हिंदी
Our world is a strange place where everything is uncertain. We never know what can happen in the blink of the eye. The most uncertain thing, out of all, is the question of life and death. You could be talking to your loved one this moment and they might go to eternal sleep in the next. Thus, it is important to value a person while they are with us as their loss can never be filled with anything. One such great loss is that of the great Pandit: Shradharam Phillauri.
Everybody knows him well because of his great creation: “Om Jai Jagdish Hare”. On every auspicious Hindu occasion, the worship of God starts with this great hymn. Everyday when gods are worshipped in temples, we do not forget to recite this great hymn.
Tracing his roots, Panditji was born on 30th September, 1837 in Phillauri, Punjab. He belonged to a Brahmana family. His father was Jai Dayal while mother was Vishnu Devi. Pandit Ji had a sharp intellect and imbibed knowledge quickly from his first Guru: PanditRamchandra. At a young age he learnt almost all languages from Punjabi to Sanskrit. He also learntastrology and music. He married Bibi Mehtab Kaur and named his home “Temple Of Knowledge”. He read the great epics and imparted great knowledge to people who listened to him patiently and with curiosity. He is believed to be a favourite of Saraswati Goddess because he had a gifted voice with a musical sense.
Panditji also contributed greatly is eliminating British from India. The British government ousted him from his hometown on terms of suspicion and it was only with help of father of Ludhiana, Newton, that he returned home. Religion conversion was at peak in Punjab and to eliminate it, he made great efforts by educating people about the Indian Culture. He wrote the great book- “ Punjabi Batcheet” which was the key to Punjabi culture and language.
He died at the age of 44 on 24 June, 1881 but left behind a great legacy which we can never forget. He would always be remembered for his great works and his creation of the hymn- “Om Jai Jagdish Hare”. To honour him a trust named Shradharam Phillauri Charitable Trust was also created.
