Guest guest Posted July 13, 2001 Report Share Posted July 13, 2001 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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