Kumar: Swamiji, Namaskaar! “According to Jainism, Universe and its constituents are uncreated and everlasting. These constituents behave according to the natural laws and their nature without interference from external entities. Dharma or true religion according to Jainism is vatthu sah vo dhammo translated as “the intrinsic nature of a substance is its true dharma.” K rtikey nupreks (478) explains it as: Dharma is nothing but the real nature of an object. Just as the nature of fire is to burn and the nature of water is to produce a cooling effect, in the same manner, the essential nature of the soul is to seek self-realization and spiritual elevation.” How it is similar to dharma mentioned in Vedas? Charan Sparsh
Swami Ram Swarup: Namaskar.
Our ancient Rishi-Munis have preached that Vedas are the knowledge that emanate directly from God and not from any human-being. So, they’ve told that whatever, has been mentioned in Vedas is eternal truth like God and the views, books etc., which do not tally with Vedas, are unauthentic, being against the Vedas. In this connection, I paste my article:-
CREATION
The creation is eternal and automatic. There is no date of creation of the following:
(A) Almighty God who is alive, immortal, formless, creates, nurses and destroys the universe. He never indulges in any maya, mahamaya, illusion and deeds (good or bad. Yajurveda Mantra 40/8 and Yog shastra Sutra 1/26 also refer)
(B) Soul: Soul is alive, the purest, away from sins etc. but illusion covers the soul due to which soul forgets his original form and hence remains in sorrows, problems etc.
C) Prakriti: Non-alive and has three qualities. i.e., Raj, tam, Satva. At a proper time, the power of God acts in prakriti and the universe is created. So the creation is eternal and automatic.
Raj, Tam and Satva are the three qualities of prakriti. When the said gunnas remain idle dormant i.e., do not work, then combination of these three gunnas(qualities) in dormant stage is called prakriti and this time is called “final destruction” of the universe. When an appropriate time comes, the creation is to be started again. Then the power of God works in the above three gunnas i.e., in the prakriti and immediately the creation starts. Rajo gunn is a sign of sensuousness etc., Tamo gunn signifies laziness and sato gunn signifies ego, pride. Our human body is also made of the said three gunnas.
Vedas tell that there are three eternal/immortal matters- first: Almighty God, second: souls, third: prakriti. Almighty God creates, nurses and destroys the universe and again creates it. The said process of creation is eternal/immortal/everlasting. Almighty God creates the universe from prakriti. When the raj, tam and satva gunnas of prakriti remain idle (dormant condition/inactive) then creation does not take place. At an appropriate time, a power of Almighty God acts in prakriti (i.e., in Raj, tam and satva gunnas). Immediately the process of creation starts and the first matter of prakriti is made which is called –Mahat i.e., mind; from Mahat- ahankar is made, from ahankar panch (5) tan matrayein, from panch (5) tanmatrayein, panch (5) mahabhoot are created. From panch mahabhoot, the entire matter of universe i.e., Sun, Moon air, water , our bodies, bodies of other living beings etc., are created. The whole creation is thus created from prakriti and remains still (in active) like a statue. This creation is called non-sexual creation. In the said creation, the young human bodies are created which are neither old nor babies. Then by the power of God, in the said bodies, breathing system (prann vaayu) starts operating. At last, God enters into the universe and immediately all the humans and other living beings become alive and start functioning. Similarly, the non-alive matters like Sun, moon, earth, air, water etc., start their respective functions.
Creation, Science, worldly matters etc., is not possible until the same is created by someone. Secondly, knowledge is attained when knowledge is imparted by someone.
Rigveda mantra 10/129/ 1-6 throw light about creation that at that time, there was nothing and no living beings did exist. So there was no learned acharya who could give the knowledge to the newly created living beings like parents who educate the children to make them able to speak language and to know about the matters like crow, animals, chapati, ghee, sun, moon i.e., all matters of the world. See, if a newly born baby is managed to live in dense jungle and nursed well but he is not given education about the worldly matters etc. i.e., mathematics, science, animals, sun, moon etc., then even at the young age of 20-25, 30 years, he will not be able to speak any language and when he will be brought out of the cave of dense jungle and will be asked about the sun, moon, animals, birds before him, then he will not be able to reply because he was not given the said knowledge.
When we see towards sun, moon, air, space, human body etc. It is clearly understood that the said creation has not been made by any human being but Almighty God, from whom the knowledge of four Vedas emanates. In Vedas, the knowledge right from straw to Brahma has been mentioned. So in the beginning of non-sexual earth, the Vedas originated in the heart of four rishis: Agni, Vaayu, Aditya and Angira, and from the rishis the knowledge of science, deeds and worship along with every matter is being given to the public by which the public became educated scientist and wrote books, etc.
In Vedas as well as in fourth chapter of Yog Shastras of Rishi Patanjali, it is mentioned that those who do not believe in God are provided more and more facilities by nature and such people get spoiled etc.
On the contrary those who worship God, they naturally try to kill their desires and accordingly under the law, nature, help them to follow the true path to realize the God.
It is also pertinent to mention here that in Vedas, there is no mention of avtarwad or any proper noun, please. Vedas do not even contain any story or past, present or future life of anyone. Vedas contain knowledge i.e., entire science, form of deeds/duties and worship of God. Actually Vedas give knowledge right from straw to Brahma (God) of entire universe.
All four Vedas tell to worship a formless, Almighty, omnipresent, omniscient God who creates, nurses and destroys the universe. God was one, is one and shall ever remain one. He is unchangeable, unchallengeable and beyond description. He has unlimited qualities and thus unlimited names but is one. Because He is Almighty and needs no help of anyone to create, nurse and destroy the universe therefore no need to take avtar.
We should understand, as you’ve quoted, that intrinsic nature of a substance is its true dharma and dharma is nothing but real nature of object. For the said views, Vedas tell that intrinsic nature as well as real nature applies for God. So, the eternal dharma is the dharma which is made by God i.e., given in Vedas. I also paste my article in this regard-
Manusmriti shloka 2/6 as follows-
“VEDAHA AKHILA DHARMAM MOOLAM” i.e., all the form of pious deeds have originated from Vedas.
So if we are not the learned of Vedas and do our deeds against the Vedas that will not be called Dharma but will be “ADAHARMA”. So, what is Dharma and what is adharma is to be known by studying Vedas. For example- “PRATIKARTAVYAM” is dharma. But the definition of PRATIKARTAVYAM WILL BE KNOWN FROM VEDAS ONLY. Otherwise, if mere definition is kept in the mind based merely on bookish knowledge, it will not be applicable, in the life forever i.e., such person will never serve the people without selfishness.
However, God is not a substance, being Formless.
Essential nature of soul is to seek self-realization because the soul is eternal, immortal, purest, the learned, free from any bindings and is a form of salvation itself but due to the attraction of five senses of body towards Prakriti made materialistic articles of the world, the soul forget his original shape. Now, Vedas tell the whole preach of Vedas from God is to do the eternal worship of God for self realization by soul. When we forget the eternal knowledge of Vedas and do not adopt its preach till such time, the soul is indulged in illusion i.e., Prakriti made materialistic articles.
S S: My health problem.
Swami Ram Swarup: Please intimate your health problem as the same has not been mentioned in question.
Nafisa: I just want to know when Hinduism is such a pure religion then why these Hindu priests and scholars spread wrong messages and no one is here to stop them? When an idol has no place in Hinduism then why we have these many god statues?
Swami Ram Swarup: No dharma, tells anybody to break peace, commit violence or to spread ravages of hatred etc. so, we can never comment on any dharma, true dharma being unchangeable. However, the people who do not follow the eternal reality from any dharma, become selfish and to fulfill their desire, such people can adopt false and do anything wrong they want to. So, people may be wrong but not dharma, please.
The same is with the worship of idols, please.
God is Formless, Almighty, Omnipresent, creates, nurses and destroys the universe, say Vedas. So, we have only to worship the God who has said pious qualities amongst unlimited qualities.
