APPLIED HINDU DHARMA

By Pandit Sri Rama Ramanujachari

srimatham.com
2:01:2017
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APPLIED HINDU DHARMA

T
he purpose of this booklet is to give readers a comprehensive understanding of the concept
of Hindu Dharma. Life is a complex web of interconnectedness and we are continually being
faced with competing demands from various stake-holders in our lives. Dharma furnishes us
with ethical guidelines, and the moral framework for us to negotiate through this ocean of
complexity.
One of the accusations against Hinduism is its lack of practical resources in terms of simple cook-
book style "self-help" manuals and group therapy sessions like those provided by other religious
groups. Hinduism being non-dogmatic, differs from the Abrahamic religions in its emphasis on self-
determination and self-realization, and personal development not on prescriptive commandments of
God interpreted by self-appointed clergy. Hindu Dharma does not give right and wrong answers to
complex questions, it gives us the tools whereby we make our own decisions.
In order to properly understand Dharma and it's application one needs to understand the context. So
before we study Dharma let's acquaint ourselves with some of the fundamental concepts of Hindu
world-view.
It is important to stress right from the outset that Dharma can be practiced independently of a belief
in a Personal God, since God is not the source of Dharma in Hinduism.

Part 1. Basic Hindu Philosophical Ideas

1.1. THE ONE EXISTENCE.
1. ayam tm brahma the tman is Brahman.
This is the anubhava-bodha vkya or the sentence that gives expression to the inner intuitive
experience of the aspirant. This is from the Mandukya Upanishad 1,2 of the Atharva Veda.
aum ity etad akaram idam sarvam, tasyopavykhynam bhtam bhavad bhaviyad iti sarvam
aukra eva | yac cnyat tri-kltta tad apy aukra eva | sarvam hy etad brahma | ayam tm
brahma | so'yam tm catu-pt ||
"AUM this syllable is all this. The explanation is as follows: all that is the past, the present and
the future all this is expressed by AUM, and whatever else there is beyond the three phases of time
is also expressed by AUM. All this [universe] is Brahman. This Self is Brahman and possesses four
phases of consciousness1."

2. sarva khalvidam brahma Verily, all this universe is Brahman. (Chand. Up. 3:14:1)
sarvam khalvida brahm | tajjaln iti | nta upsta | atha khalu kratu-maya purua | yath
kratur asmin loke puruo bhavati | tatheta pretya bhavati | sa kratum kurvta ||
III-xiv-1: Verily, all this universe is Brahman. From Him do all things originate, into Him do they
dissolve and by Him are they sustained. On Him should one meditate in tranquillity. Now verily a
person consists of purpose (kratu) and as is ones purpose in this world, such one becomes on
departing hence. Let one, therefore, frame for himself a purpose.

1
Jgrata awake and interactive state, svapna dream consciousness, suupti dreamless deep sleep, turiya
transcendental consciousness.
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VI-i-4: Dear boy, just as through a single clod of clay all that is made of clay would become
known, for all modifications is but name based upon words and the clay alone is real;
VI-i-5: Dear boy, just as through a single nugget of gold, all that is made of gold would become
known, for all modification is but name based upon words and the gold alone is real;
VI-i-6: Dear boy, just as through a single nail-clipper all that is made of iron would become known,
for all modification is but name based upon words and the iron alone is real such, dear boy, is the
teaching.
dve vva brahmao rpe mrta caivmrta ca |
martyacmta ca sthita ca yaca sacca tyacca || Brd Ar.Up. 2:3:1)
Brahman has two aspects, with form and formless, changing and unchanging, finite and infinite,
existent and beyond existence.
nma-rpa name and form which make up the individual. Nma is the idea, the archetype, the
essential character. Rpa is the context, the tangible expression of the idea. Nma is the inner-
power; rpa is the sensible manifestation. The various nma-rpas of the universe are the
differentiated conditions of the ONE nma the world consciousness.

3. prajnam brahma:Consciousness is Brahman.

This is called the Svarpabodha-vkya or the statement that explains the nature of Brahman or the
Self. This is contained in the Aitareya-Upanishad 3:1:3 of the Rig Veda.
ea brahmaia indra, ea prajpatir ete sarve devm imni ca paca mah-bhtni, pthiv vyur
ka po-joyt-ity-etnmani ca kudra-mirva, bjntari cetari ca aajni ca jrujni
ca svedajni codbhijjni ca ava gva puru hastino yat kicedam pri jagama ca patatri ca
yacca sthvara sarva tat praj-netram prajne-pratihitam praj-netro loka praj
pratiha prajnam brahm ||
He is Brahm, he is Indra, he is prajpati, he is all these gods and the five great elements, earth,
water, fire, air and ether, mixed with the modes of nature, each and every living entity down to the
smallest organism, those born form an egg and those born from a womb, those born from sweat and
those born of a sprout, of horses, cows, humans, elephants, those that walk and those that fly, all
moving and non-moving beings. All this is guided by intelligence, is established in intelligence.
The universe is guided by intelligence. The support of intelligence. Brahman is intelligence.
That which is the heart and mind that is consciousness, perception, discrimination,
intelligence, wisdom, insight, steadfastness, thought, thoughtfulness, impulse, memory,
conception, purpose, life, desire, and control all these are synonyms for intelligence
(praj). (Aitareya 3:1:2)

4. aham brahma asmi:I Am Brahman.

This is the Anusandhna-vkya, the idea on which the aspirant tries to fix his mind. This is
contained in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1:4:10 of the Yajur Veda.
brahma v idam agra st | tad tmnam evvet | aham brahmsmiti | tasmt tat sarvam
abhavat | tad yo yo devn pratyabudhyata | sa eva tad abhavat ||
"Brahman indeed was this in the beginning, it knew itself only as "I am Brahman".
Therefore it became all. Whoever among the gods realised this, he indeed became that.
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5. tat tvam asi:That Thou Art.

This is the upadea-vkya contained in the Chhandogya Upanishad of the Sama Veda. Through this
sentence the teacher instructs the student in his essential nature.
sa ya eo'im aitad tmyam idam sarva tat satyam sa tm | tat tvam asi ||
That which is the subtle essence, the root of all, this whole universe, is the tman, that is the
True, Thou art That O Svetaketu! (Chandogya 6:8:7)

1.2. REBIRTH PUNAR-JANMA

sarv jve sarva sasthe bhante asmin haso bhrmyate brahma-cakre |
pthag tmna preritra ca matv juas tatas-tenmtatvam eti ||
In that vast Brahma-wheel [of the cycle of life = samsra], in which all things live and
rest, the Hamsa-Swan (jva) flutters about, so long as he thinks that he is different from
the mover [the god, the lord]. Then when blessed by Him, he gains immortality.

jjau dvvajvnau Therefore, since the stra declares the jvtman to be

(vetsvatara Up. 1:9) 'unwise' and 'powerless', it is implied that the jvtman can
[The Self is] wise and unwise, born and evolve to become wise and powerful, and this evolution
unborn, powerful and powerless. occurs on the wheel of transmigration.

vssi jrni yath vihya navni ghti naropari |

tath arri vihya jrny-anyni sayti navni deh ||
Gt 2:22. As a person casts off worn-out garments and puts on others that are new, so
does the embodied Self cast off its worn-out bodies and enter into others that are new.

Birth begin in the lowest of species and through a series of passive evolutions the jvtman finally
enters into the human realm and his triune nature begins to manifest and self-consciousness
emerges in the form of 3 powers:
1. jna akti (cognitive powers),
2. iccha akti (emotive powers),
3. kriya akti (power to accomplish).
In other words what characterizes us human beings is the power of conceptualise and conceive of
ideas, to desire their accomplishment and to put those ideas to use and achieve concrete outcomes.
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The Goals of Human Life (pururthas)

All human goals and aspirations can be classified under four headings:
Ethical & moral attitudes, secular and religious duties and obligations, paca-mah
yajas: parental obligations (pitru yaja), religious and ceremonial duties (deva-
yaja), education and teaching responsibilities (brahma-yaja), social obligations and
responsibilities (manuya yaja) environmental responsibilities (bhta-yaja) .

All matters concerned with prosperity, economical sustainability, property, wealth,

power, stewardship of resources and social economical benefit.

The pursuit of pleasure and enjoyment, sex, entertainment, art, comfort, drama, music
etc.

Moka means "liberation" in a limited socio-political sense it means freedom from

want, hunger, thirst, disease etc. Freedom from fear, from tyranny and oppression.
Freedom of association, freedom of speech, religion etc. In the greater spiritual sense it
means freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth.

Moka or mukti in the ultimate spiritual sense is not a change of conditions but rather a change of
conditioning, not an alteration of circumstances but the adjustment of the attitude of the jvtman to
ideas of Self and not-Self.

Points to remember and contemplate:

1. The jvtman is paramtman as a seed is to the tree. The jvtman remains wandering in
samsra until one realizes one's own true nature.
2. There is a continuity of forms in that the jvtman takes on new forms as it continues to
evolve. Each form is an outcome of previous mental and psychic development.
3. The results of one's life can be realized in the seen or unseen realms.
4. Reincarnation is an 'evolution' of the spirit, but the jvtman may be detained in an animal
form due to extreme self-degradation.
5. There are three phases of mental evolution:
a. subjection to the desire nature (kma)
b. struggling against the desire nature
c. triumph over kma and the development of higher intellectual powers.
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1.3. KARMA
The Way of Action
Action (karma) is intrinsic to existence and it is impossible to live without acting. Dharma after all
is about the right way of acting.
There are 3 means by which we act body (kya), speech (vk) and mind (manas).
The ideal Dharmic aspiration is to create harmony between these three
yath cittam tath vcyam, yath vcyam tath kriya ||
To express what we think and to do as we say.

All our actions are based upon 3 cognitive strengths:

knowledge (jna-akti),
feeling/desire (iccha-akti)
application (kriya akti).

These are the basis of the Yogas taught in the Gita

1. jna yoga the path of knowledge
2. bhakti yoga the path of devotion
3. karma yoga the path of action
These are not separate paths but rather three aspects of all activity. In order to accomplish a project
one needs to have a sincere desire to achieve the outcomes, a knowledge of the means of
accomplishment and effort to actualise the goals.
But some people are more thinkers and planners some are more inspiration and emotionally charge
and act well as motivators, and others are more at ease in practical solutions and execution of plans.
The actual pivot of the planning and motivation is the work, and that's why it is at the apex of the
triangle.
So let us now focus on action itself. Every project is subject to four determining factors:
1. Our self-effort (sva-yatna)
2. The effort of the others involved in the project (para-yatna)
3. Circumstances (paristhiti)
4. Karma the result of one's actions from a previous life, the effect of which is
experienced in this life.
For example, in a joint venture one may apply oneself to the best of one's ability, but for the project
to succeed all the other stakeholders also need to apply themselves, the conditions need to be
conducive - weather, finance, equipment, timing etc. And from the unseen point of view all
involved need to have synchronistic Karma. Thus we see in reality that often all participants are
putting in maximum effort, the conditions are perfect yet still the project does not succeed!
Karma !! So the only factor that we can individually control is our personal effort.
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FREE WILL/CHOICE
One of the perennial philosophical debates has been on the subject of free-will. Firstly the question
itself is illogical because a will can never be free just as sleep can never be 'fast'! Will belongs to an
agent so the question should be "are we free to make whatever choices we want to"? Every
desire for something is conditioned by antecedent causes. Conditioned by our personalities, our
upbringing, education, peer pressure, our world views, religious upbringing, our belief systems,
cultural norms etc.
Desires do not arise within a mental vacuum but from deep seated sub-conscious subliminal
activators (samskras). Desires also arise due to stimuli in the environment, the temperature drops
and I desire a coat. One may argue that I have the freedom to choose not to wear a coat, but this is
not an option a real choice would be between a coat or a jersey. The desire to eat is driven by
hunger the choice of food depends on what is available at the time. What I will choose to eat is
based upon previous conditioning.
So in short, an individual has freedom to choose only in a very limited sense and only within the
parameters of genetic, cultural, social, educational and personal conditioning our choices are
really just fine tuning what we already have.
Karma means action, but every action has a triune nature belonging to the past, the present and
the future, hence karma refers to the sequence of events, the law of cause and effect.
The consequence of an action is not separate from, but the future effect of a current action. Thus
suffering is not simply the outcome of a negative act but an integral and inseparable part of it.
Hence all things are linked together indissolubly, woven and interwoven inseparably; nothing
occurs which is not linked to the past and to the future.
kma-maya evya purua iti | sa yath kmo bhavati tat kratur bhavati |
yat kratur bhavati tat karma kurute | yat karma kurute tad abhi-sampadyate ||
Others however will add that a person consists of desires. As is ones desire so is ones intention; as
is the intention so is the deed that is done, and ones deeds condition what one will become. (Brhad
Aranyaka Upanishad 4:1:5)

1. Desires connect one to the objects of desire and determine the channels of future activities.
2. Mind is the creative force, one becomes what one thinks.
3. Circumstances are comprised of actions.

Nothing can sprout without a seed. No one can obtain happiness without having accomplished acts
capable of leading to happiness.
Karma is not a destiny imposed from without, but a self-made destiny imposed from within, and
therefore a destiny that is continually being re-made by its maker.
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Part 2. DHARMA Morality/Ethical Science.

THE TWO EVER PRESENT PATHS

anyac chreyo anyad utaiva preyaste ubhe nnrthe purusa sintah |
tayo reya dadnasya sdhu bhavati, hyate 'rthd ya u preyo vte ||

(Yama said): There are two paths; the good and the pleasant. Different indeed are their purposes but
both of them bind one. Of these two, it is well for one who takes hold of the good; but one who
chooses the pleasant, loses the very object of human life. (Kaha Up. 2:1)

On a daily, moment to moment basis two paths are ever present

before us the beneficial (reyas) and the pleasurable
(preyas). Sometimes they converge but most often they are in
tension or even conflict.
The 'beneficial' is that which is good for us; in our best interest,
the right course of action (dharma), the proper thing to do, that
which brings long term and abiding benefits to ourselves and
others.
The pleasurable is momentary self-gratification, pleasure which, however intense is limited and is
followed by displeasure & discontent, that which is enjoyable but without lasting positive effects
for oneself and for others.

Every being is motivated by the drive to be free from suffering. As humans we do this through the
pursuit of one of two paths: the path of pleasure and the fulfillment of desires known the 'delectable
or preyas; or through the path of reyas or the 'electable which is the pursuit of freedom from
present dukha and ultimately liberation from Samsara.

One either hankers after prosperity, power and pleasure to avoid suffering or craves freedom from
suffering through emancipation (moka). Therefore, everyone is said to be "bound" by these two in
that one clings avidly to one or the other.

But both of these paths are opposed to each other, inasmuch as the path of Pleasure is based on
spiritual ignorance (avidya) and perpetuates ones suffering and continued existence in Samsara;
and the path of the Good arises from wisdom (vidya) and is conducive to ones liberation from
Samsara. Every one eventually must make the choice to pursue one or the other of these two paths
this is referred to as viveka discrimination.

reyas The Beneficial Preyas The Pleasant

That which we should do in any given instance. That which we like doing. That which is
The Dharmic course of action. That which benefits subjectively good. Self-indulgence, self-
all. The common good. Altruism, universalism. preservation, self-cherishing. The easy option, the
May be initially bitter but sweet in the end. short-cut. Brings temporary satisfaction and
Requires effort, discipline and activism. The results frequently addiction. Generates craving for further
are enduring. experiences.
Generates merit and harmony here and now leads to Gives temporary satisfaction here and now but does
advancement on the spiritual path this is the path not contribute to spiritual advancement this is
of the Devas. the path of the Asuras.
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So, often we are oscillating between these two courses of action. We know what we "should" do but
fail to do it. We know what we "shouldn't do" but we do it anyway.
Why is it that we so often mismanage our affairs, botch up, fail to achieve our goals or stay on track,
or simply make the wrong choices?

There are basically 6 causes:

Causes of Error Remedial Action
1. Ignorance (ajna) we don't know what the proper course of education, instruction
action is, or what is right or wrong or the advantages and disadvantages
of the proposed action.

2. Delusion (moha) wrong expectations, lack of self-awareness, education

delusive ideas about self, others and the goals, misunderstanding.

3. Stupidity (mhata) unable to comprehend the implications of our support, encouragement,

choices. Lack of insight and awareness. guidance

4. Negligence (pramda) due either lack of conviction, distraction, warnings, threats, and
failure to prioritize, tiredness, depression, laziness. sanctions

5. Wilfulness (nasya) a malicious desire to either harm oneself or psycho-therapy or

the other, born of arrogance and delusion. divorce.

6. Incapacity (aakya) absence of the physical means due to Lowering of goals &
impairment. expectations.

sukhbhyudayika ca-eva naireyasikam eva ca |

pravtta ca nivtta ca dvividha karma vaidikam ||
The acts prescribed by the Veda are of two kinds, such as procure an increase of happiness
(abhyudaya) and cause a continuation (of mundane existence, pravritta), and such as ensure
supreme bliss (nireyasam) and cause a cessation (of mundane existence, nivritta). (Manu
12:88)

Jaimini defines Dharma as:

coda-lakaa artha dharma
Dharma is that which leads to the highest common good (reyas)
[and, is distinguished by Vedic injunctions].

Dharma is right living defined by the practice of universal ethics and personal morals.
Dharma cannot be known through empirical means such as cognition. It can be known only either
through intuition or through an impersonal source of knowledge.
The problem with relying on reason or intuition is that individuals will come to differing
conclusions about what the ultimate nature of the Good is.
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There are endless controversies on most if not all ethical issues by experts who take one side or
the other.
The best and most universal source of Dharma therefore, would be an impersonal source such as
the Vedas.
Brahman
Brahman, derived from bh the expansive (bhatvam = greatness) can be defined as the
Absolute, whence all existence arises, by which everything is sustained and into which everything
ultimately dissolves2.
Brahman or the Absolute is by definition super-sensuous, it is beyond comprehension or cognition.
It cannot even be understood inferentially, for every inferential dynamic depends upon a repeatedly
perceived concomitance (connection) between that which is to be proved and its characteristic (e.g.,
between fire and smoke).
But we do not have any such knowledge in the case of Brahman. So, the Vedantin maintains that
the Upanishad portion of the Veda which is also eternal and infallible is the unique source of
knowledge regarding Brahman.
In fact Brahman also means sacred wisdom it is both the knowledge, the knower and the thing
to be known.
The Veda does not necessarily contain history or science.
The Veda is claimed to be eternal in that the truths propounded in it have a perennial validity for
all time.
The Veda can thus, by definition neither deal with temporal evanescent events, nor can they
provide empirical facts or scientific generalizations based on those events.
The ethics taught in the Veda are the factors by which we advance spiritually, they are injunctions
only, which can neither be proved nor disproved by logic.
If one finds passages in the Veda which appear to deal with history or any aspect of empirical
science, they are not intrinsic to its purpose.
Likewise if there appear to be passages in it, which clearly contradict experience or science, they
too are irrelevant.
As Shankaracarya said:
even a hundred Vedic texts cannot establish that fire is cold or does not give light; for no one can
cognise what is opposed to what is seen.

The Veda on itself:

We find at least three sorts of statements in the Vedas referring to its own origin:

It is the eternal sound heard by sages in deep meditation. (R.V.8:75-6)

It was knowledge born out of sacrifices. (R.V.10:90-9)
The self-existent God manifested it for the welfare of all. (AV.10:7:70)
The Vedas are the breath of the Great Being. (Br.Up2:4:10)

2
yato v imni bhtni jyante | yena jtni jvanti | yat-prayanty-abhi-savianti | tad-vijijsasva | tad brahmeti |
(Tait Up. Bhrigu Valli 1.)
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1. What is Dharma?
The science of conduct, the systematized principles according to which one should act.
Ethical science is a relative science relative to the individual and one's surroundings and
circumstances.
The purpose of morality is to bring about happiness for the maximum number of people by creating
harmony.
Harmony between individuals of a family, between families of a community, between communities
that live together in a nation. Harmony between nations that make up humanity. Harmony between
humankind and the environment and other creatures that share our earth. And harmony between
earthlings and the inhabitants of other worlds.
Where there is harmony there is happiness, disharmony cause unhappiness.
The ultimate object of morality is to bring about universal happiness.
The underlying principle of Dharma is the recognition of the unity of the Self and the diversity of
the not-self.

2. The Foundation of Dharma

eko devas sarva bhteu gha sarva-vypo sarva bhtntartm
There is one god hidden in all beings, all-pervading the inmost Self of all. (Svet. Up 6:2)
aham tm gukea sarva bhtaya sthita |
aham dica madhya ca bhtnm anta eva ca ||
"I am the Self, O Gudakesha (Arjuna Conqueror-of-sleep), dwelling in the hearts of all
beings. I verily am the beginning, the middle and also the end of all beings." (Gt 10:20)
yad bhta pthag bhvam ekastham anupayati |
tathaiva ca vistram brahma sapadyate tad ||
When one understands the independent individuality of all beings as being rooted in one
basis, as also their evolution, then one attains to the Brahman. (Gt 13:31)

Summary
The foundation of ethics is the fundamental unity of all sentient beings.
The measure by which the rightness or wrongness of an action is decided is the tendency of
the action to either promote or hinder Union and Harmony.
The purpose of ethics is the establishment of harmonious relations.
The establishment of harmonious relations means mutual sacrifice of personal selves.
It means the acceptance that all beings form component parts of the One Supreme Being.
All beings are interlinked and dependent on one another and these links impose mutual
relations and mutual sacrifices.
The law of inter-dependence is known as yaja.
Our individual well-being depends on our cooperation with the rest of Nature.
The optimum co-operation with nature is expressed through the Pancha Mah Yajas
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3. Definition of Dharma
dhrad dharma ityhu dharmo dhrayate praj |
ya syd dhraa samyukta sa dharma iti nicaya ||
The word Dharma is derived from dhraa or sustenance; dharma sustains society. That
which has the capacity to sustain is indeed dharma. (M.B. Karna Parva 69:58)

Dharma, being derived from the root dh to dhrayati lok iti dharma
uphold, support, sustain; therefore has reference Dharma sustains the worlds.
to anything that supports or sustains an individual, satyn nsti paro dharma
a family, society, the nation, the eco-system, the
There is no Dharma superior to Truth.
world. It also encompasses ones overall spiritual
growth; anything that fosters that growth is ahisa paramo dharma
Dharma. Non-violence is the highest Dharma.

4. Scope of Dharma
Dharma encompasses three broad areas:

Virtue Duty/obligation Laws

1. Personal virtue 1. Sva-dharma personal duties 1. Natural laws ecology
2. Social mores 2. Kula-dharma- familial duties 2. Civil laws
3. National ethics 3. Jti-dharma professional duties 3. Religious laws
4. Samj-dharma social duties
5. Rja-dharma national duties
6. Praj-dharma duties of citizens
7. Yuga-dharma duties of the age.
8. Purua-dharma duties of men
9. Str-dharma duties of women
10. pad-dharma duties in
exigencies or emergencies

Another division is between:

(1) samnya dharma the common or the universal dharma and the
(2) viea dharma specific or personal dharma.

5. Sources of guidance on Dharma

veda smrti sadcra svasya ca priyam tmana |
etac-catur vidha prhu skd dharmasya lakaam ||
The Veda, tradition, the conduct or virtuous people and one's own conscience,
This is declared to be the distinct four-fold source of Dharma. (Manu 2:12)

vidvidbhi sevita sadbhir nityam advea-rgibhi |

hdayena abhyanujto yo dharmas ta nibodhata ||
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"Dharma is that which the wise and the good, without attachment and aversion, always
practiced, and which they acknowledged heartily (hrdayena-abhayanujata) as dharma".
(Manu 2:1)
na dharma adharmau carata va sva iti | na deva gandharv na pitara ity cakate- 'aya
dharmo- 'ayam adharma iti || yattv ry kriyama praasanti sa dharmo yad garhante so-
'adharma ||

For Virtue and Sin do not go about and say, 'Here we are'; nor do gods, Gndharvas, or Manes say
[to men], 'This is Dharma, that is Adharma.' But that is Dharma, the practice of which the noble
ones praise; what they blame, is Adharma. (Apastamba 1:7:20: 6-7.)

6. Dharma must be based upon reason.

The Bhagavad Gita expressly enjoins: buddhau araam anviccha Take refuge in reason.
(Gita 2:49)
Manu says:
ara dharma upadea ca veda stra avirodhin |
yas tarkea anusandhatte sa dharma veda netara ||
He alone, and no one else, knows Dharma, who thoroughly investigates the (teachings) of
the sages and the body of the laws, by (modes of) acceptable reasoning. (12:106)

7. Dharma is subject to democratic consensus

According to the Mahabharata, actions opposed by the people (loka-viruddha) are as sinful as those
condemned by the Veda (veda-viruddha).
karma manas vc yatnd dharma samcaret |
asvargya lokavidvia dharmyam apy caren na tu ||
One should strive hard through body mind and speech to practice Dharma, but, a (so-
called) dharma which will not result in happiness and is disapproved of by the people
(loka-vidvista) must not be practiced". (Yajavalkya 1:156)

parityajed artha kmau yau syt dharma-varjitau |

dharma ca-apy asukha udarka loka-sakruam eva ca ||
One should renounce artha and kama if they conflict with dharma and even dharma if it
results in future unhappiness or arouses peoples indignation. (Manu 4:176)

8. Dharma is subject to conditions.

What Dharma should be practiced and when depends on a number of conditioning factors:
1. svabhva the nature and temperament of an individual
2. bhmika the level of education and development
3. adhikra their capacity to judge and respond.
and
1. dea place
2. kla time
3. ptra circumstances, and others involved.
 14
9. Why practice Dharma?
hra nidr bhaya maithuna ca smnyam etat paubhir narm |
dharmo hi ten adhiko vieo dharmea h paubhi sam ||
Eating, sleep, fear and procreation are common to both animals and humans, Dharma
alone is specific to humans, without Dharma, they are equal to animals. (hitopadea)

dharmdartha prabhavate dharmt prabhavate sukham |

dharmena labhate sarva dharma-sram idam jagat ||
From Dharma come wealth, Dharma is the source of happiness, through Dharma we attain
everything, Dharma is the essence of the world. (Rmyana 3:9:30)

Then there is the ancient Indian version of Pascal's wager "nsticet, nsti hi, asti cet nstika
hata" "If there are no future results of our actions and no karma, then still there is no harm in
practicing Dharma because it contributes to universal wellbeing here in the world itself, but if there
is an afterlife then the disbeliever will be lost!"

10. Dharma as the Path to Brahman

anam kam tir ahimsa satyam rjavam |
adroho bhimaca hrs-titika amas tath ||
patho rahmaastvete |
The path to Brahman is: sincerity, patience, peace, non-violence, truth,
straightforwardness, non-malice, non-arrogance, modesty, tolerance and tranquility.
(Kapila-go-samvda Shanti Parva)

11. The deficiency of Dharma in the Kali-yuga.

tapa aucam day satyam iti pd kte kt |
adharm astrayor bhagh smaya sagha madais-tava ||
ida dharma pdas te satya irvartayed yata ||
Austerity, purity, compassion and truth are the four qualities of Dharma represented by
the four feet of your bull form. Your three feet have been cut off O Dharma by the three
forces of Adharma: egotism, attachment and passion. Now O Dharma there remains only
one leg Truth to sustain you. (Sr. Bhag. 1:17:25)

tapa para ktayuge trety jnam ucyate |

dvpare yajam evhur dnam eka kalau yuge ||
In the Krita age the chief (virtue) is declared to be (the performance of) austerities, in the
Treta (divine) knowledge, in the Dvapara (the performance of) sacrifices, in the Kali
liberality alone. (Manu 1:86)

12. Universal Dharma

While there are different Dharmas to be practiced by people according to their social and
professional status; there is an absolute ethical code (loka-Dharma) which has been revealed
through Scripture and is applicable to every society and all people. One is assured of spiritual
 15
progress and the Grace of God if one follows this code (Manu 7;92) regardless of one's theological
or philosophical convictions or lack thereof.

1. contentment
2. forgiveness
3. self-control
4. abstention from stealing and cheating
5. observing physical and mental purity
6. marriage fidelity
7. pursuit of knowledge [concerning the world]
8. pursuit of wisdom [concerning Self and the Absolute]
9. truthfulness
10. abstention from anger
krodho haro roo lobho moho dambho droho modyam atya parvda avasy kma many
antmyam ayogas te yoga mlo nirghta || 5 ||
"We will now enumerate the faults that torment creatures. They are: anger, excitement, rage,
greed, perplexity, hypocrisy, malice, lying, over-eating, calumny, envy, lust, ire, lack of self-
control, and absence of Yoga. Their eradication depends on Yoga".

akrodho- aharo- aroo- alobho- amoho- adambho- adroha satya vacanam anatyo-
apaiunam anasy savibhgas tyga rjava mrdava amo dama sarva bhtair avirodho
yoga ryam nasa tuir iti sarva ram samaya padni tny anutihan vidhin
srvagm bhavati || 6 ||
"Refraining from anger, excitement, rage, greed, perplexity, hypocrisy, and malice; speaking
the truth; refraining from overeating, calumny, and envy; sharing, generosity, rectitude,
gentleness, tranquility, self-control, friendship with all creatures, Yoga, noble conduct,
benevolence, and contentment there is agreement that these apply to all orders of life. By
practicing them according to the rules, one participates in "Universal Being." (Apastamba
1:8:23: 5 - 6)

paiuya matsara abhima ahakra araddha arjava tmastava paragharha adambha lobha
moha krodha asyvivarjaa sarva ram dharma ia |

To refrain from slander, envy, pride, egotism, disbelief, dishonesty, praising oneself, running
down others, hypocrisy, greed, perplexity, anger and jealousy this is the Dharma approved
for all orders of life (students, householders, retirees and renunciates). (Vasiha 10:30)

12. Various Components of Dharma

adroha sarva bhteu karma manas gir |
anugrahaca dna ca st dharma santana ||
The Eternal Duty (Santana Dharma) towards all creatures is the absence of malevolence
towards them in thought, deed or word, and to practice compassion and charity towards them.
(MB Vana Parva 297;35)
ahisa satyam akrodho dnam etac caturvidham |
ajtaatro sevasva ea dharma santana ||
 16
O Ajatasatru! Sanatana Dharma consists of four moral virtues; non-violence to any
sentient being, truth, absence of anger and generosity these should you practice.
satyam damas tapa auca santoaca kamrjavam |
jna amo dna e dharma santana ||
Sanatana Dharma consists of truth, discipline, austerity, purity, contentment,
forgiveness and honesty, knowledge, peacefulness and generosity. (Garua Pura
1:213:24)
ahis satya-vacana day bhtesv anugraha |
yasyaitni sad rma tasya tuyati keava ||
O Rama! Krishna is pleased with one who is ever endowed with non-violence,
truthfulness, compassion and kindness to all creatures. (Viu-dharmottara 1:58)
jydhyayana di tapa satyam kam dama |
alobha iti mrgo yam dharmasya a vidha smta ||
Worship, Study, charity, austerity, truth, forgiveness and self-restraint, and renunciation
of attachment these are said to be the 8 cardinal duties constituting the path of Dharma.
(Vana parva 2;75)
ijyaycar damohims dnam svdhyya karma ca |
aya ca paramo dharmo yad yogena tma daranam ||
Altruism (ijycara), self-control, non-violence, generosity, self-study, work, realisation
of the tman by means of Yoga all these are Dharmas.
adroha satya-vacana savibhgo day dama |
prajana sveu dreu mrdava hrcpalam |
eva dharma pradhneha manu svmyabhuve'bravt ||
Abstention from hatred, truthfulness, justice, compassion, self-restraint, procreation
with one's own spouse alone, amiability, modesty and patience, the practice of these
virtues is the best of all Dharmas, thus declared Manu Svayambhuva. (MB. nti Parva).

According to the Padma Purana, Dharma has 12 components; 6 relating to self development and 6
relating to relationship with "others"

13. Dharma as Self-development.

Purity (aucam ) The first requisite of Dharma and its foundation is the cultivation of a pure
and healthy body and hence a pure and healthy mind. It is incumbent upon the Hindu to bathe
twice a day or at least every morning and maintain good hygiene. The rules of purity are quite
complex and cover everything from physical hygiene and eating to ritual purification after such
occasions as death and birth.
Sacrifice (yaja) worship of God through the rituals that are prescribed in the various sacred
literatures (ie. Vedas and Agamas)
Austerity (tapa) refers to simple living and the practice of meditation.
Self-restraint (dama) one should strive to control one's desires and behaviour, avoid
excesses and cultivate self- discipline which is the basis of civilisation.
 17
Study (svadhyya) this concept refers to the Study of Theology (investigation into the
Truth) through the Primary Scriptures the Vedas and the Upanishads, the Secondary
Scriptures Purnas, and the epics the Mahbhrata and Rmyana, as well as self-study
or introspection, self analysis and cultivation of insight into one's true self.
Peace (nti) development of a peaceful disposition; being content with little and accepting
whatever comes to one; be it pleasant or unpleasant, with equanimity.

14. Dharma as Interpersonal Behaviour

Non-violence (Ahisa) one should refrain from causing any injury to other living beings
through word, deed or thought. The premise is that the soul in all beings is the same and
therefore one should treat all other beings with the utmost compassion as one should deal with
oneself. One may of course, as a last resort, defend oneself through violence if there is no other
way. One may also use violence to defend a woman or a child from a murderous assailant.
Truth (satyam) practice of truth in speech and harmony in action at all times. One should
speak only that which is true and agreeable, one should not needlessly say things that are hurtful
even though they may be the truth. One's actions should be in concordance with what one
professes. The practice of truth includes in it such virtues as straightforwardness, frankness,
absence of deviousness and malice and so forth.
Generosity (dnam) this has a twofold reference; one is the giving of charity to the needy
as well as social works for the benefit of society as a whole. The other reference is to the gift of
fearlessness to all creatures through cultivation of complete non-injury (ahimsa ) to any being
in word, deed, or thought.
Non stealing (asteya) one should refrain from taking anything that is not given.
Forgiveness (kam) and forbearance which comes from the cultivation of loving kindness
to all beings.
Veneration for elders (guru-sevana) the term guru (preceptor) covers the parents, elders
and all those who teach something however insignificant it may be.

15. Dharma as Truth

satya ca samat caiva damaca na saaya |
amtsarya kam caiva hrs titkn asyat ||
tygo dhynam athryatva dhtica satata day |
ahis caiva rjendra satykrs trayodaa ||
Truthfulness, equanimity, self-control, absence of self-display, forgiveness, modesty,
endurance, absence of envy, charity, a noble well-wishing of others, self-possession,
compassion and harmlessness these are definitely the 13 forms of Truth.
(Mahbhrata, nti Parva 162:8:9)
 18

CRA Good Conduct

crt phalate dharmam crt phalate dhanam |
crc chrya pnoti cro hantyalakaam ||
From good conduct Dharma flourishes, from good conduct wealth proceeds, from good
conduct one acquires splendour, and good conduct destroys all inauspicious signs.
(Vasistha 6 )

Dharma consists both of values and their application through proper conduct. The question arises as
to what should one do when there are no specific guidelines in Shastra.

dea dharma jti dharma kula dharmn rutybhvad abravt manu || Vasiha 17.

When there are no specific rules in Vedic texts, Manu has said that one must follow
the Laws of the country, the rules of the professional body to which one adheres or the
guidance of the family.

Pariad
For more complex decisions a Pariad (assembly) should be convened.
daa v vedastrajo trayo v dharma-phak |
yad bhyu krya utpanne sa dharmo dharma saaye ||
When a doubt arises as to what is the correct mode of conduct then the verdict of 10 or
even 3 persons who are learned in the Veda or who frequently study the Dharma
stras should be accepted as Dharma. (Shanti Parva 37:20)

ruti smti vihito dharma | tad albhe icra pramam |

ia punar-akmtm aghyama krao dharma || vasiha 1: 4-7

The law is set forth in the Vedas and the Smritis. When these do not address a specific
issue, the practice of cultured people becomes authoritative. Now a cultured person is
free from (personal) motives. For something to be the law, it must not have a tangible
motive.
IN matters that are unclear one should follow what is endorsed by a minimum of 10 persons who
are cultured, skilled in reasoning and free from greed. (Gautama 28:48)
 19

Vedic Convocational Address

Antevsya anusanam
Swami Chinmayananda

vedam ancycryo'ntevsinam anusti | satya vada | dharma cara | svdhyyn m

pramada | cryya priya dhanam htya prajtantum m vyavacchets | satyn na
pramaditavyam | dharmn na pramaditavyam | kualn na pramaditavyam | bhtyai na
pramaditavyam | svdhyya pravacanbhy na pramaditavyam |

1. Having taught the Vedas, the teacher thus instructs the pupil:
Speak the truth. Practise dharma. Do not neglect the study of the Vedas. Having
brought to the teacher the gift desired by him, enter the householder's life and see
that the line of progeny is not cut off. Do not deviate from the truth. Do not deviate
from dharma. Do not neglect personal welfare. Do not neglect prosperity. Do not
neglect the study and teaching of the Vedas.
This chapter is the "convocational address" delivered to the students when they were returning
home from the ancient gurukula universities. This section represents the Hindu "commandments,
and the entire address systematically concludes in seven waves of thought each following the other
with a structured rhythm which is the very melody of the Hindu civilization.
This section can be considered subject-wise under five sub-headings:
Advice concerning ones own mode of living with reference to the society and oneself,
regulating one's relationship with the previous generation and the present elders;
relationship with oneself and one's teachers;
one's attitude towards the learned and the wise in society;
charity and the 'laws of giving';
remedy for doubts regarding one's duty and conduct in life; and
doubts regarding one's relationship with others falsely accused in the world.

A careful study of the implications of these should give us an inkling into the secret by which we
have maintained such a subtle and divine culture so successfully for such a long period of unbroken
history.
After the studies, before the graduates are let out to grapple with their destinies in their independent
individual life as a social being, the teacher gives his exhortation which is in itself, we may say,
"Vedanta in practice' The entire wealth of knowledge gained by the, Rishi in their experiments
with the world-of-objects, the world-of-thoughts and the world-of-ideas have been here brought
from the temples and libraries to the home and the fields! The modern half-educated often denounce
Vedanta as an impracticable theory; this can be only, the sad whining of one who has not read this
chapter the crystallized essence of Hinduism with sufficient poise and deliberation.
The first wave of thoughts comprises the Guru's advice to the students about their relationship with
society. "Speak the truth ": Truthfulness consists mainly in articulating a thought as it is actually
perceived, without hypocrisy or any vulgar motive to do injury to others. Often a liar is one who
has not the moral courage to express what one sincerely feels.
In fact; truthfulness' in its 'essential' meaning is not merely giving expression to one's honest
 20
feelings truly and effectively, but in its deeper imports it is the attunement of the mental processes
with one's own intellectual convictions. Vedanta is the science of living, unless we are ready to,
discipline and guide our thought-forces by the unquestioning authority of our own reason perfected
by knowledge, we cannot grow to realise the fuller unfoldment of our truer and diviner nature
because of the inner chaos which reigns.
Dharma has no corresponding word in English. Some people translated it as 'righteousness' but it
is too meagre a word to carry the load of meaning which is the contents of Dharma. All those
fundamental values of life which are universally good at all places and at all times; which form the
bed-rock of all efforts at moral rearmament and all edifices of 'ethical perfection. Which are the
eternal duties of every person who strives to live up to the full dignity of human life and who strive
consistently to manifest their inherent divine potential in this very life. In this more general
meaning we may for our convenience, and not in satisfaction translate Dharma as duty.
Hinduism is built upon duties and not on rights. European social philosophy has moulded itself
upon the 'principle of rights' and they have been developing through arrows and boomerangs,
bullets and shells, to reach the present when they are threatening each other with Atomic weapons
and secret instruments of mass destruction, to demand and maintain the rights of each against the
rights of the others. They are demanding rights: rights are to be taken; to be acquired; to be
preserved. A civilisation that is based upon 'rights' must necessarily be prepared to fight; the
instincts of acquiring and hoarding, keeping and maintaining will develop in that society, and will
ultimately disturb the peace.
On the other hand Sanatana Dharma recognises ones right "to do one's duties' as the fundamental
privilege in life. When it is duty to be performed, a generation that has understood it, will be trained
to only demand of life ample chances to fulfill their duty. Duty therefore develops the spirit of
giving, the urge to be charitable, rather than the lust to hoard or the anxiety to keep and preserve.
The students are being urged at the outset of their social careers to keep to this glorious principle of
fulfilling their duties towards the society, towards their relations, and towards themselves.
The students are not compelled to pay their fees before they entered the Gurukula institution. That
was not the rule in ancient India. Education was free. A student entering the portals of education
was a pleasant challenge as it were to the teacher who took up the challenge and saw to it that he
made out of that raw material an efficient and independent earning, member of the society.
The Guru Dakshina (the fee) was not even demanded from the students when they were leaving the
institution after their education. The system was thorough and they were so confident of the results
that they insisted that they would be receiving the payment only from the first independent income
of the individual!
As soon as the student begins earning and the early savings that he could make, entirely go towards
the Guru Dakshina. And who among them could forget their own days of Gurukula activities and
the fact how, during their days, the old students maintained the Rishi universities? Thus each
generation continued subscribing towards the Gurukula-funds almost year after year or at least
during the various stages of their life.
After paying the fees the student is advised to enter the householder's life by marrying. It is advised
that the couple should live together enjoying a perfectly controlled indulgence. It is stressed that the
student should not misunderstand the values of studentship, with its over-emphasis on
Brahmacharya, and continue sexual abstinence even in the householders' life, because such, a
self-control may amount to sex-suppression in the majority of cases. He is advised 'that he should
not break the continuity of ones line.
The sequence enunciated here, implies the how best to plan our life. After education, first of all, be
 21
economically independent, assure yourself a comfortable income, and then marry and maintain the
line of descendants in the family.
This is followed by a series of warnings not to neglect duty, personal welfare and to deviate from
truthfulness and prosperity. If Hindus had correctly understood this portion and avidly pursued this
most effective and necessary teaching, they would never have sunk to the plight to which they have
today. A "devout Hindu, now-a-days, is synonymous with impotency, langour and passivity,
with no self-assertion or personality. This is against the principles and theories propounded by our
Seers and Sages. This idea is well brought out by the irreplaceable commandment "Do not
deviate from cleverness, nor from your prosperity."
The above-mentioned qualities like truthfulness, etc., may become, instead of creditable virtues, a
liability on the devotee especially in a world of criminals which recognises no, higher values. If
we blindly follow these instructions we are likely to be made a fool of and therefore here the
Rishis are advising that a Hindu should not allow himself to be used by others, nor should a Hindu
permit others to take advantage of his practice of noble virtues.
"Never neglect your welfare is the commandment and yet, how differently we have understood
our own sacred way of living. We have come to misconceive of our ethics and spiritual literature as
codes of behaviour by which we can easily become duped, and impoverished and led into miserable
destitution! This is exactly what we are seeing around us. On the other hand the Rishi advised the
students, that they should not on any account neglect their own welfare not, of course, for the
purpose of self-aggrandisement nor to molopolize the entire wealth of the society, creating unequaI
distribution of wealth and the consequent poverty and suffering of others. They were asked to be
prosperous so that they would be able to serve others in selfless charity; the rules of charity follow
soon in this very section as the fourth thought wave.
The above ideas of truthfulness, duty, sagacity and prosperity cannot be healthily developed and
efficiently maintained unless we have the necessary spiritual stamina in ourselves and in the society.
Therefore, it is stressed that we must pursue the study of the Scriptures and make it a lifes mission
to spread those truths among ourselves with a burning, irresistible, missionary zeal.
deva pit-krybhy na pramaditavyam | mt devo bhava | pit devo bhava | crya devo bhava |
atithi devo bhava |

2. Do not neglect your duties to the gods and the Manes. Treat your mother as God.
Treat your father as God. Treat your teacher as God. Treat your guest as God.

In the days of the Upanishads, the Vedic literature did not give any method of worship upon a form.
Their gods were, with the exception of fire, all personification of the unmanifest Power of Nature.
The teachers realised the difficulties experienced by the beginners, who, in their youthfulness
waging their battle of life, could not find enough mental poise or intellectual sharpness to devote
themselves in subtle meditation upon the formless Truth. Some centering device, or living
expression of divinity, was best supplied for their concentration, to serve them as a source of
constant and unbroken inspiration.
The principle of Icon worship, though not as evolved as in later times, is implicit in the principle of
Upasana where, the attempt is made to see the mighty in the meagre. Thus, as a process of constant
Upasana the student is told that he has to be all through his life one to whom his parents are
expressions of the Divine.
We need not necessarily take this idea only in its limited sense. In its ampler implications it can be
an exhortation to the members of the present generation, that, in their youthful vigour though they
are inspired to dash forth into progressive projects for a greater future, they need not totally
condemn and reject the previous generation in the society. The youth have always the urge to move
 22
forward and the energy to drag their present into the future, but, in so doing they should try to
respect and revere the wealth of experience that the elders have with them as a result of their own
lifes experience.
The last generation lingering with us need not be conceived as the absolute authority and the only
people who have the vision of the future; but, at the same time they need not be totally rejected,
discarded or ridiculed.
yny-anavadyni karmi | tni sevitavyni | no itari | yny-asmkan sucaritni | tni
tvayopsyni | no itari ||

Whatever deeds are irreproachable, these are to be performed not others. Whatever
good works have been performed by us, those should be performed by you and not
others.

At the conclusion of this second thought-wave, the teachers declaration gains for itself a roar of
sincerity almost unequalled in any other religious literature in the world, both in its modesty and
selfless dedication to Truth. Philosophy is a subjective science and its result can be only gained by
actually living it, apart from its logic and reason. The theory must be invigorated by the dynamism
of the teacher to inspire the student at all times. If this reverence and respect for the teacher be
absent, the moment suspicion and doubt creep into our minds regarding the 'purity, and sincerity
of the teacher the philosophy that has been taught immediately becomes invalidated for us.
Therefore the teacher says, "follow only the irreproachable qualities in us".
This does not mean that the teacher is confessing to be full of vices, but the Rishi is extra careful to
avoid all possibilities of any misjudgment. Even when an individual has no blemishes, it is possible
that an observer may project his own mental evaluations upon the teacher and then criticize and
condemn him. As a preventative measure to all such mischiefs the teacher, accepting this natural
weakness, exhorts the student to follow only those irreproachable qualities, habits and conduct
noticed in the teacher. "Not others." meaning if there be any reproachable trait, or practice of the
teacher, on no score should it be emulated by a true student of Vedanta.
This passage clearly shows how the Vedic teacher regarded themselves. They did neither for a
moment pose as super-humans, nor as colossuses of purity, strength or divinity. They behaved as
mere mortals with all possible weaknesses to which a mortal is heir. Wearing this appearance of the
ordinary, behaving as any ordinary being, these teachers of perfection faced their students, and this
in fact, was the secret of their success.
The greater the teacher, and firmer his realisation, we find, the easier he descends to rub shoulders
with the students in a spirit of camaraderie and genuine friendship. The formalities of distance
between the teacher and the taught are insisted upon and maintained only by, those uncertain
preceptors who have not the confidence in their own knowledge or the charity to remember their
own days of confusion and (who have) not come to empathise fully with their students.
This section clearly shows again that, whether it be an individual or an institution, they are not
sanctioned by our Shastras to continue indulgence in any weakness even though their teachers had
practiced it. Smoking of tobacco, ganja, etc., indulging in non-vegetarian diet, even drinking
alcohol are being practiced today in this country by religious individuals and institutions, and their
justification seems to be that their teacher once upon a time did indulge in these. The passage now
under discussion clearly dispels any doubt upon the point whether such indulgences are justifiable
or not. A weakness is always a weakness and no seeker has a right to perpetuate it; no institution
should entertain the audacity to argue for it.
ye ke csmac-chreynso brahma | te tvay'sanena pravasitavyam |
 23
3. Those brahmins who are superior to us [because of their irreproachable conduct]
you should venerate them by offering them seats.

In this fourth thought - wave is codified the relationship of students with other Gurus who are
equally if not greater than their own Gurus. There was no spirit of rivalry between the Vedic
teachers; in fact, they all worked as a team serving to nourishing our culture and to spread the glory
of Dharma. But the students may, it is always natural, in their over enthusiasm and misunderstood
devotion to their Guru, come to look down with contempt upon other teachers. This sectarian
attitude and preferential reverence is denounced by the Rishis. They espoused a healthier and more
tolerant attitude.

Tvaysanena pravasitavyam.- The syntax here is a masterly manipulation of sounds in such a way
that in themselves they can be made to mean two ideas which are both instructions to the students.
tvay + sanena + pravasitavyam is one way of deconstructing the sentence, in which case it
means "the gurus should be entertained with seat and other things provided by you".

The same can be deconstructed as tvay + sane + na + pravasitavyam in which case it will
mean, 'Not even a word should be breathed by you when they (the Gurus) are seated in their
assembly for discussion".

In the former case it is an injunction on how you should receive and entertain with respect and
devotion all teachers and in the later case it is a prescription of the code of behaviour that one
should observe in an assembly of teachers who are discussing philosophical matters among
themselves. The idea is that you must be all ears and eyes, when the wise talk, and not full of noise
and tongue. When such teachers discuss, there are plenty of ideas which one must try to absorb and
later on to be discussed upon and assimilated properly. If one were to start discussion and
arguments in the very beginning one is apt to lose oneself in a morass of words and get oneself
perhaps choked and drowned in it.

raddhay deyam | araddhaydeyam | riy deyam | hriy deyam | bhiy deyam | samvid deyam ||

Whatever is to be given should be given with faith, not without faith according to
ones means, with modesty, with fear, with sympathy.

As we have noticed earlier, Hindu culture is essentially based upon the sacrifice implied in duty and
not upon acquisition which is implied in rights. The very structure in Hinduism recognises the
householder's existence only as a necessary training in curbing the lower passions and gradually
raising one to the greater heights of spirituality. Cultural perfection was the goal. And every breath
in the individual, every activity in his life, every thought was marshalled and disciplined to play the
symphony of Perfection. As such the householder was trained to live a life of earning and saving,
mating and breeding, building and keeping only as a field of activity for training in the higher
values of love, kindness, service and charity.
Naturally, therefore, the teacher has to give some instruction as to how charity can best be practised.
In the name of charity many a thing is done in society which destroys both the giver and the
recipient: the giver gains in his vanity, while the recipient becomes an irredeemable idler and a
moral wreck. In order to avoid such a social calamity the guru had to instruct the students on
the Code of Giving.
Gifts should be given with faith. Faith is not what we generally understand it to mean as some
idea to be swallowed without questioning, without enquiry. To be under the intellectual tyranny of
an individual or a class is not faith according to Vedanta. This has been made clear in
Vivekachudamani by Sri Sankaracharya. Sankara says that to judge and understand rightly the full
 24
import of the advice of teachers and the depth of the declarations in the sacred text-books, and,
thereafter, to struggle in our thoughts and activities constantly to attune ourselves to these
intellectual judgments is called faith.
Therefore, charity is acceptable only when it harmonises with our own independent intellectual
beliefs and convictions. Unless we are convinced of the nobility and worthiness of the cause,
charity should not be practised. There is a school of intellectual idlers who believe that our charity
must be as open and as free as the fruit trees in an orchard that give their fruits to all, without
questioning. This is not acceptable to the Science of Vedanta which is not trying to cultivate fruit
trees. Its aim is to cultivate the thinking animal called 'human'. Therefore, the Rishi pointedly
condemns the opposite idea by the positive declaration "gifts should not be given without faith".
Every benefactor has the right, nay, has a duty to inquire into the bonafides of the cause which he is
trying to patronise.
Again, a miserly giving will not benefit either the giver or the receiver and, therefore, it is said that
having come to judge a cause to be deserving, give it your entire patronage: 'give in plenty, with
both hands give!'
This very charity can bring into, us feelings of egoism and vanity, and these are being avoided by
instructing us to give with modesty. There are yet others who may have the insight to judge the
cause being patronised, the large-heartedness to give in plenty, with all the modesty that is
required, and yet, one may not have the necessary love to feel a deep empathy with the cause which
is being patronised. The Rishi is here advising that to give without empathy is to build a temple
without the icon and is as futile as to paint a picture with black ink on a blackboard!
Empathy generates love in us and unless this love element comes to predominate in us, compelling
us to seek an identity with the cause, we will not be spiritually evolving through the path of charity.
Charity constricts the hearts and obstructs the human growth, if it is not honeyed with the spirit of
love and the joy of identification. To throw a cent to a helpless beggar and make him struggle in
picking it up from the wayside dirt with his half-eaten-up leprous fingers is no charity at all,
however thick the giver may wear his caste-marks on his narrow forehead!
atha yadi te karma vicikits v vtta vicikits v syt | ye tatra brhma sammarinah | yukt
yukt | alk dharma km syu | yath te tatra varteran | tath tatra vartet ||

Now, if there arises in your mind any doubt concerning any act, or any doubt
concerning right conduct, you should conduct yourself in such matters as brahmins
would conduct themselves brahmins who are competent to judge, who of their own
accord are devoted to virtuous acts and are not urged to their performance by others,
and who are not severe, but are lovers of dharma.

athbhykhyteu | ye tatra brhma sammarina | yukt yukt | alk dharma km syu

| yath te tatra varteran | tath tatra vartet ||

Now, with regards to those who are accused, you should conduct yourself [judge] in
such a way as brahmins would conduct themselves brahmins who are competent to
judge, who of their own accord are devoted to good deeds and are not urged to their
performance by others, and who are not severe, but are lovers of dharma.

In the thick of life's battle, there may arise situations in which there is a doubt as to what is the ideal
way to action. In all such cases one is advised to follow other elderly members of the society who
are the accredited champions of Vedic culture.
Cultural perfection should not be in itself the qualification necessary to make one a role-model.
One must be thoughtful meaning one who is not blindly following the Sastras, but is one who is
 25
capable of independent thinking and correct judgment. A role-model must not be merely secular in
thinking, but should have respect and reverence for the sacred as well.
A true Brahmin is one who has independent judgment and is truly religious, he must also be free to
express his own ideas. This is exactly the quality absent in the present day Brahmins . The
European philosophers and the Indian Pundits, including the pontiffs of the mutts, find themselves,
in an invidious position, compelled to dilute their opinion to court the attitudes or even the
prejudices of their patrons!!
Such Acharyas are not considered here as the ideal role-models. An ideal Brahmin should be one
who is not set on by others (or directed by others). He must not be cruel. He must be a self-
dedicated champion of the greater values of life as explained in the Vedas. Such dedicated free
thinkers, firm in their convictions and stoutly independent are the true role-models of the Hindu
culture, and you have been asked to follow them whenever there is a doubt regarding either
your action or your conduct.
Karma-vacikitsa. Regarding ritualism (or action in general) there are some fundamental doubts
upon the various rules, since we can meet with contradictory statements in the text-books. Some
branches believe that the fire worship should be before sunrise. Others insist that it should be after
sunrise, Regarding the Devat also there are doubts as to whether they are masculine or feminine,
since, both genders are found to be used in, some cases in the Puranas. In all such cases the student
is asked to follow what the ideal local Brahmin pursues.
Vitha-vicikitsa. These represent certain doubts regarding one's conduct; for an example, in a
country like India which incorporates in its vast embrace a variety of geographical conditions,
habits and customs, we find even contrary and opposite practices are recognised as ethical and
moral in different parts of the country. In Malabar, under the matriarchal system, the uncle's
daughter can be married by the nephew, while in other parts of India it is taboo. In one place the
bridegroom is purchased with a dowry for the sad privilege of accepting his daughter as wife, while
in the Himalayan villages the girl is purchased like cattle for agricultural purposes! In all other
provinces of India if one husband for a woman is considered as normal, among some tribes it is a
code of morality that three or four brothers can together co-operatively maintain a single wife. In
such circumstances it is possible that the student comes to doubt as to what is the right conduct; and
he is directed in all such cases to follow the eminent men of culture, in the district.
ea deah | ea upadea | e vedopaniat | etad-anusanam | evam-upsitavyam | evam-
ucaitad-upsyam ||

This is the command. This is the teaching. This is the secret wisdom of the Vedas.
This is the commandment. This you should observe. This alone should be observed.

When we follow merely the word-meaning we are apt to misjudge the import, as a vain repetition of
similar words already used, almost conveying the same sense. But on a closer analysis we can
discover that in the dramatic layout of the Upanishad, as a conversation between the teacher and the
taught, these words declare the character of the student as well as the temperament of the teacher.
Concluding his exhortation the teacher declares that "this is the command" (dea). In the next
sentence he amends it by a much more tamer term as "This is the advice" (upadea). In the
dramatic situation here it should be amply clear to any reader what exactly must have made the
teacher amend his words. As soon as he declared that this is the "command, in spite of their
reverence to the Guru, the Hindu students temperamentally was not very willing to accept a
command on ethical and moral rules from anybody, even if it be from their own Guru, unless it was
explained to make them understand the logic of it they expressed a revolt in their looks. This
attitude of intellectual dissatisfaction with commands might have expressed itself in the sparkling
 26
eyes of the young student and so the Guru dilutes his emphasis by his amendment.
Again, the discriminative intellect of the youthful Vedic generation made them audacious enough to
question the teacher until they got a complete satisfaction, and the teachers also never
misunderstood their students. They on the other hand always expected and encouraged in their
students all intellectual honesty and freedom. Seeing this healthy sign of revolt against intellectual
dictatorship, especially in moral and ethical values, the teacher again appealed to them to accept
what he said since his arguments were in no sense a mere intellectual hypothesis born of
independent intellectual ratiocination but it was, he declared, the declarations of the Veda
(Vedopaniad).
Those who understand and enter into the spirit of the Veda understand that the declaration of the
Vedas are no matter for doubt, since they are all declarations of the saints and sages .who, report
their own transcendental experiences rather than enunciate with their finite and limited intellect.
Once the teacher remembered that what he had declared was the Cream of Vedic teaching, as
declared by the hierarchy of divine preceptors, then he gained a self-confidence, as it were, and
enthusiastically declared that this is the "Commandment of the Lord, the "very Creator of the life"
(anusanam).
The above passages starting with 'Satyam vada' consisting of 25 items and divisible into 6 waves of
thoughts, constitute the sacred Commandments in Hinduism. The waves of thoughts as indicated in
this section are
advice regarding the individual
ones relationship with others,
the right course of action in the world,
attitude towards the eminent members of society,
the laws of charity and
the duty to follow the eminent living members of the society on ones own times.

In the seventh wave of thought the teacher concludes saying that these Commandments are to be
followed diligently by every intelligent seeker who lives a life for a higher cultural purpose-besides
his worldly ambitions, and secular activities. In short, over the, shoulders of the students, as it were,
the Rishi of Taittiriya Upanishad is addressing the entire Hindu community to follow these
Commandment's.

 27

THE HOUSEHOLDERS DHARMA

Vishnu Pura 3:12
The house-holder should always venerate the gods, cows, priests, monks, senior citizens and
preceptors. He should also observe the two daily prayers: Sandhyas3 and offer daily or periodic
oblations into the fire.4
One should never wear torn garments and should always be well dressed and well presented.
One should use only recommended products (auadham), and should always be adorned with
jewellery and precious stones. One should keep the hair neat and clean and use agreeable
deodorants.
One should never use another's property without permission, nor should one treat anyone
unkindly. One should always speak in a friendly tone, and only the truth and should never
openly discuss another's faults. One should not envy anyone's prosperity nor should one create
enmity with another.
Nor should one, (when in the company of others) clean the teeth, blow the nose, nor yawn
without covering the mouth, nor hawk ones throat, nor cough, nor laugh loudly, nor fart loudly,
nor bite ones nails, pick at grass, nor scratch on the ground.
The wise should never spit, urinate nor defecate facing the moon, fire, the sun, water, wind, or in
front of any respectable person. Nor should one urinate in a public road. One should avoid
[walking on] hair, bones, thorns, faeces, remnants of a fire, chaff and earth slippery-wet with
bath-water.
One should always use an umbrella as protection from rain and sun. One should always carry a
cane when going by night or through a forest and if one desires to avoid injury one should
always use shoes. One should not travel alone in a forest nor dwell alone in an empty house.
One should not clear the throat and expectorate at the time of eating, making offerings to the
gods or making oblations into the sacred fire or while reciting prayers or in front of a
respectable person.
One should not seek the shelter of an uncultured person (anarya) and should renounce the
company of dishonest people. One should not remain lying in bed after awaking from sleep in
the morning.
One should not regularly stay up late nor sleep excessively, nor should one take long baths. One
should be moderate in relaxation and in taking exercise.
One should never approach predatory animals, and the wise should avoid, even at a distance,
animals with tusks and horns as well as exposure to frost, wind and sunshine.
One should not offer oblations to fire, make offerings to the gods, wash, sip water (camanam),
salute a priest or recite mantras while wearing a single garment5.
The wise should not quarrel with those that are either socially inferior or superior to themselves;
dispute and marriage should only take place between equals.

3
Nowadays with long hours of work and busy schedules it is impossible to observe the 3 sandhyas (morning, noon and
evening). So either the midday Sandhy is omitted or done immediately after the morning Sandhy.
4
Nowadays it is very rare to find some one who observes agni-hotra every day.
5
A single garment around the loins i.e. just a dhoti without the upper shawl - anga-vastra which is to be worn with the
right shoulder exposed.
 28
The wise should never engage in dispute and should always avoid unprofitable enmity. It is
better to suffer a trifling loss than acquire any gain by means of hostility.
One should not put one foot upon the other thigh (while sitting cross-legged) nor stretch out the
feet towards elders or venerable objects, but should sit modestly cross-legged.
One should not circumambulate in an anticlockwise6 direction a temple, or any other venerable
object.
A man should never treat women disrespectfully nor should he confide too much in them7. He
should never deal with them impatiently nor should he give them excessive responsibility.
One should perform homa at proper seasons, work for the upliftment of the poor (dinan
abhyuddharet) and venerate the virtuous who are learned in the Veda.
One who worships the devas and rishis, offers rice-balls and water-libations to the ancestors, and
assiduously performs hospitality, attains to exalted realms after death.
One who gives good advice, speaks moderately and compassionately at the appropriate time, and
is self-controlled, goes [after death] to those realms which are of perpetual blissful.
One who acknowledging the authority of the Vedas, is intelligent, retiring, forgiving and polite,
and who reverences the learned and aged goes to the incomparable heavenly realms.
One Dharmic person (sadhu) who calms the anger of the angry, and is free from all envy towards
all in his connections (bandhus), who allays the anxiety of the anxious, attains heaven as the
least of his rewards.
The householder who rids himself of all the afflictive emotions (doa8) will never generate fault
in respect of his pursuit of the three goals of human existence, dharma (duty), artha (wealth),
kma (pleasure); sinless amongst the sinful; speaking amicably to everyone; his whole being
saturated with benevolence; final Mukti is in his grasp.
The earth is upheld by the veracity of those who have subdued their passions, and following
righteous practices, are never contaminated by selfish-desire (kma), anger (krodha) and greed
(lobha).
A wise person should always speak the truth and what is beneficial, and when the truth would
cause pain to any one, then let him hold his peace. One should not say that which, though
agreeable, would be detrimental to the other; for it is better to say what is beneficial, although it
may give exceeding offence.
A considerate person will always cultivate, in act, thought, and speech, that which is good for all
living beings, both in this world and in the next.

6
Anti-clockwise circumambulation is only ever done of a corpse at the time of cremation.
7
It is thought that women are mostly incapable of keeping secrets!
8
Kma - self-referent desires, krodha - anger, moha - spiritual delusion, mada - arrogance, lobha - greed, and mtsarya
malicious envy.