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What Hindus can learn from Batra vs. Doniger

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10 years ago

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Author: Dr. Jayakumar Srinivasan

Press Release: http://centreright.in/2014/03/what-hindus-can-learn-from-batra-vs-doniger-2/#.VTHsmNzBXlY

Contents:

  • Introduction
  • Vilification of Hindus and Hinduism
  • Doniger’s Book, The Hindu Experience and Wendy’s Children
  • Psychoanalysis and its Application to Hindu Figures
  • Dialog with Purported Scholars of Hinduism
  • Asymmetry and Labeling in Reporting and Discourse
  • Calling Out the Labelers
    • “Reductio ad Hindutva”
    • “Reductio ad Taliban”
    • “Donigeration”
  • Conclusion

Introduction

Recently, after four years of engagement, Penguin agreed to an out-of-court settlement to voluntarily withdraw and pulp all copies in India of the book The Hindus: An Alternative History. Wendy Doniger, Distinguished Professor of History of Religions in the Divinity School of University of Chicago, is the author of the book.

Wendy Doniger is not new to Hindus. Around 2002, critically acclaimed researcher, writer and speaker, Rajiv Malhotra, reported his encounters and engagements with Religions in South Asia unit of the American Academy of Religion, where he identified Doniger as “undoubtedly the most powerful person in academic Hindu studies”. He exposed the disturbing syndrome of eroticization and denigration of Hindu traditions and practices.

Many have critiqued Wendy Doniger’s book. In this article, while referring to such works, I cover deliberate vilification of Hindus and Hinduism, asymmetry in reporting and discourse, application of unproven psychoanalysis and provide much needed labels to label the labellers.

Vilification of Hindus and Hinduism Abounds

Cases of disrespecting or outright vilification of Hindu icons and traditions have increased in the last decade. In India, the venerated H. H. Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal, Acharya of a 2000+ year old Kanchi Mutt, was arrested in a callous and disrespectful manner by the Tamil Nadu Government in 2004. Hindus felt vulnerable and confused. The mainstream Indian media, which blatantly disrespects the Hindu majority, was the first to act as the jury. Just a few months ago, the sham case was dismissed and the Acharya was acquitted. However, due to the muted coverage of the acquittal, the negative perception predominates in the public. Such disrespectful treatment of religious leaders is not imaginable in the US, as demonstrated by the treatment of proven cases of pedophilia in the Catholic Church. The Indian episode is equivalent to arresting the Pope on trumped up charges.

Recently, the Tamil Nadu government made an attempt to control the iconic Chidambaram temple. The Archaeological Survey of India quietly renamed the Shankaracharya Hill in the Kashmir Valley to Takht-e-Suleiman. Just a few months ago, fatwas were issued in the sacred town of Rameswaram that bars non-Muslims from entering Muslim-majority villages! Outrages such as these are rarely covered by mainstream media and are reported only by independent Hindu watchdogs. Examples such as these are numerous.

In the US High School History textbooks, portrayals of Hindus as monkey and cow worshippers, bride burners, and given to caste-based oppression abound in what Rajiv Malhotra has termed the Caste, Cows and Curry syndrome.

Doniger’s Book, The Hindu Experience and Wendy’s Children

In page 3 of the preface of The Hindus, the Hindu encounters a shrill message: Doniger indicates that she is presenting “a narrative of religion… as linga (an emblem of Lord Shiva often representing his erect phallus) as set in a yoni (the symbol of Shiva’s consort, or female sexual organ)…”. (section in parenthesis is part of her writing). This is the forerunner of things to come in her book.

Kaalidaasa, one of the greatest poets humanity has known, dedicated his classic Abhijnaana Shaakuntalam, to Shiva and Parvati, using a metaphor that the two are as inseparable as a word and its meaning in the famously known ‘vaagarthaaviva‘. In the Hindu tradition, it is customary to begin a class, program, or a book with a dedication to the ever-present Ishwara, such as Shiva, Vishnu, Saraswati or one’s Guru. I grew up as a Hindu, listened to many erudite Swamis on the spiritual, philosophical and practical essences of Hinduism, studied some Hindu texts, practiced Vedic rituals, spent all night worshipping Shiva during Shivaraatri, taught children the tenets and practices of Hinduism, and coordinated group-study of the Bhagavad Gitaa.

The word “linga” in the religious and spiritual context means “lingyate anena” or “that which is indicated by”. The oval shape has no beginning or end, signifying Brahman, that which is the essence of the entire world, that which always was, is and always will be, that which is all pervasive and indestructible. Brahman is that which cannot be categorically pointed to as an object of our sense-perception or inference, hence Shiva is often symbolically portrayed as “teaching in silence”. We grew up chanting Lingaashtakam (eight verses on Shiva in the form of Linga) that praises Shiva as the one who is worshipped as the liberator of the sorrows of life.

The western interpretation of the Shiv Linga as a phallic symbol is not the way the Hindus look at the Linga, as also pointed out by Prof. Balagangadhara in the book Invading The Sacred. In such circumstances, whose interpretation should have primacy, the Western or that of hundreds of millions of Hindus?

The book is littered with factual inaccuracies, blatant denigration, and racism. A Chapter wise review of the book, in particular, covering over 600 occurrences of factual errors, trivializations, and eroticization, has been meticulously developed by Vishal Agarwal, and partially by Chitra Raman. As an example from the book to quote: “If the motto of Watergate was Follow the money, the motto of the history of Hinduism could well be Follow the monkey or, more often Follow the horse.”, or “Dasharatha’s son is certainly lustful… when Lakshmana learns that Rama has been exiled, he says, The king is perverse, old, and addicted to sex, driven by lust”. Hindu Deities are presented as lustful, Hindu Saints are falsely alleged to have indulged in sexual orgies, or to have ‘taken actions against Muslims’, Hindu worshippers are compared to cheating boyfriends, intoxication is a central theme of the Vedas and Hindu scriptures are presented as a litany of tales of faithful women forsaken by their ungrateful husbands.

Prof. Madan Lal Goel of University of West Florida caught Prof. Doinger red-handed: “After building a caricature, she laments that fundamentalist Hindus … are destroying the pluralistic, tolerant Hindu tradition. But, why save such a vile, violent religion …?” Given the extreme nature of the writing, the burden is on her supporters to say how they are not siding with her in inaccurate characterization and intentional denigration of Hinduism.

In the book Kali’s Child, Jeffrey Kripal, Wendy Doniger’s protege, paints Ramakrishna Paramahamsa as a pedophile and Swami Vivekananda as a homosexual. In his book Ganesa, Paul Courtright, another student of Wendy Doniger, caricatured Ganesha with a trunk that is likened to a limp phallus and as one who is attracted to his mother Parvati. Even more egregiously, Courtright claimed that the Devi Bhaagavata Puraana records an incestuous rape by Daksha of his own daughter, the Goddess Sati. Doniger and her children accomplish such feats by filtering all the richness and complexity of Hinduism through a single perspective of a Freudian psycho-analytical approach applied to the exclusion of the others. In accomplishing the feat, Doniger and Wendy’s children take generous “scholarly” liberties in extrapolating the texts that they analyze with the academic license of psychoanalysis.

Psychoanalysis and its Application to Hindu Figures

Far from burning books or issuing fatwas, Hindus have undertaken a serious study of such “scholarship”. Rajiv Malhotra’s Infinity Foundation systematically present a critique of American Studies on Hinduism, in the book Invading The Sacred. Leading players, asymmetry of power between Euro-centric Academics and its critics, debates and exchanges, and the “science” of psychoanalysis are discussed.

Hindus must become familiar with the topic of psychoanalysis because Hindus are the subject of this less-known theory. Psychoanalysis posits that human attitude and thought are largely influenced by irrational unconscious drives. Conflicts between the conscious and unconscious results in states of neurosis, anxiety, and depression. Freedom from the unconscious material is obtained by bringing that material to the conscious through guidance.

Freudian psychology is far from an established science. It is not an evidence-based science. Karl Popper, who is famous for introducing the concept of falsifiability to demarcate between science and non-science, is famously known for viewing Freudian psychoanalysis as a pseudo science. Popper said that psychoanalysis was simply non-testable, irrefutable. There was no conceivable human behaviour which would contradict it. [Karl Popper, Conjectures and Refutations, p. 37. ] Or, as my mentor told me in my first job “If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” – so I have the solution to all problems.

In Freudian psychoanalysis, schizophrenia and depression are not brain disorders, but narcissistic disorders. Autism and other brain disorders are not brain problems but mothering problems. These illnesses do not require pharmacological or behavioral treatment. They require only “talk” therapy.

What has the application of Freudian psychoanalysis done to Hinduism?

In Invading The Sacred, Alan Roland, an ex-President of the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis, explains the uses and misuses of this practice where “all … interpretations remain speculative”. Applied to Indian Swamis, it has reduced spiritual experiences to regressions into infancy, homoerotic phenomena, and psychopathological or defensive motivations. Observing an essential difference in the constituted individual – The Western individualized self vs. the Indian familial-communal self – Roland questions the applicability of Freudian analysis to Indians, leave alone spiritually accomplished Swamis. Roland views “attempts to link spiritual experience with various developmental stages as all being highly reductionistic”. Scholars “do not take sufficiently into account the existential nature of spiritual experience”. I feel this is an understatement. It is like a teenager observing that research (performed by Professors in University) is motivated by a sense of lack of self-worth.

Sudhir Kakar, an expert psychologist, observes in psychoanalysis the treatment of Indian culture and Indians as “patients”, a lack of respect and objectivity for the patient, and a disdain for mysticism.

What possible benefit can be obtained by analyzing, say Newton, to conclude (hypothetically) that his intellectual pursuit was a result of intense taunting and abuse he suffered in the family as a child? On the contrary, this gets into invasion of privacy and denial of tradition and knowledge. These so called scholars are outright disingenuous in selectively applying psychoanalysis to established Hindu figures. Malhotra observes that “Freud had ruled out …applying his methods either posthumously … or via native informants … not directly engaged by the psychoanalyst.” This reveals to us the troubled minds of these ‘scholars’, rather than the minds of Shiva, Ganesha or Ramakrishna. It seems to me that it is Doniger and her cohorts who need immediate psychological help, for which we seek Bhagavan Ganesha’s help!

The Hindu tradition allows us to recognize spiritually advanced individuals, called Swamis. For Hindus, our Swamis, who are our teachers, also serve as our personal counsellors and family guides. A Hindu, however accomplished professionally, can still be a spiritual child. I am reminded of the story when a professional went to a revered Swami and introduced himself as a ‘very successful marriage counsellor’. Upon being asked what brought him there, he said “My marriage is on the rocks!”

Alan Roland shares his experiences of applying psychoanalysis practice with several individuals who took up spiritual practice. Some of them were in failed marriages and wanted to escape family distress. He helped them see their motivations which in turn enabled them to lead more useful lives. In fact, the Swamis in the ashram where I study are routinely sought out for guidance on personal emotional challenges. Within seconds, they can spot personal pain underneath a spiritual interest. Teaching and counselling go hand-in-hand. This is why the tradition holds the first contact with a Swami as a defining moment in the life of a Hindu. Any system is prone to abuse and the tradition has its in-built way of weeding out charlatans.

Roland questions whether spiritual aspirations, practices, and experiences essentialize into regression, and criticizes Doniger’s school of universalizing Freudian techniques and developing wild theories of Indian culture. Roland observes that “If anything, clinical experience indicates that spiritual practices and experiences are a strong counterpoint to regression and childhood merger experiences with the mother and with the Hindu extended family”. The authors of the book Invading the Sacred analyze the scholarship of Wendy Doniger, Jeffrey Kripal, Sarah Caldwell, and Paul Courtright and ask the troubling question of whether their own personal psychosexual traumas are projected on to other cultures. Malhotra challenged Doniger at the 2000 AAR conference if she should be psychoanalyzed, and observes that Kripal’s need to distance himself from his half Roma/Hindu lineage through his father (and become 100% white) has manifested fully in his work.

Therefore, I view the process of psychoanalysing Hindu spiritual icons and giants by ‘scholars’ under the banner of ‘Hinduism studies’ as an underhanded way to vilify Hinduism.

Dialog with Purported Scholars of Hinduism

As much as Wendy and her children take liberties with Hindu texts, they do not evince similar openness in participating in discussions of their works. It is not that Hindu intellectuals did not try to establish a dialog with Doniger. After The Hindus was published, several Hindu scholars attempted to engage with Prof. Doniger. At the Association of Asian Studies annual conference in 2011, Prof. Madan Lal Goel of University of Florida organized a panel to discuss Prof. Doniger’s book. Prof. T. R. N. Rao, Professor Emeritus at Louisiana State University and Prof. Bharat Gupt of Delhi University were other round-table panelists. Doniger was invited several times by these individuals but declined to participate. Kripal likewise has not responded to Swami Tyagananda’s response to “Kali’s Child”. Says Arvind Sharma, Birks Professor of Comparitive Religion at McGill: “Such perceived indifference to an obviously credible critic was noticed by the Hindu community, … [who] took it upon themselves to explore the matter further.” “Nor is the cause of civilized intellectual discourse advanced if they decline to respond to informed critiques simply because the critics do not happen to be academics. It tempts the critics to conclude that the emperors have no clothes.”

Prof. Jeffery Long, chairman of the department of religious studies at Elizabethtown College, has voiced concerns about the consequences of such misinformation: “How many children will grow up believing Hinduism is a ‘filthy’ religion, or that Hindus worship the devil? When they grow up, how will such children treat their Hindu co-workers and neighbors? Will they give them the respect due to a fellow citizen and human being?”

Through a series of three articles, Paul Courtright was engaged in a debate in LittleIndia.com where Paul Courtright conceded that his interpretation of incestuous rape was unwarranted: “I’m not sure I would say explicitly, ‘Daksa raped Sati. Paul Courtright then adds: “I think the storytellers are trying to tell us something by not telling us everything. The project of interpretation is to try to get at not only what is said, but what is not said. Naming these unconscious desires is, of course, the project of psychoanalysis.” Little India’s independent analysis of the two passages based on the Puranas in Courtright’s book does lead to the conclusion that one of the claims is clearly erroneous, which he acknowledges, and the second is strained at best and unsupported by any of the many other versions of the story in the Puranas. Arvind Sharma observes that a “methodologically sophisticated slander of Hinduism was fast becoming an American academic pastime.”

Richard Crasta, knows very well the enormous barriers Indian writers face in getting their original work (especially those which challenge the Western establishment) published in India. In his satirical and riveting book Impressing the Whites, The New International Slavery (2000), he explains why nothing short of connections in the British Embassy may be needed to appear in the radar of powerful publishing houses in India. On the contrary, western authors can publish with ease in brown country, especially if it is derogatory about browns! The book publishing cartel in India seems to be controlled by the Brits.

Scholars-of-Hinduism

Monika Arora is the legal counsel for Batra’s Shiksha Bachao Andolan Committee (SBAC, literally, Committee of the Movement for the Protection of Education). As for worries that this spoke poorly of India’s commitment to the freedom of expression, Monika Arora counters it with the argument that “freedom of expression does not mean freedom of defamation”. Many legal jurisdictions (including in the US) have adopted the substantial-truth doctrine which allows for restricting freedom of expression from overstepping onto defamation grounds. “Doniger has a history of defaming Hindus,” says Arora, “and the book is filled with factual errors but just because she is white, we don’t question these things.”

Asymmetry and Labeling in Reporting and Discourse

Asymmetry and Labeling

When reporting episodes concerning Christianity, journalists adopt a very professional and respectful tone. Consider the book Da Vinci Code, a mystery novel by Dan Brown published in 2003, tracing an alternative history of Christianity, a book that, as expected, received enormous attention. Hundreds of Christian organizations ranging from small outfits to CBN have responded angrily. A quick Internet search of reports of such criticisms shows the following language:

 

 

  • “The book has been extensively denounced by many Christian denominations as an attack on the Roman Catholic Church.”
  • “…mostly negative reviews from Catholic and other Christian communities.”
  • “Critics accuse Brown of distorting and fabricating history.”
  • “A Biblical Response was provided by …”
  • “…presentation of religious ideas that some Christians regard as offensive”
  • “Christian groups in many Asian nations have stepped up their protests …”
  • “A Christian perspective…”

Notice how respectfully Christians are referred to in reports. None referred to upset Christians protesters as “fundamentalists”, “neo-Nazis” or “right-wing”ers. Those protesting Doniger’s book however attract a different kind of reporting.

The Time Magazine labels Dinanath Batra as a Hindu activist that has “arm-twisted” Doniger. In the article Hindu fundamentalists vs. Hinduism, USA Today introduces SBAC as a “Hindu Fundamentalist group”. Dinanatha Batra is an “upper caste man“. Dean Nelson of The Telegraph
reporting from Delhi stands to lose nothing by saying that “the book angered fundamentalists” and “fundamentalists have criticised the book”. He neither has the burden of reading the book, nor knowing anything about Hinduism, nor of India’s history. As a rule, these reports make not a single mention of how Doniger portrays Hinduism.

Calling Out the Labelers

Hindus must learn to identify when they are being labeled and call it out.

Reductio ad Hindutva

The moniker “Reductio ad Hitlerum”, was coined by Leo Strauss of University of Chicago, a predecessor of Doniger, to describe the following fallacy: If you do or like something that Hitler did, then you are also like Hitler. For example, if you are devoted to your nation, since Hitler was a nationalist, then you are like Hitler.

Wendy Doniger, in her response to the settlement, praises Penguin for taking on this book “knowing that it would stir anger in Hindutva ranks”. Notice how Doniger uses the by now familiar word “Hindutva”, a fashionable ammunition to invoke the threat of fundamentalism. She does what she knows always works well, i.e. scare Hindus into submission and then invoke fake victim hood. The truth is that her book stirs anger in all Hindus, not a special section of Hindus. Essentializing all Hindu voices as fundamentalist political views is a tactic that has been used to discourage Hindu identity or voice.

This type of labeling Hindus, who speak up to express their anguish and indignity when Hinduism is denigrated, as fundamentalists should be described as Reductio ad Hindutva – a logical fallacy of undermining an argument by association. The implication is the following: If you do anything that a Hindu fundamentalist would do (such as get angry, as Dean Nelson of The Teleghraph reports), then you are a Hindu fundamentalist. Among other things, since Hindu fundamentalists would come in support of Hinduism, any effort to support Hinduism is a sign of fundamentalism. The only way you could stop Doniger from slapping you with the charge of fundamentalism is if you stop standing up for Hinduism.

Ironically, the word Hindutva is a beautiful word that means ‘the essence of what a Hindu is’. In the Sanskrit language, the suffix ‘-tvam’ is equivalent to the suffix ‘-ness’ in English – used to indicate the attribute or nature of an object. For example, ‘kaṭutvam’ refers to the nature of being pungent, strong-scented or bitter, i.e. ‘bitterness’. ‘Samatvam’ indicates equanimity (‘sameness’) and ‘manushyatvam’ refers to the nature of being a ‘manushya’, human. Thus, Hindutvam means the nature of being a Hindu or that which makes a person or a thing Hindu. By definition, all Hindus have Hindutvam – just as Christians have Christness and Muslims have Islamness.

Anti-Hindu “scholars”, “journalists” and media have hijacked the traditional word “Hindutva” and ascribed the pejorative meaning of “Hindu nationalism” and associated with religious identity politics. Any effort on the part of Hindus to take a stand to show solidarity is labeled “saffronization”. Are Hindus not allowed any solidarity or group identity, to speak for their collective rights?

Hindus cannot seek comfort in thinking that they are not being compared to the likes of Hitler. New York Times recently called them “Taliban-like” forces.

Reductio ad Taliban

The New York Times, known for its penchant for India-bashing, Hindu-baiting and Modi-bashing (see my recent article), as expected, covered this episode. Notice how Ellen Barry once again resorts to quoting nobodies. She quotes “one writer” (whom she doesn’t name) referring to Dinanath Batra’s organization as “an unknown Hindu fanatic outfit” and given to “Taliban-like forces“. The word Taliban readily conjures vivid mental images of flying airplanes into skyscrapers, shooting blindfolded citizens, lashing men and women publicly, and chopping off the hands of innocent men. Why would a journalist of the New York Times find it right to use such threatening labels to describe a Hindu who voices a concern peacefully, using constitutionally-enabled legal means, and within the provisions of law? What burden does the non-Hindu

American journalist, serving as Moscow Bureau Chief writing about Hindus of India, have? She cleverly uses a picture of Batra alongside RSS stalwarts – enough to send deracinated Indians into a tailspin.

what hindus see

Dinanath Batra and his group had meticulously prepared their case after studying Doniger’s book thoroughly. They did not burn buses, loot shops, issue threats or a fatwa against Wendy Doniger. Their use of English may not be as sophisticated as that of Arundhati Roy‘s, but they followed the law for four years after which Penguin decided to voluntarily withdraw. Sandeep Balakrishna explains why this is not a free speech issue and Aravindan Neelakantan traces intellectualism and openness in historical Hindu responses to opposing worldviews and threats to Hinduism.

 

A few months ago, the store chain Costco apologized for labeling The Bible as “Fiction”. The media didn’t brand the protesting people as Christian Fundamentalists, just Christians. There was no media-led hue and cry about suppression of Freedom of Speech. Fourteen years ago, many will recall Doniger stating in a public lecture in 2000 that the “Bhagavad Gita is a dishonest Book”. When Hindus demanded an apology, they were promptly labeled as fundamentalists!

Prof. Doniger knows full well that Hindus followed the law by the book. So she blames Indian law. Immediately after her statement, Indian Sepoys – like faithful followers of the colonial masters – joined in the thousands to sign petitions to reform the Indian Constitution. I am reminded of General Dyer and tragedy of Jallianwala Bagh of 1919. One wonders where these free speech pontificators were when Harvard University chose to terminate the honorary professorship of Dr. Subramanian Swamy for his forthright talk on wiping out Islamic Terrorism. Or when the majority-discriminatory Communal Violence (Prevention) Bill was introduced by the Indian Parliament. On the contrary, the Catholic Church in Mumbai filed blasphemy charges under the same section 295A against Sanal Edamaruku, who attributed the miraculous water dripping at the crucifix to a leaking drainage. (He has since fled to Finland to escape a life sentence.) Let us see if these self-styled liberals offer a whimper of a protest to the recent news that google was asked to pull out a youtube video of an allegedly anti-Islam movie “Innocence of Muslims”.

DonigerationDonigeration

“Donigeration”

The Hindu is indeed tired of being attacked within and outside her homeland but yet has no penchant for a Homeland security bill or a Patriot act. Would Prof Doniger joke at Chicago Airport that she has a bomb and test her first amendment rights? Would she write a History text about the violence, slavery, plunder, and rape of conquered women that the Holy Bible alludes to and be awarded academic Honors in the West or Israel? Has the US demanded action against Churches for Pedophilia and Money Laundering, and arrested Cardinals and Popes, and why is there no publicity of these criminal acts?

Donigeration

Only in India do we find that blatant denigration of Hindu deities by M. F. Hussain through his paintings or by Doniger’s writings gets applauded as an expressions of free speech. Lascivious depictions of Jesus in the US would never be condoned. The muted reaction to the fatwa against the Danish cartoonist for just one objectionable cartoon of Prophet Mohammad shows the blind-spots of all free-speech advocates.

In the 1940’s and 1950’s in the US when Communism was seen as a threat, John McCarthy’s speeches on alleged communist infiltration lead to a witch-hunt of anybody who was not anti-communist. Even though McCarthy was proved wrong and censured, it marked one of the most repressive times in American Politics of the 1900’s. The term ‘McCarthyism’ was born. I feel the need for another new term in the English Lexicon:

don·i·ger·ate

Transitive verb \ˈdo-ni-ˌgər-āt\ don·i·ger·ated, don·i·ger·ating

1 : to attack the religious sanctity of : denigrate <donigerate Hindu deities>

2 : to make a denigrating interpretation of anything held sacred: <donigerate modes of worship>

3 : to defame in the cloak of scholarship; to use the academic pulpit to denigrate a native tradition

4 : to make an institution out of victimizing ancient traditions

5 : to invoke fake victim-hood when criticized.

Conclusion

Hindus do not need a lecture on free speech, rather we need to speak freely. It is alright to get upset when Hinduism is defamed. It is alright to protest peacefully, contest and file lawsuits, and write – none of which makes fundamentalists of Hindus. The West has not figured out a way to accept ancient traditions that consider the world or nature as sacred, whose spiritual vision dissolves perceived differences between the individual, the world and God. It requires a paradigm-shift to appreciate that it is possible to sublimate one’s passions without suppressing them. America should focus on its past and address the guilt born of decimating the Native Indian traditions before obsessing over and developing crackpot theories of cultures they understand very little about. The western penchant to exoticize, sensualize and debase such traditions in the cloak of free speech or scholarship is a disease that will likely continue for a while. Utilizing their Indian Sepoys, entrenched establishments will threaten Hindus with words like fanatics, fundamentalists, right-wingers, fascists, Hindutva, saffron brigade. Hindus will learn not to take such sham threats seriously and in turn label the labellers.

Islam and Christianity have powerful hierarchical institutions that are also politically active. Unlike them, while Hindus have institutions called Mathas and Pithas some of which are millennia-old, none of them expected such vicious treatment and are not geared even for institutional protests, leave alone exercising political clout. The Acharya Sabha, the Apex body for Hindus, was formed precisely for giving Hindus a voice, but it is very much in its infancy. Until then, it is individuals and organizations that take up the cause for Hindus. Hence, Hindus should be proud of Dinanath Batra, SBAC and Monika Arora.

It is no wonder that Hindus are fighting back. Four years ago, Doniger’s book was shortlisted for an award by the National Book Critics Club in 2010. After dozens of intelligent letters like the following from Subroto Gangopadhyay and thousands of petition signatures, the award was blocked. These represent a refreshing rise in crisp scholarship by Hindus who challenge Western Universalism.

Such Hindu responses shouldn’t surprise Doniger. After all, Hindus are studying the Bhagavad Gita more than ever before. Was it not Prof. Doniger who said that “The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some Americans think… Throughout the Mahabharata … Krishna goads human beings into all sorts of murderous and self-destructive behaviors such as war?”

Shubham Bhooyaat

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Dharmashrama – An Article by Dr Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar

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Dharmashrama

Dr. Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar

 

Dharma has been an oft discussed but seldom understood concept and term. Dharma is the anchor and the foundation of the Hindu civilization. Dharma is what makes society compliant with the order of the cosmos.

But what is Dharma?

Was Parashurama truly Dharmic when he is said to have vanquished the Kshatriya, or the ruling class, not once, not twice but 21 times, in an apparent violation of Varnashrama Dharma?

Were Bhishma and Karna truly Dharmic when Bhishma stuck to his vow of celibacy and not taking the crown, and Karna decided to side with his friend Duryodhana regardless of the situation or circumstances, in what can be regarded as Mitra Dharma (Dharma of a friend)?

Is a modern nation state like the United States of America truly Dharmic when they speak of bringing order to countries with dictatorial regimes in a manner that is inherently Adharmic?

These are all questions make one see why the concept of Dharma is often so incomprehensible: since it encompasses the relative and the subjective, along with a sense of a greater scheme of things in our cosmos. To look at what Dharma truly means, let us look at its etymological origins, to begin with. In Classical Sanskrit, dharma derives from the root dhṛ, which means “to hold, maintain, keep.” Over the Vedic and Upanishadic periods and interpretations, the concept of Dharma has been closely tied to two fundamental ideas: Rta and Satya. Ṛta refers to the order of nature, which is fundamental to the way the universe is and how life emerges, while Satya refers to the Absolute Truth that underlies this order of things and reflects the same. Looking at these concepts and formulating Dharma as simply as can be,

That which upholds the natural laws of the Universe and the order of nature is Dharma.

The first question that would and should come to your mind then is: What is this order of things? How does one organise life to comply with the aforementioned requirements of Dharma?

There is a fair bit of subjectivity surely in doing this? Yes and No!

In nature, there is an inherent duality in objects and phenomena: things are local and global, phenomena are transient and yet reality can be unchanging. The order of things or Rta lies in this duality, nay multiplicity, which transcends.

A multiplicity of realities.

There are many ways in which objects in nature could evolve and each of those ways are equally valid and allowed in nature. However, there is always a certain unchanging reality that is common to all these changes. This is usually the (super-)set of all properties of an object.

If the Satya of the cosmos is in the idea of unity, in the Brahman, in the singularity from which the Big Bang happened, surely every element in the Universe is inherently connected and interacts with every other element in the cosmos. Therefore, any interaction is inherently a ‘self-interaction’ in the higher scheme of things, and it is this tendency that is a cornerstone of that which upholds Satya: Dharma. Dharma respects the relational reality of the Universe.

By self-reflection and self-awareness, one gauges what is one’s Swadharma or innate tendencies. Fire burns, water flows and trees photosynthesize. At the human level, everyone has some inherent personality traits. This needs to be used and/or evolved to best suit one’s existence, and the first step in doing so is again the reflexive self-awareness, which is a cornerstone of Sanatana Dharma.

Dharma is that which upholds the multiplicity of realities of existence with its inherent reflexive tendencies.

So,

What are the rules of Dharma?

Well, much like the ways to reach Brahmana and its characteristics

There aren’t any!

Dharma is contextual at the practical level. There are certain key ideals and values and basis for Dharma, but the specifics change with time. For instance, what was Dharmic in the age of the Mahabharata such as polygamy and niyoga (an ancient Hindu tradition, in which a woman, whose husband is either incapable of fatherhood or has died without having a child, could request and appoint a man for helping her bear a child) would be frowned upon. However, the value of marriage and life is still valued as much as in the times of yore, as are the order of things that facilitate the same.

For understanding how to formulate the Dharmic structure of a time, one must reflect and meditate on the aforementioned definition of Dharma. One also needs to understand, truly realize and internalize some important aspects and cornerstones of Dharma, such as

  1. संस्कार (dispositions, character and ethos)
  2. संपोषणीयता (sustainability)
  3. सर्वव्यापित्व (universality)
  4. मोक्ष (liberation)

संस्कार

Remembering that Dharma is that which upholds all of existence and respects the multiplicity of realities in existence, this includes ideas of dignity, liberty, equality, brotherhood, right to life, charity, talking (that should be gentle and kind) with good intention, compassion, inclination towards non-violence, excessive expectations, abstaining from impure thoughts (that involves, say, arrogance or jealousy or pride) and contentment in one’s means. Each of these values naturally arises from this central definition. For instance, liberty arises from the tendency of Dharma to respect the multiplicity of realities and possibilities in the life of an individual, and charity arises from the tendency of Dharma to uphold all of existence and naturally to birth a feeling of compassion in the world.

What is Dharmic also includes spiritual, public, and political freedoms, such as freedom of thought, opinion, religion and conscience, word, and peaceful association of the individual. You may now say that this construct of Dharma is so abstract and not realizable in the real world. This is not the case and the answer for how Dharma can guide us in day-to-day activities lies in a set of ideas that has resonances with everything from Patanjali’s Yogasutra, Buddha’s Eightfold Path, Christian thought on sin and Jain beliefs.

The Dharmic way is the way that asks one to curtail

काम (lust), क्रोध (anger), लोभ (greed), मोह (attachment), मद (pride), and मात्सर्य (jealousy)

This classification has an older counterpart in the Panch Mahapatakas (five unforgivable sins) of Sanatana Dharma. Lust arises from the perversion of the relational reality we spoke of earlier. Anger comes from individualism taken to the level wherein anything not compliant with one’s state of being or belief or perspective causes friction. Greed and attachment come from superficial identification with elements (such as things and people) of the universe without appreciating the underlying unity of all things in the universe. Pride comes from extreme identification with the self and completely discounting the great unity and oneness with the Universe, while jealousy comes by looking at the hierarchy based on qualities of elements and making that the primary point of focus, thereby forgetting that this hierarchy is a transient one.

As we discussed previously, the goal of life is to realize the unity with the One, to yoke to the supreme godhead. This realization is seriously impeded by these base-human vices. Each of them leads to separation of the human and the divine instead of the unification ideally sought. Breaking these habits and vices is not easy. Doing so is a life-long process and those who truly transcend base-human existence are those who can move beyond this to a realm that is marked by humility, satisfaction, control, absence of lust, peace, lack of avarice and energy and dynamism.

It is also marked by the state known as

स्थितप्रज्ञ

which refers to the state of equanimity and knowledge that one attains when one lets go the aforementioned vices and truly lives in realization of the Unity and Truth of life. This is the ultimate conditioning or Sanskara.

संपोषणीयता

Most people regard the Dharmic way as one related to the times of yore. However, looking closely at it, one can see that the Dharmic way is a modern one. A key part of the Dharmic tradition is its connection to sustainable development goals, if one were to study the scriptures and early formulations of Dharma.

No Poverty, Employment and Economic Growth

Dharma is all about ending poverty in all spheres of life. This includes social discrimination and lack of education and healthcare. When it comes to material wealth and poverty, the famous lines from the Rig Veda Mandala 10, Hymn 117, Verse 5 comes to mind:

पर्णीयादिन नाधमानाय तव्यान दराघीयांसमनुपश्येत पन्थाम |

ओ हि वर्तन्ते रथ्येव चक्रान्यम-अन्यमुप तिष्ठन्त रायः ||

which talks upon the value of charity and the changing dynamics of wealth. The Shatapatha Brahmana (11.1.6.24) links social prosperity and dharma by stating that prosperity enables people to follow Dharma in their lives. In times of distress, of destitution, of drought, of poverty, everything suffers including relations between human beings and the human ability to live according to dharma, since survival is the greatest need of the hour then.

Hence there is a great need to ensure that one of the four Purushartha (objectives) of life is Artha — capital and prosperity, along with Dharma, Kama (desire) and Moksha (salvation). Each of the Purushartha is dependent on the other and hence ending poverty is fundamental to the idea of attainment of Dharma.

The Dharmic traditions calls for ensuring that there is sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. This is one of the most important points since the Dharmic tradition believes in Karmayoga and despises and denounces lack of work.

Governments should ensure that everyone who can work must work. A culture that naturally promotes the idea of work and the dignity in labour is inherently Dharmic since it cultivates the Swadharma and creates a means of appreciating the relational reality in nature through work.

The Vedas praise labour in various areas, be it agriculture (Rig Veda 1.117.21, 8.22.6, 4.57.4, 10.104.4 and 10.101.3), weaving and tailoring (Rig Veda 10.26, 10.53.6, 6.9.2 and 6.9.3), artistry and technical work (Rig Veda 4.36.1), while other verse that speak highly of skilled labor are Rigveda 10.39.14, 10.53.10, 1.20.2, 2.41.5, 7.3.7, 7.15.14 and 10.53.8, Atharvaved 14.1.53, 14.2.22, 14.2.23, 14.2.24, 14.2.67 and 15.2.65. Commerce (Rigveda 5.45.6 and 1.112.11), the work of a boatman (Rigveda 10.53.8, Yajurved 21.3, Yajurved 21.7, Atharvaved 5.4.4, 3.6.7), the work of a barber (Atharvaved 8.2.19), the work of a goldsmith and a gardener (in different sections of Rigveda 8.47.15), the work of an ironsmith and smelter (Rigveda 5.9.5) and metallurgy (Yajurved 28.13) is also spoken of highly.

Chanakya’s Arthashastra is a seminal piece in the Dharmic society that talks of economics. Chanakya spoke of conducting international trade according to the principles of comparative advantages: imports are as important as exports when promoting national economic growth. He felt imports can offer the kingdom goods that can’t be found on the national territory. He also argued for strict regulation of business activities so that monopolies are undermined and domestic economies are protected from potential adversaries. However,

Regulation was not quite Chanakya’s way in an absolutist way!

The reason I say this is that excessive regulation infringes on the liberty of the individual and the possibilities of the market forces. Since being Dharmic is to ensure the multiplicity of such possibilities without compromising on the welfare and interests of the elements of society, Chanakya’s way is not Dharmic through and through.

Instead of an enforced regulation, governments should see the reasons for market failure and why important effects of a free market transaction is not captured by the decisions made by the buyers and sellers. They should seek to address it by exploiting and not disrupting the market-based economic ecosystem. Calibrating such regulations mainly to address market failures can ensure that the interventions by the government achieve the intended goals while minimizing adverse consequences. Regulations also need to have a proper social cost-social benefit analysis. That is the Dharmic way. Given the importance of Satya in the Dharmic tradition, it is also important to base this regulation on the best available scientific and technical information, possibly with public input too. A Dharmic economy is the one that uses the Swadharma and liberty of the individual to ensure the welfare and relation reality of all, without compromising on the rule of law or remedial steps to ensure the same.

No Hunger and Good Health

In Rig Veda Mandala 1 Hymn 187, the glory of food is spoken of

पितुं नु सतोषं महो धर्माणं तविषीम |

यस्य तरितो वयोजसा वर्त्रं विपर्वमर्दयत ||

सवादो पितो मधो पितो वयं तवा वव्र्महे |

अस्माकमविता भव ||

उप नः पितवा चर शिवः शिवाभिरूतिभिः |

मयोभुरद्विषेण्यः सखा सुशेवो अद्वयाः ||

तव तये पितो रस रजांस्यनु विष्ठिताः |

दिवि वाता इव शरिताः ||

तव तये पितो ददतस्तव सवादिष्ठ ते पितो |

पर सवाद्मानो रसानां तुविग्रीवा इवेरते ||

तवे पितो महानां देवानां मनो हिताम |

अकारि चारु केतुना तवाहिमवसावधीत ||

यददो पितो अजगन विवस्व पर्वतानाम |

अत्रा चिन नो मधो पितो.अरं भक्षाय गम्याः ||

यदपामोषधीनां परिंशमारिशामहे |

वातपे पीवैद भव ||

यत ते सोम गवाशिरो यवाशिरो भजामहे |

वातापे … ||

करम्भ ओषधे भव पीवो वर्क्क उदारथिः |

वातापे … ||

तं तवा वयं पितो वचोभिर्गावो न हव्या सुषूदिम |

देवेभ्यस्त्वा सधमादमस्मभ्यं तवा सधम

This verse glorifies food that `upholds great strength’ and asks it to be our kind protector, auspicious as it is. The seers call food a `health-bringing, not unkind, a dear and guileless friend’. It talks of the juices in the food, which are winds in the heavens, diffused throughout its composition, and that it is most sweet to taste. The seers go on to say that in food is set the spirit of the great Gods.

It is with food that brave deeds were accomplished and food remains, much like the splendour of the clouds, for our enjoyment. It talks of the food from the waters or the plants, milky food or barley-based, and talks of waxing `the fat of Soma’ or extracting the nectar-like essence of the food, which replenishes and reinvigorates. The seers describe the vegetables as `wholesome, firm and strengthening’. It ends with the interesting line saying that food is what banquets of God and man, alike, are fulfilled.

The Dharmic tradition promotes healthy lives and promote welfare of all at all ages. This not only includes quality basic healthcare for all, free of cost, but also awareness-building of healthcare and welfare, besides welfare of animals and plants. In the Sushruta Sutrasthana, chapter 15, it is said

समादोषः समाअग्निश्च समाधातुमलक्रियाः|

प्रसन्न आत्मेइन्द्रियमनाः स्वस्थ ईतिअभिधॆयते||

which translates to the idea that balanced doshaas (biological energies such as vata, pitta and kapha that are said to govern all physical and mental processes and provide every living being with an individual blueprint for health and fulfillment), balanced digestive fire, balanced body dhatu (elements of the body such as plasma – Rasa, blood – Rakta, muscle – Mamsa, fat – Meda, bone – Asthi, bone marrow and nerve – Majja and reproductive fluid – Shukra), elimination of waste from the body (with the removal of the Mala – the waste, which are Purisa – faeces, Mutra – urine and Sweda – sweat), balanced senses (indriya, such as those of sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch), a balanced mind and a contented soul, together constitute normal health. Absence or reduction of any of these elements or functions or states stated above can be termed as ‘disorder’, which can become a disease.

The Dharmic tradition seeks the balance of all these elements, functions and states, and hence calls for the maintenance of health in a holistic manner, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Of the four Vedas, the medical topics have been dealt primarily in the Atharvaveda, while the Ṛigveda contains a lesser extent of verses of health conditions and medical aspects. The Oṣadhi-śukta is the first documentary evidence of the study of plants for pharmocological use and botanical study. Various sages like Jamadagni, Kaṇva, Āngirasas and Kaśyapa were well known for their expertise in recognizing and discovering new herbs for remedial purposes. The exploits of Sushruta in surgery and other Vedic seers in medicine are well-documented. Health has always been a priority for the Dharmic traditions, since the body is taken to be a temple and the abode of the soul. Its maintenance is key.

The word Dharma comes from a term that means `to uphold, to sustain’. At the individual level this is not possible without being healthy. At the community level, it refers to the need for cleanliness and hygiene in society. The Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali describe Shaucha (literally meaning purity, cleanliness and clearness) as-

शौचात्स्वाङ्गजुगुप्सा परैरसंसर्गः ||

सत्त्वशुद्धिसौमनस्यैकाग्र्येन्द्रियजयात्मदर्शनयोग्यत्वानि च||

which means that Shaucha is that from which there arises dispassion towards one’s body and detachment towards contact with other people and beings. Shaucha gives rise to contentment, purity of mind, focus, conquest of the senses and competency to attain self-realization.

Quality Education and Knowledge

The Dharmic tradition speaks of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for everyone. In the Rig Veda, Mandala 1 Hymn 3 Verse 12, it says:

महो अर्णः सरस्वती पर चेतयति केतुना |

धियो विश्वा वि राजति ||

which translates to

Sarasvati, the mighty flood,–she with be light illuminates,

She brightens every pious thought.

Sarasvati is the goddess of learning and here the light being mentioned is the illumination of knowledge. The Vedic seers highlight the importance of piety in one’s thoughts and the importance and power of knowledge. The importance of knowledge in the Dharmic tradition can be gauged from the fact that ‘Veda’ itself means ‘to know’. In the modern world, basic comprehensive education needs to be provided to all students irrespective of social identities and communities they belong to. Quality of education should be improved, and talents of students must be identified and must inform their choice of careers, along with perseverance.

According to the Rig-Veda, education is something which makes a man self-reliant and selfless, which effectively liberates and makes one aware of universal truths and ideas.

Gender Equality

In the Rig Veda, Mandala 10 Hymn 125 Verses 3-8, the idea of the feminine to be the supreme principle behind all of cosmos is asserted

अहं राष्ट्री संगमनी वसूनां चिकितुषी परथमायज्ञियानाम |

तां मा देवा वयदधुः पुरुत्राभूरिस्थात्रां भूर्यावेशयन्तीम ||

मया सो अन्नमत्ति यो विपश्यति यः पराणिति य ईंश्र्णोत्युक्तम| अमन्तवो मां त उप कषियन्ति शरुधिश्रुत शरद्धिवं ते वदामि ||

अहमेव सवयमिदं वदामि जुष्टं देवेभिरुतमानुषेभिः |

यं कामये तं-तमुग्रं कर्णोमि तम्ब्रह्माणं तं रषिं तं सुमेधाम ||

अहं रुद्राय धनुरा तनोमि बरह्मद्विषे शरवे हन्तवाु |

अहं जनाय समदं कर्णोम्यहं दयावाप्र्थिवी आविवेश ||

अहं सुवे पितरमस्य मूर्धन मम योनिरप्स्वन्तः समुद्रे |

ततो वि तिष्ठे भुवनानु विश्वोतामूं दयांवर्ष्मणोप सप्र्शामि ||

अहमेव वात इव पर वाम्यारभमाणा भुवनानि विश्वा |

परो दिवा पर एना पर्थिव्यैतावती महिना सं बभूव ||

which translates to

I am the Queen, the gatherer-up of treasures, most thoughtful, first of those who merit worship.

Thus Gods have established me in many places with many homes to enter and abide in.

Through me alone all eat the food that feeds them, -each man who sees, breathes, hears the word outspoken

They know it not, but yet they dwell beside me.

Hear, one and all, the truth as I declare it.

I, verily, myself announce and utter the word that Gods and men alike shall welcome.

I make the man I love exceeding mighty, make him a sage, a Rsi, and a Brahman.

I bend the bow for Rudra that his arrow may strike and slay the hater of devotion.

I rouse and order battle for the people, and I have penetrated Earth and Heaven.

On the world’s summit I bring forth the Father: my home is in the waters, in the ocean.

Thence I extend o’er all existing creatures, and touch even yonder heaven with my forehead.

I breathe a strong breath like the wind and tempest, the while I hold together all existence.

Beyond this wide earth and beyond the heavens I have become so mighty in my grandeur.

In the Upanishads and Puranic texts, there are cases of both women empowerment and discrimination. Given that the divine Feminine, in her various forms, be it as Adi Shakti or Prakriti, has such an important place in Sanatana Dharma, there should be no doubt about the esteemed place women have in it. There have been famous seers in the Dharmic tradition such as Gargi and Maitreyi who have been women. A natural order would have men and women equally empowered to create a synergy as they move ahead. That is key to human society and its progress. Also, members of society with other sexual orientations and sexes need to be accepted as they are and their views and interests must be respected.

The Vedas do not refer explicitly to homosexuality, but Rigveda says \textit{Vikruti Evam Prakriti} (perversity/diversity is what nature is all about) and therefore what seems unnatural is also natural. In other texts, it has not been as approving of this, but if it has to be Dharmic and the LGBTQ+ identity truly represents the existence of an individual, that must be respected. The second part, ninth chapter of the Kamasutra, along with Sushruta Samhita 3.2.42–43, the Kritivasa Ramayana and Narada Smriti, discuss the LGBTQ+ identity at some length.

True Dharma respects the gender identities of all people.

Responsible Consumption and Consumerism

The Vedic traditions do not stand for greed and senseless consumerism and seek to ensure sustainable production patterns. The Bhagavad Gita, in Chapter 16 Shloka 21, says

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः।

कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत्।।

which is referring to lust, anger and greed as the threefold gateway to Naraka (hell), ruinous to the Self. Today, we find greed being a major part of the problems affecting the world. Senseless and insensitive consumerism is pervasive. As per the Dharmic tradition, if one looks at the transience of human life, one must weigh what comes of embellishing that, important as it is, against the greater good of society, nature and our planet. More importantly, there is a need to reflect on one’s practices and find contentment within and not without, as the Bhagavat Purana 7.15.16 says

संतुष्टस्य निरिहस्य स्वात्मारामस्य यत्सुखं |

कुतस्तत्कामलोभेन धावतो ‘र्थेहया दिशाः ||

which means that the happiness obtained by him who is contended and who seeks joy within himself is many times more than the happiness of that person who, under the influence of desires and greed, runs in all the four directions and obtains a lot of wealth.

Inclusive Societies, Reduced Inequalities and Pluralism

The Dharmic tradition calls for the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provision of access to justice for all and building of effective, accountable and inclusive institutions for administration and dispensation of justice at all levels. Dharma, by nature, underlies the call for a practical integral humanism. In ancient Indian Society, Law and Dharma were not distinct. In ancient texts such as Dharma Sastras, Smritis and Arthasastra, the concept of justice was equated to Dharma. Rules of Dharma have never been alterable according to the whims and fancies of politicians, monarchs, administrators and policy-makers, and it was always made clear that it was essential that the exercise of political power must be in conformity with Dharma — an essential aspect of governance in the Dharmic traditions.

Besides the duties of Indra and by association of the ruling class of that age, one of the earliest textual references to the Dharmic conduct of ruling and of politics is found in the Satapatha Brahmana, Kanda III, Adhyaya 4, Brahmana 2, where the tale of the Tanunapatra is described. It refers to the mythological time when the gods such as Vayu, Agni and Indra were fighting amongst themselves, and this led to them being weak and vulnerable to the infiltration of the asura-rakshasa. They decided to unite under the leadership of one – Indra, under a covenant of truth. This mythological story behoves reflection on the true nature of power and how it arises from a social contract to the constituents and relies on Satya – both in the form of absolute and relative truths.

People often mistake the Varnashrama system with the jati – based segregation that translated into the caste system. The Varna system depended on the Swadharma of the individual; the innate tendencies, along with Karma or work and perseverance. It was an organic organization of society. Some mistake the poetic symbolism in the Purusa Sukta of the Rig Veda as a hierarchical construct while it always has been one of utilitarianism and how different parts of the body need to work together coherently. Hinduism has been inherently so pluralistic that even Carvakas, who are materialists and atheists, are part of the Hindu family. This is due to the fundamental conception of Dharma and the tolerance it has within. There are many ways to reach Brahman, to live life and to undertake occupations, and all are equally allowed and appreciated in the Dharmic way. In today’s bid for positive affirmation, what is often disregarded is the unique existence and life of each individual, which is why intersectionality of identities and concerns must be understood and addressed, in a truly Dharmic system.

To make society truly inclusive and safe, in contemporary times, reducing violent crime, trafficking, forced labour, and child abuse are much needed, as are stronger legal systems. Power should be decentralised to regional and state units with empowered legislature, judiciary and executive branches. Federalisation and decentralization of power is a key step towards true democracy and is what the Dharmic way propounds, to the extent of decentralizing power to the individual, if practically possible! This not only helps with administration that closely understands the unique problems of the area but also dispenses with solutions quicker than other alternatives. The voice of the civil society must also be reinforced and given a place in the political, socio-economic and cultural domains.

Environment and Energy

The Dharmic tradition seeks the availability and sustainable management of water and air and sanitation for all. In the Vedas, all components of Nature are said to be interrelated and interdependent. All elements of Nature and origins of natural resources and life-forms (including plants and trees) are given due respect in the Vedic hymns as manifestations and reflections of the divine creation — thus emphasizing the significance of each. The Rig Veda glorifies deities like Varuna, Indra, Maruts, Mitra and Aditya, who are responsible for maintaining a balance in the functioning of all entities of Nature whether they be lakes, mountains, the skies or earth, the woods or the waters. One is reminded of the famous lines from the Shuklayajurveda 36:18

दृते द्रिन्घ मा मित्रस्य चक्षुषा

मा सर्वाणि भूतानि समिक्षन्तम्

मित्रस्याहं चक्षुषा सर्वाणि भूतानि समीक्षे

मित्रस्य चक्षुषा समीक्षामहे

which means may all beings look on me with the eyes of a friend and may I look on all beings with the eyes of a friend; may we look on one another with the eyes of friendship.

Water and air are the basic requirements of any living being, and ensuring that drinking water and clean air is available to all humans is a must. The Rig Veda has an entire hymn (Mandala 10 Hymn 9) on water, with a similar position given to air, the human breath and the winds in the deity Vayu, in the Rig Veda and other Vedic and Upanishadic texts

आपो हि षठा मयोभुवस्ता न ऊर्जे दधातन |

महेरणाय चक्षसे ||

यो वः शिवतमो रसस्तस्य भजयतेह नः |

उशतीरिवमातरः ||

तस्मा अरं गमाम वो यस्य कषयाय जिन्वथ |

आपोजनयथा च नः ||

शं नो देवीरभिष्टय आपो भवन्तु पीतये |

शं योरभि सरवन्तु नः ||

ईशाना वार्याणां कषयन्तीश्चर्षणीनाम |

अपोयाचामि भेषजम ||

अप्सु मे सोमो अब्रवीदन्तर्विश्वानि भेषजा |

अग्निं चविश्वशम्भुवम ||

आपः पर्णीत भेषजां वरूथं तन्वे मम |

जयोक चसूर्यं दर्शे ||

इदमापः पर वहत यत किं च दुरितं मयि |

यद वाहमभिदुद्रोह यद व शेप उतान्र्तम ||

आपो अद्यान्वचारिषं रसेन समगस्महि |

पयस्वानग्ना गहि तं मा सं सर्ज वर्चसा ||

which translates to

Ye, Waters, are beneficent: so help ye us to energy

That we may look on great delight.

Give us a portion of the sap, the most auspicious that ye have,

Like mothers in their longing love.

To you we gladly come for him to whose abode ye send us on;

And, Waters, give us procreant strength.

The Waters. be to us for drink, Goddesses for our aid and bliss:

Let them stream to us health and strength.

1 beg the Floods to give us balm, these Queens who rule o’er precious things,

And have supreme control of men.

Within the Waters-Soma thus hath told me-dwell all balms that heal,

And Agni, he who blesseth all.

O Waters, teem with medicine to keep my body safe from harm,

So that I long may see the Sun.

Whatever sin is found in me, whatever evil I have wrought,

If I have lied or falsely sworn, Waters, remove it far from me.

The Waters I this day have sought, and to their moisture have we come:

O Agni, rich in milk, come thou, and with thy splendour cover me.

Trees and plants have a great importance to keep the environment in balance and the Dharmic traditions prioritize this to the extent of deifying it. The Vṛkṣāyurveda says that planting a tree is equally beneficial as having ten son. Tulsi, Peepal and Vatavṛkṣa have great importance in the Dharmic tradition, and these plants and trees have been found to have immense ecological and even medicinal value, as per modern science. In the Maitrāyani Samhitā, the earth has been described as Devajayani (adorable by deities) and Aushadhinam Mulam (the source of all kinds of medicinal plants). So in ancient texts of the Dharmic tradition, sages suggested punishment for him who cuts down such valuable trees. Yajnas were often conducted in the Vedic age for purification of the environment. The Dharmic way is inherently an ecologically conscious way. The animistic traditions of the Hindu faith, for instance, with the avataras of Vishnu being various kinds of beings over the yugas was to highlight the divinity in those life forms.

In Dharmic traditions, we are said to have a debt to our surrounding environs and to nature (भूत ऋण, besides the देव ऋण – debt to deities, ऋषि ऋण – debt to sages and seers, पितृ ऋण – debt to ancestors and नारी ऋण – debt to humanity), since they play an important role in our evolution as individual. Therefore, Dharma highlights the need for responsible production and usage of energy, preferably renewable energy (since it maintains the equilibrium of nature), promotes conservation practices, inherently safeguards against climate change and calls for the safekeeping of biodiversity.

सर्वव्यापित्व

Dharma is ever evolving since the cosmos is a dynamic, evolving entity. Dharma is universal since it deals with certain key ideas of the universe, cutting across sects, religions, colour or creed. This is primarily because it is more interested in working with Satya – the absolute Truth, the Brahman, so to say, and not the relative truths. In the quest to see for oneself what this Truth is, for this is an experiential element, the ways of maintaining the order of the Universe neither depends on chance of identities by birth or the changing circumstances of the world.

So, if a certain spiritual messenger formulated his teachings in the context of a certain age, Dharma would seek to extract the essence of the teachings along with evolving the more superficial or worldly aspects of the teachings. The important point here is to safekeep the Dharmic tradition of multiplicity where even though there is a guideline for what to do and possibly how to do it, by certain authorities of the age and/or the zeitgeist of that age, there must be space and freedom to devise and customize solutions to local problems and factors. This tendency of local adaptation, after all, is the basis of evolution in nature itself.

Since the scope of these revisions is so wide, the only thing to always remember is the fundamental definition of Dharma, mentioned previously, and must be ascertained with the use of reasoning (seeking of the Truth, of society, of the cosmos, of oneself, is the key word) and a position of compassion and social unity. In terms of spirituality and society, Dharmic traditions leads us to approach the question of Godhead and universality from a position of empathy and compassion and actively speaks against the tendency of the ‘other-ing’ of sections of humankind based on the fact that they do not belong to one’s own nation, religion or order.

How does Dharma differ from just another set of sensible, contemporary conceptions of values and ideals?

The key is its pursuit of Moksha

Moksha is simply the liberation of oneself from the bounds of identities, finiteness and worldliness, to truly appreciate the subtle element of the Brahman, the unity and oneness underlying the Universe, which manifests in everything from the laws of Physics and nature to the subjective experiences of man. Moksha refers to various forms of emancipation, liberation, and release. It refers to freedom from saṃsāra, the cycles of mortality (and here I also mean within a lifetime). In a more practical human level, it refers to the freedom from ignorance: self-realization and self-knowledge.

At the most accessible level, it refers to existing in one’s entirety in the moment, and just pure आनन्द (Bliss) and चित् (Consciousness). This formulation of Dharma and identification of its core ideas is the way to highlighting the most natural state of order that is compliant with the laws and order of the cosmos. I believe that orienting our lives and society with Dharma is the way towards attaining true happiness and peace in our lives and in the world.

ॐ तत् सत्|

(This article was first published in Vichaar Manthan – https://www.vichaarmanthan.org/post/2019/08/18/dharmashrama)

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