The Vedas carry the message of universal love and brotherhood in such a forceful and effective way as perhaps no other scripture does. This message has a special significance for the modern age as we all stand divided on the shallow grounds of region, caste, creed, colour, religion etc. All such differences are, however, man-made and totally opposed to the spirit of the vedas.
Such great emphasis is laid on the universal brotherhood and the spirit of unity in the vedas that the words like Sakhaayaha (which means "friends") have been used for ordinary men in relation to each other. Take for instance, the use of these words in the following vedic mantras:—
Unity in Diversity :
The spirit of unity is all pervasive in the Vedas. To drive home this point the renowned vedic scholar, Prof Max Meuller, quoted the following mantras during the course of his address at the World Oriental Conference held in London in 1885:-
O , ye men, walk together, talk together, acquire knowledge and share your duties together !
O , ye men, meet together, think together and be of the similar mind !
O, ye men common be your aims and your hearts, being united, beat in one sweet harmony !
Let your thoughts be also one and ye live happily together !
The vedas emphasize that it is our duty not only to love and help others of our own species but also all beings and pray for all including birds, animals, plants and trees.
According to the vedas, the Risi is not one who lives the life of a hermit and is engaged in the observance of different types of austerities and penances or the study of scriptures or meditation but one who is devoted to the common good:
Vedas also describe the man of true knowledge (Jnaani) as one devoted day and night to the welfare of others :—
Overcoming hatred
One of the obstacles that we encounter in extending the circle of our friends is the ingrained feeling of hatred among most of us. ln fact it is Number One killer of universal love and the unity of mankind. Hatred is mostly fuelled by jealousy though there are other reasons for its existence too.
So long as we keep asking ourselves, why has this man got a good job while l have not, why his house or car is bigger than mine, why his children are brighter than mine, why is he on the whole luckier than me, we will not be able to overcome hatred which goes hand in glove with each other.
Hatred also reflects lack of understanding, goodwill, tolerance, kindness, generosity, spirit of sacrifice etc which form the bases for true friendship and love.
Vedas, with their message of universal love, brotherhood and friendship, therefore, repeatedly warn us against hatred and contain several prayers to overcome this vice.
Take for instance, the following mantras from two different vedas:
(As we cross the swift current of a river, may we, through Thy grace, overcome hatred)
(Keep us away Oh God, from the feeling of hatred!)
Dasyu and arya
The mention of the words Dasyu and the Arya in the Vedas has led some misguided critics to see the instance of racialism in these most ancient and sacred scriptures and to raise the question how could they be said to be promoting universal love and brotherhood if they encourage one caste (arya) at the cost of the other(dasyu) ?
First of all let it be clarified at the very outset that dasyu and Arya have nothing to do with any caste.
lt would be travesty of facts to believe in the racialism theory in view of massive evidence against it. Several vedic scholars(both of lndia and abroad),after years of research, have come to the conclusion that to hold the view that the aryas attacked the dasyus (standing for the aborigines Dravadians), is thoroughly disgusting and illogical.
For instance, says the renowned German vedic scholar Prof Max Muller : -
"They (the epithets Aryans and Dasyus) are too general to allow us the inference of any ethnological conclusion"
He is fully supported by another German scholar Prof Roth who clearly points out that "It is but seldom, if at all, that the explanation of Dasyu as referring to the non-Aryans, is advisable "
Says another foreign scholar Nesfield:—
"There is no division of the people as the Aryan conquerors of lndia and the aborigines of the country. That division is modern and that there is essential unity of lndian races, "
Stating that the dasyus were not non- aryans, a reputed Indian vedic scholar asserts that "The theory that the Dasyu— Dravidians inhabited the Punjab and the Ganges valley at the time of the so- called Aryan invasion of India and overcome by the latter they fled to South India and adopted it as their home, can not stand, "
Emphasizing that the words aryas and dasyus are not indicative of different races , Dr. PTS lyangar, a south lndian Scholar says. "The words refer not to race but to cult"
Throwing light on this issue Sri Aurobindo, the founder of the Pondicherry Ashram and the world renowned scholar and a yogi, emphatically says in his book "The Secrets of Vedas " : -
"Far from any reference to any political or military struggle between the invading Aryans and the local inhabitants, is only indicative of the triumph of the forces of light(symbolized by Truth and Knowledge) over the forces of darkness(symbolized by falsehood and ignorance). "
At least one thing is clear from the above expert opinions that the words arya and dasyu in the Vedas do not stand for castes or races and, therefore the allegation of depicting any war among them or encouraging one of them against the other are false and unfounded.
What then do the words arya and dasyu exactly mean in the vedas and what is their significance?
"The word arya has its origin in the root “Ru” which according Sanskrit grammar means”Gati Prapanayou”(the man of knowledge and action who pursues the path of goodness and nobility and also helps others to do so.)"
Taking clue from the above, the Sanskrit lexicons, grammarians and scholars have used the word arya for the person who is ;-
("Respectable, noble, religious, righteous, adorable, generous, peaceful, just, dutiful, generous, etc’”)
Rigveda (10-65-1 l) defines the word arya in the following way :—
(Arya is one who practises on this earth the vows of truth, non-violence, purity, benevolence etc,)
And the word dasyu is born of the root “dasu-UpEkshayE” which means one who, bereft of good qualities, is engaged in destructive activities like putting obstacles in the performance of the yagna.etc. This is why Yaskacharya says:
The adjectives Akarma and Amantuused for dasyu in the following mantra from Rigveda make it clear that he is one who keeps himself engaged in bad actions and is devoid of rational thinking; and who also does not observe the self- imposed discipline pertaining to observance of truth, brahmacharya, non-violence etc. :-
CONCLUSION :
So if there is any praise for the aryas and condemnation of dasyus, it is on the basis of their merit and not their caste or race. The depiction of light between them may also be symbolic of the struggle between the good and the evil within us .
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