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Since this latest attempt at bringing together and organizing the Hindus from all over the world augurs well for the future of Hinduism it is worthwhile devoting some attention to it.
The Hindu society has held in its bosom adherents of directly opposite dogmas, and embraces besides Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs, the reforming sects of different epochs as also those worshipping several gods and goddesses and professing different creeds.
In spite of a unique and universal philosophy of life, catholicity and tolerance taught
by all sects and religions and the affluence of culture and civilization, the Hindu
society has fallen into deplorable conditions. The Hindus in India and abroad need a
reawakening of their essential unity and be consolidated into one strong and indivisible
people. It is necessary to infuse pride, devotion and loyalty in respect of our Dharma and
Samskriti. 
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In the Hindus of the world a sense of duty and obligation to the society which of late is fast disappearing requires to be regenerated on the basis of our Dharma.
The Hindus who live in distant lands need not only inspiration but effective aid to rejoin the bond of love and regain their faith in the practice of the Hindu ways of life, which have been gradually weakening.
With the aspiration of fulfilling these objectives the Vishva Hindu Parishad was founded on the 30th August 1964 (the auspicious Sri Krishna Janmashtami day) at Bombay. Its objects are
(1) To take steps to consolidate and strengthen the Hindu society ;
(2) To protect, develop and spread the Hindu values of life ;
(3) To establish and reinforce contacts with and help all Hindus living abroad,
Between the 22nd and the 24th of January 1966 the Parishad held its first momentous conference of Hindus from all over the world at Prayag which was a tremendous success.
The Parishad is now busy establishing branches all over the country and also the world. It has already made a marked progress.
This is perhaps the very first serious attempt after Emperor Sri Harsha at bringing together the various heterogeneous elements in Hinduism and bind them with a cord of common ideals. Hence it is the sacred duty of every Hindu, irrespective of his caste or creed, to cooperate wholeheartedly with this Movement and make it a grand success.
Unlike most world religions, Hinduism has no founder. It is not based on the spiritual
experiences of a single individual, but on the intuitions and experience of a large number
of seers, saints and mystics called Rishis. These ancient Rishis were only
propagating this Eternal Religion and were not the founders in the sense that is normally
understood and applied to other religions. Their experiences have been systematised and
handed down as a great tradition. Religious men of Countless generations have borne
testimony to the truth and validity of the teachings contained in them. Even today these
spiritual truths can be experimented on and verified in the laboratories of our souls,
just as the statement about natural laws found in text-books of science can be tested and
verified in the laboratory of science. None the less, Hinduism is as much a revelation as
any other religion of the world. It goes even a step further and says that it is a
continuous revelation. Hence, according to it, a single revelation or the revelations of a
single individual do not exhaust the whole of the Truth. That is why it contemplates the
advent of new Avatars, the introduction of new codes of law (Dharmashastras) and the
production of new editions of scriptures. The greatest strength of Hinduism lies in the
fact of its being based upon certain eternal truths, rather than on a personality however
exalted he may be. These truths are such that they can be verified by anybody at any time.
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Hinduism is based primarily on the Vedas. Veda literally means knowledge or wisdom. It is also called Shruti which means what is heard or revealed. All other scriptures go under the omnibus term of Smriti (what is remembered). Shruti being divinely revealed to the great Rishis of yore in the depths of their mystical experience, its authority is supreme. Smritis are the secondary scriptures which derive their authority from the Shruti. Their business is to explain, elaborate and illustrate the fundamental teachings of the Shruti.
However, according to the Hindu view, revelations are not limited to any individual, time or place. Just as there have been revelations in the past, they can occur at present or in future also. The seer is only a medium to transmit to posterity the insight which he receives. Hence he is no more the inventor of the Veda than Newton is the generator of the law of gravity.
The Vedas are four in number-the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda and the
Atharva Veda. The Rig Veda is the most ancient scripture of the world. Lokamanya Tilak, on
the strength of astronomical evidences, concludes that it is at least 8,000 years old.
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The Rig Veda consists of hymns which are mostly prayers. The Yajur Veda deals mainly with sacrificial rites. The Sama Veda contains a portion of the Rig Vedic hymns set to music. These have to be sung at appropriate stages during a sacrifice. The Atharva Veda, which is a later composition, consists mostly of morals and ethical codes as also a few worldly sciences.
Each Veda is usually divided into four parts. the Samhitas, the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads. The Samhitas contain prayers and mantras used in sacrifices. Whereas the Brahmanas give the know-how of sacrificial rites, Aranyakas teach the art of certain types of meditation, based mostly on wellknown sacrifices. The Upanishads contain the highest philosophical flights of the Vedic sages, which can be the pride of the whole human race for all time. Schopenhauer, the famous German savant, has declared : "in the whole world there is no study, except that of the originals, so beneficial and so elevating as that of the Upanishads. It has been the solace of my life, it will be the solace of my death."
Then comes the Bhagavad Gita, the most popular of all the Hindu scriptures. The Gita, as it is shortly called. is so well-known all over the world that it has been the second most translated work. Though the Bible ranks first in this regard it should be remembered that its translations were sponsored by the mighty machinery of the Church with the enormous material resources at its command. As for the Gita, its beauty, sublimity and universality prompted its admirers to translate it into different languages of the world.
There is a verse in Sanskrit which compares the Upanishads to a milch-cow and the Gita
to its milk. In other words, the Gita gives the essence of the Upanishadic philosophy in a
simple and practicable form. It is an integral part of the Mahabharata and is in the form
of a dialogue between Sri Krishna, the great incarnation of God, and Arjuna, the great
warrior prince. The battlefield was the place of its origination ; and serious problems
concerning life and death, duty and devotion, knowledge and meditation were discussed, and
sensible solutions offered which hold good even to this day. Manliness and selfless
devotion to duty are the keynotes of this great little scripture.
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Any list of the Hindu scriptures is in complete without the two great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Though these two great books deal primarily with the story of Sri Rama and that of the Kuru race respectively, they can more rightly be called the encyclopedia of Hindu religion and culture. These two popular works have influenced and inspired the Hindu nation for thousands of years. They are technically called Itihasa (history) since they contain the history of the two most important dynasties that ruled and shaped the destinies of our motherland.
The Smritis of Manu, Yajnavalkya and Parashara of the Puranas including the famous
Bhagavata, the Agamas and the treatises on the Darshanas are the other scriptures forming
the magnificent edifice of Hinduism built upon the foundation of the Vedas. The Smritis
are mostly codes of law intended to regulate Hindu society from time to time, according to
the principles of the Veda. The Puranas are imaginative works woven round some historical
matters. They aim at teaching religious truths through concrete examples. The Agamas are
sectarian scriptures dealing with the worship of a particular aspect of God and
prescribing detailed courses of discipline for the worshipper. The Darshanas are schools
of philosophy. The orthodox schools among them try to develop, systematise and correlate
the various parts of the Veda, each in its own way.
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Ever Since the beginning of civilization, the innate curiosity of man has been urging him to delve into the mysteries of the universe. Who created this universe? Who am I ? Where did I come from ? Where do I go after death? These were the fundamental questions posed by him. The relentless search for an answer to these basic questions has led to the origin and evolution of philosophy.
If the west sought in the external world for a solution, the Hindu sages turned their gaze inwards and discovered their own answers through meditation and mysticism. The Shaddarshanas (six systems of Hindu philosophy) were the result. Darshana means vision of truth. Unlike the west, where philosophy based on pure intellectualism and religion based on a few dogmas of the church are at loggerheads, philosophy in Hinduism has been a philosophy of religion and religion is based on the findings of philosophy.
The six Darshanas are
HOMEThe Nyaya and Vaisheshika advance the atomic theory of creation. Sankhya propounds the theory of the animate souls and inanimate matter as the basic factors in creation Yoga deals mainly with the control of the mind. Mimamsa is more interested in upholding Vedic ritualism.
Last but not the least is the Vedanta, the pinnacle of all these systems. It can easily be called The Philosophy of Hinduism. Vedanta means culmination of the Vedas. It is based on the Upanishads, the Gita and the Brahma Sutras of Vyasa, and gives the most rational solution to the fundamental problems posed by philosophy.
Vedanta calls that Supreme Power which projects this universe, sustains it and
withdraws it into itself as Brahman. It holds the individual soul (Atman) to be birthless
and deathless, eternal and immortal. Attainment of liberation is possible through the
knowledge of Brahman, by being devoted to this Brahman. A liberated soul will never again
return to mundane existence. These are its teachings in a nutshell.
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To love thy neighbour as thyself is supposed to be the golden rule. But to the Hindu who believes in the oneness of creation, there is nothing extraordinary in this. I love my neighbour because in the ultimate analysis, my neighbour is also myself -that is his line of argument. In fact the sole mission of his life is to realise this oneness. To him, spiritual life is impossible without a moral and ethical life. Therefore very great stress is laid on the latter.
The wonderful Hindu mind has condensed the whole gamut of ethical and moral principles in two simple words: Yama and Niyama. Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha-these constitute Yama. Niyama consists of Shaucha, Santosha, Tapas, Svadhyaya and Ishvarapranidhana.
Not to harm others whether in thought, word or deed is Ahimsa. But it is a virtue to be practised by the strong and the brave, and not by the weak and the cowardly.
Consonance of thoughts, words and deeds is Satya or truth. It goes without saying that these must be right and good.
Asteya is non-stealing, non-covetousness included.
Chastity in thought, word and deed is the core of Brahmacharya.
Not to accept anything from others, more than what is absolutely necessary for sustenance is Aparigraha.
Shaucha is purity and cleanliness.
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Contentment, absence of greed and cheerfulness constitute Santhosha.
Austerity in the form of service, control of speech and mind-these are designated as Tapas.
Study of sacred literature as also repetition of sacred mantras and prayers are termed Svadhyaya.
Surrender of the fruits of one's actions, nay, the surrender of one's very self, is Ishvarapranidhana.
These are the ten cardinal principles of Hinduism.
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According to Hinduism, spiritual freedom or Moksha is the ultimate goal of life. But desires and passions which obstruct this do exist in man, ever struggling to find an outlet. It is not very easy to get rid of them overnight. Realising this, the great Hindu sages have provided us with right avenues for directing and guiding them. Looked at from this angle the conception of the four Purusharthas (ends to be striven for, by man) viz, Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha is a unique contribution made by Hinduism. Acquisition and enjoyment of material wealth (Artha) and satisfaction of desires (Kama) should always be within the limits allowed by Dharma or righteousness. This helps their attenuation and man will become fit for Moksha or liberation in due course.
With this Moksha in view, Hinduism requires every man to pass through the four stages of life, technically called the Ashramas, viz, Brahmacharya (studenthood), Grahasthya (the stage of the householder), Vanaprastha (retired life in forest) and Sannyasa (life of complete renunciation).
Study of sciences (spiritual and temporal) and a life of strict discipline
characterised by self control are the essential features of the first stage. Acquisition,
enjoyment and distribution of the good things of life within the framework of Dharma, mark
the second stage. The five daily sacrifices known as Pancha Yajnas viz, Devayajna or
sacrifice to gods, Pitriyajna or obsequial oblation to the departed manes, Brahmayajna or
study of the Vedas, Nriyajna or serving fellow beings and Bhutayajna or feeding the dumb
creatures, are obligatory on the householder during this stage. The third stage where in
introspection is very important is only a stepping stone to the final stage of Sannyasa.
This last stage which is the acme of life is distinguished by its total renunciation of
worldly desires and a complete dedication to the attainment of Moksha.
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Every rule has an exception. The ascent from Brahmacharya to Sannyasa need not always be gradual. So the scriptures allowed double or even treble promotion to qualified aspirants. They could embrace Sannyasa from any stage.
Just as the individual's life has been divided into four stages to facilitate spiritual evolution, the society also has been divided into four groups (Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras) to facilitate smooth working.
The Brahmanas were the custodians of spiritual knowledge. Simple living and high thinking as also acquisition and propagation of spiritual knowledge these were their primary duties. The Kshatriyas protected the society with the strength of their arms and were responsible for the maintenance of law and order as also justice. It was given to the Vaishyas to produce wealth and distribute it without being greedy. Those who lived by manual labour and service to others were categorised as Shudras.
There has been a good lot of criticism against this Varna system, as this fourfold
division is often called. It is to be remembered that this grouping was based upon the
mental make up and aptitudes of the individuals and as a recognition of the division of
labour that already existed in the society and not upon birth. However it is impossible to
examine each individual determine what his aptitudes are and then fix his calling. And so
heredity is made to serve as a sort of working principle. Normally the son inherits the
trade of his father as he shares some of his traits. But this principle was never intended
to be applied with an iron hand. It was flexible and violable. There is a lot of evidence
in the scriptures to show that man's Varna depends upon his mental make up and the calling
he chooses. There have been several cases where people born in lower castes have risen
higher by their virtues and those born in he higher ones have been degraded due to their
vices. Hence it is obvious that the present day caste system, with its water tight
compartments and mutual animosity is nothing but a gross degeneration of the once sublime
idea that formed the basis of this division.
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No bird can ever fly on only one of its wings. Women being the other-wing of the society it is but proper that their role be discussed here.
Ideals constitute the very heart and soul of a nation. Hence a real understanding of the Hindu nation and its womanhood would essentially depend on that of its ideals. An already stated, Hinduism considers Moksha or spiritual freedom as the summum bonum of life, whether for man or for woman. Consequently the disciplines described and the paths prescribed for the attainment of this Moksha are almost identical. Purity, self-control, devotion and austerity are as much necessary for woman as for man. However Hinduism does not shut its eyes to the differences that do exist between man and woman, biological as well as temperamental. That is why it has defined their areas of activity depending upon their Svadharma or special characteristics and prescribed slightly different modes of life and discipline.
The strength and the soundness of a society are sustained by those of the family ; and
woman is the central figure in a family. Just imagine the tremendous responsibility that
is placed on her ! A Griha or home is no home but for the Grihini (the mistress of the
family). Hence the ideal placed before the Hindu woman is that of the ideal Grihini, who
again is an ideal wife, an ideal friend and an deal mother all rolled into one. It is
Sita, Savitri, Damayanti and Gandhari the songs of the Hindu soil that have inspired the
lives of millions of Hindu women for aeons, and not Helens or Juliets.
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Women had plenty of freedom in the Vedic and Epic age. They had equal opportunities and scope, especially in the religious and spiritual fields. They could undergo the Upanayana sacrament, study the Vedas, become teachers or even ascetics if they wished. But during the middle ages there was a criminal neglect of their welfare.
With the advent of modern education, the impact of science and western civilization, things have changed no doubt, but the remedy seems to be worse than the disease ! Now woman seems to want to out-man man himself ! Getting discontented with her role of childbearing and home making she wishes to devote herself to some other higher activity ! Consequently homes are slowly being replaced by hotels! In the name of economic independence, life is tending to become more and more hectic, irregular and even vagrant ! By engaging herself in activities which prejudice the work of preservation, the modern Hindu woman is coming into conflict with her own inner nature. By blindly imitating man, she cannot be the giver of joy, the inspirer of activity and the consoler in distress that she has all along been. This is what the world famous scientist Dr. Alexis Carrel says: "The differences existing between man and woman... are of a fundamental nature. Ignorance of these fundamental facts has led promoters of feminism to believe that both sexes should have the same education, the same powers and the same responsibilities. In reality woman differs profoundly from man. Every one of the cells of her body bears the mark of her sex ... . Physiological laws are as inexorable as those of the sidereal world. They cannot be replaced by human wishes."
What then is the solution? "But now female education is to be spread with religion
as its centre. All other training should be secondary to religion," says Swami
Vivekananda. Mahatma Gandhi exhorts our women not to ape the West but apply methods
suitable to the Indian genius and Indian environment. Says he : "Theirs must be the
strong controlling, purifying, steadying hand, conserving what is best in our culture and
unhesitatingly rejecting what is base and degrading. This is the work of Sitas, Draupadis,
Savitris, and Damayantis, not of amazons and proudes."
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Will our mothers and sisters heed this advice ?
Spiritual disciplines are called Sadhanas. They are paths to perfection, roads to
realisation of the truth. Since there are temperamental differences among the individual
seekers of truth,. Hinduism recognises the need for a variety of spiritual disciplines or
Sadhanas. These Sadhanas can be brought under four broad categories called Yogas : the
Karma Yoga, the Bhakti Yoga, the Raja Yoga and the Jnana Yoga. Karma Yoga is the path of
disinterested action suited to the active type. Bhakti Yoga, the path of love of God, is
most suitable to the emotional type, Raja Yoga, the path of psychic control, is meant for
the introspectives. Jnana Yoga, the path of discrimination and knowledge is ideal for
those endowed with. a sharp intellect and a keen power of discrimination. However the four
qualities of activity, emotion, introspection and intellect are found in everyone though
in varying degrees. Hence a balanced combination of all the Yogas, with more of one and
less of others depending upon one's temperament, is desirable for quick results.
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Do your work, the duties that fall to your lot, nicely and efficiently. But be alert, never get attached, either to the work or to the fruits thereof. This is the essence of Karma Yoga.
Love God with all your heart and soul. Cultivate an intimate loving relationship with Him. Surrender yourself completely to Him. Desire for Him alone and for nothing else. This is the core of Bhakti Yoga.
Raja Yoga prescribes an eight fold discipline leading to the perfect control of the mind and culminating in the vision of the Truth. Yama and Niyama, the moral and ethical disciplines already described, are the first two steps. Asana (steady and comfortable posture), Pranayama (rhythmic breathing and breath control), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses from their objects), Dharana (fixing the attention on the ideal), Dhyana (steady flow of the mind stuff towards the ideal) and Samadhi (perfect concentration on the ideal) these are the subsequent steps in that order.
Discriminate between the real (the Self) and the unreal (the world appearance). Give up
the unreal mercilessly. Cling to the Self, the eternal and immortal reality. Hear about
It, brood over It and mediate over It. Become one with it. This is the sum and substance o
Jnana Yoga.
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Philosophy without religion becomes meaningless. Religion without rituals becomes insipid. The rituals of a religion, like the husk of a seed, preserve its life and make it germinate. It is only when the rituals are separated from the faith and assume an independent existence that they become mechanical and lifeless.
Human beings have not yet reached those heights where they can dispense with all sorts of symbols and rituals and devote themselves to purely abstract principles. A flag hoisting, an oath taking or a convocation is as much a ritual as worship or sacrifice. To give a concrete shape to the abstract spiritual ideals and to add colour and zest to life, Hinduism recommends the performance of several rituals. Out of these, a few are obligatory and the rest are optional.
Practice of meditation at sunrise, noon and sunset with the repetition of the famous
Gayatri Mantra, worship of God through symbols and images, offering oblations into
specially consecrated sacrificial fires these were some of the rituals obligatory on
almost all the Hindus during the ancient days. Even to this day, these have been kept up
though in a modified form, and with lesser intensity. A wisely planned and solemnly
conducted ritual prepares the ground, creates the atmosphere, suggests the mood and
predisposes the mind so that the spiritual aspirant may easily detach himself from the
world and feel the mysterious presence of the Supreme Power called God .
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Hinduism considers religion and spirituality to be purely a personal affair. It concerns with the eternal relationship between the Eternal Soul and the Eternal God. Hence the Hindu is obliged neither to build a temple nor pay a visit to it on any particular day. To him his own body is the temple, the abode of the Lord. However, for the sake of the ordinary people who are incapable of comprehending this truth, who always need an external support for the practice of their religion, temples are recommended. Even the temple is only an external symbol of this body. In fact, many of the technical names of the various parts of a temple are identical with the names of the various parts of the body. Actually the temple represents the Lord and His creation (the universe) in all its aspects.
Usually the gateway to a temple will be a massive and magnificent construction. When we stand in front of it we are made to feel so insignificant before the Lord of the universe ! As we proceed inwards leaving behind the grand carvings and decorations of the outside, we notice that the sanctum sanctorum itself is small and dark. We can have the darshan of the Lord only when a light is lit up and waved before Him. This indicates that we have to leave the grand external world outside, direct our minds inward, light up the lamp of knowledge there and behold the Lord within the sanctum sanctorum of our hearts.
Ours has been a land of temples. There is no town or village without a temple, be that
of Shiva or Vishnu, Devi or Hanuman, Ganesha or Subrahmanya. They are standing monuments
to the continuing spiritual traditions of our country. And they have played a very
significant part in the community life of our country, helping to preserve and enrich our
religion and culture, arts and crafts through jatras, rathotsavas and festivals. 
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Festivals connected with certain sacred days and associated with certain temples or rivers or places of piligrimage, have been another potent factor in the religious life of our society. Though the rules and regulations of a festival introduce an amount of austerity in personal life, they also tighten this burden and elevate the mind when performed properly. A rathotsava (temple-car festival) or a mela (religious fair) has its own story to tell and lessons to teach. The former seems to signify that if you are too busy to go to the Lord, He Himself will come to you ! The latter provides an opportunity for like minded devotees to congregate in a place and strengthen one another spiritual vibrations. That is why they have become part and parcel of our life, for centuries.
It will not be out of place here to dilate a little upon a few of the more important rituals and sacraments that have embellished Hinduism since ages.
Sandhya, Puja and Homa are the most important rituals still in vogue. Jatakarma & Namakarana, Annaprashana, Upanayana, Vivaha and Antyeshti including Shradha are the more common Samskaras or sacraments prevalent even today. Sandhya is the ritual practised at dawn, noon and dusk. Ceremonial sipping of water (Achamana), rhythmic breathing (Pranayama), expiation of sin (Aghamarshana), offering water to Sun-god (Arghyapradana), repetition of the Gayatri Mantra coupled with meditation on Sun-god and obeisance to Sun-god (Upasthana) these comprise the ritual.
The mode of Puja or worship is a replica of the services that are usually rendered to a
beloved guest or an honoured king. Only, the King of kings is the recipient here ! After
invoking the presence of the Diety (Avahana), a seat is offered (Asana) ; the feet are
washed (Padya); a respectful offering of water mixed with sandalwood paste and rice is
made (Arghya); sandalwood paste is smeared (Chandana) ; flowers are offered (Pushpa) ;
incense is burned (Dhupa) ; lighted lamp is waved (Dipa) and food offering is made
(Naivedya) along with drinking water (Paniya). Finally the Deity is given a farewell
(Visarjana).
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Homa is actually Vedic sacrifice adopted to Agamic requirements. It is nothing but Puja offered to the Deity invoked into the sacrificial fire. Except in some details it is almost identical with Puja.
Samskara literally means a purificatory rite. It is socio religious in character. By performing it, the life of the Hindu is sanctified.
Though the Samskaras are sixteen in number, only the principal ones mentioned above, will be dealt with here.
Jatakarma is the rite performed immediately after the birth of the child. Repetition of a mantra for the generation of talent (Medhajanana) and wishing the baby longevity and strength are the main items involved.
Namakarana or name giving ceremony is performed usually on the tenth or the twelfth day. The choice of the name for the child is generally associated with religious ideas.
Anna-prashana in the first feeding of the child with solid food which has been previously consecrated by offering it to various deities.
Upanayana or the sacrament of initiation into higher life stands for taking the child
to a teacher for education. >From the cultural point of view this is the most important
sacrament. The most striking feature of the Upanayana lies in the belief that by its
performance the initiate is given a cultural and spiritual rebirth. It is a great advance
over the primitive types of initiation like the endurance test, temporary seclusion or
mutilation of the body still current among many religious communities.
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Receiving the loin-cloth (Kaupina) and the girdle (Mekhala), investiture with the sacred thread (Yajnopavitadharana), initiation with the Savitri mantra (better known as the Gayatri) and going round for aims these constitute the most essential aspects of the ritual. The first symbolises the beginning of a life of self control. The Yajnopavita suggests that from now on, his life is a continuous sacrifice. The Gayatri is particularly apt for a celibate student seeking intellectual development.
Hinduism is like the centre-of-gravity doll which regains its equilibrium howsoever it be disturbed. Wave after wave of alien invasions have come and gone upon this sacred land but none of them really succeeded in uprooting it. That is because the basis of Hinduism is strong and sound. Standing firmly on this, it has always shown a remarkable dynamism, a unique capacity for change and adjustment whenever circumstances have demanded it.
Whenever the essential core was forgotten and too much fuss was made over the
nonessential crust, there has always been a reaction and a rebellion from its own ranks to
put things in their proper perspective and show a better way in conformity with the times.
When the simple Rig Vedic religion was developed in course of time into a highly
complicated labyrinth of sacrifices, there arose the dynamic sages of the Upanishads
condemning it in no uncertain terms and preaching the direct method of realising the truth
through contemplation and knowledge. This was the first reform movement.
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This was further supplemented by the next movement started by the Gitacharya Sri Krishna who reconciled the warring groups of his times, who were advocating either action or knowledge or contemplation or devotion. He provided a place in his system for everyone of these in such a way that one need not be in conflict with the others.
Then came Buddha, the compassionate, who was more interested in the greatest good of the largest number than in the philosophies of the privileged few. Teaching simple moral and spiritual principles bearing more directly on the life here than on the life hereafter, he captured the hearts of millions and set a dynamic spiritual revolution into motion.
Buddha's apparent condemnation of the Vedic religion and his discreet silence on the
life hereafter were throughly misunderstood and even misrepresented by his later
followers. It was given to Shankara, the first missionary Hindu monk, to make a whirlwind
tour of the country, expose their fallacies and re-establish the pristine glory of
Hinduism. By admitting Buddha into the galaxy of incarnations the Post-Buddhistic Hinduism
sealed the fate fo Buddhism in India once for all.
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Then followed an era of invasion and conquest by foreigners and it looked,as though the
Eternal Religion would just collapse. However, the task of keeping it very much alive was
admirably fulfilled by the various Bhakti movements started by Ramanuja, Madhva,
Basaveshwara, Chaitanya, Ramananda, Kabir, Nanak, Mirabai, Tulasidas, Tukaram, Purandara
Das and a host of others. Special mention must be made of the Sikhism of Nanak, which
effectively prevented large number of people from being forcibly converted into Islam. No
less important was the movement started by Ramanuja to broaden the outlook of Brahmin
orthodoxy.
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The British conquest as also the impact of western civilization with its science, technology and Christianity gave another shaking to the native religion and culture. Bang came the reply in the form of several reform movements each trying in its own way to set things right. If the Brahma Samaj and its offshoot, the Prarthana Samaj tried to give a Christian look', to Hinduism, the Arya Samaj tried to bring back the pure Vedic religion. The Theosophical Society too tried to do its bit with its mystical and esoteric doctrines. However it was Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda who struck a perfect balance between the past and the present, the East and the West by showing the people how to combine the best of both. This regeneration is still continuing through the work of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission and other organisations drawing inspiration from them.
A very recent attempt at uniting the Hindu society, protecting and spreading its
religion and culture, is the formation of the Vishva Hindu Parishad which is steadily
gaining ground.
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Hinduism has made a very significant contribution to world thought in propounding the three doctrines of Karma and Rebirth, Adhikara Bheda and Avatara Vada.
The doctrine of Karma is nothing but the extension of the well-known principle, As you sow, so you reap, to the moral and spiritual field. We have to reap the consequences of our actions sooner or later. The present is the result of the past and the future will be the result of the present.
The doctrine of rebirth is a logical corollary of this theory of Karma. We may burn our
finger in fire for only a few seconds but it takes a couple of weeks ( =3D 12 million
seconds I) to be cured of it completely. Similarly since it is not possible to experience
the result of all the actions that we do in one short life, it is reasonable to admit of
our future lives. The wide variety and differences among human beings which have no
logical connection with the present life, force us to hypothesise about their causes
existing in past lives and resulting in the present ones. Since Hinduism posits the soul
as eternal and immortal, the theory of Karma and Rebirth fits in admirably with it. This
is the best hypothesis that the human mind can conceive of, to solve the problem of good
and evil, to explain the variety and diversity in the universe.
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The doctrine of Adhikara Bheda is a recognition of the simple fact that the same cap cannot fit everybody. In any field especially in the spiritual field, capacity and necessity should be the deciding factors and not merely the desire or ambition. A blind man is certainly unfit to become a pilot and the tame should never attempt Mountain-climbing, however intense their desires may be ! That is why like a loving mother catering to her children with a variety of dishes depending upon their digestive capacities, Hinduism has opened up manifold spiritual paths to suit a variety of tastes and temperaments. If the intellectual is recommended Jnana Yoga, the active person find an outlet for his energies in Karma Yoga. If the emotional type finds a solace in Bhakti Yoga, the introspective one finds his peace in Raja Yoga. Thus no one need be disappointed.
The Avatara Vada-the doctrine of descent of God on earthdeclares that the Supreme Power
descends on this earth wherever and whenever necessary to restore the spiritual balance
and to help genuine religious aspirants in their struggle for perfection. This is truly a
marvellous doctrine filling the hearts of millions of aspirants with tremendous hope. An
unbiassed study of the spiritual history of mankind proves this beyond all doubt. It is
foolish to limit the powers and capacities of the Almighty God by arguing that He
descended only once in a particular chosen land and that He will never come again.
Regimentation in religion and proselytisation with political motives which are doing
immense harm to humanity have their origin in such bigotry.
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Any religion to be universally acceptable, must appeal both to the head and to the heart of the maximum number of people. And Hinduism does it. The dizzy heights of its Advaita philosophy can easily slake the thirst of the brainiest of philosophers. Its conception of the Personal God can more than satisfy the refined theologians. The modes of Bhakti enunciated as well as the rituals recommended soothe the hearts of the emotional types. The advocates of activism are easily accommodated by the doctrine of selfless action. And the mystics can always count upon Yoga.
Hinduism considers that man is potentially divine and not a sinner. Hence even the worst of sinners finds a place in its bosom. He has not committed any sin but only mistakes, says Hinduism, because he had forgotten his essentially divine nature ! What a wonderful doctrine ! What a marvellous psychology !
By declaring that the whole universe is but the projection of the Cosmic Mind, and that
a fundamental thread of unity passes through the innumerable and diverse manifestations in
it, Hinduism carries conviction to the modern scientists also.
Even the agnostics and the atheists find a place in it because Hinduism preaches that to be good and to do good is the whole of religion, all other things being secondary.
Gross materialists, instead of being condemned, are advised to be a little less selfish while enjoying the good things of life!
If this is not the Religion Universal which other one can be ? In fact Hinduism being
more a way of life than a dogmatic creed, the whole of humanity ever struggling from lower
truths to higher truths come under its protective wings whether they accept it or not
