Vasudhaivakuṭuṁbakam: A Family of God on Earth

Abstract

Jojo Parecattil, taking a cue from the Upanishadic teaching on, vasudhaivakuṭuṁbakam, the universal family, looks at the way Chavara views family life and the institution of the family as a family of God on earth. This Vedāntic family consciousness points to the heavenly family that Chavara speaks of. In order to reach such a family, Chavara transcends his own family, the Chavara family. This is the ideal that Chavara gives his confreres when he asks them to live as the “members of one family and the children of the same mother” although they came from different families. Taking various terminologies that denote relationship used by Chavara in his writings, like kūṭapirappukal, the author brings out the correlation between the Upanishdic and biblical connotations of the concept. He goes on to study the Jewish religious vision on the family as the sanctuary of tradition. The sum total of this ideal could be found in Chavara’s darśana vīṭ, beth rauma and tapasu bhavan. Chavara, a great devotee of the Holy Family, considers it a Christian model of vasudhaivakuṭuṁbakam.