Fundamentals of Indian Culture: Ancient Traditions Explained

Brahmins being the intellectuals and charged with the responsibility of preserving the national heritage – the Vedas, were given certain privileges, particularly under the criminal law. They enjoyed immunity from death sentence. As a matter of fact the whole criminal law was heavily biased in favor of the first three classes in decreasing measures. But in crimes involving moral turpitude the law was biased against them in the reverse order . For example in case of theft the Brahmin was fined four times to that of a Shudra. If a Shudra was found to have committed theft of food articles, when he was hungry he was let off without punishment. We have noticed earlier how the Varna was gradually being transformed into caste. In the middle ages the process of disintegration and division in the society was accelerated on the basis of birth, vocation, sect and custom. New castes and sub-castes were formed. Each of them was engaged in the protection of one’s own group. The overall interest of...

VARNASHRAM DHARMA In ancient India the ruler was required to protect the social order founded on the system of Varna and Ashrama. He was asked to ensure that every individual performed duties of his Varna and Ashrama as laid down in the Vedas. This kind of social order was regarded most sacrosanct and immutable as it had the sanction of the Vedas which are considered divine creations. In this situation one may be tempted to assume that Vedic religion was the state religion and that the Hindu state was a theocracy. But such an assumption is unwarranted as there never has been an organized theological body to intervene in the affairs of the Hindu state to enforce religious sanctions. Indian culture as against the western concept of culture proceeded from the initial fervor of one’s ‘duty’ in which lies the guarantee of his ‘right’ while it is the revere case in the west. In the words of Manu, “He who persists in discharging his duties in the right manner obtains even in this world, fulfi...

VEDA (excerpts from the book " Fundamentals of Hindu Culture" written by M.N. Singh) The term Veda means knowledge, true or sacred knowledge. Veda does not denote any single book. It denotes an entire literature in different branches closely connected with each other. They are the oldest literature in the world. In the Vedas we find reflexes of laws and thoughts containing divine wisdom and also the thread which connects the present with the past. The Vedas are of perpetual interest and ever increasing value, not only due to their great antiquity, but also for the vast flood of light they throw on the early state of the Aryan society, speech and general mythology. They are the holy books which are the foundation of the Hindu Dharma religion, law, code of conduct and Hindu culture almost in all its aspects. The Vedas are traditionally claimed to be Apaurusheya that is to say that they are not the composition of any human agency, but have existed from the beginning o...