Hindu Dharma

Frequently asked questions on Hindu Dharma

During 7th and 8th centuries, different sects began eroding the Vedic religion. Religious anarchy prevailed all over India. Shri Shankaracharya reversed the ill effects on the Vedic religion and projected it in new light all over India as predominant in righteous conduct and non-duality.

From the historical point of view the greatness of the Mahabharat is second only to the Vedas. The chief objective of the Mahabharat is defining Righteousness and explaining it. When describing any event, Sage Vyas’ expansive motive was only to preach Righteousness.

Sage Vyas has clearly specified that the codes of Righteousness in every yug (era) are different. Though the doctrines of Righteousness regarding attainment of the Final Liberation are eternal, those of worldly transactions cannot be the same for all times. Circumstances always undergo change.

There is a very close association between life and the Darshans. In short, life and the Darshans are designed for each other. To bestow an embodied soul undergoing the three types of suffering, with Serenity and satisfaction and to liberate one from the world full of conflicts the various Darshans were compiled in India.

Since the Vedas were considered to be divine in origin the order of every word from their mantras had to be maintained while chanting, as per the established rules. To be able to chant Vedic mantras appropriately one should know the correct pronunciation of vowels.

In the Sanhitas and Brahmans importance is endowed to the stage of ritualistic worship and these rituals constitute the fire sacrifices in them. The Upanishads have proclaimed that the Final Liberation is the ultimate form of happiness. The Upanishads primarily discuss the three topics of Righteousness, creation and the principle of the ultimate object, that is the soul or The Supreme Soul.

In the earlier yugs the Vedas were a single text. Hence it was difficult to study them. Sage Vyas realised this after completion of His study of them. He realised that since the verses and aphorisms were scattered in different lineages (gotras), the Vedas had to be divided in such a way that they would serve the purpose of performing sacrificial fires and being handed down by tradition.

A holy text in the true sense is one which augments a seeker’s spiritual practice, increases his devotion and purifies his mind and makes him feel like being devoted unto God wholeheartedly. A holy text in the true sense is the one by the study of which one becomes detached, one’s defects get reduced and spiritual descent is prevented.

Man gets easy access to the objects created by God, hence he becomes indebted to the deities. He acquires the knowledge generated by the ancient sages so he becomes indebted to Them. He remains indebted to his ancestors as they have propagated their lineage and are the cause for his birth.

In Kaliyug as the sattva predominant attitude began to decline everywhere only India remained a spiritual land and therefore became a meritorious land. Today’s India represents the heart of the body of the universe and its beating is symbolic of the saints and Their close disciples.

Just as there is no life without respiration so also life without Righteousness (Dharma) is not worth living as it amounts to mere existence like animals. Happiness (and Bliss) cannot be acquired without becoming righteous; hence one should be devoutly righteous.

Righteousness (Dharma) is that which nurtures the subjects and in turn the society. - Mahabharat 12.109.11