MISCONCEPTION OVER SOME POINTS OF HINDUISM

Coming from world’s oldest civilization, I have always proud on my culture and religion to which I belong. And it is not a special quality inside me but this is a general function of our DNA to carry this feeling. You, being a patriotic person must have this proud. But what happens when some people represent your culture in a wrong way, and spread misconception about it to the external society? I feel sad and sometimes angry response comes out of my motor nerves itself. You might have same feel for your religious backgrounds too.

So, I am a Hindu, live in India, and follow social media and internet influencers too. By saying “following” I don’t mean that I use to support everyone’s point of view, but it just means that I keep record that what people use to think about their culture. I feel sad that many scholars from many big institutions and entertainment professionals use to feel shameful on following their religion. These people being a public figure influence others to stop following, spreading, sharing their religious thought, by making non-sense jokes and ridiculous statement on Hinduism cultures. Let us see what people misinterpret about Hinduism, and I will try to clear these thoughts.

1.    WOMEN SHOULD BE BEATEN 

I have heard by many Hindu guys that they claims that in old age time was different and even in age of Lord Rama women was meant to be beaten by a saying:

                     Dhol, gavar, shudra, pashu nari, sakal tadna ke adhikari

It means drum, villager, lower cast, animal, and women, all deserve to be beaten. But what does this line means understand it.   

In Ramayana when lord Rama helped Sugriva to be ape king, he promised lord Rama that he will help him to find Sita. But when it was too long time passed and Sugriva seemed to forget his promise, this made lord unhappy and he sent his younger brother Laxaman to Sugriva. An angry Laxaman went there and threatened to punish Sugriva and to destroy the whole kingdom by an arrow. In a fearful and guilty voice Sugriva realised his mistake appealed to forgive and said:

                                  DHOL (DRUM), GAVAR (UNEDUCATED), SHUDRA (LOWER BODY PART, FEET), PASHU (ANIMAL), NARI (WOMEN)

                                   SAKAL (ALL), TADNA (CONTROL, GUIDE), KE (TO BE), ADHIKARI                  (DESERVING)    

 It means a drum makes good sound when it got tight in a correct manner, an uneducated person should be taught the mannerism, to tame an animal it is must to control and train it, lower parts of body must be in control to be navigated and women who are always been in dynamic situations must be controlled so as to make women satisfied and stable for peace, as women are very emotional too they must be taught to control.

Because Sugriva was an ape king, so being an animal he used this line. But our scholars interpret the word TADNA in a single meaning which is beating and changed whole concept about it and started shaming about whole concept.

2.     33 CRORE DEITIES

It is a popular myth famous that Hindu religion has 33 million deities. And by this people of anti Hinduism gets a point that Hinduism is a religion of myths and fakes orthodox. In Sanatana Dharma it is said that we have “33 koti devi devta” which means 33 types of deities. So it should be cleared that there are no existence of 33 millions of deities.

In Hinduism we use to worship 8 universal elements what is known as “Vasu”, 12 personality of creator (God) known as “Aditya”, 11 “Rudras” in which there are five abstractions, five names of Shiva, and one our own soul, and 2 special twins of creator “Aswins”.

If someone will read “Bhagwadgeeta” you will be definitely come to know the fact that on there is one God who created the universe, everything every deity come out of him and end up in him, and there is none other than him.

In Ramayana it is also said about God that:

Walk without legs, hear without ears,

Without hands do every work, without mouth enjoys all taste, and becomes philosopher without voice.

So from next time if someone will say to you that there are 33 million deities in Hinduism you are ready for a witty reply.

 

3.    FIRST SURGERY IN INDIA (FUN OF LORD GANESHA)                                                                                     

Indian people use to make fun of the fact that, first surgery was done in India of lord Ganesha but why elephant nose? There might be a mistake LOL.

But first of all clear the fact that in ancient India there was a surgeon named, Sushruta he was a scholar, and use to do plastic surgery, fixing nose, reshaping lips and all stuff. He used to do these operations with Ayurveda techniques and skills.      

Another thing, story of Lord Ganesha is not from ancient India but it comes from Hindu mythology, when furious Shiva cuts head of his own son and when he realized his mistake, then Parvati, wife of Shiva asked him to bring his son back. It was very difficult and up to impossible work but an idea evolved that if a newborn found to be sleeping opposite to his mother his head will be cut and fixed to Ganesha and after searching the first baby was seen was of an elephant and hence an elephant head was fixed to Lord Ganesha by his father.

For extra details you can read Shiv Purana, Vayu Purana.

4.  STATUE WORSHIPING

God lives in every particle no one has ever seen him, then how he could be created by his worshipers in form of arts, pictures and statue and what is reason to create your God and to worship statue?

I have a very logical answer for this doubt and really you will get it. Yes, in Hinduism there is a tradition of statue worshiping, but what is so bad or taboo about it? Now if you don’t know some fact you have to go through Vedas, and Purana which are base of Hinduism. We never create God structure ourselves everything what we have got to learn about our Vedas and Purana we structured them only.

Character sketch of Lord Vishnu:

SHANTAKARAM (PEACEFUL BODY SHAPED), BHUJAG SHAYANAM (SLEEP ON BED OF SNAKE), PADMANABHAM (LOTUS IN STOMACH), SURESHAM (GOD OF ALL DIETIES)

VISHWADHARAM (BASE OF WORLD), GAGAN SADRISHAM (LOOK LIKE SKY) MEGHVARNAM (COLOUR OF RAIN CLOUDS), SHUBHANGAM (BEAUTIFUL PARTS OF BODY)......

Character sketch of Lord Shiva:

KARPOOR GAURAM (WHITE SKIN LIKE CAMPHOR), KARUNA WATARAM (SIGN OF KINDNESS), SANSAR SARAM (BREIF THE UNIVERSE), BHUJGENDRA HARAM (GARLAND OF SNAKE)...

So above are some examples from where we created a beautiful sculpture of God pray him, love him by seeing his beauty and at definite place it matters the most to gather in mass and thank for all what he has given. In this way logically and emotionally there is nothing wrong in it.

If you have any other misconception or what you have heard about, tell me.