The Holy Vedas coming to Slovakia – 2012

On 12 October, 2012 His Holiness Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda started his recent Slovakian tour. The tour was opened by planting the Peace Tree in the cultural heart of Slovakia, in the centre of the city of Martin. In 1861 this small town became the guest (gathering) place for hundreds of Slovaks from all over the Europe who were calling for their human rights, e.g. for the right to officially speak their own language and  teach their children in their mother tongue. Several years later (in 1863) the first Slovak national cultural institution, Matica slovenská, was established here to collect and maintain books and other artefacts related to the history of Slovaks (in that times one of the ethnic minorities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). Many further historical events connected with this place in the 1990s lead the Parliament of the Slovak Republic to declare this city the national cultural centre of the Slovak Republic. The Peace Tree was planted in the Matica slovenská Square, close to the first historical building of that memorable cultural institution.
After this event Swamiji and many guests moved to the Slovak National Library, formerly a part of and since 2000 the modern follower of the Matica slovenská which collects, maintains and makes accessible books, manuscripts and other documents concerning the past and present of the Slovaks and other nations (ethnic groups) living on the territory of the Slovak Republic. At present the library preserves 4.7 million of librarian documents, 1.5 million archive documents and tens of thousands of museal objects. It maintains records of the oldest Slavonic languages and letters (in the 8th century „seen“ or discovered by the „rishis“ and co-Patron-Saints of this part and the whole of Europe, Saints Cyril and Methodius, and used in those times) as well as manuscripts of hundreds of modern writers and thinkers from Slovakia and other world, among others also an original letter of Mahatma Gandhi, father of modern India, most probably the only one manuscript of this prophet of non-violence in Slovak collections.
Till now, however, the Vedas, the oldest known scriptures of human race and the invaluable source of wisdom and knowledge (concerning Indo-European, Indian as well as European culture and languages and within this frames also the cultural and spiritual roots of the contemporary inhabitants of Slovakia) – in original manuscripts as well as in editions – were missing in Slovakia. So when in 2008 Swamiji visited Martin, he lovingly promised to bestow this gift on the Slovak National Library. Swamiji fulfilled his promise on 12 October, 2012 at 1 p.m. in the Conference Hall of the Library in the presence of the representatives of the Office of the President of the Slovak Republic, Slovak Ministry of Education, representatives of Slovak national scientific and cultural institutions (Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovak National Library, Matica slovenská), universities, local political representatives (Mr. Vice-Mayor and a lot of deputies of the City of Martin), directors of local secondary and basic schools, pupils and inhabitants of this region, many foreign guests (from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Germany, Serbia, Slovenia, Mexico and other countries), representatives of medias and many photographers.
„Today,“ declared H.H. Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda in his speach, „these collections were given a soul.“ After this gathering, filled with peaceful, friendly atmosphere, all the participants with feelings of brotherhood of all the human beings and of love towards all nations, cultures and religions, lead by Swamiji planted the second symbolical Peace Tree in front of the Slovak National Library. It was given the name „The Tree of the Vedas“.
Next day, on 13 October, 2012 (during his weekend yoga seminar), Swamiji planted another  Peace Tree in the central park of the internationally known spa Turčianske Teplice. All these events opened Swamiji´s Slovak tour and project of planting trees in this area of Slovakia (traditionally called „Turiec“, now districts of Martin and Turčianske Teplice). Local Yoga in Daily Life volunteers with their friends from other NGOs and regional authorities intend to plant more than 1.5 million trees to support the environment and good, friendly relations both here, in this region, and in the whole world.
In the next days Swamiji visited Prešov (14 October), Spišská Nová Ves (15 October) and Levoča (16 October), launching the Peace Tree gatherings and offering lectures visited by hundreds of his old as well as many new friends and disciples.


Speech during the festive ceremony of introducing the Vedas (Shabda Vedas, latest Indian edition prepared by Sri Kapurchand Kulishji and published by the Patrika Newspapers Publishing House, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India), a gift donated to the Slovak National Library by His Holiness Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Sri Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda Puriji on 12 October, 2012 in Martin, Slovak Republic (Europe)

Slovak National Library, Nám. J. C. Hronského 1, 036 01 Martin, Slovakia, www.snk.sk


Honorable guests, dear friends,

Allow me to welcome you in the Slovak National Library, the oldest, largest and most significant library in Slovakia. For almost 190 years this institutuion takes care of works, which document the past and present spirtual and material development of Slovakia. It collects, processes, protects and makes available the heritage of our ancestors. The Library serves not only to Slovak citizens, but also to users from abroad.
Our today´s priority is to protect and digitalize  documents and provide access to information that our predecessors left for us and that are generated by modern society. Thanks to modern trends there is a hope that all this information wealth will soon be made available to the world and global public in such extent as never before.
People who are working here now are those who continue in the effort of their predecessors, scholars of many generations. Many of them raised questions like: Where does our language come from, or Where do other languages come from, and Where our ethnic, cultural and spiritual roots reach? In this connection many of them resorted to Vedas, although, not directly, because though many of them new about Vedas and referred to them, probably none of them have ever had direct access to them; none of them saw or knew Vedas in their entirety.
In the funds and collections of our Library there are 4.7 million of librarian documents, 1.5 million archive documents and tens of thousands of museal objects. Vedas, however, are missing among them to this day.
Not only for these reasons we welcome the initiative of our precious guest, Svami Maheshwarananda, to enrich the funds of the Slovak National Library by one of the latest editions of the Indian Vedas. Since these are the records that are considered the oldest that have ever been made and are written in the legendary ancient language – Sanskrit, by accepting the Vedas in our collections these will, not only symbolically, become complete. It is a great honour and pleasure for us that this is taking place in the presence of one of the direct followers of those, who saw the Truth contained in Vedas and, similarly as Swamiji today, they donated it to man and mankind.
We are very thankful for this invaluable gift.

Latest update received in 2012-10-23:

This link point to an  interview (in German) with Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda and others concerning the Vedas and planting the Peace Tree in Martin.