Udupi, DHNS: Paryaya seer Vishweshatheertha Swami said on Monday that Bhakti or devotion to God was the right of all people. Everyone, irrespective of caste, has the right to practise Bhakti and attain salvation, the pontiff said.

He was addressing the gathering during the durbar held as part of the Paryaya celebrations here.

This was just after the Pejawar seer ascended the Sarvajna Peetha (seat of spiritual knowledge) to mark the biennial transfer of power for the administration of the Krishna Mutt. Kaniyur Mutt seer Vidyavallabhatheertha Swami handed over the keys and the Akshaya Patra (the wonder bowl and spoon) to Vishweshatheertha, to mark the end of his tenure.

The pontiff said the message of Saint Madhwacharya, the propounder of the Dwaita school of philosophy, to the world was that one could serve the Lord by maintaining the responsibility towards society and the downtrodden.

“Serving people irrespective of their caste, class, creed and status is nothing but service to the Lord.

It is the path towards attaining ‘moksha’ or salvation. He said religious harmony was essential for the welfare of any society. Discrimination would end in destruction and hatred,” the seer said.

Former deputy prime minister L?K?Advani, Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers H N Ananth Kumar, Union Minister for Law Sadananda Gowda, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, State Minister for Industries R V Deshpande, Minister for Rural Development H K Patil, Minister for Sports Abhayachandra Jain, Minister for Endowment T?B?Jayachandra, Minister for Urban Development Vinay Kumar Sorake, former Karnataka chief ministers B S Yeddyurappa, Veerappa Moily, High Court judges Justice P S Dinesh Kumar and N Kumar, Tamil Nadu Minister for Finance Panneerselvam were the dignitaries present on the occasion.

Photo credit: DHNS