Musings on the Fundamentals of Hinduism

[Anbu]

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Aum Ganesaya Namaha
Aum Sri Gurubyo Namaha


The idea of writing the musings on the fundamentals of Hinduism occurred to me when I was
participating in the Kanchi Forum. But the postings of the musings had to be given up midway when a
couple of fellows posing as Hindus/Brahmins started attacking our sacred knowledge as inhuman and
outdated on the question of Varna with particular vehemence directed at Brahmins. They also
indulged in the slandering of the defenders. The attacks clearly emanated from Christian concepts
that are truly alien to Hinduism. I could have easily shorn the attacker’s religion but not only it
would have taken the focus away from the musings and but it could have caused conflict with the
moderator who would not like the forum used to attack other religions threadbare. I hasten to add
that my deep regards for the Matam and its Acharyals endure as ever.

The urge to share this sacred knowledge with our fellow Hindus remained in me and so I wrote to the
Moderator of Tamil Brahmins and was quite please to receive his reply supporting the idea of musings
and assured me that any unHindu/antiBrahmin postings would be removed.

So here I am. To make it easy and comprehensive my musings will be found in one thread and the
discussions on them will be in another. I invite all readers to participate.
Regards,
Anbu

 

[prpsarathy]

Problem is in our society. Christainity is trying to exploit the same. since you write with reference to kanchi, i just want our brahmin people to recognize the fact that a person is brahmin by practice and not by birth.

Ravana was a brahmin but was killed as rakshasa

Famous conversation between adi shankara and sandala, where adi shankara took him as god messenger when he asked adi shankara " WHAT DO YOU WANT TO MOVE AWAY, BODY OR SOUL. IF BODY U BODY IS PERISHABLE AS MINE AND SOUL, IT IS IMPERISABLE AS MINE'

I am an iyengar and i tell every body that but for two or three all alwars where not brahmin. We keep their statue and worship but leave their teaching to dust.

Somewhere, we have missed it. It is our mistake.

regards, sarathy

 

[Anbu]

Dear Sri Sarathy,

Thank you. Pl do read the Musings and we may have opportunity to discuss your views in light of my future postings. Pl. do post your replies in the discussion thread. Thanks again. Anbu

 

[prpsarathy]

sorry, if u donot want, i will not participate in the thread. Thank you

 

[Anbu]

Dear Sarathy,

I do want you to participate. All I am saying is I am reserving my reply if need be to a later time. Regards, Anbu

 

[Anbu]

My actual musings are in the second one entitled "Musings on the Fundamentals of Hinduism" . The duplicate title is probably confusing.

 

[prpsarathy]

fine, i thought you were not comfortable with my views. we have to be more forward looking using the wisdom of the past rather than to live the past. that is one of the reason we could move away from bad practice like sati. We must reason out and move further using the wisdom which has been over to us by our ancestor.

 

[Anbu]

Dear Sri Sarathy,

There are two important things with regard to Hinduism. They are Sruthi and Smrithi. Sruthi is that which is heard. Veda is Sruthi handed down by word of mouth and received by the ears. The Sruthi never changes. Smrithi on the other hand is that which is remembered. This changes from time to time. Therefore Vedas are inviolable and avaidhic views are held unHindu. Sati as you rightly pointed out is not a Vedic injunction. Varna is Vedic while caste proliferation is not. Varna is Guna based and remains a force in each one to enable him to attain his Purushartha. Caste is man-made and easily changed at will and social acceptance is its norm. Therefore Varna and caste are not the same.

We will have opportunity to talk in greater detail when we talk more on Guna. Hope you read my first musing where the Guna as the basis of the universe is brought out.

Regards,
Anbu

 

[Anbu]

I have posted the 2nd Musing. Enjoy reading it!

Anbu

 

[Anbu]

Dear All,

Today I have posted my THIRD MUSING and my notes thereon on the other thread with the same name. Hope you enjoy reading this. Please feel free to discuss the musings.

Regards,
Anbu

 

[srkpriv]

Duplicate names are indeed confusing. If possible change the name to 'Discussion on Musings on the Fundamentals of Hinduism'.

 

[Anbu]

I did write to Sri Praveen to delete the first one and have only the actual Musings thread. Hope he can help us.

 

[srkpriv]

Can you please tell me where these references are available in vedas. I have read somewhat but not really up to date on these. I see in bhagawadh geetha, Arjun worries due to war and the subsequent destruction of family values leading to 'mixing of varna' (varna kallappu) in generations to come.

Current transliteration 'Varna' means color. This is exploited by evangelists, proselytizers, Left and so many to say that hinduism discriminated against its own people through varna and jati.

But if you go by Varna meaning Gunam (Character) as a alternate meaning (or only valid meaning to that word). It is a very valid point what Arjuna raises in Bhagawadh Gita. Very intelligent too. The only issue remaining in that case is hindus have failed to communite with fellow hindus to clarify this.

Is there any other place in vedas etc.. where Varna is used in a different way as in color or guna or something?

Varna is Vedic while caste proliferation is not. Varna is Guna based and remains a force in each one to enable him to attain his Purushartha.

 

[Anbu]

I have posted my FOURTH MUSING and FIFTH MUSING in the other thread also called Musings on Fundamentals of Hinduism. Hope you enjoy reading them. Please feel free to discuss them in this thread.

Regards,
Anbu
Sri Gurubyo Namaha

 

[Anbu]

Aum

I have posted my NOTES ON THE SIXTH MUSING (I) IN THE OTHER THREAD.

Sri Gurubyo Namaha,
Anbu

 

[Anbu]

Aum

Today I have posted my NOTES ON THE SIXTH MUSING (II) IN THE OTHER THREAD.

Sri Gurubyo Namaha,
Anbu

 

[Anbu]

Aum

Today I have posted my NOTES ON THE SIXTH MUSING (III) IN THE OTHER THREAD.

Sri Gurubyo Namaha,
Anbu

 

[Anbu]

Aum

Dear Srkpriv,

Sorry for being late in answering you.

Hindu beliefs are based on what is called Prasthaanathrayam consisting of Vedas, Brahmasuthra and Geetha. These three are complementary to each other and never contradictory. Some of the statements in the Vedas are given in a way that ordinary people cannot understand. For example if I say mathematical formula such as E=MCsquared, there are many people who may not understand what it means (that includes me!) Therefore Vedic understanding is always received from a Guru.

Hinduism is not a simpleton's religion as the western ones are and because of its complexity Hinduism is subject to attacks and Hindus are thrown into confusion by the proselytising religions.
My musings on the fundamentals of Hinduism is therefore to raise awareness among Hindus particularly Brahmins. It is certainly not right to have a threadbare discussion by quoting from Prasthaanathrayam in this blog as the importance of a Guru Sishya relationship embedded in the imparting of knowledge could not be overcome as every person has his own unique Guru though in the ultimate analysis Parabrahman is the Lokaguru who comes to each one as his unique Guru.

Having said that I have to point out that Varna is a projection by Virata Purusha who has been conditioned by the three Gunas. Therefore Varna is his own image in a different form and each of these forms is permeated by the Guna stuff in a different composition.

With Narayana Smrithi,
Anbu

P.S: I HAVE POSTED MY SEVENTH MUSING TODAY IN THE OTHER THREAD WITH THE SAME NAME.

 

[Anbu]

I have posted my eighth musing today in the other thread.

Anbu

 

[Anbu]

I have posted my Ninth Musing today in the other thread.

Anbu

 

[malgova.mango]

Dear Readers

I felt the urge to use ParamaAcharyal's word here as this will clear many mis-conceptions...............

From ParamaAcharyal's Book - "The Vedas"....
To discriminate between Sruti and Smrti is not correct. Sruti, Smrti and the Puranas, all three belong to the same tradition. Sankara is said to be the abode of the three("Sruti-Smrti-Purananam alayam"). If the three were at variance with one another how can they exist in harmony in the same person?
Those who follow the tradition of Acarya are called "Smartas". The word "Smarta" literally means one who adheres to the Smrtis. To say that the Acarya descended to earth to uphold the Vedas and that those who follow his path are Smartas implies that the Vedas and Smrtis are one.
The rites that are not explicitly mentioned in the Vedas but are dealt with in the Smrtis are called Smarta karmas and those that are explicitly mentioned are called Srauta karmas. This does not mean that the Smarta rites are in anyway inferior to Srauta. The householder's Smarta works include such an important rite as aupasana; equally important are the domestic rites like sraddha and the seven pakayajnas. Vedic mantras are chanted in all these. Those who composed the Smrtis and laid down the performance of such rites must have been fully aware of the spirit of the Vedas. It is not proper to think that the Smrtis are inferior to the Vedas or that the Puranas are inferior to the Smrtis. We must learn to take an integrated view of all of them.
In Puranas the Vedic truths are illustrated in the form of stories. The Smrtis bring the Vedic dharmas and karmas in the form of instruction and injunctions and tell us how the rites are to be performed.
The sages had intuitive knowledge of the Vedas. As mentioned so often they did not compose them - they saw them. There was no intellectual effort on their part in this. "Srutim pasyanti munayah" (The sages see the Vedas). They used their intelligence to examine what they saw and, remembering it all, derived from the Vedas the duties and rites for various castes. This they gave us in a codified form called Smrti. As I said before "Smrti" means memory. For the sages the Vedas constituted an experience that just happened to them. The Smrtis or the dharmasastras are derived from their memory of it. "Samskara-janyam jnanam Smrtih", the Nyaya-sastra define Smrti thus. It means that Smrti is knowledge derived from Samskara. Here "Samskara" means "atindriya". But what exactly is it?
We go to Kasi and worship at the temple of Visvanatha there. Many days after our return home, we go to the local temple which has a sanctum of "Kasi Visvanatha". At once we remember the experience we had of seeing the deity Visvanatha at Kasi. In between for many days, that is between our visit to Kasi and to the local temple, we had no memory of this deity. We come across so many people every day but we hardly think of them later. But, when we happen to see them subsequently, we tell ourselves: "Ah, we must have seen them before somewhere. " In between there was no memory of the people. This "in between state" is called "samskara" or "atindriya". In that state there is an impression of our experience within us. When this impression manifests itself as an "expression" we have "Smrti" or memory. All told, Smrti is the result of our experience and samskara an impression of that experience within us.
The experience constituted by the Vedas and manifested as the memory is the Smrti or Dharmasastra. Smrti does not become Smrti without its Vedic root. Are not the Vedas the"experience" that is the source of the Smrtis? Without such a source the name suggesting "notes of memory" would be meaningless. How can we describe as notes of remembrance" anything that is new and is not founded on something prior to it?
There is no second opinion regarding the fact that what is called "Srauta"(directly mentioned in the Vedas) is wholly authoritative. But what is not directly mentioned in Sruti but included in Smrti - that is Smarta - is not to be taken to be less authoritative. Smarta never contradicts Srauta. In some matters Smritis may go beyond Sruti, but that too is fully authoritative being based on the inner spirit of Sruti. Just as the Sthala Puranas fill in the gaps in the major Puranas and the epics, so the Smrtis speak of what is left out in the Vedas. We use terms "Sruti pramana" and "Smrti pramana"(the authority of the Vedas and the authority of the Smrtis), but making such a distinction does not mean that we should treat Sruti and Smrti different or that we should think that the one is inferior to the other.
........... MahaPeriyaval's words.......
..................................................................

Dear Sri Sarathy,

There are two important things with regard to Hinduism. They are Sruthi and Smrithi. Sruthi is that which is heard. Veda is Sruthi handed down by word of mouth and received by the ears. The Sruthi never changes. Smrithi on the other hand is that which is remembered. This changes from time to time. Therefore Vedas are inviolable and avaidhic views are held unHindu. Sati as you rightly pointed out is not a Vedic injunction. Varna is Vedic while caste proliferation is not. Varna is Guna based and remains a force in each one to enable him to attain his Purushartha. Caste is man-made and easily changed at will and social acceptance is its norm. Therefore Varna and caste are not the same.

We will have opportunity to talk in greater detail when we talk more on Guna. Hope you read my first musing where the Guna as the basis of the universe is brought out.

Regards,
Anbu

 

[kkm5848]

Anbuji,

Jai Sri Krishna. I am working on building a Hindu Encyclopedia as there is no other available. Would you be interested in joining the team?

Best Regards,

Krishna

 

[il_guy]

Namaste all,

I think the things that are the most fundamental of our Dharma are two, but really one:

Om Tat Sat - That/God is the Absolute Truth
Tat Tvam Asi - That Thou Art

It's the most universal fundamental of anything, in my opinion. I'm so glad to have found this Dharma. It is changing me for the better, which, in my experience, nothing else could do. It's been a slow process, and it's still going on, so I can't wait to see what's next around the corner!

Warm Regards,

Justin

 

[KRS]

Dear Sri Justin Ji,

More than the most of us, who are born Hindus, you have captured the essence of Sanatana Dharma. Because of people like you, the enternal Truth will never die.

Namaskarams,
KRS