Hindutva in sanathana patriotism

‘HINDUTVA’ IS SANATHANA PATRIOTISM  

Dr.M.VIJAYA

Academician, Author, Columnist and Social Worker

Hindutva is the foundation of the civilization of Bharat. The name ‘Hindutva’ may be a recent one but the essence that Hindutva holds dates back to the genesis of the Bharathiya evolution. ‘Nationalism’ and ‘patriotism’ are the synonym terms to what is today called ‘Hindutva’ as it is associated to Bharat which is the birth place of Sanathana Dharma.

Bharat gradually began to be known as the ‘Land of Hindus’ somewhere around 5^th century BCE from the foreign invaders from the West referring to the land, people and civilization lying around and east to the River Sindhu (Indus).

Hindutva is not a newly constructed concept but is an age-old emotion which got assimilated in the blood and vein of every Bharathiya across ages. The Supreme Court of India also held in 1995 that Hindutva is a “way of life”. This way of life has been adopted and accommodated in the land of Bharat since over 3,000 years back. Protection of this assimilated ‘way of life’ is the inclusive right of the land and the prime duty of its citizens.

Despite attacks and invasions, Sanathanam had grown stronger every time after attempts were made to destroy it. Even now, on realizing that there are forces trying to reduce Hinduism (followers of Sanathanam) to bare minimal  number through forced and coerced religious conversions, instigating the Hindus against their own Faith and co-Sanathanis, taking the Sanathanis to perverted activities so that they go away from the path of Dharma, deliberate and obvious political suppression of Hindus (overall or some section of Hindus), etc., the Sanathanis are coming together to defend themselves and their Dharma against vile forces. This attitude of people to defend the Sanathana Dharma is known as Hindutva.

Hindutva was practiced since ancient times and is an integral, essential feature of Sanathanam. Bhagavan Shri Krishna himself preaches Bhagavad Gita standing in the political ground of Kurukshetra giving an elaborate description of what people should do, how to react and act, why should one respond to situation where there is a conflict between dharmam and adharmam so as to establish Dharma in the Maha Bharatham land.

Hindutva was demonstrated by Bhagavan Shri Krishna himself. Hindutva can be said to be an inclusive package of –

1. abiding by the principles of Dharma,
2. following the rituals and ceremonies,
3. physical, mental, emotional, moral and spiritual conditioning on the path of righteousness,
4. exhibition of humanity and humility,
5. preaching and professing of the principles of Dharma,
6. defending Santhanam to safeguard it from getting attackers and preserving the identity, and
7. preserve the Rights of Sanathanam in its land of origin.

Hindutva is the Dharma which Sanatanam teaches. Hindutva is not separate from Hinduism (Sanathanam). Hindutva is the lawful self-protection and/or rightful provision of private defence with regard to the Faith one observes that has been thereby protected by Sanathani ancestors and which has to be bestowed upon the future generations. Without the strong defensive mode of Hindutva, the threats on Hinduism (Sanathanam) cannot be countered. Hindutva is the inclusive Right and Liberty to protect Hinduism (Sanathanam). They are not different. Hinduism and Hindutva go hand-in-hand.

The distinct identity of Bharat is the Sanathana Dharma which are the directive principles towards a disciplined, cultured way of living with an ethical code of conduct, administration and justice. Hindutva is the natural instinct and guided responsibility –

1. to protect the territory of Bharat in accordance with the directions of the Dharma shastras given in the Vedic scriptures, and
2. to guard the Dharma which is native to Bharat.

Hindutva can be best explained by that instance from Mahabharatha whereby Arjuna asks his charioteer Bhagawan Shri Krishna to drive his chariot to the middle of the battlefield and halt in between the two armies – the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Arjuna was mentally and emotionally disturbed at the thought that he had to fight against his own kith and kin. He was unsure of what he would benefit by killing his own dear and near ones. At that juncture of immense perplexities where his ration was carried away by material features, he could not decide between his kshatriya duty (duty as a warrior) and the material bonds of human relations. Bhagwan Shri Krishna enlightens Arjuna about his duty to be first as a Kshatriya – the protector of the Land and the Dharma.

Shri Krishna said –

“swa-dharmam api chāvekṣhya

na vikampitum arhasi

dharmyāddhi yuddhāch chhreyo

’nyat kṣhatriyasya na vidyate.”

– [Bhagavad Gita – Chapter 2: Verse 31]

whereby He meant that as a Kshatriya, Arjuna was dutybound (Swa-dharma) towards the upholding of righteousness. And the righteousness is nothing but protection of his land and his people by upholding the Dharma of the land.

Further, in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18: Verse 23, Bhagawan Shri Krishna explains righteousness as –

“niyataṁ saṅga-rahitam

arāga-dveṣhataḥ kṛitam

aphala-prepsunā karma

yat tat sāttvikam uchyate.”

that is, selfless actions without any expectations that are in the path of righteousness lead to goodness, and such actions of righteousness are guided by the scriptures. The main scriptures are the Vedas. Vedas are the roots of Sanathanam. Sanathanam preaches defending Dharma of the Land as the duty of the Rulers and warriors. This is patriotism. This patriotism is today called ‘Hindutva’.

The Gita Upadesam given by Shri Krishna to Arjuna in the battlefront is nothing but today’s ‘Hindutva’. The moment Arjuna imbibed the ‘Hindutva’, realized his duty as a warrior and stood up ready to fight against Adharma to safeguard the Dharma of Maha Bharatham (the great land of Bharat) and protect the Maha Bharatha which is the land of Dharma (Dharma kshetra) from the invasion of Adharma, Arjuna became a ‘Hindutvavaadi’ (as in recent terms).

Bhagawan Shri Krishna manifested himself as the predecessor of the modern ‘Hindutvavaadi’ when he said –

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya

tadātmānaṁ sṛijāmyaham

[Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 4 – Verse 7]

that is, whenever there is decline of righteousness (Dharma) and growth of lawlessness (Adharma) in the land, He – the Bhagawan Shri Krishna himself would come to the earth to protect the Dharma of the Land.  

A simple question to those who oppose, condemn or rebuke Hindutva is – Would you let any unauthorized stranger to enter your house, plunder the resources within, make you his slave or throw you out of your own house and he becomes the master of the house to which you are the owner? Or, will you safeguard your house against such uninvited trespassing entrants? Undeniably, you would protect your property to which you are rightfully entitled to possession and occupancy. The same sense of protecting the territory of Bharat and guarding the Dharma of the Sanathana bhoomi is Hindutva. 

Is it not the duty of the rulers and citizens to safeguard the Nation with its native cultural and traditional attributes? When the ancestors of Bharat had faced several hurdles to protect the Dharma of the Soil, it becomes the responsibility of every Bharathiya to preserve Bharat Bhoomi with its native Dharma for the future generations to relish and cherish the pride of the world’s oldest surviving civilization – the Sanathana values of Bharat. This is Hindutva – the duty to safeguard Sanathanam and the Land of Sanathanam.