The Relevance of Religion and Morality of Ancient India in the Modern Era/ সাম্প্রতিককালে প্রাচীন ভারতের ধর্ম ও নৈতিকতার প্রাসঙ্গিকতা

Abstract

In Indian tradition religion and morality are interrelated. Religion or dharma means not only the institutional religion but also moral duties and obligations in ancient Indian ethical thoughts. The word ‘Religion’ derived from the Latin word ‘Religare’ which means that bounds together. ‘Dharma’ means that holds everything inside it. Dharma includes morality, duties, self-restrains, good conduct etc. Morality is equal to duties, good conduct, rules etc. So, religion and morality are the two sides of a same coin. Morality was considered as a law regarding the material and the ethical life in ancient Indian tradition. That very law is called ‘Rita’. This is an indispensible law which regulates everything in this cosmos. ‘Rita’ unifies everything as religion does. Caturvarna was established by the intrinsic nature or characteristic of people at that time. The efficient women were also respected by everyone at that time. But from the time of Sage Manu, the definition of Caturvarna had been changed. Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra–the difference among these four classes began to clear from that time and till now it is continuing. A new disease has been broken out in Indian society and that is fanaticism. India is a country of unity in diversity from the remote past. But today the people of different religions and castes want to eradicate this unity by their rigid misconception and fanatic views. As a result, everyone suffers from violence and alienation. If we would like to bring back the peace, unity among people we have to remember the path shown by our Vedic seers. We have to spread love and to be compassionate. We have to recollect that we all are the creation of the same divine being, Brahman. We all are relatives. There is no difference among us. We all have the one identity that we are human being. If this truth will be accepted by everyone then everyone will be united and the great peace will be prevailed in this world. Here is the significance of dharma or religion and morality which assimilate everything.