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With the overwhelming deluge of information digitally available online about Sanātana Dharma, thanks to the resurgent sādhakas of the Dhārmika Civilization, sometimes the individual tends to ask -
What can one do to actually foster this renaissance?
If one thinks it boils down to merely voting once in five years, or liking and sharing social media posts, we are certainly headed for troubled times which need a kind of unparalleled preparedness. Such times require a different kind of grit, the kind that our ancestors had, which ensured that Bhārata still remains the only surviving and thriving ancient classical civilization of the world.
Today in the name of inclusivity, we have included everything except our own tradition and thought. This is actually pseudo-inclusivity, only the next step to progressive evangelization or islamization of the subsequent generations.
Nevertheless, what we are going through is understandable because all kinds of narratives are being spun in the name of Sanātana Dharma. Right from jubilant celebrations about the west adopting Sanātana Dharma because Will Smith’s daughter plays a tune on her guitar, to Eastern Europeans partaking in Jagannātha Ratha Yātras on the one hand. On the other, people are exuberant, or angry, about the political victories and misses of the ruling party, and whether they have completed or not overseen long-pending tasks in the to-do list to perpetuate our civilization.
The cumulative genocide of Hindus in Bangladesh over many decades has caused quite an alarm to the unsuspecting masses, rightfully so.
Amidst all this, there are tell-tale signs of how our own society is inching towards several doomsday predictions, simply because all of this ultimately boils down to the individual and their family unit. So, the question remains - what can I do, as an individual, to foster Dharma? Does that involve posting on social media about the aforementioned points? Does that mean our celebrations and condemnations are merely restricted to likes and shares alone? Does that imply standing on the streets in a hartal, demanding some kind of justice from elected governments?
Sanātana Dharma is eternal, hence the prefix Sanātana. The purview of Dharma is the cosmos and beyond. However, this does not mean the individuals, families and the society, at large, are eternal - be it from the Vedāntika perspective, or everyone’s intellectual points of view.
Dharma is not a topic to be studied academically, but a thing to be lived and imbibed, integrated into each second of our lives. Think of this - the Mayan, Aztec, and Egyptian civilizations are now reduced to mere academic, archival study materials for resort-stay plus conference discussions or tourist spots with booming inflow of tourist revenue. Does that mean they are also eternal? No! They are merely tourist spots. However, Dharma is a living, throbbing, thriving entity - it is alive!
Today, however, this is changing; and the change is taking place primarily in the lower to upper middle class urban households.
Our ultimate focal point in living Dharma is the individual, the jīvātma. While Dharma propounds the various avenues and channels by which this jīvātma can realize the oneness with the Ultimate Reality, the preparedness of the jīvātma seems to be largely dependent on the fluctuations of electoral outcomes, political will, and emerging changes in the world.
While the focus of enlightened beings is the Ultimate Reality - that is the absolute reality, the pāramārthika sattā - little do we realize that all of us are still in this transactional reality - vyāvahārika sattā. Dharma has lived through multiple transactional reality epochs, and this time it appears quite tricky because the forces out to ingest us have joined hands. Compare this to the analogy of defeating an elephant, part by part, over a long game.
Actually, there are several concrete steps that the individual jīvātma can do, in order to perpetuate Dharma. What’s at stake is not only the civilization, but the ethos of the family unit which is the basis of the society, and eventually the carved out borders of the present-day nation-state of Bhārata. These concrete steps do not involve activist behavior, and it does not rely on electoral outcomes as well.
The resurgence of Dharma depends on the following few steps - though not comprehensive, but quite a definitive starter toolkit. These are to be considered seeds, call it baby steps, as opposed to the fully grown tree or garden, which is certainly the end goal. Let’s dive right in to what you can do in order to foster a Dhārmika future for our society.
Change begins with you and your children!
The first set of three suggestions is aimed at your progeny, the flag bearers of the future.
1. Dhārmika Greetings
Make it a point to use Dhārmika greetings on an everyday basis. How often do we hear “Hi”, “Hello”, “Good morning/evening/night”, or even “Yo, wassup?” - Switch to simple greetings: Namaste, Namaskāra, Vanakkam, Hari Om, Jai Śrī Rāma, etc and observe the changes it creates in you and your children.
Kindly note, I am not talking about meetings of jāgruta minds, but in greeting everyone - neighbours, family, even friends who may not necessarily be ‘awakened’ enough to the impending threats.
We are conditioned to think that our traditional greetings are primitive, meant to be used only with our grandparents, and that the modern-day ones are somehow ‘cool’. However, a simple ‘Namaste’ conveys the depth of Dharma just as much as the essence of Upaniṣads. The profundity of ‘namaste’ lies in its meaning - ‘I bow down to you’. And we are not bowing down to the recipient’s age, social standing, bank balance, or possessions. We respect the individual jīvātma, a form of the paramātma- Supreme Consciousness.
The same goes for greetings and condolences. Enough of the ‘Happy diwali, happy holi,’ etc. We shold use our own greetings in our languages such as ‘badhaiyi, subhakankshalu, shubhashayagalu, vaazhthukkal.’ These are a multi-fold, amplified version of the ‘happy xyz’. They bring out the depth and sincerity in our wishes.
For condolences, the typical copy-paste message on WhatsApp groups is just ‘RIP’. In fact, ‘Rest in Peace’ conveys a thanatological perspective which is in stark contrast with Dharma. While one does not have to get into the depths of the various sāmpradaya-specific insights on death, a simple unifying, ‘Om Shanti, Sadgati Praptirastu’ - is enough to distil that, entirely.
Just examine how the news of passing away is conveyed in our languages to examine how it is radically different from other Abrahamic views.
2. Speaking to our children in our own mother tongues, not English.
Our languages are dying! It’s a slow imminent death, at least in the urban centers. Why so? Quite simple - parents have stopped talking to their children in their mother tongues, at least for a few decades. Visit any apartment complex in the primary urban agglomerations and the first thing one notices is children speaking to one another in English during their playtime. That’s the first sign of language extinction.
Using a generous muttering of our own vocabulary in English language syntax does not make them competent in either of the languages in question.
Semilingualism means the inability to convey one’s full depth of expression in either English or their own languages, thereby creating a creole that will never be able to distil the richness of our own languages or one’s human emotions. We use a creolized version of English to pass the employment and higher education opportunity tickets out of Bhārata. Glocalized versions will only lead to Chettinad Pizza that does not do any justice to either the Chettinad Cuisine or the actual Italian one.
We have raised a semilingual generation - deficient in either the so-called ‘prestige’ language or their own.
Language is the bedrock of all civilizations. Furthermore, it is a flowing river. If a clear river is infused with increasing amounts of chemical dyes, it’s only a matter of time before the clear water turns into those colors before merging into the sea. That’s precisely what we have done. Our mother tongue is a matter of identity and cultural transmission, whereas the English language pertains to communication.
When cultural identity is replaced by communication, our next generation will become tourists in their own land.
Our languages are dripping with Dharma in every word, sentence, phrase, greeting, saying, story, song - all of which now require English language translations because children are just not competent enough to handle the simple beauty of their own languages.
The oft cited excuse is that they have either missed it or that they don’t know the grammar themselves. In fact, children do not need a deep knowledge of grammar technicalities. Child Language Acquisition, a scientific study, clearly says that toddlers pick up language at a phenomenal rate, up until the age of 12. Why look into peer-reviewed academic papers? That’s how we, those competent enough to speak in our languages, picked up our mother tongues from our earlier generation, without necessitating any grammar class.
When our mother tongue dies, Dharma becomes an academic discipline, which will be studied in-depth across the universities of the world for its holistic focus on human well-being. Our own learners will enroll themselves in these courses imparted by a western academic scholar. Sadly, this Dharma will not be a lived tradition - it will be categorized right along with the Mayan pyramid!
The first kind of death has already happened. The present-generation of children under 10 can almost entirely not read or write in their own mother tongues. No one gives out their phone numbers in their own languages nowadays. You can resuscitate that by teaching them your own scripts, numbers, and all that comes along with it in simple conversations.
Sending only our children to online Saṃskṛta classes, while speaking to them in English at home, is a definite sign that we will end up with a creolized, identity-less version of ourself in just one generation. We will be perpetuating the idea of our own people becoming tourists in our own civilization.
The solution is not semilingualism or monolingualism, it is bilingualism, trilingualism and polyglossia - traits that are inherently common to our civilization already.
Teach your children Hanuman Chalisa, Kanda Sashti Kavasam, or several of our beautiful regional literature instead of ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ or ‘Mary had a Little Lamb’, stuff that even the English have given up ages ago.
3. Teach Itihāsa, Purāṇa to your children.
Itihāsa, etymologically breaks down to iti-ha-āsa - meaning this-indeed-happened. Purāṇas on the other hand are narratives that convey larger truths in a robust manner that will live on forever. However, we live a melange of both of these leading to terms like Hindu ‘mythology’, in contrast with Abrahamic ‘history’! The former is considered fictitious and the latter factual.
It is vital to teach our children the difference between these, because what has happened is the inability to distinguish between a Hanumāna and Ironman, both of which are diametrically opposites. Chhota Bheem is not the only supposedly Dhārmika cartoon available online. There are several others - Chinmaya Vani, Gita Press, LIFCO and several other publications have been repeatedly launching Srimad Bhagavad Gītā for children.
Same with merchandise. I was greatly thrilled to notice a company launching t-shirts of warriors of the Hindavi Swarājya, being sold for all sizes in a fair in Pune. Then I realized there are several others. However, our urban malls are filled with parents queueing up to buy such things like Marvel and DC Comics merchandise.
There is no dearth of availability for any of these. The supply chain is on, but the demand is waning. If it is waning now, then the next generation will only be a spiritually weak one that resorts to Ironman’s sacrifice over Thanos to save the world, as opposed to the millions of Dhārmika examples.
Imbibe our culture in yourself, too.
The next four suggestions are aimed at what you should do as an individual.
4. Support the Dhārmika economy by sustaining the livelihood of those dependent on it.
I often cite a real-life example in my classes about a workplace conversation where two others ganged up against me, trying to convince me that everyone selling anything in a temple is a scammer. I simply had to point out the irony of them buying ‘I love London’ t-shirts, ‘Paris is where the heart is’ keychains without any trouble to their wallets.
Temples are economic centres which support the livelihood of the entire village, the town which is centered around this sacred, consecrated space. While I leave everyone with their own bargaining skills, just remember that the person selling flowers or lamps is trying to earn their daily wage, in almost all cases. No one seems to have a problem buying a large popcorn for 425 INR, citing the air-conditioning and brand as excuses, but they really have a tough time buying something from a temple.
Same with food habits. Dharma is not a vegan or vegetarian framework. If you thought otherwise, read more. The stigma associated with eating meat is also misplaced - the Śakta Sampradāya, Konkanastha Chitpavan Brahmins, and several other communities across Sanātana Dharma offer meat to their devī, devatās; and have this prasāda inside the temple, too. However - it is Jhātka meat.
The threats of Halal imposition to inclusive economies have become so severe that several traditional butcher communities of Bhārata such as the Badhik and Khatik have been forced into either of the two outcomes: conversion to Islam, or extinction. There are several other researchers who have made detailed case studies on how Halal imposition ultimately leads to the complete Islamization of the entire society. We are already well on track with Halal certified Butter Murukku, Omapodi, Khakhra launched by notable brands in Bhārata.
The point is simple - economic activity is the next layer, after languages. When both our languages and economics are devastated, it’s only time to welcome the next caliphate or evangelical republic of Bhārata.
5. Take up Svādhyāya: Disciplined self-study of Dhārmika texts.
There is immense availability of learning materials for svādhyāya. Although most of the materials are in English, it’s certainly a starting point. The best part about svādhyāya is enshrined in its very foundation:
Śravana, Manana, Nididhyāsana.
Our Dhārmika ancestors have done a fabulous job of presenting the rich wisdom of this civilization in varying formats. Right from one-liner sūtras to mid-size reader friendly commentaries, bhāṣya, and eventually the larger volumes. However, due to our attention-deficit, present-day generations, everything needs to be presented as a YouTube video series. And even these are not getting too many takers.
It is important to prioritize svādhyāya over mindless, full-time entertainment. Those interested in a Dhārmika future can take up svādhyāya a few hours per week, for starters. The best part is that those primers will do their job wonderfully well in captivating the audience with the greater truths about the civilization and themselves.
There are many multi-modal home study courses, books, topical videos and documentaries from Dhārmika sources accommodating all learning styles. The choice is ultimately yours - to either binge watch the upcoming web series on Netflix, or take up focused self-study on the most fascinating topic on earth - yourself!
6. Learn literature in your own mother tongue or Saṃskṛta for better appreciation.
There is an entire Dhārmika literature industry that is dependent on readers to continue publishing our manuscripts and their scholarly commentaries in our languages. When that is unplugged and replaced by English language translations entirely, our own scripts, manuscripts and documents will find a place in the government archaeological survey archives.
Publishers across Bhārata are reeling from the progressively increasing annual lows in the sales of regional language Dhārmika publications. It is only a matter of time before that gets entirely wiped out and replaced by English language translations written by ‘authoritative’, Harvard-educated, western ‘scholars’ interpreting Dharma for Bhāratīyas.
7. Treat everyone with respect, the Dhārmika way.
As much as the difference between the caste system and varṇāśrama has been highlighted by those screaming from the rooftops; our innate ego takes predominance over simple, plain facts.
No one is higher or lower as per Dharma! Everyone holds a rightful and equal place within Sanātana Dharma. The varṇāśrama system is based on the best of each individual’s innate qualities, guṇa, and actions, karma.
Varṇāśrama has undergone several mutations, of which the final product is how the caste system has emerged - due to the divide and rule strategy of the colonials and perpetuated by successive secular governments. While we as individuals may not be able to address all the inequalities and atrocities being committed in the name of caste across the country, the change begins with you, the individual jīvātma.
It is interesting to note that the worst of treatments is usually meted out to the domestic housemaids, maintenance staff, and those around us, while the same people would go up on stage and talk about equality. Giving poor quality food, torn clothes and unusable items; to bad mouthing them as being unable to follow ‘instructions’; while expecting a workplace free of toxicity for themselves - sheer hypocrisy.
The higher vs. lower schism is not a product of scriptural sanction but the innate Jungian quality of conflict, ego, and assertion of dominance over one another that gets solidified and misattributed to Dharma. People quote variously mistranslated, misinterpreted śāstras to defend their chauvinism. To treat someone how one wants to be treated is the golden rule of Dharma.
The last three steps are focused on becoming the change instead of waiting for it.
8. Respect your culture and traditions, prevent progressive dilution by decolonizing yourself first.
Do you know that the moon is a man with 27 wives? Do you know that the moon god visits each one of his wives’ homes everyday? Sounds silly and worthy of a giggle? Well, congratulations - that is a colonized mind.
Our śāstras convey the 27 phases of the moon - new moon, full moon, waxing gibbous, waning gibbous, etc. We have names for each one of the lunar phases - the new moon, amāvasyā, to the full-moon, pūrṇimā, the waxing phase - śukla pakṣa and in reverse, the waning phase - kriṣṇa pakṣa. This is just one example.
When several of our cultural traditions are conveyed to a larger audience, the instant reaction is a giggle and the notorious label, ‘mythology’. Neither is it an object of ridicule, nor is it to be dubbed fictitious. There is a deep meaning behind all of them.
Unless we know or at least try to find out, it would be a good idea not to ridicule it or condemn it to absurdity.
One’s individual ridicule or condemnation in a larger gathering sets forth a chain reaction which leads to progressive dilution forever, especially when amplified by social media or, much worse, passed down to future generations.
It’s vital to decolonize oneself and stop viewing everything through a postmodern, Anglican lens. Such is the profundity of the civilization that most, if not all, aspects of the Dhārmika civilization have been anthropomorphized - given a human form, and presented in an extremely impactful, storytelling narrative. This has ensured the robustness and continued perpetuation of basic scientific facts.
It is also important not to stand alongside those disrespecting it - be it Bollywood or your everyday social circles.
9. Bring Dharma into your vocabulary, prevent demeaning through intentional mistranslation.
All that you see in the temples are not idols, statues, dolls, toys, shapes - they are vigrahas. Dharma is not about mythology but apt retelling of historical events. We do not have a monkey god, snake god, cow god, elephant god - but Hanumāna, Nāgaraja, Kāmadenu and Gaṇeśa.
Make use of your natural curiosity to learn the Saṃskrta names of the actual words. Not everything needs a translation. Much the same way idli is not steamed rice cake, dosa is not rice flour crepe and pizza is not flattened oven-baked dough. Some names are there for a reason and we do not have to become writers of menu cards in five star hotels to translate all the individual words.
The words have been used for centuries because they convey a larger, deeper meaning, such as a vigraha or a gopuram.
I don’t introduce my mother as ‘That woman standing there in an Indian-draped saree, her name is Jaisri Chari’, I just say ‘She is my mother Jaisri Chari’. There is a huge difference in respect between the former and latter sentences.
10. Visit a temple once a week with your children and explain things.
It would be a fantastic idea to visit a temple, at least once a week, if not more. The purpose of the visit is to pass along Dharma in the form of a micro teertha yatra. Explain the various nuances of everything in that temple - the gopuram, maṇṭapa, pūjā, garba gṛha, mandira, devatā, devī, etc. One could also club a Veda Paṭhaśālā as a part of this weekly trip to help children understand what’s going on as a live wire directly from the guru paramparā. Take them to a gośālā and let them play with the calves. Get involved in some kind of a sevā- digitization of temple literature, cleaning up the maṇṭapa, feeding the cows. Do some kind of seva, even if it is just for Instagram. It sets a powerful example for your children and the audience.
If you are unable to answer your children’s questions, learn about them first. We must answer them, else someone else most certainly will.
Conclusion
This is a starter toolkit, not a comprehensive list. There are many more things that can be done as individuals. Progressive evangelization or islamization of the future relies on the principle of finding the weakest link in a given society. The only thing you can do is to not allow yourself or your children to become that weakest link. However, following one or all of the aforementioned baby steps will surely set in motion the avalanche that prevents progressive dilution of Dharma, ensuring that we have done our part.
Yad Bhāvam Tad Bhavati. As you think, so you become. Hari Om.
About the Author
SN Sudharsan is an author, researcher and teacher of Indian Knowledge Traditions, focusing on Dharma, Bhāratīya Darśana, Advaita Vedānta, Varkari Sampradāya and Saṃskṛta. He has pursued in-depth research and studies in these areas, having completed 33+ programs over the past 5 years, from Chinmaya International Foundation and IIT-R. SN Sudharsan is the author of an English novel as well as 4 English language translations and commentaries on Sant Sri Jnaneshwar Maharaj’s literature. He is a self-learned polyglot with near-native proficiency across six languages - Tamil, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu and English, advanced levels in Sanskrit in addition to 5 more foreign languages.
He is a learning professional with 20+ years of experience across the academia, startup, and corporate sectors. His educational background is in linguistics, TESOL, law, and computer science engineering. He’s also an accomplished singer and a former AIR artist, having won and performed in several national-level concerts, and stage programs.
SN Sudharsan lives in Chennai and is researching the history and future of Indian sociolinguistics in the context of Sanātana Dharma, to apply and crystalize it for the modern world through courses, writings, and talks.
These classes have been delivered to over 5000 participants across 18 countries and lauded for the immense engagement and clarity that they have provided to participants on making sense of their lives using the Indian philosophical framework. He can be contacted at sudharsansn@gmail.com and on YouTube and Instagram with the keyword - SN Sudharsan.