I was thinking of starting something on 'What is Hinduism?'.
For long it was getting postponed, one thing or another came in to cause the delay.
On transfer I had to commute between a far off village and my residence. It was taking me more than one and a half hours of train journey.
How to kill time and boredom?
Books, yea, they have been my very good friends all along.
So some book or another came to my help and kept me company, in a great way.
So it started I think in that way.
Young students, IT boys and girls, talking about sundry things, how we locked into this interest, into What is Hinduism? It is difficult to recapitulate now.
Some body asked something like 'Was there anything like Hinduism in the past?' Is not the name itself something new and given by others?
May be . What of that? In fact no religion bears the very same name which it had in the beginning. Was Christianity called so by Christ and the disciples?
Buddha himself called his path as Arya Dharma, not Buddhism.
Therefore can we say 'There was not any Buddhism in the past'?
The same holds good for Hinduism.
Why should double standards be adopted whenever Hinduism is talked about?
Perhaps some vested interests at home and abroad have their own reasons to pop up such doubts in the minds of the Hindu people themselves.
While talking about Hinduism we will be careful enough not to fall a prey to such shifts in approach.
Also we must give Hinduism all the margins that we allow for other religions.
And another point. Who am I to explain about Hinduism?
Am I any realized soul? No.
I am born in Hinduism. I was brought up by my parents, taught by my teachers and I grew in Hinduism.
I have grown in Hinduism and Hinduism has gone into my feelings and emotions.
Of course I have studied a lot. Right from the Vedas, across the scriptures of the World Religions, lots of literature, philosophy, science -- enough to make a talkative of me.
But always I shy away from imposing my ideas on others.
Management theory may say, 'Hey! you lack the basic quality of management'.
But what to do? men are different. And I prefer to stay as myself.
Perhaps that was the reason why those young minds were fond of asking me such questions and also pursuing in getting my replies.
Anyhow it was gala time and my travel was a joy. Otherwise what a boredom would have set in the two and a half years commuting.
Thank you little hearts. You all sweetened my time.
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What is Hinduism?
If you call it a Religion, then why are there so many religions within it?
Any religion, does it not fall into a simple formula like, say, 'one God, one Book, one Master'.
Can you say that Hinduism has this simple pattern?
If yes what is that?
If no, then, can you explain how Hinduism can be called a religion?
One religion is not like another religion.
There are some common aspects, but again there are aspects peculiar to that religion alone.
We can't say Christianity is exactly like Islam, or like Buddhism and so on.
That too, when we are talking about a very great ancient religion, passing through various times of Hindu society, we can't apply blindly this formula.
There are very real structural differences between religions. Thats the point.
Seemingly there is a similarity, like -- God, Book, Master.
This GBM formula holds good for the various paths within the fold of Hinduism.
SriVaishnavism, Saivism, Saktham, Kaumaram, Ganaapatyam, all so many separate paths or Sampradayas or Samayas, they all fulfill this formula viz., GBM -- GOD, BOOK, MASTER.
Just ask any devotee of Vishnu. He will say clearly what is his chosen God? what are his prescribed books? and Who are the Masters of his path?
He will be as clear as any other religious devotee.
The same with a Saivaite, he is very clear about his books, God, Masters.
A Saktha is also like that.
But in Hinduism these devoted worships of the Chosen God are called Ishta Devata Nishta.
Is this Ishta Devata Nishta in any way a form of fanaticism?
Most definitely not.
Because in fanaticism, what you choose to follow, you begin to think as the only truth. And all other religions become so many barren paths in wilderness.
Your duty becomes changing other people.
To tolerate such blasphemies becomes a sacrilege, according to what has been preached to you.
You become bad in the eyes of your Most Righteous God, if you don't obey your scriptural commands, exhorting you to make the world, a uniform place for your One and Only God.
Such a mentality is fanaticism.
But in Ishta Devata Nishta, the idea is 'I want to worship the Ultimate Soul in this form. I know that it is really He, who resides in everything and also is the soul of others' Gods. He has assumed various forms to cater to the devotions of various types of religious people throughout the world. But this is my chosen Ideal. I prefer to worship in this way. In the same way, I do understand your choice of your own God. I respect your right to your chosen way of worship. Afterall is it not true, that all worships go to my Beloved in reality? Then why should I not wish you good luck in your spiritual endeavours. God speed!
Srirangam V Mohanarangan
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