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Nithin Sridhar
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I will pen-down my comments and opinions on various social issues under the title "Society & One-Legged Dharma" pointing out how most of the ills of the society has been caused due to forsaking of Dharma by people. In Hindu scriptures, the Dharma represented by a Bull is said to stand on four legs in Satya Yuga, when most people practiced and lived life by Dharma. "Four-Legs" denotes that Dharma was firmly established in society. On the other hand, it is said that,in Kali Yuga, Dharma stands only on One-Leg. We have been witnessing this in our society, where qualities like truth, non-violence, compassion, honesty have lost their value and replaced by untruth, deviousness, corruption, violence etc.
The series of writings under this title is my humble attempt to revive Dharma by making people become aware of them.
-Nithin Sridhar
______________________________________________________________
Nava-Ratri- Celebration or Exhibitionism?
Those who will be celebrating Nava-Ratri, the nights of the Goddesses, the nights of the Shakti, should stop a moment and conduct a deep review of their own actions. Does the men in society conduct themselves the way they should with respect to women? Is it proper on the part of those Men who indulge themselves in harassing, eve-teasing, raping, or dowry burning etc etc? Is it right on the part of Women who themselves suppress other women, impose on them restrictions? Is it right on the society as a whole-both men and women to blame the victimized women during any issue of sexual assault?
Does our Bhakti towards Devi depicts genuine love and devotion or is it mere hypocrisy? How many of the people celebrate Nava-Ratri/Durga-Puja due to genuine love and surrendering and not just for the sake of doing it in the name of tradition that has come down to us from past?
How many people who Pray for MahaKali pray for induing in them an understanding of Righteousness and not for selfish desires to be fulfilled? How many of us pray Maha-Lakshmi for prosperity and wellness of the world and not just for wealth and money for one's own-self? How many pray to Maha-Saraswati for Spiritual upliftment and Transcendental knowledge and not for a son/daughter to be able to pass engineering and earn in millions?
Are the people really interested in doing Real Worship? If they did, why are they only indulged in Hypocrisy, Exhibitionism and entertainment? Why has the devotional element disappeared Nava-Ratri and has been reduced to visiting Durga pandals, Dasara Exhibition, Dandiya dance? I am not suggesting that Dasara Exhibition or Dandiya is wrong. I am only aghast at the absence of devotional elements from it.
A true devotee of KaLi will always care for righteousness. Kali is the personification of Kriya Shakti. Hence, such a person would ever try to be a Karma Yogi. He would try to practice Dharma in his every word and action. How many people are living like that? How many even care?
A true devotee of Lakshmi will always be concerned about the wellness of the whole Universe. He would by his mere Will work towards Universal Goodness. Lakshmi is personification of Ichha Shakti. How many of us are interested in guiding our Will and Desires by Dharma? Are we not all indulged in fulfilling Selfish desires and fantasies?
A true devotee of Saraswati would be ever indulged in gaining and spreading the Knowledge. He would be ever indulged in studying and understanding scriptures and Dharma and will spread and guide others in doing the same. Saraswati is the very personification of Brahma-Jnana. How many even care to study Gita? What more, the parents even prevent their children from studying scriptures.
In the light of such behavior and mentality prevalent in the society, how many are performing "Real" Nava-Ratri in the sense that out of love, devotion and surrender with sense of righteousness/Dharma and Selflessness? What good is any Puja, any celebration when it is done only as an exhibition and for the approval of others and not for the pleasing of the God and spiritual welfare of the world?
Nithin Sridhar
____________________
I will pen-down my comments and opinions on various social issues under the title "Society & One-Legged Dharma" pointing out how most of the ills of the society has been caused due to forsaking of Dharma by people. In Hindu scriptures, the Dharma represented by a Bull is said to stand on four legs in Satya Yuga, when most people practiced and lived life by Dharma. "Four-Legs" denotes that Dharma was firmly established in society. On the other hand, it is said that,in Kali Yuga, Dharma stands only on One-Leg. We have been witnessing this in our society, where qualities like truth, non-violence, compassion, honesty have lost their value and replaced by untruth, deviousness, corruption, violence etc.
The series of writings under this title is my humble attempt to revive Dharma by making people become aware of them.
-Nithin Sridhar
______________________________________________________________
Nava-Ratri- Celebration or Exhibitionism?
Those who will be celebrating Nava-Ratri, the nights of the Goddesses, the nights of the Shakti, should stop a moment and conduct a deep review of their own actions. Does the men in society conduct themselves the way they should with respect to women? Is it proper on the part of those Men who indulge themselves in harassing, eve-teasing, raping, or dowry burning etc etc? Is it right on the part of Women who themselves suppress other women, impose on them restrictions? Is it right on the society as a whole-both men and women to blame the victimized women during any issue of sexual assault?
Does our Bhakti towards Devi depicts genuine love and devotion or is it mere hypocrisy? How many of the people celebrate Nava-Ratri/Durga-Puja due to genuine love and surrendering and not just for the sake of doing it in the name of tradition that has come down to us from past?
How many people who Pray for MahaKali pray for induing in them an understanding of Righteousness and not for selfish desires to be fulfilled? How many of us pray Maha-Lakshmi for prosperity and wellness of the world and not just for wealth and money for one's own-self? How many pray to Maha-Saraswati for Spiritual upliftment and Transcendental knowledge and not for a son/daughter to be able to pass engineering and earn in millions?
Are the people really interested in doing Real Worship? If they did, why are they only indulged in Hypocrisy, Exhibitionism and entertainment? Why has the devotional element disappeared Nava-Ratri and has been reduced to visiting Durga pandals, Dasara Exhibition, Dandiya dance? I am not suggesting that Dasara Exhibition or Dandiya is wrong. I am only aghast at the absence of devotional elements from it.
A true devotee of KaLi will always care for righteousness. Kali is the personification of Kriya Shakti. Hence, such a person would ever try to be a Karma Yogi. He would try to practice Dharma in his every word and action. How many people are living like that? How many even care?
A true devotee of Lakshmi will always be concerned about the wellness of the whole Universe. He would by his mere Will work towards Universal Goodness. Lakshmi is personification of Ichha Shakti. How many of us are interested in guiding our Will and Desires by Dharma? Are we not all indulged in fulfilling Selfish desires and fantasies?
A true devotee of Saraswati would be ever indulged in gaining and spreading the Knowledge. He would be ever indulged in studying and understanding scriptures and Dharma and will spread and guide others in doing the same. Saraswati is the very personification of Brahma-Jnana. How many even care to study Gita? What more, the parents even prevent their children from studying scriptures.
In the light of such behavior and mentality prevalent in the society, how many are performing "Real" Nava-Ratri in the sense that out of love, devotion and surrender with sense of righteousness/Dharma and Selflessness? What good is any Puja, any celebration when it is done only as an exhibition and for the approval of others and not for the pleasing of the God and spiritual welfare of the world?
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