CHAPTER III.
Right and Wrong.
THESE two words, Right and Wrong, are in the mouth of everybody, but it is not everybody who can tell us exactly what he means by right and wrong. Let us try to understand. We have seen that we have specially to do with three worlds, the Triloki, and we know that the- Triloki is created by Brahma, preserved by Vishnu, and dissolved by Shiva. Let us think of a new Triloki.*(* See pp. 63 64.)
It is a going forth ; many forms appear, and grow and develop; they become more and more different ; they involve into separate individuals ; they grow by the experiences they meet ; they develop their bodies and minds by taking all they; can from outside and working it up into themselves. This is called the Pravritti Marga, the path of going forth, on which the Jivatma building himself up into a separate individual, by taking all he can from outside, and making a strong intellect, a powerful "I." When this is complete, the Jivatma has to learn that he himself is only a part or reflection of a much greater "I," the Ishvara, and that all his powers can only bring happiness if used as a part of that greater "I.' Then he begins to see the Unity under the diversity, and turns away from his little separate self to realise the One Self ; he tries to give to all that are weaker than he is, to share with himself in other bodies . and minds what he has accumulated in his own. This is called the Nivritti Marga, the path of return, on which the Jivatma is seeking to realise himself as one with all by sharing all he has with all who need.
These two paths make up what is called evolution, and along this road of evolution the Will of Ishvara, in His aspect of Vishnu, is guiding His universe. To work with this Will is Right ; to work against it is Wrong.
Now the world, as a whole, is at the turning point where the Pravritti Marga changes to the Nivritti Marga. Most people are still on the Pravritti Marga, but their way onwards, their higher evolution, lies along the Nivritti Marga. Hence right conduct consists of the desires, thoughts and actions that help oneself and others, to tread the Nivritti Marga, the path that leads, to Union. We must aim at decreasing separateness, at increasing unity ; all that lessons separateness, and leads towards unity is Right ; all that increases separateness and leads away from unity is "Wrong". But for animals, savages, and backward, undeveloped Jivatmas, whose individuality is still very weak, separateness has still to be aimed at, and what is right or wrong for the more advanced is not yet right or wrong for them. This is what is meant by saying that morality is relative. It is related to our position in evolution, to the path we are on.
"Subtle is morality," Bhishma said to Yudhishthira. "I instruct thee not by the letter of the Veda alone, but by the Veda as interpreted by wisdom and experience. None may accomplish his course through the world aright with the help of a morality that is one-sided. The text of the Scripture should be applied with careful exercise of judgment, otherwise it faileth grievously. Ushans spake this truth in time of old, that Scriptures are no Scriptures if they cannot stand the test of reason. The presence of a knowledge that is full of doubts is no better than its absence. A morality that is based on words, without regard to special circumstances leads to (BH) error. In a time of long continued famine, the Rishi Vishvamitra took forbidden meat from a chandala, and compelled the Devas to take their customary share from that same meat offered in sacrifice, and thus to justify his act.
Forgiveness befits the Sannyasi ; it does not always befit the King. The King may forgive injuries to himself. He may not overlook the slightest wrong done to the meanest of his subjects, if he wish himself and his country well.
The sin that attaches to the killing of a person that should not be killed is equal to the sin of not slaying one that deserves to be slain. The King should ever exact with firmness, yea, severity, from all his subjects their respective duties. If he does not. do this, then will they prowl about unchecked, like wolves, murdering the weaker and devouring each other. It has been sung of old :' She alone is a wife that speaketh pleasantly. He alone is a son that maketh his sire happy. He alone is a friend who may be safely trusted. That, verily, is the motherland wherein living is earned.' He lone is a King who ruleth strictly without oppression, in whose territories the righteous have no fear, who cherisheth the poor and punisheththe wicked."*(* Mahabharatam, Shanti Parva, cxxxii, and cxli cxlii.)
The Ashramas and the Varnas were given in order to shew people what kind of virtues they should aim at, in the particular place and time in which they find themselves, and thus to help on their orderly evolution. As all men have not the power nor the time to find out for themselves the Will of Ishvara, the Shastras have been given to tell us of that Will, and so to help us in distinguishing between Right and Wrong.
But some General Rules have also been laid down in the sacred books, by Vyasa and by others, for application in cases in which the details are not clear or specific, and therefore the special rules, given in the Shastras, not easy or necessary to apply. Such are :
" To give joy to another is righteousness ; to give pain is sin."
" Let not any man do unto another any act that he wisheth not done to himself by others, knowing it to be painful to himself. And let him also purpose for another all that he wisheth for himself."
"Let not any one do an act that injureth another, nor any that he feeleth shame to do."
" Let him not do to another what is not good for himself."
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सुखाभ्युदयिकं चैव नैःश्रेयसिकमेव च ।
प्रवृत्तं च निवृत्तं च द्विविधं कर्म वैदिकम् ॥ मनु १२.८८॥
इह चामुत्र वा काम्यं प्रवृत्तं कर्म कीर्त्यते ।
निष्कामं ज्ञातपूर्वं तु निवृत्तमुपदिश्यते ॥ १२.८९॥
प्रवृत्तं कर्म संसेव्यं देवानामेति साम्यताम् ।
निवृत्तं सेवमानस्तु भूतान्यत्येति पञ्च वै ॥ १२.९०॥
" Of two kinds is the karma mentioned in the Vedas, Pravritta and Nivritta, leading to joys or leading to that (happiness) than which there is no higher.
"Karma done under personal desire (for gain), here or hereafter, is Pravritta Karma ; done without such desire, under guidance of perfected knowledge (of right and duty) is Nivritta.
" Doing Pravritta Karma man evolves into the condition of Devas. Performing Nivritta he rises to beyond the five Bhutas."
अन्ये कृतयुगे धर्मास्त्रेतायां द्वापरेऽपरे ।
अन्ये कलियुगे नॄणां युगह्रासानुरूपतः ॥ मनु १.८५॥
" Different are the dharmas in Krita-yuga ; different in Treta and Dvapara ; different again are the dharmas of men in Kali-Yuga changing according to the changes of the cycles."
यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम्।
स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः।।18.46।।
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्।
स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम्।।18.47।।
ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति।
भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया।।18.61।
तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन भारत।
तत्प्रसादात्परां शान्तिं स्थानं प्राप्स्यसि शाश्वतम्।।18.62।।
" He from Whom is the emanation of beings, by Whom all this is pervaded, by worshipping Him in his own karma, man winneth perfection.
" Better is one's own dharma, though destitute of merits, than the well-executed dharma of another. He who doeth the karma laid down by his own nature incurreth not sin.
"Ishvara dwelleth in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, moving all beings by his Maya, as though mounted on a wheel.
" Flee unto Him for shelter with all thy being, Bharata ; by His grace thou shalt obtain supreme peace, the everlasting dwelling place.
वेदोऽखिलो धर्ममूलं स्मृतिशीले च तद्विदाम् ।
आचारश्चैव साधूनामात्मनस्तुष्टिरेव च ॥ मनु २.६॥
"The whole of the Veda is the source of dharma ; also the Smriti and the character of those-that know the Veda ; also the conduct of the good and the satisfaction of the Self."
अष्टादश पुराणेषु व्यासस्य वचनद्वयम्।
परोपकारः पुण्याय पापाय परपीडनम्।।
यदन्यैर्विहितं नेच्छेदात्मनः कर्म पूरुषः ।
न तत्परेषु कुर्वीत जानन्नप्रियमात्मनः ।।
यद्यदात्मन इच्छेत तत्परस्यापि चिन्तयेत् ॥
(महाभारत /शान्तिपर्व / 265 )
यदन्येषां हितं न स्यादात्मनः कर्म पौरुषं ।
अपत्रपेत वा येन न तत् कुर्यात् कथञ्चन ।
अतो यदात्मनोऽपथ्यं परेषां न तदाचरेत॥३९४॥
[The translations of these shlokas are given on p. 140].
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