Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India’s identity was made through its collective tradition and culture and not defined by its rulers.“India as a nation was never defined by who won and who lost. The concept of the nation here is formed not by ruling power but by people’s culture and traditions, it (the concept of the nation) is made by the people’s enterprise,” he said.

The prime minister was addressing the centenary celebrations of Jagadguru Vishwaradhya Gurukul at Jangamwadi Math in Varanasi.

He emphasised that the country was formed not just by the government but also by the values of every citizen.“A citizen’s sense of duty makes his values supreme. Our conduct as a citizen will determine the direction of new India,” he said.

The prime minister released the translated version of the Shri Siddhant Shikhamani Granth in 19 languages and its mobile application on the occasion.

The prime minister said it was a coincidence that the centenary celebrations are taking place at the beginning of a new decade and that this decade will once again establish India’s role in the 21st century inthe world.He said the digitisation of Shri Siddhant Shikhamani Granth viamobile app will further strengthen the engagement with the younger generation and will also inspire their lives.

Modi suggested conducting an annual quiz competition on topics related to the Granth via this mobile app.He said translation of Granth in 19 languages will help in making it accessible to a wider public.

“Tulsidas Ji used to say ‘Sant Samagam Hari Katha TulsiDurlabh dou’. This is the specialty of this land. In such a situation, thecentenary year of Jagadguru Vishwavardhya Gurukul, which is spreading theVeershaiv saint tradition among the younger generation, is a glorious moment,”he said.“I get little opportunity to witness of discussions among saints inclose proximity to Baba Vishwanath, and in the lap of the Ganga. Thisphilosophy showing the path of liberation from devotion should reach the futuregenerations. The digitization of this sacred book through an app will furtherstrengthen the engagement of the younger generation. They will get inspirationfor life,” he said.

It was also amazing that by making Sanskrit language andother Indian languages a medium of knowledge, “you are incorporatingtechnology,” he said.

“It is also the endeavour of the government that all Indianlanguages, including Sanskrit, be expanded and the younger generation shouldbenefit from it,” he said.

“Following the path shown by the monasteries and saints, wehave to fulfil our life’s resolve and continue to cooperate fully innation-building,” he suggested.