English Book With Cover Back Radha Krishna Final
English Book With Cover Back Radha Krishna Final
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Contents
Page No.
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I
GENESIS OF HINDU RELIGlON
The originaf name of the Hindu religion was SANATANA DHARMA and
Vedic religion is its principal philosophy.The people who came to lndia as
invaders and rulers gradually intermingled with the local population and
adopted the basics of th6 Hindu philosophy and lost theirforeign identity.
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The God of the Hindus is known as ,shwara. lshwaraislhe one supreme
entity. He is absolute, all pervasive and eternal. He has no beginning and
no end. He has no form, colour or description. He is the creator, the cause
ol all causes. He is all powerful and does not require any subordinates to
carry out his desire.
/shu/ara sends messiahs (Devalas) to various regions o, the earth in human
form to benefit His creation as a reflection ol His greatness. These
messiahs are called Devaras in some of the lndian languages.
Devotees pray to /st wara and celebrate the life, deeds and teachings of
Devatas in temples. Devatas are essentially human beings with
supernatural power.Their manifestations, however, were bound by their
historical period, social settings and geographical location.
Ordinary human beings go to the idol ol Devata in temples. An idol is not
only an object of worship by the devotee but it becomes the centre of
concentration through intense prayerclo lshwara.
One who has read and grasped the Vedas i.e. one who is knowledgeable
in the inner meaning ol religious philosophy, has no need to worship an
idol. He/she has already realized the true nature of ,shwara and the futility
of idol worship.
,shwara alone deserves our prayer. /shlvara is omnipresent, omnipotent
and not bound by boundaries ol the earth or the solar system. All human
beings come to Him with their prayers and their rituals.
The Hindus during the early history of Sa natana Dhama,were monotheists
and believed in one lshwara. Hindus leamt idolworship lrom the dazzling
urban civilization of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. The residents of
Mohenjodaro and Harappa were worshippers o, the Sun-God, Lord Shiva-
linga, Mother Goddesses and some animal totems etc.
This idol worship was the resultant lnfluence of Mesopotamian (Egyptian)
and Sumerian (Persian) civilizations. During that period "Cuneiform'was
used as the script lor communication in Harappa and Moheniodaro as
well as in Mesopotamia (Egypt). Cuneilorm script was lull of pictures of
idols.The Harappan and Mohenjodaro civilizations flourished priorto 1475
B.C. Hindu scripture records that in the year 1475 B.C. there was a huge
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undersea earthquake which created very high sea waves and the high
water level ,looded the river Sindhu and its embankments. Harappa,
Mohenjodaro etc. were covered with mud. When the water receded men,
animals and vegetation perished almost instantly and were buried under
thick layers ol mud.
The urban civilization of Harappa and Moheniodaro used plenty ottimber
for construction and lurniture making. Wood was used in a big way for
building work and maintaining the civilization. lt caused delorestation.
Deforestation altering the ecological balance became nature's curse and
contributed to the extinction oI the Harappan and Mohenjodaro civilizations.
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lrotes .-
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) The great histo an and authot Kalkut, in his historical treatise PRITHA pudished by
Mandal Book House, 78/1, Mahatna Gandhi Road, Kolkata - 700 009 , lNDlA, wrote in
page 26 that hislorically when Kaliyug was 3179 yeasold,ldian year@mnng Saka&ah,
i.e., yeat countjng ftom the tme ol King Kaniska started.ln the year A.D 2oos it is 1927
SakaMah. Thus as on date, age ol Kalyug is apprcximately 51 06 (3179+1 927) years,
say 5W yeas. We know Satyaug bmmerrced when Bramha, Bishnu and Maheswaa
got revelation and propounded Sanatana Oharma. There are tourYugs which go on
cyclically in human evolution. They are Satyayug, Tretayug Draparyug and Kaliyug.
Each yug having an aDrcximate time period of SOOO years.Thus Sanalana Dharma is
existing awrcximately for littie ovet 2O,OOO years. We arc at the end ol the Kaliwg and
Hindus can reasonably expect the advancement ol Satyayug. ln Satyayug all human
beings are provided with basic necessifes ol lile i.e., food, shelbr and clothing. A men
and women rcmain tnJthful in all their aclivities, they have positive attitude. All people live
in hamony with mutual rcspect and love for each other.
2) Smte Hindu philosophet saint strongly believe that Bramha, Bishnu and Maheswara
arc three dilfeent manifestatons ol the same tomless lshwara.
THE BASIC TENETS OF HINDUISM
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10 Life is an etemal struggle between the forces of good and evil.
One should be very careful with his thought and words so as not
to hurt a good man.
11 One should never give way to the deadly emotions of anger,
envy, lear and grief. Always be optimistic about /shlvara's long-
term plan and believe that everything will come out all right in the
end.
Everyone comes naked into the world and departs in the same
way. During this short period of life one must work to make his
environment better so that when he leaves this world, it remains
a better place than what he had found.
14. It is incumbent upon all persons above the age ol ten to pray to
/shwara at least twice a day (ln the morning chant Manlras and
pray for the success of the day's plan and in the evening chant
Mantra and lhank lshwara for the success achieved and introspect
for all that failed). O ne musldo Pranayama at least for ten minutes
in a day.
15. One must organise or attend Bhoi Utsav in lull moon night once
in a month.
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At least once in a week every one should go to a common place
i.e. temple and pray jointly with the community members. The
priest should conduct prayer and should discuss the meaning of
at least five slokas from the Gita, Veda Shastras and Upanisad
and explain how their essence can help mankind of today.
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SMRIT! SHASTRA
(Fr€quenUy asked questions)
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illuminate the mind ol the masses and make the world a betteF
and safer place to live. They enioy the reflected glory of /shwara.
Followers ot Devata are aclually followers ol lshwara. ln lhe
personitication ol Devata, they find the messenger of /sf,wara.
And they showertheir respect, gratitude and admiration in various
forms. Some make idols, some chant their name, and some
compose folk songs in their reverence - Devta arc loved as the
chosen ones of lshwara. ll is believed that they also answer to
the prayers. However, best result is obtained by loud prayer direc{y
lo lshwara regularly in chorus, i.e. rcciting Mantras (Hymns) in
the morning and evening. Chanting Mantras takes ten minutes a
day but protects one for the eternal lite.
Q4. lf /sfiwara is Supreme, is not it an insultto lshwaeil Devatasarc
worshipped ?
Ans. ln the Gita it is said that /shwara is supreme and is alFpowerlul
and He is so immense that He is not bothered in positive or
negative ways even if you worship His messengers i.e. Deyalas
in place ol Him.*
*Note
: An exampte - A respectable and powerful person will never be
bothered whether a small creature like an ant shows respect to
him or to his subordinates. Similarly lshwara is not bothered if
one shows respect to Devata. Howerer, compaison between an
ant and a man is not correct. lshwara is iinfinitely greater than a
human being. He shows mercy and not anger. However, direct
prayer to lshwara is always better and rewarding.
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Q5. When we feeldejected by the selfish world, what is the best way
to be fully spiritual ?
Ans. A synergy between activities and spiritualism is the key to one,s
existence in this world. By one's activities and hard toil we shall
construct the temple of /sl,r4lara that shall soar above the clouds.
lshwara shall reside in that temple with all His glories. /sfiwara
has glven everybody sense, strength, nerves, muscles and
emotions. Why has this world been created by /shwara in all its
varieties and diversilies? lshwarahas apurpose and an objective.
lf one tries to isolate himself from daily activities and etforts, it
shall be an act ol eldreme spiritual selfishness. lt will deprive
one of the love ol lshwara. The temple ol lshwara is the place
where people can enjoy peace and get theteeling of being fulJilled
from nothingness. /shwara has no statue or idol.
Q6. What is the manilestation of /shl4/ara when the time began ?
Ans. Darkness was concealed in darkness then, and all that existed
was - indiscriminate chaos. The one, which was covered by the
void was manifested. The one is /shwara, whose grace created
all that moves and all that are static, that walks,swims and flies.
That formless reality which lies hidden within is lshwara.
Q7. What is the actual n ame ol lshwara? How does he motivates His
creation ?
Ans. That reality which lies hidden in mystery is where the universe
finds one single home. ln that reality all unites, from that all
emerges. The one Lord has no name. Sages called Him /shwara.
Prophets came to the earth in human lorm to motivate His
creations. Prophets rellection o, His greatness. They are known
as Devatas. Pious persons pray lo lshwara and celebrate the
life, deed and the teachings of Deyatas in temples.
The priest should conduct the chorus of prayer and explain the
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meaning of at least live slokas from Veda/Upanisad/Gita and
other Hindu texts. Devotees will get guidance from these hymns
in solving their problems. The priest should act as a triend
philosopher and guide to the Hindu society and should
continuously try to improve the society's ethical and material
comfort level.
o9. Do we need to do puia to the deity and pay the priest ?
o 15. How should one be treated in heaven who helps build or maintain
a temple for lhe use of public ?
Ans One who builds a temple for public or spends money or energy
lortemple maintenance, lshwarakeeps a house for such person
in heaven.
Ans. Rishies were those people who had a great thrust for knowledge
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They used to go lo various parts of the world in search of right
toacher passessing true knowledge. There were no schools'
colleges or books at that time. Teachers used to teach students
verlcally in their hermitage for a long period ol time. ln many
instances teacher along with his disciples had to move around
the nook and comer ol the country braving harsh climate, ferocious
animals and some carnivorous people of the rorest. Under these
circumstances, it was ditficult to move with family, children etc
through forest and river. Most of the people were of low income
group and lower savings. lt was hard to make provision for the
family, when the seeker of knowledge had gone to dislant places
fora long period of absence. Thus seekers of knowledge generally
used to take Bramhacharya lo avoid financial obligations ot a
family life. People showered great respect to these Bramhachari
i.e. Blshls for their great knowledge.
Q 19. What is the need to study the scripture oI the religious books ?
Ans. All scriptures were written with inspiration from lshwara.Fhese
books stand as the pole star of life and protect one lrom taking
wrong decisions.
o21 There were many impodant people of the society, who sacrificed
the interest and security ol lhe vast majority ol the mass on
being allured by foreign power with material gain or, to satisfy
their personal vengeance on the king of the land. How these
people should be treated ?
to
flesh trade. lf you cannot master the courage to act, a dark cell
in the hell is waiting for you.
Q22. When a corrupted man lives better, why does /shwara order man
to be honest?
Ans. A corrupt man eats better, an honest man sleeps better_ An honest
man with integrity, enjoys a happy life. His chitdren are blessed.
o 23. How should great achievers behave ?
Ans. They should pray to lshwara"lelme not say or do anything which
will annoy you".
Q24 What should be the place of women in family and society?
Ans. To flythe body, a bird needs to have equalstrength in both wings.
Similarly, a woman and a man should have equal position in all
lamily and social matters for all round happiness.
o 25. Do we please /shwa raby taking Sannyas i.e. renunciation of the
worldly affairs ?
Ans. Sannyas means renouncing worldly affairs and working forone's
own spiritual upliftment. Spiritual selfishness is the most extreme
form ol selfishness. There is a unique system embedded in all
human society that prevents onefrom becoming an outright selfish
person. It is this inherent system that makes one interested in
the welfare ol others even when one tries to protect his own
interests. ln fact, it is not possible to protect ones own interest
without taking care of the interests ol others. lt is this collective
interest, which always navigates one to protect the self as well
as the interest of others. Even narrow personal interest gradually
merges and unites with that of their children, their lamilies, their
neighbours and theircountry and the world at large. ln this world
work is the only worship which pleases lshwara_ Sannyas is
selfish escapism.
Q26 Why do we need Bramcharya? Who needs it ?
Ans. During studentship, the mind should be concentrated on learning
and Bramchatya helps to concentrate.
A person who takes a vow to free himself of all worldly attractions
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of li{e, is expected to practice control over his sensual organs
and various daily needs. Bramhacharya is a part of renunciation
ol the worldly comlort and needs of the sensual organs.
Ans. It is important not only to say the right thing in the right place' but
also notto say the wrong thing in the face of temptation. Unpleasant
truth annoys the receiver. Show respect to anyone in authority.
Q 30. Should one take risk in lile lor a livelihood ?
Ans. One may be disappointed if one fails, but one is doomed il one
does not try. Defeat is not the worst ol failures. Our deeds
determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.
Q31 What is courage ?
Ans. Courage is resistance to {ear, mastery over lear- not absence of
fear.
Ans. He who walks with a wise man shall be wise. Company ol fools
shall cause destruction.
Q33 Whom will the lshwara make successful in life ?
Ans. The price of success is hard work, dedication to the task at hand,
and determination thal whether we win or lose, we have applied
the best of ourselves to the job at hand. Do not hanker for result,
for result is ordained to be proportional and resullant of all forces'
Diligence is the mother of good fortune.
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o 34. Should we leave family and social life to become a sage?
Ans. It is better to carry out our duties and responsibilities faithtully
rather than indulge in spiritual activities for the delight ol our
souls. lt is not prelerred to indulge solely in spiritualactivities by
neglecting our duties. Such activities are spiritual luxuries and
do not serve /shlyara.
Q 35. Whalis Bramhacharya?
Ans. Bramhacharya (Wactice of celibacy) is the practice of self-control
and concentration on the goal. lt is not only control of sex. Sex
is a gift ol /shwara and not a sin i, used with proper control.
o 39. Should a pious man work hard to eam a living or should we resort
to begging ?
Ans. Whosoever is able and fit must work for himself and for others,
/shwara is gracious to him. /shwara is gracious to him who earns
his living by his own-labour and not by begging.
Q 40. How should a person treat his employer ?
Ans. He who provides lood for your lamily deserves your loyalty and
revolting against him is annoying to /shwara.
o 4'l How to control jealousy ? How to ask for a boon ?
Ans. A wealthy person should look towards a less wealthy person and
the poor to a poorer person to judge the g'ace ol lshwara and
abandon jealousy.
Do not pray for a boon from lshwarutor whalyou think is good'
pray to Him for what He thinks is good for you.
Q48. Can apriest use intemationaldress like that of trouser and jacket?
Ans. To match fast working pace and in a cold climate, trouser and
jacket are suitable. ln a hot climate and relaxed atmosphere
dhoti and sleepers arc suitable. However, a priest is useful to
the society for his knowledge, discourses he delivers and solace
people receive from him. None of these qualities are affected by
the dress code one chooses. Thus importance oJ an attire in the
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eflectiveness of a priest is insignilicant and is to be left to the
individual taste.
Q49 What is the effect ol Hindu's attire of dhotl in their social, cultural
and religious life?
Ans. Dhorl is a less costly attire and its use gave an austere image in
social life. However, dhoti clad person cannot work at any last
pace or move briskly or involve himself in self-defence. Dhorl
clad Hindus always got subjugated by the trouser clad Central
Asian invaders.
Q50 ls dhotl the ideal dress for performing important functions of
national pride?
Ans. Hindus became slow pedormers in dhoti and were defeated in
almost all competitions to achieve any thing as a person or as a
nation e.g. wealth, power, fame, health etc. Even good food,
good housing, robust health or any other comfort was not
achievable. Hindus made cocoons forthemselves and developed
a pseudo pride in a domain where no one will compete c.g. tiylng
with almost no food, no comfort, or no wealth etc.
Q51, Will /shurara consider it a sin for Hindus to respect a stone statue
as symbol ot the all mighty /shwal'a or the symbol of devil Satan?
Ans. It is not a sin but is unnecessary to depict a stone or statue as
symbol of lshwaraor symbol of Satan. However, it is an eflective
method of gathering a crowd in one place. Preachers of all religions
used this methodology in one way or the other to bring people
together. Followers of some path use the symbol ol statue,
structure, book, etc. to show respect to the concept ol /shwala
and others used the symbol ol a stone pillar to show disrespect
to the concept of Satan. However, lhese are too trivial for the
greatest of the greal lshwaralobe impressed in any way.
Q 52. Will it be better forthe humanity and pleasing to /shulara to have
stern jurisprudence like amputating the hand of the thief ?
Ans. lshwara is the creator of everything and everybody. He has
immense kindness and He cannot be heartless to his own creation.
A thiet steals out oJ abject poverty. Society provides no easy
opportunity for a person to earn a livelihood. Society provides no
safety net for even bare minimum existence. A person who is
forced to steal in a particular country, may get social security net
in a different country, where he can lead a decent life. Thus
stealing is not a crime against /st wara. lt is a malady ot the
social and the political system. Amputating the handsolathief
is a terror tactic adopted by uniust selfish rulers to intimidate
common people to silence. Common people then tremble out of
tear and do not even voice their legitimate grievances.
Q 53. Will it be better tor the humanity and pleasing to /shwara to have
a straight forward jurisprudence like putting to gallows the women
who get into extra marital atfairs ?
Ans All men and women have the right to get natural enioyments out
of life. lt is a gift from lshwara.ll awornan has dishonesyabusive/
unkind/uninteresting/sicuimpolent husband, she shows no
disrespect to /shwara by being attracted to another man. Rulers
and top layer of the ruling elite, who are in many cases dishonesv
abusive/unkind/pervert themselves, wanl to subjugate their
womenfolk through method ol terror in the name of divine
ordinance. The affecled men have only the right to divorce the
women and society can lorce the women to accept divorce
without alimony. Any olher punishment is a crime against lshlvara.
However, loyalty to each other ensuresa permanent bliss between
man and his wife and guarantees good upbringing of children and
is pleasing to ,shwara.
Ans. All Hindus above the age of fourteen must possess some weapon
legally allowed by the law ol the land. Even the poorest of men
should have a stick in his house. The possession of weapon
gives courage, self-esteem and protection during thetime oI need.
Courageous person can only have true love ol lshwara.
Q 5s. What sorl of group or people should be encouraged by Hindus ?
Ans. The group or people who ensure sell respect, power, safety and
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linancial well being of Hindus should be supported and those
who remain inditferent to Hindu interest should be opposed.
Ans. One should be loyalto the King so that he can carry outthe work
related to the building of the nation. There are many ways ol
nation building and one may lind a better method but nothing will
be achieved by pushing the King to abandon his method. Loyalty
should be absolute provided the King is a sellless worker. The
king's public work and not his personal life is important.
o 61. Can someone use the temple congregation to enhance his
business ?
Ans. The temple is not a placelor publicising ones business.The temple
is a place to recite prayer lo lshwara and to discuss about
common social problems.
o 62. What happens when the priest pronounces the s/okaswrong ?
Ans. tshwarawill understand and be kind to the followers, the priest
however, will not get the benefit of the prayer. lf a wise man
knows the correct pronunciation, he should teach the priest the
correct pronunciation, when the priest is alone. Public
embarassment of the priest should be avoided.
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Q63 Which work is more respectable ?
Ans. Gita teaches that there is no hierarchy of labour. No work is
degrading. lJ any work ought to be done, then it should be a good
and respectable work.
Q64 How to change the world to make it a happier place ?
Ans. Everyone thinks of changing the world, but thinking of changing
onesell will be morc lovable to lshwara.
o 65. Why do the devotees of Ishwara go to the temple for ldol worship?
Ans. The mantras ol ldol worship are lull of adulation and admiration
ol lhe Devatas' contribution. Devatas arc Hindu prophets who
came as messiah ol lshwara.ldol worship is a demonstration of
hero worship. Best benefit, however, is obtained through regular
chanting of /shwara manfras (hymns).
Q66 Can any Devata claim to be the last prophet of Hindus ?
Ans. All prophets were human. /shwara has the final right if He would
send another prophet or not. No human can usurp that right from
lshwan.Till dale Lord Kishnaisconsidered to be the last prophet
of the Hindus.
Q 67. How should the head ol any temple be respected ?
Ans. The head of any temple is generally the custodian/trustee/
administralor ot the temple and a priest. Devotees should
respectfully cooperate with the head ofthe temple so that he can
conduct himself in a manner benelicial to all devotees and society
at large.
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Q69 What sort of political state is conducive to the Hindus ?
Ans. Politics is the art of achieving and running a government. ln the
political system, the spread ol Hindu philosophy must be possible.
The most preferable king is the one who works lorthe beuerment
of the Hindu subjects. A king who, il not totally committed to
Hinduism, but at least sympathetic to its goals, is acceptable.
By this token a Hindu who lives under a regime devoted or even
favorable to Hinduism should activelywork lor the survival of the
government and the spread ol Hindu philosophy. And any Hindu
who lives under a regime hostile to Hinduism, should struggle for
its overthrow wheneverthe opportunity presents itself.
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technology, physics, chemistry, mathematics etc. are negligible.
Their bigotry only legitimized violence and torture on innocent,
weak, women and animals. They only encouraged psychological
and physical slavery of all faithful. They induced criminals to
commit all sorts of crime with the preposterous promise that the
God will wash away all their sins i{ they control their food habit
for few days or make good otferings to God.
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o 76. ls it better to have totalitarian rule or rule established by consensus
of the entire community ?
Ans Judging from the concrete historical instances from the beginning
of civilization, the entire community has never played any role in
installing the ruler. lt has always been established by force, and
maintained by oppression. Advocates of the absolute monarch
were always community jurists, (i.e. religious and political leaders)
agreeing to it as the consensus ol silence.
Q77 How religion and politics are related ?
Ans. Religion and politics are both interwoven in the psychology ofthe
masses. They are unnatural to be divorced lrom each other. For
if they are completely separated, religion will die out ot starvation
oI political patronage and politics wilhout the boundaries of
religious ethicswillbe immoral, setfish and oldemonic in ctaracler.
o 78. How should one pedorm puja?
Ans. Chanting prayer ol ,shwara is the best puja. Avoid using water,
liquid, etc. lor puja. lt is unhygienic and is annoying to the deity.
Q 79. Do we need to fast tor achieving the best reward from puja ?
Ans. One should last during fulFmoon day between sunrise to sunset
and enjoy community dinner, by rotation, called 'Bhoj-Utsav'atlet
the moon rises. One should invite triends and acquaintances.
This brings the blessings of ,shlvara and the devotees get good
health and great wealth. For other days Puja should be done in
clean dress and in tree mind without worry. Remaining in fast is
not necessary for doing any social functions. lt is believed that
the number ol people you associate with thol-Utsav', the same
number of yourforefathers get lood. You may invite people or be
invited, the result is always good.
o80 Who can be a priest ?
Ans. Any good man or woman above the age of 20 can be a priest.
The priest should be educated, a person of moral character and
a good orator with knowledge of Hindu religion and scriptures.
The priest should be able to explain Veda/Gita/Upanisads elc. in
the congregation of devotees and sing bhalans. The priest should
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be courageous, of good health and habits. The priest should be a
person who will treat his own children and the devotees with
equal love and care. The priestshould be able to guide devotees
in their prayers and act as a leader lor social upliftment.
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Ans Only ignorant megalomaniacs usurp as saviour oI the honour of
one lshwara and deny that /shwara only created all tribes and
gave them rituals through his messiah, for who can exist il He
desires not.
Q 91. Who will be going to heaven and who will go to hell ?
Ans- The world has hvo types of people Surand ,Asur. Surs are the
people who work hard to create weallh and share it amongst
others to make world peaceful and happier place to live by all.
They are created by lshwara.fney will have an etemal dwelling
in heaven. Asurs are people who live by snatching the wealth of
lshwara's men and spread hatred and terror. The Asurs are
emMimenlol Satanic instincts and are destined to bum etemally
in hell.
o92 lf some one does a crime or a sin, can performing puja or making
oflerings to the deity reduce the penalty ?
Ans. lshwaraor any deity is not influenced by any bribe. Offering pu.ia
only helps the needy priests. Sincere repentance, adequate
compensation to the aggrieved and regular prayer only ensures
return of love and mercy frcm lshwara.
o93 Are not the Hindus embodiment of patience as against revolution?
Ans. Hindus for over the last one thousand years have remained
subservient to foreign rulers. They were not united and thus not
courageous enough to fight back. And instead of revolution they
camouflaged their daily humiliated existence as nonviolence
and love of peace. They propounded many philosophies to make
Hindu society champion ol impotency. To justify their cowardice
and slave nation status, they started taking pride in theirenormous
capacity to tolerate the brutality intlected on them.
Q94 What should Hindus do to annihilate Satan who creates problem
Ior lshwara?
Ans Hindus believe that /shwara has unlimited power and Satan can
not be a match ,or lshwara- ll anyone accepts that Satan exists
in the kingdom of lshwara and is creating problem for /shwara,
he actually believes that /st wara is helpless with limited power.
But lst rara is alFpowerrul. And if /shwara is alFpowerful, logically
Satan can not exist to create problems for /siwara.
Satanic character or deeds are very human phenomena. /shwara
gave us intelligence, common sense and the judgment. Human
beings choose to be Satan because of the lust for physical
satisfaction, power, wealth etc.
Q 95. someone does not pray to /shwara regularly, will He getannoyed
lf
with him?
Ans. ll ,shwara wanled man to continuously pray to him, He would not
have sent man to the eanh. He would have kept the man with
Him so that man could go on praying continuously. lshwara is
too great an entity to be bothered by these small matters.
However, man being an intelligent person gets the opportunity to
pray. Prayer gives impetus to achieve success in all walks of
the world as well as etemal life. One can accomplish more in one
hour with lshwaralhan in one life time without Him.*
o96. Why is it that in /shlvarab realm some are good, some are bad,
some are saints, some are terrorists ?
Ans. This lease of life on earth is a shorttraining ground. Human beings
are given intelligence and power o, judgement. Here we train
ourselves and decide on a way ol life. On the basis of our activities
in this short period of life in earth, our place in heaven and hell is
decided.
"Note: For example if a man lives by the seashore and does not take
bath regularly in the sea, the sea is not affected, but by bathing
regularly in the sea one can enioy robust health and disease
tree life.
34
Q97 Will it be pleasing lo lshwara, if all human beings are converted
to become lshwara believers ?
Ans. lI lshwarawished all human beings to pay homage in the name
ot lshwara only, He would have done it in a moment as He is all_
powerful. None ol His wishes can remain unfulrilled. Those who
convert people of otherfaith to lheir own brand oflaith by lure or
by rorce actually insult /shwara by treating Him as impotent.
lI it was displeasingto lshwara, He would not have kept different
human races with ditferent modes of worship. All would have
chanted the name of /shwara through natural lorce. lt is the will
o, /sf,rara that people ofvarious taiths should practise their forms
o, worship. However, in whatever form the prayer is otfered, it
reaches Him-
Q 98. How is lshwara responsible for salvation of individual human
beings ?
Ans. Verses ot Vedaabsove lshwaralrom responsibilities for individual
human salvation, something, which is essentiallythe rruit of man,s
own action.
Q 99. Why could a Devata like Lord Krishna not used his power to
convertthe Hindu masses to a modern nation de!r'oid of poverty
and ill-health ?
Ans. Verses warned all Devatas (i.e messiahs) repeatedly against
acting as an 'ag6nt', 'guardian' or ,holder of absolute authority'
over humanity, by restricting them to their sole function of
communicating the divine message through wise words, sermons
and examples of righteous behavior. None of the Devatas,
including Lord Krishna, could usurp tne power ol lshwara.
Q 100. Will lshwara be displeased if a Hindu woman doas not dress
conservatively ?
Ans Dress has nothing to do with pleasure or displeasure of /shlyara.
,shula/a is too big for these trivial matters. Recommendation of
a dress code on women is a rerlection on the nature and character
of the men of the society. Where men are educated and civilized .
Hindu women are free to choose their own life style and dress
code.
101. Should we display the sign ol belonging to the Hindu faith
?
o
Ans. One must take all opportunities to display the sign that one is a
Hindu. And one must take opportunity to talk about his laith and
spread the message of Hinduism. By doing so he will be doing a
pleasing service to lhe lshwara.
Q 102 What is the desirable and ethicaltood-habit lor Hindu ?
Ans. Since Vedic period there were vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian
Hindus. ln place where abundance of vegetable and truits are
available, vegetarianism is prevalent. There are places where
not even a blade of grass grows, people are bound to be non'
vegetarian for their survival. Food - habit has nothing much to do
with ethics of lile.
Q 103 What punishment is reserved for the ealers of cow meat in lndia?
Ans. Cow being the most important pillar of lndian agriculture and
economy, its slaughter deserves to be banned' ln an over
populated hungry and poverty stricken country like lndia' iJ a
cow is allowed to be killed tor food, it will be eaten away in no
time and will cause continuous crop failures and starvation death
to poorer people. To save the poor rural masses cow must be
protected tor agriculture. Religious ban on cow slaughter is to
protect the masses lrom starvation deaths
Q 104 Why are some Hindu Devatas shown to have multiple hands and
heads ?
Ans. Super human achievements in the use ol weapons or in the field
of knowledge were exaggerated by story tellers and made myths
about Devatas, which over-zealous artists and sculptors gave
unnatural form to suit the metaphorical and wild imagination All
Devatas were human beings and none were above natural law'
All Devalashad one head and hvo hands. Hindu hymns (mantra)
explain this as following:
36
frqwfint ilqt \'+.m sl-dftfii
E-g-drgge-ctt ffi ttuat rr
Ans /shwara loves His creation and is pleased to see them being well
off economically. Workers and artisans had highest contribution,
entrepreneurs came second, academicians and politicians took
third place, all other professions came lourth. However, due to
political reasons distribution of wealth was not commensurate
with contribution lo the economy. Hindus need to do structural
adjustment.
Q. 109 Which are iix things a man should never lrust ?
Ans. /srwara ordains that a man should never trust or take for granted
the six unreliable i.e. (a) promise of a king (b) spread of fire
(c) direction of wind (d) depth of water (e) a heretic person
(f) a person ol another faith who is intolerant.
Followers of true God i.e. lshwara are aware of His dictates tor
leading a civilized decent life in this world. They are taught the
true short path to heaven. No force or induced allurement is
employed to enhance the number of /shwarabelievers.
Q. 114 Whal is Bhol Utsav ? What is its benefit ?
Ans. It is a religious community dinner held, afler day long fasting, on
39
full moon night. Dinner is sponsored by rotation amongst friends,
relations, well-wishers and acquaintances. Fasting is done once
in a month during day time. Those who atrange Bhoi Utsav or
take part in Bhoi Utsavwill surely get a place in the heaven and
will also ensure safety and security of devout's children and will
earn wealth. This is a must for all Hindus. Food should be taken
after oflering thanks to lshwara and all deceased foretathers (men
and women both). ln Veda it is said Bhoi Ulsavgives even better
result compared to performing Jagyas.
Ans. All wealth belongs to lshwara and his creation. Human being,
through coordinated hard work and intelligent use of opportunities,
create wealth. Thus the heir has limited right on properties ofthe
deceased. His/her right on property goes to the spouse And
afterthe death of the spouse, the children have righl on share ot
the property equally to the extent thal the property do not sutfer
economic mismanagement because of the division. lmmovabe
property should be with sons and movable property should go to
lhe daughters.
Female heir is expected to be married and be part of a ditferent
family and thus has right on immovable property of that family.
However, il the female heir decides to remain spinster or is
widowed, she will have equal share in the immovable property
also as that of male heir.
lfequality cannot nol be maintained, the value ofthe totalproperty
should be determined and the daughters should be paid off the
value of their share of the property before tille ot the property is
changed. Respectable persons Irom the society may be invited
to act as arbitrator to avoid any dispute about the division of the
property. lf any member ol the heirs decides to sell of his/her
share o{ the property, first opportunity to buy out the shares
must go to the existtng shareholders
40
Law of the land will act as supreme in matter ol distribution of
the property it any irreconcilable dispute arise.
41
THE VEDIC RELIGION OF HINDUISM
Veda recognizes no sin, it only recognizes error and the greatest error,
says the yeda, is to treal onesell as weak and a sinner. yedlc religion or
the religion of the yedas, is the oldest stratum of religious activity known
to have exisled in the world.
ln lndia, Veda is being recited since 18000 B.C. The Hindu religion is
about a 20,000-year old religion and the starting point of religion in the
civilized world. The religion was originally known as Sanatana Dharma,
meaning eternal way of life.
Sanatana Dharma was undisturbed till 3500 B.C. Around 3500 B.C.,
lndia was invaded by riders from the north-western border of lndia. They
called the lndians - "Hindus" i.e. civilization which flourished by the side
ot the river Sindhu. The name given by the rulers stuck. And the name,
Sanatana Dharma, slowly came to be known as
Hr,;1du Dh arma/Hinduism.
Sanatana means elemali Dharmameans lhe good way of life.
From that time onward, it is believed that Kaliyug slaned and lhe Veda
became somewhat impure by amalgamating ritualistic hymns.
Original yeda had a scientific and philosophical base. The yedlbreligion
gave lndia its scientitic and philosophic base and developed highly
humanistic sense of values and compassion for all creations.
The strength of Vedalies in its miraculous power. lt cures diseases and
spreads a safety net around the family and lriends of the regular recitor ol
lhe Veda. Till date many experiments have revealed the fact time and
again but could not explain the reasons ,or the miracle.
Mass recitation of hymns from the yeda in public places has given lire to
terminally ill people on many occasions. lt is believed that regular recitation
and following the sayings ol yeda bestows peac€, tranquillity and success
in all walks of life.
There are various stalements as to the origin ol the yedas. One is that
the hymns emanated like breath from Bramha.llis ageed that they were
revealed orally to the sages. yeda reigned between 18000 B.C. and A.D.
1000 and then suddenly there was a vacuum. Today we have Vedas
written by lhe Germans and the British and they only deal with the ritual
portion. The rise and duration of the yedic schools cannot be precisely
dated;tradition furnishes the names of several hundreds of yedicschools
but nothing is known aboutthem beyond lhose few whose supposed texts
survived, ror exam ple lhe Aitareya and Shankhayanaxhools, the Blgveda
andlhe Apastamba schooland the Ba udhayana ot lhe Yaiurveda school.
The most importanttexts are also the oldest. These are the fourcollections
(samhlta), which are called the Veda orVedas (i.e. Books ol Knowledge).
ln a broader sense, the term(s) yedas also includes allorpart ofthe latter
literature, as these were based on one or another of the four samhltas.
The four yedas are Rigveda, Samaveda, YaiuNeda and Atharuaveda.
The downfallof the yed,breligion was brought about by lhe invaders from
Asia minor, Europe. They invaded the upper lndus basin sometime around
3500 B.C. Basic beliefs go back to the period of 18000 B.C. During 4500
B.C. to 35OO B.C. Veda influenced the lranian religion before the
Zoroastrians whose philosophy closely resembles that ol Vedic lndia.
The original Vedas were monotheist in nature. lt was forced to be
intermingled with the lranian method of Sun and lndra worship and
sacrilicial rituals. The exchange of religious ideas also gave glimpses of
lndian gold reserves and wealth to foreigners and they came to lndia as
invaders. They brought with them their customs and religion and lorced it
upon the locals. They raped, maimed and subjugated the local people.
Hindus always remained nonviolent and a champion ol peaceful
coexistence and never gave importance to dlscipline, martial art and self-
defence. As a result Hindus were always weak and at the receiving end of
the aggressors. Aggressors bumt major portion of the Veda. Some scholal's
fled with yeda texts to extreme south or extreme north of lndia.
Ihe Rigveda, o( Vedaof Verses, earliest ol the Samhltasis composed of
about hymns addressed to the one God called /shwaraand denoted
1,OOO
by "Om". Most ot the hymns refer directly or indirectly to one being; but in
generalthese have only a distant connection with the rituab.fhe Rigveda
verses are inlended for understandingol lshwara.
fhe Samavedaq yeda of chants is made of a selection ol verses drawn
almost wholly trcm lhe Rigveda with musical nolations, intended for
43
spreading /sf,u/ara's message to the public in an attractive and pleasing
mannet. AthaNaveda deals mostly with worldly inter-personal relations
and Yajurveda deals with rituals.
Next in probable chronologicll order come lhe Brahmanas commenlaries.
Brahmanas are not of any caste but are books lor recitation. These are
prose texts, compiled separately from the various yedas and serve to
interpret their formulae or their rituals.
.|-he
Aranyakas or 'rorest texts', composed in 12000 B.C. were intended
to be studied in the forest, away lrom the community, because of their
esoteric or magical characler. fhe Aranyakas contain mostly symbolic
interpretations of rituals or ol the mantras (sacred formulae). Finally, the
most important, arelhe Upanishads (16000 - 1 000 B.C.).
These texts are generally very short and summarise a speculative
teaching, often through parables or passages of dialogue lor easy
understanding of the moral of the story by the masses. Majot Vedic
Upanishads are lhirteen in number; the rest (about 1 00) are post-vedic,
though many of them are influenced by lhe Vedas.
Fhe Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads are also known
as the shruti (sruti), which is 'heard' or divinely revealed section ot the
literature. Fleciting of yedas gives a miraculous power. As a proof ol this
power, we may note that though lndia was subjugated by many foreign
rulers lor over thousands of years, Vedic lndia remained follower of
Hinduism. Many other countries could not withstand the pressure ol
invaders' religion and got converted. Chanting ol Veda gave lndians the
super naturalstrength to remain unperturbed. Following lew yedic hymns
may be read, realized and recited to appreciate Hindu philosophy.
44
VEDA HYMNS
a+sfuq}-qdqsq l1l
Ve do a khi lo - dh armam ilo m.
The vedas arc omnitorm dealing in all aspects of lire and reality.
qg t
fs{srqi <qrg q{is{ I
Fill me with the sweetness of honey so that I may speak glorious words
to the masses.
I
c Tq{Ifr(Ti nfd n {-rqr q6 rErst'( y-+d: r
Neither nonexistence nor existen@ was manifest then (i.e. betore creation,
during dissolution), nor was there dust (earth), nor the great sky nor anything
grealer else beyond.
What veil then covered the all-pervading blissful ? Was it a vast mass ol
water thrown up by a conjuror ? How deep and unfathomable was that
water ?
45
There was neither death nor immortality then, nor was there any sign ol
night or of day.
There. then, did exist one lile principle but without breathing air, sustaining
itselJ on its own power of sustenance and nothing apart lrom it did exist'
Then there was the darkness (otherwise called lgnorance' Avidya, Maya)
wrapped all around in deep darkness ol unrecognition as il within one
indiscriminate mass of water all around (wherein the seed ol the universe
of names and forms was yet to sprout forth)
When the all-pervading reality was veiled by that ignorance, devoid of
essence and hence worthless, then out of the growing glory of that
ignorance there emerged the one single being (called Prathamaja or
Hiranyagabha).
: qfr qrtf<sqfifu:
q*rflqa;fffl
H-ni it {B s.-frc: fistq 1q,
qs xqffi* er$'v{ ttrtam rr+tr
Who supports the universe; Who is that One Being on whom Agni,
Chandrama, Surya and Vata rest ? ln His reflected glory we have allthe
thirty-three devatas as gift of his manifestation.
The human body has nine doors (outlets). Three gunas (Sattva, Baias
Tama gunas) arc inherent in the body, pervading and regulating it The
body has a heart likened to a lotus, wherein dwells the Spirit-to-worship'
He who has realized Brahma knows that spirit as the Atma ilself'
46
fu1; q{t*'s6q; 11
Some attain His union, others depart in separalion, all that He wishes
does happen. Who else can do a thing ?
{ sr W q6ITq snfrr5qtsrrisgdsrrd
Tgrq{ + rO rqfr q gq *E rrsrr
sa vd esa mahinaja dtmd ajaro amaro amrito_abhayo
brahmdbhayath vai brahma bhavati ya evath veda-
47
qq' qqlF€ qrqt fqqgrrs qqt t
48
w{sr qq11 srTrs gr eqTqt{&trs t r
All creatures take birth as sinJess and lull of nectar and maintain basic
purity in its existence even if their own evil doings soil them over with
impurity temporarily.
TdrqtfiSqrcdrfiw: r
q{ +{ t
T+ refd B"c+ e,fl r
Whichever way one looks, one finds lshwara,lhe Lord. None has won
salvation without His grace.
49
q-dir + Errrqfd {s{q 1or+tfrq
n-q yria f{Gcoi g s-m r
It is easy to repeat the praise of ,shlryara but difficult to lathom the mystery
of it. lf, through the lavour of a Guru (spiritual teacher) it gets ingrained in
the mind, one reaps the lruit easily.
The One is the Lord of all that moves and that is static, ol those that
walk, swim and fly. ln the Universe all this unites, trom it all emerges.
50
*qcei, yifri!+ <ri, wHrqyndrR+{rfl+€-{q
sTTilsdnTrc iqrurfuqrftqi fu
cR.Si q q--fifr rrrerr
Ved.apathanarh, purohitebhyao danah,
y aj fi a st a pqs itqd ika i r Atmap idqnd m
qmf itat valAbhaya tapqicqra\amityAdikath
mohagrasrqrh pailuddhath na karoti.
Reading the Vedas, making offerings to priests or
sac rifices to lshwara,
seltmorlification by heat orcold and many such penances
pertormeO tor
the sake of immortality, do not cleanse ihe man
who is not iree trom
delusions.
Tsqr Itud + &te-qnfri Tcefr r
frqqqrqurdrs t, t qrHqnqqr:
tsrq E'+ E rt' qffi clrs{r{: sd<r rrzon
Antalcarqnti manasi kornastebhyo udifini
sarvd4i cestitani kann@i ihaloke
etaln kqrnan vilok ate vidhAta ilaloke
N a rdq arh I ub hd ! u b ha ka rmapha la_v i d hina
_
kit e
Ti ksl.tabhisa4o ratd.lca ye, y e cdtidarpaparaya4dh
Tesdra krite nargo bhavati pard4mtkhah
sarvadi
ln ths kingdom of ,srwara ailactions are judged
by ihe motives prompting
them. The proud willnol enterthe herv enot t-shwara.
nor ariolr[.p""f.o.
51
;Ir{Fnffi 9-q-qil €lq' 1 +rqr 1 {$r {t{ I
to whom the
Continue your regular prayers for fortune smiles on them
light of the lshwarais rcvealed.
52
<{ir-rrfrrdqnsqRryrt ws-(-ireiq6rerlTrt
sftrqirrEst g qrrftqfurt*4 r-6i rffiqt 11
May we, becoming free from sin, devotedly serve the /shlyara. The noble
/sf,wara rouses the intelligence of the unthinking. Likewise one who is
wise with intellectual wealth here in this world should lead other people
having less knowledge along the path of righteousness.
The faithfulare those who perform theirtrust and lail not in theirword and
keep their pledge to ,srwara.
54
frftt ffir arw(q-+g s-6r +E qfr{dfr
,rdi fu{I ts li-dfd srf: g-*srgw1: 132,
Pririth vinA Bhagavad bhaktesu irad.d.hi naiva paripuryati
lraddhirh vina nunath bhavati svargah praveiaduskarah.
You wilf not enter paradise unless you have reverenc e ot lshwarai and
you will not complete your reverence till you love all cre alions of lshwara.
When your good work gives you pleasure and your evil work grieves you,
then only you are trueto lshwaru.
/shrara is pleased when you gladden the heart of a human being, when
you feed the hungry, when you help the atflicted and lighten the sorrow of
the grieving and remove the wrongs done to the injured.
qiaqr: sffiqts ffi vwqr enkrq,=r I
Show mercy and do not curse youradversary and then /shwara is pleased
with them.
T( <rfd <lcTqr6+{ F{ qr+ C-urficr(
Si Rcrct( gq qs {yn3ms.q 136l
yad dadai daksitahastena tanna vamo vijaniyA,
evath samacaret bu.dha esq ilvAaulqsanam.
The best of alms is that which right hand gives and the left hand knows
not of. So live likewise. That is whal lshwara otdains.
qra v-cr* lt +d q re Ti t*qm ed$ r
After the death ol a person his works in this world stops bul his noble
deeds like his acts of charity, his etforts for spreading of knowledge will
live for ever and by enlightening their hearts will make them his lollowers.
One may live by any means whatsoever, but one who lives for the good
ol others lives his life truly.
@ q'ft Fit**
Ert: rrfuet r
ln lshwara's realm keep yourselves far from envy and anger because
these eat up and take away good actions as lire eats up and burns the
wood.
56
qrfrrE v<r ffq-dr t+mi v<n-q(sor r
As a mother, always full of affection, takes into her lap her crying son
with lov€ and care, so does /shryara, mercy incamate, ever-loving His
devotees, accepts their hymns (devotion for Him sung by them).
At the early hour of dawn and in the evening after sundown, have
communion with the Divine through prayer and meditate on His glory with
members of the community in the temple.
57
qqrfr ffi€ {rt-<eiilqrfflr( |
TErk{qqeiqffi{dqn-q-dfq-{q-(
ft
fqii qft, qI qq i-<FFkt:
s?i Hfu6 {Etur eFd qR a q-{ qrr( u&ilq ! 4sl
Ti sthAsmin jqgstyAh nalinidalagataialavinduvat
vittath vardhaya, ma bhavq tqdi,saktalL
Kathqth tvamiha ilvare\a prerito yadi nq kartturh iagat fiddhataram !
Be in the world like a drop oJ water on a lotus leaf, create wealth but do
not get attached toillot lshwarahas sent you to make the world richer.
58
qR trqfr erfu rnaaqTr<t
T{l{<s5Cr( gqq 1r45il
Yadi bhavati cnviqlarh iAivatumdnandam
BhrandnandasvaripAt prArthaya anandamainute dhruvam.
Whoever searches for eternalioy, let him seek that from the all-pervading
spirit through prayer.
59
q* ft qdq-wrnt tttd,rlqi q q r
60
t+eSr qs qffi frqsrE-qTsqrdr t
d q-dfd vql q{frer-rirqur-rEfurrw': tt
EriEEm-fi 1 6s fffi: EIr( s<l=FI I
That person is wise and sensible who controls his physical desires and
abhors rewards. He is an ignorant man who follows his lustful appetite
and prays in vain lor God to forgive him.
Whoever from any part of the world or from whatever tribe seeks God's
protection from fear and seeks refuge, give him that and do good to him
so that he feels safe and comfortable.
61
{Et +qti qq E{M: €-ffi< ffi< +q
r Eelqcrr( s f{tFd fuid ffifd S.t{ ttsott
ilrarqrh kevelah bhayafi kurva4aly sarvapadi vipadi caiva
na kasmidaparat sa vibheti nirbhayarh jivaliti dhruvam.
One whb fears God alone will fear none else and will no doubt live without
fear of any danger or adversity.
He who gladdens the heart of the weary, removes the suffering of the
afflicted, gets a shorter road to paradise.
62
q: {qdq+ frswq e[rthi q q6trq6: I
Backbiting is more grieveous than adultery. lshwara will not pardon the
backbiter until the victim pardons him of that.
/shwara is gracious to hlm who eams his living by his own-labour and not
by begging.
One who provides ,ood to your family deserves your loyalty and hostility
towards him is annoyingto lshwara.
63
?rr-q c.FrE T{q-f{5ilt-fq I
A wealthy person should look to those less fortunate and poor to poorer
person and appreciate what /sl,wara has granted to him.
64
vei qs Efu s$ri frrfqr1 r
fc"q-dri q{ q qgqqqqq s1
65
qr{( EEr ftqdr 15 riqr{gqfrrs
drd( grn dqs4r {s(mTqrq qR qr E-dI ll71ll
YAvat tf is4q sthifi nf is.u sarh,tArasukhobhogasya
tavad vfitha tapaicaryd iivoralabhaya yadi vq krifi.
Till sell continues to lust atter wordly pleasures, moritification is in vain
even in the cause of lshwara.
To satisfy the necessities of life is not evil. To keep a healthy body for
pertormance of religious activities, is a duty, otherwise one shall not be
able to keep buming the lamp of wisdom, or resist even an evil doer.
Neither abstinence trom fish or m€at, nor going naked, nor shavlng the
head, nor miring the body with mud, nor sacrificing to lire will cleanse a
man who is not free ,rom delusions.
The greatest enemies of lshwaraare those who are cowards and doubt
the will of /shwala. Doubters are subject to huge destruction.
Speak the truth, perform when you promise and discharge your trust
Have no impure desires.
qr+fr Wdr qrdr v<d Yfr lrdfd
il<fir"i <qrqdt l{'r+R H4$q Yqq sfu tt
Risi qr{td rqnt qR ilq rsfr ETfrqr4(
qsrg€xref qt e+ncthqloffmR ttzetr
Yavati snehalild mata sanfinah prati bhavoti
tadadhiko dayturutto Bhagavdn svayahsfi$an praian prati
hihsanoth narhqti prajAnAh yadi tanna bhavati canivdryam
khAd! a s athg rohartham v A a tma sq.,h rakta4irthama pari ha ryam
Any person who has pure mind, control on desire and can recite slokas
melodiously may le ad apraye( as purohit lGurul lor whom the benefactors
may provide in plenty. Purohit may speak kindly, pitying for the listeners
errors with gentle warmth that melt always any ill will from listeners mind'
68
t{6qxrqi qrrTq
qrqurx-qEt
fe{riil€qga+.{srgq+ q
ud6{qen-Eei qr n-<Frqq<T ueorr
Wvooara4fuh bhd\anairavanarh cdnyaa
vijftdnatattva pravuddhaktra4amucyote ca
dharmakarmdnus.t hAnatulyah vd tadadh ika v a radam
To listen to the words of the learned and to instill into others the lessons
of scienc€, are equi\alent to, or more gaintul than, religious exercises.
It is said that the ink of the scholars is as holy as the blood ol the heroic
martyrs.
When greeting a friend remind him ol lshwara's grace. When your friend
needs you, stand by him with all your resources.
/shwara is pure and loves the pure. /shryara is pleased to clean your sin il
on the full moon day, you fast during sunlight and feast in moon light with
community members. This is called ,Bho.i Utsav'.
69
@g + <qgr{ it efr esirsR ssnq
fr+g I
qs {ardqT: tl84tt
iivarosristesu jivesu yo dayAvAn wh Prati ii;varo'pi daydvda.
Poiuvadhaicedqnivarya,h tarhi fin svalPatuma pi4A bhitilca deya
Es0 iSvaradelah.
Followers of ,shwara must not commit adultery. They must nol desire the
wile ot other and must not utter what is forbidden and musl always be
steadrast in truth.
70
err-{frs d"TyrF*i frqrq q-<r€h qrqq r
/shwara desires that man should speak to the other as per the listene/s
mental capacity, il all things are discussed with all men, some subiects
may not be understood by some body and may be misunderstood.
Feed the hungry and visit the sick and tree the captive if he is uniustly
confined.
Whosoever is able and fit must work for himself and tor others, /shwara is
helptul and gracious to him.
71
fui-drqrq 3TrflT:i tqk
vftrq+q rnr6{smd{q qrofrql ttgttt
i 3v arulrub haya amanarh v iddhi
pratiiqnosyt jianahara4amavaiyath kara4iyam.
crfr 1 I qs {'q{r+$:
v+r<tufr+r
qr + sr-dfu qIdT q 6-qI q qm qT 1
/shwara enJoins you to treat women well for they are your mothers and
daughters and may be, sisters. Shirking responsibilities towards women
will open up your path to hell.
When two parties come to you lorthe settlement of dispute, do not decide
belore you have heard the words ol both the sides; lor it is most proper
that the fact should be evident to you.
d +*q Eutd M{€ ertid q
Ffi++S qs tffiqrr{r q nk,
ckd: q qqriilEfucffr lgsl
Yah jivda druhyati tescotanistoth karuti ca
samajivesu ya,sya maitibhAvqnd cd nasti
patitah sa samajacyutimqrhari.
*d g q'q-f+qqqTri # s EcftEr
qtdg s *1trhd-( €-{*srrjqt yufflr frliq
fud n ffir( eqrfkqgtfifrrsdtlr{ rrgorr
*urya,h tu jagat-vijayaksamoh jivane ca suprutisthd
kritisu ca kirttimetat saryamilvardnugrahe pinlabyA nirbharam
nilcitarh vqi nir4ayametad dstilcyavuddhe rvi tistalaksa4am.
The distinclive signs of your faith are courage to win the world and complete
dependence on lshwards will lor your life and achievements.
A man, always charitable during his life in worldly existence, tinds the
great door of paradise wide open br him when he departs from this world.
Whal ls most needed in this world is a heart full of love ,or creations of
lshwara.
end .r'r onfr{s +afd *dfr
qct * qg ffi qq- *rrg s5q(t l r
cs$sffidqrqq+qqr
Et+rd qt-+rd *dfr rrssrr
caraiveti
Aste bhaga dtinasya
- caraiveti
Caran vai madhu vindati caran svAdu udumvqram.
Pasya su4,asya lreni4arh yo na tandrayate caran.
Cqraiveti caraireti carqiveti.
One's fortune stays seated (never prospers) if one stays ssated. So move
on, move on. Verily when one moves on, one gels honey. Moving on (to
the tree) one does get sweet Udumvaralruits. Look ! How beautilul is the
brilliance of the Sun who is ever moving, never ratigues and stops. So
move on, move on, verily you do keep on moving.
Oh lshwaral Let us hear good words through our ears, and let our eyes
see good things. Let us sing hymns to you with steady bodies, limbs and
organs and thus live the whole length of our lives as ordained by the
lshwara.lellherc be peace, peace and peace everywhere.
74
LORD KRISHNA AND THE BHAGVAD GITA
Lord Krishna was born in Mathura in 1550 B.C. Those days Mathura was
ruled by a king called Kansha. Kansha was his maternal uncle. Krishna
was the eighth child ofVasudev and Devaki.
Kansha was an evil tyrant and his tyranny spared no one. Even the sages
had to bear his brunt. Kansha imprisoned his own father King Ugrasena
and snatched the crown of Mathura. Kansha heard a divine oracle which
said that 'your sister Devaki's eighth child will be your slayer". So jusl
after Devaki's marriage, Devaki and Vasudev were imprisoned by King
Kansha.
Each time Devaki gave birth to a child in the prison, Kansha himself
would killthe child. Devaki became pregnant forthe eighth time.The divine
essence ol Lord Vishnu was born in the prison as the eighth child of
Devaki. This child is Lord Krishna.
Thunder, storm, lightning and floods marked the night of Krishna's birth.
The guards fell asleep and the doors opened through a miracle. A divine
message came to Vasudev soon after the birth of Lord Krishna, Take this
child across the Yamuna river to Gokul.You will return to the prison belore
anyone comes to know about the birth ofthis child ".Vasudev immediately
carried lhe child in his arms and he found thatthe prison doors had opened
automatically to let hirn out.Vasudev approached theYamuna rlver, which
was very turbulenl due to the fierce winds and rain. However, as soon as
Vasudev reached the riverbank, the river parted and made way forvasudev
who was carrying the divine child.
Vasudev reached the opposite side of the river safely and lound all the
people of Gokul fast asleep. He entered the house of cowherd chief Nanda
and his wife Yashoda. Vasudev put the baby Krishna in the hands ol
Nanda who put Krishna by the side ol Yashoda. Yashoda was the loster
mother of Lord Krishna. She brought up the child Krishna. Krishna means
black. Lord Krishna had dark skin. Hindus thus, have a special love and
respect lorthe dark skinned people.
The tyrant Kansha, as soon as he came to know of the birth of Devaki's
child, rushed to the prison cell to kill the new born baby. However, being
unable to kill the child of Devaki, Kansha became furious and ordered all
the babies in Brindavan and its neighborhood to be killed. Krishna, who
was born to re-establish 'Sanatana Dharma' rcmained unscathed and
subsequently thwarted all Kansha's attempts to put an end to his life.
Kansha utilised an uncle of Lord Krishna, Akrur to bring him to Mathura
on the ploy of a compromise discussion.
As soon as Krishna came, Kangsa tried to kill him first through his hired
killers and later with the help of a mad elephant. Ultimately, Kansha himself
was killed by the youthful Lord Krishna during a hand to hand fight and
Kangsa's lather Ugrasena was reinstalled on the throne.
Lord Krishna's childhood was full of dangerous attempts on his life. He
gre\ry up with the cowherds and the milkmaid girls.These girls were known
as gopis in Brindavan. He was an excellentflute player. During his childhood
Krishnalaught his friends how to use the excess energy of youthlul vigour
in the art form of music and dance.This dance form is still being practised
as Dandi Rash Dance.
Radha a gopigirl was his most ardent friend and disciple. Upto the age ol
fourteen Lord Krishna enjoyed his childhood in the midsi o, songs, dances
and youthlul pranks.
At the age ol lourteen Lord Krishna left his childhood abode Brindaban
and best lriend Radha permanently and went to Mathura where he slew
the wicked King Kansha. Krishna became the disciple of Saint Sandipani
from his childhood days. He learntVedas as well as martialarts of warhre
in the Ashram of the guru.
Throughout his life, Krishna struggled to give the deprived masses their
76
due. He sacrificed all comforts and even his lile forthe cause of the have-
nots and fought forthe causes of the deprived. And in doing so he had to
fight continuously with the powerful politicians of his period.
His aim was to make Sanatana Dhaffna a centalized movement under
one umbrella. He gave patronage to Pandava KingYudhisthira to establish
a just kingdom where even the poorest of the poor will get the chance to
live honourably and will get justice through the vehicle of centralized
S a n a ta na D h a rm a lenels.
During his time a powerful tyranl King Jarasandha was ruling Magadh.
Kansa was Jarasandha's son-in-law. To take retr'enge of Kansa's dealh,
Jarasandha invited Kal Javan, a foreign leader ot horse-riding invader
tribe from north western boarder of lndia. He along with his army crossed
Hindu Kush mountain-pass and attacked Krishna's Mathura. Krishna killed
Kal Javan in a one to one fight.
Lord Krishna was always a man of the masses and he lived a very simple
life. Hindus believe Lord Krishna is the ,sf,warab own son . lshwara senl
his own son Lord Krishna to us, to suffer all types of sutferings so that
7A
sufferings o, the common mass reduces. He had all the opportunities to
be in a palace and to sleep on a golden bed, but he preferred to take rest
under a tree in a lorest as any poor man would have done.
ln the year 1475 B.C. he was taking rest under a tree. Seeing his rosy feet
from a distance, a hunter mistook lhem fora red bird and aimed a poisonous
arrow which pierced his leet.The hunter realized his grievous mistake and
was grief-stricken and wanted to commit suicide, but Lord Krishna blessed
him with a smile and soon after gave up his mortal life.
Though thousands of years have elapsed, the memory of Lord Krishna
and the sweet tune o, his flute is still evergreen in the hearts of billions of
his devotees.
lmmediately after his death a very high tidal wave from the seas, caused
due to earthquakes underthe seabed, in 1475 B.C. swept Dwaraka and a
vast coast line of the Arabian sea. Lord Krishna is the last messiah i.e.
Oeyara of the Hindu religion.
79
T<r q-<rr€ qdq r-mrfrrffd snad
a-<rfl:i qqrq6l
qR-dnrq qrcf{q ffiRnq q Sqil{
$Tfiqrqrq-{reirq Rrrgrfu gt gt
Here Lord Krishna is promising, "l will take birth again, whenever needed
to clean the polity of injustice and evil deeds and establish a state where
all men and women will live with dignity and honouf'.
The Gita is treasure house of knowledge in the Hindu religion i.e..it guides
one about the good Hindu way ol liJe to follow. lt is the most important
text to a Hindu. Persons of any other religion may also read and practise
it in their daily lives.
The Gita is a collection of sermons given by Lord Krishna to his disciple
Arjuna on the eve of lhe great historical war of Mahabharata. This war
was betwaen the Kourava and the Pandava clans.This war was fought in
'1500 B.C. at Kurukshetra, which is siluated about 100 km north west of
Arjuna was a great warrior and was on the side of the Pandavas. During
these sermons, Lord Krishna was in a trance with a supematural torm
(Viswarup Darshan) and talked in a trance and passed it to the whole
world through Arjuna. Through the Gita, Lord Krishna teaches the Hindus
the best way to live a life and the best path to reach /shwara.
Lord Krishna said Ka rma Yoga (achievement through hard work) is superior
lo Jnan Yoga (achievement th rough pursuit of Knowledge), he said /st lvara
is supreme and indivisible with no beginning and no end. ,st wara is the
cause ol all causes.
Lord Krishna explained that the caste system is a division ol labour
according to ones capabilities and /st wara did not ordain it. He said that
80
everything in this universe is a creation ol lshwaru.ll /sf,lyarawould have
hated anything or any person, He would have annihilated it himseff and
would not have depended on His followers to do the job.
The Gita teaches that hypocrites (Mithyachary) never attain salvation
and they are dangerous persons and are to be shunned.The Gita teaches
us that we should try to do our work in the most excellent way without
asking lor immediate results for the result will be automatic, proportional
to our contribution and as per circumstances.
The Gita says that renunciation ot worldly aflairs, i.e. t aking sannyasa,is
easier and less pleasing to /shwara. Lord Krishna encouraged his followers
to struggle and win the batfles oI lrfe th rough Kama_yoga(success through
hard work and application of honest intelligence).
The Gita also teaches one that true knowledge is engulfed in a smoke
screen of falsehood. This falsehood is spread by the hypocrites who are
power seekers. The original Gita contains 7OO s/okas (verses) and 1g
chapters. Few of the original s/okas lor regular working people are being
presented here.
81
GITA HYMNS
Ariuna, howsoever men seek /shwara, even so do I approach them; for all
men follow my path in every way.
qr 6{s-dtg{cf t sdswn'dtrr t
Your right is to work only, do not hanker lor fruit there of. Be not impatient
in judging the proportion of your achievemerits fortruit is automatic and
cannot be prevented.
* tr S6+tmt gEfr-fffdftqfd I
82
4
ii qt-seqqrfr Twtdr5dqZ+ I
ffq
q4€-dr€q !+qrc-Sfterilr I
qR *n: vgvfr u Rr<RrerFI T6rirFI: I
83
7
84
11
Tilq: y{IrFr;q: V{Cr+q<I€(T: I
The supreme Lord is /srwara. He is the infinite being who is the cause
of
allcauses. He upholds and maintains all,and has bden spoken of as
the
imperishable Lord and the Supreme Spirit.
12
qist€rfir{ sr iffirqsgEr€q I
13
<reqfufd q+i ffis3rorfid r
85
'14
A gift which is bestowed in a grudging spirit and with the obiect o, getting
a service in return or in tho hope of obtaining a reward, is called Reiasika'
15
TAT6-dIF qrq-qT I
16
crEqr{ rrrdsdsqo}sqstRFlrfr{' I
q:ss{SXtgcwqqffi |
Far beyond a/en this manifest, yet other manifests exists, that Supreme
Divine Person will not perish even though all things ol this world will per-
ish one day.
86
17
sii ffi<ci Eil q r(
3r16.rt Eti |
For whatever a great man do€s, that very thing other men also do ; whatever
standard he sets up, the general masses follow the same.
19
B-dtgftt +nr i Eqf *.d i€( |
87
20
The senses are said to b€ greater than the body ; but groater than the
senses is the mind. Grealer than the mind is the intellect; and what is
greater than the intellect is ,shwara (the conscience).
21
The designation of the Brahmans, the Ksatriyas and the Vaidyas, as well
as of the S,ldras are to be divided according to manifestation ol their
protessional qualities.
22
88
23
r +-&i r 6qfFr tr|*-eq Vqfr yt: r
24
{l-ffi vqr ESflil T(.rCrnq: I
The kamayogl , who depends on /shlyala, attains His grace, the etemal,
imperishable stale, even though perlorming allaction.
25
YrfucHrfrqtlyfs*Mq: I
Niyatam kuru karma twang karma jy6yo hyakar_manah
&rira-ynrr:api cha te na prasid dhyed karmanah
89
26
dqrfi ffi fr1g6r f{tf,q: t
27
qf< td-E-dT ry< ft6*dT: t
Those who are vowed to Gods go to the Gods; those who adore the
spirits reach the spirits and those wlto worship Him come to Him alone.
28
q: q-+dnFr+6<irdtrq {qrqq{ I
29
q+6. {@dtqqc:
,'io.,ildfr I
qnidlrrqgffi gk{rvnsurqfd I
90
30
i q,-dunrfircrTr*q..d gtslszd r
Man does not attain lreedom from action without entering upon action; nor
does he reach perfection merely by ceasing to act.
31
Surely none can ever remain inactive even for a moment ; for everyone is
helplessly driven to action by natural forces.
32
(sfl-({ri6-: {dii 6.14 qd qqr* r
33
q Eq qrri IEi T(SuFrsTr€qfr |
He who, offering the greatest love lo lshwara, preaches the most pro-
found gospel ofthese scriptures among public shall go to heaven;there is
no doubt about it.
91
34
q-g-tr qql qe TUr6dhqIrM: I
35
*qr-qq.f fqgur: qtqqldwjBdr( r
One's own duty, though devoid of merit, is preferable to the duty of another
well performed. Even death in the perlormance of one's own duty brings
blessedness; anothefs duty is fraughl with lear.
36
92
37
ffiiil yslrdrrifl: s-d<k I qflosilI: I
It is the ignorant, not the wise, who say lhal Seikvayoga and Karmayoga
lead to divergent results. For one who is lirmly established in eith€r, gets
the fruit of both (which is the same. viz. realization of God).
38
fflti s$.rffiq-d: E-d{ r
qs-dhtrr;n{ qreft++gqf r
)9
rrrfr5ffig{6$fffi5Efu;1
6ffi+c: qtf rrqe: cF$mfd: r
The doer who is full of attachment, seeks the fruit ol actions and is greedy,
and who is oppressive by nature and ol impure conduct, and is atfected
by ioy and sorrow, is to be avoided as he is Pelbsika.
93
40
Td: I-{furtdnt tq sdFr( ilil{ r
He who outwardly restrains the organs ol sense and action, sits mentally
dwelling on the objects of senses, that man of deluded intellect is a
hypocrite.
42
s{iTtsFi dedr 6-dr 6TUi q yqtrsq{ I
fuErTrs yer-*..+Er td +dn ccq{ |
Adhisthdnam tathA karta karanari cha pritha ghidham
vividh5i cha prithak chestd daivam chaibatra paichamam.
The following are the five factors operating towards the accomplishment
of actions, viz. the time and sincerity of action, the ditferent methods
adopted, conglomeration of other torces and the will ol lshwara.
43
qg6a6q.6..d r srei or{tq r( r
94
44
g:uFr*+ q-oC mq-+-dvrqqrdE I
qq o.'dw'trsrrfr q HrftqFrrm I
Na hi dehabhriti datyarr tyaktuni karmAnyadesat
yastu karma phala ryagi sa tyagi tyabhi dhiyate
This secret gospel of the Gita should never be imparted lo a man who
lacks penance, nor to him who is wanting in devotion, nor even to him
who lends not a willing ear; and in no case to him who finds fault with
lshwara.
95
47
3[9r(rlr';rr: Ywr srdgrg qtrq r
People having no hith in his religion, will lail to understand lshwara. And
in whatever may be the aspiration, they will revolve in the path of despair
and death.
48
+'*ai qr Fr rrrT: qrd +rqqcrsrfr I
96
DAILY PRAYER - Must for a Hindu
MA].ITRA
(Hymn to invoke lshwara'8 blessings)
All Hindus are required to recit€ the following manfras and do pranayama
at least twice a day. All men, women, even a child who is ten years old
and above, must recite the following minimum mantl€s. lf these manfras
are recited audibly in Vedic melodious rhythm, these will bestow on the
reciter health, wealth, power, peace and tranquility. lt is believed that the
reciter will achieve success in all his efforts and will lead a very happy
life. The recitation can be done at any time and at any place but for best
result, pray early morning and early evening in a temple or in a garden
with others in the lorm of a chorus. For many thousand years, these
mantras prcved powerful. Melodious recitation creates a super natural
vibration which forms an invisible protective shell arround the reciter.
Modern science is yet to reveal lhe reason for the potency of these
mantras. Any percon, even if he is not a Hindu, can recite lhese mantras
and will receive benefits.
97
sx as-Eo-s Erorq qffifcsqsq
frfdEi ts tt-q Rffig qdsr rr
98
e% q<rffi *6q-qqqqt*cm
ndql-vqrrcs-qlq1g 1
3x sdqg.erg.d, ffi
v{rdqrftrt r
YRA *q*
rilft rrrqtrr rdsq tt
Aum sarvamahgalanahgalyetu, Sive sarvhnhasodhike
lara4ye tryambakz Gouri Ndraya4i namoslute
qurqrR ii ft $rqrift-ir$t rr
99
urfHe:s*qtrrftr.r:
arflwr': olgdsgq 1ftrai vferr+ft tr
#+s
q+.nt tq{ tff{rq r
+tfid-q{i-{,sdEiffiqtt
Aum ya asdko dharmaniqlhah sa vai Suro na nastikatt
nasdkah kapuruso' bhut prithivydm paridhdvati
ekSSadr svoptujanesya deyam dinajaniya
yo bhurnjita-svayameva sa moghad kevaladi ca
100
The minimum religious duty of every Hindu man and woman are to
(a) recite fifteen hymns (mantras) (b) to do Pranayamaand (c) to perform
Bhoj Utsav (see Q & A no. 114 ol Smriti Sastr4. Atter reciting above
fifteen hymns, one should do minimum 10 minutes Pranayama eilhet
seating on a chair or seating on the floot in 'Padmasan'posture. ln case
Pranayama cannot be done along with recitation of hymn due to time
shortage, it should be done at least once during the day. While doing
Pranayama always sit with a straight spine and a relaxed body.While you
do Pranayama, let your mind be thought free. Chanting of hymns and
doing Pranayama improves your position in heaven and earth to a great
extent. The devout will always got ultimate tavourable justice of /srwara.
Pranayama is simple. To do one round; shut the right nostril with the
thumb and inhale air lo maximum e)dent through the left nostril; close left
nostril with forefinger, open the right nostril and exhale through the right,
then inhale into the right nostril; close the right nostril, open the left, and
exhale through the lett nostril. Continue, doing for minimum 10 minutes.
One may learn it lrom a yoga teacher also.
Those Hindus who perform religious duties will get great health, respect,
security, wealth in this lite and will get heaven in after life (see Q & A no.
91 of Smnti Sastra). All devout may note that ,shwara is a single supreme
being who creates and suslains eveMhing in the orderly cosmos. /shwara
keeps walch over us and responds to our prayers. Manifestation ol lshwara
is immune to scientific scrutiny as by design, lshwara leaves no
observable consequences.
Recitor and their near and dearones will be protected from any misficrtune.
The above fifleen mantras is enough for avarage people. However, il one
has time and inclination, additional mantras may be recited during the
pula o, various deities or during conduct of various social customs like
marriage, funeral, shradha etc.
101
BHAJAN - CHANTING LORD'S PRAISE
Bhajan's are songs in Lord's praise, to be sung during religious and social
functions preferable in chorus.
102
HEAVEN AND HELL
There are seven layers of heaven and heavenly pleasure and comfort.
/shwara sends human lo live a courageous lile with a mission to struggle
for causes dear to Him.
He wants His believers do good to His masses and fear His ordains.
Human in lowerlevels ot heaven takes rebirth when he repents his failures
in the world. He begs /shwarafor another chance to do good works in the
world he had left behind.
The highest level ol heaven is for the devout who is courageous even to
make supreme sacritice to protect the masses from deviating away from
lshwara, is leatlul o, His wrath, who is humble in daily prayer, does regular
pranayam, arranges or attends Bhoj Utsav once in every month, works
hard to make world a better place, helps the needy and support the
community temple and its priest, respect the law of the land.
The devout will go to heaven. ln heaven /shrryara will keep for lhe devout
a great dwelling place facing the sea and rear side will face snow-capped
hills.The devout will have admiring friends, respect, prominence, joy and
true knowledge.
Devout will have most tasly good food tor asking, will have attractive,
healthy and ploasantly active partner for most satisfying coniugal life
(see Gita Sloka no. 11) and will have daily orgasm.The conjugal partner
willtake ditferent forms each day of the human heroes and heroines whom
the deyoufhad always appreciated.
All that is good and desirable will be available at command. The deyouf
will be near /sl,wara every day and willenioy supreme bliss in the Heaven.
103
Those who do not fear the wralh of lshwara and is not respectful to his
ordains, those who allow themselves to be used lor surrounding the Hindus
with people ol hostile faith and those who have no respect for lshwara
will go to hell.
These fitth columnist sowthe seed for mass killing of the lsh$/araJaithfuls.
Their action, omissions and commissions helps build luture slaughter
house tor the laithlul ol lshwara.Ihey are destined to hell
Any devout Hindu will reach heaven and will be purged all his sin should
he master the courage to deliver the severest punishment to these fifth
columnists and make their journey to hell quick and fast.
104
IDOL WORSHIP
ft{: Y{t{'€6rI: lr
This supreme reality is /sf,ryara which is also called yishnu. One should
not confuse Vishnu witlr Bishnu and Brahma wilh Bramha. Bishnu and
105
Bramha were first prophets ot Sanala na Dharma. One should be careful
as the similarity of spelling sometimes creates confusion. The word yisf,nu
originates from the root y/Smeaning to pervade. yishru is all-pervading.
/shwara has no beginning and no end.
lshwaradid nol rcquired a parent. lt is not parents but the human beings
who gave the supreme entity a name i. e. lghwara.P&ple of various religions
call him by various names. Hindus calledhim lshwara I Vishnu lBrahmal
q-I++dd"Etll, jqs+5qt{frt; I
Those whose wisdom has been carried away by various desires, being
prompted by their own nature, worship other deities besides ,shwara
adopting rules relating to each.
108
THE CASTE SYSTEM
The invaders with their naturalthirst for blood subjugated the peace loving
country but found it extremely difficult to match the moral strength and
courage of conviction of lhe native people.
The invaders became the new rulers and they misused the caste system
and made the economic division ol labour into a pseudo-religious matter
and tried to administer it as water-tight compartments, as if, it had a
religious sanction. lt must be appreciated that everywhere in the world a
social error, if continued lor a long time, gets the force of law.
109
Water-tight compartmentalization ol the caste system was the gravesl
error of Hindu society, which wily politicians through generations exploited
to divide and rule. Some groups of people who were benelitted through it
supported the system.
The philosophy of Sanatana Dharma gave tremendous moral slrength to
the Hindus and the invaders found it very difficult to convert people ol
this laith.
Nearly always the new masters sought and received help of hypocrites
(Mithyachari)lo divide Hindus and weaken them. Hypoc es (Mithyachai)
relers lo fitth columnists who pretended to be devout Hindus and humanists
but actually destroyed the society lo satisfy their own selfish narrow ends.
They satisfied their ego, greed and pleased the powers that was. Many
times they misguided the people and made way for foreign conquerors to
come and loot the Hindus.
People were vastly illiterate, ignorant, misinformed and suffered from abiect
poverty.With the passage of time vested interest grew in the court of the
new rulers and in the competition to grab the meagre resources each
group developed 'in group'and 'out group'psychology.
Thousands of years ol this economic divide turned the caste system into
a social disease. And to perpetuate this exploitation, hypocrites
mischievously gave it the colour of religion.
Gita is against caste syslem and very cleady said that caste isiob division
according to prolessional qualities and is a division of labour established
by people. lshwara (i.e. religion)is not involved in this. Following two Gita
slokas are interesting.
The designation ol the Brahmans, the k*triyas and the Vailyas, as well
as ol the S(dras is to be divided ac:cording to manifestation of their
prolessional qualitie s.
1l0
qsdd qqr qE Xurs'ChsTrr1qr: I
Ts E-dnfi fi f**eodTtrqq{ t
Economic and polilical skulduggery made religion a dirty cess pool. The
Hindus became a divided house. Sanatana Dhamai.e. HlNDU|SMnever
prescribed casteism but the adherents tolerated il out ot compulsion and
ignorance and lshwarabecame displeased and ordained thatfollowers of
caste system will remain poor, weak and enslaved.
It is said /shwara ordained that anyone who will denounce casteism and
will work lor unifying the Hindus will get eternal heaven and will also help
his forelathers reach their heavenly abode.
To prove that lhe caste system was political and economic exploitation
and not a religious matter, a look at Bengal is revealing. ln 1200 A.D. there
was a powerful king in Bengal, lndia. His name was Ballal Sen. During his
rule, Nath Brahmins (also known as Rudraja Brahmins) were considered
to be a highly respected Brahmin caste and were acting as royal priests.
Pitambar Nath was the royal priest ol King Ballal Sen. When lhe father of
the king died, the king wanted his guru Pitambar Nath to take the Pinda
Dan (i.e. items given during the funeralof a person) as a royalgift. Pitambar
Nath relused to accept any gift, connected with the funeral, lrom the
King.The King took this relusal as an insult and out of his egoistic rage
took away the sacred thread of Sri Pitambar Nath (sacred thread was the
sign o, the Brahmin caste) and issued a royal decree that all persons
known as Rudraja/Nath Brahmini.e.,high caste will henceforth be treated
as Sudra,l.e. low caste.
Since then persons of Nathnudnjaclan were treated as Sudras in Bengal;
but outside Bengalthe same Narf,s are highly respected Brahmin priests.
This is an example to prove that the caste system is not a matter of the
111
Hindu religion but a politicalexploitation of Hindu society bywily politicians.
It is said in the Puranas ( i.e. old scriptures) that Natf, Brahmins (Rudraia
Brahminsl arc descendants of Lord Shiva ( also known as Lord Rudra). ln
Nepal (the last Hindu country), the royal priest is a Nath Brahmin.
ln Kolkata (lndia) the tirst priest ol the famous Kall temple was Sri
Chowringhee Nath. Kolkata's main road was named in his memory and
was known as Chowringhee Boad.
Fewfamous Naths were Somnath, Gorakhnath etc. in whose memory the
great Somnath temple (Gujarat) and Gorakhnath temple (Uttar pradesh)
were built.These facts prove again that the caste system has nothing to
do wilh the Hindu religion.
ln'Ban Parbd ol Mahabharatai.e.hagpenings during the daysol Pandav's
banishment in forest, four brothers of Pandavwerc made unconscious by
yaksha. The four brolhers drank water wilhout permissionhom Yaksha's
water body. When, Yudhisthira, the eldest brothet ol Pandav, arrived in
search of his four brothers, Yaksha said he will give antidote to the rour
brothers if Yudhisthira gave correct answers to his hvelve questions.
yaksha's ninth question to yudhisrhlrwas
112
adopted the prolession o, warrior and established the Kadamba kingdom.
Another Brahmin named Matribishnu took the profession ot Khastriya
and became the governor ol a State under the Gupta Kingdom. pradosh
Varman was a ludraby caste but worke dasa Khastriya ind became the
governor of a province.
During the Gupta peiod many BramhDstook to the lucrative profession
of hunting in the forest. Many individuals from a Cudra background built
the famous Sun lemple ol Mandasore.These are some examples to prove
that the caste system was only a division ot labour in the Hindu society.
During the Vedic period the concepl of untouchability, with respect to the
Sudras or anyone else as a dalivuntouchable did not exist. Any
condemnation of a person was due mainly to his / her engaging in an
activity not useful or acceptable to the society. lt was, however, prevalent
that any type of socially stigmatic situalion could be improved through
penance and by changing one's behaviour.
The leaming process in the old days was long and lasted for decades in
hermitages in harsh and lorest-like conditions. Knowledge was exchanged
between the guru and the pupils. lt was usually in the oraltradition stnce
written manuscripts were scarce.The children were predisposed through
the natural and continuous exposure to the tamily business and were
readily inducted by their parents into their traditional prolessions. Over a
time, this method of selecting the professions inadvertenfly gave rise to
the tradition of vocation-based families all around, even though society
had not sought such an outcome.
Hindu society remained llexible and allowed people the treedom of choice
in their undertakings (e.9., Satyakama was a Sudra by birth but became
a most respected Erahmn by learning th e Vedas\. During the Vedicpeiod
anyone could become a priest, the question of reservation ofthe position
Ior he Bramhindid not aise.
Any person who has pure mind, control on desire and can recite
slokas
melodiously may lead aprayer as purohit (Guru)lor whom
the beneractors
may provide in plenty.
I 13
Itwas deemed vocationally advantageous and convenientror a couple to
marry within same caste as their common background enabled them to
get involved in their lamily occupation quickly without facing any
uncertainty or requiring any additional apprenticeship. Moreover, lhe bride
and the groom in this type of a wedding arrangement would be less likely
to encounter any unexp€cted, unfamiliar, inhospitable and unwanted post-
marital social siluations.
The marriages among people lrom vastly different backgrounds were
allowed and also took place quite often (ln the Mahabharata we see
Satyavati, daughter ol a Sudra fisherman and Shantanu,lhe Kshatriya
king marrying and society imposed no restrictions). The caste system
was basically an arbitrary social custom which arose over a period on the
direction of the rulers and also as a matter of convenience whereby the
people stuck to their family professions and also married within the same
type of families i.e. vocations. The Sama yeda sloka says that lshwara
do not appreciate exploitation but desires his followers to treat everybody
equal and nurse the afflicted one.
+ <<rtd g1Rr+ra: frtc-drqt €EFF6:
g:€rdfort vqrffid
6fq fir: Yffi tt
lshwara is gtad when you give ioy to a human being, when you feed the
hungry, when you help the afflicted and lessen the sonow ot the sorrowtul
and remedy to the wrongs done to the iniured.
Atter thousand years ol loreign bondage lndia got freedom in 1947 and
became free to eradicate the evil social divide i.e the caste system.
lndia adopted reservation of jobs and quotas of seats in educational
institutes for those who suffered for generations due to caste consideralion.
Practising caste system is punishable by law in lndia. Modem educated
Hindus are not in lavour ol the caste system and denounce it strongly'
'114
MANU SMRITI
B
it weak, subservient ,nd
C
,""rrl'?;:;il?H
Manu propounded a strong rure of sociar.iob
ill:ff"T::#:Ui;
distribution and named
il Manu Smriti. Manu himself was a brilliant person
and lived during the
later part o, Vedic period.
'I 15
as
ln the exuberant cosmological speculations of later Hinduism'
there were said
expounded in the Puranas and in the Manu Smritiilselt '
of the lourteen subsidiary
to be founeen Manus, a separate one lor each
(kalpa\ ol8'640'000'000 years'
cosmic periods within the great time c ycle
in the current cycle'
Manvantarai.e., our present time being the seventh
destined to come to an end'
Afterthe fourteenth Manu, the whole earth is
And that is to be followed by a new creation
in an endless series of
is' however' ol limitless
creation and dissolution. Existence of Universe
time.
some torm of judgement and
Manu calculated that the human being with
*a" existing in this world for last 2 5 million years However'
"onsciorsness walked on two legs but with animal inslinctwas
existing
human being, who
sincelastfift-eenmillionyears.lshwara'however'createdthissolarsystem
another 8640 X 365 X
about 4OO0 million years back and it will exist
'or
million years lshwaragave 1OO
1OO = 3,15,360,000 i.e. another 315'36
mathematics'
years' lshwaralie' to our solar system as per Manu's
tormally called the
fhe Manu Smiti(the 'Laws' or'Code of Manu' )' more
Humanity" is the book
Manava Dnarma Shastra i e" Religious Book of
and clean
on legal and allied topics. lt emphasises on transperancy
that the best cause of the
admin'istration by the king. He propounded
six percent
*if f O" a"ted il the king is allowed to take a maximum
"orntry to an outline of civil and
ta* on'tn" earning ol his subjects ln addition
four traditional' stages
criminal law, the text discusses at length the
and linally
(ashrama\ol a student lile, married householder' hermitage
forelgn
ii" ."ft,.." ascetic. Division of labour was wrongly applied by into
Job division turned
invaders to divide the nation and make it weak'
into social class (varna)
social division and as a result it degenerated
which{ormsthehistoricalbasisolthecastesystem.ManUsmriliisthus
avaluablesourceolinformationonthehistoryofdegenerationofthe
has made the Hindus
lndian political and social system Manu Smriti
Smriti.ovet veda' lndia
weak. As a punishment for emphasising Manu
foreign nations According to
suffered subjugation in the hands of many
system is an
in" pr* v"i,. religion and sermons of Gita' the caste peopte practise the
inJgli"no a-ct. some time even unknowingty
"rirnin"l Manu Smriti tor their
Many lndian politicians still use
"rr"," "y","r.
interest and keep the country divided and weak
They are all
"".,"r""
enemies ol lshwara'
116
UPANISAOS
fhere ae 108 Upanisads. Most famous ollhem arc Katha, Kena, Mundaka,
Mandukya, Prasnah, Chandogya, Swestaswantan, lshavasya, Narayana,
Mahanarayana, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Suryopanisad, Brihadaranyaka
Upanisad.
The Upanisads (16000-1000 B.C.) are ancient lndian treatises r,vhich inquire
into the nature ol lhe divine, principles and the means of salvation. They
represent the rinal stage in the tradition of the Vedas, and so the
development of thought that they unfold is known as the Vedanta
('concluding chapters ot the Veda'). Most ol the older Upan,bads are later
developments from the Vedas, but they reveal a philosophical as well as
a practical approach to religious and material lite elaborating on the inner
meaning of the utterances of the later Rigvedic hymns. lt deals with the
realization thatthe individual's atman (soul) is one with the universalAfmar,
or Supreme being BRAHMA,theidentity being summed up in the phrase
'tat tvam asi'(that thou art) of the Chandogya Upanisad.Tne nature of
eternal life is discussed in the Katha Upanisad, other themes are
transmigration and the doctrine ot Maya, the illusory nature of the material
world (in the Syeta svatara Upanisad).
The texts ol lhe Upanisads are generally very short and summaries a
speculative teaching, often through parables, a passage ol dialogue for
easy understanding of the moral of the story by the masses. The so
calledvedic Upanisads are 1g in number;the remainderof about hundred
are probably post-vedic, though many are influenced by the Vedas. The
parables used by the poets, writers and artists on many occasions
emphasized the martial skill ol the Devatas.They depicted them, as if,
possessors of several hands holding many different types
of weapons.
117
Geological time scale ot world & ten incarnations of Bishnu
1'18
TEN INCARNATIONS OF BISHNU
Long long ago, through lhe will ot tshwara a portion of the hot gaseous
material escaped from Sun and started rotating around Sun. On being
cooled, it consolidated into planet Earth. At the early stage, earth was
full of water and first lire came to planet Earth as fish (i.e. Matsya).
Paleozoic Silurian-Devonian time period of earth,s evolution is known
as
Fish period of Earth's evolution. During that time yeda dealt with
the art ol
procreation. Fish was the first incarnation of B,shnu.
The next period of earth's evolution was the Carbonilerous epoch
ol
Paleozoic era, i.e. the time when lib was amphibious. Here animals learned
to live by taking orygen direcfly from air.The second incarnation
ol Bishnu
was in the form olTortoise i.e. an animal, which can live in both water
and
land.
that he could use it for agriculture. From his time human existence saw
agriculture based human civilization and Parasuram became invincible
of
through use of new weapons i.e. his axe. Parashuram as the harbinger
agricultural revolution was respected as the sixth incarnation of
Elshnu'
period of earth's
Parashuramwasin the Pleistocene epoch oi quaternary
120
evolution, i.e. the time period when primitive method o, agriculture only
was known to man.
The seventh incamation of 8r'sl,nu was Ram. He used Bow and Arrow
and could attack from a distance. His Bow and Arrow proved more effective
lhan Axe in ensuring safety against ferocious animal and enemy. parnb
Bow and Arrow proved superior lo parasuram's Axe. From the lime ol
Lord Ram, actualhuman civilization on the basis ot kingdom started. He
introduced the importance of public opinion in making lhe state taws.
Bam not only introduced democracy but he also saved Ahalyai.e. using
plough to make agriculture in fallow land. Fam is also c alled,sitapat i.e.
lord oI Srfa. Srta in Sanskrit language m eans,plough head'. He introduced
plough and plough head in the use ot agriculture. He used his knowledge
lor vast improvement in agriculture and it resulted in economic upliftment
ol common man. He was lrom Holocene epoch of Cenozoic era of earth,s
evolution.
The eighth incarnationwas Lord Krishna. He was a perlect human being
from all sides. He propagated the utility of knowledge in science, philosophy
and ethical values. He set the slandards of good and evil. He introduced
modern thinking in political theory where all human can live in peace and
with dignity.
121
BHAGAVAN MAHAVIR
He taught his disciples that getting Salvation is the best form of ioy'
Salvation comes through honest thinking, honest living and honest faith'
He called them 'IBLRATNA' i.e. three gems.
122
SRI SANKARA (SANKARACHARYA)
Sri Sankara, the greatest philosopher of all times and the greatest
Hindu
of his time, is generally supposed to have been born at Kaladi
in Kerala
on the Wet Coast of the lndian peninsula in A. D. 7g8.
Even as a boy he attended the Vedic school. His sharp brain
went prying
into the soul of the sacred Vedic Lore and tormulated, with astute genrus,
accurate definitions and exact analysis, a synthetic philosophy.
He
renounced the world before his mind could be conlaminated
by its vites,
and embraced monotheism, dedicating his life to lshwaraitealization
and,
also, to bringing back the world to its pristine purity.
123
Upanisads, the Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Sutra and established his doctrine
on a lirm foundation.
Then he wandered about from place to place engaging himself in
discussions with leaders of diverse creeds and sects, and, by his superb
puncturing
dialectic skill, he went on denouncing false dogmas and
erroneous presumPtions.
Sankara travelled all over, the length and breadth ofthevast sub-continent
lourtimes, established four principal monasteries al thefourcardinal points
ol lndia, the Sringeri Math on the Sringeri hills in the South, the Sarada
Meth al Dwaruka in the West, the Jyotirmath at Badrik'ashrama in the
North, and the Govardhana Math al Puti in the East and appointed his
tour chief disciples as pontiffs of these Matf,s (Temples) to promote the
spiritual welFbeing ol the monks and the people connected wilh the
Matf''
He also assigned to each Marh (Temple) one Veda Thus, Big Veda
went
rites of his mother in the face of stiff opposition from his relatives
During
parents'
these days Sannyasins were not allowed to do last rights of
of thirty-two'
He passed away in Kedarnath on the Himalayas, at the age
124
HINDU MONK SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
AND HIS PHILOSOPHY
was born on
Swami Vivekanan da look Hinduism to its Vedic roots He
12th January 1863. He said : 'Courage is what the Upanisads
speak to
it has been
me from every page.This is the one great thing to remember'
the onegreat lesson I have been taught in my life Be courageous O man'
be not weaf'.
race has
Swami Vivekananda said, "Everything that we have had as a
had only
weakened us". ll seems as il during that period the national life
till we have
one end in view, viz., how to make us weaker and weaker'
dares to
become real earthworms crawling at the feet of every one who
display his sword and put his foot on us'
dwells a
What I want is muscles of iron and nerves of steel' inside which
mind ol the same material as that of which the thunderbolt is made'
worship strength and manhood.
All power is within you; you can do anything and everything
Beleve in
everything
that; do not think thal you are weak.You can do anything and
you like, without even lhe guidance of anyone' All power is there
Stand
Either in this world or in the world of religion, it is true that fear is the sure
cause of degradalion and sin. lt is fearthat brings misery, fearthat brings
death, lear that breeds evil. And what causes fear ? lgnorance ol our own
nature. Each ot us is heir-apparent to the Emperor of Emperors, the
lshwara.
126
Know that all sins and all evils can be summed up in that one word-
weakness. lt is weakness that is the motive power in all evil-doing lt is
weakness that is the source ot all selfishness. lt is weakness that makes
men iniure others. lt is weakness that makes them manifest what they
are not in reality.
What our masses now want are muscles of iron and nerves of steel;
strong willpower which nothing can resist, which can penetrate into the
mysteries and secrets of the universe and will accomplish their purpose
in any fashion even il it means going to the bottom ol the ocean and
meeting death face to face.
We have wept long enough; no more weeping, but stand on yourfeet and
be a man. lt is the man-making religion that we want. ll is the man-
making theories that we want. lt is the man-making education all round
that we want. And here is the test of truth, anything that makes you weak
physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject; there is no life in it, it cannot
be true. Truth makes you strong. Truth is purity. Truth is all knowledge'
Trulh must strengthen, must be enlightening, must be invigorating'
W6 speak of many things parrot-like, but never do them; speaking and
not doing has become a habit with us.Whal is the cause ol that ? Physical
weakness. This sort of weak brain is not able to do anything' We must
strengthen it. First of all our young men must be strong. Religion will
come afterwards. You will understand the mighty genius and the mighty
strength ol Krishna only when strong blood flows in you. You will understand
the Upanisads better and the glory of the Atmanwhen your body stands
firm upon your feet and you teel yourselves as a man.
Be moral, be brave, be a strictly moral man, brave unlo desperation'
Cowards commit sin, brave men never. Try to love anybody and everybody'
Get up, and set your shoulder to the wheel, for how long is this life? As
you have come into this world, leave some mark behind. Otherwise where
is the difference between you and the trees and stones? They too come
into existence, decay and die.
Be bold ! My children should be brave, above all. Not the least compromise
on any account. Preach the highest truths. Do not fear losing your respect
or causing unhappy friction. Rest assured that if you serve lruth in spite
127
ol temptations to lorsake it, you will attain a heavenly strengrth, in the
face of which men will quail to speak before you things which you do not
believe to be lrue. People would be believing in whatever you say to them,
i, you can strictly serve truth lor lourteen years continually, wilhoutsverving
from it.
128
MEANING OF SANSKRIT NAMES /WORDS
129
Devata Devata's are messiahs/prophets who act as
heroes, guides, saviours etc. and are respected
bythe people. As they were human beings they
had human limitations. All of them were
influenced by existing social equations and time
period of their lives. Thus many of their actions
may raise questions in our modern mind.They
however, deserve our salutations for their
positive contributions in the progress of lhe
civilization, fruit of which we are enjoying daily.
Dharma Ethical values through which a person should
conduct his way of living.
Dalit The person who was deprived by the society
of the privilege oI acquiring any special skill
and was torced to earn a living by working as
an unskilled labour
130
Rakhash/Rakshasa Means fiendish people (Demons).
-
Sanatana Dharma The earliest religion of the human civilization.
-
Later on it got a popular name "Hinduism".
Sudra The person who is a skilled artisan and use
physical labour lor earning a living.
Vishnu One ofthe various names o, /shwara. The word
Vishnu originated lrom the sanskrit root word
y/S meaning to pervade. Vishnu is alFpervading.
131