed by a welcome ceremony by the organisers and Lord Dolar Popat. Saints and spiritual leaders from India, Katha narrators, writers, scholars, thinkers and other guests were present at the opening.

Speaking on the significance of the occasion, Bapu described the coming together of the venue and the spiritual gathering as a meeting of ‘hard work and heart work’. He said that the world today needs the language of saints and expressed his gratitude for the welcome and respect extended to the programme.

“This was meant to happen, and therefore it is happening. This is not historical, it is spiritual,” Bapu said

Describing the Ramcharitmanas as a sadgrantha, or a noble scripture, with universal relevance, he highlighted truth, love and compassion as its three foundational principles. He also said that it should not merely be worshipped as a text, but should be lived and practised.

“Until a word becomes an action, nothing really comes of it. This is a scripture meant to be lived,” Bapu said.

Explaining the distinction between a granth and a granthi, Bapu said a granthi is an inner knot that makes a person hold on to and protect rejection, while a granth opens a path from rejection towards acceptance.

Reflecting on the setting of the Katha, Bapu said the presence of the Ramcharitmanas at a university was not unusual, given that literature regards it as a mahakavya or great epic. He noted that Goswami Tulsidasji described it not merely as a great epic but also as a mahamantra.

He also spoke about the need to move beyond the worldly and the other-worldly to discover what is original and fundamental.

During the first day, Bapu narrated the story of Kunala and Emperor Ashoka to illustrate the destructive nature of rejection and the transformative power of compassion. He also reflected on the structure of the Manas, including its seven stages, and the sequence of salutations to the deities, the Guru and the characters of the Ramayana.

“I have no mission, but I do have a sweet aspiration that the heart becomes a thinker and the intellect rises beyond the three gunas,” Bapu said.

The ongoing Ram Katha is also significant for marking the first celebration of Tulsi Janmotsav outside India. Around 50 Katha narrators from different parts of India, along with Gujarati writers, poets, artists and eminent personalities from different fields, are participating in the celebrations. Tulsi Janmotsav will be observed on August 19, on the occasion of Tulsi Jayanti.

Alongside the daily Ram Katha, evening sessions featuring discourses by scholars and eminent speakers will also be held during the nine-day programme.

Morari Bapu has previously conducted 39 Ram Kathas in the US. The ongoing ‘Manas Guru Prasad’ Ram Katha marks his 40th Ram Katha on American soil and his 982nd Ram Katha overall

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