GHHF] Bala Samskar Kendras – learned about the greatness of Chhatrapati Shivaji, his heroism and his association with Sant Ramadas.
Swami Vivekananda said, “Is there a greater hero, a greater saint, a greater bhakta and a greater King than Shivaji? Shivaji was the very embodiment of a born ruler of men as typified in our great epics.”
Global Hindu Heritage Foundation is very happy to inform that we have started more than 200 Bala Samskar Kendras (Schools for children and youth) to enrich them with greatness of Hindu Dharma and the appreciate the sacrifices many leaders have done to protect Bharat. There are many kings who have achieved to the new heights in their skills, talents and strength. Unfortunately, Bharath denies its history to their own children and glorified the most undeserving rulers. The government has corrupted the minds of young students since Independence from 1947.
GHHF decided to teach the real history of our country and present a truthful account of great emperors of Bharat. Our Bala Samskar teachers taught that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the founder of the Maratha Empire in western India. He is considered to be one of the greatest warriors of his time and even today, stories of his exploits are narrated as a part of the folklore. With his valor and great administrative skills, Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur. It eventually became the genesis of the Maratha Empire. After establishing his rule, Shivaji implemented a competent and progressive administration with the help of a disciplined military and well-established administrative set-up. Shivaji is well-known for his innovative military tactics that centered around non-conventional methods leveraging strategic factors like geography, speed, and surprise to defeat his more powerful enemies.
Shivaji turned out to be a born leader from a very young age. An active outdoorsman, he explored the Sahayadri Mountains surrounding the Shivneri forts and came to know the area like the back of his hands. By the time he was 15, he had accumulated a band of faithful soldiers from the Maval region who later aided in his early conquests.
By 1645, Shivaji acquired control of several strategic from under the Bijapur Sultanate around Pune – Torna from Inayat Khan, Chakan from Firangoji Narsala. Mohammed Adil Shah sent Afzal Khan, a powerful general in his employ to subdue Shivaji. The two met in a private rendezvous on November 10, 1659 to discuss terms of negotiation. Shivaji anticipated it to be a trap and he arrived prepared wearing armor and concealing a metal tiger claw. When Afzal Khan attacked Shivaji with a dagger, he was saved by his armour and Shivaji retaliated by attacking Afzal Khan with the tiger’s claw, mortally injuring him. He ordered his forces to launch an assault on the leaderless Bijapuri contingents. Victory was easy for Shivaji in the Battle of Pratapgarh, where around 3000 Bijapuri soldiers were killed by the Maratha forces.
Under his reign, the Maratha administration was established where Chhatrapati was the supreme sovereign and a team of eight ministers were appointed to oversee the proper enforcement of various policies. These eight ministers reported directly to Shivaji and were given a lot of power in terms of execution of policies formulated by the King. He appointed eight Ministers with different portfolios to manage the administration.
He was credited with saving the Hindustan from the onslaught of Muslims during that period. Importance of Shivaji cannot be underestimated , not just for India but for the world. Kavi Bhushan was a contemporary . This is what he said about Shivaji;
Shivaji na hote subkehote Sunnah. If Shivaji was not there, everyone would have been circumcised. He declared himself as 'Hindu pada padashahi', a king at the feet of Hindus.
Shivaji had a foresight and developed a Naval force in view of new arrivals from Europe. Maratha Navy of Shivaji defeated British navy at the coast of Mumbai.
Shivaji and Sant Ramdas
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a very faithful devotee of his Guru, Samarth Ramdas swami. So, he was his Guru’s favorite disciple. Samarth used to love him more than the other of his disciples. Seeing this, the other disciples of Samarth started to feel that since Shivaji Maharaj is a king, he is the Guru’s favorite. Samarth decided to remove this misunderstanding of his disciples. So, he once took all his disciples to the forest. In the forest, they lost their way. Samarth went into a cave and pretended that he was having severe pain in the abdomen. The disciples entered the cave and saw that Samarth was groaning with pain. They asked Samarth how they could help. On hearing Samarth’s reply, all the disciples were dumbfounded.
But Shivaji went to the forest and gathered courage and folded his hands in front of the tigress and said, ‘O Mother, I have not come here to harm either you or your cubs. I need your milk to cure my Guru’s illness. Please let me take it. I shall give it to my Guru and come back to you. Then if you want, you can eat me.’ Saying so he lovingly moved his hands on her back. Then Shivaji milked her and filled the pot. He bowed down to her with gratitude and left the place. Shivaji went back to the cave where Samarth was and keeping the pot in front of him and bowed down to him. Samarth said, “So finally you brought the milk of a tigress! God bless you, Shiva! When there is such a faithful and devoted disciple like you, how can the Guru be in pain for long?” Samarth put his palm on Shivaji’s head and looked at the other disciples.
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