Full Breakdown
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat urges the world to look to India’s ancient knowledge and the unity of dharma and rashtra
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
At a gathering of the All India Vihar Seva Group—a Jain youth service organisation—in Mumbai, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that the inseparability of dharma (moral purpose) and rashtra (the nation) underpins India’s ancient knowledge tradition, which he believes can help resolve the “conflicts and dilemmas” confronting humanity. He highlighted contradictions such as development versus environmental protection, individual freedom versus family cohesion, and religious faith versus sectarian conflict, arguing that choosing one side at the expense of another cannot solve these problems.
Background & Context
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is a long-standing cultural organization that promotes a vision of India rooted in its historic scriptures and philosophical texts. Bhagwat’s remarks were delivered at the 14th conference of the Vihar Seva group, an organization that preserves Jain spiritual practices. In his address, he referenced a broad corpus of Indian knowledge—including the Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Gita, Jain Agamas, the Buddhist Tripitaka, the Sikh Guru Granth Sahib, and the teachings of various saints—asserting that this “great treasure of knowledge” remains relevant to contemporary global challenges.
Official Statements & Responses
Bhagwat framed dharma as the purpose of the nation, stating that the two are mutually sustaining: when one weakens, the other is threatened. He argued that India’s historical approach of sharing knowledge without conquering or converting other peoples offers a model for peaceful coexistence. According to Bhagwat, preserving the custodians of this knowledge—spiritual practitioners and saints—is not merely a religious duty but a service to humanity at large. He urged members of the Jain community to maintain contact with local RSS volunteers while traveling, emphasizing that such cooperation exemplifies the broader principle of selfless service. Throughout his speech, Bhagwat stressed that the world’s “maximum good of maximum people” is insufficient if any segment continues to suffer, and that true happiness requires addressing the needs of the most vulnerable.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Our rashtra and dharma are not separate. The purpose of the nation is dharma, and dharma helps sustain the nation. The two are interdependent. If one exists, the other also exists; if one does not exist, the other also does not,” — Mohan Bhagwat, RSS chief
- “If the practice of dharma becomes weak, then both have to be carried forward properly together. That becomes our responsibility,” — Mohan Bhagwat, RSS chief
- “India has shown the world the path to peace and prosperity without invasion or conversion: Dharma and rashtra are one and the same.” — Mumbai, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday
These quotations capture Bhagwat’s central thesis that dharma and rashtra are interdependent, that the weakening of dharma demands collective responsibility, that surrender can lead to spiritual fulfillment, and that India’s non-imperial path exemplifies peace and prosperity.