HINDUTVAM SERIES 27

FAMILY LIFE
 
Q.     How do the Hindus look at marriage?
A.     Marriage is union of two souls, so insoluble.
 
Q.     Which life is superior, that of a monk or a family man?
A.     Both are equal if lived according to the prescribed laws of dharma.
 
Q.     What is pativrat dharma?
A.     Entire devotion of a wife to her husband.
 
Q.     What are the duties of children towards parents and vice-versa?
A.     Children must practise implicit obedience to their parents who in turn must return love and affection and must set a fine example to be followed.
 
Q.     What is caste system?
A.     Caste system is one of the three sections of one whole scheme of the Varnashram Dharma:
1.    Chaturvarga - four objects of life: Dharma (duty), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire) and Moksha (salvation).
2.    Chaturashrama - four stages of life: Brahmcharya (student life), Garhastya (family life), Vanaprastha (retired life), Sanyasa (monastic life).
3.    Chaturvarna - four castes: Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya, Sudra.
    These three sections are so interwoven with each other that you cannot single out one from the rest and judge its merits and de-merits one side - you got to look at the entire scheme. In the caste system is found the allotment of professions for different classes. As it was forbidden to intrude in other peoples' profession, this system did not allow bone-shaking competition between man and man - the curse of modern civilization. This system also did not offer opportunity to a few wealthy persons to control market and make small people slave to their shoes.
    Though Hinduism is ashamed of its untouchability, and modern India is trying to eradicate this black spot, yet the fact remains that India, like North America and Australia, did not annihilate the untouchables or the native tribes. And, also, unlike the propagators of Inquisition (when about 10,000 non-Catholics were killed on religious ground) and six-million Jews-annihilation (during the last world war) Hindus were able through this Caste system to assimilate the untouchables, the Aboriginal tribes and even some invaders, and gave them their respective places in the Hindu society.
    It has also to be remembered that the absence of hard competition due to regulated control in professional affairs has offered the Hindus immense opportunity for spiritual pursuits, and many untouchables thereby were able to elevate themselves to the stage of sainthood. These saints, though of untouchable origin, are adored by all classes of Hindus, even by the Brahmins.