smriti sastra

8/7/2019 smriti sastra

1/16

SMRITI SHASTRA(Frequently asked questions)

Smrit i Shastra is a book on question-answers about the conduct ofdaily life. This is from memory (i.e. Smriti) of various HinduSHASTRAS and sayings of great Hindu saints. There is more thanone version of SMRITI SHASTRA.

a 1. What is t he test of true faith in Ishwara ?Ans. A faithful devotee will have courage as a way of life. Courage is

not something that comes flying to one's heart in a moment ofneed or in emergencies. Courage is not something that can behanded over to a person through lessons. It is as much a habitas anything else. Courage is a part of character, which can beformed through prayer and absolute submission to the will ofIshwara. A true believer in Ishwara knows that nothing can standagainst the divine and that everything will come out all right inthe end. A true religious person takes action courageously inspite of fear.

a 2. What is God?Ans. God is Ishwara. In Hindu religion i t is depicted bythe word 'Om'

and symbol '~'. Ishwara is an indivisible One being omnipotentto do every thing and is the cause of all causes. As He is all-powerful, he does not require assitance to fulf ill his wish. He isexisting from the beginning of t ime and is endless. Ishwara didnot require a parent to take birth and his name is not given byparents. I t is a name given by human devotees. Thus, the nameof Ishwara is not very significant.

a 3. What is the difference between Ishwara and Devata?Ans. Ishwara is indivisible one having al l the power to do everything

and is the cause of all causes. Devatas are essentially humanbeings sent to earth by Ishwara as prophets. Ishwara, out of hiskindness and love, sends his messengers to the world as teachersand saviours, who through their own examples, guide and

11

illuminate the mind of the masses and make the world a betterand safer place to live. They enjoy the reflected glory of Ishwara.Followers of Devata are actually followers of Ishwara. In thepersonification of Devata, they find the messenger of Ishwara.And they shower their respect, gratitude and admiration invariousforms. Some make idols, some chant their name, and somecompose folk songs in their reverence. Devta are loved as thechosen ones of Ishwara. I t is believed that they also answer tothe prayers. However, best result isobtained by loud prayer directlyto Ishwara regularly in chorus, i.e. recit ing Mantras (Hymns) inthe morning and evening. Chanting Mantras takes ten minutes aday but protects one for the eternal l ife.

a 4. If Ishwara is Supreme, is not it an insult to Ishwara if Devatas areworshipped?

Ans. In the Gita it is said that Ishwara is supreme and is all-powerfuland He is so immense that He is not bothered in positive ornegative ways even ifyou worship His messengers i.e. Devatasin place of Him.*

*Hote: An example - A respectable and powerful person will never bebothered whether a small creature like an ant shows respect tohim or to his subordinates. Similarly Ishwara is not bothered ifone shows respect to Devata. However, comparison between anant and aman is not correct. Ishwara is i infinitely greater thanahuman being. He shows mercy and not anger. However, directprayer to Ishwara is always better and rewarding.

12


2/16

05. When we feel dejected by the sel fish world, what isthe best wayto be fully spiritual?

Ans. A synergy between act ivities and spiritualism is the key to one'sexistence in this world. By one's activit ies and hard toil we shal lconstruct the temple of Ishwara that shall soar above the clouds.Ishwara shal l reside in that temple with al l His glories. Ishwarahas given everybody sense, st rength, nerves, muscles and 09.emotions. Why has this world been created by Ishwara inall its Ans.varieties and diversities? Ishwara has a purpose and an objective.I f one tries to isolate himself f rom dai ly activit ies and efforts, itshall be an act of extreme spiritual selfishness. I t will depr iveone of the love of Ishwara. The temple of Ishwara is the placewhere people can enjoy peace and get the feeling of being fulfilledfrom nothingness. Ishwara has no statue or idol. 010.

06. What is the manifestat ion of Ishwara when the time began? Ans.Ans. Darkness was concealed in darkness then, and all that existedwas - indiscriminate chaos. The one, which was covered by the

void was manifested. The one is Ishwara, whose grace createdal l that moves and al l that are stat ic, that walks, swims and f lies.That formless reality which lies hidden within is Ishwara.

07. What is the actual name of Ishwara? How does he motivates Hiscreation?

Ans. That reality which lies hidden in mystery is where the universefinds one single home. In that reality all unites, from that allemerges. The one Lord has no name. Sages called Him Ishwara.Prophets came to the earth in human form to motivate Hiscreations. Prophets reflection of His greatness. They are knownas Devatas. Pious persons pray to Ishwara and celebrate thel ife, deed and the teachings ofDevatas in temples.Do we need to go to temple daily? What should the priest do ?8.

Ans. Visi ting temple regularly and chanting the Lord's prayer in chorusgives mental strength and ensures divine protection.The priest should conduct the chorus of prayer and explain the

13

meaning of at least five slokas from Veda/Upanisad/Gita andother Hindu texts. Devotees wil l get guidance from these hymnsin solving their problems. The priest should act as a friendphilosopher and guide to the Hindu society and shouldcont inuously t ry to improve the society's ethical and materialcomfort level.Do we need to do puja to the deity and pay the priest?Chanting prayer is more fruitful, compared to the offering of pujato the deity. Of fering puja is not mandatory. Priest 's f inancialneeds are to be appreciated and a respectable amount should begiven to encourage highly qualif ied and capable people to jointhe profession of priesthood. Good priests make good society.How should a funeral be for a devout Hindu?Fire is considered to be one form of ParamAtman. Thus thebody should be put on fire so that Atman and ParamAtmanbecome one. However, the law of the land should be followed.

o 11. What should be the t rue method of Hindu marriage?Ans. A true Hindu marriage isa happening between a man and woman

and solemnized as per law of the land and complying with thelocal custom.

o 12. How should one be punished for being disloyal to the spouse.And how should one be punished for adultery ?

Ans. Disloyalty to the spouse is a breach of faith. There are manytypes of breach of faith, e.g. between employer-employee, taxpayer-tax collector, government officer and the public, etc.Punishment applicable for breach of faith also should be applicablehere. Law must prevail equally.Adultery is a case of cheating on the spouse and the law ofcheating should be applicable.

o 13. If a rape takes place what is the punishment?Ans. Rape is a violence of extreme severity and punishment should

be in accordance with the violence.14


3/16

Q 14. Which person deserves heaven?Ans. To reach heaven, a Hindu is expected tochant hymns (mantras)

twice daily. At least for ten minutes he should do Pranayamaand associate himself with Bhoj Utsav.A person who works hard to earn a living, who helps others toearn a living, is not greedy, acquires the knowledge of scriptureswith devot ion and follows it in his own l ife, is the right person togo to heaven.

Q 15. How should one betreated in heaven who helps bui ld or maintaina temple for the use of publ ic?

Ans. One who builds a temple for public or spends money or energyfor temple maintenance, Ishwara keeps a house for such personin heaven.

Q 16. How is the position of Ishwara and Satan in the Universe?Ans. Ishwara is ultimate absolute happiness and Satan is

pain. Followers of Ishwara lead a happy life, give joy to all andenjoy eternal heavenly pleasure. Followers of Satan lead a violent,covert and dirty life and inject pain on who so ever comes incontact wi th them and are destined to Hel l. Fol lowers of Satansnatch wealth. Followers of Ishwara earn a living by dint of hardwork and by giving service to Ishwanis creation. Satan isa humanconcept, where as Ishwara isthe eternal truth.

Q 17. Is it a requirement for a person to be a Bramhachari to be apriest?

Ans. A priest should bea wel l educated, enlightened person ofself lessposit ive att itude with patience to hear the problems. He shouldhave intel ligence to give solutions and comfort to the problem -ridden person. Bramhacharya is not an added quali ficat ion.Melodious voice to recite hymns is an added qualificat ion.Bramhacharya is an att itude of l ife and nothing more.

Q 18. Why in ancient days many Rishi's took Bramhacharya ?Ans. Rishies were those people who had a great thrust for knowledge.

15

They used to go to various parts of the world in search of rightteacher passessing true knowledge. There were no schools,colleges or books at that t ime. Teachers used to teach studentsverbally in their hermitage for a long period of time. In manyinstances teacher along with his disciples had to move aroundthe nook and corner of the country braving harsh climate, ferociousanimals and some carnivorous people of the forest. Under thesecircumstances, it was difficult to move with family, children etc.through forest and river. Most of the people were of low incomegroup and lower savings. It was hard to make provision for thefamily, when the seeker of knowledge had gone to distant placesfor a long period of absence. Thus seekers of knowledge generallyused to take Bramhacharya to avoid f inancial obligations of afamily l ife. People showered great respect to these Bramhacharii.e. Rishis for their great knowledge.

Q 19. What is the need to study the scripture of the religious books?Ans. All scriptures were written with inspiration from Ishwara. These

books stand as the pole star of life and protect one from takingwrong decisions.

Q 20. Why does Ishwara give adversity ?Ans. Ishwara has given human beings their limbs, intel ligence and

conscience. Adversity causes some of them to lose faith inIshwara. Ishwara tests people through adversity,

Q 21. There were many important people of the society, who sacrif icedthe interest and security of the vast majority of the mass onbeing allured by foreign power with material gain or, to sat isfytheir personal vengeance on the king of the land. How thesepeople should be treated?

Ans. Unfortunately these people are invariably very cunning, mightyor influential who can confuse the mass with their t reacherousgif t of the gab. You treat these persons of meanest t reachery inthe same way you will t reat a person who sells your mother in a

16


4/16

flesh trade. If you cannot master the courage to act , a dark cellinthe hel l is wait ing for you.

a 22. When a corrupted man lives better, why does Ishwara order manto be honest?

Ans. A corrupt man eats bet ter, an honest man sleeps bet ter. An honestman with integrity, enjoys a happy life. His children are blessed.

a 23. How should great achievers behave?Ans. They should pray to Ishwara "let me not say or do anything which

will annoy you".a 24. What should be the place of women in family and society?Ans. Tof ly the body, a bird needs to have equal strength in both wings.

Similarly, a woman and a man should have equal posi tion in al lfamily and social matters for all round happiness.

a 25. Do we please Ishwara by taking Sannyas i.e. renunciation of theworldly affairs?

Ans. Sannyas means renouncing worldly affairs and working for one'sown spiritual upliftment. Spiritual selfishness isthe most extremeform of self ishness. There is a unique system embedded in allhuman society that prevents one from becoming an outright selfishperson. It is this inherent system that makes one interested inthe welfare of others even when one tries to protect his owninterests. Infact , i t is not possible to protect ones own interestwithout taking care of the interests of others. I t is this collectiveinterest , which always navigates one to protect the sel f as wel las the interest of others. Even narrow personal interest graduallymerges and unites with that of their children, their famil ies, theirneighbours and their country and the world at large. Inthis worldwork is the only worship which pleases Ishwara. Sannyas isselfish escapism.

a 26. Why do we need Bramcharya? Who needs it ?Ans. During studentship, the mind should be concentrated on learning

and Bramcharya helps to concentrate.A person who takes a vow to free himself of all worldly attractions

17

of li fe, is expected to practice control over his sensual organsand various daily needs. Bramhacharya is a part of renunciationof the worldly comfort and needs of the sensual organs.

a 27. Why does Ishwaradesire all to be disciplined?Ans. Discipline is painful to practice. It however, produces a harvest

of r ighteousness and peace for those who have been trained byit. Ishwara loves the disciplined person.

a 28. With the change of circumstances why does man change?Ans. This world belongs to the man who is wise enough to adjust his

mind as per the existing facts. Ishwara loves wise men. Thosewho have done nothing inl i fe are not qualified tojudge those whohave done at least a li tt le.

a 29. How should one cont rol his tongue?Ans. It is important not only to say the right thing in the right place, but

also not tosay the wrong thing inthe face oftemptation. Unpleasanttruth annoys the receiver. Show respect to anyone in authority.

a 30. Should one take risk in life for a livelihood?Ans. One may be disappointed if one fails, but one is doomed if one

does not try. Defeat is not the worst of failures. Our deedsdetermine us, as much as we determine our deeds.

a 31. What is courage?Ans. Courage is resistance to fear, mastery over fear- not absence of

fear.a 32. How does one choose a companion?Ans. He who walks with a wise man shall be wise. Company of fools

shall cause destruction.a 33. Whom will the Ishwara make successful in l ife?Ans. The price of success is hard work, dedication to the task at hand,

and determination that whether we win or lose, we have appliedthe best of ourselves to the job at hand. Do not hanker for result ,for result isordained to be proportional and resultant of all forces.Dil igence isthe mother of good fortune.

18


5/16

Q 34. Should we leave family and social life to become a sage?Ans. It is bet ter to carry out our duties and responsibilit ies faithfully

rather than indulge in spiritual activities for the delight of oursouls. It is not preferred to indulge solely inspiritual activit ies byneglecting our duties. Such activit ies are spiritual luxuries anddo not serve Ishwara.

Q 35. What is Bramhacharya?Ans. Bramhacharya (practice of celibacy) isthe practice of self-control

and concentrat ion on the goal. I t is not only control of sex. Sexis a gift of Ishwara and not a sin if used with proper control.

Q 36. Is killing of animals allowed in religion?Ans. Bare minimum killing is allowed for self defence and for food

only. However, causing injury, more than minimum, isviolenceand is a sin. Many animals and insects live on killings, e.g. thetiger, l izard, spider etc. If Ishwara would have prohibited all typeof kil ling even for the purpose offood, Hewould not have createdcarnivorous animals like the tiger/leopard/spider etc.

Q 37. Can a Hindu woman remarry after her husband's death?Ans. When the husband dies, a Hindu woman is allowed to remarry.

Example: In Mahabharata when King Bichitrabirya, Father ofDhritarastra, king of Hastinapur, died at a young age, KingDhritarastra's grand-mother Queen Satyabati insisted that thelate King Bichitrabirya's wife Ambalika should have conjugal l ifewith the elder brother ofBichitrabirya i.e. with Vishma. However,as Vishma took a vow at his young age not to marry and toremain a Bramhachari (have a l ife of celibacy) throughout hislife, he refused to comply with the request of his mother. However,another son of Satyabati, i.e. Parasarcomplied with the requestand as a result of conjugal activity withAmbalika, King Dhritarastrawas born.

Q 38. If I know my companion has committed a sin, as a Hindu shouldI abandon him?

19

Ans. Assist your companion even if he is a sinner, assist a sinner byforbidding and withholding him from committing further sins.

Q 39. Should a pious man work hard toearn a living or should we resortto begging ?

Ans. Whosoever is able and fit must work for himself and for others,Ishwara isgracious to him. Ishwara isgracious to him who earnshis l iving by his own-labour and not by begging.

Q 40. How should a person treat his employer?Ans. He who provides food for your family deserves your loyalty and

revolting against him is annoying to Ishwara.Q 41. How to control jealousy? How to ask for a boon?Ans. A wealthy person should look towards a less wealthy person and

the poor to a poorer person to judge the grace of Ishwara andabandon jealousy.Do not pray for a boon from Ishwara for what you think is good,pray to Him for what He thinks is good for you.

Q 42. What is the result of the quest for knowledge?Ans. Go in quest of knowledge even unto the furthest corner of the

earth for he serves Ishwara well who devotes life to learning andseeks knowledge from the cradle to the pyre. Know yoursel f torealize Ishwara. The acquisition of knowledge isa duty incumbenton every pious person, male and female. Acquire knowledge, itenables its possessor to distinguish right from wrong and helpsto choose the right direction to heaven and earth.

Q 43. Accumulation of wealth makes a person rude and proud. Is ita sin to run after accumulation of wealth ? How should onebehave in adult l ife in a material istic world?

Ans. In t he kingdom of Ishwara all actions are judged by the motivesprompting them. The proud wil l not enter the kingdom of Ishwara,nor a foul mouthed person. The pious man to Ishwara is rich witha contented mind, which the abundance of worldly goods cannotprovide. Be inthe world l ike a drop of water on a lotus leaf. Createwealth but do not get attached to it for Ishwara has sent you tomake the world richer. Whatever mishap may befal l on you, it is

20


6/16

on account of something which your action has resulted in. Prayfor His pardon.

Q 44. To be head priest of any temple, is Brahmacharya a must for thepriest?

Ans. No. Brahmacharya is not necessary. Brahmacharya in studentl ife isbeneficial as ithelps a student to concentrate in his studies.In adult lif e Brahmacharya is a great pressure on mind evenwhen one carries out normal routine work. Great Hindu prophetsnever recommended Brahmacharya.

Q 45. Isg iving alms mandatory for Hindus?Ans. Giving alms is good but not mandatory for Hindus. Religious

phi losophy is not for present day economic condit ions only. I t isfor eternity. Ishwara is merciful to Hindus and hence personswho depend on alms is fast vanishing from the Hindu society.Everybody must work to create wealth so that the world isprosperous and the need of giving alms to beggars vanishes.However, Hindus are required to donate at least one per cent oftheir earning for common causes of society and templemaintenance.

Q 46. How should Hindu rel igion treat scient if ic discoveries?Ans. Teachings of Hinduism and teachings of science are actually

two sides of the same coin. For example in Atharba Veda hymnno 19/5/2/3-5, when we read the descript ion " Gagan Duhita'sNight ", we see the suggested security personnel's deploymentin arithmetic progression i.e. 99,88,77,66,55,44,33,22,11. etc.The same A. P.Series was described also inthe Hindu scripturespropounded by Aryabhatta, Bramhasfuta, Siddhartha Sekhar,Lilabati etc. Arithmetic Progression was very clearly describedin hymn no. 17 in Bramhasfuta Sidhanta by Bramhagupta asfollowing:

21

qG :q C fl ~1 1 1 d


7/16

effectiveness of a priest is insignificant and is to be lef t to theindividual taste.

Q 49. What is t he effect of Hindu's attire of dhotiin their social, culturaland religious life?

Ans. Dhoti isa less cost ly att ire and i ts use gave an austere image insocial life. However, dhoti clad person cannot work at any fastpace or move briskly or involve himself in self -defence. Dhoticlad Hindus always got subjugated by the trouser clad CentralAsian invaders.

Q 50. Is dhoti the ideal dress for performing important functions ofnational pride?

Ans. Hindus became slow performers in dhoti and were defeated inalmost al l compet it ions to achieve any thing as a person or as anat ion e.g. wealth, power, fame, health etc. Even good food,good housing, robust health or any other comfort was notachievable. Hindus made cocoons for themselves and developeda pseudo pride ina domain where no one wil l compete e.g. l ivingwi th almost no food, no comfort, or no wealth etc.

Q 51. WiII/shwara consider ita sin for Hindus to respect a stone statueas symbol ofthe all mighty Ishwara or the symbol of devil Satan?

Ans. It is not a sin but is unnecessary to depict a stone or statue assymbol of Ishwara or symbol of Satan. However, it is an effectivemethod of gathering a crowd inone place. Preachers of all religionsused this methodology in one way or the other to bring peopletogether. Followers of some path use the symbol of statue,st ructure, book, etc. to show respect to the concept of Ishwaraand others used the symbol of a stone pi llar to show disrespectto the concept of Satan. However, these are too trivial for thegreatest of the great Ishwara to be impressed in any way.

Q 52. Will it be better for the humanity and pleasing to Ishwara to havestern jurisprudence like amputating the hand of the thief?

Ans. Ishwara is the creator of everything and everybody. He hasimmense kindness and Hecannot be heartless to his own creation.

23

A thief steals out of abject poverty. Society provides no easyopportunity for a person to earn a livelihood. Society provides nosafety net for even bare minimum existence. A person who isforced to steal in a particular country, may get social security netin a different country, where he can lead a decent life. Thusstealing is not a crime against Ishwara. It is a malady of thesocial and the poli tical system. Amputat ing the hands of a thiefis a terror tactic adopted by unjust selfish rulers to intimidatecommon people to silence. Common people then tremble out offear and do not even voice their legit imate grievances.

Q 53. Will it be better for the humanity and pleasing to Ishwara to havea straight forward jurisprudence like putting to gallows the womenwho get into extra marital affairs?

Ans. All men and women have the right to get natural enjoyments outof life. I t isa gif t f rom Ishwara. If a woman has dishonesVabusive/unkind/uninteresting/sicklimpotent husband, she shows nodisrespect to Ishwara by being attracted to another man. Rulersand top layer ofthe ruling elite, who are inmany cases dishonesVabusive/unkind/pervert themselves, want to subjugate theirwomenfolk through method of terror in the name of divineordinance. The af fected men have only the right to divorce thewomen and society can force the women to accept divorcewithout alimony. Any other punishment isa crime against Ishwara.However, loyalty to each other ensures a permanent bliss betweenman and his wife and guarantees good upbringing of children andis pleasing to Ishwara.

Q 54. Do the Hindus need weapon for sel f-defence?Ans. All Hindus above the age of fourteen must possess some weapon

legally allowed by the law of the land. Even the poorest of menshould have a stick in his house. The possession of weapongives courage, self-esteem and protection during the time of need.Courageous person can only have true love of Ishwara.

Q 55. What sort of group or people should be encouraged by Hindus?Ans. The group or people who ensure self respect, power, safety and

24


8/16

financial well being of Hindus should be supported and thosewho remain indifferent to Hindu interest should be opposed.

Q 56. How should one behave if he finds his religion or Devata isinsulted?

Ans. As one deals with the slayer of one's mother in the same wayone should deal with a person who insults Ishwara or Deity.

Q 57. Should a Hindu allow people of other religion to enter a Hindutemple?

Ans. Unclean persons and those with infect ious diseases should beprevented. All other persons should f ind Hindu temple a refugefor spiritual solace.

Q 58. What should a devotee expect f rom a Hindu temple?Ans. The temple should be a place of prayer open to all for all times

(sunrise to sunset). The temple authorities should try to feed thehungry from the donation received from devotees. Itshould giveeducation, treatment and other relief to the people and be part ofthe social struggle for welfare of all devotees. It should have abig hall where devotees can come and offer prayers.

Q 59. Should politics and religion be separated?Ans. Politics is the att itude of people to any issue. Attitude is the result

of sense of values. And sense of values is the product ofadherence to a religion. Religion and polit ics are intermixed andhave a symbiotic relationship. When this relationship is ignored,politics become not for the people but for the continuance ofimmoral people as ruler.*

"'Note: Mahabharata is the best example to f ind an answer. Vishmaignored polit ics but adhered to religion and the result was theperversion of the Kouravas. I f he had mixed religion and polit ics,he would have agreed to his father's second marriage to Satyabatibut would not have succumbed to undue polit ical pressure ofSatyabati's politician father. Satyabati's father said that he would

25

permit his daughter Satyabati to wed King Santanu (Vishma'sfather) only if Vishma abdicated his right to the throne. Vishmaabandoned polit ics and religiously agreed to the condition tosat isfy his father King Santanu's lust . The resul t was disasterand caused the end of Kouravs dynasty. Thousands of innocentmen lost their lives during the war ofMahabharata. Vishma himselfwould have been a great, strong and rightous king of India.Vishma failed to mix religion and polit ics and by doing so hedenied India of a powerful and a great king. If Vishma wouldhave been a king, it would have helped mil lions of Indians.The other example is Lord Krishna. He mixed polit ics and religionin al l things he did and Gita is a product of that. Lord Krishna bymixing polit ics with religion could banish the Kourava kingdomand establ ish the great r ighteous kingdom of the Panda vas.

Q 60. How should one behave with the King?Ans. One should be loyal to the King so that he can carry out the work

related to the building of the nation. There are many ways ofnation building and one may find a better method but nothing wil lbe achieved by pushing the King to abandon his method. Loyaltyshould be absolute provided the King is a self less worker. Theking's public work and not his personal l ife is important.

Q 61. Can someone use the temple congregation to enhance hisbusiness?

Ans. The temple isnot a place for publicising ones business. The templeis a place to recite prayer to Ishwara and to discuss aboutcommon social problems.

Q 62. What happens when the priest pronounces the slokas wrong?Ans. Ishwara wil l understand and be kind to the fol lowers, the priest

however, will not get the benefit of the prayer. If a wise manknows the correct pronunciation, he should teach the priest thecorrect pronunciation, when the priest is alone. Publicembarassment of the priest should be avoided.

26


9/16

Q 63. Which work is more respectable?Ans. Gita teaches that there is no hierarchy of labour. No work is

degrading. I fany work ought to be done, then it should be a goodand respectable work.

Q 64. How to change the world to make it a happier place?Ans. Everyone thinks of changing the wor ld, but thinking of changing

oneself wil l be more lovable to Ishwara.Q 65. Why do the devotees of Ishwara go to the temple for Idolworship?Ans. The mantras of Idol worship are full of adulation and admiration

of the Devatas' contribution. Devatas are Hindu prophets whocame as messiah of Ishwara. Idol worship is a demonstration ofhero worship. Best benefit, however, is obtained through regularchanting of Ishwara mantras (hymns).

Q 66. Can any Devata claim to be the last prophet of Hindus?Ans. All prophets were human. Ishwara has the f inal r ight if He would

send another prophet or not. No human can usurp that right fromIshwara. Till date Lord Krishna isconsidered to be the last prophetof the Hindus.

Q 67. How should the head of any temple be respected?Ans. The head of any temple is generally the custodian!trustee!

administrator of the temple and a priest. Devotees shouldrespectfully cooperate with the head of the temple so that he canconduct himself in a manner beneficial to all devotees and societyat large.

Q 68. Will Hindu's endure injustice as a fate accompli?Ans. Hinduism upholds the principle of free will, as opposed to that of

predestined fate. True Hindus will never meekly endure injusticeunless they become first convinced of their incapability todetermine their own destiny. Vedas say "Veri ly Ishwara will notchange the condition of a folk, till they change what is inthemselves". Hindus are obliged to revolt when they are convincedthat the king who ischarged with the task of preserving the justiceof the governing system proves to bethe mainstay of its abuses.

27

Q 69. What sort of polit ical state is conducive to the Hindus?Ans. Polit ics is the art of achieving and running a government . In the

political system, the spread of Hindu philosophy must be possible.The most preferable king isthe one who works for the bettermentof the Hindu subjects. A king who, if not totally committed toHinduism, but at least sympathetic to its goals, is acceptable.Bythis token a Hindu who l ives under a regime devoted or evenfavorable to Hinduism should actively work for the survival of thegovernment and the spread of Hindu philosophy. And any Hinduwho lives under a regime hosti le to Hinduism, should struggle forits overthrow whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Q 70. When and how should a Hindu show disobedience to a ruler?Ans. In case, disputes as to who should be the king or why we should

obey the king arises, all conscious Hindus must look back inhistory and discuss with other Hindus. The impulse to do soshould be much more powerful when Hindus are under a host ileregime, as large number ofthem have suffered for many centuries,under alien rulers, or those associated with them. The vitalcondit ion which should be observed by Hindus in exercising i tsr ight to resist injust ice and negligence, even if by group work, isthat the advantage of such an act will always outweigh itsdisadvantages.

Q 71. Can a Hindu leader use position, caste or group to advance theirpolit ical importance? Which type of work is degrading?

Ans. Anyone who uses pol it ical methods or theory which encouragesany division amongst Hindus in any form is an enemy of Ishwaraand deserves to be annihilated. The Ishwara knows nothing of ahierarchy of labour. No work is degrading. I f i t ought to be done,then it is good work.

Q 72. Do you believe that adherents to one God theory, opposed toidolatry, are making the world a better place? Can fasting absolveone of his sin?

Ans. The contribution of the iconoclasts to medical science, food28


10/16

technology, physics, chemistry, mathematics etc. are negligible. Q76.Their bigotry only legit imized violence and torture on innocent,weak, women and animals. They only encouraged psychological Ans.and physical slavery of all faithful. They induced criminals tocommit all sorts of crime with the preposterous promise that theGod will wash away all their sins i f they control their food habitfor few days or make good offerings to God.

Q73. How do cruel enemies and rapacious armies subjugate wholenat ions inthe name of Ishwara ? Q77.

Ans. Sectarian psychology isalways skill fully used by megalomaniacs Ans.to expand their terri tory of inf luence and trick their own peopleinto believing that they are working to please Ishwara.Expansionists use the Ishwara's name to allure or scare peopleof worldly things and establish their own hegemony. Ishwara'sname is used to block any unbiased thinking and possibili ty of Q78.any subsequent army revolt. Ans.

Q74. Will an absolute Hindu king who continuously consults wise menand experts be the best option? Q79.

Ans. Once a king implements consultat ion between the rulers and the Ans.ruled, the provisions laid inthe divine jurisprudence on the rightto resist injustice, will prevail and automatically ensure democracyfor the masses.However, as consultation depends on the good faith of theabsolute monarch, provisions against injustice remain only inthe intellectual domain of the learned few, itis never implemented.Thus a totali tarian king is not an option.

Q7S. Can the assembly of wise men act as a safeguard against atyrannical ruler? Q80.Ans. An unjust ruler always gets his rule sanct if ied by summoning anassembly of high priests with intel lectual and moral reputations Ans.and get their assent to his absolute rule at the point of the swordor through distribution of favours. He later claims to have divinedispensation which people must accept meekly as fate accompli.

29

Isit better to have totalitarian rule or rule established by consensusof the ent ire community ?Judging from the concrete historical instances from the beginningof civil ization, the entire community has never played any role ininstall ing the ruler. It has always been established by force, andmaintained by oppression. Advocates of the absolute monarchwere always community jurists, (i.e. religious and political leaders)agreeing to i tas the consensus of si lence.How religion and politics are related?Religion and polit ics are both interwoven inthe psychology ofthemasses. They are unnatural to be divorced from each other. Forifthey are completely separated, religion will die out of starvationof political patronage and polit ics without the boundaries ofreligious ethics will be immoral, selfish and of demonic incharacter.How should one perform puja ?Chanting prayer of Ishwara isthe best puja. Avoid using water,l iquid, etc. for puja. I t is unhygienic and is annoying to the dei ty.Do we need to fast for achieving the best reward from puja ?One should fast during full-moon day between sunrise to sunsetand enjoy community dinner, by rotation, called 'Bhoj-Utsav' afterthe moon rises. One should invite f riends and acquaintances.This brings the blessings of Ishwara and the devotees get goodhealth and great wealth. For other days Puja should be done inclean dress and infree mind without worry. Remaining in fast isnot necessary for doing any social functions. I t is bel ieved thatthe number of people you associate with 'Bhoj-Utsav', the samenumber ofyour forefathers get food. You may invite people or beinvited, the result is always good.Who can be a priest?Any good man or woman above the age of 20 can be a priest.The priest should be educated, a person of moral character anda good orator with knowledge of Hindu religion and scriptures.The priest should be able to explain VedaiGitaiUpanisads etc. inthe congregation of devotees and sing bhajans. The priest should

30


11/16

becourageous, of good health and habits. The priest should be aperson who will treat his own children and the devotees withequal love and care. The priest should be able to guide devoteesintheir prayers and act as a leader for social upli ftment.

a 81. How should one perform puja of the various Devatas?Ans. Minimum fifteen mantras are a must. After reciting the basic

fifteen mantras one should reci te individual Devata's greatachievement to commemorate the great contribution of a particularDevata. This wil l encourage devotees to emulate the same. Thepriest should recite these from the book or from memory. Anyoffering, besides prayer, isonly to display the wealth ofthe devoteeand isof no use to Ishwara. Except prayer, Ishwara do not acceptany other thing.

a 82. What should be the priest's income?Ans. A priest should get salary f rom the temple fund. Devotees must

pay one hundredth of his monthly earning to the temple fund orto Hindu social organisations as an offering of gratitude to Ishwarafor he gave us a human li fe and weal th.

a 83. Why are devotees required to pay tothe temple or for other socialcauses?

Ans In t his world all men are equally loved by Ishwara. However, dueto various reasons, one has more earning capacity compared tothat of others. Someone enjoys a bet ter portion of the world'swealth, which actually is for all to share equally. One is relievedof sin of higher income and wealth generat ion i fone shares hisearning with others. Temple or other social services are themeans through which one gets rid of the sin of enjoying morewealth, by donating minimum one hundredth of his monthlyincome.

a 84. What are the causes for good donations?Ans. Land for temple construct ion. Food for the hungry. Medicine and

relief to the sick and the old. Education for the masses. Trainingto the l ivelihood/employment seekers. Safety and security tothe fearful.

31

a 85. How much time should one spend on prayer?Ans. One should pray two times a day. Once in the early morning and

once before going to bed. The minimum prayer to Ishwara takesabout f ive minutes. One should do Pranayama regularly at leastfor continuous ten minutes. However, after doing prayer to Ishwaraone can add prayers of various deities and it can be for hours.The priest should bewatchful not to be strenuous to old, childrenand sick persons and determine the length of prayer. Prayer forf ive minutes twice a day, ten minutes Pranayama daily and oneBhoj Utsav ina month is required to reach heaven.

a 86. Ina temple congregation how should devotees stand for prayer?Ans. Devotees should stand in formation of 9 by 9, or 12 by 12 etc.

depending on the size of the room and number of devotees. Thepriest wil l help. I tmeans nine persons should stand side bysidein one row and nine persons should follow the first person i.ecolumn should be of 9 by 9 i.e., 81 persons can be in acongregat ion. If , say, 22 persons are there, then first row andsecond row should be of 9 by 9 i.e. 18 persons and in the thirdrow there wi ll be four persons. This wil l make a congregation of22 persons and so on.

a 87. What isthe best posi tion for women ina congregation in a temple?Ans. Depending onthe congregation half of left -s ide rows and columns

should be used by women.a 88. Why is daily prayer important?Ans. Prayer is an invisible tool, which helps accrual of great wealth. Itensures all-round success inworldly affairs as well as an eternal

l ife. After hundred years everything wil l be forgotten about one'ssuccess or fai lures but prayer of today wi ll guide one in hislhereternal life.

a 89. How to meet Ishwara ?Ans. Whoever loves to meet Ishwara, Ishwara loves to meet him.a 90. To save the honour of Ishwara should a Hindu be enemy of the

people of other faith?32


12/16

Ans. Only ignorant megalomaniacs usurp as saviour of the honour ofone Ishwara and deny that Ishwara only created all t ribes andgave them rituals through his messiah, for who can exist if Hedesires not.

a 91. Who will be going to heaven and who will go to hell ?Ans. The world has two types of people Sur and Asur. Surs are the

people who work hard to create wealth and share it amongstothers to make world peaceful and happier place to live by all.They are created by Ishwara. They wil l have an eternal dwell ingin heaven. Asurs are people who live bysnatching the weal th ofIshwara's men and spread hatred and terror. The Asurs areembodiment of Satanic instincts and are destined to burn eternallyin hell.

a 92. If some one does a crime or a sin, can performing puja or makingof ferings to the deity reduce the penalty ?

Ans. Ishwara or any deity is not influenced by any bribe. Offering pujaonly helps the needy priests. Sincere repentance, adequatecompensation to the aggrieved and regular prayer only ensuresreturn of love and mercy from Ishwara.

a 93. Are not the Hindus embodiment of patience asagainst revolution?Ans. Hindus for over the last one thousand years have remained

subservient to foreign rulers. They were not united and thus notcourageous enough to fight back. And instead of revolution theycamouflaged their daily humiliated existence as nonviolenceand love of peace. They propounded many philosophies to makeHindu society champion of impotency. To justify their cowardiceand slave nation status, they started taking pride intheir enormouscapacity to tolerate the brutali ty inflected on them.

a 94. What should Hindus do to annihilate Satan who creates problemfor Ishwara ?

Ans. Hindus believe that Ishwara has unlimited power and Satan cannot be a match for Ishwara. I fanyone accepts that Satan existsin the kingdom of Ishwara and is creating problem for Ishwara,

33

he actually believes that Ishwara is helpless with l imited power.But Ishwara isall-powerful. And if Ishwara is all-powerful, logicallySatan can not exist to create problems for Ishwara.Satanic character or deeds are very human phenomena. Ishwaragave us intel ligence, common sense and the judgment. Humanbeings choose to be Satan because of the lust for physicalsatisfaction, power, wealth etc.

a 95. If someone does not pray to Ishwara regularly, will He get annoyedwith him?

Ans. If Ishwara wanted man to continuously pray to him, He would nothave sent man to the earth. He would have kept the man withHim so that man could go on praying continuously. Ishwara istoo great an entity to be bothered by these small matters.However, man being an intelligent person gets the opportunity topray. Prayer gives impetus to achieve success in all walks ofthe world as well as eternal l ife. One can accomplish more inonehour with Ishwara than in one life t ime without Him.*

a 96. Why is it that in Ishwara's realm some are good, some are bad,some are saints, some are terrorists?

Ans. This lease of l ifeon earth isa short t raining ground. Human beingsare given intelligence and power of judgement. Here we t rainourselves and decide on a way of l ife. Onthe basis ofour activit iesin this short period of l ife inearth, our place inheaven and hell isdecided.

"'Note: For example if a man lives by the seashore and does not takebath regularly in the sea, the sea is not af fected, but by bathingregularly in the sea one can enjoy robust health and diseasefree life.

34


13/16

Hindu women are free to choose their own life style and dresscode.

Q 101. Should we display the sign of belonging to the Hindu fai th?Ans. One must take all opportunities to display the sign that one is a

Hindu. And one must take opportuni ty to talk about his fai th andspread the message of Hinduism. By doing so hewil l be doing apleasing service to the Ishwara.

Q 102. What is the desirable and ethical food-habit for Hindu?Ans. Since Vedic periodthere were vegetarian aswell asnon-vegetarian

Hindus. In place where abundance of vegetable and fruits areavailable, vegetarianism is prevalent. There are places wherenot even a blade of grass grows, people are bound to be non-vegetarian for their survival. Food - habit has nothing much to dowith ethics of li fe.

Q 103. What punishment is reserved for the eaters of cow meat in India?Ans. Cow being the most important pillar of Indian agriculture and

economy, its slaughter deserves to be banned. In an overpopulated hungry and poverty st ricken country like India, if acow is allowed to be killed for food, it will be eaten away in notime and wil l cause continuous crop failures and starvation deathto poorer people. To save the poor rural masses cow must beprotected for agricul ture. Rel igious ban on cow slaughter is toprotect the masses from starvation deaths.

Q 104. Why are some Hindu Devatas shown to have mult iple hands andheads?

Ans. Super human achievements in the use of weapons or in the fieldof knowledge were exaggerated by story tel lers and made mythsabout Devatas, which over-zealous artists and sculptors gaveunnatural form to suit the metaphorical and wild imagination. AllDevatas were human beings and none were above natural law.All Devatas had one head and two hands. Hindu hymns (mantra)explain this as following:

36

Q 97. Will it be pleasing to Ishwara, i f all human beings are convertedto become Ishwara believers?

Ans. If Ishwara wished al l human beings to pay homage in the nameof Ishwara only, He would have done it in a moment as He is all-powerful. None of His wishes can remain unfulfi lled. Those whoconvert people of other faith to their own brand of faith by lure orby force actually insult Ishwara by treating Him as impotent.If i twas displeasing to Ishwara, Hewould not have kept differenthuman races with dif ferent modes of worship. All would havechanted the name of Ishwara through natural force. I t isthe willof Ishwara that people ofvarious faiths should practise their formsof worship. However, in whatever form the prayer is of fered, i treaches Him.

Q 98. How is Ishwara responsible for salvation of individual humanbeings?

Ans. Verses of Veda absolve Ishwara from responsibilities for individualhuman salvation, something, which isessentially the fruit of man'sown action.

Q 99. Why could a Devata like Lord Krishna not used his power toconvert the Hindu masses to a modern nation devoid of povertyand ill-health?

Ans. Verses warned all Devatas (Le messiahs) repeatedly againstacting as an 'agent', 'guardian' or 'holder of absolute authority'over humanity, by restricting them to their sole function ofcommunicating the divine message through wise words, sermonsand examples of righteous behavior. None of the Devatas,including Lord Krishna, could usurp the power of Ishwara.

Q 100. Will Ishwara be displeased if a Hindu woman does not dressconservatively?

Ans. Dress has nothing to do with pleasure or displeasure of Ishwara.Ishwara istoo big for these triv ial matters. Recommendat ion ofa dress code onwomen isa reflection onthe nature and characterofthe men ofthe society. Where men are educated and civil ized,

35


14/16

f? l~ 'R1 C f l l '1 i ~ t ( C f l rh t ~:q uaf l~Urli*.1 ~ < 1 f l O ! d '"l II

'~r~6~1' i


15/16

animals, plucking fruits and snatching food, wealth and womenof other groups.

0.112. When Ishwara came to save man?Ans. Ishwara was there from the beginning of all existance but ignorant

man were not aware. Ishwara sent his messiahs time and againbut they were not effective due to non-existance of anycommunicable language. And people were tribes, who wereferocious and fearful of all other human beings. They bel ievednone other than their own tribal chief. They feared naturalcalamit ies, disease, ferocious animals and members of othergroups/t ribes. They thought that i f they of fer food or sacri fice,they would be rel ieved from these calamit ies. They imaginedGod as a great King or a great t ribal leader who need absoluteloyal ty of his followers and who would become revengeful i f hisfollower started free thinking. They were the false Gods offerocious ancient people. About 20000 years ago Ishwara decidedto further help mankind and three messiahs Bramha, Bishnu,Maheswara came to this world. They unified the Indiansubcont inent and spread the knowledge of Ishwara and Hisdictates. They propounded Veda. Sanatan Dharma wasestablished and man was saved from animal-like existance.

0.113. What isthe difference between tribal Gods and Ishwara?Ans. Tribal Gods are false Gods. They are like jealous pol it ical leaders

who promise various moral as wel l as immoral benef its to theirfol lowers so that number of believers in their leadership swells.Their supporters forces non-believer into subjugation with killing,raping and looting or through allurement.Fol lowers of t rue God i.e. Ishwara are aware of His dictates forleading a civil ized decent l ife in this world. They are taught thetrue short path to heaven. No force or induced allurement isemployed to enhance the number of Ishwara-believers.

O. 114. What is Bhoj Utsav? What is its benefit?Ans. I t i sa religious community dinner held, after day long fasting, on

39

full moon night. Dinner is sponsored by rotation amongst friends,relations, well-wishers and acquaintances. Fasting is done oncein a month during day t ime. Those who arrange Bhoj Utsavortake part inBhoj Utsavwill surely get a place inthe heaven andwil l also ensure safety and security of devout's children and wil learn weal th. This is a must for al l Hindus. Food should be takenafter offering thanks to Ishwara and all deceased forefathers {menand women both). InVeda it issaid Bhoj Utsavgives even betterresult compared to performing Jagyas.

0.115. How property to be distributed to the heir after death?Ans. All wealth belongs to Ishwara and his creat ion. Human being,

through coordinated hard work and intelligent use of opportunities,create wealth. Thus the heir has limited right on properties of thedeceased. His/her right on property goes to the spouse. Andaf ter the death of the spouse, the children have right on share ofthe property equally to the extent that the property do not suf fereconomic mismanagement because of the division. Immovabeproperty should bewith sons and movable property should go tothe daughters.Female heir isexpected to be married and be part of a dif ferentfami ly and thus has right on immovable property of that family.However, if the female heir decides to remain spinster or iswidowed, she wi ll have equal share inthe immovable propertyalso as that of male heir.Ifequality cannot not be maintained, the value of the total propertyshould be determined and the daughters should be paid off thevalue of their share of the property before t it le of the property ischanged. Respectable persons from the society may be invitedto act as arbi trator to avoid any dispute about the division of theproperty. If any member of the heirs decides to sell of his/hershare of the property, first opportunit y to buyout the sharesmust go to the existing shareholders.

40


16/16

Law of the land will act as supreme in mat ter of distribution ofthe property ifany irreconcilable dispute arise.

Q.116. How one can convert himsel f/hersel f to a good Hindu?Ans. Anyone who wants to be a Hindu or to remain so need to follow

the basic tenets of Hinduism and vow (i) that man and womenare equally loved ones of Ishwara and none has addit ional rightto enjoy l ife ( ii) that Ishwara created all t ribes of human races,animals and nature. No human race can exist against His will.And considering any human race as anti-/shwara is foolish (ii i)That Ishwara has given limbs and intellect to human beings andthus every human being is required to work hard, responsibly,piously and compassionately to be eligible to have good living onearth and be el igible to go to heaven and to get eternal joy afterdeath. (Ishwara is not responsible for the misdeeds or foolishacts of the human.) (iv) that a person should recite the fif teenHymns (Mantras) twice daily, do pranayam at least once ina dayfor minimum ten minutes and arrange to take part in Bhoj Utsav(community dinners on full moon night after day long fast)(v) be brave and hate all cowardice (vi) study Gita and Vedawhen one needs guidance in life.Those ofyou who shall work to spread your faith and protect yourreligion from the offenders, shall have surely comfort and pleasurein heaven.

41

smriti sastra

Documents

Transcript of smriti sastra