Hindu Dharm - Practical Notes - Samarth Bharat

174 Pages·2015·2 MB·English

lllleeeeFFFFkkkkZZ ZZ HHHHkkkkkkkkjjjjrrrr
www.samarthbharat.com

Hindu Dharm – Practical Notes
Author – Anil Chawla

These notes deal with practical aspects of Hindu Dharm. I started writing them from 16th May 2013
onwards at the rate of one every Sunday (except some Sundays, when I am either busy or lazy). At
present, the process is still on. So, in a way, what you are reading is an unfinished book. Please do
come back a few weeks later to read a more updated version.
In case you want a more philosophical perspective on Hinduism,
please read “Manifesto of Hindu Renaissance” available at www.samarthbharat.com

Table of Contents
S. No. Heading Page No.
1 Friendship & Cheating a Friend 1
2 Dealing with an ungrateful person 2
3 Krodh ((cid:1)ोध ) vs. Amarsh (अमष (cid:7) ) 2
4 Kshama (Forgiveness) 3
5 Cyclical Nature 4
6 Work – essential for life 5
7 Daan & Daya 5
8 Hierarchy of respect 6
9 Advising 7
10 Vachan (Word / Promise) 8
11 Friends that can keep secrets and can assist 9
12 Nibhryt 10
13 Concealing one’s feelings 11
Copyright – All Rights Free www.samarthbharat.com
Hindu Dharm – Practical Notes

S. No. Heading Page No.
14 Fruits of one’s actions 13
15 Bharat’s curses / list of sins 15
16 Dharm of near and dear ones 17
17 What do devtas eat? 19
18 Naastik thought 20
19 Ram’s rejection of Naastik thought 23
20 Naastik thought & Fundamental Principles of Hinduism 25
21 Idol worship 29
22 Facing difficult times 31
23 Lessons for Entrepreneurs – Part A 33
24 Lessons for Entrepreneurs – Part B 36
25 Lessons for Entrepreneurs – Part C 37
26 Lessons for Entrepreneurs – Part D 40
27 Diwali – the festival of Arth 44
28 Working as an employee 49
29 Respecting achievers 50
30 Seeking and keeping friends 53
31 Homosexuality 56
32 Strictly forbidden erotic feelings 60
33 Alcohol consumption 62
34 Decision making and consultation process 64
35 Valuing good advice from juniors 67
36 Greatness of leaders 69
37 Understanding Yam 71
Copyright – All Rights Free Author – Anil Chawla
www.samarthbharat.com
Hindu Dharm – Practical Notes

S. No. Heading Page No.
38 Bharya – a wife who makes life livable 74
39 The first and the most fundamental mistake of 76
Yudhishthir
40 Fathers, sons and daughters 79
41 Love and care for son / daughter 83
42 Passing of wealth 86
43. Holi – the festival of dharm 89
44. Fate vs. Trivarg 93
45. Gossip and Self-praise 97
46. Brahmchary and celibacy 99
47. Difficult Times 102
48. The Four Debts 105
49. Kindness and Violence 108
50. Two Rules of Success 111
51. Worship of Near and Dear Ones 113
52. Untouchability 116
53. Inter-caste Marriages 119
54. Why I do not worship Sai Baba? 122
55. Keerti or What Others Say! 126
56. Gambling 129
57. Jealousy 134
58. One’s Thoughts 137
59. Keeping Good Company 141
60. Rising from the dumps 144
Copyright – All Rights Free Author – Anil Chawla
www.samarthbharat.com
Hindu Dharm – Practical Notes

S. No. Heading Page No.
61 Managing Income and Wealth 147
62 Wealth, Income and Duties of a Family Man 151
63 Four Faults of Kaam 157
64 Combining Knowledge and Action 160
65. Achieving Greatness and Resisting Temptation 163
66. Resisting Erotic Temptation 166

Copyright – All Rights Free Author – Anil Chawla
www.samarthbharat.com
lllleeeeFFFFkkkkZZ ZZ HHHHkkkkkkkkjjjjrrrr
www.samarthbharat.com

1. Friendship & Cheating a Friend
HINDU DHARM is hugely concerned with relationships of all types. Friendship is a
relationship that has been given due attention in Hindu texts. The standard rule is -
Never Cheat a Friend. A corollary to the rule is - Anyone who cheats a friend gets a
lifetime of poverty. The classic example of this is Krishn-Sudama. The two were
roommates and good friends when they were studying. One day the two went
together to forest for some chore carrying a small packet of roasted gram to be
shared between them as snack for the day. It started raining heavily and the two
were forced to hide on a tree. Sudama was carrying the snacks packet. He started
feeling hungry and started eating the stuff. The crackling sound made Krishn
suspicious. Krishn asked Sudama about the noise. Sudama lied. Later when the rain
subsided, Sudama once again lied to Krishn about the packet. Years after
graduating, Sudama lived a life of extreme poverty while Krishn had prosperity.
Sudama decided to meet his old friend Krishn and took a gift of a handful of puffed
rice (all that he could afford). Krishn knew that Sudama was living a horrible life due
to his crime of cheating a friend. When Sudama came to meet Krishn, despite his
riches, Krishn asked Sudama for what Sudama had brought for him. Krishn eagerly
took the puffed rice from Sudama and ate it immediately thereby undoing his friend's
crime of cheating. With the end of Sudama's punishment, Sudama moved out of
poverty to prosperity.
The story of Krishn-Sudama has been colored during the past five hundred years
with Bhakti (devotion) movement to show how bhakti helped Sudama end his
poverty. That has hidden the real moral and import of the story, which is about never
cheating a friend.
In my own experience of past three decades, I have experienced this many times.
Anyone and everyone who cheated me has suffered.
Based on my own as well as experience of many around me, I have modified the
fundamental rule - NEVER CHEAT A FRIEND WHO FOLLOWS DHARM. By dharm I
do not refer to going to temple or mosque or church. One who follows Dharm is one
who fulfills his obligations and duties in all relationships. If you cheat a friend who is
himself / herself a cheater, you may not suffer. But beware of cheating a friend who
is truthful and honest in every relationship.

Copyright – All Rights Free Page No. 1 www.samarthbharat.com
Hindu Dharm – Practical Notes

2. Dealing with an ungrateful person
While reading an ancient text of Ayurved, I came across a shlok which prescribed
the persons whom a vaidy (doctor) should never treat. The list noticeably mentioned
- one who is not grateful. This can be interpreted to mean that if you do a favour to
someone and that person is not grateful to you; it is your duty to never do anything
nice for that person ever again. If the ungrateful person is dying of thirst, it is better to
let him die. Showing kindness to an ungrateful person is adharm. This seems cruel.
But it is not. One has limited resources and wasting them on those who do not
deserve them is surely a crime.

3. Krodh ((cid:1)ोध ) vs. Amarsh (अमष (cid:7) )
It is often said that anger is forbidden or one should never get angry. This seems
strange in the context of Hindu Dharm since the two most important texts of Hindus
are related to war. One can never fight a war and kill another human being unless
one is emotionally charged up and there is a strong flow of blood to one's head. In
this context it is important to understand the difference between Krodh and Amarsh.
Krodh is when one loses control of one's emotions and mind. Amarsh (a Sanskrit
term) is more restrained. If some person does anything wrong to or in front of one, it
is one's duty to react and express intolerance of the wrong. The emotion of
intolerance or enough-no-more expressed either by words or action without losing
restraint is amarsh. A person with amarsh (अमष (cid:7) शील ) and no krodh is praised in
Hindu texts. A person who has no amarsh is a vegetable who gets trampled by all
and sundry. Such a amarsh-less person is not worthy of any respect.
Classic example of amarsh without krodh is Shishupal Vadh. Shishupal had insulted
Krishn in front of all the kings and learned persons. Krishn had warned Shishupal
and told him that he could abuse Krishn 100 times and no more. Shishupal
continued to insult Krishn. When Shishupal crossed the 100-mark, Krishn warned
him once again. Shishupal persisted. Krishn killed Shishupal without wasting any
further time. Krishn did not lose his restraint at any time. He was not under influence
of krodh but was amarsh-sheel.
A more mundane example - When our children were very young and naughty, I used
to often tell my wife that she should never get angry with the naughtiness of kids. My
view was that she could slap them as much as was necessary without getting angry.
Copyright – All Rights Free Page No. 2 Author – Anil Chawla
www.samarthbharat.com
Hindu Dharm – Practical Notes

Punishing kids for wrongdoings is a parent's right as well as duty. A parent should do
this duty without losing restraint. So if two slaps are likely to deliver the message to
the kid, exactly two slaps should be given - neither less nor more. When a parent is
under krodh, the parent often loses this restraint. The parent should display amarsh
but not krodh. Not expressing any emotions or reactions to a wrong act of a kid is as
harmful to the kid as is the unrestrained anger.
The fine difference between krodh and amarsh finds application in every aspect of
human life including management in a office or factory.

4. Kshama (Forgiveness)
Continuing my last week's note on anger, this week let us visit KSHAMA (to forgive /
pardon). Let me quote the extracts of a few verses from Mahabharat / Van Parv /
Arjunabhigamanparv / Chapter 28 / Verses 6-24.
Neither Tej (sharpness) is always good nor kshama is always good.
The one who always does Kshama receives many defects and weaknesses. His
servants, enemies and even unrelated persons insult and ridicule him. No one
behaves with him in a respectful and humble manner. Hence, always doing kshama
is prohibited even for the learned scholars (who are supposed to be living away from
practical life).
The one who becomes soft after sensing the opportune time and becomes terrifying
and dreadful at appropriate time enjoys all the pleasures in this as well as the after
world.
If a person, who has done some obliging act for you in the past, happens to do
something horribly wrong (a crime), you should remember the obliging act done by
him and forgive his crime.
If a person does a crime unknowingly, the person surely deserves kshama since no
human being can always behave wisely.
But if a person does a crime with full intention and then tries to show as if it was an
unknowingly committed crime, such crooks deserve to be punished even for petty
crimes.
Copyright – All Rights Free Page No. 3 Author – Anil Chawla
www.samarthbharat.com
Hindu Dharm – Practical Notes

The first crime of every wrongdoer deserves kshama. However, if the crime is
repeated then punishment is necessary even for a small crime.
The above rules are extremely practical and can surely be applied in every aspect of
one's life.

5. Cyclical nature
Most scientific thought, western mindset and in a tacit manner all one-book religions
have either no perspective on human life vis-a-vis time or take a linear view. Hindu
thought on the other hand has a strong emphasis on cyclical nature of human life.
Linear projection is discarded in favor of cyclical nature of reality in general and life in
particular.
Since life is cyclical, no one can always have either good times (sukh) or bad times
(dukh). SUKH must yield to DUKH and vice versa. Being prepared for sukh as well
as dukh is essential part of mindset for a Hindu.
This does not amount to any type of fatalism. It does not also mean that one should
not put in efforts to improve one's conditions. It is just an acceptance of the fact that
despite all that one may try there will be cycles of sukh and dukh. With one's efforts
and preparation (mental, physical, financial etc.) one can reduce the impact that bad
times have and also take full benefit of the good times as well as save up during
good times for the bad times.
The cyclical nature is so fundamental to human existence that even the Almighty
whenever he took form as human being could not escape the cycle of sukh and
dukh. Ram had to go to forest for fourteen years and, fight a terrible war. Krishn was
born in a jail, had to run for his life and live many years of his life in exile. If Ram and
Krishn could not avoid bad times, we as mere human beings should not expect a life
full of pleasures only. Accepting both sukh and dukh as it comes is essential to live a
full life.

Copyright – All Rights Free Page No. 4 Author – Anil Chawla
www.samarthbharat.com
Hindu Dharm – Practical Notes

6. Work – essential for life
Every aspect of life is covered by Hindu Dharm. Work is an important aspect of
everyone's life. The stress that Hindu Dharm places on working is indeed unique to
Hinduism. Let us look at the following verses from Mahabharat - Vanparv/
Arjunabhigaman parv/ Ch. 32
Even wise persons must work in this world. Only stationary beings like mountains,
trees etc. can live without working - others cannot.
The person who keeps sleeping under the influence of laziness gets poverty. A
person who does work sincerely and properly surely gets the desired results and
enjoys a life of luxury.
In addition to the above there is another Sanskrit verse which says that even though
it is destined that a lion gets to eat deer if a lion is lazy and keeps sleeping, it gets
nothing. Shedding laziness and working hard is an essential part of Hindu Dharm.
This sounds such common sense that some might wonder why one should talk
about it. Unfortunately, in the past one thousand years this common sense wisdom
of Hinduism is lost and Hindu Dharm is equated with singing religious songs, fasting
and going to temples. Bhakti movement and before that Shankaracharya's Brahm-
Satya-Jagat-Mithya (God is truth, World is false) showed hard work in bad light. It is
time to set things right.
it is also worthwhile to add that no one-book religion emphasizes hard work in the
manner that Hinduism does. Institutionalized religions (including most Hindu sects)
want their followers to almost give up all their so-called 'worldly' activities and devote
themselves fully to 'spiritual' life. Hindu Dharm does not differentiate between the
'worldly' and 'spiritual'. The focus on working is related to this-world and not to some
other world. In both Ramayan and Mahabharat, none of the characters does
anything that can be called as 'spiritual' - as defined by some of the present-day
Hindu sects / Sufi orders / mullahs / Christian clergy.

7. DAAN & DAYA
Hindu texts lay great emphasis on daan (donation) and daya (kindness). it is
important to understand the difference between the two.
Copyright – All Rights Free Page No. 5 Author – Anil Chawla
www.samarthbharat.com
Hindu Dharm – Practical Notes

Daan is given to the learned. One gives daan to those who are better than oneself. A
daan given to one is who is not worthy of it is lost since it creates no benefit for the
giver or the society. Since daan is given to those about whom the giver
acknowledges superiority, there is great humility in daan. Daan should not be
confused with Christian or Muslim charity which is always given to poor. A charity-
doer has a sense of superiority while the opposite is true in case of daan.
Daya is kindness. It is usually shown to those who are suffering. Hindu Dharm puts it
on a much lower level than daan. Of course, Buddhism and some schools of Hindu
thought emphasize karuna (compassion) and daya. This is not central thought of
either Ramayan or Mahabharat. Nevertheless, daya is one of the parts of dharm and
one must decide when to be kind and when to be harsh. For example, showing any
daya to a danav who has committed an unforgivable crime is a crime and not a
dharm.
The focus on daan to the learned ones (or to those who are on the path of learning)
is essential for any individual / family / society to grow. It is an investment into growth
and well being. The more one invests with humility in one's relationships with the
learned the more are one's chances of gaining from the learned.
In modern India, Nehru and Indira understood this very well and took great care of
their relationships with a large number of intellectuals and creative persons. In
contrast, RSS and BJP do not even know how to talk to intellectuals (I speak from
personal experience). RSS and BJP ridicule and make fun of intellectuals as ones
indulging in budhi vilas. The results are for everyone to see.

8. Hierarchy of respect
Among learned men (Brahmins), the one who has more knowledge is worthy of
being worshiped; among warriors (Kshatriys) the one who has most strength is
worshiped. Among businessmen (Vaishys), the one with maximum wealth gets all-
round respect. It is only in those who serve (Shudrs) that the one who is elder in age
gets respect. (Mahabharat/Sabha Parv/Ch. 38/Shlok 17-18)
The above rule has to be combined with the general principle that everyone must
respect the learned at all times.
Copyright – All Rights Free Page No. 6 Author – Anil Chawla
www.samarthbharat.com