The Vedic life-style consists of three types of
values. The
first type of values is a general set of values, which refines one as a human
being and enables one to contribute to the peace, harmony, and prosperity of
human society. This set of values, which one can arrive at using one’s common
sense, can be called samanya-dharma, general values. The second set of values enable one to lead a
religious-way of life and can be called religious values. The third set of
values are spiritual values, by following which one can lead a spiritual life
and attain Liberation. These three sets
of values – general, religious, and spiritual, put together is the Vedic
lifestyle, the vaidhika marga. Let us see briefly the distinction between or
among these three types of values.
First let us take the general values. Lord Krishna lists them in Chapter 16 of
Bhagavad Gita as divine qualities. They can be reduced in essence to the three
qualities of paropakara, ahimsa and kshama, which we shall see
now. Veda Vyasa declared after writing
the eighteen puranas that the lesson to be learnt from the puranas is: “Paropakara punyaya, papaya para pidanam (helping others
confers Punya and hurting others, papa)”.
Paropakara is doing good to someone from whom you expect nothing in
return and to one whom you do not even know. In creation, the entire nature is doing
this as said in the following verse:
Paropakaraya
phalanti vrkshah, paropakaraya duhanti gavah,
I
paropakaraya
vahanti nadyah, paropakarartham idam sariram
II.
Trees
bear fruits for consumption of others, cows give milk for the benefit of
others, rivers flow giving water to people (others), (Same way, this human)
body is for helping others.
Ahimsa is not to hurt a person through thought, word or deed,
that is characterised as papa in the words of Vyasa. It is also extoled through
the words ‘’Ahimsa paramo Dharma”.
There may be exceptional cases where himsa becomes necessary as
in the case of police force or defence forces for protecting the society or
nation. There also one keeps it to the
required levels only. Kshama or titiksha,
tolerance, is necessary to practice ahimsa. These three values; paropakara, ahimsa
and kshama are well-known values as everyone expects others to follow
these values in their interaction with them while following oneself selectively,
only where convenient. Following them
without double standards will make a human being more and more refined and less
and less selfish. These general values,
also called secular values, are valid for all human beings irrespective of the
religion they follow or God they worship and also even if they do not believe
in God or religion, to live as refined human beings promoting general welfare
and harmony.
Now let us take up the next set of values, religious values. Sraddha in the scriptures; bhakti towards God and vairagyam towards the world constitute the three important religious values. Sraddah is faith in the validity and utility of the scriptures for improving the quality of our life. Vedas are the primary scriptures and Bhagavad Gita contains the essence of scriptures. So faith in Vedas and study of Gita helps one to cultivate sound religious values mainly strong, sincere Iswara Bhakthi. Iswara Bhakthi, devotion and reverence towards Iswara, also called Bhagavan, is the crux of religious life. We get to know Iswara only from scriptures and scriptures define Iswara as Jagat karanam, the cause of the universe and also as sthithi-laya karanam of Jagat i.e. the cause of the origination, maintenance and final resolution of the universe. Since Iswara is the original cause of the universe itself, He is the original cause of all human beings as well and Bhakthi is the acknowledgement of this fundamental relationship with the eternal Iswara. We cherish and nourish this relationship through Iswara Bhakthi that is expressed through one’s devotion and reverence to Iswara symbolised by His various representations in the scriptures as Siva, Vishnu, Parvathi, Mahalakshmi etc. Iswara is the source of all inner strength.
Iswara is also called Bhagavan. Bhagavan is defined as one having “Bhaga” that is defined in Vishnu purana as:
Aiswaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah I
Vairagyasya atha jnanasya shannam bhaga itheernah II
The immeasurable, infinite measure of all the six;
overlordship, strength, fame, wealth, vairagyam, wisdom; together constitutes Bhaga.
Bhagavan, the embodiment of Bhaga, is the source of inner
strength and confidence to His Bhakthas who practice Vairagyam
with Bhakthi. Vairagyam can be defined as practice of detachment
towards all objects and relationships other than that connected with Iswara
and the religious life. In Swami
Paramarthananda’s words this will promote the FIR reduction i.e. reduction in -
frequency of emotional disturbances; intensity of emotional disturbances and in
recovery period from emotional disturbances; which will lead to the inner 3 Cs
i.e. Calmness, Confidence and Cheer. Sraddha
in scriptures, Iswara Bhakthi and Vairagyam towards the material
pursuits and relationships, when practised together creates a thirst for
knowledge of Iswara, when the religious life matures into spiritual life
and the Bhakthi blossoms into Jijnasa Bhakthi.
As a Jijnasa Bhaktha, one’s Sraddha in devotional literatures like puranas and ithihasas turns into Sraddha in Jnanam literature like Bhagavad Gita and various Upanishads. One learns from them about Brahman and to know more and deeply about Brahman in Its two aspects, Nirguna Brahman and Saguna Brahman, he seeks the help and guidance of a competent Guru to properly understand the subtle aspects of the spiritual texts. So Guru Bhakthi assumes as much importance as Iswara Bhakthi. Under the guidance of Guru, then one engages in consistent and systematic study of spiritual-scriptures for a length of time, enquiring into the nature of Brahman. This is called Vichara. So as one changes to spiritual life from religious life, Shraddha in Jnana grantha, Guru Bhakthi sharing prominence with Iswara Bhakthi and Vichara as part of Jnana Yoga become the three important values.
As his understanding grows, the outlook also undergoes a change. In Bhagavad Gita (7-24), Lord Krishna says “avyaktam vyaktimapannam, manyante mamabuddhayaḥ (The unintelligent people regard Me, the unmanifested, as come into manifestation)”. Kenopanishad (1-7) declares about Brahman “Nedam yaditam upasate (Not this that people here worship). Then he understands that various forms of Iswara used in worship are only finite representations of Brahman, that is formless and eternal, used for devotional exercises and discovers that Brahman is essentially one’s Self through Upanishadic teaching such as “Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman)”. When this knowledge is successfully absorbed and adopted, one saves oneself from the clutches of samsara, while living and is freed from the cycle of birth and death at death. So the three types of values in vaidhika marga, when properly and successfully followed, leads one to freedom from samsara and re-birth.
(adapted from Swami Paramarthananda’s talk)
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