The ethics and morality of Hinduism

 

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 consists 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 ignore 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 footsteps 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 reference 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 pursuits.