Chapter 5

1. Chapter 5 What Our Culture Is Not

2. Casteism • Our ancients have proposed the division of societies into 4 varnas – Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vyshyas, and Shudras. Just like in any modern organisation, there exist different departments with their own set of functions, similarly for the purpose of organization our ancients created these 4 varnas – each having a specific task in its portfolio. It was not a hierarchical system, each varna had its own importance. We have grown up reading Max Mueller’s version of the Rig Veda, where it is said that Brahmans came from the mouth of Brahma, Kshatriyas from his shoulders, Vyshyas from his stomach, and shudras from his thighs. While the Brahmans were the scholars and priests, Kshatriyas protected the society by physical strength, Vyshyaswere the ones who nurtured the individuals and economy through production and trade, while Shudrasextended their services to all three varnas. It is said by great yogis that every soul is born a shudra and attains its place by karmas he or she adopts. The system of varnas came into existence according to the natural tenancy of people and to direct them so that everyone could work together according to the needs of the society. If the warriors did not fight the enemy, if there was no one to perform services in a society would it be possible for a Brahman to carry out right and rituals. Also it is important to note that in the ancient times, one was not a Brahman or Kshatriya or Vyshyaby birth. • There was a ceremony called ‘Yagyopaveet’ which was performed in the adolescence after observing the trains of a child and only after that he was declared a Brahman or a Kshatriya or a Vyshya. Till then there was no distinction after the ceremony he was considered twice born or dwija. Thus we can safely conclude that the vedicmasters did not intend to divide the society into hierarchy of castes, they only suggested a system to utilize the strengths of individuals to make the multi-faceted needs of the society.

3. Degradation of women We have grown up hearing stories of the immolation of women, dowry deaths, female infanticide and denial of education to girls. Our ancients acknowledged that a woman is the example of Shakti and hence in the vedictimes women were given high regard. There is a vedic saying, ‘where women are worshiped there the gods dwell’. The example of Mythraigoes on to show that women did have access to education in ancient times. In the vedicculture, women had equal opportunity to pursue education. Moreover, Kshatriya ladies received training in martial arts and arms.

4. SatiPratha • Customs and traditions are powerful and influential tools to guide the behaviour of the society. While under most circumstances they help to uphold cultural and ethical values in the society across generations. Usually such customs and traditions are an outcrop of passing time and deteriorating values rather than a cultural inheritance. We have already discussed the case of the varnasystem taking the ugly shape of untouchability. The so called ‘Sati-Pratha’ is another sad instance of defacing the culture and distortion of facts • There is no mention of the tradition of a woman being burnt alive at her husband’s death anywhere in the scriptures. It was a voluntary practice and not restricted to widows, it could be observed by anyone – men and women alike. Such a voluntary practice was called ‘anumarana’ and was uncommon • Human sacrifice, in fact, is a clear indicator of barbaric origins and a feature of an uncivilized culture, and could only be practiced by those who wore horns on their head. Our ancients, the vedicseers, were civilized beings and nowhere in the vedicculture does one find a mention of human sacrifice. In fact in our culture, there was no concept of even human slaves, let alone their sacrifice. Slavery was imported into our society by the imperial powers who practiced it in their homelands and so read our culture also in the same light

5. Animal Sacrifice • Nowhere in the Vedas is there a mention of animal sacrifice. The vedicculture finds its roots in non-violence and protection of fellow beings, animals, trees and environment at large. There are five kinds of yogis – brahmyagya, devyagya, pitriyagya, bhootyagya and atithiyagya. None of these mention an animal sacrifice. While brahmyagya was conducted to gain siddhis, devyagya was carried out for purification of air, water, earth etc. pitriyagya implied satisfying your ancestors – father, mother, grandparents and forefathers with service, food, water etc. bhootyagya which is often mistaken as animal sacrifice, involved helping and feeding the needy – humans and animals alike. Atithiyagya was extending hospitality towards the sages who paid a visit for the purpose of general good, without prior intimation • Thus we can safely conclude our ancestors prescribed purification by sacrificing self-interest in order to help fellow beings, animals and forces of nature and not sacrificing them to help ourselves, which is what we are doing right now

6. Pornography • These days you type the word ‘tantra’ on any search engine and you will come across hundreds of pornographic websites selling ‘tantric sex’. Rishi Markanday had professed that kaliyugwould see the downfall of Dharma. Tantra is not black magic or voodoo or occult practice. It is not about hurting or harming anyone. Tantra is not about blood, bones and sacrifices. Tantra is not pornography.