Human Dignity

केचित् शोचंति धनात् मनुष्यगौरव:
केचित् पदात् प्रतिष्ठात् वा विद्यात्  |
सर्वे हृदये यः सन्निविष्ठः
स योगेश्वरः एव मनुष्यस्य गौरवः    ||

Kechit shochanti dhanaat manushya-gaurava-ha
Kechit padaat pratishThaat vaa vidyaat
Sarve hridaye ya-ha sanniviShTha-ha
Sa Yogeshwara-ha eva manushyasya gaurava-ha

Meaning: Some (kechit) think that man has value by virtue of wealth (dhana). Some think, man has value due to (high) position (pada), fame (pratishThaa) or education (vidyaa). But the Cosmic Power (Yogeshwar), residing in the heart (hrudaye) of every being (sarve), is indeed the one that bestows true dignity (gaurava) to mankind (manushya).

I wrote my thoughts on this shloka in 2010 on October 19^th. That day is very special—it is Human Dignity Day; also called as Manushya Gaurav Din in Indian languages. This is one festival that should be celebrated by each and every human being no matter what his religion, caste, creed, sect or nationality. It is for all humans.

Humans are always valued by society based on their adjectives, possessions or associations. I would be important if I have a lot of money. I would be valued if I hold an important position in some organization or a position of power. I would be important if I am famous (or even infamous these days) due to sports, arts or whatever other reason. I would be important if I am highly educated at Ivy League universities or the like, or if I am extra-ordinarily intelligent or skilled. I am important even if I am related to someone important.
 
People falling in all the above categories are but a small percentage of society. So what about the vast majority who have nothing to cling on for feeling important? What about their dignity? Doesn't every human have a right to feel important about himself or herself? But what external attribute or adjective would make them important if they have none? And do they need one to have their dignity? Even these external possessions, attributes and associations are not very long-lasting. What after they are gone? In this world of human-rights, has any one thought about this most fundamental human-right?

This matter was exactly and perfectly addressed by our ancient scriptures. The Upanishads proclaimed Tat tvam asi—That Thou art. The Bhagwad Geeta sang the song of Mamai vaansho—you are a part of Me. Even the Bible says, "It is not ye that speaketh but the Father within you". Bayazid from Bistun says, 'I went from God to God, until they cried from me to me, "O thou I"'. Yet another saying, "I live, yet not I, but Christ in me". Plotinus says, "Each being contains in itself the whole intelligible world." The Theologica Germanica states, "Goodness needeth not enter into the soul, for it is there already, only it is unperceived." Even my favorite Morpheus says, "you are The One". Every true philosophy across the world speaks the same language—that of the perennial philosophy. And that philosophy is Indwelling God.

I am important not because I have something, but because I am something. I am a part of that Supreme Power which governs the entire universe. What association could be more important than that of Yogeshwar? Yogeshwar is not the name of a God or a deity, but it represents the Cosmic Self that pervades the entire universe—the omnipotent, omniscient & the omnipresent power! Call it by whatever name that makes you love Him, Yogeshwar is that Divinity which bestows dignity to all beings just by being. I am, therefore I am important. I have the Lord with me, within me, and therefore I am second to nobody. And nobody else is second to me, because the other also is equally endowed.

This would seem like a great philosophy on paper but the reason we are celebrating Human Dignity Day is because this eternal philosophy has been brought down from the heavans & dusty old books into the lives of millions of people. There are hundreds and thousands of people ranging from the affluent to the penniless who have been empowered by this singular powerful thought—that God is within me & working with me. This silent revolution has been brought about by noted philosopher-scientist, Revered Pandurang Shastri Athawale, who is popularly called by his millions of divine brothers & sisters as Dadaji (elder brother). Tat tvam asi is a living, breathing & thriving philosophy, thanks to Revered Dadaji. Through his untiring efforts spanning his entire lifetime, Dadaji has brought about a change which the philosophers, thinkers & leaders of the world can only imagine & fantasize. Through his various experiments, Dadaji has given concrete working answers to all problems of individual and society, posed by the great thinkers of the ancient, medieval as well as the modern world. He did not just speak; he created a society which is empowered from within, not without—a society which does not need adjectives or possessions to be! A colorful, thriving, proliferating world called the Swadhyay Parivar, which is knocking every door, reaching out to every son of God to color him with His color.

We, in our elite little cocoons of the "developed" & "civilized" world, may not even know about this, but millions of people, and thousands of villages & towns across the world, are celebrating October 19^th every year as Human Dignity Day because it is that historic day when Revered Dadaji was born. Human Dignity or Manushya Gaurav was actualized and implemented by this great personality.

My salute to this magnanimous, awe-inspiring, colossal son of God who is amongst His most beloved. On this pious day, I send my best wishes to every one of you on your journey to the realization of your own Human Dignity.

MahaaPurush

गङ्गा पापं शशी तापं दैन्यं कल्पतरुस्तथा    |
पापं तापं च दैन्यं च घ्नन्ति सन्तो महाशया: ||

Gangaa paapam shashee taapam dainyam kalpatarustathaa
Paapam taapam cha dainyam cha ghnanti santo mahaashayaa-haa

Meaning: The (river) Ganga washes away all sins; the moon (shashee) removes all the heat (with its coolness), and the Kalpataru tree removes all poverty (by granting all wishes). But the noble simultaneously eliminate (all three)—sins, heat & poverty.

This shloka tells us the importance of the noble & the saintly. While the river Ganga, the moon and the Kalpataru only remove 1 hardship each, noblemen remove all three and any other.

It tells us the importance of being associated with noblemen or mahaa-purush. We should first be able to recognize a mahaa-purush, and then get associated with him or her. This association would bring great benefits to us in terms of overall development. Poverty doesn't just connote financial poverty, but the poverty of life. Such saintly association would remove all the problems or hardships from our life, and get us moving on the path of happiness.

This being the first step, the shloka also hints at the other side of it. Not only should we associate with mahaa-purush, but we should also try to become one, or like one. We should be such that people feel peace, love, and warmth, just by being with us. They should feel like becoming virtuous due to association with us. If they feel like ceasing bad deeds or sins, then that is equivalent to cleansing of sins. They should feel the sheetaltaa or coolness of the moon upon meeting us. They should be able to confide in us, share with us and feel that we are there—for them & with them. That will remove more than half of their problems & get them working.

In the 12th chapter of Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta, the Lord tells us about the quality of ana-udvigna. At a very peripheral level, it means one who is approachable, or one whom people won't be hesitant to approach or meet. We have to be ana-udvigna. Everyone should want to meet us, and be with us. There is a difference between ana-udvigna & popular. Ana-udvigna means people should not know why, but they still want to be with you. It's due to our pure & virtuous character whereas popularity is generally due to external personality.

This is a very important requirement for anyone who wants to do constructive & cultural work at whatever level. We have to be such, that people not only look up to us, but also feel comfortable with, and also feel a bond with. For people to be able to feel comfortable with us, we have to be of such character. Someone who simply carries out instructions or enforces principles is a manager, while someone with whom people connect on their own, is the person, this shloka wants us to be. Such a person can make people live on the principles desired out of mankind rather than simply follow them. We have to be such, so as to carry out any kind of constructive work effectively. The onus is always ours.

VrukSha (tree)

छायाम् अन्यस्य कुर्वन्ति तिष्ठन्ति स्वयम् आतपे |
फलन्त्यपि परार्थाय वृक्षा: सत्पुरुषा इव ||
 
Chhaayaam anyasya kurvanti tiShThanti svayam aatape
phalantyapi paraarthaaya vrukshaa-haa sat-puruShaa iva

Meaning: (They) give shade (chhaayaa) to others (anya), while standing (tiShThanti) in the heat (sun) themselves. They bear fruits (phala) for the benefit of others (paraarthaaya),—trees are like (iva) the virtuous (sat-puruSha).

There are very, very few in this world who work like this. They work hard, day and night, every second of their life, just for the benefit of others. They take all the brunt on to their bodies, their minds, their hearts, but make sure that others around them are happy. Unmindful of any pains or troubles they have to bear, they work hard to make sure that we grow & we develop.

They provide shade & fruits even to those who throw stones at them. This is their greatness.

And all this time when they are taking all the heat and providing us shade, they are almost invisible. They make themselves unnoticeable. Even if noticed, they do not let themselves be acknowledged or thanked... passing on all the gratitude, fame and  attention to their higher authority.

Trees take nothing from men... only a little water from the ground and sunlight from the sun. Similarly, the virtuous (sat-purusha) take nothing from society, but derive their strength from the higher powers. And they grow strong, very strong... strong enough to bear the weight of fruits to provide for the people around them. They live only to give, and they strengthen themselves only to provide for others. Their only object in life is the growth and nourishment of others—others whom they know or do not know, others who behave well or otherwise, others who worship them or throw stones. They personify pure, unexpectational & unconditional love towards every creation of God. That is true virtue.

Some of us may have been fortunate to have heard about or seen such a vruksha in their lifetime, some even more fortunate may have met such a vruKsha, and some of us might have the good fortune of having such vrukShas around us even now. 

Let their untiring efforts, their unshakable strength and their loving shade, be an inspiration to us to become such a sat-purusha ourselves.