'Jaanta Raja’
Most
kings become rulers by birthright, being born in the royal family. However,
Shivaji was coronated ‘Jaanta Raja’ or ‘People’s King’ by those who adored him,
respected him and were touched by his humility, benevolence and persona. ‘Jaanta Raja’ is a significant title bestowed
on Shivaji. In Sanskrit, ‘Jaanta’ or ‘Gnyaanta’ refers to the sea of Knowledge.
Hence, Shivaji was heralded as ‘The King who knows everything’. People had
immense trust in his judgements, his compassion for the
common man and his shared suffering of the downtrodden and voiceless. He would
mingle round the commonfolk in guise of an ascetic and be abreast with issues
faced by his subjects. It is fabled that none could lie in the court of
Shivaji, because Shiva’s gazing eyes could easily make out a lying tongue and a
feeble fibbing heart. Shivaji never let
personal ideas and acquaintances come in way of delivering justice. Nothing
could ill-inform or influence his mind. Like a true Lion, Shivaji imparted
equality of voice and opportunity among his subjects and delivered his verdict
after careful meditation on the facts before his eyes. ‘Jaanta’ also refers to ‘People’s
own’ thus this is a rare indication of a king elected democratically and in unison
by the people. Many
merchants, traders, tribesmen, pundits and provincial kings owe die-hard
allegiance to Shivaji and fought the common enemy under his saffron banner. He
united people from all walks of life. His
talks kindled the embers of self-respect, patriotism and bravado among
listeners and turned mere farmers, fishermen and cattle-rearers into fearless
warriors. Shivaji’s commanding presence
gave a sense of purpose to the lives of the persecuted. He not only won hearts,
but also motivated minds to stare any challenge in the face and roar like lions
and achieve the impossible.
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