The Essence of the Vedic Philosophy    

     The Vedas touched every aspect of Hindu life. Sacrifice rituals formed an important part of Vedic life, so a Hindu became adept at performing many fire ceremonies (havan yajna).

     During the Vedic period, society was divided into four classes. The highest was the Brahmin class, who claimed to have been born from the mouth of God. Brahmin is considered one who follows the path of the Divine Brahma. Brahmins were well versed in the Vedas, so they were given the responsibility of performing the many rituals on different occasions. They also guided the lay people toward a worthy religious life. The Kshatriya, or warrior class, came next. They were in charge of defending and upholding the rule of law. After this came the Vaishya, who were the merchant and agriculture class. The fourth class was the Shudras the servant class, who would manually serve the upper three classes.
     

    It is believed that originally this division was based on the merit and aptitude of individuals, as mentioned in the Rig Veda. The categorical recognition of the hereditary caste system in the official Manu Shastra, however, tilts credence toward the contrary. Even so, castes were not rigid and pernicious. There were even free marriages among persons from different groups, as well as interchanging from one caste to another. As time passed, however, the system took a rather vicious turn and caused much antagonism and hostility among the classes.

      The role of Brahmins has occupied the Hindu mind vigorously throughout history. On one hand, they have most admirably carried on the mantle of preserving the vast heritage of Vedic scriptures in the face of many impediments and obstructions, but on the other hand, they maintained an unholy dominance and authority throughout millennia and caused the sharp divisions in the society.

      In the Vedic society, a man’s life was divided into four stages, or ashrams.
     Up until age twenty-five, a man was in the brahmachary ashrama. He obtained a good education and training in all walks of life under the supervision of a skilled and able teacher. This teacher/student relationship (the guru/shishya relationship) is unique in Hinduism. During this period, a man abstained from any sexual activity. He was especially coached to revere and obey his parents and the elders in his family. Learning abhyasa (a spiritual practice) became the framework of Hindu life in this period. This stage laid the foundation for a good life afterward.

      In the second stage, grahastha ashrama, the man married and raised his family. Hindus believe that getting married and raising children is a religious duty, and they virtually exhaust all their resources and efforts toward this divine task. Even as he is urged to take proper care of his wife and children, however, a man’s duties toward his parents, brothers, sisters, community, and country always remain at the forefront. He would also enjoy all the legitimate pleasures of life and acquire property—but only by righteous means. A man and woman, as husband and wife together, take the responsibility of conducting this ashrama. The man is the head of the family in Hindu society. When the family atmosphere becomes polluted and unstable, it is his duty to perform spiritual meditations (sadhana), as well as other corporeal duties to correct the anomalies and misapprehensions. He must, however, fulfill his responsibility with love and subtle guidance. He must never hurt his wife, verbally or physically, whatever the provocation. Says Manu, “Prosperity shuns the home, where the woman is dishonored.”
      It is the duty of the man to provide for the family and to procure a good house, which the woman makes into a home. He may provide not only for the necessary articles but also for fine things and jewelry.  The woman, on her part, is always ready to welcome him when he returns from work and to provide a secure and joyful atmosphere to relieve him from his work stress. The woman also has the primary duty of caring for the children in the most appropriate manner, guiding and leading them to fulfill their assignments with sincerity and virtue.
      In the home, mother is likened to the deity Shakti. She wields spiritual power (siddhi), which she extends to her husband so that he is successful in all his manly endeavors, and withdraws the same automatically when she is hurt, depressed, or disappointed, compromising his success in the outside world. The man and woman are assigned their respective Vedic codes—purusha dharma and stri dharma, respectively. They are also advised to seek and abide by the counsel of the family guru (kulaguru), whenever necessary.32
      It is pertinent to note that the great lawmaker Manu laid special importance to this ashrama of human life. It is only during this period of his life that a man earns and sustains not only himself but also for his family and all members in the other three stages. The condemnation of mundane and temporal activities is not advocated. In fact, it is precisely these activities, performed in the rightful manner as spiritual duties that lead to the divine fulfillment.
      Also, it is important to realize that those who forsake their worldly duties prematurely, before taking care of their family and children, in search of spiritual advancement are, in fact, transgressing this Vedic law.

      The third stage is the vanaprastha ashrama. Vana in Sanskrit means forest. When the man has fulfilled his family obligations, he takes retirement from his business or work. He bestows all family responsibilities on his son and then spends more time in spiritual practices and social service. He gets more involved with charitable work. The forest symbolically represents solitude and peaceful surroundings. An individual is encouraged to help and serve family and society by sharing his experiences and imparting moral teachings to youth and children. The younger members of the family have an obligation to take proper and respectful care of their elders.

      The last stage is the sanyasa ashrama. Man renounces all material belongings. He lives a very austere life and spends almost all his time seeking spiritual salvation (moksha). A Hindu is instructed to walk the last phase of his stay in single file; he might look within, meditate, and search for the Divine. It is only in the solitude of aloneness (sanya) that an individual might experience Brahman, the immanent, transcendental God. Thus, established in the higher levels of divine consciousness, sanyasin is beyond both adoration and censure.
      In the words of Swami Vivekananda, “Everyone who has tasted the fruits of this world must give up in the later part of life.” This is the basic principle of Hindu philosophy and is quite opposite of the Western point of view.33
      Sanyasa ashram, however, is not for everyone. According to the original Vedic thought, only those who have perfected themselves spiritually in the first three stages may enter the highest state of sanyasa; otherwise, it may become superfluous and meaningless. It was in the time of Jainism and Buddhism that monastic institutes of sanyasins were introduced, allowing persons with the highest spiritual aspiration to become the sanyasin, bypassing all the household duties. Afterward, Hinduism also accepted this new order of sanyasins. Even so the sanyasa became a valid option only for the most evolved souls.
      It is also believed that in some mystic way, sanyasins acquire extra spiritual powers through their acts of meditations (sadhana) and by withholding their sexual energies through celibacy. They are ordained to practice nonviolence (ahimsa) more strictly, lest they cause harm to others and, in reciprocation, to themselves.

      There was thus a division of vocation in relation to the age of the person. According to the Vedic philosophy, all stages of life impart their own unique experiences, which are essential for soul growth. Interestingly, there has been some research in the modern medical science of psychiatry regarding the different stages of a person’s life. Dr. Carl Jung stated in his book, Modern Man in Search of a Soul, that human life may be divided in three parts. Jung especially dwelled on the third part as the period of spiritual pursuit. The similarity of this concept with the Vedic philosophy cannot be merely a coincidence. When a man does not act according to his station of life, he often invites misery and shame on himself. The Hindu concept of ashramas is thus vindicated.

      Another interesting point is that Hindu sages planned out human life based on a hundred years or more, with four divisions of twentyfive years each. It seems rather strange that so early in the history of mankind, such longevity was experienced. Hindu scriptures are replete with descriptions of high chronological age, indicating more perfected style-of-living techniques than those achieved in the modern times.
      Along with the four stages of a man’s life, Vedic teachings also discuss four goals (purushartha) in life: kama, artha, dharma, and moksha. Man must put his best efforts toward attaining these goals. Inactivity or laziness is not sanctioned in Hindu society.
      Kama refers to the satisfaction of sensual desires. This activity is seen in the entire animal world, but as human beings, this activity needs to be disciplined by a set of rules and regulations.
      Artha refers to acquiring material possessions. This activity is of a higher nature and is seen only in human beings. Human beings need food, clothing, and shelter at the same time a code of conduct was created to keep vigil on human beings. Athar Veda states, “One may amass wealth with hundreds of hands, but distribute it with thousands of hands.” Charity is the watchword in Hindu philosophy. “To live is to give, and give as long as you live.” The rhetorical condemnation of material possessions does not conform to Vedic teachings.
      Indulgence in sensual activities as well as having worldly possessions is considered legitimate, even necessary, as long as the spiritual laws of dharma are used for regulation. Riches in Vedic India were always despised if they were hoarded or unavailable for charitable purposes. Ungenerous men of great wealth were assigned a low rank in society.34
      Dharma has been used to imply religion in Hindu code. The literary meaning of this word is duty and righteousness. Dharma, simply put, is a spiritual behavior of treating all with respect, love, and compassion. It is to be helpful to whatever extent possible without any selfish or ulterior motive. Self-defense and fighting for the just cause forms an important part of the righteous duty, but revenge is not sanctioned in Hindu religion. Moksha refers to seeking salvation. Man, by performing his duties very well and conducting his life with principles of righteousness, would ascend on the ladder of virtues and finally attain freedom from repeated birth/death cycles.

     There are also extensive descriptions in the Vedas of an individual’s various duties toward God, parents, wife, children, family, community, society, and country. Vedic society was built around these codes of conduct. Rig Veda states, “Where there is a clash between a greater good and smaller one, the interest of the greater good prevails. In the interest of the family, one individual may be given up. In the interest of the village, one family may be disregarded. In the interest of the nation, one village’s interest may be sacrificed.” Giving (dana), rather than grabbing, became the Hindu ideal; the highest gift is considered the giving of spiritual knowledge.
      To maintain a vigil on his performance, man is reminded of five debts: deva rina, rishi rina, pitri rina, nri rina, and bhuta rina.
      Deva-rina: the debt toward God, the creator and protector. Nature gods, such as the sun (Suraya), moon (Chandra), wind (Vaayu), rain (Indra), and earth (Dharti), were worshipped, and special care was taken toward their protection. Hindus thus established a special protocol for human society in relation to environmental and ecological matters very early in history.
      Rishi-rina: the debt toward the sages—“May he abide by their teachings.”
     Pitri-rina: the debt toward his parents—“May he always respect and care for them.” Vedic scriptures advise the householders to care for their parents and close relatives all through life. The elderly, especially, must be comforted, honored at auspicious times, and never left alone for extended periods.
      Nri-rina: the debt toward all mankind—“May he serve all humanity.”
      Bhuta-rina: the debt toward the subhumans, the animals—“May he never be cruel to animals.”
 One of the most impressive aphorisms of Hindu society in the Vedic period was “No one amongst the people will be slave, and enjoying freedom themselves, they shall respect the equal right to it that all possess.”35 This dictum became the foundation of charity and philanthropy in the Hindu society.

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