The ethics and morality of
Hinduism
Dr. Ch. DurgaprasadaRao
Hinduism, as many
people opine, is not a religion. It’s a
way of life and the literature of which consisting of
1. Shrities (Vedas), 2. Smritis 3.
Itihasa 4. Purana 5. Agama 6.
Darshanas 7. Kavyas 8. Folk lore.
It is very surprising to note that there is an
underlining unity in divergent trends of literature. Hinduism is a very
comprehensive system of human life which paves the way from humanity to
divinity. Generally, many people are of
the opinion that Hinduism gives utmost importance only to Moksha and the study
of the Vedas and other scriptures of Hinduism also of no use as they deal with
the metaphysical objects which are not useful in day-to-day life. Secondly, the ideas dealt with the Vedas and
the Upanishads are of highly esoteric in nature and they are very difficult to
comprehend. But this opinion is entirely
wrong. They no doubt deal with abstract and supra-mundane objects but never
ignored worldly objects. Moreover, they established a firm ground on which the
evolutionary process from humanity to divinity takes place.
No sastra or system developed in this land whether
physical or metaphysical neglects the human needs and aspirations totally and
deals exclusively with spiritual objects. Vedas and Upanishads as part of
Hinduism ordain certain duties and prohibitions for the benefit of Man kind as
a guide to good conduct at the individual and societal levels. Following the
foot steps of the Vedas and the Upanishads, Smritis, . Itihasas, Puranas, Agamas
and even Darshana’s convey high morals and supreme
self restraint for the purpose of achieving the highest human goal. They never
ignored the very fundamental elements of human life.
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We can increase or expand the syllabus by supplementing
the ethical and moral aspects of Hinduism.
The topics to be introduced are as follows.
1.
The
ethics and morality of Hinduism as a special reference to the Vedas.
2.
The
ethics and morality of Hinduism as a special reference to the
Upanishads.
3.
The
ethics and morality of Hinduism as a
special reference to Puranas
4.
The
ethics and morality of Hinduism as a special references to Itihasas .
5.
The ethics and morality of Hinduism as a
special reference to Dharmasastras .
6.
The ethics and morality of Hinduism as a
special reference to Agamas.
7.
The ethics and morality of Hinduism as a
special reference to darsanas .
The topics mentioned above not only enrich the scope
of the syllabus but also create interest in the pursuing them.
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