Miscellaneous - Religion   

Code of dharma

CHENNAI: Dharma, perceived as the ordained way of life, has survived through countless eras because people have tried to uphold it, despite the changes in social, economic, religious, political and cultural areas. But the stringent standards of dharma in the earlier eras have seen a slow decline and the present Kali Yuga stands witness to the effects of a watered down form of it.

The Puranas and the Itihasas contain many stories of people who have stood by dharma against all odds, and of those who have suffered even while upholding it. King Dilipa, reputed for his righteousness and chivalry, remained childless for long and sought the advice of Sage Vashista. Being endowed with the ability to see the past, present and the future, the sage traced the cause to the king’s failure to honour the sacred cow Kamadhenu once when he had gone to the celestial region. It was Kamadhenu’s curse that had affected him thus and as an act of penance, the sage advised him to worship Nandini, the divine cow’s daughter.

In a lecture, Sri K. V. Seshadrinatha Sastrigal drew attention to the confusion prevailing over what constitutes dharma against the backdrop of the emerging value system of contemporary times. Much of the tension lies in the uncertainty arising from interpretations of texts on Dharma Sastras (such as Manu Dharma) that contain meticulous instructions based on the authority of the Vedas on a wide variety of subjects.

The pithy scriptural statements need a holistic unravelling by scholars well versed in Sanskrit grammar and language, along with an unbiased spirit that remains outside the influence of the pressures of the times. In the section on laws dealing with domestic/secular practices (Laukika) and those dealing with the sacred/scriptural ceremonies (Vaidika), the householder and his wife are assigned equal responsibilities for their respective roles.

But the onus of upholding dharma in both the spheres is on woman. She is entrusted with the charge of nurturing family traditional conduct, cleanliness, health, spiritual values, etc., and also with the authority to initiate the sacred rituals that the householder performs.

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