Social Services and Sri Vaishnavism: part II(Conclusion)

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

Social services arise out of Societal services

based on Social/Societal Consciousness. The thought

that we are part of a larger and interconnected

organism consisting of family and society at all

different levels , all the way upto Nation and

the World.

 

VedhAs and the prayers therein (Saanthi manthrams

et al) have that broad vision .Too much individualism

is the bane of today's society. Our great leader,late

Sri Chakravarthi RajagOpAlAchAri (RaajAji) , the first

Governor of General of India wrote a brilliant monograph

called " pOtti Ozhiga!" ( Down with destructive competition )

at one time. The concept of winner takes all has been

the horrible message from excessive individualism

of market economies.

 

Now coming back to Vedhic approach , as pointed out

earlier by Dr.Sadananda , there are number of debts

that a human being has to discharge:

 

1. Rishi RuNam (Discharged thru observance of Brahmacharyam

and Vedha adhyayanam )

2. Deva RuNam ( Discharged thru performance of Yaj~nams)

3. Pithru RuNam ( Discharged thru the blessings of progeny)

4. Manushya RuNam

 

The last debt is Manushya RuNam defined by Satapatha

BrAhmaNam( as pointed out by AgnihOthram TatAchAr Swamy):

 

" RuNam ha vai jaayathE so sti sajAyamaana eva dEvEbhya:

rishibhyA; Pithrubhya: manushyEbhya: yadenAn vaasayatE

yadate bhyO ANNAM daatIti tat tadasya aanruNyam "

 

The man by birth becomes an addition/burden to the Society,

which has to bear the burden of that addition. The new born

is indebted first to his parents and then to society that

supports him . Manushya RuNam is thus acquired.As this child

grows into a working man , he earns , takes care of his food ,

shelter and clothing . As he earns more than what he needs

for the above requirements , VedhAs say : " Provide it for

others , who are your co-beings".The concept of service

to fellow human beings and living things is central to all

as taught by Vedhas. Sacrificing one's interest to help

others in achieving their interests without any display

of selfishness or ego and in a spirit of Saathvika ThyAgam

is underlined by the vedhAs .

 

Sacrifice of selfishness is identified as a absolute

necessity for the enhancement of one's Social consciousness.

It is the opposite of " Dehi mE dadhaami tE " ( I give You

some thing .You give me back some thing in return ). Swamy

Deikans' NyAsa Dasakam touches on these concepts of karthruthva,

Phala and mamathA ThyAgams.The emphasis is made by the VedhAs

that without the spirit of sacrifice , there is no dharmic path.

Swamy NigamAntha MahA Desikan , who practised unchivrutthi

(seeking alms for his dEha Yaathrai) all his life prayed

therefore to Lord Varadhan this way:

 

"nithyam niraparAdhEshu kaimkaryEshu niyunkshva maam "

 

( Oh Varadha! Please order me to perform Kaimkaryams

always without the admixture of the above three kinds of

aparAdhams and to place those Kiamkaryams at Your

sacred feet ).

 

AgnihOthram Swamy points out further that one of the key

imperatives of developing Social consciousness is

the acquisition of philosophical knowledge to help one

follow the Dharmic path and stay away from adharmic way.

Lord KrishNA points out the development of discriminative

knowledge (VivEkam ) thru the understanding of SaasthrAs:

 

"TasmAth Saasthram PramANam tE kAryAkAryau vyavasthitau

Jn~AthvA sAsthra vidhAnOktham kAryam karthum tavArhasi"

 

This development of Societal consciousness backed up

by the knowledge of SaasthrAs will develop an equanimity

of mind ( priyam sarvasya pasyatha)to look at every

one with affection and frieendship ( maithra bhAvam).

 

The reinforcement of Kaimkaryams by SaasthrAic knowledge

will lead to auspicious speech (KalyANi)in service

to mankind ( vaachi imaa visvaa bhuvanAni arpithA ).

The Vedha manthrAs are very much for auspicious speeches

addressed to the Supreme Being . Reciprocal good

sentiment is behind auspicious speech without any

precondition .

 

Other pointrs given by Sri AgnihOthram TatAchAr Swamy

in the context of Vedhic upadEsam on developing

societal consciousness are:

 

1. No work is superior or inferior . All are neeeded for

the nenefit of Society.

 

2. The need for tolerance in interactions: " One may

beat you , one may curse you , but do not be irritated.

Pray to God for his (abuser's) good thinking (maaO

ghnantam sapantam maa prativricie sumatimitasyaa

vriNImahE).

 

3. another message of the VedhAs about the social life

is the use of utmost care in our utterances.For any reason ,

no one should abuse others( na duruktaa sprhayet).Since

nature (prakruthi) is the cause of all behaviour of men,

some times one may be tempted to use inauspicious words

to address others , but it must be controlled.Freindship is

a special relationship ( maitra bhAvam) . This is a measure

of one's deep social life.Friendship is no one-way traffic.

A veda manthram says: " One who deserts his wise friend

in distress loses all chances of life and all his learnings

are in vain.He does not know the path of righteousness

( yasttyaaja sakhividam sakhyam na tasya vaci api bhaago'sti).

Friendship is the human relationship contributing to social

consciousness outside the family life.

 

4. The developmental social consciousness and progress of

society is also tied up with the development of standards

in relationship between men and women. This topic has been

covered in earlier postings on Sthree Dharmam as defined by

the Vedhaas. According to VedhA , the women are more

intelligent than men.

 

5. Family life and family consciousness form the first step

in the ladder of social consciousness.Atharva vedham gives

a picture of family life to discharge the 4 indebtedness.

The messaage is to cultivate unity in heart and mind.

 

6. Vedham stresses the importance of anna dhAnam.Imparting

food to the needy , irrespective of caste is necessary.

Giving food is taken as a sense of gift ( anna dhAnam).

VedhAs say: taking food alone is a sin (anna sooktham).

atthithi sathkAram is a must duty for a grahasthA.

 

7. The haves and the have-nots are always there in society

from time immemorial. Hence , understanding this truth ,

VedhAs say that dhAnam is a social virtue (manushya

RuNam dischargement) and providing food for others

(anna dhAnam ) yields great puNyam .

 

These are some of the excerpts from the scholarly study

of AgnihOthram RaamAnuja TatAchAr Swamy , who is now in

his ninth decade and continues to write, lecture, travel

and perform Yaj~nams all over India .

 

Although human fraility makes us fail often to live up

to the high standards set by the VedhAs for developing

social consciousness and freindship among each other ,

it is good to reflect on them and apply them . I know

I have failed many times and seek the forgivenness of

Sriman NaarAyaNan and AchAryALs.

 

with prayers for Kaimkarya PrApthi,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan