Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE--- I

FAITH IN DHARMA NATURALLY DEVELOPS IN A PERSON, WHO POSSESSES FAITH IN BHAGWAN. DHARMA TAKES REFUGE ONLY IN BHAGWAN.   (Vachanamrut, Swaminarayan)


The period 1750-1950 CE witnessed exponential expansion & growth of Dharma and Ethical practices. One of the reason may be the thrust in development of languages, better systems of documentation/ preservation and growth in overall communication systems. We shall cover the learnings on the current theme in around 6 to 8 blogs, beginning with  a spiritual preacher cum social reformer Swaminarayan ( also known as Sahjanand Swami) of the period 1781-1830 CE.

Born in 1781 CE as Ghanshyam Pande, he took pilgrimage at the age of 11 years, interacting with several learned scholars & saints and undertook welfare activities for the benefit of masses. Named as Sahjanand Swami by his Guru Swami Ramanand, he led a large Uddhav community from 1802 CE onward as its leader. He undertook several reforms for women and poor. He mastered spiritual scriptures namely Vedas, Purana, Ramayana, Upanishads and Bhagwat Gita. In 1826, he wrote Shikshapatri, a book of social reforms and ethical practices. Vachnamrut is another compilation of spiritual, Dharmik as well as Ethical concerns, generated by Swaminarayan Sampradaya, based on interactions of Swaminarayan with his prominent Paramhansas and Swamis of the sect. A curious personality in childhood itself, he asked the following 5 questions to his Gurus and sought answers from leading saints and philosophers of that era for strengthening & internalizing his own spiritual knowledge;

• WHAT IS JIVA?
• WHAT IS ISHVARA?
• WHAT IS MAYA?
• WHAT IS BRAHMAN?
• WHAT IS PARA-BRAHMAN?

Stressing upon practicing Dharma as one of the four elements to be conquered for ultimate salvation, Swaminarayan  encouraged his followers to combine Devotion and Dharma to lead a pious and Ethical life. In his community, he forbade consumption of meat, alcohol, adultery, drugs, suicide, animal sacrifices, appeasement of ghosts & tantric rituals. As a pioneer of reformed and purified Hinduism, he further undertook several social service projects and opened alms for the poor. During drought, food and water relief were organized. Female infanticide was declared a sin and education of women was encouraged.
Let me share the interpretation of  some of his messages conveyed in his scriptures supporting his Dharmik  and Ethical orientation.

Shikshapatri, shloka 12; My followers shall never kill goats and/or other living beings in sacrifice performed for the propitiation of deities & ancestors, for non violence is declared as the highest Dharma.
Shikshapatri, shloka 17; No stealing should be resorted to even for religious purposes.
Shikshapatri, shloka 18; None of my followers shall indulge in adultery; they shall neither practice gambling and similar vices, nor indulge in inhaling intoxicants.
Shikshapatri, shloka 20; Neither shall false accusations ever be made against anybody for serving one's own selfish ends, nor shall anybody be abused.
Shikshapatri, shloka 24; None shall abandon one's own Dharma as ordained by one's own Varna and Ashrams.
Shikshapatri, shloka 73; None shall undertake an activity devoid of Dharma. Dharma shall not be abandoned out of attachment to the desired objects.

As per him, Dharma is RIGHT CONDUCT, authenticated by Shruti and Smriti, while Bhakti is extreme profound love for God coupled with the knowledge of magnificence of Lord. Swaminarayan advocated the philosophy called " Vishishtadvaita", which conveys that God is supreme, has a divine form, is the all doer and is completely independent. He further stressed that one should work towards realization of Ekantik Dharma,comprising of Righteousness, Right knowledge, Detachment and Devotion to that God. He gave his followers Swaminarayan mantra, which implies the relationship of a devotee with his supreme Lord and helps in concentration, meditation and attainment of ecstatic bliss of divine as well as liberation of all sins.

Swaminarayan, Swaminarayan, Swaminarayan, Swaminarayan.

Vachnamrut, a compilation of spiritual discussions between  Swaminarayan and his Paramhansas  & other prominent followers, covers several Dharmik and Ethical subjects focusing on specific issues discussed in 273 assembly gatherings conducted during the period 1876 CE-1886 CE. Quoting a few relevant lessons from this compilation; " Never think cruelty of others" ( Gadhada I 69) ie there is no place for non violence in life. Another one" Having an aggressive personality is the Dharma of a wicked person and behaving in a calm manner is the Dharma of a Sadhu", stresses on co- relation of Dharma with negative and positive traits of personality.

" People, who follow the path of honesty( Dharma) abandon stealing, adultery, slander and other sins. They fear Bhagwan. People in the world trust them and accept whatever they say as truth."--- Vachnamrut Sarangpur 10 on Dharma & Adharma.

" A person, who follows the path of Adharma is engrossed in evil deeds like stealing, adultery, eating meat, drinking alcohol, changing someone's varna & ashrams by force and alike."

In a similar context, while discussing qualities of a Sat Purush in Gadhada I 67, it says Sat Purush has no love at all for the pleasures of this world. He has desires only for the abode of Bhagwan and His Swarup ( form). Emphasizing the importance of TRUTH in ethical living, one of the discussion summarizes as " Sattvam yad-Brahma-darshanam" ie Sattva guna ( truth as an attribute) leads to the vision of Bhagwan.

Swaminarayan sect, with more than two million followers around the globe and places of worship in five continents has been engaged in spreading the roots of Dharmik and Ethical living by its activities, scriptures and discourses. Faith in divinity and value based living have been its landmarks. I shall end the blog with a powerful verse from Vachnamrut Panchala Prakaran 2.18, giving attributes of a spiritually enlightened person ie such persons remain joyful, grieve nothing, desire nothing, behave equally with all beings and attain His supreme Bhakti.

" Brahma-bhutaha prasannatma na shochati na kankshati;

  Samaha Sarveshu bhuteshu mad- bhaktim labhate param."

Impact of Bhakti Movement---1400-1750 CE--VIII

परम धर्म श्रुति विदित अहिंसा, पर निन्दा सम अघ न गरीसा।

                                                                                                             ( Ch 7, Uttarkand)

Continuing learnings from the sacred scripture" Ramcharitmanas " of Indian Sant Shiromani, Goswami Tulsidas of Bhakti Era, which we began in previous blog 17, we shall now pick up messages on Universal Dharma and Ethical practices conveyed by him, in the current Blog. In the above verse, the author says that Ahimnsa ( Non-Violence) is the biggest Dharma, while hurting or demeaning others is the greatest unethical practice or bad deed. A great transformational learning indeed!

Quoting a few verses from Ramcharitmanas focusing on Universal Dharma and Ethical practices;
धरम न दूसर सत्य़ समाना, आगम निगम पुरान बखाना।
मैं सोइ धरमु सुलभ करिपावा, तजें तिहुंपुर अपजसु छावा।।---  Ch 2, Ayodhyakand

 Lord Rama conveying  that following Truthful practices is the biggest Dharma, which He has achieved in life so easily and now if He discards it, He will lose His entire credibility. In another context in Ch 2, Ayodhyakand, King Dasratha, conveys the importance of Truthfulness in life as a great Ethical practice;
सत्य़मूल सब सुकृत सुहाए, वेद पुराण विदित मनु गाए। ie devotion to "Truthfulness", is the root of all good deeds and noble virtues as stated in great Indian Scriptures, Vedas as well as conveyed by great Saint Manu. On Non-Truth or telling lies, in the same chapter, it is said " नहिं असत्य़ सम पापक पुंजा " ie even a multitude of sins can not be equated with a lie.                                                 .

On Ethical Practices in life, the scripture has enormous messages. Quoting from Ch 3, Aranyakand, where Lord Rama is narrating attributes of Saintly persons in society, with sage Narada;
षट विकार जित अनघ अकामा, अचल अकिंचन सुचि सुखधामा।
अमित बोध अनीह मितभोगी, सत्य़सार कबि कोबिद जोगी।।- Saints have won over six vices, namely lust, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and jealousy. Moreover. they are sinless,disinterested in earthly pleasures & materialistic possessions, firm in thoughts, pure ( both within and outside), full of bliss, have boundless wisdom, desire-less, moderate in diet, truthful, inspired & self motivated and united with divine.
सावधान मानद मदहीना, धीर धर्म गति परम प्रवीना। Saintly persons believe in bestowing honors on others, free from pride, strong minded and well conversant with the path and practices of Dharma or Righteousness, Such people never abandon the right course in life.
निज गुण श्रवन सुनत सकुचाहीं, पर गुण सुनत अधिक हरषाहीं। Saintly people blush at hearing their praise, but feel delighted to hear other's praise.
जप तप ब्रत दम संजम नेमा, गुरु गोविंद विप्र पद नेमा। Saintly people consistently engage in prayers, austerity, control of senses, self denial and religious observances. They demonstrate high respect towards knowledgeable people in society. They have great faith in divine.

Again, in Ch 7, Uttarkand, Lord Rama shares traits of Saintly and Ethical people with his brothers. Quoting a few verses;
विषय़ अलंपट सील गुनाकर, पर दुख दुख,सुख सुख देखे पर।
सम अभूतरिपु विमद विरागी, लोभाभरण हरष भ्रय त्य़ागी।। ie Saintly people have no hankering for pleasure of senses and are storehouse of amiability & other noble virtues. They feel delighted on seeing other's in joy and happiness, at the same time, feel unhappy in seeing others in distress and pain. It means that they are emphatic people, who strongly feel for others at all times, while demonstrating self control. Further, such people are even minded and treat the whole world as one, with no one as their enemy. Conquering vanity & passions, such persons demonstrate mastery over greed, anger, joy and fear.
कोमलचित्त दीनन्ह पर दाया, मन वच क्रम मम भगति अमाया।
विगत काम मम नाम परायन, सांति बिरति बिनती मुदितायन।। ie Saintly people are tender at heart and compassionate to the distressed & poor. They cherish unflinching faith & devotion to Lord in thoughts, words and deeds. They are modest in living and give honor to others. They have no interested motive of their own ( Selfless).  They are the real abodes of tranquility, dispassion, humility and even good humor. Such people are joyous in nature, with a strong peaceful disposition.

In the same chapter, Lord Rama also shares the characteristics of unethical persons and the bad impact they create on the society. sharing a few verses;
खलन्ह ह्रदय अति ताप विषेषी, जरहिं सदा पर संपति देखी।
जहँं कहुँं निंदा सुनहिं पराई, हरषँंहि मनहुँं परी निधि पाई।। ie Impious people suffer terrible agony, they burn at the sight of other's prosperity. Whenever they hear about other's criticism or misery, they feel delighted as if they have stumbled upon a treasure. In other words, they are at an extremely low level of self development and demonstrate low self esteem. They bear enmity towards all without any reason.
झूठई लेना झूठई देना, झूठई भोजन झूठई चबेना। ie they believe in falsehood at all times and in every situation.They may speak honeyed words, yet they are untruthful in all dealings with people throughout the day from morning till night.
पर द्रोही पर दार रत, पर धन पर अपवाद। ie they believe in fighting others without reason, interested in other's wives and wealth and take delight at slandering others. They are sinful in all respects and are a liability to society.

Ramcharitmanas has indeed, endless lessons for the society and the masses in general, to lead a socially acceptable ethical life. Though in a story form, yet it focuses on Dharma, Morality and Ethical practices. In another context, Goswami Tulsidas, in Ch 7, Uttarkand, strongly conveys the evils of EGO& other vices. Quoting "अहंकार अति दुखद डमरुआ, दंभ कपट मद मान नेहरुआ। ie Egotism is the most painful attribute like painful gout in body, while hypocrisy, deceit, arrogance and pride correspond to a frightening disease of NERVES in body, which is difficult to cure.

Conveying a strong ethical message, in another context, in Ch 5, Sundarkand, even demon king Ravana's wife tries to emphasize her concern to her husband; " काम क्रोध मद लोभ सब, नाथ नरक के पंथ। ie Lust, anger, vanity, greed and acquisitive desire for other's possessions, are all paths leading to hell.

 Let me end this blog by another verse from" Uttarkand", on one of the topmost value of a Saintly & Ethical person, conveying that such persons take all the miseries & pains upon themselves. Saints undergo suffering in the interest of others, while impious persons do so with a view to torment others.

संत सहहिं दुख परहित लागी, पर दुख हेतु असंत अभागी।

Impact of Bhakti Movement 1400-1750 CE- VII

परहित सरिस धर्म नहीं भाई, पर पीङा सम नहीं अधमाई ।

                                                                                        (Ch 7, Uttarkand, Ramcharitmanas)
         

What a transformational meaning of Dharma, conveyed by Goswami Tulsidas in one of  his greatest scripture " Ramcharitmanas", devoted to Lord Rama! It conveys that there is no bigger Dharma than working towards uplifting & helping people or even thinking good of others and also, there is no bigger Adharma than oppressing or giving pain to others.

Continuing the learnings from saints and philosophers of Bhakti Era during (1400-1750 CE), we shall now share messages on Dharma & Ethical living from another Hindu Poet-Saint- Philosopher from Ramanandi Sampradaya, in the lineage of Jagadguru Ramanandacharya, famous by the name of Goswami Tulsidas ( 1497/1532-- 1623 CE).

Goswami Tulsidas had been a staunch devotee of Lord Rama. He scripted several literary works during his life span. "Ramcharitmanas", has been one of his greatest contribution, devoted to Lord Rama's life in Vernacular Awadhi.

Sant Tulsidas was given a title of Sant Shiromani, meaning the greatest Saint among other Saints of that period. Mahatma Gandhi held Sant Tulsidas in high esteem and regarded " Ramcharitmanas" as one of the greatest book in  devotional literature. Ralph Griffith, who translated four Vedas as well as Valmiki Sanskrit Ramayana into English, named Ramcharitmanas as " The Bible of North India". Abdur Rahim KhanKhana, famous Muslim Poet and one of Navaratnas of Mughal Emperor Akbar, composed the following couplet on Ramcharitmanas;

रामचरितमानस बिमल संतनजीवन प्रान।

हिन्दुवान को वेद सम, जवनहिं प्रगट कुरान।।

Look into the strong spiritual and ethical message on Ramcharitmanas in the above couplet where it is called the breath of life of Saints, similar to  Holy Vedas for Hindus and Holy Quran in the life of Muslims. The scripture has deep insights on " Dharma towards parents", " Dharma towards a Guru", " Dharma towards one's Varna/ family, " Rajdharma"," Dharma towards a friend", "Seva Dharma", "Dharma towards one who surrenders" and of course " Universal Dharma and Ethical lessons for entire Humanity".

I have been reading " Ramcharitmanas" for over 50 years, since my early youth and have internalized several Dharma driven Ethical/ Moral messages derived from it into my own life. It has impacted me deeply and has acted as a "Mentor Scripture" for me. We shall cover the learnings from this great Saint on my theme in two blogs, the current one referred by me on " Specific Dharma" and the next one on Universal Dharma & Ethical lessons for entire Humanity.

Quoting a few relevant messages on Specific Dharma  from Ramcharitmanas;

DHARMA TOWARDS PARENTS & GURU--

" चारि पदारथ करतल जाके, प्रिय पितु मातु प्रान सम जाके "---- Chapter 2, Ayodhyakand;

" सुनु जननी सोई सुत बडभागी, जो पितु मातु वचन अनुरागी "---Chapter 2, Ayodhyakand;

" पितु आयसु सब धरमक टीका "--- Chapter 2, Ayodhyakand;

The above few verses convey that obeying parents is Dharma for a child and disobeying them is unethical. It also reinforces that children, who love their parents as their own life, get blessed by Almighty in every way ie. Artha (materialistic riches), Dharma ( religious merits) , Love & Intimacy and Salvation. Now, quoting a few verses on " Dharma/ respect towards a Guru";
"सिर धरि आयसु करिअ तुम्हारा, परम धरम यह नाथ हमारा।"---Chapter 1, Balkand; Lord Shiva willingly agrees to marry Parvati, when advised by  Supreme Lord Vishnu; conveying that obeying His orders/ commands are His paramount duty as well as Dharma.
" समउ जानि गुरु आयसु दीन्हा, पुर प्रवेष रघुकुलमणि कीन्हा ।"---Chapter 1, Balkand; Lord Rama's marriage procession along with father King Dasaratha  entered Ayodhya, their kingdom, only after their Guru Vasishta gave permission. Such an attitude reflects Dharma towards one's Guru and Mentors, who need to be given highest respect in life.

 DHARMA TOWARDS ONE'S VARNA/ RACE --

"रघुकुल रीति सदा चलि आई, प्रान जाई बरु बचनु न जाई ।"--- Chapter 2, Ayodhyakand; King Dasaratha, assuring his queen Kaikeyi that kings of the race of Raghu always fulfill promises, once made. They may even sacrifice their lives to redeem their plighted words.
छत्रिय तनु धरि समर सकाना, कुल कलंक तेहि पाँंवर आना।
कहउँं सुभाउ न कुलहि प्रसंसी, कालहु ङरहिं न रन रघुवंसी।।--- Ch 1 Balkand; Lord Rama to angry sage Parashuram , conveying that people belonging to  Kshatriya Varna are born fighters and they never run away from battlefield. Further He added that kings belonging to the race of Raghu, to which Lord Rama too belonged, are never afraid of death.
रघुबंसिन्ह कर सहज सुभाऊ, मनु कुपंथ पग धरइ न काऊ ।।---Ch 1 Balkand; Lord Rama conveys to His brother Laxmana, a few ethics of their race. He stresses that it is a natural trait with the race of Raghu that they never set their hearts on an evil course in life.

The above verses speak of one's Dharma towards his varna /race ( in this case Kshatriya varna and the race of Raghu).

RAJ DHARMA / DHARMA of A KING --
साम दान अरु दंड विभेदा, नृप उर बसहिं नाथ कह वेदा।
नीति धर्म के चरन सुहाए-- Ch 6, Lankakand------As per Vedas, there are four basic virtues of a king  namely SAMA ( conciliation), DANA (gifts), DANDA (physical force or punishment) and BHEDA ( a vision to distinguish). Demonstrating these virtues are essential elements of ethical policies and practices for a king. In the following verses from Chapter 7, Uttarkand,  Goswami Tulsidas further describes some of  the " Ethical practices" during the kingship of Lord Rama, indirectly conveying about Raj Dharma practiced by Lord Rama, as the king of Ayodhya.

जब ते राम प्रताप खगेसा, उदित भयउ अति प्रबल दिनेसा---।
अघ अलूक जँंह तहाँं लुकाने, काम क्रोध कैरव सकुचाने-------।
मत्सर मान मोह मद चोरा, इन्ह कर हुनर न कवनिहुँं ओरा---।

With Lord Rama's glory on the horizon, all the three spheres of the world were flooded with light, bringing delight to virtuous people and sorrow to unethical people. Further, while the night of ignorance terminated, the sinful practices vanished like owls hiding themselves; the unethical traits of lust and anger disappeared from people under His rule. The so called thieves like Jealousy, Pride, Arrogance and Infatuation had no occasion to display their skills. Lord Rama's Raj Dharma supported ethical and Dharmik practices all  the way and discouraged evil deeds and unethical practices in his kingdom.

धरम तडाग ग्यान विग्याना, ए पंकज विकसे विधि नाना।
सुख संतोष विराग बिबेका, विगत सोक ए कोक अनेका।। During Lord Rama's kingdom, lotuses of every description in the shape of knowledge &self realization blossomed in the Ethical pond of compassion, happiness, contentment and dispassion while sorrow as well as general gloom vanished.

DHARMA TOWARDS A FRIEND /A PERSON WHO SURRENDERS --

जे न मित्र दुख होहिं दुखारी, तिन्हहि बिलोकत पातक भारी।--- Ch 4 Kishkindhakand; Lord Rama to Sugriva, a king of  Vanar Tribe, whose help was sought for fighting demon king Ravana. Lord Rama conveys that one would incur great sin by the very sight of those who are not distressed at seeing the pain and suffering of a friend, indirectly talking about Dharma towards a friend.

निज दुख गिरि सम रज करि जाना, मि्त्रक दुख रज मेरु समाना।---Ch 4 Kishkindhakand ; Lord Rama again says that one should consider his mountain sized troubles and sufferings equal to no more than a grain of sand. He adds that troubles and sufferings of one's friend should be given very high weight-age and  importance.  Again, in a similar context in the same chapter;
कुपथ निवारि सुपंथ चलावा, गुन प्रगटै अवगुनहिं दुरावा।--- Lord Rama says that a friend's Dharma is to restrain his friend from adopting unethical path in life and help him adopt ethical/ value based practices. Further, a friend's dharma is to share only good deeds/ ethical values of one's friend with others and at the same time screen his bad deeds/ poor values from people to the best of his ability.

In another context, when Vibhishan, brother of demon king Ravana, comes to meet and surrender to Lord Rama, before the war, and is viewed suspiciously by the entire Vanar army of Lord Rama, HE strongly conveys HIS disapproval of the act and shares HIS Dharma towards one who surrenders, with everyone. Quoting from Ramcharitmanas;
मम पन शरणागत भयहारी---Chapter 5, Sundarkand, Lord Rama conveys that his vow is to dispel all fear from those who take refuge in Him, indirectly conveying His Dharma to support all those taking refuge in Him.
शरणागत बच्छल भगवाना---Chapter 5, Sundarkand,, Sundarkand, conveying that Lord always cherished paternal affection for His proteges.
शरणागत कहुँं जे तजहिं, निज अनहित अनुमानि।
ते नर पाँंवर पापमय़, तिन्हहिं बिलोकत हानि।।---Chapter 5, Sundarkand, ie It is unethical and improper thinking to leave in wilderness a suppliant, who surrenders. Such persons are totally incorrect in their approach and have no place in society. Their very sight is abominable.
जो नर होइ चराचर द्रोही, आवै सभय सरन तकि मोही।
तजि मद मोह कपट छल नाना, करउँं सघ तेहि साधु समाना।।--Chapter 5, Sundarkand, Lord Rama telling Vibhishan, his Dharma towards those who surrender and approach Him. He says that even if a person, who is condemned by the whole world, approaches Him after leaving vices like ego, attachment and bad deeds, He grants him all the virtues of a saintly person.

There is so much to learn and absorb in daily life from Ramcharitmanas scripture, that one can not cover everything in a small blog like this. It may also be true that each and every learning may not be applicable in today's world. These will be analyzed and presented, when I work on the Evolving Patterns, my final agenda, after completing my journey. In next Blog, I shall cover learnings from Goswami Tulsidas and his sacred scripture Ramcharitmanas on Universal Dharma  & Ethics.

 I would like to end the blog with a quote from Ramcharitmanas, Chapter 2, Ayodhyakand, in which, Bharat, Lord Rama's brother conveys to Janaka, father of  Lord Rama's wife, Sita, that serving the masses with ethical values is most difficult Dharma in this world.

आगम निगम प्रसिद्ध पुराना, सेवाधरम कठिन जगु जाना।।

Impact of Bhakti Movement-- 1400--1750 CE----VI

One Universal Creator God, The Name is Truth;

True in the Primal Beginning, True Throughout the Ages;

True Here and Now, O, Nanak, Forever and Ever True.

Continuing to learn from teachings of prominent Saints, Gurus and Philosophers of Bhakti Era, we shall now try to learn a few messages on " Dharma &  Ethical Living" by another great Indian Philosopher Saint Guru Nanak Dev ji ( 1469-1539 AD), who practiced and  preached Service, Humility, Meditation and Truthful living to the masses. He advocated Ahimsa (path of  nonviolence) to masses for Ethical Living--- Ahimsa of thoughts, Ahimsa of speech & Ahimsa of action. Besides stressing upon several moral & ethical values, he also practiced and preached values of Forgiveness, Spiritual Endurance and Helping people in need.

Guru Nanak, Dev ji was a great Humanist, Philosopher and Spiritual Guru. He nurtured a universal religion of brotherhood & compassion and founded Sikhism. He believed that true salvation can only be achieved by purity in thoughts and excellence of conduct. He had unquestioned love for God. He conveyed that God was omnipresent & did not adhere to any kind of ritualism or worship pattern. At the young age of around thirty, he shared his enlightened philosophy with masses by declaring that there is neither anyone a Hindu nor a Muslim, thus conveying his respect for Humanity at large,  encompassing all religions and faiths. In the words of Guru Nanak Dev ji,

Speaking the truth is the real fast;

Remaining contented is the pilgrimage;

Meditation is the true ablution;

Compassion is the true worship; and

Humility is the real rosary.

What a great ethical message conveyed in the above lines! During his Guru-ship span of around 32 years ( 1507-1539 AD), he traveled widely across present boundaries of India, Pakistan, Nepal,  Arab world, Sri Lanka, Kashmir and Sikkim, preaching and practicing three major Ethical cum Spiritual Beliefs for the benefit of Humanity . These were;

Vand Chakko------ Share with others in need; Help them.

Kirat Karo------ Earn and make an honest living without fraud/  cheating or exploitation.

Na-am Japo----- Meditate on God's name for ethical and spiritual progress.

The above referred three beliefs/ philosophies demonstrate emphasis on generating commitment of masses on ETHICAL LIVING and overall spiritual progress. Besides, Guru Nanak Dev ji stressed upon the importance of a Guru in human life by preaching that one should be GURMUKH (follow directions of awakened souls), rather than MANMUKH(follow directions of self & mind). This philosophy led people to adapt an Ethical and Dharmik life, adoring Human Values in society.

Focusing on spiritual progress of mankind ( indirectly conveying what Dharma & Ethical living broadly means), Guru Nanak Dev ji  emphasized upon the following progressive, step by step, Five Stages of Spiritual Progress.

• Dharam Khand----- Carrying out one's duties honestly and sincerely ( region of duty).
• Gian Khand ------ Learning knowledge of God & the universe and also the limitations as well as vastness of God's creations ( region of knowledge).
• Saram Khand----- Making all out efforts to purify one's mind and understanding( region of effort).
• Karam Khand---- Acquiring divine grace and spiritual enlightenment ( region of grace).
• Sach Khand------ Stage of reaching ultimate spiritual reality where God and Man become one  and same. Only selfless devotees with great efforts and perseverance under the guidance of a Guru reach this stage ( region of truth).

 Guru Nanak Dev ji and all his successor nine Human Gurus preached and practiced Ethical Values of Service,  Humility and Truthfulness during 1507-1708 AD, ie for around 200 plus years and immensely impacted the society in spreading their messages on Ethical Living by their sincere efforts. From 1708 AD onward,  Guru Granth Sahib, a well structured compilation of such  messages  contributed by these Gurus & finalized by their last human Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji Sahib, has been guiding these principles for the masses.

Guru Granth Sahib is such a massive self- speaking, thought provoking storehouse of spiritual knowledge & ethical values, that one can not attempt to pen down even a few messages from it , in a small blog like this. Yet, considering the theme of the blog, only a few relevant writings confined to my theme  of understanding are being shared below;
आपे बीज आपे ही खाहू।( P 4& P 25) -- meaning " you shall harvest what you plant" ie. emphasizing upon the need to do good deeds in life.
सुनिअै सत संतोख गिआनु।( P 3)--- meaning " one should listen to truth, contentment and spiritual wisdom" ie stressing upon ethical and morale values in life.
हउमै ममता मोहणी, सभ मुठी अंहकारि।( P 19)--meaning " Egotism and possessiveness are very enticing but such pride plunders everyone".
खोटे जाति ना पात है, खोटि ना सीझसि कोइि।(P 23)-- meaning" the false ones have no honor OR none succeeds through falsehood."ie again stressing upon the value of leading a truthful life.
मेरे मन तजि निन्दा हउमैै अहंकार।( P 29/30)-- meaning" O, my mind, give up slander, egotism and arrogance. Further, on P 8( 38), certain key desirable values of a Human Life have been summed up beautifully in the following para;

"Let Self-Control be the furnace and Patience, the Goldsmith; let Understanding be the anvil and Spiritual Wisdom, the tools: With the fear of God as the bellows, Fan the flames of Tapa, the body's internal heat. Finally, in the crucible of Love, melt the nectar of the name and mint the true coin of Shabad, the word of God." What a powerful message on Ethical Living for the masses!

In this great Spiritual Scripture, there is a strong emphasis on one to be a  Gurmukh and not a Manmukh, which again stress upon the importance of a spiritually & morally awakened God's representative to help mankind follow ethical values. Quoting a few of these;
मनहठि मती बूडीअै, गुरुमुखि सचु सु तारि।(P 20)---meaning" Through stubborn mindedness, the intellect is drowned; on the other hand, one who becomes Gurmukh and truthful, he is saved."
गुरुमुखि कुहु न भावई, सचि रते सच भाइि। (P 22)--- meaning that the Gurmukhs dislike falsehood; they are always engaged with truth and therefore love only truth.
मनमुख मूढ जलत अहंकारी, हउमै विचि दुखु पाई।
आवत जात बिरथा जनमु गवाईआ, दुखि लागै पछुताई।
जिसते उपजे तिसहि न चेतहि, ध्रिगु जीवणु ध्रिगु  खाई।। ( P 1265) meaning thereby that the life of Self willed Manmukh is useless; he comes and goes in shame; at times they are burnt in anger, desires and egotism;they suffer in pain because of their greed & possessiveness. Finally, they do not attain perfection or reach higher life goals.
साचे गुरु की साची सीख,तनु मनु सीतलु साचु परीख।(P 152)---meaning thereby that True are the teachings of a True Guru which in turn cool and soothe the body & mind by pious touchstone of truth. Again on P 177 of Guru Granth Sahib, some beautiful lines have been written ;
गुरु का वचनु अटल अछेद, गुरु के वचनि कटे भ्रम भेद।
गुरु कै वचनु कतहु न जाई, गुरु कै वचनि हरि के गुण गाई।। ie Guru's words are infallible and unchanging and these help dispel doubts and prejudices from the mind of the followers. Again Guru's words are never lost but remain with us; helping us sing the glory of Lord and  guiding us towards an ethical and moral life in society.

Dharma and Ethical living got a powerful uplift with these teachings and practices. As stated earlier in the blog, one can not extract and put forward all the messages from such vast storehouse of knowledge, in a small blog like this of mine. I would like to sum up the blog by a final message from P 1427 of this great scripture.

" One, who is not touched by pleasure or pain, greed, emotional attachment OR egotistical pride, says Nanak, listen,mind; he is the very image of God."

" One , who has forsaken all sin & corruption, who wears the robes of neutral detachment-- says Nanak, listen,mind;  good destiny is written on his forehead; One, who renounces Maya and Possessiveness & is detached from everything, says Nanak, listen, mind; God abides in his heart."

Impact of Bhakti Movement-- 1400--1750 CE----V

There are hundreds of paths up the mountain, all leading to the same place, so it doesn't matter which path you take. The only one wasting time is the one who runs around the mountain, telling everyone that his or her path is wrong.-- ( Hindu Proverb).

Continuing the leanings from some of the prominent saints and philosophers of the Bhakti Era, we shall now pick up messages on Dharma & Ethical living from another great Hindu Poet" Sant Surdas". A late 15th century ( circa 1478-1584 ) sightless Saint, poet & musician, generally known for his devotional songs dedicated to Lord Krishna, Sant Surdas was a disciple of Guru Vallabhacharya of Shuddha Ad-vita school of Vaishnavism (also known as Push-ti Marg).

Devoted to the theme of unconditional love and devotion, he portrayed the life of Lord Krishna in his songs in vivid details. Many of his songs like मैया मोरी, मैं नहीं माखन खायो---, हरि हरि हरि हरि सिमरन करौ, हरि चरनारबिंद उर धरौ।, हमारे प्रभु औगुन चित ना धरौ, समदरसी है नाम तुम्हारौ, सोई पार करौ। have been sung by great singers and musicians & transformed into melodious meaningful compositions. thus spreading his messages of love for God & spirituality in general for the masses.

Quoting only few lines from some of his songs, stressing on Ethical Messages, extracted from one of his best known composition " SUR SAGAR";

मो सम कौन कुटिल खल कामी।

जेहि तन दियो ताहि बिसरायो, ऐसौ नोन हरामी।

भरि भरि उदर विषय को धावौ, जैसे सूकर गामी।

हरिजन छाडि हरि विमुखन की, निसिदिन करत गुलामी।।

The central message in the above lines is self introspection and soul searching of one's internal state in order to discover the inherent weaknesses and making efforts for its removal. The Saint-Poet focuses on one's weaknesses like preoccupation with materialistic desires, the company of guilty people as well as addiction to vices in life.

 As per Sant Surdas, Ethical living also calls for periodic introspection of self to flush out undesirable elements and vices. Quoting another one;

अब हों नाच्यौ बहुत गोपाल।

काम क्रोध को पहिरि चोलना, कंठ विषय की माल।

महामोह के नूपुर बाजत, निंन्दा शब्द् रसाल।।

भरम भरयो मन भयौ पखावज, चलत कुसंगति चाल।

तृस्ना नाद करत घट अंतर, नानाविधि दै ताल।।

माया को कटि फेंटा बांध्यो, लोभ तिलक दियो भाल।

सूरदास की सबै अविद्या, दूरि करौ नंदलाल।।

In the above lines, Sant Surdas prays to Lord Krishna to help him getting rid of all unethical traits like Anger, Attachment, Greed, Hatred & Criticism of others, Superstitions, Company of unwanted elements leading to poor Karma in life and many more. Again the Saint- Poet focuses on his self for cleansing and purifying it, as an ethical example to society.

Sant Surdas also composed  SUR-SARAVALI and SAHITYA-LAHIRI. Quoting English translation of one of his poem The Lord is His  Devotee's Slave, Sant Surdas conveyed that Lord Rama's love for a devotee is same, irrespective of his caste, clan, family or name. Beggar and king are one to the Lord. He, further added that Rama will never abide in the egoistic man's heart and therefore His slave Surdas has abandoned Pride. As per him, " The Lord is the slave of His devotees, age after age." What a wonderful message on Ethical Living and Dharma in general, conveyed by this great saint!.

Sant Surdas also scripted " Surdas Ramayana" or Ram Charitawali, a story of glorious deeds of Lord Rama in the form of devotional songs. In one of the chapter, Sant Surdas beautifully describe the meaning of Rajadharma as conveyed by Lord Rama  to his brother Bharata on his duties as a king;

" Bandhu, Kari-yo, Raj Sambhare,

Rajniti aru Guru ki Seva, Gai, Bipra Pratiparan."

In the above verse, Lord Rama advises his brother Bharata on  Rajadharma which is to take great care of the work of kingdom, follow all rules and principles of justice in the behavior & interactions with people of kingdom, serve Guru and take good care of cows & Brahmins ( educated advisers). In another song in the same scripture, Sant Surdas shares Ethical Traits and Values of Lord Rama, so that the masses take a cue from the same to improve their living.

अंतरजामी हौ रघुबीर।

करुणा- सिंधु, अकाल, कल्प-तरु, जानत जन की पीर।।

 In the above verse, Sant Surdas conveys that Lord Rama is omniscient and all knowing, meaning thereby that He knows the internal thoughts of everybody. He is an ocean of mercy & compassion. He knows the pains, sorrows, anguish, troubles & torments of His people and thereby the famous all wish fulfilling " Kalpa Tree". Such a message indirectly communicates that people in general should be generous in life, helping people in need, compassionate and work towards cleansing of their internal self. Another one on the expected traits of a Guru  or a Saint, conveys what ethical living calls for;

कर मन ऐसे संतन की सेवा।

शील संतोख सदा उर जिनके, राम नाम को लेवा।।

In the above verse, Sant Surdas conveys some of the qualities of a  Saintly person, who are considered by masses as Role Models in Ethical Living. Such persons should be satisfied in life, should not be greedy and should respect the societal laws and rules which guide them to purity and spirituality in life.

Well, Sant  Surdas has conveyed extensively on Dharma in general, Ethical living and human values through his simple but deeply touching poetic scriptures. Many of his poetic songs focused on Self purification and cleansing of his own internal self. The best of words can not describe original emotions and sentiments of this great Saint-Poet in a small blog like the above. I shall like to end the blog by a quote from Bhagwat Gita.

" The soul who meditates on the self is content to serve the self and rests satisfied within the self; there remains nothing more for him to accomplish."

Impact of Bhakti Movement-- 1400--1750 CE----IV

मैं मेरी नू मार लै, मन महि शांत होवै ।

क्रोध बुरा है काल से, इसको लेउ समावै ।। (संत रविदास) 

What a great ethical message in Guru Ravidas Amritbani! In the above hymn, Sant Ravidas conveys that shunning ego and anger is a must for achieving inner peace and leading a Quality Ethical life.

Continuing learnings from great spiritual saints and philosophers of Bhakti era, I shall try to pick up threads on Dharma and Ethical living from another prominent Poet Saint " Sant Ravidas"-- ( Circa 1450-1520), a contemporary of Sant Kabir and Saint Mira Bai. Sant Ravidas was  a great Socio-Religious Reformer, a Thinker, a Humanist and a Theosophist. He scripted several devotional songs, hymns and Bhajans and has a couple of literary works to his credit. Around 240 hymns based on his religious messages/ teachings have been compiled  into a holy book " Amritbani Guru Ravidas ", by his followers. Quite a few of his poems/ hymns and devotional songs have been included in the sacred scripture of Sikh religion, " Guru Granth Sahib".

सर्वजन सुखाय, सर्वजन हिताय। has been one of the key message in the teachings of Guru Ravidas which indirectly means that one should undertake those actions that lead to  happiness and overall welfare of entire humanity. Quoting a few key relevant learnings from his " पैंतिस अक्षरी ";
उ-- उसत्त करो इक ओंकारा, तीन लोक जिन किया पसारा ।ie, we should sing the glory & grace of that one God, manifest in every particle in the three worlds and the universe.
न-- नाम की नाव बनाई, कहे रविदास चढो रे भाई ।ie, we should ride the ship of Na-am, created by  God, to realize inner lasting peace.
भ-- भ्रम मिटे जो पंचम सीजे, जाये त्रिवेणी मज्जन कीजे ।ie, overpowering the five vices is essential to weed out ignorance and helps one reach  the sacred confluence of three streams- Irha, Pingala & Sukhmana.

If we go little deeper into the massages spread by the above, it becomes clear that these focused on eradicating superstitions of society and uniting the community through a simple divine thread of Na-am. Quoting from "पंन्दरा तिथि" of Sant Ravidas Bani;

सुभ करमा फल सुभ है, करमां संदणा खेत।

पाप करम दे कीतिक, सदा हार नहीं जीत ।।

In the above hymn, Guru Ravidas conveys that Ethical living requires one to undertake good and noble deeds which  generate superior outcomes/ consequences. On the contrary, by carrying out sinful deeds, one never wins, but always loses.

संसारी तृष्णा त्य़ाग के, तन मन धन गुरुदेव।

मिथिय़ा सब को जानके, रख नाम सनेह।।

In the above hymn, Guru Ravidas advises people to shun the hunger for worldly pleasures and in turn  dedicate their body, mind and riches to their Guru since the world is illusionary.

 Guru Ravidas, in several of his hymns, has repeatedly stressed upon the essentials of doing good deeds in life, as well as leading an ethical life by spreading love and equanimity in society.  Further, his Bhajans give us a feel of Nirgun-Sagun themes. " Hari in everything, everything in Hari". He used to say " Absorb the self into the self." For him,who knows Hari and has a clear sense of self, no other testimony is needed. Quoting again from his literary works;

तीरथ फल ना बरत फल, नहीं जग कोई पाया।

मन महि हउमै अहंकार, जोय बिरथा सभही जाया।।

तृतीय त्यागीये मान को, खोटे करम हंकार।

हरि हरि नाम उचारिए, कहि रविदास पुकार।।

In the above two hymns, Sant  Ravidas exhorted the community not to waste efforts in visiting pilgrimages or keeping fasts. As per him, it is essential to kill one's ego, arrogance and false pride besides shunning evil or sinful deeds which harm the humanity.

In every hymn, Sant Ravidas  focused on simple living, free of  ego or falsehood. He was of pure speech, sometimes conveying his messages, in a blunt language and was unafraid of his humble origins. He discussed his spiritual philosophy & ideas with everyone, without any gender or class discrimination. Quoting English translation of a few relevant lines from his"Shabads";

" Kaam na visreo, diyambh na tiyageo, lobh na bisario deva;

Parninda mukh te neh chaddhi, niphal bhaye sab seva."

In the above lines,Guru Ravidas conveys that service to humanity demands ethical traits in personality and one should be ready to abandon desires, discard greed & criticism of others as well as arrogance.

"Bhagti na gian jog baeragee, Bhagti na kahae kahavaen;

Bhagti na sun mandal ghar sodhae, Bhagti na kashu dikhavaen."

In the above lines,Guru Ravidas conveys that mere proficiency in Knowledge, Yoga and detachment from materialistic possessions do not demonstrate true worship and devout love for God. Likewise, showmanship and aspiration for achieving state of tranquility without devotion are not true meditation of God. Quoting from another "Shabad" of Guru Ravidas;

Begampura, sahar ko naao, dukh andohu nahi tihi thaao!

Nan tasvis khiraj na mal, khauf na khata na taras jawal!!

In the above lines, Guru Ravidas preaches the society that true worship of God helps human being in getting rid of all sorts of attachments & vices and lead to finding a place in the heavenly abode " Begampura". In fact, Guru Ravidas emphasizes upon establishment of a world order like " Begampura", where there is no discrimination on account of class, creed, color, slavery etc, but has inbuilt focus on values of Unity, Equality and Brotherhood. What a great Ethical message for society! What a focus on Humanity as the basis of Dharma!

One can write a lot more on the vast reservoir of Dharmik and Ethical values preached by this great Saint. Yet, considering the limitations of my planned coverage of  Bhakti era, I may like to end this blog with another quote on Ethical Living from  " बारह मास उपदेश" of Guru Ravidas where he advises people to shun Greed, Attachment, Ego and meaningless or futile communication in life. He also advises them to focus on teachings of Saints for Ethical living.

त्याग लोभ मोह अहंकार सम्, गुरुदेव की करो प्रीत।

गौण वाक सम त्याग कर, संत वचन धर चीत् ।।

Impact of Bhakti Movement-- 1400--1750 CE----III

" One who does not know what are Vedas, the books of law; but follows the path of devotion only by faith, and conducts his life according to the rules of Bhagwata, is not affected by failure; no sin is committed by him , even in his dream." -- BHAGWAT DHARMA (Sant Eknath).

Bhakti movement became increasingly popular with masses because of its simplicity as well as its teachings in local languages. Love and devotion to a defined God struck cord with people in general and led to devotional transformation in several cases. Many Saints and Philosophers dominated this period, spreading message on Dharma and Ethical living. I have covered a few of them in my earlier blogs. While bowing my head to all of them in reverence,I shall try to cover a few more in my subsequent blogs. Many of the Ethical/Religious Paths guided by these Saints & Philosophers  and spiritual scriptures created by them have been, impacting the life of people in society, even today. 

In the current Blog, I shall briefly share the devotional messages on Dharma & Ethical living  by two of the great Saints  namely Sant Eknath ( circa 1533-1599) & Sant Tukaram ( circa 1608-1649). Sant Eknath was taught by a great scholar Janardana Swami in Vedanta, Nyaya, Yoga and other prominent fields of spiritual knowledge. He was a great religious reformer, who fought for Classless Dharma, free from untouchability. He wrote a couple of scriptures and religious songs to share the virtues of his path with masses. Quoting from Eknathi Bhagwat, one of his major literary work,

न यस्य जन्मकर्मभ्यां, न वर्णाश्रमजातिभिः   meaning thereby that a Bhagwat person should not feel proud in his Physical Body by reasons of his birth, action, caste or status, thereby pointing to his strong reformist attitude and classless orientation. In one of the chapters, while describing "Rules of Conduct for Bhagwat way of life", he conveyed the need for such persons to come out of their limited thinking that " We are the physical body". Such thinking leads us to commitment of sins, miseries, fears, sorrows and various pains. He further added that a Bhagwat person should be totally devoted to God. His mind should be used to meditate on God, ears to listen to the glory of God, tongue to repeat the name of God, hands to propitiate the God, feet to go to God's place, nose to smell fragrance of Tulsa leaves used for worshiping God. All these demonstrate his commitment to Ethical way of living.

 In  another verse of same chapter, he clarifies that when identification of "I" with the body is totally dissolved, there is no ego disturbing the state of Atman and no ignorance affecting action or inaction. This is flawless Transcendental State. Further, as per him, a Bhagwat person should make no distinction between his own body & possessions and those of others, thereby conveying that one should look upon all beings with equal eye.

In chapter 10 of the same scripture, while describing duties/ actions for an Ethical person, he says that "Selfish actions" must be given up by killing Selfish desires in the mind. Purificatory actions/ rituals help a person cleanse the inner dirt and can be easily achieved by uttering the name of Hari, singing Bhajans and participating in Hari Kirtans. Quoting another verse from same chapter;

अमान्यमत्सरो दक्षो निर्ममो दृढसौहृदः असत्वरोर्थजिज्ञासुरन सूयुरमोघवाक् ।।

It conveyed that an Ethical person should be free from Pride, Jealousy, Sloth and Attachment. He should be firmly faithful to his GURU. He should remain calm in various situations and work towards uplifting his self knowledge, avoiding fault finding & meaningless communication.

In chapter 18 of the scripture, he conveys that SILENCE is the weapon to control one's speech, not to have interest in any uncalled for action and to control one's body. Breath control is the means to control one's mind. He emphasized that an Ethical person should control all three--- body, speech and mind. Such persons possess a reservoir of positive energy within them, leading to the happiness in the joy of the self. In another context in chapter 21, he conveys that devotion to one's duty is VIRTUE and devotion to other's duty is FAULT. Quoting a relevant verse,

धर्मार्थ व्यवहारार्थ यात्रार्थमिति चानघः दर्शितोडयं मयाचारों धर्ममुद्धहतां धुरम् ।।

An Ethical/ Dharmik person should be able to differentiate between Purity & Impurity; Righteous & Unrighteous; Virtue & Fault as well as Good & Evil consequences of his actions. There are great learning's from this great Saint thru his Abhang songs as well as other scriptures. I may not be able to do full justice to his vast reservoir of knowledge because of my brief coverage limiting to my area of focus .

We shall now move on to pick up a few more threads on Dharma/ Ethical living from another great Poet-Saint  Tukaram, famous for his Abhang devotional poetry and community oriented worship by way of Kirtans. He was greatly influenced by Bhakti Saints comprising of Sant Namdev,  Sant Janardan Swami, Sant Kabir, Sant Eknath and many more. Devoted to Lord Vithoba/ Vitthal, an Avatar of Lord Vishnu, he denounced mechanical rites/ rituals, sacrifices & vows and instead encouraged direct Bhakti by Kirtans-- which create spiritual path for devotees.

On Ethical front, he challenged " Human Discrimination"and stressed upon the essentials of shunning hatred because of birth, caste, class, wealth and religion. He visualized " Panduraga", his Deity in every object and surrendered to Him completely. Quoting an English translation of his poetry;

" God's name on one's lips is itself salvation,

Disregarding the name is perdition ;

Companionship of the good is the only heaven,

And indifference is hell."

Quoting a few Abhangs composed by him in his local language on Dharma & Ethical living;

पुण्य परउपकार पाप ते परपीङा, आणिक नाहीं जोङा दुजा यासी ।।

It conveyed that it is ethical and moral act to help and support others while it is a sin to trouble them. Giving pain to others is unethical and immoral. There can't be any other form of PAP and PUN-YA.

सत्य तोचि धर्म असत्य तें कर्म, आणिक हैं कर्म नाहीं दुजे ।।

It means that it is one's Dharma to speak truth and act accordingly while speaking lies & acting accordingly amounts to Adharma. There are many more messages on Dharma and Ethical living conveyed by  Sant Tukaram, both through his scriptures as well as his devotional gatherings.He accepted disciples and devotees without any discrimination.

While one can list down the learnings on this area in several more paras, I would like to sum up the blog with an Ethical Quote from Sant Tukaram's Abhangs conveying that the company of Saints & Noble people is like living in Heaven, while criticizing/condemning them or making fun of their contribution is closer to living in hell.

संताचा संग तोचि स्वर्गवास, नर्क तो उदास अनर्गळा ।