Life and Work of Pundit Hari Narain Sharma

Life and Work of Pundit Hari Narain Sharma:

The idealistic life style, philosophy, work, principles, performance and achievements of the Founder’s own Great Grand Father, namely - Late Pundit Hari Narain Sharma @Hari Narain Mishra has been a great source of inspiration for the Founder of Krishna Foundation as well as for other individuals and society, as has been stated by him in his own Curriculum Vitae (Brief Biography) explained as follows:

I.       Towering multi-dimensional dynamic personality of my own Great Grand Father, namely Late Pandit Hari Narain Sharma alias Hari Narain Mishra and his most idealistic life style, nature, character, behavior, work and achievements in personal and public life has been the greatest source of inspiration for me. He was a Great Social Reformer and Enlightened Spiritual Leader of Nineteenth-Twentieth Century A.D. (1872- 1962 A.D.) and Renowned Leader of “Arya Samaj” (Secretary of Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha as well as Secretary of Bihar Arya Pratinidhi Sabha) and at  the same time he was a veteran freedom fighter, excellent speaker and orator, great nationalist revolutionary leader, renowned physician, medical scientist, eminent educationist, great scholar of the Vedic Studies and translator and interpreter of the Four Vedas.

II.    He was very closely associated with the great and noble persons of national and international fame like - Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Roy, Pundit Madan Mohan Malviya, Nardeo Shastri, Mangaldeo Shastri, J.B.Kripalani, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Baldeo Sahay etc. He received his higher education at Lahore (now in Pakistan) along with Lala Lajpat Roy, Nardeo Shastri, Mangaldeo Shastri, J.B.Kripalani etc.

III. In opposition to the well known concepts of “Capitalism” and “Communism”, he mooted the idea of “Ideal Socialism” in the form of “Vedic Socialism”. With the help and cooperation from his classmates, associates, colleagues and friends, he laid down foundation of “Ideal Socialism” in the year 1900 through the “Gurukul System of Education” which went a long way in promoting the cause of “Vedic Socialism”. 

IV.  He was the Founder of a large number of educational institutions, orphanages, widow care homes, medical aid centers etc. in different parts of the country, across the nation.

V.     As a young leader of “Arya Samaj”, he played a leading role in establishment of Gurukul Kangari (Gurukul Kangari University) at Haridwar in the year 1900.

VI.  Subsequently, in the year 1901 at his native place i.e., Main Cantt. Road, Mustafapur, Khagaul, Patna in the state of Bihar (India), he established a “Gurukul” in the name of “Veda Ratna Vidyalaya” on his personal land. For further expansion of the aforesaid “Gurukul”, he acquired the nearby plots of land by purchasing the same at three to four times higher rate than the prevailing market price or by exchange of plots of land by giving three to four times extra land in exchange to his own co-villagers. Later on, in the year 1915 it was given the form of a full fledged “Gurukul” (Ideal Residential Educational Institution), with its sprawling premises spread over an area of about Four Acres of prime land, with educational facilities up to “Shastri” (Graduation) and “Acharya” (Post Graduation) level. It was affiliated to Calcutta University and it was an ideal residential educational institution and a “Great Center of Vedic Studies” of national and international fame. At this prestigious educational institution, apart from others, hundreds of orphans and extremely poor students, irrespective of caste and religion, were used to be provided free of cost educational facilities up to graduation and post graduation level, along with free fooding, clothing and lodging facilities, strictly on the principle of equality. A matter of great pride indeed it is for this institution that produced scores of the most idealistic teachers, professors, doctors, engineers, orators, social workers and political leaders. This famous “Gurukul” of Mustafapur was later on shifted to Risia and finally to Satar near Deoghar where it has been functioning as “Gurukul Mahavidyalaya Baidyanathdham”. Subsequently, within the aforesaid old premises of the aforesaid Gurukul, he established “Veda Ratna Uchcha Vidyalaya” (Hindi – English Medium High School) and “D.A.V. Madhya Vidyalaya” (Hindi – English Medium Middle School) at Cantt. Road, Mustafapur, Khagaul, Patna in the State of Bihar (India).

VII.                       In the year 1916, on his own land he established two famous Ayurvedic Hospitals, each of which was housed in double storey puckka buildings constructed by him over an area of about 6,000 sqare feet, one of which was located in front of his ancestral house at “Cantt. Road, Mustafapur, Khagaul, Patna in the State of Bihar (India), in the north of his sprawling garden of mangoes and guavas spread over an area of about one acre of land, the other such Ayurvedic Hospital was located at the township of Punpun, Patna in the State of Bihar (India), where apart from others, thousands of extremely poor and helpless people, irrespective of caste and religion, were used to be provided free of cost medical aid facilities.

VIII.                    By his towering multi – dimensional dynamic personality, abundance of wide knowledge of various subjects, lots of income from medical profession, leadership qualities, oratory skills, powerful presentation of impressive speeches, and analytical scientific interpretation of the Vedas for the welfare of mankind, he influenced and inspired thousands and thousands of Sanatani Hindus, Mohammedans and Christians to join  “Arya Samaj”. Due to his vibrant progressive ideas, he was vehemently opposed and outcasted by his own Brahman Community believing in untouchability, as he was allowing even Mohammedans and Christians to join “Arya Samaj”. But despite opposition, he always worked for, promoted and brought about social and religious reforms by fighting against casteism, communalism, practice of untouchability, child marriage etc.

IX.  He was a Great Freedom Fighter associated with the then Garam Dal (Group of Freedom Fighters of Hot Temperament) during the National Struggle for Freedom. On instructions of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, he led Congress Jattha against Haiderabad Nizam against his cruelties, after failure of peaceful methods of protest. He bravely fought against the British Colonial Rule and against the atrocities on common masses. On various occasions he had to go to jail, due to his leading role in the National Struggle for Freedom. He also provided secret shelter to the leading revolutionary leader Chandra Shekhar Azad for over a month at the premises of his aforesaid famous Gurukul at Mustafapur, Khagaul, Patna. He was the Founder of the First Hindi News Paper of Bihar, namely – “Aryavarta”, which was used to be printed at Danapur near Patna, the ownership of which was later on transferred to Darbhanga Maharaja Sir Kameshwar Singh.

X.     A large number of his students, disciples and products of the aforesaid “Gurukul” of Mustafapur, including Late Dr. Dukhan Ram (famous ophthalmologist / eye specialist of national and international fame and Former President of Arya Samaj / Bihar Arya Pratinidhi Sabha), Late Dr. Madhusudan Das (famous physician and Former Head of Department of Medicine, Patna Medical College and Hospital, Patna), Late Lakhan Lal Paul (famous social worker and Former President of All India Christian Association), Late Paras Nath (famous engineer), Late Ramakant Pandey (famous social worker and political leader of Buxar), Late Satya Vrat Sharma “Sujan” (former Director of Rajbhasha Vibhag / National Language Department of the Government of Bihar), Late Priya Vrat Sharma (former Principal of Patna Ayurvedic College and Hospital as well as Former Director of the Institute of Indigenous Medicine, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and eminent writer and translator of a large number of world famous books on Ayurveda / Indian Medical Science), Late Krishna Ballabha Sahaya (Former Chief Minister of Bihar) etc. became the most idealistic teachers, professors, doctors, engineers, social workers and political leaders under his inspiration and patronizing effect, and they dedicated their life to the service of humanity for betterment of the lives of the people of all communities.     

XI.  He was everywhere well known as “A man of principles with a sense of duty”.

XII.                       Some of his activities and achievements are explained in the voluminous book of History entitled- “Comprehensive History of Bihar, Volume-III, Part-II Pages-29, 31, 34 etc.”, published by the “K. P. Jaiswal Research Institute of the Government of Bihar, Patna Museum Premises, Budha Marg, Patna – 800001 (India)”, and also in the preface to the book entitled- “Basic Principles of Dharma, Justice and Democracy”, published by “Krishna Foundation, Cantt. Road, Mustafapur, Khagaul, Patna- 801105 (India)”.