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Book: Hindu Dharma, Written by Swami Chandrashekarendra
Saraswati |
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[This chapter contains an illuminating exposition of the physics and
metaphysics of sound.]
“If the divisions of labour on a hereditary basis is good for all
society,
what specifically is the benefit gained from the vocation of Brahmins,
that
is preserving the Vedas?” is a question frequently asked.
The potter makes pots for you; the washerman launders your clothes; the
weaver weaves clothes for you to wear; the cowherd brings you your
milk; the peasant tills the land to grow rice for you to cook and eat.
Everyone does some work or other essential in the life of everybody
else.
The rice (or wheat) grown by the tiller sustains us all. The cloth woven
by
the weaver is indispensable to our modesty; it is also needed to keep us
warm in the cold season. We drink the milk brought by the cowherd and
also use it to make buttermilk; we cook our food in the pot made by the
potter. We find that all jatis provide commodities useful for the
society.
What is the Brahmin's contribution in this context? What vocation is
assigned to him by the Sastras which are the basis of varna dharma?
The Brahmin has to learn the Vedas by listening to his teacher chanting
them; this is adhyayana. If adhyayana is chanting the Vedas, adhyapana
is
teaching the same. The sastras have charged the Brahmin with the
additional duty of performing various rites including Vedic sacrifices.
The Vedas contain lofty truths. People in modern times may not be
averse to the idea that these truths are worthy of being cherished.
Society requires knowledge, arts, etc. The Vedas are a storehouse of
knowledge. So the idea that we must have a special class of people to
propagate the truths contained in the Vedas may seem reasonable
enough. According to the sastras, however, such a special class is
needed
to preserve the sound of these scriptures. This class is constituted by
the
Brahmins and they perform their function on a hereditary basis. The idea
that propagating the truths of the Vedas will help mankind may be
acceptable to many, but not the belief that a small group of people can
contribute to the good of the world by preserving the sound of the
Vedas.
The community stands to lose if the peasant does not till the land and
the
potter, weaver, carpenter, etc., do not do their respective jobs. But
would
you say the same thing about the work of the Brahmin? What difference
would it make to the society if he ceased intoning the Vedas?
To understand the questions raised above we must first try to find out
the nature of the Vedas. No purpose is served by approaching three
subject entirely on an intellectual level. We must accept the words of
great men who know the Vedas deep in their hearts. "How can we do
that, sir?” some people might protest. "We are rationalists and we can
be
convinced of a truth or statement only on the basis of reason or direct
knowledge. "
What do we do then? How can anyone claim, as a matter of right, that all
subjects ought to be brought within the ken of human reasoning? Man is
but one among countless creatures. Take for instance the experiments
conducted by a physicist in his laboratory. Does a cow understand them?
If the scientist formulates certain laws on the basis on his
experiments,
does the cow say that "These laws of physics do not exist"? But how are
humans ignorant of physics to know about such laws? They trust the
statements made by people proficient in the subject.
To illustrate, take the example of any common appliance. Let us assume
that you are told that it works on the basis of certain principles of
science.
Don't you accept these principles by observing how the appliance works?
In the same way we must have faith in what great men say about the
Vedas, great men who live strictly adhering to the sastras. We must also
place our faith on our scripture on the basis of the fruits or benefits
yielded by them, the benefits we directly perceive. One such "fruit" is
till
there for all of us to see. It is Hinduism itself, the religion that has
withstood the challenges of all these millennia. Our religion has
produced
more great men than any other faith. People have been rewarded with
the highest inner well-being [the highest bliss] as a result of their
faith in
the Vedic tradition. There is no insistence on their part that
everything on
earth must be brought within the realm of reason or direct perception.
"The sages transcended the frontiers of human knowledge and became
one with the Universal Reality. It is through them that the world
received
the Vedic mantras, “this is one of the basic concepts of our religion.
If you
do not accept that human beings can obtain such Atmic power as
exemplified by these seers, any further talk on the subject would be
futile. One could point to you great men whom you can see for yourself,
great men who have perfected themselves and acquired powers not
shared by the common people. But if you think of them to be cheats or
fraudulent men, any further talk would again be useless. In your present
state of limited understanding, the argument that denies the existence
of
anything beyond the range of human reason and comprehension itself
betrays the height of rationalism.
You have come here to listen to me instead of going to a political
meeting
where you can hear interesting speeches. So I believe that few of you
here are full-fledged rationalists. You may not therefore refuse to
listen
to me if I speak to you about why the Vedas should be preserved
according to the time-honoured tradition. But it is also likely that
even if
some of you happen to be rationalists, you may still be willing to
listen to
me thinking that there may be some point in what the Svamiyar has to
say.
Some people are at a loss to understand why the sound of the Vedas is
given so much importance. How does sound originate or how is it
caused? Where there is vibration, where there is movement or motion,
there is sound. This is strictly according to rational science. Speech
is
constituted of vibrations of many kinds. We hear sounds with our ears.
But these are sounds that are converted into electric waves and these we
cannot hear. We know this from the working of the radio and the
telephone. All that we hear or perceive others are indeed electric
waves.
Science has come to the point of recognizing all to be electric waves-
the
man who sees and listens, his brains, all are electric waves.
There are countless numbers of inert objects in the world- land masses
and mountains, rivers and oceans, and so on. Also there are sentient
creatures of many kinds. All of them must have been created out of
something. During creation this something must have vibrated in many
different ways and given rise to all that we see today. If all movements
are sound, there must have existed numerous different kinds of sound
before creation. In this creation one is sustained by another. In the
process of mutual sustenance, different movements and sounds must be
produced. It is not necessary that vibrations should form a part only of
gross activities. Science has discovered that even our thinking process
is a
kind of electric current or energy. Each thought process is a form of
electric current or energy and it must produce a vibration and a sound.
This kind of sound being very subtle we do not hear it with our ears.
Just
as there are bacteria which we do not see with our naked eye, there are
many sound that our ears do not pick up. According to science any
physical or mental movement must produce a sound.
The idea that each movement produces its own sound may be put
differently thus: to create a particular sound a particular movement
must
be produced. Take the case of vidvan singing. If you want to sing like
him
or creates birquas like him, you will have produce the same vibrations
that he creates in his throat.
Sound and vibration(or motion) go together. The vibrations produce
either a gross object or a mental state. We come to the conclusion that
creation is a product of sound. This ancient concept is substantiated by
science itself.
Creation, the many things connected with it, thoughts and movements
and the sound associated with them fill space. What happens to the
sound produced by the clapping of our hands? It remains in space. Good
as well as bad action produce their own sounds as well as movements
associated with them. Conversely, the creation of these types of
movements will result in good as well as evil. To produce good thoughts
in people, good movements must be created: the sounds corresponding
to them must be produced. If we can generate such sounds for the good
of mankind than such good thoughts? The mantras of the Vedas are
sounds that have the power to inspire good thoughts in people.
One more thing. We need food for our sustenance. And to grow food
there must be rain. The formation of clouds and their precipitation are
dependent on certain vibrations. Rainfall depends on the production of
particular sounds which, in turn, create particular vibrations. The same
applies to all our needs in life. It is true that unnecessary and evil
objects
are also produced by sound. But the one and only goal of the sound of
the Vedas is the creation of well-being throughout the world.
But are sound and vibrations spontaneously produced? If vibrations arise
on their own they will be erratic and confusing and not related to one
another. But what do we see in the cosmos? There is a certain
orderliness
about it and one thing in it is linked to another. What do we infer form
this? That a Great Intelligence has formulated this scheme that we see,
that it has created it from its own vibrations.
The Vedas are sounds emanating from the vibrations of this Great
Intelligence, the Great Gnosis. That is why we believe that the mantras
of
the Vedas originate from the Paramatman himself. We must take special
care of such sounds too ensure the good of the world. Yes, the Vedic
mantras are sequences of sounds that are meant for the good of the
world.
Doubts are expressed on this point. People argue: "We hear the mantras
of the Vedic distinctly. But we do not hear the sounds in space, the
sounds of creation. How can the two be the same? "
What exists in the cosmos in present in the individual being. The belief
that the "microcosm" inherits the "macrocosm" is not in keeping with our
commonsense view of things. But all people, including atheists, will
agree
that there are "instruments" in our body in the form of the senses that
we can grasp what exists in the macrocosm. The sun in the macrocosm is
felt by our body as heat. We perceive the flower in our garden through
its
scent. We savour the sweet taste of sugarcane with our tongue. With our
eyes we learn that one object is red, that another it yellow.
Unless the macrocosm and microcosm are constituted of the same
substance the one will not be able to be aware of the other. Indeed the
very conduct of life will not be possible otherwise. If we go one step
further, the truth will dawn on us that it is not merely that the
macrocosm and the microcosm are constituted of the same substance
but that it is the same substance that becomes the macrocosm and the
microcosm. The yogins know this truth directly from their experience.
Whatever is present in space is also present in the individual being.
These
elements exists in the human body in a form that is accessible to the
senses. The sounds a person makes in his throat have their source in
space in a form not audible to us. The radio transforms electrical waves
into sound waves. If a man can grasp the sounds in space and make them
audible, he will be able to create with them what is needed for the good
of the world. Yoga is the science that accomplishes such a task. Through
yogic practice (perfection) one can become aware of what is in the
macrocosm and draw it into the microcosm. I shall not be able to give
you
proof of this in a form acceptable to human reason. Yoga transcends our
limited reason and understanding. The purpose of the Vedas is to speak
about matters that are beyond the comprehension of the human mind.
You must have faith in the words of great men or else, to know the truth
of such matters, you must practise yoga strictly observing its rules. It
may
not be practicable for all those who ask questions or harbour doubts
about the Vedas to practice yoga in this manner. Even if you are
prepared
to accept the words of a true yogin, how are you, in the first place, to
be
convinced that he in indeed a true yogin and not a fraud? Altogether it
means that you must have faith in someone, in something. Later such
faith will be strengthened from your own observations, inference and
experience. There is no point in speaking to people who have either no
faith or refuse to develop it through their own experience.
There is a state in which the macrocosm and the microcosm are
perceived as one. Great men there who have reached such a state and
are capable of transforming what is subtle in the one into what is gross
in
the other. I am speaking here to those who believe in such a
possibility.
When we look at this universe and their complex manner in which it
functions, we realise that there must be a Great Wisdom that has created
it and sustains it. It is from this Great Wisdom, that is the Paramatman,
that all that we see are born and it is from It that all the sounds that
we
hear have emanated. First came the universe of sound and then the
universe that we observe. Most of the former still exists in space. The
space that exists outside us exists also in our heart. The yogins have
experience of this hrdayakasa, this heart-sky or this heart-space, when
they are in samadhi (absorbed in the Infinite). In this state of theirs
all
differences between the outward and the inward vanish and the two
become one. The yogins can now grasp the sounds of space and bestow
the same on mankind. These successions of sounds that bring benefits to
the world are indeed the mantras of the Vedas.
These mantras are not the creation of anyone. Though each of them is in
the name of a rsi or seer, in reality it is not his creation. When we
say that
a certain mantra has a certain sage associated with it, all that we mean
is
that it was he who first "saw" it existing without a beginning in space
and
revealed it to the world. The very word "rsi" means "mantra-drasta" (one
who saw- discovered- the mantra), not "mantra-karta" (one who created
the mantra). Our life is dependent on how our breathing functions. In
the
same way the cosmos functions in accordance with the vibrations of the
Vedic sounds- so the Vedic mantras are the very breath of the Supreme
Being. We must thus conclude that, without the Vedas, there is no
Brahman: To put it differently, the Vedas are self-existent like the
Paramatman.
The mantras of the Vedas are remarkable in that they bring blessings to
the world in the form of sound- even if their meaning is not understood.
Of course, they are pregnant with meaning and represent the lofty
principle that it is the One Truth that is manifested as all that we
perceive. They also confer blessing on us by taking the form of deities
appropriate to the different sounds (of the mantras).
Sound does not bring any benefits, any fruits, by itself. Isvara alone
is the
bestower of benefits. However, instead of making the fruits available to
us directly, he appoints deities to distribute them in the same manner
as
the king or president of a country appoints officials to carry out his
dictates. The mantras represent various deities in the form of sound. If
we attain perfection (siddhi) by constant chanting and meditation of a
mantra, it should be possible for us to see the deity invoked in his
physical form. The deities also arise if we make offerings into the
sacrificial fire reciting specific mantras. If a sacrifice is conducted
in this
manner, the deities give us their special blessings. We do not pay taxes
directly to the king or president. In the same way, we pay taxes in the
form of sacrifices and Vedic chanting to the aides of the Paramatman for
the sake of the welfare of the world. The sounds of the mantras
constitute their form.
The Vedas have won the admiration of Western scholars for their poetic
beauty. They bring us face to face with many deities- they bring us also
their grace. Above all, through the Upanisads they teach us the great
truths relating to the Self. The Vedas are thus known for the profundity
of
the truths contained in them, but their sound is no less important.
Indeed
their sound has its own significance and power. All mantras, it must be
noted have power, not only Vedic mantras.
The sound of some mantras have greater value than their meaning. Their
syllables chanted in a particular manner create a special energy, but
their
meaning has no special significance. Take the mantra recited to cure a
man stung by a scorpion. The words, the syllables, constituting the
mantra have no special meaning. Indeed, they say, the meaning is not to
be told. But by chanting the mantra, the vibrations are caused in space
and one stung by a scorpion will be cured: the potency of the syllables
of
the mantra is such. The efficacy of sounds varies with the difference
mantras. Evil is caused by reciting certain mantras or formulae: this is
called "abhicara"[understood as the black magic in the West]. In all
this
the clarity with which the syllables are enunciated is important. There
was the practice of knocking off the teeth of those who practiced billi
sunyam (a form of black magic). The black magician, if toothless, will
not
be able to articulate the mantras properly and so his spells will not
have
the intended effect. If the syllables of the spell are not clearly and
properly enunciated, they will not give us the desired benefit. If we
appreciate the fact that sounds have such power, the question of the
language of the mantras loses it importance. It would be meaningless
then to demand that the mantras must be expressed in some other
language [that we understand]. It would be equally meaningless to
wonder whether the mantras of the sraddha ceremony should be
rendered into English, Tamil or some other language so that our departed
parents would understand them better.
The Vedic mantras do good to all creatures in this world and the
hereafter: we must have implicit faith in this belief. It is not proper
to ask
whether what we ourselves cannot here with our ears will be heard by
the seers. There is such a thing as the divine power of seeing and
hearing.
Our sight is dependent on the lens in our eyes. Were this lens different
what we observe would also be different. Through the intense practice of
yoga we can obtain the divine power of seeing and hearing.
We must not inquire into the Vedas with our limited powers of
perception and with our limited capacity to reason and comprehend. The
Vedas speak to us about what is beyond the reach of our eyes and ears
and reasoning- that is their purpose. There are things that we
comprehend through direct perception. We do not need the help of the
Vedas to know about them. What cannot be provoked by reasoning and
what is beyond the reach of our intellect - these the seers have gifted
us
in the form of the Vedas with their divine perception. How do we learn
about the affairs of other countries? We are not eyewitnesses to them
but we depend on newspaper reports of these affairs. There is another
kind of newspaper which tells us about matters that cannot be known
through any worldly means and this newspaper is constituted of the
Vedic mantras that are the gift of the seers.
We have to accept the Vedas in faith. Develop a little faith in them and
experience for your self the fruits yielded by them. In due course you
will
be convinced about the truths told about them.
Even today we see how mantras are efficacious though what we see is
more often their power to do evil rather than good. The very word
"mantrikam" inspires dread in us. If mantras have the power to do evil,
they must also have the power to do good. We do hear reports of how
mantras are beneficent, for instance how the mantras invoking the god
Varuna produce rains.
It may be that sometimes the "Varunajapa" does not succeed in bringing
rains. But this is no reason why all mantras should be rejected outright
as
of no value. Sick people die even after the regular administration of
medicine. For this reason do we condemn medical science as worthless?
We have an explanation for the patient's failure to recover: his illness
and
reached such an advanced stage that no medicine could be of any avail.
Similarly, no mantra is of any help when it has to contend against the
working of powerful karma. There is also another reason. If you are not
strict about your diet, the medicine taken may not work. Similarly, if
we
are lax in the observance of certain rules, the mantras will not produce
the desired result.
Yoga is a science. In a scientific laboratory, certain rules have to be
observed in the conduct of experiments. If the electrician refuses to
wear
gloves or to stand on a wooden stool during his work, what will happen?
So too, anyone practising yoga has to follow the rules governing it. To
return to Varuna japa. If the japa is not always successful, it is
because- as
I have found out through inquires- of the failure of those performing
the
rite to observe the rule of "alavana"[taking food without salt].
In Tirivanaikka (near Tirucirapalli) people have seen with their own
eyes a
tree bare of foliage putting forth green shoots under the spell of
mantras.
The sthalavrksa here [the tree sacred to a place or temple] in the white
jambu. That is why the place (Tiruvanaikka) is also called Jambukesvaram.
Once the tree was dead expect for one branch or so. Then the cettiarsthe
trustees of the temple- had an Ekadasa-Rudrabhiseka conducted for
it. And behold, by the power of mantras the tree put forth fresh leaves.
Each sound has a specific impact on the outward world. Experiments
were once conducted by a lakeside by producing a certain pattern of
svaras on an instrument. It was observed that as a result of the
vibrations
so created the light on the water shone as particles. Later these
particles
took a specific shape. From such scientific proof it is possible to
believe
that we can perceive the form of a deity through chanting the
appropriate Veda mantras. It is not that sound is transformed into light
alone in the outward world. It is pervasive in many ways and produces
various kind of impacts. The sound of the Vedic mantras pervading the
atmosphere is extremely beneficial. There are ways in which sound is to
be produced to make it advantageous to us. Some notes are to be raised,
some lowered and some to be uttered in an even manner. The Vedas
have to be chanted in this way. The three different ways of chanting are
"udatta", "anudatta" and "svarita". The sound and svara together will
turn the powers of the cosmos favourable to us.
The question that now occurs is why there should be a separate caste
committed to Vedic learning practices even if it is conceded that Vedic
mantras have the power to do good.
In answering this question we must first remember that the Vedas are
not to be read from the written text. They have to be memorized by
constant listening and repeated chanting. The learner then becomes a
teacher himself and in this manner the process goes on from generation
to generation. Maintaining such a tradition of learning and teaching is
a
whole-time occupation. Neither the teacher nor the taught may take up
any other work.
We must also remember that the Brahmin is expected to master subjects
other than the Vedas also, like the arts and crafts and the various
sciences(sastras). He has in fact to learn the vocations of other jatis
(but
he must not take up any for his own livelihood). It is the
responsibility of
the Brahmin to promote knowledge and culture. He is expected to learn
the hereditary skills of all jatis, including the art of warfare, and
pass on
these skills to the respective jatis to help them earn their livelihood.
The
Brahmin's calling is adhyayana and adhyapana (learning and teaching the
Vedas). According to the sastras he must live in a modest dwelling,
observe strict rules and vows so as to gain mastery of the mantras. He
must eat only as much as is needed keep body and soul together. All
temptations to make money and enjoy sensual pleasures he must sternly
resist. All his actions must be inspired by the spirit of sacrifice and
he
must pass his days sustaining the Vedic tradition and practices for the
good of mankind.
It is the duty of other jatis to see that the Brahmin does not die of
starvation. They must provide him with bare necessities of life and such
materials as re needed for the performance of sacrifices. Wages are paid
to those who do other jobs or a price is paid for what they produce. The
Brahmin works for the whole community and serves it by chanting
mantras, by performing sacrifices and by leading a life according to the
dictates of religion. That is why he must be provided with his upkeep.
The
canonical texts do not say that we must build him palace or that he must
be given gifts of gold. The Brahmin must be provided with the
wherewithal for the proper performance of sacrifices. In his personal
life
he must eschew all show and luxury. It is by taming his senses- by
burning
away all desire- that he gains mastery over the mantras.
I have said more than once that the Vedas are to be learned by constant
listening, that they are not to be learned from the written text. Let me
tell
you why. The sound of the Vedas must pervade the world. This is of
paramount importance, not that the text itself should be maintained in
print. Indeed, the Vedas must not be kept in book form. If the printed
text
is available all the time, we are likely to neglect the habit of
memorizing
the hymns and chanting them. There is not the slightest doubt about
this.
"After all it is in the book. When the need arises we can always refer
to it.
Why should we waste our time in memorizing the mantras? “Thus an
attitude of indifference will develop among those charged with the duty
of maintaining the Vedic tradition.
Nowadays we have what is called the "pancanngaran" (pancangakkaran),
that is the "almanac-man". We understand his job to be that of
officiating
at the rites performed by members of the fourth varna. But from the
term "almanac"-man" we know that this is not his main duty. The
pancangakkaran or almanac-man is truly one who determines the five
angas" or components of the almanac. Each day has five angas: tithi,
vara,
naksatra, yoga and karana. To find out whether a particular day is
auspicious or whether certain work or function may be performed on a
particular day, all these five factors have to be taken into account.
Today
astronomers in Greenwich observe the sun, the moon and the stars to fix
the timings of sunrise and sunset. Three or four generations ago, every
village had an almanac-man who was an expert in such matters. He could
predict eclipses, their exact timings, with the precision of present-day
astronomers. He inscribed the five angas relating to the day on a
palmleaf
and took it round from house to house to help people in their worldly
and religious duties. In the past he had also another name "Kuttai
Cuvadi"(meaning "Shortened Palm-leaf").
How have the present day almanac-men forgotten their great science?
With the advent of the printing press the almanac could be printed for a
whole year and made available to people. There was no longer any need
for the old, type of almanac to pancanga, an important part of
astronomy, is now on the verge of extinction.
The Vedas would have suffered a similar fate had we stuck to a system of
learning them from written or printed texts. Their sound would not have
then filled the world and created all-round well-being.
Our forefathers realised that to put anything in writing was not the
best
way of preserving it since it bred indifference to the subject so
preserved.
One who recited the Vedas from the written text ("likhita-pathaka") was
looked down upon as an "adhama" (one belonging to the lowest order
among those chanting the Vedas). In Tamil the Vedas are known as the
"unwritten old text"(ezhutakilavi). In Sanskrit the Vedas are also
called
"Sruti", which means "that which is heard", that is to say not be
learned
from any written text. Since listening to the Vedas as they were chanted
and then memorizing them was the practice, preserving the Vedic
tradition came to be full-time vocation. The teacher taught pada by
pada(foot by foot) and the student repeated each pada twice. In this way
the sound of the Vedas filled the whole place. It was thus that the
study
of our own scripture, with all its recessions which are like the expanse
of
a great ocean, was maintained in the oral tradition until the turn of
the
century. This treasure, this timeless crop that sustains our inner
beings,
has come to us through the ages as ordained by the Lord. There can be no
greater sin that that of neglecting this treasure and allowing it to
perish.
If the Vedic tradition becomes extinct there is no need for a separate
caste called Brahmins. Nowadays the cry is often heard, "Brahmin, get
out". But do we hear cries like, "Potter, get out" or "Washerman, go
away?” If the potter and the washerman leave the village they will be
brought back by force and retained. Why so? Because the community
needs their services.
So long as the Brahmin possessed sattva-guna (the quality of goodness
and purity) and so long as he kept the Vedic tradition going and lived a
simple life, others recognized his value for society. They regarded him
with affection and respect and paced their trust in him. They realised
that
if society was not afflicted by famine and disease (as in the case
today), it
was because the sound of the Vedas pervaded everywhere and the
performance of Vedic recites created a healthy atmosphere around and
brought its own blessings.
This was not the only way in which the Brahmin served society. His
personal example was itself a source of inspiration to people. They saw
how he curbed his sensual appetites, how he lived a life of peace, how
he
was compassionate to all creatures, how he mediated on the Lord, how
he performed a variety of rites strictly adhering to sastric rules and
without any expectations of rewards. They saw a whole case living a life
of selflessness and sacrifice. Naturally, they too were drawn to the
qualities exemplified by its members. They emulated their example,
observed fasts and vows to the extent permitted by the nature of their
occupations. It is preposterous to accuse the Brahmin of having kept
other jatis suppressed. There is a special way of life that the
scriptures
have prescribed for him and in remaining true to it he becomes a
personal example for others desirous of raising themselves.
It is equally preposterous to suggest that other where kept down because
they were denied the right to learn the Vedas. I have already spoken to
you that preserving the Vedic tradition is a hereditary and lifelong
vocation. Any calling must be pursued on a hereditary basis. Otherwise,
there is the risk of society being torn asunder by jealousies and
rivalries.
The maintenance of the Vedic tradition is a calling by itself. There
will be
confusion and chaos in the system of division of labour if people whose
vocations are different are allowed to pursue one common tradition.
Also, as a consequence, will not the social structure be disturbed?
Every
vocation has as high a place on the social scale as any other. Why
should
anyone nurse the ideas that the pursuit of the Vedic dharma belongs to a
plane higher than all other types of work?
Some castes are not permitted to learn the Vedas but there is no bar on
their learning the truths contained in them. This is all that is needed
for
their Atmic advancement. We need only one class of people charged with
the mission of keeping the sound of the Vedas alive in the world. The
ideas contained in them for spiritual uplift are open to all. The songs
of
non-Brahmin saints like Appar and Nammazhvar are replete with Vedic
and Vedantic thoughts.
Were it true that Brahmins had monopolised Atmic knowledge and
devotion and kept others downtrodden, how would you explain the rise
among the non-Brahmin jatis of so many great saints, not only the
examples just mentioned above, Appar and Nammazhvar, but a number
of other Nayanmars and Azhvars? The Nayanmars included men
belonging even to jatis regarded as "low". Where do you find men of
inner enlightenment like Tayumanavar and Pattiinattar? Apart from the
fact that there were among non-Brahmin men worthy of being lauded by
Brahmins for other enlightenment and devotion, there were individuals
from the fourth varna who established empires and gave new life and
vigour to the Vedic dharma. That Brahmins exploited other castes is a
recently invented myth.
I do not claim that Brahmins are free from faults or are not guilty of
lapses. Nobody is free from faults. But on the whole the Brahmin has
done good to society and has been a guide to all its members. That is
why
he was enabled to live with dignity all these centuries.
When other communities now see that the Brahmin no longer serves
society in any manner, they raise the cry, "Brahmin, get out". If they
do
not serve society and if all they do is to join others in the scramble
for
money, where is the need for a separate caste called Brahmins? It occurs
to me that, if the caste called Brahmins serves no purpose to society, I
shall be the first to seek its destruction. Nothing has any right to
exist if it
has no utility value. There is no need for a caste called Brahmin if the
world does not stand to benefit from it.
Now there are "toll-gates" located in many places but often without any
"gate". In the past a toll used to be collected from people crossing the
boundary marked by these "gates". Later such a system was discontinued
and no purpose was served by the gate. Nothing exists without a
purpose. Now, if the Brahmin without Vedic learning has become as
purposeless as the toll-gate without any toll actually charged, with
what
reason or justice can we say that he must not be thrown out?
The Brahmin today deserves to be reproved, if he expects to be treated
with any special respect. Criticism, however, should be it. The Brahmin
must be faulted for abandoning his dharma, but the dharma itself, the
Vedic dharma, is another matter. It is not proper to find fault with the
dharma itself and it is the duty of others to help the Brahmin practice
it.
the Vedic dharma must be sustained so as to ensure the well-being of the
world. Other jatis must support the principle that there must be a caste
whose hereditary calling it is to maintain the Vedic tradition. If they
themselves have lost faith in the Vedic dharma, they cannot find fault
with the Brahmin for having forsaken it. If they believe that the Vedic
dharma is not wanted, then it would mean (according to their own logic)
that the Brahmin is not committing any offence by giving up his
hereditary vocation. It also follows that for the sake of his livelihood
he
will have too take up some other job, competing with the others for the
same. So to hold that there is no need for the Vedic dharma and that, at
the same time, the Brahmin should not do any work other than the
pursuit of that dharma does not stand to reason. On the other hand, it
is
proclaimed that the Vedic dharma is all wrong and must cease to exist
but, on the other, the man whose duty it is to practice that dharma is
hated for trying to do some other work. Is this just? It is part of
humanity
to see that not even a dog or a jackal goes hungry and it is a dharma
common to all religions. Even those who maintain that we do not need
any religion speak for compassion and the spirit of sacrifice in all our
actions. So it is not just to insist that a man must not pursue his
hereditary vocation and that he must not, at the same time, do any other
work but die of starvation.
Others can help greatly by making the Brahmin true to himself as the
upholder of the Vedic dharma. I have heard it said that in the old days
some Brahmins would go to the untouchable quarter and tell people
there: "You and we, let us become one.” Whereupon the untouchables
would reply: "No. no. You keep doing your work. That is for the good of
both of us. Don't come here again". They would prevent the Brahmins
from approaching them again by breaking their pots in front of them, the
pots which were their only asset. Though people then were divided in the
matter of work and did not mix together, they had affection for one
another and believed that each did his work for the common good.
Even today the common people are not non-believers, nor have they lost
faith in the Vedas. I feel that they will continue too have respect for
the
Vedic dharma and that the propaganda of hate [against Brahmins and the
Vedas] is all to be attributed to political reasons. People, I repeat,
do have
faith in the Vedas, in Vedic rites and customs and if the Brahmin
becomes
a little better [that is by being true to his vocation] all hatred will
vanish.
As I said before, instead of expecting respect from others, he must
remain true to his dharma even at the risk of his life. It is my belief
that
society will not allow him to suffer such an extreme fate. But my stand
is
that, even if it does, he must not forsake his dharma. Whatever the
attitude of others, whether they help him or whether they run him down,
the Brahmin must uphold the Vedic tradition for the well-being of all.
What I have spoken for the Brahmin community applies in principle too
other also. The duties about which I have to speak to them (non-
Brahmins) are many. They too are eager to know about them and I am
confident that, things are properly explained, they will pursue
faithfully
their respective dharmas. I must, however, be qualified to give them
advice. It is generally believed that I have a special relationship with
the
Brahmin community. In the Matha a number of Vedic rites are
performed. So, rightly or wrongly, the impression has gained around that
I have much to do with the case whose duty it is to uphold the Vedic
dharma. That being the case, a question will arise in the minds of
people
belonging to other communities if I speak to them on matters of dharma,
even if it is assumed that they will listen to me with affection and
respect.
The question is this: "Brahmins are so much dependent on his support.
Yet we don't see them acting on his advice and correcting themselves. So
why should he come to speak to us of our duties? "
As a matter of fact, both are same to me, Brahmins and non-Brahmins. I
am indeed more dissatisfied with Brahmins than with the others because
they have abandoned the Vedic dharma, the dharma that confers the
highest inner well-being on all. Even so, since it is believed that
Brahmins
are specially attached to me, I keep admonishing them to go back to the
Vedic dharma with all their hearth, with all their strength. If Brahmins
observe in practice a fraction of what is expected of them, then alone
shall I be qualified to remind other communities of their duties.
Brahmins
must try as best they can to keep up the Vedic tradition. That is how
they
will help me to speak to other communities of their duties.
All mankind, all creatures of earth, must live in happiness. Everybody
must practise his allotted dharma for the good of all with the
realisation
that there is no question of any work being "higher" than any other or
"lower". Preserving the sound of the Vedas must remain the duty of one
class so as to ensure plenty in this world as well as to create
universal
Atmic uplift. To revert to the question I put to you first. Leaving
aside the
vocation of the Vedic dharma, let us assume that the hereditary system
is
beneficial in respect of all types of work. But why should the
preservation
of the Vedic dharma be the lifelong vocation of one class? It is now
established, as I conclude, that however it may be with the other
vocations, whether or not they exist, whether or not there is a mix-up
in
them, the pursuit of the Vedic dharma must remain a separate calling.
(See also the chapter entitled, "Can a New Brahmin Caste be Created?” in
Part
Nineteen; and Part Twenty, "Varna Dharma and Universal Well-being"). |
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