A Hindu Centre Publication
Vol 3 No 1 : 2012
Inside:
Dharma in Ramayana
MICA (P) 082/11/2011
Jnana • Bhakti • Seva
Jnana • Bhakti • Seva
The Hindu Centre is an independent,
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the spiritual progress of Hindus in Singapore
through Jnana, Bhakti and Seva.
Hinduism, teaches man to follow the three paths
to Godhead – namely, Karma Marga (Service),
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(Devotion). Thirty years on, these three paths
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Contents
Copyright© 2012 The
Hindu Centre
Prayer With Explanation 2
Editorial 3
The Ideal Life for Students (Anecdotes)
4
Dharma in Ramayana
12
Challenges From Vidura Neeti
16
A Hindu Centre Publication
Vol 3 No 1 : 2011
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of this publication.
Inside:
Conference on Hinduism and Social Services:
Strategies and Synergies 22
The Development of Hinduism in
Singapore [Part 2] 27
Questions and Answers on Hinduism
31
Saiva Siddhantha (article in Tamil)
35
Saiva Siddhantha (Summarised Translation) 38
Shri Aurobindo Ghosh:
Man’s evolution at the spiritual level
40
Dharma in Ramayana
Jnana • Bhakti • Seva
MICA (P) 082/11/2011
61
Editorial Committee
Advisor : Dr N Varaprasad
Chief Editor: Dr Chitra Sankaran
Members : Dr Chitra Varaprasad
Mr S Ravenderan
MsViji Gopi
Ms S Anuradha
Publishing Consultant:
Ink Werkz
Children’s Section
Crossword Puzzle 42
The Elephant and The Sparrow
44
The Day Dreaming Priest
45
The Performance of Action and
Renunciation of Action
– Two paths, one goal
46
Bliss and Freedom of the Realised 49
Graduation Ceremony 51
Hinduism Courses at Hindu Centre
54
Design & Production:
HG Asia
Published by:
The Hindu Centre
132 Owen Road
Singapore 218935
Tel: 62918540
Fax: 62990414
Website:
http://www.hinducentre.org.sg
Email:
[email protected]
Printed in Singapore
ISSN 0217-3905
MICA (P) 082/11/2011
dhṛ
Prayer With Explanation
paritrāṇāya sādhūnām vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām dharmasaṁsthāpanārthāya sa
yuge
yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ na sa siddhimavāpnoti na suk
gatim
dhṛ
gururbrahmā gururviṣṇuḥ gururdevo maheśvaraḥ
paritrāṇāya sādhūnām
vināśāya
ca śrigurave
duṣkṛtāmnamaḥ
dharmasaṁsthāpanārthāya sa
gurussākṣāt
paraṁ brahma
tasmai
yuge
akhaṇḍamaṇḍalākāraṁ vyāptaṁ yena carācaram
yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya
kāmakārataḥ
na sa siddhimavāpnoti na suk
tatpadaṁ
darśitaṁ yena vartate
tasmai śrīgurave
namaḥ
gatim
Translation
The guru is Brahmaa,
the guruśaṅkarācāryaṁ
is Vishnu, the guru
is Maheshvara,
the guru is the self-revealing
śaṅkaraṁ
keśavaṁ
bādarāyaṇam
punaḥ punaḥ
dhṛ
limitless Brahman.sūtra-bhāṣya-kṛtau
Salutations to that vande
reveredbhagavantau
guru
gururbrahmā
gururviṣṇuḥ
gururdevo
maheśvaraḥ
paritrāṇāya
sādhūnām
vināśāya
ca duṣkṛtām
dharmasaṁsthāpanārthāya sa
gurussākṣāt paraṁ brahma tasmai śrigurave namaḥ
yuge
akhaṇḍamaṇḍalākāraṁ
yena carācaram
yaḥ
śāstravidhimutsṛjya vyāptaṁ
vartate kāmakārataḥ
na sa siddhimavāpnoti na suk
tatpadaṁ darśitaṁ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ
gatim
śaṅkaraṁ śaṅkarācāryaṁ keśavaṁ bādarāyaṇam
sūtra-bhāṣya-kṛtau vande bhagavantau punaḥ punaḥ
Translation
gururbrahmā gururviṣṇuḥ gururdevo maheśvaraḥ
My salutations unto that guru who showed me the abode of the one who is to be known, whose
gurussākṣāt paraṁ brahma tasmai śrigurave namaḥ
form is the entire universe, and by who pervades all that moves and all that does not move.
akhaṇḍamaṇḍalākāraṁ vyāptaṁ yena carācaram
tatpadaṁ darśitaṁ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ
śaṅkaraṁ śaṅkarācāryaṁ keśavaṁ bādarāyaṇam
sūtra-bhāṣya-kṛtau vande bhagavantau punaḥ punaḥ
Translation
Salutations again and again to Lord Shiva in the form of Shri Shankaracharya and Lord Vishnu
in the form of Veda Vyasa, who were the authors of sutra and bhashya.
Editorial
Dharmo Rakshita Rakshatah
If you protect Dharma, it will protect you
A central concept within Hinduism, one that is often mentioned as vital to conducting life as an ethical
Hindu, is ‘dharma’. Dharma has been variously interpreted as ‘duty’, as ‘right conduct’ as ‘truth’, and as
‘ethics’. But in fact ‘dharma’ could be said to include all of these notions and more. The word dharma
comes from the Sanskrit root dhri, meaning to ‘uphold’ or to ‘sustain’. This gives rise to two questions
– who should ‘uphold’ or ‘sustain’ Dharma? And also, why should it be ‘upheld’ or ‘sustained’? The
answer to these two questions, in fact, reveals some fundamental features of Hinduism. So let us
attempt to answer them and in the process understand this crucial concept within Hinduism.
Our scriptures state that Dharma is the principle or law that orders the universe. Hence we can say
that dharma operates at the cosmic level. Dharma also dictates that individual conduct should be in
conformity with this principle and therefore we can concede that Dharma also operates at the individual
level. Arising from this, we arrive at the proposition that Dharma is in one sense the essential function
or nature of a thing which operates at all levels across the universe. As such, there is a dharma for
oneself, for societies, for families, for nations, indeed, even for the universe. There are thus collective
and individual Dharmas. This provides the answer for the first of the two questions we raised: namely,
‘who should uphold Dharma?’ We arrive then at the response that every created life form and every
‘being’ acts according to its dharma. It becomes both an individual and a collective act for all creatures.
But it is more than that for humans: for us it is a commitment, a responsibility, indeed, an obligation.
The second question that we raised was, “why should dharma be upheld?’ Scriptures tell us that all
creatures live according to their Dharma. For animals, this is their basic or natural disposition. However,
for us, as human beings who have self-awareness, this is to live according to our highest nature. Your
Dharma should direct you to establish harmony within yourself, with your family and society and with
the larger world. In this way, your dharma will be aligned with the stability and harmony of the universe.
Many contemporary Hindu sages are of the view that it is because people do not follow their dharma
today that there is such disharmony in the world. Turbulence in humans, they say, is reflected in the
larger turmoil of Nature.
This issue of Omkara is centred around the concept of Dharma. The lead article by Swami Vishwa Mitterji
explicates the Dharma of students. Malar’s article on ‘Dharma in Ramayana’ also discusses this sacred
epic as a Dharma Shastra. We sincerely hope that you will enjoy and benefit from our compilation.
Vaiyathull vaazhvaangu vaazhbavan vaanuraiyum
Theivathull vaikkappadum (Thirukkural - 50)
He who leads a Dharmic and righteous life on earth is equal to the Gods
The Ideal Life for Students
Some Inspiring Anecdotes
Swami Vishwa Mitter
(Translated by Medha Kudaisya)
Vidya (knowledge) is of two kinds, one -- ‘Apara Vidya’,
which means worldly knowledge, and the second –
‘Para Vidya’, which means spiritual knowledge. Apara
Vidya is necessary for taking care of worldly needs and
Para Vidya is important for worshipping the Supreme
Spirit. For a successful life, a balance between both
kinds of knowledge is necessary.
Every human being, from birth to death, has one basic
desire –- every one wants happiness. All one’s efforts
are directed towards achieving this goal. If we know
what kind of happiness we desire, the journey of
our life going forward becomes very easy. We want
happiness from everyone, everywhere and at all times
– and we want it in abundance, we want it effortlessly
and without depending on anyone; this is what is
called ‘Shashwat Sukh’ or eternal happiness.
Attaining this happiness is the goal of every human
being’s life. We study, get into business or get
employed, get married, have children and so on, to
attain this happiness. We search for this happiness,
but we can’t find it.
Then, where are we going wrong? Instead of indestructible or permanent happiness, why are we getting
the destructible or transient happiness? Today’s students will be the citizens and helmsmen of tomorrow.
Inspiring glimpses from the lives of great men are pre
sented here to help them to achieve their
life’s objective. By applying the lessons embedded in these anecdotes in their day-today lives, they can achieve this eternal goal.
k I k
A royal princess, accompanied by her
friends went to bathe in the pond. She left
her precious necklace by the pond. After
bathing, all of them came out and began
to get dressed. The princess could not find
her necklace. It was definitely not a prank
played by any of her friends, since they
were all inside the pond. They searched
high and low but could not find it.
Once they reached the palace, the King was
informed. An announcement was made in
the town – whoever found the necklace
would be handsomely rewarded. A search
began but was of no avail.
A thirsty woodcutter went to the banks
of the same pond to drink some water.
While drinking water, he saw the precious
necklace at the bottom of the pond. His
happiness knew no bounds. He dived
in, tried to get hold of the necklace but
instead of the necklace, he only got slime
in his hands. He came out, after the water
settled, he dived in again and got slime in
his hands again. He went and informed the
King. Specialists were called in, but their
efforts also failed. Everybody was surprised
and disappointed.
A saint arrived and asked why a crowd
was gathered there. He heard about the
problem. An intelligent man, he understood
immediately. The necklace was actually
hanging on the tree as a bird had probably
picked it up and taken it to its nest. It was
the reflection of the necklace which was
seen in the water. How can you catch a
reflection? Therefore, all that came into the
hand was mud and slime.
What we actually want is the object
reflected: eternal happiness, but are
going after the reflection i.e. transient and
destructible happiness. So we end up with
only ‘slime,’ in other words, unhappiness
or happiness which leads to suffering or
sadness throughout our lives. Our search
itself is erroneous. How should we start the
journey to achieve that happiness?
Always remember the principle that
the object cannot be obtained from its
reflection. So go for the object reflected,
i.e. find the source of this happiness.
Imagined or worldly happiness is the
shadow of eternal happiness. Therefore,
you can never get real happiness from
the world. We keep on trying to achieve
the peace, joy and happiness signified
by the necklace in the reflection in this
world and keep on getting disappointed
– slime signifies the pain that ends up
in our hands again and again. The real
source of peace, joy and happiness is
the Supreme Spirit, the object reflected.
Achieving this is the goal of everyone’s life.
k II k
Acharya Vinoba Bhave used to relate an
incident he had personally witnessed: ‘I
was travelling by train in an overcrowded
compartment. At one station, an old beggar
who was wearing old and torn clothes had
a shrunken stomach, messy hair, sunken
eyes - a body which looked like a skeleton
of helplessness, entered the compartment.
Passengers were getting on and off the train.
The train started moving and everybody sat
down on their seats. The beggar started
singing a hymn in an amazingly magical
voice. Everybody became quiet and
became engrossed in the hymn. The old
man kept singing and moving around in the
apartment. The meaning of the hymn was –
“Nothing happens without the blessings of
God and if he doesn’t give, nobody can get
anything. The Great Giver keeps giving.”
One rich landlord questioned the beggar,
“How much do you earn after singing the
whole day?” The answer he got was, “I get
about 2 – 4 annas, whatever I get by God’s
grace, I am happy with it. The landlord
offered him 1 rupee, saying that it will last
him longer, but asked him to sing a film
song instead of a hymn. The sage refused,
insisting that he only sang hymns. The
landlord replied: “Okay take 100 rupees,
your remaining life will pass happily and
there will be no need to sing hymns in
trains anymore. What have you got till
now by singing hymns? From now on, start
singing film songs. The sage replied, “No
Sir, forgive me, I can’t change my goal for
money, I can’t divert from the right path.
Whether I get something or not, I will only
sing hymns.”
A beggar, even to satisfy his hunger and
to dress himself, does not want to deviate
from the path of God. How many people
wish, not for worldly pleasures, but for
this indestructible happiness? A beggar
has chosen the path of God, he is content
in that and experiences joy by pursuing
that path. He is not a beggar, but a King.
Vinobaji explains – “The objective is to
attain God, but a person targets and gets
lost in worldly pleasures and forgets the
real objective. Thus, he remains lost and
unhappy. Intelligence lies in remaining
committed to our goal. It is also in our own
best interests to do so. Once the goal is
fixed, the journey can begin.
The education that is being given these days
in schools and colleges makes us capable
of earning our livelihood. Therefore, we
should not stop this education: in fact,
Scholars describe
modern Hinduism
as the product
of religious
development in India
that spans nearly
four thousand years,
making it the oldest
surviving world
religion.
we should finish with full motivation. But
at the same time if we can include ‘Para
Vidya’, only then life will be fully complete.
Otherwise, life will always be incomplete.
k III k
A famous scientist from a foreign country
came to India. He expressed a deep desire
to meet an Indian sage. The meeting was
arranged. The scientist asked the sage,
“What is your opinion about modern
science?” The sage replied, “In my opinion,
it has no value”. Surprised and upset, the
The scientist asked
the sage, “What is
your opinion about
modern science?”
The sage replied,
“In my opinion, it
has no value”
scientist asked, “Science has provided so
many facilities to man. You are calling it
useless?” The sage replied, “I agree with
the achievements you have described, but
the biggest loss of science is that it could
not teach human beings to live like human
beings, to love each other, to serve others
and spread happiness. Worldly knowledge
cannot bring out the humanity in man;
this can be only done by ‘Para Vidya’.
Because we have an earnest desire to live
like good human beings, it is imperative
to have a balance between both kinds of
knowledge. Often, we hear that so and
so is a good doctor but as a person, he
is useless, characterless, anger-prone and
greedy. Becoming a virtuous and vice-free
human being is only taught by ‘Para Vidya’.
Humanity is invaluable.
k IV k
Dr. C. V. Raman was one of India’s foremost
scientists. Once he needed a young
research assistant to help him in his work.
Many candidates applied and were called
for interviews for the position. Dr Raman
did not find any of them suitable. Finally,
they all left but Dr Raman noticed one of
them lingering outside his office. “When
you have not been offered the job, why are
you wasting your time here?,” he asked.
The youngster replied, “Sir, please don’t be
annoyed with me. Your office has given me
more allowance for travel than I have spent
on my journey here and I am searching for
the clerk so that I may return the excess
to him.” Ramanji immediately responded:
“You are selected. Whatever shortcoming
you may have in your research credentials
can be remedied by my teaching but I
cannot teach good character. Worldly
knowledge can teach lots of things but
it cannot teach you to be a good human
being. For a fulfilling life, you need both
types of knowledge. Only possessing one
type of knowledge is not sufficient.”
k V k
There was once an artist who was very
accomplished in painting life-like portraits.
He once made the painting of a young child
whose innocent face was so attractive that
thousands of people bought the painting
to adorn their homes. The artist was very
pleased.
When the artist grew old he decided to
paint another portrait. This was to be the
last portrait of his life. He decided to
paint the portrait of a wicked, inhuman,
criminal, which would be so powerful that
anyone who saw it would be deterred from
committing any wrong acts after that. So
the artist set out to search for such a person.
He went to a jail. After meeting many
prisoners he finally selected one of them
for his portrait. He sat on the barrack near
the prisoners’ cell and started to paint his
portrait. The criminal asked: “Mister, what
are you doing?” The artist answered that
he was painting his portrait. The criminal
asked: “Why me?” Thereupon, the artist
showed him the portrait of the innocent
child which he had painted previously and
said: “Brother, many years ago I drew this
portrait. People adored it. Today I want
to make your portrait.” As soon as the
prisoner saw the child’s portrait, his eyes
filled with tears. The surprised artist said:
“‘It appears that the portrait has reminded
you of your son. Please excuse me. I didn’t
intend to hurt your feelings.” “No,” said
the criminal, “this is not a portrait of my
son but of me! I am crying because of the
difference between me as a child and what
I am now. Because of my misdeeds and
bad company, I have become a criminal.
How I wish I had come across someone
who could have taught me the correct path;
a great soul in whose company my good
Samskaras would have emerged and from
whose grace, kindness and love I could
have imbibed and benefitted. I would have
become oriented towards God and would
not have been in my present state.”
Dear Students! If you keep ‘Satsangati” or
good company you will be able to avoid
bad deeds and you will bring divinity into
your life. It is here that you can learn Para
Vidya. This teaches us to bow down, to be
humble, to overcome pride and become
good human beings: it will eradicate our
animal instincts and let our humanity come
to the fore. We must love everyone and
rid ourselves of hatred and dislike – this
Vidya will teach you that. We must remove
our vices, weaknesses and shortcomings
and imbibe Satguna such as devotion,
tolerance, forgiveness, punctuality – all this
will come with this knowledge. We must
not think that if others are neither pursuing
this nor have achieved this - then how will
we? Whether others reform themselves or
not – we must reform ourselves. God will
then bless us and assist us in this. God helps
those who keep striving to move forward.
k VI k
Once, a king developed a desire to learn
mathematics. An eminent mathematician
He asked him: “Sir!
Isn’t there an easy and
convenient method of
learning mathematics?”
was invited and the king requested him:
“Please teach me.” The mathematician
started to teach but even after a long
period of learning, the king could not
grasp the subject. As students often do, he
thought : “This teacher is not experienced
enough.” He asked him: “Sir! Isn’t there an
easy and convenient method of learning
mathematics?” In a serious tone, the teacher
replied: “Your highness, you are a king. For
you, there is a beautiful, royal pathway
and comfortable arrangements for rest. For
a student, there is only one way to gain
knowledge - concentration and practice.
That is the only way to walk on this path.
There is no way to make it easy.” The king
got the message. Overtime -- with focus
and practice -- he became a distinguished
mathematician.
Students! Start preparing for this highest
attainment. You are passing through the
most important phase of your life. You will
hardly feel the onset and passing of youth
and before you know it, you will enter the
most painful period of life – old age. To
make the foundation of our life structure
strong and firm, we need to put in our
best possible effort and dedication. How
should we start? Devote all your energy to
gain knowledge, to have a healthy body
and mind, to build character, to have a
moral life. Connect to the Supreme Power
and by surrendering to It, draw strength,
enthusiasm, courage and capability and be
ready to be a great warrior in the battle of
life. As a result of this preparation, your life
will in fact pass peacefully. So keep your
body in good health – this is a good start to
the journey.
k VII k
A young man went to Swami Vivekananda
and said: “I want to learn the Gita from
you.” Swamiji looked at the young man
and said: “For six months, play football for
two hours everyday, then come to me and
I will teach you the Gitaji.” The young man
was surprised: “What is the connection
between the Gitaji and football?” Swamiji
explained: “Son! The Bhagwad Gita is
a study for the brave - a divine lecture
from a great charioteer to a soldier. So
first increase your physical strength. If
your body is fit, your mental grasp will
also be enhanced. Then, you will be able
to understand a difficult subject like the
Gitaji easily. Can someone who can’t keep
his body healthy and strong, be attentive
and grasp the spiritual principles expressed
in the Gitaji and incorporate them into his
life? To absorb these, a healthy body and
mind are required. Students! To keep your
body healthy, it is essential to wake up
early in the morning, do light exercises,
eat nutritious food, follow your daily
curriculum of activities and lead a chaste
life. To keep your mind healthy, read the
Gitaji or Ramayanji every day. By doing
this you will remain connected to the
power of this Supreme Shakti. This will
keep you balanced and steady on the right
path. Now, use all your energy to acquire
knowledge and build character.
Swamiji looked at the
young man and said:
“For six months, play
football for two hours
everyday, then come to
me and I will teach you
the Gitaji.” The young
man was surprised:
“What is the connection between the Gitaji
and football?”
k VIII k
Swami Vivekanand, wearing his dhoti
and turban, was passing through a street
in Chicago. His clothing was a source of
amusement to the Americans. A woman
walking behind him commented: “Look!
What a strange dress this man is wearing!”
10
Swamiji stopped and told the woman:
“Sister! In your country, clothes may be a
yardstick of goodness, but in the country
I come from, goodness is judged from a
person’s character not his clothes.”
Stay away from politics till you have finished
your education. Pay the utmost respect to
your elders and teachers, touch their feet
and get their blessings. Remember that
school, college and university education
gives you the capability to be breadwinners and hence is necessary, but this
not the ultimate knowledge. Why? It does
not help you to realize the Truth nor does it
grant you salvation, or ultimate happiness
and peace. Every human being aspires to
supreme bliss and happiness. You must
start preparing to attain it from a young age.
Only if a traveler starts at sunrise will he be
able to reach his destination by sundown.
How can a person who starts out only
when the sun is setting reach in time? Old
age is the worst time of one’s life. You will
not be able to achieve anything then. So
start your search from now!
Dear Students! Young men and women,
and the householders of tomorrow! To
attain supreme happiness and bliss, reflect
upon the following:
1) If your body is not fit and well,
you cannot concentrate on studies.
An unhealthy body cannot attain
exemplary
goals.
Therefore,
follow the regimen and discipline
necessary to keep your body
healthy.
2) Use the wealth you earn for yourself
for those who belong to you and
for others. Wealth must be earned
with honesty and hard-work. It is
necessary that wealth is ‘pure’ as it
will affect the purity of the mind.
3) The mind must be aware, i.e. it
must be able to perceive what is
right and wrong and sense what to
do or not do.
4) Think of the world as a place to
serve and love everyone. Develop
an attitude of goodwill and service
towards all.
Understanding and practicing these
principles becomes easy when one connects
to the Supreme Spirit through the medium
of Satsang. Connecting implies always
being conscious of the kindness, material
benefits, conveniences and comforts
bestowed on us by the Almighty. Cultivate
an attitude of gratitude, not ungratefulness.
Constantly thinking of God shows gratitude
and being forgetful or oblivious of God is
an act of ingratitude. An easy method of
remaining mindful of the Supreme Soul is
by doing ‘Jap’ or repeating of God’s name.
Buying a ticket for a ride when going on
a journey makes us feel free of worries,
fearless and secure about our seat. If we
travel without a ticket, we remain fearful
Hinduism is an ancient
religion with no founder
or known date of origin.
The term “Hinduism”
simply derives from the
word “India” and refers to
a wide variety of religious
traditions and philosophies
that have developed in India
over thousands of years.
Most Hindus worship one
or more deities, believe in
reincarnation, value the
practice of meditation
of being embarrassed and insulted.
Establishing a connection with God is
equivalent to travelling along life’s journey
with a ticket.
By incorporating these lessons into one’s
life, one gradually surrenders oneself
to God who then becomes the driving
force of our lives. One’s whole life then
becomes divine. The worldly and spiritual
lives converge. By attaining this goal, the
ultimate purpose of one’s birth as a human
being is fulfilled. k
*This essay was originally published in
Hindi in a special issue of the journal
Kalyan (Vol. 88, 2010).
11
Dharma in Ramayana
B. Thavamalar
The Ramayana is known throughout the
world as a quintessential classic where good
triumphs over evil. This poetic magnum
opus of sage Valmiki has captured the
hearts of millions worldwide and shaped
the histories and cultures of countries
throughout Asia. Ancient Hindu heritage
sites in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia
and the continual enactment of the story
via dance and drama forms are a strong
affirmation of the indelible imprint the
Ramayana has left in these regions. What
this article aims for is not a mere retelling
of a Hindu epic but an unearthing of the
gems that lie within this dharma shastra
(scripture) and how they can and will be
lifelong assets.
The story
This story purportedly composed around 6th
century BC, starts with a dharmic monarch
named Dasharatha who wishes for sons to
perpetuate his kingdom, Ayodhya. Through
prayers he is blessed with four sons - Rama,
Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna.
Rama, his eldest son, is actually Lord Vishnu
reincarnated as a human to destroy the demon
Ravana who has been hitherto harassing
sages and celestial beings. If ever there was
a man who was the very embodiment of all
virtues, then it was Rama.
Prince Rama leaves the royal court with Sita and Lakshmana
12
By a cruel twist of fate,
Dasharatha is forced by his
wife Kaikeyi to fulfil boons
formerly promised to her and
to banish Rama to the forest
for 14 years while making his
younger son Bharata the king.
Rama is then accompanied on
his long journey by his wife Sita
and brother Lakshmana.
During this period, Sita gets
abducted by Ravana and is
held captive. As Ravana refuses
to return Sita to her husband, a
war then ensues between him
and Rama, who is in turn aided
by an army of monkeys and
bears. The war ends favourably
with Rama killing Ravana and
having his wife returned to
him. However, Sita subjects
herself to a trial by fire to prove
her chastity when suspected by
her husband. After Sita emerges
from the fire unscathed, thereby
proving
her
unblemished
character, they all return to
Ayodhya where Bharata hands
the kingdom over to Rama who then rules
it for many years.
A Dharma Shastra
Before we proceed, the meaning of dharma
has to be understood. There is no single
definition in our scriptures for this word.
It is derived from the root ‘dh
dhṛ ’ which
Rama and monkey warrior
means to uphold or support. Therefore, the
order that sustains this universe is defined
as dharma. Man however is unique in
his possession of a free-will or choice. As
such, our actions are driven by our likes
and dislikes, and many times we tend to
swerve from dharma.
paritrāṇāya sādhūnām vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām dharmasaṁsthāpanārt
13
yuge
yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ na sa siddhimavāpnot
For the reason of aligning ourselves with the Throughout his life, Rama’s behavior is aluniversal order, Ishwara revealed dharma ways driven by dharma or what it is comvia the Vedas and Agamas. Numerous monly called as righteousness. As he says
secondary scriptures (i.e. human-authored) to Lakshmana before going to the forest,
were also generated to detail and emphasize “Righteousness is the prime object in this
the dharma necessary for everyone to world”. When Narayana decided to reinfollow in order to live happily. Dharma carnate himself as Rama, it was with the
encompasses values, rituals, duties (specific intention of destroying Ravana who was the
to context and stages in one’s life) and very personification of adharma or actions
overall, morality. The dharma as ordained that should not be done. As Lord Krishna
dhṛ
by the scriptures is only for us humans as asserts in the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 4,
dhṛ
all other beings already follow their natural verse 8), “paritya
paritrāṇāya sādhūnām
vināśāya
mi yuge
yug ca duṣkṛt
order. As dharma
helpssādhūnām
us align ourselves
yuge
e sambhav
paritrāṇāya
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharmasaṁsthāpanārthāya
with
the
universal
order,
it
is
not
bound
by
nām
vināśāya
ca duṣkṛtām
dharmasaṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi
yuge yuge - I take birth from
ādhūnām
vināśāya
cayuge
duṣkṛtām
dharmasaṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi
yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakāra
race, nationality and even religion. That is age to age for the extermination of evilgatim
yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya
na sa siddhimavāpnoti na sukham n
why our religion
(for lack of a better vartate
word) kāmakārataḥ
doers and the establishment of Dharma”.
sṛjya vartate
kāmakārataḥ
sa na
siddhimavāpnoti
na sukham
na parām
himutsṛjya
kāmakārataḥ
sa siddhimavāpnoti
na sukham
na parām
gatim na
isvartate
called Sanatana
DharmaEternal laws of Thus,
Rama and the other characters in
the universe.
the Ramayana teach us how to live a life
gururbrahmā gururviṣṇuḥ gururdevo mah
aligned with sanatana dharma
gurussākṣāt paraṁ brahma tasmai śrigura
gururbrahmā gururviṣṇuḥ gururdevo maheśvaraḥ
by highlighting the values we
rviṣṇuḥ
gururdevo
maheśvaraḥ
gururviṣṇuḥ
gururdevo
maheśvaraḥ
gurussākṣāt
paraṁ brahma tasmai śrigurave
namaḥ
akhaṇḍamaṇḍalākāraṁ
vyāptaṁ yena car
should cultivate or avoid.
brahma
tasmaitasmai
śrigurave
namaḥ
paraṁ
brahma
śrigurave
namaḥ
tatpadaṁ darśitaṁ yena tasmai śrīgurave
akhaṇḍamaṇḍalākāraṁ vyāptaṁ yena carācaram
āraṁ
vyāptaṁ
yena carācaram
ḍalākāraṁ
vyāptaṁ
yena
carācaram
Values for a leader
tatpadaṁ
darśitaṁ yena tasmai śrīgurave śaṅkaraṁ
namaḥ
śaṅkarācāryaṁ keśavaṁ bādar
yena tasmai
śrīgurave
namaḥ
rśitaṁ
yena tasmai
śrīgurave
namaḥ
Many
of
us
takevande
on leadership
sūtra-bhāṣya-kṛtau
bhagavantau punaḥ
śaṅkaraṁ śaṅkarācāryaṁ keśavaṁ bādarāyaṇam
roles in our lives be it as the
cāryaṁ
keśavaṁ
bādarāyaṇam
ṅkarācāryaṁ
keśavaṁ
bādarāyaṇam
sūtra-bhāṣya-kṛtau
vande bhagavantau punaḥ punaḥ
head of the family, a parent,
ande
bhagavantau
punaḥpunaḥ
punaḥpunaḥ
ṛtau vande
bhagavantau
older sibling or a corporate
head. The roles are many and
varied but it is undeniable that
we are in a position where
people look up to us, seek us
for advice on right behavior,
expect us to resolve problems
and to a certain extent emulate
Rama was driven by
dharma
14
us. Dasaratha, Ravana, Rama and Bharata,
to name a few, were leaders who were
often reminded of the necessity to follow
dharma and set examples to their subjects.
They were also warned of the danger
that befell one who chose to indulge in
adharma and not look after the welfare of
those in their care.
As the Ramayana showed, Ravana neglected his duty as the king of Lanka and
not only brought calamity upon himself,
but to also his kin and residents of Lanka.
Dasharatha on the other hand, valued and
followed Dharma above all else and thus
The one time that Dasharatha failed to get
advice and was deeply regretful for was
when he immediately fulfilled Kaikeyi’s
boon of banishing Rama to the forest. He
could have avoided this scenario had he
consulted his advisors. Likewise, Ravana,
did not consult his court advisors before
deciding to abduct Sita. Even when he was
advised by elders such as Marica, Jatayu
and Vibhishana to return Sita to Rama, he
refused. Interestingly, during the war he
sought the advice of his court counselors on
whether he should proceed in the war. Most
of his counselors were however adharmic
themselves and could not advice their
Many of us take on leadership roles in our lives be it as the
head of the family, a parent, older sibling or a corporate
head. The roles are many and varied but it is undeniable
that we are in a position where people look up to us, seek
us for advice on right behavior, expect us to resolve problems and to a certain extent emulate us.
procured prosperity and happiness for Ayodhya and all its residents.
One of the values repeated often in this
shastra is the importance of a leader to
seek counsel from his advisers and teachers
before embarking on leadership decisions.
The counselors have to be equipped on
the knowledge of dharma and as such
give informed advice that will ensure the
leader’s actions being aligned with dharma.
Dasharatha and Rama although well-versed
in the shastras themselves, always turned
to their advisors before making a decision.
leader on proper behavior i.e. surrendering
to Rama and handing Sita back to him.
Therefore, in these contemporary times
those of us in positions of authority should
take heed from our advisors and teachers,
well-versed in our shastras, before making
a decision. These advisors should know
dharma and how it is to be applied in
various situations and contexts. A leader
who makes a well-informed dharmic choice
certainly fares better than those without
their wise advisors. Such leaders are also
well-respected as they works towards the
betterment of their people rather than
15
A essential quality of a
dharmic leader is to have
faith in his followers.
advancing their own vested interests.
The second essential quality that leaders
should possess is having faith in those
under their care. When Rama expressed
his doubts on whether the monkeys and
bears could cross the sea to get to Lanka,
Sugriva was unflinching in his confidence
of his subjects. Accordingly, his army put
forth their best in building the bridge to
Lanka in a short period and defeating the
enemy. This value is certainly not obsolete
as many of us today value and work well
with a leader who places faith in us.
Encouragement from our leaders propel us
forward in our progress be it in the family,
work or academic fronts.
Lastly, a dharmic leader places the welfare
of his subjects above his or hers. Any parent
will be able to empathize with this value.
16
Many of us are skeptical about the episode
where Rama harshly doubts Sita’s chastity
thereby driving her to enter the fire, albeit on
her own volition. Rama’s reason for behaving
such was not because he doubted Sita’s
chastity but it was for the reason of allaying
any doubts in his subjects about the purity
of their queen and of their king being driven
by lust into accepting his consort who was
possibly unfaithful to him. As Rama could
not even brook the thought of any smudge
on his reputation as a responsible king,
he was driven to this behavior although it
pained him much. Hence, Rama teaches us
that leaders should always place their duty
as a leader foremost amongst all others.
The leader’s behavior should also always
be aligned with dharma such that it is not
called into question and can be emulated
by others.
Values for the individual
The foremost message we can distill from
the Ramayana is that good ultimately
comes to those who follow their dharma.
The Ayodhyans were prosperous and
happy because they relentlessly pursued
dharma. All those who were dharmic
in the Ramayana survived the war and
lived happily in the end despite all the
tribulations they endured, while those
who died ascended to heaven. In contrast,
Ravana and his kin who committed a string
of adharmic acts had to die in the hands
of the dharmic. As Yuddhishtira asserts
in the Mahabharata, “dharmo rakshati
rakshataha- he who preserves dharma is
himself preserved”. Therefore, what can
we do on our part to make sure that we
are aligning ourselves with dharma? We
should perform our nitya karmas (daily
duties) and samskaras (life milestones rites
e.g. marriage, birth ceremony, naming
ceremony, ancestral rites), followed by
knowing and abiding by the yamas (Dos)
and niyamas (Don’ts) as ascribed by our
shastras.
Secondly, how do we know if what we
are doing in line with dharma or not? The
shastras and the Ramayana assert that
dharma is first to be ascertained from the
shruti (primary scriptures i.e. Vedas and
Agamas) and smriti (secondary scriptures
i.e. puranas, itihasas, sutras). If one is
unable to study the shastras with the
guidance of a teacher, then he or she may
follow the actions or advice of shishtacaras
i.e. individuals whose actions are always
aligned with the dharma as stated in the
shastras. Rama always cited shishtacaras
and the shastras before embarking on a
course of action.
His actions were
thus never driven by
his likes or dislikes.
Likewise, we should
also always refer
to the shastras and
Nitya karmas and
samskaras should
be performed by
knowing and abiding
by the yamas and
niyamas as ascribed
by our shastras.
17
our teachers of dharma for determining
if our behavior is righteous or not. It is
also valuable to surround ourselves with
individuals who understand the shastras
well as they will be able to guide us in our
behavior which will never stray far from
dharma.
Contrary to popular belief, one should
refer to one’s conscience only as the last
resort when determining the righteousness
of actions. This is due to the fact that our
conscience is heavily colored by our likes
and dislikes. For instance, when Lakshmana
Thirdly, a factor that strongly detracts us
from following our dharma is our emotions.
Many characters were held under the sway
of their emotions which then led them to
adharma. Ravana’s lust for Sita drove him to
abduct her although he knew it was wrong
to abduct another’s wife. Kumbhakarna’s
love for Ravana made him fight on
Ravana’s behalf despite his knowledge
that what he was doing was adharma.
Sita’s anger at Lakshmana for not running
to his brother’s rescue when Rama’s cries
were heard (when he went hunting for the
golden deer) made her use harsh words on
Many of us take on leadership roles in our lives be it as the
head of the family, a parent, older sibling or a corporate
head. The roles are many and varied but it is undeniable
that we are in a position where people look up to us, seek
us for advice on right behavior, expect us to resolve problems and to a certain extent emulate us.
found out that Rama had been banished to
the forest, he was ready to kill Dasharatha
and Bharata so that his much-loved Rama
could be installed on the throne. His anger
and readiness to engage in violence were
driven by his conscience which said Rama
had been wronged. His anger only abated
when Rama used the shastras to explain
that it was his duty to carry out his father’s
promise to Kaikeyi and that Dasharatha did
what he did as he was following the value
of satyam (truth).
18
Lakshmana and accuse him of lusting after
her. Consequently, Lakshmana reluctantly
went in search of Rama although he knew
that he was breaking the promise (and
the value satyam) he made to Rama that
he would not leave Sita’s side no matter
what. His resolve was shaken due to
Sita’s harshness and his own emotions.
Therefore, we should always be mindful
of our emotions and how they can wreck
our resolve. Our intellect (mati) guided by
dharma and not our emotions should be
used in ascertaining a situation
and the necessary action
needed. Emotions can have a
stronghold on our mind and
consequent behavior but they
can be mastered by the one
determined to follow dharma.
Yamas and Niyamas –
some examples
Rama exhibits the value of
compassion repeatedly in
his life. When Vibhishana,
Ravana’s
brother,
sought
Rama’s protection and alliance
Rama and his followers get ready to cross the ocean
after leaving the adharmic
to Lanka.
court of Ravana’s, his arrival
was met with many taunts
and suspicions. However, Rama accepted Satyam or truth was a value Rama lived
the Rakshasa and vowed to protect him. and breathed for. He and the other virtuous
At many junctures in the story Rama also characters never compromised it. When he
declared that Ravana would be forgiven was told by Kaikeyi to go to the forest for
if Sita was returned. On the battlefield, fourteen years, he did not fight this decision
when Ravana was battered and extremely as he knew that if he did otherwise, he
exhausted, Rama allowed him to return to would have broken his father’s promise to
his palace to rest and regain his strength Kaikeyi and ruined his father’s reputation
till he was ready to fight Rama again. Such as a dharmic leader. Likewise, Vibhishana
was the compassion or daya displayed by had a great value for satyam. When Ravana
Rama that we can learn and practise in our announced in court his decision to go to
daily lives. Rama exhibited daya as he saw war with Rama, Vibhishana advised his
the virtues rather than the shortcomings brother against it and also frankly told his
in others and also understood that he had bother that his abduction of another’s wife
failings of his own. Likewise, if we can was highly adharmic. He did this despite
cultivate this same understanding in our the threats of harm he received from Ravana
relationships with others, daya will be an and the others. Since Ravana and his
easier value to develop and exhibit.
people continued to live in lies and deceit,
19
Vibhishana decided to seek alliance with
the truthful and dharmic Rama. Hence,
satyam is a value that we should all keep
in mind when performing any actions. This
requires alertness of the mind and especially
of our speech. The little white lies we say
regularly, the false promises we make, the
apparently harmless exaggerations in our
speech may grow sinister if left unchecked
and eventually result in us having to face
unpleasant consequences.
Dhriti or determination is another crucial
yama for one abiding by dharma. When
thought that he had reached a dead end in
the search for Sita. His fear of failure and
of punishment failed to keep him focused
in his task. Even Marica who warned
Ravana repeatedly against abducting Sita
seemed to display dhriti by not consenting
to transform into the golden deer. Sadly, he
lost his resolve when Ravana threatened
to kill him for not complying. From these
incidents we can learn that dhriti is a value
that helps us accomplish our goals that are
aligned in dharma. When taking on any task
or even when standing firm by a difficult
but dharmic decision, we may have to face
When taking on any task or even when standing firm by a
difficult but dharmic decision, we may have to face many
obstacles and criticisms. However, remembering to abide by
dharma will keep us focused and determined in doing our
duties.
Hanuman went in search of Sita he faced
many difficulties along the way. However,
his dhriti helped him soldier on eventually
find Sita. Even Rama was initially lost and
heartbroken when he found Sita missing
and had no idea who abducted her. But
his dhriti to find his wife and rescue her
secured his success. On the other hand,
Angada, Sugriva’s nephew who was asked
to lead a team of monkeys in Sita’s search,
was willing to give up his life when he
20
many obstacles and criticisms. However,
remembering that we always have to
abide by dharma will keep us focused and
determined in doing our duties.
Lastly, mati or intellect, a niyama, may
make us ask how it is a value. It is not just
any intellect that makes us dharmic but it
is the discerning intellect. Such an intellect
knows the right from the wrong and knows
how to exercise dharma in every situation.
When Bharata heard about Rama’s exile,
he rushed to the forest with his army and and leaders. It also then briefly dwelled
advisors to bring Rama back to Ayodhya. on some of the yamas and a niyamas that
Seeing Bharata’s arrival with his entourage, we should cultivate. What this article has
Lakshmana quickly concluded that his shown is but the tip of the iceberg of the
brother was there to kill Rama and thus values the Ramayana extols. By studying it
urged Rama to attack the visitors. Rama on with the help of a teacher the benefits to be
the other hand calmly assessed the situation reaped from it are manifold. The acts and
and decided that Bharata’s visit was not words of Rama and the others in this lovely
dhṛ
insidious. He also exhibited mati with story will then often ring in our mind and
dhṛ
dhṛ
paritrāṇāya
Vibhishana’s arrival which caused much guide us on the path
of dharma.sādhūnām vināśāya ca
yuge
paritrāṇāya
sādhūnām vināśāya
ca duṣkṛtām
dharmasaṁsthāpanārthāya
samb
distress and distrust among
the monkeys.
paritrāṇāya
As it is said
in the Bhagavad
Gitasādhūnām
(Chapter vināśāya
sādhūnām Instead
vināśāyaofca immediately
duṣkṛtāmyuge
dharmasaṁsthāpanārthāya
yugeyuge
denouncing the 16, sambhavāmi
yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya
verse 23), “ yas
travidhi- vartate kā
rakshasa as an enemy
who
had
come
gatim
vartate k
na sa navartate
yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya mutsjya
vartate kāmakārataḥ
na
saśāstravidhimutsṛjya
siddhimavāpnoti
sukham
yaḥma
to
harm
him,
he
asked
the
advice
of
the
gatim
siddhimavpnoti
na sukham
dhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ na sa siddhimavāpnoti na
sukham na parām
gatim - He who dismonkey leaders around him on what to cards scriptural injunctions and acts in
make of Vibhishana’s arrival. He then an arbitrary way according
gururbrahmā
gururviṣṇuḥ
to his
desires gururde
gurussākṣāt
paraṁ
brahma gururd
tasma
embraced Vibhishanagururbrahmā
as one of his
own will
gururviṣṇuḥ
gururdevo
maheśvaraḥ
gururbrahmā
gururviṣṇuḥ
neither attain
spiritual
perfection,
nor
gurussākṣāt
paraṁ brahma tasmai śrigurave namaḥ
gurussākṣāt
paraṁ
tasm
aftergururdevo
seeing themaheśvaraḥ
sincerity
in the Rakshasa’s
ā gururviṣṇuḥ
worldly happiness, akhaṇḍamaṇḍalākāraṁ
nor
liberation”.
k brahma
vyāptaṁ y
paraṁ brahma
tasmai
śrigurave
namaḥ
speech and also remembering the shastric
tatpadaṁ
darśitaṁ yena tasmai
śr
akhaṇḍamaṇḍalākāraṁ vyāptaṁ yena carācaram
akhaṇḍamaṇḍalākāraṁ
vyāptaṁ
injunction that one should
always
protect
tatpadaṁ darśitaṁ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ
tatpadaṁ darśitaṁ yena tasmai
ṇḍalākāraṁ vyāptaṁ yena carācaram
śaṅkaraṁ
keśavaṁ
those
who
seek
his
shelter
be
it
a
friend
“The
Vedas
teach śaṅkarācāryaṁ
that the
rśitaṁ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ
sūtra-bhāṣya-kṛtau
vande
bhagavanta
śaṅkaraṁ
śaṅkarācāryaṁ
keśavaṁ bādarāyaṇam
śaṅkaraṁ śaṅkarācāryaṁ keśava
or an enemy. Therefore,
we should
always
soul
ispunaḥ
divine,
only held
sūtra-bhāṣya-kṛtau
vande
bhagavantau
punaḥ
sūtra-bhāṣya-kṛtau vande bhagavan
ṅkarācāryaṁ
bādarāyaṇam
be keśavaṁ
discerning
when assessing situations
in the bondage of matter;
kṛtau vande bhagavantau punaḥ punaḥ
as this would enable us to respond in a
perfection will be reached
dharmic way. The time taken to discern
will also ensure that we do not react
when this bond will burst,
impetuously with our emotions. Mati will
and the word they use
also ensure that we remember the words
for it is therefore, Mukthi
of the shastras and our teachers and thus
– freedom, freedom from
abide by dharma.
the bonds of imperfection,
Conclusion
This article has so far highlighted the importance of the Ramayana as a dharma
shastra and the values in it for individuals
freedom from death and
misery”
– Swami Vivekananda
21
Conference on Hinduism and
Social Services:
Strategies and Synergies
by N Varaprasad
The Hindu Centre, with the support of
many temples and Hindu organisations,
organised a highly successful two-day
conference on “Hinduism and Social
Service: Strategies and Synergies” from
November 20-21, 2010, at the MDIS Multipurpose Hall.
The rationale for holding the Conference
was to examine whether Hinduism was a
limiting factor in the provision of Social
Services, and why unlike other religions,
no Hindu organisation in Singapore was
spearheading this area.
The provision of social service to the
Hindu community in Singapore is currently
undertaken by a wide range of organisations
from temples, societies, religious groups,
student societies and cultural bodies, each
offering a variety of mostly similar services.
While each organisation is doing what it can
within its ambit, locality and capability, there
has been no comprehensive study of the total
demand, and the type of services which are
actually needed by the Hindu community.
There has also been no effort to co-ordinate
between the organisations to avoid overlap
and ensure comprehensiveness.
Even as the economy has grown rapidly, there
22
Panel members fielding questions posed
by the audience
are limiting factors to the upward mobility
of the poorer segments of our society. The
number of dysfunctional families is a cause
for grave concern, as are the number of drug
users in prison.
To make the conference more evidencebased rather than on anecdotal accounts, a
survey was conducted to gather information
on the range of services currently provided
by temples as well as the perceptions of
temple-goers and temple management
committees on social service provision.
A Conference Souvenir magazine was
also produced for the participants. This
publication contained messages of support
from President S R Nathan and Minister
for Community Development, Youth and
Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, and articles,
and speaker profiles.
Swami Swaroopananda arriving with Guest of Honour, Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Law and
Minister for Home Affairs.
The outcomes from this conference were:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
A common understanding of the areas of need of the Hindu Community;
A comprehensive inventory of social
services provided by Hindu Temples;
Knowledge sharing among Hindu
and non-Hindu organisations on the
success factors and pitfalls; and
A set of recommendations to the next
steps.
More than 300 participants attended the
opening ceremony at which Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Law and Minister for Home
Affairs was the Guest of Honour. Minister
took the opportunity to expand on his text
speech with some extempore comments on
the theme of the conference.
Mr Shanmugam’s opening address was followed by the keynote speech by Swami Swaroopananda of the Chinmaya Mission. Swamiji’s address on how Hinduism promotes
service as an integral aspect was very wellreceived. During the opening ceremony, the
Guest of Honour launched the book “Hindu
Civilisation and the 21st Century”, by the late
Shri V Ramanathan in the presence of Mrs Ramanathan and three of of his children.
Dr G Shantakumar presented the results of
an independent survey commissioned by the
Hindu Centre on current and planned social
services provided by temples in Singapore, as
well as perceptions of temple-goers and temple managements on such services. In general, 75% of temple-goers were in favour of
temples providing social service.
23
Children from the community invoking a prayer at the start of the Conference
Dr G Shantakumar presented the results of
an independent survey commissioned by
the Hindu Centre on current and planned
social services provided by temples in
Singapore, as well as perceptions of
temple-goers and temple managements on
such services. In general, 75% of templegoers were in favour of temples providing
social service.
Dr Kalyani Mehta and Mr T Raja Segar
gave insightful and engaging presentations
on the changing needs of the Hindu-Indian
community in Singapore. Ms Devi from
the NPVC in her presentation covered area
of the management and development of
social service volunteers.
Three Hindu organisations (Hindu Centre
and two temples) presented papers on
their social service projects, focusing on
what can be done with some determined
24
Hindu Centre has invited all
interested and like-minded
organizations and temples to
form a task force to examine
the feasibility of the recommendation to establish an central body to deliver Hindu or Indian social services in greater
detail. This will include SINDA, HEB, Hindu Centre, willing
temples and other interested
Hindu organizations, as well
as representatives of NCSS in
an advisory capacity.
OMKARA will be publishing
selected papers in the coming
issues. Look out for those!
effort and organisation, while Dr B K Modi
spoke on Hindu and Buddhist perspectives
on seva (service/charity). Hindu Centre’s
Active participation from the floor kept the Q & A sessions lively
MITRA programme presented by Yasho
Dhoraisingham, was very well-received.
Bhaskar’s Arts Academy at the PGP Kalyana
Mandapam.
Three
social
service
organisations
representing the Christian, Islamic and
Buddhist faiths made presentations on
their impressive social service agendas
and organisations. They were clearly a
league ahead of any Hindu organisation in
this regard, and served to show that much
needed to be done.
A post-conference evaluation was carried
out by the Organising Committee.
The participants were then divided into
four brainstorming workshop groups to
discuss the following topics:
• Organising for Social Service
• Funding for Social Services
• Potential and Priority Areas of
Focus
• Capacity and Capabilities for Social
Service
These groups came up with very interesting
suggestions many of which will be reflected
in the follow-up.
To close the Conference in a fitting manner,
a vocal concert by Ms A Bhavadhaarini
from India was organised for delegates by
The evaluation forms showed that 100%
of those who responded were either very
satisfied or satisfied with the content of
the conference, the conference materials,
the conference facilities and the length of
the sessions. 94.5% were very satisfied or
satisfied with the speakers and presenters.
Following the Conference, the Organising
Committee, taking into account the recommendations of the conference delegates and
as well as feedback from NCSS, has formulated the following recommendations.
Key Recommendations:
A central Hindu or Indian Social Service
Organisation be established by willing Hindu
organisations to provide higher order services
to those in need. This body can operate services
such as Family Service Centres (FSCs), in-care
and after-care for released prison inmates,
direct intervention and counselling, before
and after school care (BASC) for latchkey
students, services for the aged, hotline and
25
referral services, database management, and
training and development.
Such a body is necessary to access mainstream funding, namely government and
Totalisator Board. It would also be preferable for NCSS to deal with a single body
than with a plethora of organisations. With
a registered Hindu or Indian social service
organisation, there will be better governance and better accountability to donors
and stakeholders. This central organization
could also work towards IPC/Charity status
and comply with the governance requirements of the Commissioner for Charities.
A joint task force comprising SINDA-HEBTemples-Hindu Organisations to studythe
above recommendations should be formed
to determine the next course of action.
Temples should be encouraged to pursue,
expand and improve their social services
currently undertaken by them.
Those
temples which are not currently providing
such services must be encouraged and
assisted to do so. They can leverage on
their wide reach to provide positive social
development messages (family cohesion
and stability, education, parenting, health,
training & upgrading, job search, etc.).
In addition, where possible, temples should
allow their premises and infrastructure to be
used by other service organisations. They
should also consider providing pre-marriage
counselling service (through a third party
such a SINDA) services as a value-added
service to their wedding hall package.
26
Audience had a flurry of interesting questions.
Other Recommendations:
Temples could share the cost of employing a
Service Officer, who will spend time across
several temples advising on and coordinating
relevant social service programmes. SINDA
can provide the necessary training to these
officers. Temples can then offer a one-stop
referral service to their devotees who require
assistance. To meet the above objectives,
temples can consider including an Education and Social Service Committee as part
of their organisation structure to study, drive
and grow this aspect.
Hindu Centre should work more closely
with SINDA to develop the after-care services for its existing MITRA programme.
Hindu Centre has invited all interested and
like-minded organizations and temples to
form a task force to examine the feasibility
of the recommendation to establish an
central body to deliver Hindu or Indian
social services in greater detail. This
will include SINDA, HEB, Hindu Centre,
willing temples and other interested Hindu
organizations, as well as representatives of
NCSS in an advisory capacity.
OMKARA will be publishing selected papers
in the coming issues. Look out for those! k
The Development of Hinduism in
Singapore [Part 2]*
(Continued from Omkara Vol 2 No1: 2010)
By Rajesh Rai
Post-Independence Developments
As far as regionalism was concerned, independence did
not mark a major shift in patterns of Hinduism with the
continued division of Hindu temples and associations
according to Southern and Northern lines (Babb 1976,
p.191).
Shree Lakshmi Narayan
Temple
*
This article is divided into two
parts, the first of which studies the
development of Hinduism in Singapore from the early 19th century to
independence. The second looks at
developments from 1965 onwards. For
a more comprehensive version of this
article, see Rajesh Rai, ‘Homogenization and Fragmentation, Inclusivism
and Exclusivism in the Development of
Hinduism in Singapore’, South Asian
Diaspora 1 (1), February 2009, pp.2-20
The augmentation in the number of Tamils moving from
Malaysia to Singapore in the late 1950s and 1960s
(Department of Statistics 1973) possibly resulted in some
North Indian Hindu groups undertaking safeguards to
reduce the possibility of being ‘taken over’ by others. For
example, the constitution of the Shree Lakshmi Narayan
Temple, formed in 1969, limited official positions at the
temple to North Indians (Shree Lakshmi Narayan Temple;
Article 19a).
As far as participation in worship was concerned, while
some North Indian Hindus continued to visit South Indian
shrines in their neighborhoods or those with which they
had a long-standing association, few, if any, South Indians,
participated in the activities of North Indian temples and
organizations. This division was manifest as well in the
celebration of religious festivals.
In spite of overlap in the festive calendar of both groups
- in the celebration of Deepavali, Navarathri and Maha
Shivrathri for example - these tended to be tied to their
respective regional temples and organizations. Where
27
festivals were specific to a region,
participation was limited to that regional
community, the exception being a small
number of North Indians participating in
Timiti and Thaipusam.
In addition to regional divisions, amongst
Tamil groups, there continued to exist
differences between those who participated
in Sanskritic traditions at ‘mainstream’ South
Indian temples, and those, particularly from
the lower castes and former untouchables,
who practiced ‘folk’ Hinduism at smaller
temples dedicated to village deities, which
employed non-Brahmin priests, nonSanskritic rituals, non-vegetarian offerings
and the use of spirit-mediums (Babb
1976).
State-led Initiatives
Given these diversities, there is little
evidence to argue for the prevalence of a
homogenized Hinduism in Singapore in
the early years after independence. Official
policies, however, did act as a spur for
homogenization. Following independence,
the state designated four ‘racial’ categories,
Chinese, Malays, Indians and ‘Others’
(CMIO) as fundamental building blocks of
Singapore’s multiracial society.
The CMIO categories in effect essentialised ‘race’ such that these did not reflect the heterogeneity that existed within
each of these blocks. Through the CMIO
model of multiracialism, Chua (1996)
notes that:
28
“The seeker of God is
the real lover of Vidya,
unchangeable truth;
alll else is Avidya,
relative knowledge”
– Paramahansa Yogananda
…race is essentialized as an unchanging feature of the population so as to ground various
specific ways of disciplining
the social body… one’s race
supposedly determined one’s
culture (multiculturalism); this
race-culture is assumed to be
embedded in the language of
the race… In this set of discursive processes which constitute
individuals as members of distinct racial groups, differences
among the population are radically reduced (p.56).
Measures taken to ‘iron out’ differences
within racial categories extended to the
religious arena. Accordingly, two statutory
bodies, the Hindu Endowments Board
(HEB) and the Hindu Advisory Board (HAB)
were set up to advise the government on
policy decisions vis-à-vis Hinduism. The
regulatory role of these official bodies, in
effect meant that they could potentially
Amongst the first to establish a presence
in Singapore in the post-independence
period were the Sri Sathya Sai Association
(officially registered in 1975) and the
Hare Krishna movement, although the
latter’s attempt to officially register with
the Registry of Societies (ROS) was denied
(Sebastian and Parameswaran 2008, p.67).
Arya Samaj Singapore
deem what was and wasn’t ‘correct’ Hindu
practice at least as far as the government
was concerned. Given the diversity existent
in Hinduism, this regulatory role, from time
to time, has given rise to controversy.
...................................
In recent decades, the proliferation of global
‘Hindu-oriented’ movements have been
particularly influential in adding to and
reconfiguring existent patterns of Hinduism
in postcolonial Singapore. While the
expansion of Hindu-oriented movements
has been particularly
remarkable from the
1980s, the advent of
such phenomena can
be dated to an earlier
period
where
the
Ramakrishna Mission
and the Arya Samaj,
formed in Singapore
in the early twentieth
century, can be seen as
preliminary forms.
The 1990s however has seen a rapid increase in the number of these groups. Sinha
(2008) notes at least 18 such organizations
officially registered after 1965, although
this does not constitute an exhaustive list.
A comprehensive list of all such organizations functioning in Singapore is difficult to
determine since many are fledgling, may
not have their own premises, operate in
the homes of devotees or in temple halls,
and may seek to keep out of the eyes of the
government especially where they have
not gained official approval from the ROS,
a requirement for them to function legally
Ramakrishna Mission
29
in Singapore.
Amongst the larger groups with wideranging and regular activities include
the Sri Sathya Sai Association, Mata
Amritananda Mayi, Brahma Kumari, the Art
of Living Foundation, and the Hare Krishna
movement. In some cases crowds in excess
of 5000 have been known to gather during
the visitation of their respective gurus to
Singapore.
...................................
The growth of the Hindu-oriented groups
can also be explained by the large
increase in the number of Hindu migrant
professionals who have arrived in Singapore
since the 1990s.
...................................
In addition to migrant professionals many
new Hindu-oriented groups have gained
from younger generation Hindus of the
‘old’ diaspora seeking an escape from
the norms, beliefs, and controls of their
traditional sub-ethnic community-based
institutions that are often characterized by
multiplex relationships based on ethnicity,
kinship and possibly even caste.
Conclusion
Even as the fellowship of the global ‘Hindu30
oriented’ movements has increased over
the last two decades, it would be incorrect
to view the more traditional Hindu
institutions as remaining static. Increasingly,
a number of formerly exclusive regional
organisations, have undertaken a more
inclusive stance, in part to stem the decline
their membership, but as well to reach out
to the growing numbers of Hindu migrant
professionals. While they have only begun
to come to terms with the ‘tech savvy’
methods employed by the new movements,
they do hold some advantage in that many
of the older organizations have their
own properties. In an island-city where
space comes at a premium, some older
organizations have allowed new Hinduoriented bodies to rent their premises for
their activities. The funds generated have
then been channeled to strengthen and
support their own activities. At the same
time, the attempt to forge unity amongst
Hindu groups remains an ongoing project
for some. k
“The Great Soul of
India will topple our
world”
Romain Rolland,
French dramtist, novelist,
art historian and mystic
Questions and Answers on Hinduism
1. Hinduism states there is only one
God, but we can see many Gods and
Goddesses in Hinduism. Isn’t this a
contradiction? Second, Hindus seem
to worship idols by praying to images made of stone or bronze. So
why is it wrong to call Hindus ‘idol’
worshippers?
These are very common misconceptions
about Hinduism.
Let’s look at the concept of ‘Idol’ worship.
To understand this practice, it is important
to understand the significance and meaning underlying this kind of worship.
First Hindus are not ‘idol’ worshippers,
but ‘ideal’ worshippers. In Hinduism, the
one and only supreme being or Ishwara
has many attributes. For example, Lord
Vinayaka is looked upon as the remover
of obstacles and Goddess Saraswathi is
believed to embody wisdom and learning. So when we worship Ishwara’s many
forms, it is these underlying ‘ideals’ that
we are worshipping through the ‘idols’.
A very good example would be that of
the hand phone. When we use the hand
phone, we are not talking to it, but through
it. Similarly, when we worship the idols,
we are not worshipping the idols per say,
but worshipping the ideals they embody.
Yes, Hinduism is based on the belief that
there is only one God. But people of other
faiths or even Hindus themselves see this
as a contradiction as they see faces and images of numerous God’s and Goddesses,
which seem to contradict this fundamental
tenet of Hinduism.
According to Hinduism, Ishwara or Brahman (the ultimate reality) is formless.
However the human mind,due to its many
limitations, cannot conceive of Ishwara as
being formless. It needs a form to focus on.
Thus the many forms we see are only different manifestations of the one and only
Ishwara.
Besides, the human mind cannot conceive
of this one Lord managing the whole universe. Thus Iswara assumes different forms
to suit the temperaments of the different
Many Hindu Gods and Goddesses: Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu, Durga and Saraswathi with Lakshmi
31
people, so that each one can worship him
in the form and attributes they want.
As such, the different manifestations are
but forms emanating from the one and only
supreme being, Ishwara. In our daily lives
it is akin to imposing different roles on the
same person. For example a mother is but
one person, but she is looked upon as an
aunt, a wife, a daughter in law or a daughter depending on the roles she assumes in
the context of the people around her.
So Ishwara too takes on these different in
the context of his devotees. As such, it can
be said that Hindus worship the one supreme being in many forms and to the devotee these forms embody the different ideals and attributes that Iswara represents.
2 Why Do Hindus worship the cow?
Hindus do not worship the cows but they
respect, honor and adore the cow. The cow
is honoured because she is a gentle animal
who gives more than she takes. This animal
is very generous, taking nothing but water,
grass and grain. It unselfishly gives us milk
and is akin to the liberated soul who selflessly shares his spiritual knowledge for
the good of all. By honouring the cow, all
other animals and creatures are respected
as the cow symbolizes all these creatures.
The cow is also a symbol of the Earth, the
nourisher, the ever-giving, undemanding
provider. It is very vital to life, the virtual
sustainer of life for many humans, especially the farmers. It is a symbol of grace and
32
Cows are a common sight at temples
abundance. Veneration of the cow instills
in Hindus the virtues of gentleness, receptivity and connectedness with nature.
3.Has not the theory of Karma with its
emphasis on fate and destiny induced
a sense of helplessness among Hindus
and retarded their progress? The theory of Karma is just an extension
of the well known maxim: ‘As you sow, so
you reap’, especially with reference to the
inner world of moral values. If there is an
effect, there must be a cause for it. If the
experiences of this life good or bad cannot be traced to tangible causes of this life,
the causes must have existed in a previous
life. This is the logic behind the theory of
Karma. One is bound to reap the results of
one’s actions at a future time if not today.
This is unavoidable.
Our present life is the result of our past actions. Our future life will be the result of
our present actions. This is the gist of the
Karma theory. If the theory of Karma and
reincarnation is not accepted, it will be difficult to explain logically our happy or unhappy experiences which apparently have
no causes that can be attributed to this life
time. One will have to accept that either
God is partial or is a heartless tyrant, or
that there is no guiding power like God at
all and that things take place without any
rhyme or reason!
understanding of the theory of Karma. Once
this misunderstanding is cleared, the theory of
karma can the most powerful tool that can help
one take control of his present by accumulating good karma through right thought, speech
and deed.
4 Does Hinduism advocate the caste
system?
The caste system known as Varna Dharma
in the Hindu Shastras has been misunderstood, misconstrued and misinterpreted.
Caste, from the Portuguese casta, meaning
“clan” or “lineage,” refers to two systems
within Hindu society. The first is varna, the
division of society into four groups: workers (Shudras), business people (Vaishyas),
This standpoint, of course, is not accepta- lawmakers/law enforcers/ protectors of the
ble to any intelligent being. Hence one has country (Kshatriyas) and priests (Brahmanas
to accept that the theory of Karma offers or imparters of knowledge). The second is
the most plausible explanation for the vari- jati, the thousands of occupational guilds
ous incongruities we come across in life. whose members follow a single profession
by virtue of their birth. Jati members usuIf the theory of Karma is comprehended prop- ally marry within their own jati and follow
erly, Hindu society will progress faster and not traditions associated with their jati. For exregress as alleged. Based on the theory of kar- ample, the children of priests would marry
ma, if our present deterioration is the result of within families which followed the same
our past neglect and mistakes, we can make profession.
our future brighter and better, by putting forth
the necessary effort now. This should be our The shastras provide three classifications
which explain Varna Dharma. These explaphilosophy of life.
nations are more relevant in these times of
And, this is a philosophy of hope that places a globalization and migration.
great emphasis on self effort! That the Hindu society has sometimes blocked its own progress
through fatalism is the direct result of perverted
The first is the Jati classification. This refers
to one’s parentage or birth. By birth, one
33
can be a Jati Vaishya or a Jati Brahmana.
The next classification is based on Karma
classification. If one is an army officer, he
can be called a Kshatriya by profession or
if he is a businessman, he can be called a
Vaishya by profession.
The third is the Guna classification. Any
one who is spiritual and religious by nature
can be called a Brahmana by Guna, while
someone with an excellent business sense
can be called a Vaishya by guna or a Guna
Shudra for someone who is very service oriented.
So it is possible for one to be a Brahmana
by Guna, but a Kshatriya by profession
and a Vaishya by Jati. Similarly, it is possible to be a Shudra by profession, but
a Brahmana by Guna and Kshatriya by
birth. Several of these classifications are
applicable to human beings these days.
It is through these classifications that one
can better understand the Varna Dharma
or the caste system which has unfortunately been misused and misconstrued.
It is the Guna classification that can really
determine one’s caste these days as this determines one’s inner evolutionary process
more than the other aspects.
The meaning of “Karma”
The Sanskrit word karma means “actions” or
“deeds.” As a religious term, karma refers to
intentional (usually moral) actions that affect
one’s fortunes in this life and the next. Karma (or
kamma in Pali) is a concept common to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, but interpreted in
different ways. This article focuses specifically
on Hindu beliefs about karma.
The concept of karma or “law of karma” is the
broader principle that all of life is governed by
a system of cause and effect, action and reaction, in which one’s deeds have corresponding
effects on the future. Karma is thus a way of
explaining evil and misfortune in the world,
even for those who do not appear to deserve it
- their misfortune must be due to wrong actions
in their previous life.
In the Upanishads, karma is expressed as a
34
principle of cause and effect based on actions.
One example is in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad
4.4.5.
Karma is regarded as a fundamental law of nature that is automatic and mechanical. It is not
something that is imposed by God or a god as
a system of punishment or reward, nor something that the gods can interfere with.
The word karma refers primarily to “bad
karma” - that which is accumulated as a
result of wrong actions. Bad karma binds
a person’s soul (atman) to the cycle of rebirth (samsara) and leads to misfortune in
this life and poor conditions in the next.
The moral energy of a particular moral act
bears fruit automatically in the next life,
manifested in one’s class, disposition, and
character.
35
36
37
The Shiva within: A Psycho-analytical perspective
The article
is an attempt to offer a brief
understanding of the common endeavours of the two disciplines,
psychology and spirituality. The article tries to compare the human psyche
and the ‘Daksha - Siva’ conflict portrayed in ancient Hindu religious texts
(Saiva Puranas), thereby trying to show the link between, the human mind
as understood by the field of psychology and the mysticism proclaimed by
spirituality.
The article first emphasises that all human beings are innately good, but
get trapped within their psychological defences, which were inculcated
into them for survival reasons. The enormous strength and self-restraint it
takes to overcome those defences and to choose to be ‘good’ at all times is
highlighted.
The article gives short descriptions of both Daksha and Siva to highlight the
differences in their personalities and then a brief account of the ‘DakshaSiva’ conflict as well. The story goes like this. Daksha, one of Bramma’s
sons, possessed wealth, education and valour. His daughter Dakshayani/
Sati loved Lord Siva deeply and married him against her father’s wishes.
Daksha did not approve of the union since he considered Siva to be and
ascetic and a mad man who was unworthy of his daughter. In order to
insult Lord Siva, Daksha decided to conduct a huge yaga, to which he
invited all the Gods and other Devas, but purposely ignored Siva. Sati went
to the yaga against Siva’s wishes and was slighted by her father. Out of
38
shame she immolated herself. The insult of being sidelined from the yaga
and also the loss of his wife, evoked Siva’s wrath. He then created a warrior
version of himself called ‘Veerabadra’ to kill Daksha. Daksha later repents
for his mistakes and then brought back to life by Siva, say the ancient Saiva
Puranas.
There is a succinct description of Freud’s tripartite model of the human
psyche, describing in short id, ego and the super-ego. Thereafter, an attempt
is made to compare Daksha with the basic urges (id) of the human mind
and Siva to the higher morals (super-ego) of it, and show that an individual’s
intuitive realism (ego) has the ultimate responsibility of making the right
choice at any given time.
The article tries to compare the ‘Daksha – Siva’ conflict with the constant
inner struggle that is going on within a human being’s psyche. Daksha
representing the id- part of our psyche, is an embodiment of all things
considered wrong. Like conceit, arrogance, deceit and anger. He was not
a demon. He was just an ordinary man who gave in to his basic human
traits. Siva represents the super-ego, where the higher morals of the human
personality reside. The part of our psyche which makes the decision to
either follow the basic urges represented by Daksha or the higher morals
represented by Siva is our intuitive realism (ego) or in other words, our
rational mind.
Knowledge attained through traditional schooling has its limitations. That is
what Daksha represents. But Siva represents intuitional learning, which is
knowledge attained through insight. So, the ultimate responsibility lies with
our rational mind, to choose the right side, again and again, in the eternal
battle between the good (Siva) and the bad (Daksha) that goes on within
our psyche. The article ends by stressing how, in a world filled with chaos
in the name of religion, it is time to be spiritual and look within ourselves
instead of attaching value to misplaced beliefs and meaningless routines.
Developing and sharpening the skill of insight could be done only through
deep contemplation. This is also the only way to keep the Daksha within us
under our control.
39
Shri Aurobindo Ghosh:
Man’s evolution at the spiritual level
Shri Aurobindo Ghosh was born in Bengal, India, in 1872. He was the third son of a very
learned father, a doctor, educated in England.
Dr Ghosh, Aurobindo’s father, wanted his children to have an English education free of any
Indian influence. Therefore, Aurobindo studied in St Paul’s in Britain and later was homeschooled by an Anglican priest there.
Aurobindo – an educator, writer, philosopher
and freedom fighter
Aurobindo grew up to be a very brilliant man.
He stood first in the scholarship examination
for King’s College, Cambridge. He also passed
the very difficult written part of the competitive
examination of the Indian Civil Service (ICS)
exams getting a very high rank.
However, at this time Aurobindo had a change
of mind. He decided that he didn’t want to
serve the British after all and so did not attend
40
the horse-riding component of the ICS exams
and hence failed it.
Aurobindo then returned to India and took up
service in the state of Baroda. But he was restless. At this point in time, his great talents were
divided. He spent his time as an educator, a
writer, a philosopher and a freedom fighter moving from one passion to another and sometimes
working in two or more activities simultaneously. His anti-British radical activities were inspired by Anandmath, a novel by Bankim Chandra Chatterji, a famous Indian freedom fighter.
However, his activism got him in trouble with
the British who threw him in jail several times
for his political activism and leadership.
Gradually, Aurobindo was turning to spirituality. He started meditating, mastered Sanskrit and
read the Vedas, Upanishads and Hindu philosophy extensively. When he was informed that
he was sought by the police again, he went to
settle in the French territory of Pondicherry on
April 4, 1910 to pursue his spiritual quest. He
refined his spiritual ideas and came up with a
theory that combined his extensive knowledge
of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution with
Hindu philosophy, thereby combining his Eastern and Western knowledge.
According to Aurobindo, just as life forms
evolved over the millennia from single celled
organisms to the human species with a complex mind, there is also an evolution occurring
at the spiritual level. Shri Aurobindo believed
that all humans are slowly evolving to become
Supermen. Currently, he said, humans are in ignorance but they will gradually uncover their
godly nature through psychic, spiritual and supramental changes. Aurobindo believed that the
Vedas are coded messages for the inner circle
Shri Aurobindo
believed that all
humans are slowly
evolving to become
Supermen.
Aurobindo believed that the Vedas are coded messages for the
inner circle of people who knew this truth and he reinterpreted
the Vedas in this light.
of people who knew this truth and he reinterpreted the Vedas in this light. His thoughts are
gathered together in a volume titled The Secret
of the Vedas. One of his greatest works working
out his theory in verse is the epic poem entitled
Savithri: A legend and a symbol.
Aurobindo was a great scholar and an idealist. Together with the help of his spiritual collaborator, Mirra Richard known as “Mother”,
he carried on his spiritual teachings. After he
retired into seclusion and later passed on, The
Mother carried on his good work, establishing
Auroville, an international township endorsed
by UNESCO to further human unity near the
town of Pondicherry.
She also established Shri Aurobindo Ashram
and The Shri Aurobindo International Centre
of Education. Currently, these are both great
centres of inspiration for the Unity of Humanity
and for spirituality.
The Mother established Shri Aurobindo
Ashram and The Shri Aurobindo International
Centre of Education.
41
Crossword Puzzle
On Hinduism
1
a
b
c
d
e
CLUES
DOWN
2
4
3
f
6
5
7
8
9
Answers can be found on page 56
ACROSS
a) The father of Lord Rama in the
epic Ramayana. (9)
b) The devotional song on Lord
Venkateshwara sung early in the
morning. (11)
c) The Sage who is honoured with
the authorship of the Vedas. (5)
d) The King who wanted to ascend
to Heaven in his mortal body and
who hangs suspended in mid-air. (9)
e) The snake in Hindu mythology
who is believed to swallow up the
Sun and Moon periodically causing
eclipses. (4)
f) Sanskrit term meaning ‘residence
in the forest’. Rama, Sita and
Lakshman undertook this. (6)
1. A ten letter Sanskrit word that signifies the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu. (10)
2. The Seven Sages of Hinduism. (10)
3. The animal that is the symbol of the first sign of the Hindu Zodiacal calendar, the sign of
Mesha. (3).
4. The Hindi word meaning ‘hope’ (4)
5. Lord Vishnu as Narasimha Avatar killed the demon by this name.(8)
6. The first note in Indian classical music.
7. One of the four ‘Purusharthas’ or Objectives of humanity which means ‘wealth’, the other
three being – Dharma, Kama and Moksha. (5)
8. This popular Hindu name for girls means ‘dawn’ in Sanskrit. (4)
9. Another name for Sita, wife of Rama and daughter of the king of Mithila.(7)
42
SRI VINAYAKA TRADING
43
The Elephant and The Sparrow
Two sparrows, husband and wife, built a
nest on a banyan tree where the female
sparrow laid eggs. One afternoon a
wild elephant came to the tree seeking
shelter from the sun. Unable to bear the
heat, the tusker suddenly went berserk
and snapped a big branch of the tree,
crushing the sparrow’s eggs in the nest.
The sparrow pair somehow escaped the
fury of the elephant but the wife began
crying for her eggs.
A woodpecker, a close friend of the
sparrow, heard her crying and moved
by her grief asked her, “Why are you
crying, my friend? Wise men do not
grieve about what is lost or what is dead
or what is past. That is the difference between a go to him and seek his help also.” The female
sparrow, the woodpecker and the fly went to the
learned person and an unlettered man.”
frog and narrated the entire story of the sparrow’s
The female sparrow said, “The wicked elephant grief.
has destroyed my offspring. If you are a true
friend of mine suggest a way to kill him. In my The frog said, “What is an elephant before a
view, he who harms a person in trouble or he united crowd like us? Do as I tell you. O’ fly, go
who ridicules a person in sorrow deserves to be to the elephant when the sun is high in the sky
punished and he who punishes such a person has and hum a sweet tune into his ears. When he
closes his eyes in ecstasy, the woodpecker will
no rebirth.”
scoop his eyes out. He becomes blind and thirsty
“What you say is right,” said the woodpecker. and will look for water. I will go to a quicksand
“He is a friend who comes to your aid when you and begin croaking there. Thinking that there is
are in need. Everyone tries to be friendly when water, the elephant will come there and sink into
you are prospering. You will see how resourceful the quicksand and die.”
I am. I have a friend who is a fly. With his help we
All the four played out their roles according
can kill the elephant.”
to the frog’s plan and caused the death of the
Taking the female sparrow with him, the elephant.”
woodpecker called on the fly and told him, “This
is my dearest friend. A wild elephant has squashed Though the taking of any life is wrong, this story
her eggs. You must somehow find a way to kill teaches us that no one, however mighty, can do
evil deeds and get away with it. ‘Dharma’ or
that elephant. We need your help.”
‘righteousness’ will catch out the evil person and
The fly said, “I have a friend who is a frog. Let us dole out his due.
44
The Day Dre aming Priest
Once upon a time there lived a lazy man. On
account of his laziness it was not surprising that
he was also poor. Like most lazy people, he did
not want to exert himself in any way but dreamt
of attaining great riches.
One morning, when he was begging for alms,
he was given a pot of milk by a generous lady.
He was delighted and went home. He boiled
and drank some of the milk and made the rest
into curd. Then he went to lie down and soon,
poultry farm of his own. Thus this lazy man’s
dream stretched.
He went on to imagine how soon he would be a
rich man . “I will then sell my poultry farm and
buy some cows and soon open a dairy farm. All
the town people will buy milk from me. I will
be rich and soon I will buy a beautiful house
and rich jewels. Even the king will covet these
jewels and will pay a lot of money to purchase
them from me. I will be so rich that I will be able
to marry a beautiful girl from a rich family. Soon
I will have a handsome son. However, I will be
a strict father. If my son gets up to mischief, I
will kick him hard. So saying he kicked with
all his might into the air. Unfortunately, his feet
kicked the pot of milk over and all the milk was
as was his habit, drifted into a daydream.
In his dream he imagined the pot of milk forming
thick curd which he could then churn and get
butter out of. “How lovely that would be!” he
thought in his dream. His dream stretched on.
He would then heat the butter and make pure
ghee. He would then sell that ghee in the market
and make money out of his labour.
“With that money I will buy a hen” he planned.
Surely the hen would lay many eggs. These eggs
would soon hatch and he would be the proud
owner of several chickens. He smiled as he
lay dreaming. These eggs would go on to lay
hundreds of eggs and soon he would have a
spilt. The sound woke the man up from his day
dreaming. He woke to find that the source of all
his dreams was gone.
This story teaches us an important lesson
- which is that there is no substitute for hard
work. Dreams cannot be fulfilled without hard
work. Hard work is also a Dharmic Duty.
– The preceeding stories are from The
Panchatantra
45
The Performance of Action and
Renunciation of Action
– Two paths , one goal
Muthukumar Palaniyappan,
Winner of the 2011 Gita
Jayanthi Celebrations
Essay Writing Competition
(Children’s Category)
Hinduism is thought
to have gotten its
name from the
Persian word hindu,
meaning “river,”
used by outsiders to
describe the people of
the Indus River Valley.
46
In lIfe we might have heard of many paradoxes and
contradictions: The chicken and egg paradox is an
example. The question of whether performance of action
or its converse, renunciation of action leads to eternal
salvation is another contradiction. These paradoxes
and contradictions test the limits of logic and unleash
the creativity of the mind. The more paradoxical or
contradictory a problem, the more profound the
insight.
In Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna seems to contradict
himself in his instructions to Arjuna who is already
in a muddle. In chapters preceding chapter 5, Karma
Yoga, the Supreme seems to advise Arjuna to renounce
all action, and meditate dispassionately on the one
hand. While on the other He seems to imply that
actively discharging one’s duties is what qualifies one
for salvation. In this essay, I shall elaborate on how
both these contrasting paths can both lead to the same
desired destination and how these paths complement
each other and should be employed together by the
faithful aspirant of Moksha.
Performance of morally upright actions can certainly
lead one to salvation. When one engages in service
to the Lord via devotional poojas, feeding the poor,
housing the homeless, one expiates his sins and
discovers his inner self. As one purifies himself via
selfless service, mundane matters do not bother him
anymore. The divine in him guides him through life.
However, we must
note that performance
of
action
alone
does not guarantee
reaching the goal.
Performance
of
deeds must always be
accompanied with
renunciation of the
fruits which follow
the tasks undertaken.
As T S Eliot beautifully
explained, “To do
the right thing for the
wrong reason is the
greatest treason”. T S Eliot concurs with what
Lord Krishna advocates: Action undertaken
without consideration of its consequences.
All action starts with a desire. The desire
might be rational or irrational, selfless or
self centred, pure or impure. Whatever the
case, the spark of desire needs to exist in the
first place to drive the sequence of actions.
Thus, even a man bent on reaching God,
must have desire, for it is the precursor for
action. But his desires are different from
that of an ordinary man as they only have
a singular purpose: creating joy for the
supreme. Thus, with that one desire, action
is performed selflessly, liberating one
from the endless cycle of life and death.
Renunciation of action is another possible
route mentioned by Lord Krishna. In
Geethopadesam
chapter 5 of the Gita, Lord Krishna gives
vivid accounts of how yogis shut the nine
gates which torment the mind and meditate
on the “self”, to understand the esoteric
matters of this universe. By renunciation of
action, one gains the ability to concentrate
fully on the creator of the universe. He gains
the ability to be unfettered by any worlds
and continues deep contemplation on the
Divine. While one performs action, there is
a high probability that he gets caught up in
trivial matters and veers of course.
However when one renounces action, this
is unlikely. Though, we must acknowledge
the other significant challenges in complete
renunciation of action, which gave Lord
Krishna the reason to recommend the
47
path of action over renunciation to Arjuna.
One of the challenges associated with the
path of renunciation is being able to put
absolute focus into divine contemplation.
This is an arduous task which most mortal
beings would struggle with – because the
nature of life itself is to act. Everything
requires action: the homeostasis of the
body, the beating of the heart, the need for
movement to prevent atrophy of muscles.
It is fair to assume that nature creates an
inclination towards action. Considering
this, it is hard to fathom how complete
renunciation of action is possible.
However the inherent difficulty of this
prescription does not imply in any manner
its incapability of producing the same
effects as performance of action. The sages
and seers of the past have reached God via
renunciation of action. By adopting the
role of a sakgi (observer), life’s truths are
far more likely to unfold than if he were to
assume the role of a doer.
Thus the path of renunciation has its own
intrinsic appeal to the highly disciplined
and the pious as it is capable of releasing
one from Samsara. In the first verse of
the 5th chapter, Arjuna enquires whether
the performance or renunciation of
action yields better result for the spiritual
aspirant. When Arjuna asks this question,
he seems to implicitly commit the fallacy
of dichotomy. It is not a question of either
this path or another because it is possible
for both paths to be undertaken at the same
48
time. In fact, I would argue that a normal
human being would benefit via engaging in
both these paths as they can complement
each other.
By contemplation of the divine through
renunciation of action, one gains the
ability to concentrate. He is able to dictate
the mind rather than let external events
dictate his internal state. This puts him in
a better position, when he performs action.
Because he now has the ability to discen
action from the fruits of the action and
gain the resolution to just engage in pious
action, without seeking any reward.
In the same way, when one performs action
he purifies his heart and soul. A clean pure
soul would be in a better condition to deal
with the rigours of renouncing all action.
Thus, it can be said that the debate of which
path is superior is rather unnecessary. For
both lead to the same goal, with differing
levels of intrinsic appeal to men of different
temperaments and both have greater
efficacy when employed together.
Man turns to spirituality, after realizing
how fleeting worldly pleasures can be. He
seeks joy which is everlasting and pure.
Chapter 5 of the Gita gives solace to the
seeker by offering him the choice of two
different paths, with the same permanent
reward. The seeker need not be confused
over which is more suitable and would be
better placed if he employs them together.
Bliss and Freedom of the
Re alised
Sharada Devi,
Winner of the 2011Gita
Jayanthi Celebrations Essay
Writing Competition
(Adult Category)
In THE 5th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna
elucidates how one can be free from bondage and yet
continue to perform actions as normal people. In fact this
is the main message of the Bhagavad Gita as to how one
need not renounce ones ordained duties and yet attain
the highest spiritual success of ‘Moksha’ or freedom from
bondage. To analyse the topic under discussion, we need
to clearly establish the three key points:
•
•
•
The Realized Person
Freedom
Bliss
The Realised Person
So, who is a truly realised person? In the 4th chapter
itself, the Lord introduces a beautiful concept of Gnyana
Karma Sannyasa and further develops it inthe 5th chapter
– Karma Sannyasa Yoga. According to Lord Krishna the
Sannyasa approach to life is more important than being
a Sannyasi. The term Gnyana Karma Sannyasa means
giving up the agency of work through Knowledge.
Swami Dayananda Saraswathi
The important term is negating the ownership through
Gnyana. Through Gnayana, one acquires the Knowledge
that I am neither the doer nor the enjoyer (neither the
Karta nor the bhakta), that I am the pure consciousness
and not this body, mind, intellect (BMI) complex. Hence
the Lord’s definition of a realized person revolves around
the knowledge that I am free from bondage, that I am
the pure eternal Atman. He also calls this person the
Eternal Sannyasin in the sloka below:
‘jneyas:sanit:ya:sannyas:yon a:dhveshti:
Na:kaneshati:nirdhvan:dvo:hi:mahabaho:
Sukham:bandat:pramuchyate”
He is known as a perpetual sannyasi who neither hates
49
nor desires to be freed from the pairs of
opposites, Oh Mighty armed Arjun, he is
always free from bondage.
Freedom
Now we come to the next topic as to
what Freedom is. Freedom does not mean
‘doing what one likes’, but relates to the
freedom of the mind, an uncluttered mind
without any confusion or doubts. So we
need to deliberate a bit on why the mind
is in a confused or doubtful state. Mind
is not only impelling actions, but is also
‘seasoned’ by performance of actions.
Hence, to understand the mind we need to
analyse the actions being performed.
In the 3rd chapter, Lord Krishna says, ‘ It is
impossible for a person to live in this world
without performing actions, and actions by
its nature creates bondage. Since any action
has an equal and an opposite reaction (as
a result of the action), is it really possible
for a person to be free in the mind? If so
how? Bhagwan answers this question in
the sloka below:
‘yoga:yuktho:vishuddaima:vijithatma:
jitendriyaha:sarva:bhuthatma:
bhuthatma:kurvannappi:na:lipyate
An unattained mind never gets bound. It
is without any remorse for the past, or any
anxiety for the future. Such a mind is truly
and always free.
Bliss
We need to deliberate a bit on what bliss
or permanent happiness is. Happiness as
per common understanding is something
that is pleasing to the mind and obtained
through the five sense organs and their
actions. But the bliss Bhagawan is referring
to is not something that is obtained through
the mind or sense organs, but is called
50
Atma anandaha. This is elucidated in the
following sloka:
‘Banya:sparhes:vasthakthma:vindyat
yatmani:
yatsukhami:sa:brahma:yoga:
yukthathma:sukha:makshaya:mashnuthe’
With the self unattached to the external
contacts, the realized person discovers
happiness within the self; with the self
engaged in the meditation of Brahman he
realizes endless happiness or bliss.
Atma anandaha is the nature of supreme
peace, joy and contentment. Lord Krishna
elaborates as to how a realized person is
blissful, he is a seer; seeing oneness in
everything and totally unattached even
though seemingly performing actions.
Such is his broad vision …..
A very good example of a ‘seer’ is provided
in the 18th sloka which says ‘Panditaha
sama darshinaha’ which means he looks at
everyone with an equal eye.
Summary
The key terms – The Realised person,
Freedom and Bliss are inter-connected.
Each one of these entities cannot exist
without the other two. Thus we can go to
the extent of saying:
• A truly realized person always has a
free mind and is always blissful
• A free mind can arise only in a realized
person who is ever blissful
• And a blissful person is always a realized
person and has a free mind
• Bliss (anandha) and Freedom (chit) of
the realized (sat) forms the ultimate
reality
‘Sat Chit Anandha Atman’
Hari Om Tat Sat
Graduation Ceremony
28 November 2011
Venue:
Tokens of appreciation
were presented to all
graduates, actively serving
Counsellors and trainers.
Overall, it was a successful event, not because it
went without a hitch but
because of the joy and
laughter of our Hindu
Centre volunteers. Together with the trainers’
guidance, senior Mitra*
counsellors’ support and
of course Ishvara’s grace,
we are sure that the new
Mitra counsellors will sail
smoothly on their seva
journey !
* Mitra is the Hindu Religious Counselling arm of Hindu Centre. It was initiated in 2005
to provide Hindu-based moral rehabilitation and counselling for Hindu residents in the
penal institutions. It has grown to extend its reach into 10 centres, including aged and
juvenile homes. Training is provided for all volunteers before they are deployed to the
centres. The training includes basic helping skills, religious knowledge and counselling
techniques. This approach to a faith-based counselling is the first of its kind for Hindus
in Singapore. Continuous training is also provided to refresh and retain the currency
of the counsellors. If you wish to be part of the Mitra Hindu Counselling programme,
please call Hindu Centre at 62978092.
51
Balagurukulam
Every Sunday we have kids ranging from 4 to 16 years attending Balagurukulam classes
in the Centre. Here, Hinduism is taught to the children through stories, activities , puja ,
bhajans, shlokas and outdoor activities.
Kids Reciting the shlokas
Indoor Activity
Outdoor Activities
Raksha Bandhan
Raksha Bandhan is a gesture of
the members of the community
reaffirming their pledge to
protect their loved ones and
the society they live in. This is
a yearly event that is held in
August.
52
Raksbandhan 2011
Guru Poornima Celebrations at Hindu Centre
Guru Poornima (Vyasa Poornima)
We celebrated the excellent works of Veda Vyasa, the great sage, who organized the Vedas
into volumes and enabled them to be passed down in its original form to us today! The
theme of the celebration was ‘knowledge and relationship’. We started the celebration
with a birthday song & cake for Veda Vyasa, followed by sharing the knowledge of
his great works such as Mahabharatha, Gita, Maha Puranas through relational group
activities. Participants were able to relate to one another through fun filled activities and
at the same time gain inspiration to pursue the knowledge contained in Veda Vyasa’s
great works.
53
Hinduism Courses at Hindu Centre
1. Home Puja
2. Hinduism Today - Theory & Practice
3. Revealing God
4. Vedic Yoga*
5. Human Values in Bhagavad Gita
6. Vidura Neeti
7. Navagraha Worship
8. Ramayana.
Conduct of a simple puja
Balagurukulam
Every Sunday we have kids ranging from 4 to 16 years attending
Balagurukulam classes in the Centre. Here, Hinduism is taught to
the children through stories, activities , puja , bhajans, shlokas and
outdoor activities.
Kids from the
Balagurukulam
classes
* The Vedic Yoga programme is conducted throughout the year.
54
SHANKER EMPORIUM
55
Acknowledgements
The Editorial Committee Of
Omkara would like to thank
all
contributors,
advertisers,
volunteers, content pro-viders,
staff and all others who made this
issue possible. We hope you enjoy
reading this magazine. We welcome
your feedback, comments, articles
and contributions. Please send them
to OMKARA, The Hindu Centre,
132 Owen Road, Singapore
218935
56
Answers to Crossword Puzzle
1
D
a
A
S
A
2
S
R
A
P
A
c
A
T
Y
T
A
R
I
S
4
M
A
5
H
H
T
A
S
H
R
A
N
S
H
8
A
U
A
M
I
V
6
Y
S
A
A
N
V
S
H
A
9
A
U
K
H
e
A
A
I
R
S
A
R
d
R
B
T
A
V
R
A
7
A
U
A
3
b
A
S
Y
T
H
I
L
I
f
Jnana • Bhakti • Seva
Making a Difference to People’s Lives
MITRA
Balakurulam
Hinduism is a
rehabilitative force
to bring out the
essential goodness
in mankind
Children are God’s
gift to the future. They
inherit the values we
give them.
Youth
The Gita says “Whoever
makes an offering to me
with devotion, I accept
with joy.”
The Power of Youth
- Yuvashakti –
is manifest everywhere
Education
Can you make a real difference to people’s lives?
Yes, you can!
Here’s how: Be a member.Participate. Volunteer.
Give. Generously.
Sign up for GIRO. Spread the Word.
The Hindu Centre is an independent society dedicated
to the spiritual progress of Singapore Hindus through
the three pillars of Jnana, Bhakti and Seva.
All its activities are primarily funded through donations
from friends and supporters. Your support and donations will make a real difference to many lives through
Sanatana Dharma.
57
Montessori Ad
Nurturing
Inspiring
Educating
The Modern Montessori International Group (MMI), with its Principal Office in London (U.K.) was set up in 1989, and
its one of Asia’s leading pre-school education providers with a truly global brand and presence. MMI currently has
over 100 teacher-training centres and pre-school centres in the world-United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia,
Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt & UAE.
The MMI brand name is equated with the stamp of quality and assurance. MMI achieved many prestigious accreditations like ISO 9001:2000, Singapore Quality Class (SQC), Singapore Quality Class for Private Education Organisations
(SQC-PEO), Singapore Franchise Mark, Open & Distance Learning Quality Council Accreditation Council (BAC), etc.
Apart from offering professional teacher-training programs in Montessori and pre-school
education, MMI provides a comprehensive range of early childhood services, in addition to
franchising opportunities for prospective business partners.
58
For Modern Montessori Pre-Schools
59