Reference on Crossing of Seas

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone, I've been trying to look at the dharma shastras regarding

the particular injunctions on crossing of the seas. I cannot find the

correct reference yet.

 

Would someone be able to post the relevant verses with a good

translation and correct details of the source. This is for my doctoral

thesis on the Hindu Diaspora overseas.

 

Thank you.

 

Regards,

Sudheesh

[Guest guest]

Also, I have heard India various referred to as Punya bhoomi while overseas as

karma bhoomi. On the other hand I have also heard India referred to as karma

bhoomi and overseas as bhoga bhoomi. Which is correct and what scriptural source

do these assertions come from?

 

Much thanks!

 

Regards,

Sudheesh

 

 

 

 

advaitin , " sudheesh_s " <sudheesh007 wrote:

>

>

> Hi everyone, I've been trying to look at the dharma shastras regarding

> the particular injunctions on crossing of the seas. I cannot find the

> correct reference yet.

>

> Would someone be able to post the relevant verses with a good

> translation and correct details of the source. This is for my doctoral

> thesis on the Hindu Diaspora overseas.

>

> Thank you.

>

> Regards,

> Sudheesh

>

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

The following two links provide below will provide you with more insights on

your question.

 

(1) induism Today Magazine, July 2008

Title: Crossing the Ocean

 

http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=3065

 

Key Excerpts from the article:

" The difference of practice on the issue among the various Hindu denominations

is based on the scriptures each considers authoritative. Harsha Ramamurthy in

his erudite article on the issue explains that, according to Baudhayana Sutra,

the highest authority in deciding a question of dharma is shruti, our primary

scriptures, the Vedas and Agamas. Next is the smriti, the secondary scriptures,

which include the Dharma Shastras. Third is sampradaya, the teachings and

practices of a specific lineage. He concludes, " Though there seems to be no

direct ban on ocean travel in shruti, because of the bans in smriti and

sampradaya, such travel is considered a banned activity. " He said in

communication with Hinduism Today that the ban is observed both by the Madhva

Sampradaya and Smarta Sampradaya (which includes the Shankaracharyas of

Sringeri, Kanchi, etc.), as both adhere closely to the Dharma Shastras. He added

that the ban applies to all three upper castes, and not just brahmins. It also

applies to sannyasins, who--in his tradition--can only be from the brahmin

caste. He pointed out that other Vaishnava Sampradayas, such as the

Srivaishnavas, who follow the Pancharatra Agama, travel freely. He gave the

example of Chinna Jeeyar (www.chinnajeeyar.org/), a follower of Visishtadvaita,

who travels extensively. Similarly, the swamis of the Vaishnava Swaminarayana

sect travel extensively. "

(2) Prof AV Narasimha Murthy's article on " Some thoughts on crossing the Ocean "

http://www.ourkarnataka.com/Articles/starofmysore/ocean007.htm

 

Key Excerpts from the article:

" Ocean is the resting place of the great God and any human activity on it will

disturb the tranquility will not hold water for today's people. Hundreds of

merchants of the Indus Valley period went to foreign countries by crossing the

seas for trade. Thus crossing the ocean has a history of over 5,000 years in

India. It has to be noted that Smritis and Dharmasastras had not been composed

by that time and hence there was no question of any restriction against it. "

 

Here is my opinion and observation based on what I have read: This is certainly

not a subject of discussion in sruti (Vedas). There appears to be some reference

in dharma shastras (which are sited above) forbidding any travel across the

ocean. Interestingly, Sri Rama along with his brother Lakshmana travelled across

the ocean to Lanka. In recent times most of the acharyas of religious

institutions of various denomination within Hinduism have crossed the ocean and

some even established their branches in other countries. We have a great saying

that the wisdom of a Rishi or the purity of the river can't be measured on the

basis of its origin. The entire earth is a " Punya Boomi " for Punyavans and " Pava

Boomi " for the sinners! Oceans serve the humanity to unify thoughts coming from

diverse people from across oceans. Only we the human beings seem to

differentiate the countries and people by their birth origin.

 

With my warm regards,

Ram Chandran

 

 

advaitin , " sudheesh_s " <sudheesh007 wrote:

>

>

> Hi everyone, I've been trying to look at the dharma shastras regarding

> the particular injunctions on crossing of the seas. I cannot find the

> correct reference yet.

>

[Guest guest]

sudheesh ji :

 

" bhoomi " means the deham.That is why sometimes our deham is considered karmam

bhoomi or bhoga bhoomi or poonyam bhoomi.I am not referring to any authenticated

scriptures or guru sampradayams,just my 2 cents of investigative sathyam. .

 

suresh.

[Guest guest]

Pranams

This is my understanding.

Basically there cannot be any two opinions about whether or not long travel, or

living, overseas finds Vedic dharmic sanction - the answer is a resounding " No " .

However examining this nishedha might help us gain a current contextual

and culturally relevant understanding.

 

There are three main issues related to why samudrayana is prohibited according

to Dharmashastras.

One is that the travel by ship will not allow the continued daily performance of

all the nitya karmas. It is for this reason that if any (sea) travel is of more

than three days due to which a person has been unable to perform his daily

sandhya, etc rituals, then some kind of penance or prayaschitta karmas are

prescribed.

Second is polluting Lord Varuna i.e. the Ocean with excreta.

Third is the contact with non-Vaidikas - those who are alien to the Vedic faith.

 

Of these three the first two reasons are no longer applicable. Travel to

anywhere in the world is never greater than 24hours and airtravel now renders

the second reason invalid.

With regards to contact with non-vaidikas - the question boils down to this - in

India itself, what is the percentage of vaidikas? Anyone who does not follow the

daily nitya karmas is for all practical purposes as good as a non-vaidka and

unfortunately in todays day and age would apply to (conservatively) 99% of those

living in India.

 

So the ideal situation for a vaidika would be to be a. living in India and b.

following the nitya karmas.

 

Of these two, b is undoubtedly more important.

 

It is perhaps with these lines of reasoning that our own sampradaya has clearly

embraced the idea of those living abroad as being within the realm of vaidika as

long as they adhere to the nitya karma laid out by the Scriptures (and from my

own experience I can vouchsafe that there are a great many number of Indians

living in the US, who do adhere to these nitya karmas - perhaps with more zeal

than had they been in India.)

 

Evidence for this may be borne out by the fact that even the traditional mathas

like the Sringeri Sharada Peetham have established and actively support direct

affiliate institutions (http://www.svbf.org/home_page.php) that are doing yeoman

service to vaidikas who happen to living abroad.  

 

Dharma ultimately pertains to the individual - it is upto the individual to

decide what all his dharmic duties are, and what priority to accord to each one

of them, humbly recognizing all along, that there is no Absolute Dharma - other

than Surrender - sarvadharmaan parityajya...

 

 

Hari OM

Shyam

 

--- On Fri, 9/4/09, sureshbalaraman <sureshbalaraman wrote:

 

 

sureshbalaraman <sureshbalaraman

Re: Reference on Crossing of Seas

advaitin

Friday, September 4, 2009, 9:29 AM

 

sudheesh ji :

 

" bhoomi " means the deham.That is why sometimes our deham is considered karmam

bhoomi or bhoga bhoomi or poonyam bhoomi.I am not referring to any authenticated

scriptures or guru sampradayams, just my 2 cents of investigative sathyam. .

 

suresh.