ॐ Siyavar Raja Ramchandra Ji Ki Jay ॐ
Shubh Deepavali, May this Parv/utsav bring you good health, unfettered peace, and profound happiness. May the power of good always prevail!
There is no exact translation to the word religion in any of our native languages beginning from Sanskrit and Tamil. The word ‘matham’ is a loose translation for what we know by matham is not exactly what is known to the westerners as religion. So what is this religion?
In religion there is a god and his abode is heaven; there is a hell where the rebel angel called devil resides.
God is postulated as the creator. He is the repository of all that is good. Devil is the repository of all that is bad. All human beings are created by god which means they did not exist before they were born. Also all human beings are born sinners. And sinners are destined to go to hell which is the most evil ridden place. As everyone by the very scheme of being sinner at birth is destined to go to hell, a panacea had to be invented to save the religion from being draconian. Thus the birth of jesus was to save the sinners. The awful death of the savior at the cross needed a redemption to make him the conqueror and not a victim and therefore a second coming was postulated. Mohammed seized this as his opportunity and declared himself as the messiah and the last prophet.
The second coming is fulfilled!
Both Christianity and Islam are same religion except for the last prophet claim by Mohammed. In essence a religion haunts a person with his impending sojourn to hell. Believing in a savior and living by its tenets is the surest method of avoiding hell.
This in a nutshell is what is known as ‘religion’!
We on the other hand hold that everything is subject to cause and effect. This is the kaarmic theory. So much so we can not be created arbitrarily. We are the product of what we have done before. This essentially means that we had a prior birth ad infinitum. This also points out to the fact that we are beginningless and endless and all we do is to appear and disappear in endless forms in which we enjoy and suffer the fruits of our karmas. Since we are karma bound and each fruit of karma that we earn will diminish and finally cease over time any attempt to confine us in an everlasting hell is simply out of question.
In other words there is no such thing as hell as is peddled by the western religionists. If there is no hell why need a savior?
Birth of the State
Even though who we are is not in conformity with the definition of a religion we are branded as the followers of a religion which got a naamadheyam called Hindu by the westerners beginning with Greeks and then Arabs and later by those who follow religion ie. the Biblical religion. If you are the only one then do you need a name? Yes, Bharathavarsha for thousands and thousands of years had only the Dharma as it guiding light. Jains and Buddhists also swore by the Dharma. So they were non-different. Following them did not amount to betrayal of belief for there is no such thing as belief in our concept. Being who we are need no belief!
So the name given to us called Hindu was in reference to those who lived beyond the Sindhu river. There is no such thing as Hindu in the Sanskrit or any other indigenous language. So at first Hindu represented those who live around the river Sindhu and the east beyond. The word Hind is perhaps Persian which is now the land called Iran. The Islamist invaders called us Hind merely to name us as inhabitants but in contrast to their ‘religion’ we are kafirs the infidels, non-believers.
It is the later arrivals viz. the European colonialists who stuck us with the name ‘Hindu’.
We are Hindus even though that is not our name and we belong to Hindu religion even though ours is not a religion at all And we have accepted this branding and foisted religion. Very very sad indeed.
In the concept of the believers of biblical religions, the non-believers are the atheists and infidels or kafirs. But Christo-secularists (about whom more later) contended (a) that we have gods and therefore belong to a religion and (b) our Dharma is all inclusive and so they could find similarity to their religion so it became convenient to declare that we are a religion. Making our Dharma into a religion serves a definite purpose for the secularists so they can rein us in the name of being a threat to minorities. On the question of our gods about whom these biblical religionists berate as being polytheist because they refuse to accept that god can be all yet in many forms. On that account they contend that we are infidels and we have to be converted. In the 250 years since the battle of Plaissey the colonial rogues have destroyed our identity and named us as something we are not and subjected us to a tortuous secular ethics. Therefore our first priority is to resurrect our lost identity. Let us begin in that mission starting from the very beginning.
The birth of the State
In the non-state (मत्स्य न्याय ) men enjoy (भोग) but do not own. It is like primitive communist society where everything is accessed by everyone that includes conjugal relationship. The concept of property is unknown in this non-state.
The addition of ममकार (mineness or ownership) makes this into a state. The ममकारम् or property is secured by दण्ड or weapon that causes भय or fear. Fear forbids enchroachment. So the बन्धम् or attachment to the property is called लौकिक. This is the basis of civil society.
The weilder of दण्ड enforces ownership by means of pronouncements or dictum. In those early days Manu said, “the land belongs to the one who cleared the forest and the deer to him who first wounded it.” This is the beginning of the law. And दण्ड creates sacredness in the property.
The दण्ड takes the fear out of men that their property will not be divested by vile men. The दण्ड creates security. This is the principle of civil society.
In मत्स्य न्याय dharma is non-existent for dharma is identical to the law. मत्स्य न्याय is anarchy.
Dharma comes into existence with the birth of the state i.e. दण्ड.
In the Hindu concept Dharma is held higher to the दण्ड.
क्षत्रस्य क्षत्रं धर्मं is the vedic dictum.
Dharma holds the weilder of weapons accountable.
विराट पुरुष
In the Hindu tradition the evolution of the state starts from the God/man called विराट पुरुष. Let me give it to you of this in our own unique tradition of story telling:
“नैवेह किञ्चनाग्र आसीन्मृत्युनैवेदमावृतमासीदशनाययाशनाया हि मृत्यु:”
(Brihadhaaranyaka Upanishad)
In the beginning there was nothing whatsoever. This universe was enveloped by death called Hiranyagarbha because of hunger. And hunger is death.
Why so?
The beginning we are talking about is the beginning of time called ‘कल्प’. This beginning also happens to be the end of the previous kalpa. Time indeed is a phenomenon that has a beginning, life and end. Like all phenomenon, it is cyclical. Well then, What is a kalpa? A kalpa consists of 4 yugas called Sathya yuga, Thretha yuga, Dwapara yuga and Kali yuga and like the day succeeds another day, a kalpa succeeds another kalpa. The principle of entropy works through the four successive yugas during which Dharma loses its glory steadily and at the end of Kali yuga complete adharma prevails.
Why and how did the previous kalpa end?
In all periods of time, what sustains the creation is the Dharma. Prakrthi is made up of opposites and so there is also adharma that opposes Dharma. Whenever adharma takes an upper hand, Vishnu as the preserver incarnates to restore Dharma to its glory. As it happened at the end of last Kali yuga all orders broke and complete anarchy prevailed. Vishnu the preserver felt that the restoration ofDharma is impossible in such condition and so he decided to end the adharma by totally destroying the creation!
He knew that food sustains the creation and so he decided to sap the food by means of Vedic Karma. He sapped the food of all living organisms and they died and merged into Prithvi from where they had arisen. He then sapped the food of Prithvi and Prithvi died and merged into water from where it arose. He then sapped the food of water and so it merged into fire. He sapped the food of fire and it merged into air. He sapped the food of air and so it merged into space. He finally sapped the primordial sound that is the food of the space and the space collapsed and merged into him. What remained then was this great destroyer, this Mrithyu, this death completely devoid of food and in great hunger. So we say hunger is death. We do not know how long this death remained as death because there was no time to measure. As we said before there was nothing at all except death.
“सवै नैव रेमे, तस्मादेकाकी न रमते, स द्वितीय मैच्छत्.”
In fact He did not at all feel happy. Therefore one (still) does not feel happy being alone. He desired a mate. Do you not say “I have every mind to do this” or “I have no mind to do this”? Thus we know that without mind nothing can be done. “May I be possessed of a mind” desired He, this Mrithyu, whom we now can call as Hiranyagarbha (literally a golden potent of all creations) and he produced the mind. This mind became his consort that is why at the time of marriage the bridegroom takes an auspicious thread and says:
“माङ्गल्यं तन्तुनानेन मम जीवन हेतुना । कण्ठे बध्नामि शुभगे त्वं जीव शरदश्शतम् ॥.”,
“by this you become the cause and reason of my life”,
(The exact meaning of this verse is: "I tie this Mangal Sutra for my long life, O auspicious one, may you live a hundred years (with me).") and ties it round the neck of the bride as the neck is the residence of the mind. From then on the void is filled by the wife even to this day.
With a wife with him, Hiranyagarbha is now qualified to perform a yagna (sacrifice), because only a Grihastha – a man with a wife – is qualified to perform Vedic Karma. For, again, without a yagna nothing could come about. The yagna he performed is called Brahmahooth. Since there was nothing besides him, he himself became the pasu or sacrifice. From this yagna came Virat or Brahma the creator. Brahma then embarks on the creation called Pravrthi.
He churned his mouth and rubbed his hands and produced fire. Whatever is liquid in the world He created from his seed. Soma the Moon (who has a liquid body) is indeed the food. And fire is the eater. This universe is this much only. The food and the eater. This mortal created Agni and Soma the Gods who are immortal. Therefore this is a surpassing creation!
He created from his mind seven Prajapathis called Saptha Rishis known as Marichi etc. and asked them to create. They first created women whom they gave away in marriage to each other. Then they produced two sets of beings called Devas andAsuras. Devas were few in number and were good guys and the Asuras were many but were bad guys. They fought each other bitterly for world domination. Not satisfied with this state of affairs, Brahma called the Prajapathis and told them, “Look, if your creation is so self destructive, then there is no hope for creation. So I want you to go back and do it again.”
So the Prajapathis went back and this time produced Yakshas and Rakshasas. TheYakshas are merry go lucky guys like the hippies who sang and danced and roamed the universe. Brahma looked at them and shook his head. He was unimpressed of their creative abilities in furthering the creation. Then he turned his attention to the Rakshasas who were cruel to others and were even cannibals. Brahma‘s hair shot up in shock and utter disgust. When the hair curled Snakes and vermins were produced. He was not at all satisfied with the creative process that had taken place so far. So he said to himself, “These Prajapathis are useless, let me create more Prajapathis out of my mind” and he created 4 charming young men known as Sanath Kumaras. Brahma asked these new Prajapathis to create. Being smart as they are, these young boys asked Brahma, “Father, what are you going to do?” Brahma replied, “I am going to reflect on the Self.”
The curiosity of the boys increased and they asked of their father if reflecting on the Self is superior to creation. Brahma replied that it is the parama purushartham or the ultimate objective of any being. That answer proved disastrous for Brahma for the children told the father they would rather know about the self which is superior rather than embark on creation. That is why the maxim in all times is that a Brahmana who sets out to know his real Self cannot be faulted for not performing karma.
The Sanath Kumaras then went to Dhakshinamoorthi and surrendered to him andDhakshinamoorthi taught them the knowledge of the Self in silence (मौन-व्याख्यान-प्रकटितम्) by means of Chin Mudra indicating that the jeevathma and paramaathma are one and the same. Thus Dhakshinamoorthi became the first guru.
“दक्षिणामूर्ति समारम्भाम् शंकराचार्यमध्यमाम् |अस्मदाचार्यपर्यन्ताम् वन्दे गुरू परंमपराम् ||”
Now back to Brahma, who found himself at square one, sighed to himself “There is no point in delegating any work to any Prajapati. They are all useless, I will take over the job of creation myself”, he declared.
He instantly split himself like a pea into two, as male and female. The female was shy and wanted to hide herself from the male and she became a cow. The male became a bull and united with her and from them the cows were born. Then she turned into a she-goat and he changed to a he-goat and propagated. Then they took the forms of mare and stallion and propagated. In this manner they continued to reproduce. She became a Naari and he became a Nara and propagated the men and women. This way he set out the great pravaham of pravrthi.
(This whole creation is nothing but the mind! He creates the mind, enters it and roams in it! As He expands the universe, He finds ‘रुचि‘ or taste in it and gets attached to it! – मानस सञ्चर रे! अभिमानश सञ्चर रे!)
From the unmanifest world He manifested the world of names and forms. So even now this manifest world is of names and forms only. This Supreme Self penetrated into all these bodies just as a razor lies in its case. People do not realize It when they view it from its particular function such as when it is breathing, it is called Prana. Because such a view is incomplete. He is the eye of the eye, ear of the ear, and mind of the thoughts. Eye, ear and so on are only names due to functions. . . If we know each aspect then our knowledge is incomplete. So the totality called the Self alone should be meditated upon for knowing of which everything else is known.
तदेतत्प्रेयः पुत्रात्प्रेयो वित्तात्प्रेयोऽन्यस्मात्सर्वस्मादन्तरतरं यदयमात्मा । (बृहदारण्यकोपनिषद्भाष्यम् 1.4.8)
This Self is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, dearer than all other objects because it is the dearest than all.
Why dearer?
Because all others will perish but not the Self.
This self (before the realization of its eternal identity) was actually Brahman and it knew only itself as “I am Brahman” and so he became the Universe.
Whosoever among the Gods, sages and men realize this then they too become Brahman.
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