Dharma Vahini - Post 16

Dear All,

We will skip chapter 5 and move on to chapter 6. 

Chapter 5 is all about education for Woman and the chapter is Self-explanatory and readers are requested to go through the chapter themselves. 

Now for some important aspects covered in chapter 6.

Purushartha

Swami says, 

"There are worldly maxims like “being engaged in a profession is the sign of a human (udyogam purushalakshanam)”, or “being engaged in a task is the sign of a human (karmam purushalakshanam).” 

But the real maxim is, “Observance of dharma is the sign of a human (dharmam purushalakshanam).” 

Everyone must engage in tasks infused with dharma, while putting into action the four goals of human life (purusha-arthas): dharma, wealth (artha), desire (kama), and liberation (moksha). "

Author's elaboration on Purushartha

Dear Readers,

Let us go back to Post no. 9 in the theme "KARMA" where, Purushartha is covered in detail.

Seers in the ancient Eastern tradition articulated the blueprint for the fulfillment of the objectives of human birth as was shown to them in the highest supreme levels of consciousness. 

The Supreme Self pervades and exists in all dimensions in all beings, sentient and insentient. It is that Supreme Self that exists inside each individual self, in each individual person. 

And therefore every individual person is none other than the Supreme Self, for how can the part be different from the whole.

In order for an individual to realize their supreme Self, they need to identify the reasons and objectives why they came into being on this earth plane and fulfill them. The ancient seers clearly articulated the objectives of humankind as "Purusharthas".

They articulated four Purusharthas as:

Dharma  : Righteousness, Duty

Artha       : Wealth

Kama      : Desire

Moksha   : Liberation

The four purusharthas are really the objectives of God, of the Supreme Self, the qualities of God. And since an individual person is a reflection of God, is a part of God, it is the rightful pursuit of a person to fulfill these four purusharthas.  In fact, it is both your individual and soul purpose. 

An individual can realize him or herself by balancing and fulfilling these four objectives. These four objectives are not independent of each other and should not be viewed in a stand-alone manner.

They define and refine the other objectives and allow the other objectives to define and refine itself. The activity of fulfilling one objective should also support the fulfillment of the other objectives. 

By maintaining a balance between the definition and fulfillment of the four purusharthas, a symbiotic evolution of the individual self takes place.

Exclusive pursuit of one purushartha creates an imbalance in a person's life and prevents the person from reaching the ultimate destination of their life. 

As a person progresses through the evolution of their soul, they find that some of the objectives eventually lose their place and importance to more predominant objectives. 

For example, the desire to earn wealth may diminish and disappear, or a person may come to the realization that there are no more material desires that they need to pursue and hence more room is created for the pursuit of the ultimate objective, Moksha.

More on the 4 Purusharthas in the next post.

Love.

Dharma Vahini - Post 15

In chapter 4, Swami further explains the 2 main qualities of a woman- Chastity and Modesty.

Swami writes, 

Chastity

Chastity is the ideal for womankind. By the strength derived from that virtue, they can achieve anything. Savithri was able, through that power, to win back the life of her husband; she actually fought with the Lord of Death. Anasuya, the wife of the sage Athri and the mother of Dattatreya, was able to transform even the Trinity into infants. Nalayani, who was devoted to her leper husband, could by the mysterious force of her chastity stop the sun in its course.

Chastity is the crown jewel of women. That is the virtue for which she has to be most extolled. Its beneficent consequences defy description. 

It is the very breath of her life. By means of her chastity and the power it grants, she can save her husband from calamity. 

She saves herself by her virtue and wins, without doubt, even heaven through her chastity. 

Damayanthi burned to ashes a hunter who attempted to molest her, by the power of her “word”. She bore all the travails of lonely life in the jungle when her husband, King Nala, deserted her and she suddenly became the victim of cruel fate.

Modesty

Modesty is essential for woman; it is her priceless jewel. It is against dharma for a woman to overstep the limits of modesty; crossing the limits brings about many calamities. Why, the very glory of womanhood will be destroyed. Without modesty, woman is devoid of beauty and culture. Humility, purity of thought and manners, meekness, surrender to high ideals, sensitivity, sweetness of temper, the particular blend of all these qualities is modesty. It is the most invaluable of all jewels for women.

Through her innate sense of propriety, the modest woman will ever keep within limits. She becomes automatically aware which behaviour is proper and which is improper. She will stick only to virtuous deeds and behaviour. Modesty is the test of a woman’s grandeur.

A woman without modesty injures the interests of womanhood itself, besides undermining her own personality. She is like a fragrance less power, which the world does not cherish or honor, or even approve of. 

The absence of modesty makes life, for a woman, however rich in other accomplishments, a waste and a vacuum. Modesty lifts her to the heights of sublime holiness. The modest woman wields authority in the home and outside, in the community as well as in the world.

Some might interrupt and ask, “But women who have swallowed all the compunctions of modesty are being honoured today! They strut about with heads erect, and the world honours them not a whit less.” 

I have no need to acquaint myself with these activities of the present-day world. I do not concern myself with them. They may receive honour and respect of a sort, but the respect is not authorized or deserved. When honor is offered to the undeserving, it is tantamount to insult; to accept it when offered is to demean the very gift. It is not honour but flattery that is cast on the immodest by the selfish and the greedy. It is like spittle, dirty and unpleasant.

Of course, the modest woman will not crave honour or praise. Her attention will always be on the limits that she should not transgress. Honour and praise come to her unasked and unnoticed. The honey in the flower or lotus does not crave bees; it does not plead with the bees to come. Since the bees have tasted the sweetness, they themselves search for the flowers and rush in. They come because of the attachment between themselves and sweetness. So, too, is the relationship between the woman who knows the limits and the respect she evokes.

The principle of Atmic dharma will not allow the term “woman” to be applied to “a woman without modesty”. 

Author's note

While Swami has been unconditional in prescribing the 2 qualities of woman, irrespective of her status / her present day duties / her place in society / work place etc., it is enough if a woman (or any one) subjects all her duties / dharma / actions, to ONE SINGLE MOST DHARMA - THE DHARMA OF REALIZING GOD.

Whether it is 21st or 30th or 50th century, if this one ATMA DHARMA is followed by any human being, all other qualities, even modesty, chastity prescribed by Bhagavan, fall in place spontaneously and automatically, without  having to go through all prescribed duties of a woman / man, a wife / a husband etc.

Like a Gulab Jamun soaked in the essence of the sugar essence at surface level and the inner level even while the entire piece gets into one's  mouth, if one is immersed in the  ESSENCE of GOD REALIZATION, such a human being is filled within and without with the sweet essence of GOD CONSCIOUSNESS and all his actions automatically are soaked with the sweet essence of God!!!!

LOVE.

Dharma Vahini - Post 14

Dear All,

In the 4th chapter, Swami deals with the nature and duties of Woman.

Swami Says,

"People refer to various duties, rights, and obligations, but these are not the basic dharmic truth (sathya dharma); they are only means and methods of regulating the complications of living. They are not fundamental. All these moral codes and approved behaviours are prompted by the need to cater to two types of creatures and two types of natures, viz. masculine and feminine."

The chief guides of living

The dharma for the male and female are important applications of the dharmic truth mentioned above. Other codes and disciplines are but accessories, tributaries like the streams that meet the Godavari when it is coursing forward. 

Dharma for women

The Feminine Principle is spoken of as the illusion imposed upon Himself by the Lord, as the energy with which He equipped Himself out of His own will. This is maya, the feminine form. This is why woman is considered the embodiment of the highest energy (Parasakthi Swarupa).

Women, who are the repositories of the embodiment of

energy (sakthi swarupa), are in no way inferior. How full of fortitude, patience, and love is their nature! Their self control is seldom equaled by men. They are the exemplars and leaders for men to tread the spiritual path. 

Pure selfless love is inborn in women. Women who are full of knowledge, who are cultured, who are bound by love, and who are keen on discriminating whether their words and deeds are in conformity with dharma —such women are like the Goddess Lakshmi, bringing joy and good fortune to the home. 

That home, where husband and wife are bound together by holy love, where every day both are engaged in the reading of books that feed the soul, where the name of the Lord is sung and His glory remembered —that home is really the home of the Lord, Vaikunta! 

The woman who is attached to her husband by means of love is indeed a Power radiating rare perfume; she is a precious gem, shedding luster in the family. A wife endowed with virtue is really a brilliant jewel."

Author's note

Dear All,

Recently, just a week before, intuitively, a long song on “Union of Souls" emerged from within and the author shared the same with very few people.

In the Union of Souls (known as husband and wife in worldly level), while the duties / nature / do’s and don’t do’s are prescribed in various books on dharma by various masters and also prescribed by our own Lord in this chapter for the purpose of giving clarity to the readers / devotees at a normal level, the author wrote in the union of souls song- 

"Love rules, Love conquers, Love pervades, Love acts, Love wins, Love EXISTS".

Thus, while all the duties prescribed for woman and man or many of the duties or some of the duties prescribed might have gone redundant in today's modern world where, there is no difference between man and woman in any sphere, in any respect, no one in this creation can deny “LOVE”.

Thus, if LOVE is the ONLY force, ONLY force that binds the two souls together, then, all other duties / accomplishments in family life / what to do, what not to do, etc. are spontaneously / automatically taken care, as all of them are illumined by one single SUPREME LOVE!!!

LOVE.