Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham pontiff Sri Vijayendra Saraswati on Monday urged that dharma-based thinking be nurtured among young people to shape individuals with good character. He was speaking at a programme organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Lakshmi Sundaram Hall in Madurai.
Referring to India’s progress in technology, the seer said technological advances can yield benefits, but mishaps occur when those using them lack good values. He stressed that society must focus on building character and taking dharma-oriented ideas to the public, especially the youth.
He also noted that about 25 crore people in India have moved out of poverty and said the country has many opportunities ahead. To make use of them, he said, skills must be strengthened and people should be able to live without hunger or illness, adding that devotion and spirituality help in achieving this.
The pontiff said the permanence of dharma should be taught from childhood, and practices such as family-deity worship, temple visits, listening to discourses and participating in annadanam can guide the mind in the right direction. After the programme, he visited the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt at Sokkikulam, where he was accorded a ceremonial reception and later distributed blessings and prasad to devotees.
Earlier, during a visit to Thiruvedagam near Sholavandan, he worshipped at the Vadhuvendra Vinayagar temple and inaugurated a commemorative plaque as the centenary of a 1928 Vyasa puja performed there approaches. He walked through streets blessing people, visited the spot on the Vaigai river associated with “Edu Ethireri,” expressed sadness over the river’s pollution, and offered prayers at the Vishnu Durgai Amman and Edaganathar temples.
