*DHARMA - WHAT DOES IT MEAN ?* *The word is used in various senses down the ages and the meaning and scope have enlarged.* *dhaaraNaat dharmam ityaahuh dharmO dhaarayatE prajaah* *(it is dharma that upholds people).* *Religious rites, ceremonies and observances , principles of conduct, privileges, duties and obligations of a man, even rules of law, customs and manners of society etc., can be included in the term dharma.* *Mahaanaaraayana Upanishat says, dharmO vishvasya jagatah pratishtaa * * (dharma is thefoundation on which the entire universe stands).* *Dharma here means righteous behaviour based on truth and capable of bringing good to the whole creation.* *DHARMA IN VEDAS/ UPANISHATS.* *It is said that the term dharma occurs in Rigveda 56 times. Here, it has been used as duty or action which helps to sustain the world ( jagaddhaaraka karma).* *In our journey towards perfection, while passing through several stages of spiritual development, in each stage, there will be certain duties and code of conduct. ChandOgya says,** trayO dharmaskandaa yajnOdhyayanaam daanamiti prathamaah ( performanceof sacrifices, study of scriptures and giving gifts-the first).* *The taittareeya Upanishad clearly uses the word to mean obligatory works (dharmam chara).* *DHARMA IN THE EPICS* *raamO vigrahavaan dharmaha (Rama is dharma personified) .* *To speak the truth and to keep up promises is the key note of dharma in the Ramayana.* *He had set up new norms of dharma by accepting the hospitality of Guha and Shabari, by refusing to have more than one wife, by forcing Vibheeshana to perform the last rites of Ravana etc.,* *The Mahabharatha gave the definition for dharma as dhaaraNaat dharmamityaahuh. * *Virtues like satya, and ahimsaa are extolled. The stories of Dharmavyaadha, Tulaadhaara etc., eulagise the performance of duties. It is here that worldly life and pursuits were given a decent place in the scheme of life. * *The concept of aapat dharma was introduced here wherein relaxation of the well known moral standards in times of distress was allowed. **THIS SHOWS THE ROBUST COMMON SENSE OF THE AUTHOR!!* *DHARMA IN SMRITIS AND DHARMASHAASTRAAS. * *Detailed instructions about the way of life helping us to be in tune with dharma are given in the smritis. These have a sociological bias.* *Yaajnavalkya smriti interestingly gives an interesting instruction. * *srutih smritih sadaachaarah svasya cha priyamaatmaanaha smyaksankalpajaha kaamO dharmamoolam idam smritam * *(Vedas, smritis, usages of good men what is agreeable to oneself and desire born of deliberation - are recognized as source of dharma).* *The concept of dharma has undergone an evolution over the years always keeping the core meaning.* *DHARMA IS NOT A STAGNANT CONCEPT.* *One may observe that the social laws, customs and manners have been constantly changed depending on the needs of the times.* *Manu goes to the extent of saying that when a dharma is hated or disliked by people it must be given up. (Manu 4.176.) * *We may see that over the years, the rules and regulations have changed to suit the tastes and needs of the people keeping the central spiritual principles in tact. **Criticism of vedic ritualism in the upanishats, changes in the anulOma marriages and foods, kalivarjya principles (like animal sacrifice etc.) indicate that Hindu society was always dynamic and not stagnant. The sages were endowed with a lot of common sense. * *Thus, we see that dharma has always been dynamic and a real force to reckon with in our national life. If this fact is kept in mind all could live in peace and happiness. Then, the vyasas saying, DharmO rakshati rakshitah would be true.* * It is true that certain practices which initially came with a purpose might have lost all meaning during the modern times when conditions have changed. My point is that whatever is found to be unreasonable beyond doubt, have to be removed. * *My request is to be able to view the religion apart from the mythological, ritualistic and sociological forms in which Hinduism is embedded. Vedanta has to be interpreted as a religious philosophy independent of the caste system or mythology or rites and ceremonies. What really matters is the the philosophy based on spiritual experience and not the particular social arrangements or the beliefs in particular deities. The soul of a religion is different from its body. While the soul is imperishable, the body is perishable. The various myths, rites etc., are parts of the body. The social reform movement started with Raja Ram Mohan Roys agitation against Sati.Today, Sati has become an incredible thing of the past.Child marriages and polygamy have become illegal.Widow marriages have been made possible. There is provision for divorces.Foreign travel has become very common.There is no ban for inter caste dining.Caste system has become less rigid.The demon of untouchability is almost dead.Women have become educated and are occupying highest offices. The list can go on.That shows that the ice has been broken in all directions and further progress is necessary. We cannot go back to the evil customs and harmful restrictions of the age of decadence.There is a dire need to adjust the teachings of Hinduism to the scientific thought and the political and social philosophies. The contemporary scientific knowledge which in their time they interpreted to arrive at the various darshanas are now largely obsolete. Knowledge of the world has increased tremendously, society has grown infinitely more complex and the ideas of the rights and duties of men have undergone a thorough change.* *So, in the twenty first century, it is necessary to reinterpret the religion in terms of our new knowledge. In a way, a beginning was made by Dr. Radhakrishnan in his book, THE REIGN OF RELIGION AND AN IDEALISTIC VIEW OF LIFE. Herein, he has reviewed all the contemporary scientific and philosophical systems of the west in the light of Vedantic idealism and interpreted that in relation to developments. *
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 07:44:01 +0000
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