There is a pre-existing universal order (ṛta), we are born into this world carrying the three great debts (ṛṇa), and we are expected to adhere to a path of sustainability (dharma). So, it is natural to ask: Where does individual freedom feature in the scheme of things?
The world’s progress and sustenance depends on adherence to dharma. It is because of dharma that even a weak person can defeat a stronger person. In a world without rules, the stronger one always wins, irrespective of whether he is right. But in a world that is governed by principles, the winner is the one who adheres to the right precepts and not necessarily the one who is physically stronger.[1]
There’s an old joke of a student in a philosophy class who asks his teacher, “Professor, how do I know that I exist?” Pat comes the response, “And who is asking the question?”
Every question that arises in our minds presumes the self-evident truth of our existence. From there, we proceed to perceive the world in our unique way. Needless to say, the process of understanding the world depends on our physical and mental faculties.
Hinduism, the universal way of life, is practised by more than one billion people the world over. Adherents of the Hindu faith comprise a sixth of the global population. Available records tell us that it is the oldest religious order in the world, with an unbroken history of at least seven thousand years.[1] A person who follows Hinduism is called a ‘Hindu’ but we must remember that this term is more a geographical indicator than a religious one.
ಈ ಲೇಖನವನ್ನು ಸಮಾಪ್ತಿಗೊಳಿಸುವ ಮುನ್ನ ಪ್ರಕೃತ ಗ್ರಂಥದ ಕಡೆಗೆ ಬಂದಿರುವ ವರ್ಣ ಹಾಗೂ ಮತತ್ರಯಸಮನ್ವಯಗಳ ಬಗೆಗೆ ಒಂದೆರಡು ಮಾತು ಹೇಳಬೇಕು. ಡಿ.ವಿ.ಜಿ. ಅವರ ವಿಚಾರ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕೊಂಚ ಕುಂಠಿತವಾದಂತಿದೆ. ಜನ್ಮದಿಂದಲೇ ವರ್ಣವು ನಿರ್ಧಾರಿತವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂಬುದು ಅವರ ನಿಲುಮೆ. ವರ್ಣನಿರ್ಣಯವು ಜನ್ಮದಿಂದಲೂ ಸಾಧ್ಯವೆಂದರೆ ಯಾವ ವಿಪ್ರತಿಪತ್ತಿಯೂ ಇಲ್ಲ; ಜನ್ಮದಿಂದ ಮಾತ್ರ ವರ್ಣನಿರ್ಣಯ ಸಾಧ್ಯವೆಂದು ಹೇಳುವುದು ಯುಕ್ತವಾಗಿ ತೋರದು. ಶ್ರೀಕೃಷ್ಣನೇ “ಚಾತುರ್ವರ್ಣ್ಯಂ ಮಯಾ ಸೃಷ್ಟಂ ಗುಣಕರ್ಮವಿಭಾಗಶಃ” (೪.೧೩) ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾನಷ್ಟೆ. ಜೊತೆಗೆ ‘ವರ್ಣ’ ಎಂಬ ಶಬ್ದದ ಧಾತುಮೂಲದ ಅರ್ಥವೇ ‘ಆಯ್ಕೆ’ಯ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಸೂಚಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ.