In 1938, about a decade before the dawn of Indian Independence, Kulapati Dr. K.M. Munshi, a far-sighted visionary and practical idealist, along with three of his close associates, founded the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan to preserve and propagate Sanskrit, the mother of languages.
Over the years, from being a modest indological research institution, the Bhavan, which was founded with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi, has steadily grown into a comprehensive, co-operative national movement, with an international outlook, for the promotion of ethical and spiritual values.
Bharatiya Vidya or Indian Culture, stands for the age-old but ever young Vedic concepts of Rita, Satya, Yajna and Tapas which, in modern parlance, mean the supremacy of the Majesty of the Moral Law anchored to Dharma; complete accord of thought, word and deed, which is Satya; discipline or self control by obliterating selfishness, erasing the ego, which is Samyama; and acting with a sense of dedication to God — an attitude of Ishvara Pranidhana — which is Samarpana. Dharma by itself encapsules Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram — the ideals of Truth, Goodness and Beauty.
The Bhavan’s activities touch “all aspects of life from the cradle to the grave and beyond” as Prime Minister Nehru (Founder Member of the Bhavan) averred on the first of his many visits to the Bhavan in 1950. The Bhavan is an adventure in faith. We seek to inculcate the value-based life through (1) Comprehensive educational institutions: from kindergarten to post-graduate training in Sanskrit and Vedic studies; Dance, Drama and Music; Arts, Science, Commerce, Engineering, Management, Sociology, Life and Health Sciences; and (2) Publications named Book University which cover a wide range and variety of subjects of ancient and modern thought. Ancient insights are sought to be correlated to Modern discoveries.
The Bhavan is committed to the ideal of the Father of the Nation. Gandhiji is a luminous symbol of the noblest and best in Indian Culture — Sanatana Dharma, which has an amazing unbroken continuity of over 5000 years and more.
The Bhavan’s effort is to build up a modern bridge spanning the past, present and the future.
The Bhavan significantly grew as a cultural organization and became a global foundation under the leadership of Sundaram Ramakrishnan who took over as the director after the death of Munshi in 1971. The first foreign centre was opened in London in 1972
The Bhavan firmly believes that revitalizing ancient values and reintegrating them to suit the changing needs of modern times alone will give people the strength to assimilate whatever is good in the new, without being swept away from their traditional moorings.
The Bhavan believes that there are elements in all cultures which transcends all barriers and knits people together. Its ideal is: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: “The world is One Family.” Its motto is Aa no bhadraah kratavo yantu vishwatah: “Let noble thoughts come to us from every side.”
In furtherance of its aim of carrying India’s message to the world over, the Bhavan set up Centers in London (U.K.), New York (U.S.A.), Lisbon (Portugal) and Durban (South Africa). Plans are afoot to start Centres in Geneva, Switzerland, Singapore and Tokyo.
The main purpose of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is to provide a modern bridge to span the past, the present and the future, built on the strong foundation of the fundamental values of life.
Let me once more set forth the Bhavan’s faith for the benefit of new students and members, for it is necessary that they should understand it clearly and imbibe its spirit.
The Bhavan stands for the reintegration of Indian Culture. In a world falling to pieces under the impact of an amoral technological avalanche, it tries to hold fast to the fundamental values for which our culture stands – Rita, Satya, Yagna and Tapas.
FAITH in God Who informs the Cosmic Order;
TRUTH which is accord between mind, word and deed;
DEDICATION which offers all movements of life as an offering to God;
SUBLIMATION which purifies the body and mind and transmutes instincts, passions and emotions into things of beauty.
This, regardless of forms and doctrines, is Dharma, the three-fold aspects of which are SATYAM, SHIVAM, SUNDARAM – Truth, Love and Beauty.
For these values our forefathers lived and died. So did Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Dayananda, Swami Vivekananda, Gandhiji and Sir Aurobindo, among the moderns.
These values are embedded in our nature. We command the respect of the world because of them.
We can look forward to the future with confidence only because they have the vitality which gives the power to vindicate their validity even in this fear-and-avarice-ridden age of ours.
We, the Bhavan’s family, whether it is the smaller one or the larger one, must make every effort in restoring an awareness of these values in personal and collective life.
Kulpati Dr. K. M. Munshi Founder, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
