WHETHER DHARMA SASTRAS CAN BE RATIONALIZED TO ADAPT TO MODERN TIMES?

The yuga dharma makes it difficult for any one to comply with the dharmas as enshrined in the scriptures. To-day no one including the renowned sanYAsis are strictly able to follow the dharma in letter and spirit. Day by day there are many distractions and onslaughts which weaken the dharma. There are many who are not concerned with following the path of dharma. They have almost given up every thing and have become a human robot for all practical purposes. But there are some who would like to abide by the dharma but are conditioned by the constraints of desa, kAla and vartamAna. It is only those people who want a dynamic approach to SAstras so that there is an assurance that whatever they do is as per the Scriptures.

The moot question now is whether in such a deteriorating situation we should also revise the SAstras to fit in the modern trends so that it makes every one happy and does not give a guilty feeling regarding non-compliance. In the past, all attempts to rationalize dharma SAstras to make them adaptable to modern times have been condemned by learned scholars as no one has the authority to do so.


Notwithstanding the above, there is always the demand to look at dharma SAstras more practically. Now who would categorically say that a particular aspect is as per dharma or not? The knowledge available is limited and anything said by one person can be easily questioned by others based on each one’s level of understanding. We would be spending time in asking and answering but without any definite conclusion.

The solution to all these questions concerning dharma should be addressed by a dharma sadas consisting of learned Srotriyas who are experts in dharma sAstras constituted by the respective Mutt Heads. It shall be the responsibility of the dharma Sadas to determine what is according to dharma in the prevailing circumstances. Even here, considering the force of kali yuga, we need to follow the three-fold classification of dharma viz., uttama. madhyama and adhama. In the ultimate analysis it would end up that even following the adhama paksha of dharma would be difficult for most of us in the modern context.

In my humble view, on-line Forums can only ask questions but cannot conclude any thing convincingly because of the divergent views. My suggestion is that the esteemed members of the Forums can prepare a set of pointed questions which affect the practice of dharma and leave it to the experts of the dharma Sadas to analyze and resolve based on scriptural authority.

What we have to keep in view is that there are certain prAyascittas prescribed in the dharma SAstras which would mitigate the effects for non-conformance to dharma. Even those would be difficult to follow in the current context. It shall be the endeavor of the dharma Sadas to explore the dharma sAstras in depth and recommend ways and means of compliance which are practicable.

To start with, one can take the initiative in approaching one reputed Mutt to constitute the dharma Sadas. This can then be extended.

In the ultimate analysis:

prAyascittanyaSeshANi tapah karmAtmakAni vai !
yani teshamaSeshANam krishNanusmaraNam param !!

hare krishNa hare krishNa krishNa krishNa hare hare !
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare !!

WHETHER ONE CAN LISTEN TO VEDAS THROUGH THE WEB?

Regarding reciting the Vedas, the following six types of people are considered as "adhamAh"
gItI SIghrI Sirah kampI tathA likhita pAthakah!
anarthajnah alpakantasca shadete pAthakAdhamah!!
Among the six, those who read Vedas from Books are also condemned.

Based on my limited understanding, the modern mode of listening to digitized Vedas by any one at any place at any time based on one's convenience is not explicitly approved in the SAstras.

Regarding the listeners also, one has to maintain respectfully the sanctity and dignity of the Vedas. Otherwise, listening to Vedas casually as ordinary music while travelling or doing some other work or when one is impure would be against the Scriptural norms.The easy availability of Vedas in digital form to every one irrespective of adhikAri niyama would greatly undermine its sanctity.


A vipra can listen to Vedas keeping the above aspects in view.

No doubt kali yuga dharma is fast devouring all of us and we cannot escape from this fact. Only thing is that we should try to follow whatever little is possible in the circumstances.

By efflux of time though everything becomes acceptable to ordinary people like us, we should not be a party to recommend wholesome changes in the SAstras to suit modern thinking and consumerist living.

My Talk in the Second International Conference on "Igniting the Genius Within" at ISB, Hyderabad

I gave a talk in the Second International Conference on "Igniting the Genius Within" at ISB, Hyderabad on 23-10-2009. The subject of my Talk was "Tiding over Turbulence: Ancient Insights for Modern Leaders."

http://www.isb.edu/CLIC/SecondGeniusConferenceSpeakers.Shtml#SKannan

http://www.isb.edu/CLIC/SpeakerAbstract.Shtml#SKannan

http://www.isb.edu/clic/geniusconference-09/index.html

http://www.isb.edu/media/UsrSiteNewsMgmt.aspx?topicid=605

VEDIC PRAYERS FOR PLEASANT ENVIRONMENT

mahAnArAyaNa upanishad xxxix-3

madhu vAtA rutAyate
(Let the air be pleasant)
madhu ksharanti sindhavah
(Let the rivers be pleasant)
mAdhvIrnas santvoshadhIh
(Let the plants and creepers be pleasant)
Madhu naktamutoshasi
(Let the day and night be pleasant)
Madhumat pArthivam rajah
(Let the dust of the earth be pleasant)
Madhu dyaurastu nah pitA
(Let our father-like Sky be pleasant)
madhu mAnno vanaspatih
(Let the herbs be pleasant)
madhumAm astu sUryah
(Let the Sun be pleasant)
mAdhvIr gAvo bhavantu nah
(Let the cows be pleasant to us)

Whether a Brahmana is determined by birth?

Apastamba dharma sUtra clearly establishes that the VarNa is determined by birth. Accordingly a BrAhmaNa is also determined by birth.

catvAro varNo brAhmaNa kshatriya vaiSya SUdrAh ! i-3
tesham pUrvah pUrvo janmatah SreyAn ! i-4

BRAHMANA

Vipraha means BrAhmaNaha.
A person is born as a BrAhmaNa.
As the first born among the mortals, he is known as agrajanmA.
After Upanayana. he becomes a dvijaha.
As one learned in Vedas, he is known as a Srotriyaha.
As a deity upon earth, he is known as BhUdevaha.
As one who has emanated from the mukha of the Supreme, he is known as Mukhajaha.
A BrAhmaNa who is only by birth and not by performance of duties is known as BrAhmaNabruvaha.

NAVAGRAHA AND JYOTISHA

The Vedic Navagraha Mantras have been compiled mainly from Rig Veda , Atharva Veda and Sukla Yajur Veda .

Jyotisha , one of the six VedAngas, deals mainly with astronomical aspects and is known as the eye of the Vedas. Jyotisha SamhitAs have been composed by Garga, NArada and ParASara. Lord SUrya has composed "SUrya siddhAntam" and taught it to Maya. The works by others include VarAhamihira, Arya Bhatta and BhAskarAcArya. This Science is used to primarily determine the planetary position and fixing auspicious times for performance of Vedic Sacrifices.

In my limited understanding, astrological predictions based on horoscope could have started at a later period.