Deivathin Kural Series - 48

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 48 of 18 Aug 2006.

1.These e-mails are translations of talks given by the erstwhile Pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over more than sixty years, published by Vanady Padippagam, T.Nagar, Chennai, India, in ten volumes, in the Tamil language. The english version is likely to be available very soon. These e-mails are simply an effort on the part of the sender, to share some of his bliss, as it is said, 'Yam perra peru peruga ivvaiyagam'. When he adds any personal observations he uses the phrase, 'KTSV adds'.
2. To-days chapter is from his lecture, titled, 'Thalaivalikku Pargaram Sirachedama?ie., 'Is Beheading, the Treatment for a Headache?', in pages 256 to 265, in Volume 1 of Deivathin Kural. Unless specifically mentioned, he or man includes, she or woman.
3. Now-a-days, from big political leaders to the common man on the streets, everyone is asking as to why should there be, castes? I also thought of talking about this subject. On an exhaustive and detailed deliberation, it is clear that the Varna Dharma is the best arrangement as compared to any other, here and elsewhere in the world. This is the best for the individual and the society. This helps in maximum individual development while optimising social benefits.
4. You do not have to agree, because I am saying this, or because scriptures say so. Even if you brand people like me as regressive, it is alright. There was one man whose only aim was the Nation's progress. He wanted to remove all differences, all blind beliefs and make the back-ward classes and down-trodden, to come up. The whole nation agrees about this, and so calls him the Father of the Nation. However, it may be unknown to you, that he, Gandhi, whole heartedly appreciated Varna Ashrama Dharma. I am quoting him only so that, some of the mis-conceptions and mis-understanding may be removed and may be you will take some of the good points of the system.
5. Gandhi has written a book, 'My Varnashrama Dharma'. I Quote, " This Varnashrama Dharma is, in my opinion inherent in human nature and Hinduism has simply reduced it to a science attached to birth. The division defines duties. They confer no privilages. Varnashrama Dharma is self restraint and conservation and economy of energy...............I have often shown the distinction between Varnashrama and Untouchability. I have defended the one as a rational scientific fact and condemned the other as an excrescence and unmitigated evil..............I do regard Varnashrama as a healthy division of work based on birth. Varnashrama was not concieved in any narrow spirit. On the contrary. it gave the labourer the same status as the thinker."
6. If you ask me as to why did he do many things, contrary to some of the traditional practices, my answer is that, "Possibly he came to the conclusion that, anyhow Varnashrama has gone by default. It is beyond recovery and revival. It's essence is gone and only the skeleton remains. So what is the use of sticking on to only the traditional practices?" But I think otherwise.
7. Had this arrangement which was like the back-bone of the society, gone totally bad, neither was there a need for a Matam nor a Mata-adipathi ie., Head of the Matam. Had the root Dharma disintegrated, to call myself a Head of an organisation, would have been an act of betrayal and exploitation, of the society. Really if the original arrangement had totally collapsed, then there is no need for a Matam. I believe that, such a stage has not yet been reached. Neither do I think that, there is no hope. Atleast now, if we wake up and take necessary actions whole heartedly, the system can be made to rise with renewed vigour. Let other castes be mixed. Let Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra, become one or undifferentiated.
8. The life-force of Veda-Adyayanam, is still alive in it's pristine form and glory, in some Veda schools. Whatever arrangements we have taken to fund these schools and to revive some of the defunct ones, have been well recieved. More students are joining. So, as of now, we have a nucleus which will take care of the situation, till the next generation. To sustain and expand this is my duty. As long as this is there, it will cater to offset, the imbalances in other Varnas. Even if all the Brahmins cannot or are not able to lead such a life; at least if some remaining as examples and guides, adhere to traditional ways; that will enable others to return to the fold.
9. Like me, Gandhi did support Varna-ashrama-dharma. But he gave up, thinking that it had gone bad, beyond redemption. I agreed that the fire was missing, but not completely gone to ashes. Some of the live sparks can be blown to roaring blaze, I thought. Otherwise, what is in store for the country, is amply demonstrated by our recent past and the fate of the dead civilizations of other countries.
10. Gandhi also maintained that, big factories was the reason that traditional cottage industries deteriorated. In a simple life there is not much scope for factories and machines to play a major role. The old arrangements can be saved if everybody is ready to stick to a simpler life. He kept insisting that maximum work should be done by man-power. Giant machines were to be avoided. Heavy industries were not required for day-to-day life. He kept repeating endlessly and demonstrated in his Ashrams as to, how to learn to live with the minimum unavoidable essentials. Whatever he said were conveniently appropriate, to Varna Ashrama Dharma way of life too.
11. But, there is a total deviation away from his views. The Governments since Independence have gone far away in getting the country industrialised. They, the political leaders and people too, have not stopped paying lip service to the name of Gandhi, while letting his views and concepts go by default. Had we stuck to his ideals, we could have evolved into a Model to be emulated for the rest of the world. I am quoting him because, he was truely interested in the society's and country's wellbeing, for which he was prepared to adopt and absorb, whatever was good in ancient times as well as in the modern-machine-age. So I expected that I could share with you, what was an impartial observers view on Varna Dharma, and it could make a deeper impression.
12. Now the basic grounds on which, the Varna Dharma is being objected to; or at least what they say; is that it leads to much disparities and conflicts. I emphasised that being born in a caste, does not endow any superiority or inferiority. The reformist's counter is like this:- "Whether there is disparities meant to be or not. There is an impression of one caste being superior to other castes. Is it not so? This leads to fights and conflicts. We do not want that. So we do not want any castes!" This response is like suggesting that we should remove a man's head, because he has a headache. If there is a problem, it can be solved by bringing out the truth, by mutual consultancy, the error if any can be peacefully removed and the problem resolved. That is the way to treat a patient as well as resolve a conflict. You cannot and should not kill the patient, for curing a disease. You can't throw the baby with the bath water.
13. After all, in any conflict, there will be two sides. In a multi dimentional confrontation, there will be many sides. Difference of opinion will always be there. The matter under dispute cannot be destroyed, as a solution! Now-a-days, ideology and language are the basis on which there is much conflict in the world. For this we cannot say, that we do not want Ideologies any more. We cannot say that, the Language under dispute should be eradicated. In our country, we have recently faced a lot of conflict on the matter of Language. Fights of such proportions and magnitude, that caste-conflicts, can never match. Tamil vs Telugu; Hindi vs non-Hindi; Marathi vs Kannada; Bengali vs Bihari and English vs Hindi, etc fights of endless combinations and immence proportions. From a verbal confrontation, these have escalated to fisti-cuffs and riots too, ending in human loss of life. Still, the solution cannot be to suggest,'stop talking and go dumb!'
14. Another matter of confrontation all over the world is, 'Ideology'. In this, the fight between capitalism and communism, between two nations, spread to two block of countries and this has engulfed the whole world. One is the direct fight between them; second is in the form of cold war; and the third is the proxy war between third-world contries, abetted by the super powers. Without a third world war, every year thousands of people are killed by this. In addition to this are the monarchy / military rule / dictatorship / anarchy, conflicts, all in the name of democracy. Even in this, we cannot say that we will be a country with no Government!
15. The illogic will be something like this. For conflict between ideologies, the answer is no government. For conflict between languages, the answer is no language. For caste and religious conflicts, the answer is no caste and no religion. For conflict between people....because we are all there..... and we are able to fight, the answer is ....(no more people!!! he laughs without completing the sentence.)
16. Though they talk much about casteless, creedless, society, when it comes to elections, all the parties are using this, 'caste', as the basis for all their, tactics and strategies. In truth, the demand for, 'no castes', seems only for, 'no-one-specific-caste'. It is totally unjustified to have castes only in name sake, without a social responsibility. For social welfare, each caste should be entrusted with a specific responsibility. Especially, it is inescapable and essential in this country, to entrust a set of people, with the task of nurturing and protecting Vedas, by chanting and spreading the ennobling thought content of the Vedas, eternally, hereditorily.
17. Though the new reformists may say that, because of Castes there is all this superiority-inferiority feelings; to eradicate this feeling or idea; this Varna Dharma must be retained. As long as every man starts developing the mentality that, 'I am born in this caste, I am destined to do these set of jobs. This is my contribution to the society as an offering to God. Another man born in another caste, will do whatever is heriditorily his destined job.' It is this mind set that we should aspire for. Where is the scope for the feeling of higher or lower in this?
18. More than all this, sincerest effort is required towards, living what we believe in. Exemplary living does not need any publicity. If the feeling of higher / lower, has come due to the caste, it is due to a misunderstanding of the basic tenets. We should be more concerned to be doubly cautious, that our future behaviour should be effective enough to eradicate the past bad reputation.
19. To day, everyone is constantly concerned only about money or livelihood. Even as recently as some 75 years back, no one bothered about how he is going to make a living. Duty was his main concern. When livelihood becomes the priority issue, whosoever has the higher job or more wealth, others have to be jealous of him. When duty is the main priority, there can be no jealousy. But when money or position, gets the priority, conflicts are unavoidable. What we are seeing and experiencing now is that, the class conflict, unheard / unthought of when Varna Dharma was effective; is now noticeable, because the priority has shifted from duty to money and position of power.
20. To enable people to live, without a sense of being higher or lower, without disparities and conflict, with love, unity, mutual respect and mutual co-operation, in peace and happiness; I am asking you, not let go the old value systems of Dharma. I pray to God to let us progress in this direction.
Sambhomahadeva.