Speak TRUTH at all costs - Harischandra

Q1: Heard there was a character in our scriptures that was famous for struggling by speaking Truth – Harichandra? It is crazy to put his family at risk to merely keep his word. We must learn to bend truth a little to survive?

Q2: To what extent can someone go to protect Truth?

Q3: Speaking Truth is outdated idea in a dog eating dog world.

            To these questions and many more related, our ancients have left the wondrous historical narrative of Raja Harischandra, who impact Mahatma Gandhi to take the vow of speaking truth at all times and inspire the very first Indian movie. Yet in the span of hundred years, today we do not have many amongst us who do know this elevating incident, nor do we have enough depth to realize its value.

Storytime:

            Harischandra story is repeated in many puranas, Valmiki Ramayana, Mahabharata and even in Aitreya Brahmana. There are two prominent flavors of stories, but nowhere it is  given in detail like in Markandeya Purana, which is the narration we follow here. In the Suryavamsa, before the times of Rama, there illumined many great kings. Amongst them Raja Harischandra shone very bright on account of his struggle to keep up how word. He was the son of Satyavratha, popularly known as Trishanku. He was deeply rooted in dharma and made his citizens feel it as living in heaven. In his rule, there was no famine, untimely deaths, and starvation. Nobody got intoxicated due to wealth, valor, austerities or spurious substances.

            Once on a deer hunting expedition, he heard the wailing of some women and headed in that direction to protect. Vishwamitra was indulging in extreme tapasya and the different sciences were wailing. Vighnaraja, Ganesa for the benefit of those sciences decided to intervene. He entered into Harischandra and made him speak in anger. This disturbed Vishwamitra lost his concentration and thus Ganesa having fulfilled his mission left a dazed, trembling, apologetic Harischandra. He begged his pardon and declared he was a dharmic king known for daana to Brahmanas and ascetics. Vishwamitra sought the cost of doing Rajasuya yajna as a qualified recipient. Harischandra responded that he can have anything including his kingdom or even life. Vishwamitra said he gladly accepted his kingdom, all his belongings, everything except the fruits and adherence of his dharma and asked him to vacate the kingdom with his wife, Shaivya and young son, Rohitasya. He went on to remind Harischandra that he still owed the previously sought gold, as it was separate. Harischandra asked a month’s time for paying the fee Vishwamitra had sought, failing which the latter dangled the threat of a terrible curse.

            The citizens were eager to follow Harischandra due to his virtues, which Vishwamitra took exception to as instigating a revolt. He prodded Shaivya with a wooden stick making Harischandra hasten his exit. Their plight got the exclamation of the five Visvadevas, in support of the King, thus incurring the wrath of Vishwamitra, who then cursed them to be born as humans in the womb of Draupadi, as Upapandavas and enjoy no pleasures and have an early death.

            Harischandra wandered with his family to Kashi only to find Vishwamitra there reminding that he will be back at the end of the day to collect his promised fee or incur a curse. Harischandra was immersed in deep sorrow that he was unable to keep his word. The fall from Truth was sending shockwaves in his mind. Shaivya, seeing his plight, suggested that she be auctioned to some Brahmana in exchange for some wealth which can be given to Vishwamitra. This proposal and the duress made Harischandra faint. After a bit of soliloquy Shaivya also collapsed leaving the child cry in hunger. 

            Vishwamitra sprinkled some water to awaken Harischandra to remind his word only to make him swoon again. The angry Vishwamitra sprinkled more cold water to bring him to consciousness. He reminded Harischandra that even Svarga is held by Truth, which outweighs even a hundred Ashwamedha yajnas. To worsen he added the threat of cursing him to become a chandala (note though it was the lowest rung in the society, it denotes a mindset of utter selfishness, greed steeped in deep tamas). Shaivya reminded that her proposal was the only viable option. Harischandra having left with no option proceeded to auction with deep anguish. An aged Brahmana purchased her and proceeded to drag her away, causing the child to grow restless and hold on to the queen. Shaivya pleaded the Brahmana to not separate her from the child. So he gave a throwaway price and bought the child. 

            Vishwamitra collected the money and ascertained that it was still short of the desired amount to a lamenting Harischandra, who was reminded that a fourth part of the day still remained. At this time, Dharma took the hideous form of a Chandala in the name of Pravira, holding a skull, surrounded by dogs and offered to buy Harischandra. Bemoaning his fate and the fall of the Ikshavaku race, Harischandra stood there stunned. Vishwamitra came there assessing the situation, accused Harischandra of dragging his feet when a golden opportunity presented itself. Unwilling to become a slave of the Chandala, Harischandra offered to be Vishwamitra’s. Vishwamitra took the gold from the Chandala and sold Harischandra to his service.

            The Chandala was in charge of the crematorium. He assigned the task of collecting the garments from dead bodies. Every corpse burning came with a fee and a sixth of it went to the king, three parts went to Pravira and two-sixths were the wages for Harischandra, who was immersed constantly about the turn of events and the great fall. Living in the crematorium filled with the cries of the relatives wailing over the dead and drowned by the cries of jackals and owls at night, Harischandra was literally living in naraka. The rotting flesh and the burning stench could horrify even the strongest willed person. Yet, Harischandra drowned in the misery of his thoughts was oppressed more internally that the external oddities did not even dent his mind. Thus twelve months passed in this eternal damnation. 

            Burdened by the heavy lashes of time, one day Harischandra had a horrible nightmare of having taken into another birth and continuing the suffering. He also dreamt of undergoing different punishments in naraka. As he wailed, he woke up to find the real Shaivya wanting to cremate their son who died due to a snake bite. Neither could recognize each other as Harischandra saw the kingly features of the dead Rohitasya. Unable to brook, Shaivya lamented at the miseries and invoked the name of Harischandra, who realized it was Rohitasya awaiting cremation. Understanding the gravity of the situation only made Harischandra swoon, which made Shaivya realize and fall out of consciousness. Even as they regained, Harischandra was tormented by the loss of his son’s life while Shaivya was hammered at the gruesome reality of Harischandra doing the most menial job. She wondered if Dharma even existed and what is the point of all the merits of karma. Unable to ascertain if it was real or a nightmare, she slipped into more lamentations.

            Harischandra oppressed by the serious turn of events and partly influenced by his naraka nightmares informed of his resolve to jump into the fire along with his son. He believed at least in the next birth, he will be able to evolve into better setting. He advised her to serve her Brahmana master well, only to hear Shaivya intent on jumping into the pyre. They placed their son’s body and invoked Siva and Narayana with folded hands. Indra appeared there keeping Dharma in the front, Vishwamitra and other Devas. Indra declared that Vishwamitra offered his friendship and desires his good.

            Dharma spoke highly of his titiksha (patience), dama (self control) and Satya (Truth) and asked him not to proceed with his intented suicide. Indra said he has come to invite him to ascend to svarga along with his wife and son on the merits of his wondrous struggle for keeping  satya as supreme in his life.  Even as he said, rains poured on the pyre and a youthful Rohitasya woke up. The gladdened Harischandra hugged his son. Indra once again asked the three to join him in Svarga, even as all the three were decked in heavenly garlands.

            Harischandra objected that without compensating his chandala master he was unable to leave. Dharma told that it was himself who appeared due to an illusion to add to his misery. On hearing the repeated suggestion of Indra, Harischandra responded politely. His heart was filled with the pain of the bereaved citizens of Kosala (Ayodhya). He said that papa that comes from brahmahatya, guru hatya, strivada come to the one who abandons his citizens. So he was ready to forego the offer, unless all his citizens can come along with him to svarga, else he was content with naraka, along with his citizens. Indra countered how Harischandra could account for the papa and punya of the multitudes and regain his place in svarga.

            Harischandra said that all the merits of yagas, yajnas he has done was only due to the inputs of the citizens. Even though as a King he might have given away in charity or performed meritorious deeds, the real benefactors were the praja and he was a mere representative. He requested Indra, if his merits were to last a long time, that it be divided and given to all his citizens to enjoy svarga for one day. This gladdened Indra, Dharma and Vishwamitra even more. Vishwamitra himself enthroned Rohitasya, as the next king of Kosala. All the citizens then ascended Svarga for the day. Sukracharya(Usnas) sang verses in high praise of Harischandra and the world will never see an equal.

            Vashishta, who was in penance, came to know of the hardships Vishwamitra had created for his disciple. They both mutually cursed each other and began to fight terribly. Brahma came to knock some sense into both and highlighted that Vishwamitra’s actions made the world to realize the heart of Harischandra steeped in Satya and fetched him Svarga.

Practical Applications:

• Dharma protects - धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः । (dharmo rakshati rakshitah) Harischandra led a very dharmic life and was renowned for encouraging all his citizens to be dharmic as well. This dharma he sustained, took a form of chandala to rescue him when he was facing a strong curse from Vishwamitra. This is definitely not the reason why one must follow dharma, but an assurance that dharma protects its protectors. 

• Satyam eva jayate – Truth always triumphs – Harischandra gave a word that no one witnessed in the forest, be it the tricked assessment of requesting daana for rajasuya yajna or the kingdom. He struggled to keep up his word. To honor one’s word is merely one small facet of Satya. Despite the mounting hardships of having to sell his wife and son or even himself, his heart was more concerned about keeping up his word. Only after he got settled into the routine working with dead body cremation, the weight of the fall begins to oppress, that too for forsaking his own wife and son to greater misery.

            Satyam is the foundation of Sanatana Dharma. This is the first pointer to indicate Paramatma, as Satyam Jnanam Ananatam Brahma as in Taittriya Upanishad. Even in common Vedantic parlance, it is referred as Sat-Chit-Ananada, Truch-Consciousness-Bliss. Speaking Truth is a mere facet of Satya. No wonder one has to have Chitta Shuddi, intellectual purity to even understand this subtlety. Most people of today lack this; will wonder why Harischandra should struggle. If he went through so much struggle, was Satya not more precious that his mere life?

• Dharmic Thinking: Even as Harischandra was promised Svarga, though he was not the King in any capacity, not even the head of his family for many months; he did not give up on his duties. His high thinking was rooted in the fact that Kingship was a huge responsibility and privilege, not a right.  His deep intellect steeped in dharma enabled him to correctly understand that all the wealth that enabled him to enrich dharma came from the fruits of his praja. The real essence of Yajna spirit is benefit for all. When Indra offered Svarga, Harischandra felt strongly to accept it only if it was shared with his citizens. This is the reason why Harischandra is immortalized not merely due to his struggles. Many of us may even qualify for struggling to hold on to some virtues, but lack this subtle understanding of deep dharma.

• Dharmic ecosystem: Though Harischandra was at the helm, dharma is an individual responsibility. We see Shaivya as a coequal in rising upto great heights to uphold dharma. So were the citizens. The description of Kosala citizens give us an insight that how they all rose together in maintaining dharma. Though a lot of credit can be given to Harischandra as the head, it still highlights the individual responsibility.

            Dharma is from the root word dhri, which means to uphold or maintain. Dharayati iti dharmaha is the definition of Dharma, which translates as that which upholds. It is also defined as dhriyate iti dharmaha, which means that which supports. Dharma is the first foundational principle of the society and contains Artha and Kama and results in Moksha. Dharma is another facet of Satya. To uphold one is to uphold the other. Harischandra may be an extreme example; most of us will never be tested to a fraction of that extent. But his life and experience is the benchmark that must inspire all of us to follow. The strength to overcome our life struggles comes from the extent of our dharma understanding and applying it in our personal lives. Dharma is a fragile ecosystem unlike Adharma which can exist both as lonewolf perpetrator that quickly gains momentum and control by exponential multiplication.

            Our regular study of scriptures, listening about wondrous inspiring narration of great examples like Harischandra, facing our personal struggles without compromising higher virtues will encourage our dharmic thinking and practice. It is only due to this huge line of virtuous kings, that an ecosystem was created in Kosala for Rama to take birth. If Rama’s thoughts need to take birth in our hearts, we must cleanse our minds by practicing higher dharma. May we assert our rights and privilege to bear Rama’s  thoughts in our hearts by leading a dharmic life.

ॐ तत् सत

Abrahamic afterlife obsession

            Jnana is the hallmark of all Vaidic philosophies and even avaidic, indic religions like Jainism and Buddhism. Primary focus is to experience the Knowledge of the Self. Every Jiva can have this experience. Depending on one’s vasana baggage, one is able to extract different angles of this inspired experience, resulting in different philosophies. Contrast this with the Abrahamic mindset which emphasizes to blindly accept that someone in the remote past had an enlightened experience. No one can or must evaluate or question even the claim.  Knowledge is never the goal and even today is despised. Christianity took root in Europe, resulted in centuries of dark ages. Hard core Islam even today doesn’t like science or rational questioning, as it exposes all its claims. We studied the finer aspects at length in Jehovism Deconstructed, both purvapaksha and uttarapaksha. 

            At the core of the differences is the afterlife belief. All the religions believe that there was something that happened before birth and something awaiting all of us after death. In fact, for Islam, belief in their prescribed version of afterlife is a must, as an article of faith.  In this exercise, we will center our thoughts on afterlife. To make it easier let us take the Abrahamic idea and contrast it with Sanatana Dharma. The idea is not to demean other religions, but most certainly to understand the inconsistencies in their model while using it as a backdrop to understand our own.

                The Abrahamic idea revolves around the central theme that Truth was given by God to a Prophet only once. This cannot be validated or questioned and failure to follow it blindly will result in eternally being sent to HELL. Just accepting this idea will be the signup for eternal HEAVEN. Though Christianity accepts the need for Ten Commandments, as long as one accepts Christ as the Son of God, who is also God at the same time, your residency to Heaven is assured, even if you spend a liftetime of abhorrence and terrible deeds. Both Christianity and Islam, assure the passport to Heaven, but privileges within may depend on your one lifetime. Radical Islam even goes further to justify that violence done in the name of Allah can be cashed for Heavenly benefits.

            Sanatana Dharma keeps reiterating that the Karmic debt cannot be balanced in one lifetime. All the desires  and actions leave their imprints as vasanas. If we have conflicting desires how will they come to fruition? If we have a desire to fly and also be a human, one will end up as a chimera. Worse still is the idea that one goes to Heaven with their near and dear, which implies one is carrying their marriage and divorce there. Sanatana Dharma emphasizes that we are not the BODY, MIND or INTELLECT. All Karma is binding only to these layers and our real nature is Atma which is not stained by these, which has arrogated itself as these instruments wrongly. That is why in Indic religions the body is cremated and not waiting for the body to get resurrected for an afterlife.

            The Karmic debt, both good and bad, binds us to the world of Objects, Emotions and Thoughts. Breaking this bondage liberates us, to realize the true nature of Atma and its relationship to Paramatma. This is Moksha and one can and must strive to achieve this in this very birth. This is our birth right as all human.

                The Abrahamic religions’ unique selling point is that eternally you can enjoy Heaven and if you fail to agree, burn in eternal Hell. All sins are forgiven (which conflicts with the Heavenly privileges) for merely signing up.  Questioning anything is a sure way to HELL.

            These methods appeal to the primordial greed or fear. Since irrationality ensures Hell or gets meted with violent force in order to protect their version, it has silenced the masses to live and breed like animals with no spiritual growth. Fear, greed and reinforced violence are the direct outcomes of the Abrahamic faiths though they try to market themselves as Religion of Peace (ironically Islam) and Religion of Love (ironically Christianity).

            Sanatana Dharma wants you to question not only it, but more so of yourself. Every Jiva has to resolve the equation with Jagat and Ishwara. This resolution leads to numerous seemingly conflicting philosophies, yet they all point to the same Brahman or Paramatman. In fact questions are encouraged as we find in all Upanishads. But the sad thing is today’s generations we lost the subtlety, knowledge of the ages and morphed questions into blindly questioning and irrationally not even digesting the answers to continue more questioning. Easy fix, get genuine with your Spiritual journey.

            Sanatana Dharma emphasizes Purushartha. This constant exertion in every direction ensures a better life here and in the after. The idea of Svarga and Naraka exist, but to remind that their fruits are tied to Karma and their duration is ephemeral in contrast to Samsara, Breaking this bondage is crucial and the only primary purpose of human life. 

            Abrahamic faiths do not have any philosophical foundation. Though Christianity desperately stole Greek ideas to lace it over, there exists a huge rift between philosophy/logic with their theology. In Jehovism Deconstructed one can clearly understand that blind belief in Christ is a must, else he won’t absolve you of the sins. The sins came because his Father (God) cursed all humanity. Worse yet in Islam, remotely trying to argue a different flavor makes one unMuslim and apostate with an assurance of horrible death. Questioning Abrahamism is Blasphemy and even experiencing a partial Prophet state is ruled out, as the final words cannot be revised.

Christianity offers the lure of recreating all the relationships in afterlife with more riches. Islam embellishes it with offer of 72 virgins and a promise that the wife will not be jealous of this orgy deal. It even promises for the alcohol one abstains in the earth, they can get non-intoxicating alcohol in Heaven.

            Sanatana Dharma wants you to question yourself all the time, not against the backdrop of your own morality or belief, but to probe deeper to understand the larger relationships. This is the way out, not blasphemy. There are no business deals that you give up now to enjoy same senses later for you are not the senses, body, mind or intellect.  Contrast this with Abrahamism, where you are not only given a body in Heaven, but also all the sensory delights. Dharma is subliming, transmuting, not suppression or bargain of desires. This is the exact opposite of Abrahamism, where it appears this entire creation, Universe and the small insignificant earth was created by this entity only to make a choice to glorify and accept Him (seems more than ridiculous jealous, as described in Old Testament) or He will throw a tantrum fit and send one for eternal punishment for not siding with him.  If you were to ponder this one line, you already committed Blasphemy for it makes the reasoning very clear.

Predestination or Karma

            Abrahamic religions assert that there is only one life, given to choose your side. All the conditions in the World are predestined. In fact if someone is born poor or sick or having genetic problem, one must accept it is part of God’s wise plan. One life leads to eternal Heaven or Hell. Purpose of life is to make that choice.

            Sanatana Dharma says this world gets recreated through our own actions. It is evident that the human exertion through industrial age and science and technology has resulted in all the creature comforts. This cannot be explained through Abrahamism as they were at loggerheads with science forever. Karma results in Janma which results leads to more Karma. This cycle is Samsara. For the lack of better English vocabulary is reincarnation.

            Swarga is not the end goal, as many Puranic stories tell how Indra, the King of Swarga is tossed around by desires, makes mistakes, pays huge and is still staying there against a clock. Both Papa and Punya are bondages resulting in more Karma, which result in Janma. Breaking this samsara cycle is the only exit. This in Sanatana Dharma can be done through many ways - Bhakti, Jnana, Meditation, Karma Yoga or a composite blend of one or more. The real goal is to target our Ahamkara which keeps reinforcing our identity as BMI, which can be broken only by Brahma vichara and Sadhana.  

            One reason why Abrahamism dissuades using logic is it exposes the incompetent Heaven or Hell model thoroughly. Proving or disproving may be very difficult, but evidence of reincarnation is accruing through strange memory recollections of many well documented cases. People seem to recall intimate details from events separated in space and time and many of them are young children. The argument why not everyone is able to recall or recall at will may be challenges for evidence mongers. All of us seem to be born with some preferences in our tastes, habits and proclivities.

Do you want to rot in eternal Hell or sign up and go to Heaven forever? – Asks Abrahamism.

            Common sense makes one wonder why should a benevolent God (as defined by their proponents) create this world, that too so diverse and make sure some are given the ONE choice to sign up and accept HIM alone as GOD, else HE won’t hesitate to unleash the darker side which can be worse than the evil Anti God, Satan. Perhaps this jealous creator has killed more people in the Old Testament than even the worst tyrants it records. Interestingly most of world’s current and past population has always been on the side of non follower of this God. Why? One is not supposed to ask why this creator didn’t create everyone with equal knowledge if the test is based on it.

            A serial murderer on death bed if he/she turns to Abrahamic Faith will go to heaven while the most pious person or even Buddha will go to Hell because they were spatio-temporally born in a different place uninfluenced by these religions. This logical nonsense is untenable. This seems rather pathetic desperation on part of this imagined creator.

There is no accountability for a lifetime of actions. If fear of Hell didn’t do the trick then signup bonus to heaven does the appeal. To soften this ludicrous notion, some Abrahamic faiths include the idea that one will have more pleasures given according to their actions. In Islam, there is an extensive Heaven marketing which caters to every hedonistic variant conceivable.

The test of their actions is based on basic question of whether the creator was able to convince that HE was the coolest salesman For instance in Islam,

 Nakir and Munkar prop the deceased soul upright in the grave and ask three questions: "Who is your Lord (Allah)? What is your religion? What is your faith about this person (Muhammad)?". 

The desperate worry plaguing this creator is if HIS own creation will accept HIM or not. This fear drives the creator over the edge, one who cannot even control HIS own emotions and sends HIS subjects to eternal damnation, no second chance also. How ludicrous can this get in Abrahamism?

            Assurance of the sign up deal and the afterlife eternity belief gives an open permission to be ADHARMIC. On top of this, the clause that only they are right and all others are not makes them treat others inferior, worse yet as targets for conversion or abuse. Most Christian saints canonized have worse track records whitewashed for marketing in the area.

If a lifelong criminal, for example Hitler, says please forgive me, will we leave him without fair trial? Why is Karma going to behave any different? If we believe in gravity or not, tripping over from a skyscraper will not make us fly, even if one believes in their choicest prophets or God. We can do what we want, but the karmaphala is sealed by our own Karma.

Christianity believes in repentance. That should take care of wrong doings.

There are umpteen methods suggested by various Rishis and Mahatmas on how to scrub this vasanas. We see even great sages and saints have idiosyncrasies, health challenges all due to their karmaphala of the past, be it Ramakrishna paramahamsa or Ramana due to their cancer. Like the late Satya Saibaba of Puttaparthi once remarked on the reason behind his hip replacement, he remarked "Pain and suffering due to karmaphala is mandatory, but misery is optional".

This subtlety or spiritual maturity is lacking even in the suffering centric Catholicism. Suffering is purgatory only when there is associated spiritual maturity to contemplate.

Apocalypse at the center of Abrahamic marketing

            Christianity has been awaiting the apocalypse since its inception. The continuous need to maintain that the end is near seemed to be the only way to maintain the flock. Islam seems to have improvised it by constantly focusing on the afterlife.

            While these religions seem to constantly promote apocalypse, what happens to the universe once their claimed apocalypse happens. Will their God start creating better, learning from his mistakes? Will we see a new universe created? If so, then their God made mistake with this prototype then? So He is far from perfect then. If it was a onetime creation, was HE bored with this futile attempt? Of course to these and many other questions, the ONLY response that an Abrahamic mindset can give is, this is blasphemy and satanic.

If the theory of apocalypse is really true, why there is no history of living with higher ideals. Abrahamic mindset of two millennia has been characterized by negativity, hate, spite, deception and wars only to prove religions. There has been genocide across many continents, when the religion of love failed to demonstrate love and the religion of peace showed nothing but bloodshed. All of this for a hallucinatory promise from their founder or followers - just sign up your way to heaven or rot in hell.

            Abrahamism is cast in murky origins, something no one can validate or allowed to, an idea that defies science, logic or even common sense.  Constant fear mongering doomsday culture always has an eye towards apocalypse or afterlife and resetting the date to maintain the flock has been the hallmark of these cults.  It appears their version of God created this world so that they can enjoy however they choose of help create a taste of hell to others who refuse to follow their beliefs.

Sanatana Dharma alternative

Sanatana Dharma challenges us to live a more complete life now in all areas. The idea of Purushartha is to exert ourselves in every dimension and be in harmony with the laws of nature. There is no fantasy of chasing a desire based future, but one based on dynamic action that is guided by an intellect that is rooted in a higher Reality.

Chasing Sukha constantly morphs into Dukha as they are the obverse and reverse of a coin. One need not chase it even for afterlife, if one is willing to improve oneself through introspection, refining one’s own character through superior thoughts, words and actions. The energy is not expended in abusing other’s Gods as Satan or asserting dominance through loudspeakers, instead one must try to understand one’s real Self.  Real spiritual growth is not in parroting what someone might have experienced in the past and claiming allegiance but to experience that Supreme Self. So the shift has to happen from Sukhadukha to Shanti and Ananda.

            In summary, let us meditate on the wisdom of Swami Sivananda Maharaj - "Be satisfied with what you have, but be unsatisfied with what you are."   

Om Tat Sat