VALUES OF LIFE
The Manu Smriti has laid down a system of values of life which welded the people of India into a nation and all these values come within the purview of Dharma. It prescribed ‘Duties Towards Other Living Beings’ including Samanya Dharma -A Code of Conduct for all human beings, Raja Dharma -The Duty of Rulers, Respect for Womanhood, Equality (Samanata), Gratitude (Kritajnata), Compassion (Daya), Simple Life -Sparing use of Natural Resources, Service (Seva -Paropakara), Sacrifice (Tyaga).
DUTY TOWARDS OTHER LIVING BEINGS
In our culture and civilization, primary importance attached was to duty -based society, in which the right given to an individual was the right to perform his duty. This position is declared in the following verse of the Bhagvadgita thus : " Your right (adhikara) is to perform your duty". Neither should one cling to life nor court death, but live a life of non-attachment, doing one's duty properly. This duty- based philosophy laid down for the individual and the society makes India qualitatively different from others. This is a need -based culture in contrast to greed -based civilizations. The right given to an individual is the right to perform his duty. It is this philosophy which is the essence of the Bhagvadgeeta. This value alone can instill in individuals the desire to perform their duty and to surrender/sacrifice their personal interests in the larger interest of the nation and/or humanity.
CAUSES FOR EVIL ACTIONS:
MS analyses causes for evil action as follows:“Action which springs from the mind, from speech and from the body produces either good or evil results. By action are caused various conditions of men. Mind is the instigator for all actions which are connected with and performed by the body". MS12. 3 -7
There are three kinds of evil actions, which fall under ten heads:
Ø Three sinful mental actions: A sin takes its origin in the mind in three ways:: Coveting the property of others;· Thinking what is undesirable; and· Adherence to evil doctrines.These three types of sinful mental actions give rise to four types of evil verbal actions or three types of wicked bodily actions:
Ø The four evil verbal actions:Speaking an untruth;Attacking another in abusive or strong language, Carrying tales against another person; and Talking ill of others.
Ø The three wicked bodily actions are:Taking what is not given;Injuring living beings; and Illicit intercourse with another man's wife According to Justice M. Rama Jois, ‘the aforesaid analysis of the various evil mental and bodily actions cover the whole field of civil or criminal injury that an individual causes to another. The instigation comes from the mind. Thus, the sin first takes root in the form of mental action and thereafter expresses itself in the form of verbal or bodily evil actions which inflict civil or criminal injury as the case may be on others against whom they are directed. All the civil and criminal injuries which an individual may cause to others, such as appropriating the property belonging to others or denying what is due to others, or defamation, assault, theft, cheating, robbery, causing hurt, murder, rape, adultery, which are covered by the modern civil and criminal laws under various systems of law, fall under anyone or more of the four evil verbal actions or three wicked bodily actions as analysed by Manu. The several provisions made in the Manu Smriti follow this basic analysis. Before laying down the code of conduct for implicit obedience by individuals and the penalty for disobedience at the hands of the king (the State), Manu cautions everyone to have self -control, so that his mind does not act as the instigator for committing any sinful mental action which would inevitably lead to one or the other type of evil verbal actions or wicked bodily actions.’In the present times, human beings are subjecting others to untold misery and agony by their evil actions perpetrated for purely selfish ends. In particular onslaught and assault on women are on the increase and this is heinous and most degrading. For such purposes they are using the most modern arms and ammunitions. Everyday news papers carry news of such atrocities committed by individuals for one reason or the other. Thus, scientific inventions which are intended to be a boon to humanity are becoming a curse. Why is it so? The answer is not far to seek. In fact this should have The reason is human beings have not been educated and trained to exercise control over the mind, speech and bodily actions and not to inflict injury on others with purely selfish motive. In fact this should have been the most fundamental education to be imparted to individuals right from their childhood by which alone human beings develop the capacity to control their mind, speech and bodily actions. Everyone should be made to realise, that for the sake of satisfying ones greed or desire one were to indulge in illegal and immoral acts, he might secure a momentary physical enjoyment, but would land himself in deep trouble by losing mental peace and happiness and thus he has to suffer through out his life.’ It is by such education only that the character of an individual can be moulded so that he lives a useful, purposeful and honest life which gives him real happiness and enables him to devote his time energy and capacities to the service of other human beings and prevents him from exploiting others for selfish ends.
SAMANYA DHARMA: The meaning of Sanskrit word Dharma' is very wide. In fact there is no equivalent word corresponding to Dharma in any of the languages of the world. All the rules of righteous conduct of human beings in every sphere of human activity evolved from times immemorial in India, fall within the meaning of the word Dharma, which applies to all, whether they belong to any religion or not. It is code of conduct for all human beings for for all times to come. It is eternal as indicated in MS:10-63 . Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (not coveting the property of others), Shoucham (purity), and Indriyanigraha ( control of senses) are, in brief, the common Dharma for all.
RAJA DHARMA: According to Justice M.Rama Jois, ‘this is equivalent to the modern Constitutional Law. Rajadhaima regulated the power and duties of the King. It was made obligatory for the king to give equal protection to all his subjects without discrimination. On this subject, 'Manu Smriti' says :“Just as the mother earth gives equal support to all the living beings, a king should give support to all without any discrimination.”MS 9-31
Again in Bhagavadgita, Lord Krishna lays down the proper code of conduct by saying that a person who observes such a code of conduct is dear to Him:“The person who hates none, who is friendly and has compassion for all, who has no selfishness and ego, who , maintains balance of mind in pain and pleasure, who has contentment, is steady in meditation, self controlled, and firm in his decision, who is dedicated to me, and who is my devotee is dear to me.”
Ved Prakash
wwwvedicethicalvaluesinmanusamriti.blogspot.com
The Manu Smriti has laid down a system of values of life which welded the people of India into a nation and all these values come within the purview of Dharma. It prescribed ‘Duties Towards Other Living Beings’ including Samanya Dharma -A Code of Conduct for all human beings, Raja Dharma -The Duty of Rulers, Respect for Womanhood, Equality (Samanata), Gratitude (Kritajnata), Compassion (Daya), Simple Life -Sparing use of Natural Resources, Service (Seva -Paropakara), Sacrifice (Tyaga).
DUTY TOWARDS OTHER LIVING BEINGS
In our culture and civilization, primary importance attached was to duty -based society, in which the right given to an individual was the right to perform his duty. This position is declared in the following verse of the Bhagvadgita thus : " Your right (adhikara) is to perform your duty". Neither should one cling to life nor court death, but live a life of non-attachment, doing one's duty properly. This duty- based philosophy laid down for the individual and the society makes India qualitatively different from others. This is a need -based culture in contrast to greed -based civilizations. The right given to an individual is the right to perform his duty. It is this philosophy which is the essence of the Bhagvadgeeta. This value alone can instill in individuals the desire to perform their duty and to surrender/sacrifice their personal interests in the larger interest of the nation and/or humanity.
CAUSES FOR EVIL ACTIONS:
MS analyses causes for evil action as follows:“Action which springs from the mind, from speech and from the body produces either good or evil results. By action are caused various conditions of men. Mind is the instigator for all actions which are connected with and performed by the body". MS12. 3 -7
There are three kinds of evil actions, which fall under ten heads:
Ø Three sinful mental actions: A sin takes its origin in the mind in three ways:: Coveting the property of others;· Thinking what is undesirable; and· Adherence to evil doctrines.These three types of sinful mental actions give rise to four types of evil verbal actions or three types of wicked bodily actions:
Ø The four evil verbal actions:Speaking an untruth;Attacking another in abusive or strong language, Carrying tales against another person; and Talking ill of others.
Ø The three wicked bodily actions are:Taking what is not given;Injuring living beings; and Illicit intercourse with another man's wife According to Justice M. Rama Jois, ‘the aforesaid analysis of the various evil mental and bodily actions cover the whole field of civil or criminal injury that an individual causes to another. The instigation comes from the mind. Thus, the sin first takes root in the form of mental action and thereafter expresses itself in the form of verbal or bodily evil actions which inflict civil or criminal injury as the case may be on others against whom they are directed. All the civil and criminal injuries which an individual may cause to others, such as appropriating the property belonging to others or denying what is due to others, or defamation, assault, theft, cheating, robbery, causing hurt, murder, rape, adultery, which are covered by the modern civil and criminal laws under various systems of law, fall under anyone or more of the four evil verbal actions or three wicked bodily actions as analysed by Manu. The several provisions made in the Manu Smriti follow this basic analysis. Before laying down the code of conduct for implicit obedience by individuals and the penalty for disobedience at the hands of the king (the State), Manu cautions everyone to have self -control, so that his mind does not act as the instigator for committing any sinful mental action which would inevitably lead to one or the other type of evil verbal actions or wicked bodily actions.’In the present times, human beings are subjecting others to untold misery and agony by their evil actions perpetrated for purely selfish ends. In particular onslaught and assault on women are on the increase and this is heinous and most degrading. For such purposes they are using the most modern arms and ammunitions. Everyday news papers carry news of such atrocities committed by individuals for one reason or the other. Thus, scientific inventions which are intended to be a boon to humanity are becoming a curse. Why is it so? The answer is not far to seek. In fact this should have The reason is human beings have not been educated and trained to exercise control over the mind, speech and bodily actions and not to inflict injury on others with purely selfish motive. In fact this should have been the most fundamental education to be imparted to individuals right from their childhood by which alone human beings develop the capacity to control their mind, speech and bodily actions. Everyone should be made to realise, that for the sake of satisfying ones greed or desire one were to indulge in illegal and immoral acts, he might secure a momentary physical enjoyment, but would land himself in deep trouble by losing mental peace and happiness and thus he has to suffer through out his life.’ It is by such education only that the character of an individual can be moulded so that he lives a useful, purposeful and honest life which gives him real happiness and enables him to devote his time energy and capacities to the service of other human beings and prevents him from exploiting others for selfish ends.
SAMANYA DHARMA: The meaning of Sanskrit word Dharma' is very wide. In fact there is no equivalent word corresponding to Dharma in any of the languages of the world. All the rules of righteous conduct of human beings in every sphere of human activity evolved from times immemorial in India, fall within the meaning of the word Dharma, which applies to all, whether they belong to any religion or not. It is code of conduct for all human beings for for all times to come. It is eternal as indicated in MS:10-63 . Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (not coveting the property of others), Shoucham (purity), and Indriyanigraha ( control of senses) are, in brief, the common Dharma for all.
RAJA DHARMA: According to Justice M.Rama Jois, ‘this is equivalent to the modern Constitutional Law. Rajadhaima regulated the power and duties of the King. It was made obligatory for the king to give equal protection to all his subjects without discrimination. On this subject, 'Manu Smriti' says :“Just as the mother earth gives equal support to all the living beings, a king should give support to all without any discrimination.”MS 9-31
Again in Bhagavadgita, Lord Krishna lays down the proper code of conduct by saying that a person who observes such a code of conduct is dear to Him:“The person who hates none, who is friendly and has compassion for all, who has no selfishness and ego, who , maintains balance of mind in pain and pleasure, who has contentment, is steady in meditation, self controlled, and firm in his decision, who is dedicated to me, and who is my devotee is dear to me.”
Ved Prakash
wwwvedicethicalvaluesinmanusamriti.blogspot.com
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