Miscellaneous - Religion   

Basis of human life

CHENNAI: Dharma is one of the four objectives (Purusharthas), the others being Artha (Wealth), Kama (sensory pleasures) and Moksha (liberation), that a human being should pursue to lead a fulfilled life in the world. While the first three Purusharthas give happiness here and now, Moksha endows eternal bliss, the attainment of which is the very purpose of human birth. Dharma occupies the pride of place in this scheme of Purusharthas because it is the basis of the other three goals. It is unique in that it acts as a bridge between this life and the hereafter as the scriptures state that only Dharma accompanies the soul at the end of this life.

In his discourse, Sri K.V.Seshadrinatha Sastrigal said as Dharma prescribed in the Vedas was difficult to swallow like bitter medicine, Vyasa out of compassion wrote the epic Mahabharata and encapsulated the tenets of Dharma in the innumerable tales that intertwine the main storyline relating to the feud between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.

The ensuing war was between Dharma and unrighteousness and the epic teaches that Dharma prevailed ultimately. At a deeper level Vyasa shows in the Mahabharata that Moksha is the birthright of every human being.

The Vedas teach the same truth but their teaching is prescriptive, which is difficult for the majority to follow, and so the natural human tendency will be to abandon anything that is hard to adopt. Vyasa had the foresight when he composed the epic to gauge the needs of mankind in the coming ages in which the pursuit of Dharma and Moksha would become increasingly difficult and so he has included all the Vedic teachings in it.

The crux of the delineation of Dharma in the Mahabharata is that every individual must follow Dharma that is prescribed for him. The Veda, for instance, says cryptically: "Speak the truth, follow Dharma", which needs a lot of interpretation when applied individually.

The epic teaches this truth through an elaborate treatment of the life of King Harischandra who underwent great trials and tribulations for upholding truth.

It is apt to say that the Vedas are the theory and the Mahabharata its practical demonstration.

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