The changing dynamics of Dharma and Ideals

March 6th, 2018

Jersey City. 

I was watching Gundamma Katha, an all time classic Telugu movie for 100th time. This time, it was not the same enjoyment I used to have every time I watched the movie. This time, it was weird filled with bafflement and amusement. I am amused to observe that the same film which has a song empowering women "Lechindi ! Nidra Lechindi Mahila Lokam !" has a dialogue by the son to father saying "You say Yes! I shall set the girl right and make her fall at your feet Father ! " The dialogue which sounded very casual all these days irked me for a minute. If this dialogue is put in the present day cinema, it would have faced a big protest. I couldn't have appreciate it too.  Then I realized, it is neither the fault of the film nor the dialogue is offensive. It is just the idea of good and ideal wife/ daughter-in-law changed from the previous generation to this generation. (I know I will be judged for overthinking :P )

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I was reading an article the other day by the spiritual master of Sahaj Marg, Sri Kamlesh D Patel about "Destiny and Freedom of Choice" in which he explains how Rama could have chosen differently. Here is an excerpt from the article: 

"Going back to the Ramayana, could Lord Rama have chosen differently? Could he have done something for his wife? He could have announced, “I accept her as she is. I have full confidence in her purity,” but he did not. Instead he abandoned her and she was exiled to the forest for a second time, because he was influenced by his people, by their judgments and his sense of duty to them.

He tested Mother Sita’s purity by asking, “You were with Ravana for almost a year. Can you prove that you did nothing wrong?” Why did he ask this? He wanted his people to see and be convinced that the king’s wife was pure. She had no argument, for she knew that she was pure. She could walk through fire with confidence, and prove her sanctity and purity.

She also could have asked Lord Rama, “My beloved, you were also a year away from me. What did you do in the jungle alone?” but she kept quiet; she could not believe it. Lord Rama interrogated Mother Sita publicly because of the pressure he felt to please his people. In this case, destiny was altered by the interference of others and the consequences of his choice.

The second avatar of ancient India, Lord Krishna, tried to change people’s notion of duty. He said, “Yes, you must perform your duty as a king, as prescribed,” but hundreds of times during the great epic of the Mahabharata, he told Bhishma, “You are doing the wrong thing by pledging an oath of loyalty to the throne of Hastinapur. There is nothing like loyalty to a kingdom. Our loyalty is to the truth, to dharma. Take the side of right.” Bhishma didn’t understand these concepts because he was still living with the old values, with his sense of loyalty to the throne of Hastinapur." (2017, Kamlesh D Patel)

Rama took the literal meaning of the law "I shouldn't disobey my mother". "A King should not leave his people dissatisfied!" Should you not even if it doesn't seem right? Is King not like a father to his people who can correct children if they do wrong? Well, it is like a paradox. I can have a counter argument too supporting the action of Rama! What is Dharma during Rama's time might not be Dharma now. There are Yuga Dharmas. And Rama made us believe that he is human and taught us how a human should not err like he did. It is a lesson. What is not acceptable is that we miss the 'Dharma Sookshmas' or the subtle reasons behind the actions of Rama, take the literal meanings of his actions and attribute the same half - understood rules to ourselves.

This reminded me of yet another classic film, Baahubali 2 in which the male protagonist re-defines Dharma, by breaking the path by sticking to the loved one despite his mother's order to leave her. He adds "Dharma taught by mother is greater than Mother herself!" Did this project that Bahubali loved his mother any less? No! He waited patiently for his mother to realize. 

All the above three examples gave me many interesting answers to the constant debate that has been happening in my head since a very long time. What is "Ideal" today may not be "Ideal" tomorrow. "Dharma" is always the same but how we perceive it, re-visit and re-define it according to the current day scenario is important. Indian culture and Sanatana Dharma is new every time you learn it as it is not a "Literal Philosophy". It is implied. It is metaphorical.

 Perhaps this generation realized 'questioning' does not mean 'disrespecting'. Be it Rajamouli or Amish Tripathi or Devadutt Pattanaik are wise enough to take out inferred meanings from the epics, vedas and puranas to suit the contemporary situation. Does this mean to out rightly oppose our parents generation saying what all they taught was wrong? No. Perhaps they were strongly made to believe all the stories, laws, and ideals and all through their life. It is hard to break such strong belief systems (not everything they say is wrong!). Let us be little empathetic towards them to make them understand (Next post on my blog - Re-thinking the generation gap: acting with empathy) or perhaps we should have a discussion and dialogue or even may be an argument. This flexibility of interpreting Dharma makes it manipulative too. We all make right choices. We all make wrong choices. And we all learn from our choices only when we take responsibility of our choice instead of justifying it with manipulated Dharma. How do we know if it is right or wrong? Well ! That is the toughest part and that is what defines who WE are !

(Disclaimer: This article is to only probe a positive discussion but not to disrespect any existing body of knowledge)

REFERENCES:

• http://www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/destiny-freedom-choice/