Abuse in the name of Dharma

November 14, 2008

Sai Ram dear Sai brothers and sisters

It is very difficult to explain to our children regarding out religion and its hypocrisy and as concern raised by Mr. Iyer in his article "Violence in Hindu religion" posted at sadhak_insite ". Since I was a child I had so many questions raised in my little mind which my parents were not able to answer as they did not know the answer. They were forced to believe what religion and Bhagwat Gita or Ramayan says. When my children started growing up I thought it was my responsibilities to teach them religion but I always hesitated as where to start from. I am blessed as I met my Sai Baba thirty five years ago and we all followed his teachings since then. His teachings are neutral and respects both genders, teaches discipline in life and it changes the person completely

without using any violence. The Sai teachings do not force one to fast or go through hell like Narsi Mehta, Meerabai or Sudama went through. To test Narsi Mehta's faith, Krishna tested him and made him suffer throughout his life. Meerabai spent whole life searching for Krishna. Sudama for example, ate few grains of chick peas which the Guru Mata gave, without offering to Krishna. So Krishna punished him and his family to such an extent that one may wonder that was Krishna so greedy that he had punish poor Brahman for few grain of chick peas and make him suffer so much when he was a king and was sitting in a city of Dwarka made of gold?

Anyways, to give just little insight knowledge of our religion to my children we bought a set of video cassettes of Mahabharata and Ramayan produced by Sri Ramanad Sagar as it was impossible to them read the religious books. Sri Sagarji has conducted deep research from all the main religious scriptures before these serials were made. In Mahabharat when children watched Kans killing all the new born babies of his sister, Krishna killing his own uncle Kans, than killing the mad elephant violently by tearing his tusks with his bare hands and throwing it in the sky; encouraging Arjun to fight the cousin brothers, Bhisma Pitamah and rest of the Gurus and elders, my children busted into huge argument that where does the Dharma come in here? They are fighting for the wealth and the kingdom. The greedy

blind Dhrutarastra wanted his sick brother Pandu to die so that he can get the crown the way he was clinging on to the crown and the throne. The story of abuse goes on as the so called Dharamraj Yudhistir gambles the wife of his brother Arjun and who was his wife as well and allows her to be abused by his own cousin brother in front of all the ministers and Gurus. The father Dhrutarastra sits and hears the poor Dhraupadi screaming for help when Duriyodhan orders his brother Dusasan to undress Dhraupadi. He follows his brother's order to undress Dhraupadi. The father was blind but was not deaf and was able to hear the screams of a helpless woman. But he kept quite as pleasing his son Duriyodhan was more important than the saving the daughter in law from such disgrace. Five husbands of Dhraupadi set and watched their wife getting abused as Dusasan started pulling her clothes off. These five brothers were the maharathi and strongest men in the whole

world!!! Isn't this sickening? Than she starts praying to Krishna and he helped her. Is this our religion were woman had no respect or value and was put on the gambling table?

My children and their friends were furious to watch such violence in the name of religion to watch a helpless woman abused in front of her five husbands and a Dharamraj Yudhistir gambling. Is gambling part of our religion? For weeks they were not able get over such horrific episode of religion and violent behaviour of Lord Krishna that they watched.

Than take Ramayan for example. Sita is kidnapped by Ravan and suffers immensely in the hands of demons and unbearable abuse from Ravan. So Rama goes and kills Ravan for whose sake? Was it to rescue Sita from Ravan or to prove that he was God and was born to kill evil on earth? Than after all that suffering, the poor wife was suspected of having an affair with Ravan or some demon. So Sita had to prove her innocence that she was untouched and pure. So Ram puts his wife on a witness stand to get credit from his citizens. So she had to give Agni Pariksha by sitting on burning pyre. Why did Sita not suspect Rama as he was alone in the jungle as well while she was in Lanka? Why Rama was not asked to give Agni Pariksha to prove himself of not committing adultery? After the entire painful episode Sita

gradually comes home and prepares to enjoy being a queen. She becomes pregnant when some outsiders speak some evil of her. So Rama listens to these gossips and instead of defending his wife, he orders his brother to take a pregnant helpless woman into the jungle and to live her there. She was not given any wealth to survive with her children or any other belongings or even any explanation of why she was punished in such a way and that why she had to go the jungle again when she has already suffered for 14 years to support her husband!!!!! This clearly demonstrates the gender bias. Rest of the world followed such behaviour taught by the religion as no respect is shown for women in general.

I request all dear readers to explain all these violent, Hippocratic and bias religious laws that only effects women whereas men goes unpunished. I can only suggest letting our children see for themselves and decide which religion they want to adopt where they can learn non violence, see justice and that both genders get same respect.

Taking other religions such as Christianity, Jesus did not use any violence but suffered on the crucifix alone to prove his point. His mother, Mary the Mother of Mercy did not take any revenge or even curse the evil people who killed her only son. Both the Mother and the Son taught the lesson of Love and forgiveness and did not use violence in the name of religion or to protect dharma as Krishna preached to Arjun. In Mahabharat war thousands of innocent civilians were killed to win the kingdom for Pandav brothers. Thousands of widows of these civilians were left unaided and may have suffered with their children immensely in those days while Krishna crowned Yudhistir and felt proud to help Pandav get their Kingdom back!!!!!!!!! I request devotees who do not agree with my views to watch Ramanad Sagar's Mahabharat and Ramayan as the serial projects the story as it may have happened thousands of years ago and to decide what you have to comment on our religion. We all love Krishna very much because he is a beautiful God but not for his teachings in Bhagwat Gita to Arjun as the battle was for wealth and Kingdom and not Dharma. Our dear Lord Sai Baba is more easy going and is a sea of mercy. He fulfils every little wish and needs in our daily lives. He never makes us suffer like Krishna made his devotees suffer.

Sai Ram

Shakuntla Vishani B.A. (Hons), PGCE

Sai Baba Community Service Project

Mobile: +255 784 230 057

Email: shakuntlavishani