My late father (1911-1993), Prof. S. S. Raghavachar of Mysore University, was a delegate and speaker at the World Conference of Religions conducted in 1963 by Prof. T.M.P. Mahadevan of Madras University. With hundreds of delegates from around the world, the conference was commemorating the birth centenary of Swami Vivekananda, who took the message to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 that all religions basically lead to the one truth or God.
The delegates were taken for an audience with Kanchi Paramacharya at the end of the conference. While giving his benediction, Paramcharya asked the audience, "is the there any textual mention or inscription in Hinduism predating Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna which stated that the worship of different conceptions of God all lead to the same Reality?" My father Prof. Raghavachar rose and quoted an inscription from the Belur temple in Karnataka built by Vishnuvardhana, a disciple of Sri Ramanujacharya in the 11/12th C CE, which states:
The delegates were taken for an audience with Kanchi Paramacharya at the end of the conference. While giving his benediction, Paramcharya asked the audience, "is the there any textual mention or inscription in Hinduism predating Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna which stated that the worship of different conceptions of God all lead to the same Reality?" My father Prof. Raghavachar rose and quoted an inscription from the Belur temple in Karnataka built by Vishnuvardhana, a disciple of Sri Ramanujacharya in the 11/12th C CE, which states:
yam shaivah samupasate shiva iti brahmeti vedantinah
bauddhah buddha iti pramanapatavah karteti naiyayikah
arhan ityatha jaina-shasana-ratah karmeti mimansakah
so yam vo vidhadhatu vanchita phalam trailokyanatho harih
It seems that Paramacharya was immensely pleased with this answer and felicitated my father.
Recently, to find out more, I dug a little into the available textual references to this shloka. I give you three excellent references:
1. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, 1926
2. H. Nakamura, 1983
3. C.P. Bhatta, 1994
1. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, 1926
2. H. Nakamura, 1983
3. C.P. Bhatta, 1994
Come, let us celebrate the essence of Hindu Dharma, of universality of God!
