Tue 26 Apr 2011, 05:09 PM
Public image of Vasudhaiv' Kutumbakam
I have heard people speak of Vasudhaiv' Kutumbakam. I have read people write about it in books and articles. I even saw it in writings that the concept of Vasudhaiv' Kutumbakam was advocated in our Vedic literature.
They all took pride in declaring that we, the Hindoos, gave to the world this lofty concept of Vasudhaiv' Kutumbakam. We perceived this world as one single family. In effect, what they wanted to convey is this:
Look at us! We are so large-hearted, so open-minded, so generous and so humane that we treated the whole world as one single family and we admitted everyone into our folds with open heart.
In this process, those writers, those speakers, felt within themselves quite inflated about their own greatness. The readers, the listeners were no exception either. They too felt inflated about their own greatness.
In turn, those readers, those listeners also told others about the same, and everybody patted each other’s back. No one, of course, bothered to think if there could be a catch in it.
I had always doubted it
Sunday, 15 January 2012
I had all along doubted that there was something wrong with it. Our ancestors were very wise people. They could not have promoted such a self-deceptive concept.
I perceive it was foolishness to advocate such a generalized all-encompassing philosophy. I had known my ancestors to be very-very practical people, and that is why they could survive through numerous millenniums.
The question that bothered me how such an impractical concept came to be popularized in guise of greatness?
I also doubted the integrity of those so-called intellectuals and well-placed people who do not hesitate tracing its origin in Hindoo Vedic literature. I sincerely doubted that they had studied Vedic literature themselves before making any such proclamation.
I also wondered about the context in which the concept of वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् came to be known to the Hindoos? Was this truly said so in context of our greatness, our large-heartedness? Or, was it in some other context which, if known, will change the entire perception about its true meaning? I also doubted the integrity of those people who spread the impression that this conveyed our large-heartedness, if they truly ever probed into the context it was stated, on their own?
The origin of Vasudhaiv’ Kutumbakam
The concept of वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् did not originate from our Vedic literature. It has its origin in पंचतंत्र (Panch’Tantr’). More precisely, in अपरीक्षितकारकम (ApareekshitKaarakam) the fifth तंत्र Tantr’ of पंचतंत्र Panch’Tantr’.
वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् is part of सिंह कारक मूर्ख ब्राह्मण कथा (Simh’ Kaarak’ Moorkh’ Braahman’ Katha). Now, Moorkh’ means foolish. So, why would such large-heartedness be attributed to something foolish? Isn’t it worth probing into?
कथा is story. So, let us hear the story of the fool who advocated the concept of वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्. Does this revelation come as a surprise? Is the whole perception towards वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् is going to take a new turn?
Simh’ Kaarak’ Moorkh’ Braahman’ Katha
There were four friends in a village[i]. Three of them were very learned. They had attained significant achievements in different disciplines of learning. The fourth one was of no comparison to them. He was intelligent and more of a practical sort of guy. You may say, a bit out of the league among the four. But one thing was in common. They all grew up together and were childhood friends.
Higher learning filled them with some ambition. They wanted to prove those extraordinary skills they had acquired through the knowledge they had attained. Village had no takers. The large city at a substantial distance beckoned them.
With hope in their hearts they set on to a journey through the woods that led to the city at the other end. They smelled the promise in the air which would bring them due recognition for their accomplishments.
On the way, a nagging doubt bothered one of them. He consulted the rest. Pointing at the one who wasn’t erudite (scholarly, intellectual) like the three others, he wondered what the use of taking him along? No doubt he was intelligent but what was the without formal education, training and higher learning? The second one agreed and recommended that their friend should return back home.
The third one, however, had a different view. He argued that we all who live on this planet (Earth वसुधा Vasudha) are like one big कुटुम्ब (Kutumb’ family). Our friend may not be learned but he is essentially one of us, part of the family. He should continue with us and whatever we earn in the city, we share it together.[ii]
With this argument he was able to convince the other two that all four friends should move towards the city together. So, they continued their journey together.
On their way they noticed a skeleton of a creature that seemed to be dead for long. The three looked at each other. The same thought transpired their minds. This looks like a good opportunity to test what we have learned. We should attempt at bringing this creature into life. And, they decided to go ahead with the test.
First learned friend put the pieces of the skeleton together and organised it according to its accurate anatomy. Second learned friend used his skills to add organs, flesh and skin to the body. Now it was the turn of the third learned friend to perform the most difficult task. It was him who had convinced the other two by reciting the श्लोक (Shlok’ verse) वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् (Vasudhaiv’ Kutumbakam) to let the fourth un-erudite (not scholarly, non-intellectual) friend continue the journey with them. And, it was the time for the fourth one to apply his only skill (practical intelligence).
As the third learned friend got ready to initiate life (प्राण) into the body assembly, fourth friend asked him to stop. He said, don’t do this. It will bring your own life into danger[iii]. The third friend listened quietly and shrugged his shoulders. To him every life form was part of a family and to make that point alone he had propounded the concept of वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् (Vasudhaiv’ Kutumbakam). He couldn’t have gone back on his own words listening to the fourth friend whom he had brought along. Besides, he had to prove to himself and to his friends that his learning had not gone waste, a knowledge, a skill that was so difficult to attain and so very unique to perform.
Noticing that his friend was adamant, wouldn’t listen to logic and bent upon doing what he had already decided, the fourth friend looked around and spotted a tall tree and climbed up. The remaining three scholarly friends, convinced of वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् stayed together.
Guess what happened?
Third learned friend succeeded in breathing life into the body assembly of the long dead
creature. Three of them were rejoiced of their success. Now they have firmly established that
they did attain the higher learning and acquired the needed skills to justify their scholarship.
As they were delighted about their extraordinary success, the creature yawned as if having woken
up after a long sleep, looked around and spotted the three friends. Tremendous hunger pang raked
its stomach with realisation of prolonged starving.
The lion charged at three friends and satisfied his hunger. Then walked away!
Very sad, the fourth friend climbed down the tree, and returned to his village to tell what had happened.
They propagated false belief system
Monday, 16 January 2012
Vedic literature is said to be अपौरुषेय (Apaurushey’), not written or composed by any पुरुष
(Purush’) man or divine. Its origin is traced in अपौरुषेय शब्द (Apaurushey’ Shabd’) श्रुति (Shruti)
as heard by the ancient Rishis. The emphasis had been on preserving the text as it is.
पंचतंत्र (Panch’Tantr’) was composed by विष्णुशर्मा (Vishnu Sharma) a great आचार्य (Aachaarya)
of नीति शास्त्र (Neeti Shaastr’) probably around 3rd century before Christ. Practical appeal
of these stories was so compelling that it spread like wild fire even beyond our territories
and got translated into many languages.
Modern day opinion-makers probably invented its Vedic origin probably to add credibility to their impractical proposition of brotherhood concept.
Aachaarya Vishnu Sharma termed it as foolishness not large-heartedness
Great Aachaarya of Neeti Shaastr’ Vishnu Sharma declared the third friend as a fool before he let him recite brotherhood concept of वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्
I have not done so when I retold Simh’ Kaarak’ Moorkh’ Braahman’ Katha. While I have had no doubt that modern day proponents of brotherhood concept वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् are undoubtedly fools, I also know that they have been made victim of a fraud engineered around this age-old concept.
Their fault lies in not thinking independently before indoctrinating others into this false belief system and giving in to, what I call, Parrot Humanoid Syndrome.
What is Parrot Humanoid Syndrome?
Saturday, 11 Dec 2010, 23:45
A parrot is defined by dictionary as a repeater of something that somebody else has said,
without thought or understanding;
A humanoid is defined by dictionary as one resembling human;
Syndrome is defined by dictionary as a group of things or events that form a recognizable
pattern, especially of something undesirable.
Thus, parrot humanoid is one who resembles a human and is a repeater of something that somebody
else has said, without thought or understanding.
Similarly, parrot syndrome is a group of events that form a recognizable pattern comprising repetitive use of someone else's saying without thought or understanding.
Deductively, a human who fits the definition of parrot humanoid and demonstrates the parrot syndrome, collectively makes up for parrot humanoid syndrome, essentially something undesirable among humans as they have been given a head over their shoulder not for good looks but for applying it on their own before blindly following what someone else has said or wrote.
Seed for yet another intellectual fraud
12 Dec 2010, 03:25, refined 16 Jan 2012
Gullible Hindoos were made victim of many frauds ever since Christian- British landed on our soil. Early day frauds were more of political and religious nature. When Christian Missionaries took over our education system they added another dimension which, with time, assumed disastrous proportions infecting educated Hindoos. Later day Marxist intellectuals/academics followed the trail and added newer dimensions.
One such intellectual fraud was woven like a spider web, with considerable patience, so that the victim once caught in this web has no escape. Fabric of this web was the brotherhood concept of वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्
Hindoos taught the world the noblest of all thoughts वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् — this was the seed that was planted with great care in some educated Hindoo minds. They were told that it was so unique a concept that no equivalent of it could be found in any social, religious, literary, or intellectual dissemination.
What more those educated Hindus would have wanted! Here was someone who was speaking for us, praising us. Let us spread the word, tell our fellow beings! And they told it many people. Those who heard it, they told many more. Everyone kept their minds shut and repeated what they heard. Parrot Syndrome was already in action. Parrot Humanoids were very enthused about their new found greatness. No one realised they played pawns in others’ hands who had planted the seed.
Such was the low esteem that our educated Hindoos had developed for themselves. Any praise they would blindly jump at! Christian Missionary educators had made it a point to make the Hindoo child look down upon his roots, his culture, and social practices. They were trained to criticize their own religion, social systems and find faults with them. Even today you will find ample examples scattered all around you, and also within your own self if only search for them. You will need perceptive ability to sense these deep-rooted tendencies within self and the courage to admit them.