{"id":202206,"date":"2022-01-24T12:00:40","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T12:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=202206"},"modified":"2021-12-28T05:55:28","modified_gmt":"2021-12-28T05:55:28","slug":"understanding-hinduism-and-bhagwad-gita","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2022\/01\/understanding-hinduism-and-bhagwad-gita\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Hinduism and Bhagwad Gita"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hinduism, the dominant religion in India, is one of the oldest world religions and existed in some form or another, perhaps even as early as 8000 years back. It deals with the four aims or\u00a0purusharthas\u00a0<\/em>of life:<\/p>\n

Dharma\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 ethics or duty of life
\nArtha<\/em>\u2014 economic or household duties
\nKama<\/em>\u2014 passion, desires
\nMoksha<\/em>\u2014 liberation from passions and preparation for end of life<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It discusses apart from the above four purusharthas, rituals, pilgrimage sites for obtaining peace and harmony in life. We also learn about the important duties we must perform \u2014 honesty, self restraint, compassion, Ahimsa (not hurting living beings).<\/p>\n

A Hindu should do\u00a0puja, japa <\/em>(recitation in praise of God),\u00a0dhyan <\/em>(meditation), take part in festivals, go on pilgrimages, and later in life, prepare for\u00a0 moksha <\/em>(death).\u00a0\u00a0The minds of people are generally very restless with doubts or questions about societal events or other people etc.\u00a0Japa<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0can help to calm their minds.<\/p>\n

The most significant part of the religion is called Veda \u2014\u00a0\u00a0consisting of four Vedas. It is believed that\u00a0Ved Vyas<\/em>\u00a0compiled these four Vedas.<\/p>\n

Vedic religion is also known as Sanatandharma<\/em>\u00a0 (eternal religion) meant for all people, not just Hindus.<\/p>\n

Vedas are considered\u00a0Shruti <\/em>(heard) or\u00a0Smriti <\/em>(remembered).\u00a0Shruti\u00a0<\/em>refers to the large body of ancient religious texts.\u00a0Smriti <\/em>refers to post Vedic literature that is remembered and deals with several aspects of mankind, mythology, rituals and customs as well as about animal, aquatic and plant life. Before invention of writing, transmission of ideas or knowledge was by hearing and remembering.<\/p>\n

The four Vedas according to Hinduism are:\u00a0Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rig Veda<\/em>\u00a0is collection of ancient Sanskrit hymns (suktas<\/em>). It is a foremost ideological aspect of Hinduism.<\/p>\n

Yajur<\/em> (worship) Veda<\/em>\u00a0consists of recitation of different mantras (verses).<\/p>\n

Sama Veda<\/em>\u00a0refers to the melodies and chants of the known 1875 verses.<\/p>\n

Atharva Veda<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0refers to collection of prayers and hymns for protection\u00a0of life. It comprises\u00a0puranas, itihaas, upanishads.<\/em><\/p>\n

Puranas<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0refer to genre of ancient legends and traditions of significant personalities.<\/p>\n

Itihaas<\/em>\u00a0gives descriptions of important historical events of Hinduism<\/p>\n

Upanishads<\/em>\u00a0are sacred texts at the end of the Vedic periods dealing with nature of reality,\u00a0Atman (soul), Brahman <\/em>(God). These are philosophical treatises.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There are many well known\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Upanishads<\/em>.\u00a0Mahabharata, Ramayan, Bhagwad Gita\u00a0are<\/em> also considered parts of this category.\u00a0<\/em>The latter is part of the\u00a0 Mahabharata <\/em>but has acquired a distinctive status of its own.<\/p>\n

Ramayan<\/em> deals with the story of Lord Rama, his exile, the culture and society of his times. He is considered to be a God in Hinduism.<\/p>\n

Bhagwad Gita <\/em>which was part of\u00a0\u00a0Mahabharata<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0, is now treated as a separate epic and is studied and analysed in its 18 chapters about the meaning of life and our core values and behaviour.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We may also mention that\u00a0Shruti<\/em>\u00a0or revealed texts are the Vedas and Smriti<\/em>\u00a0or remembered texts are post Vedic . The latter texts deal with theology, mythology,\u00a0rituals and lives of spiritual people like Ram, Sita, Krishna<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0and others.<\/p>\n

Bhagwad Gita<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the complex and violent contemporary world, people try to find answers to their doubts and the action they may take to resolve the conflicts and confusion in their minds. Many people in India and oversees turn to\u00a0Bhagwad Gita<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0(or simply\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Gita<\/em>) for resolution of their doubts.\u00a0 Gita was originally written in Sanskrit but has been translated into many languages.\u00a0\u00a0It was also known as\u00a0Song Celestial<\/em>\u00a0by some scholars.<\/p>\n

Mahatma Gandhi was influenced by\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Gita and wrote a detailed commentary on it in the Gujarati language that was rendered into other languages later. Several other well known persons including the second President of India, S Radhakrishnan\u00a0 and others have also written commentaries from their own backgrounds and beliefs.<\/p>\n

This is a well known epic of Hinduism that consists of 18 chapters or discourses and dozens of\u00a0 Shlokas<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0or questions \/ answers spoken by\u00a0Arjun<\/em>\/Lord Krishna in each chapter. In all there are 700 shlokas in the entire Gita. The background of the book is the battle between Kauravas<\/em>\u00a0 and Pandavas<\/em> and the ensuing violence and killings on both fronts.<\/p>\n

Many worthy persons have been slain in the battle which leads to sorrow and confusion in the mind of the warrior prince\u00a0Arjun (Pandava)<\/em>who is perplexed as to what action he should take in the battle. The book is in the form of a dialogue \u2014 doubts expressed by\u00a0\u00a0him and the responses by\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Lord Krishna<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0who is driving the chariot with\u00a0Arjun <\/em>sitting beside him in the battle\u00a0\u00a0field of\u00a0Kurukshetra<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In response to Arjun\u2019s query about what action he should take, Krishna answers that some action is inevitable.\u00a0\u00a0There is nothing that is without\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0action in any person because one\u2019s mind is always thinking of something or the other. Even while doing nothing, we breathe, and blood flows across in the body.<\/p>\n

The first point to remember about action is that one must do one\u2019s duty without worrying about the reward or its result. The result could be what one desired or otherwise \u2014 no reward or something that one did not desire. One must perform one\u2019s duty with devotion and without distraction.<\/p>\n

In this regard Krishna encourages Arjun with the following words in Chapter II.3 :<\/p>\n

\u2018Yield not to unmanliness, Arjun; it does not become thee. Shake off this\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0miserable faint heartedness and arise\u2019.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Action should be in accordance to one\u2019s background and skills \u2014 according to what Gita says one\u2019s\u00a0Swadharma<\/em>. A carpenter can do good woodwork but if he takes to farming, the result may not be satisfactory. Similarly a soldier has to act with devotion on the battlefield irrespective of who his opponents are. The\u00a0swadharma<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0depends on one\u2019s family or social situation that may vary from time to time.<\/p>\n

The Gita also emphasises that the result of action taken needs to be viewed as a gift of the supreme being and therefore one should abide by the result with grace and equanimity and not lose heart or feel depressed if it is not what one desired . With this attitude we should have faith in Brahman \u2014 the supreme God. To emphasise this Krishna in 18.66 says:<\/p>\n

\u2018Give up other dharmas \u2014 just surrender to me\u2019.<\/p>\n

In the last chapter, Gita explains the meaning of the three aspects of right action or\u00a0 gunas<\/em>\u2014\u00a0Tamas, Rajas, Sattvik\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>in the following manner:<\/p>\n

Austerity that is practised to torture oneself or to procure another\u2019s ruin is Tamas<\/strong><\/p>\n

Austerity that is practised to torture oneself or to gain praise, honour or homage is fleeting and unstable. This is said to be\u00a0Rajas<\/strong><\/p>\n

Charity given as a matter of duty without expectation of any return, to the right person is said to\u00a0Sattavik<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Aspects as outlined above are everyday issues that one grapples with in one\u2019s life. This makes\u00a0Gita <\/strong>a relevant, noble treatise that guides people to joy and a meaningful life. No wonder it attracts people from different backgrounds and ideologies.<\/p>\n

Hare Krishna\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

_____________________________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> Dr Ravi P Bhatia is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment<\/a>, an<\/em> educationist, Gandhian scholar and peace researcher. Retired professor, Delhi University. His new book, <\/em>A Garland of Ideas\u2014Gandhian, Religious, Educational, Environmental was published recently in Delhi.<\/em> ravipbhatia@gmail.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hinduism, the dominant religion in India, is one of the oldest world religions and existed in some form or another, perhaps even as early as 8000 years back. It deals with the four aims or\u00a0purusharthas\u00a0of life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":166069,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[902,892,759,889,308,107,805,695],"class_list":["post-202206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transcend-members","tag-bhagavad-gita","tag-hinduism","tag-india","tag-krishna","tag-philosophy","tag-religion","tag-spirituality","tag-theology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202206\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}