Religion, religious scriptures

Do religious scriptures become inferior because they are man-made or imperfect?

Even while admitting that the Vedas, Manusmriti, Quran, Bible, Avesta, Torah are man-made, one cannot but become amazed at the advancement and human welfare achieved by their creators in those times and feel respect for them.  The imperfection seen in these scriptures is not only forgivable but perfectly understandable given that they are subject to human error.  That does not make them seem inferior.  But giving the status of divine commandments to the Vedas, Puranas, Avesta, Quran, Torah and Bible, far from investing them with divinity, actually lowers God to the status of a fallible human.  Rather than the creator of the scripture becoming a messenger of God, it is God who is reduced to the level of a human!  And then these scriptures too become the subject of ridicule and harmful.  (Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p.371)

Scriptural sanction not essential

Taking into consideration all the accumulated wisdom to date and looking far towards the horizons of the future as far as the eye can see, we should put into practice whatever is useful in the national interest, irrespective of whether or not this has scriptural sanction.  (1934, Vidnyannishtha nibandha or pro-science essays, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p.371)

Use your reason while reading scriptures

Decide for yourself what is true and false in your scripture. (Savarkaraanchya goshti or Short stories by Savarkar, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 2, p.586)

Religious superstition renders simple words incomprehensible.  Those who are otherwise discerning and sharp-witted also become blind and dull.  Those who never get deceived willingly deceive themselves.  (Savarkaraanchya goshti or Short stories by Savarkar), Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 2, p.573)

True devotion

That which makes man divine is true devotion; that which reduces god to be as blind, weak, docile and foolish as man is not devotion but superstition!  (Samaj chitre or Portraits of society, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 2, p.688)

What leads to victory in this world?

Irrespective of whether they might believe in the Puranas or the Quran, those who have powerful worldly means alone will secure worldly kingdoms, worldly triumphs and worldly power!  (1934, Savarkaraanchya goshti or Short stories by Savarkar, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 2, p.596)

Discard the blind notion that we shall prevail because we have god and truth on our side.  Do not get swayed by the notion of divine support in the religious sense.  Accept whole-heartedly the principle that ‘strength belongs to he who struggles’.  Exert to outdo your opponent by using scientifically proven powerful means.  This is the only way to victory!  This is not to say that we should become unjust or cause offence to others.  But we should remember that if justice does not have strength on its side, it will be invariably subdued by an unjust force.  Virtuosity that is devoid of strength is lame.  (1934, Vidnyannishtha nibandha or pro-science essays, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p.306)

We are indebted to our savants

From Nachiketa (*who as a mere child is said to have gained knowledge of the Self from Yama, the god of death ) to Narada (*the progeny of Sri Brahma and devotee par excellence of Sri Vishnu, Narada is the ultimate nomad who propounded the process of devotional service, known as bhakti yoga; he is also the exponent of music and drama), our teachers and savants made superhuman efforts to attain the divine and in the process proved that the divine is beyond the comprehension (of mere mortals).  We can never repay the debt of these savants as also our shrutis and smritis for so proving this.  (1934, Vidnyannishtha nibandha or pro-science essays, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p.314)

Accept what is relevant from the smritis and cherish their memory

Read the shlokas from the smritis only from a historical viewpoint.  You will find much that is beneficial in them even for the present times.  Follow that which is beneficial and discard that which is harmful and ridiculous.  But do not labour under a misconception that the very memory of these smritis is harmful and ridiculous.  Instead, compare them with the available contemporary religious and law texts of the Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations and you will realize that our ancient texts should be given a pride of place.  The smritis are the revered remnants of the foundations on which the towering edifice of our Hindu nation was built in those ancient times.  We should fondly cherish their memory.  (Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 4, p.262)

Gone are the days of organizing society on the basis of religious scriptures

A society that chains itself to one religious scripture will necessarily remain as backward as the age of that scripture. Gone are the days of organizing society on the basis of religious scriptures!  Fortunately, Hindu philosophy does not imprison the mind but allows its free expression.  In fact, this is our crowning glory!  It is sufficient to consider the Vedas, Upanishads, Gita and such scriptures as being worthy of reverence and respect.   By no means should they be considered infallible.  (1937, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p.653)

A smriti (*law book) for the nation

What shrutis and smritis are you talking about?  The very existence of the shrutis and smritis, indeed of our Hindu nation itself is under threat.  Whatever causes the nation to survive and advance, whatever protects the shrutis and smritis should be considered shraut and smaart (*adjective forms of shruti and smriti respectively).  If the old smritis are not relevant, prepare new ones.  Smritis are subservient to the nation.  A smriti that harms the nation is no smriti but self-amnesia (* In a play of words, Savarkar has used the word ‘smritibhransh’).  That which does not uphold is no dharma but vidharma.  (1937, Hindutvache panchapran or The Spirit of Hindutva, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p.653)

How should one read religious scriptures?

The only fair and helpful criterion to be applied while independently studying different religions is to remain truthful and free of bias towards and against any particular religion.  The foremost principle that should be followed by a student of religion is to realize that, from the rudimentary Hottentot and Andamanese religions to the most advanced Vedanta, all religious and philosophical ideas are a common heritage of humankind.  They were efforts designed to attain human welfare in this world and in the hereafter.  As such these efforts deserve our deepest gratitude.  Study and respect all these religious scriptures with this attitude in mind.

It is in our interests to accept anything that is eternally truthful in any religious creed.  Likewise, it is also in our interests to discard those beliefs which may have seemed correct in a particular time and circumstance, but no longer seem so with the searchlight of science. A seeker of truth should consider it his duty; in fact his religious duty to discard what is harmful in the present time and circumstance!  (1935, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p.542-543)

Why should human beings despise each other after reading religious scriptures?

When we read the poetry of Milton, Homer, Valmiki, Omar Khayyam; history books written by Kant, Spencer, Kapil, Spinoza; science books on electricity, light, heat; works on technology, medicine, sculpture and novels, we fondly consider all of them as our common heritage irrespective of the place of their origin.  Readers do not generally get lose their sanity and break each others’ skulls when they read these books.  Why can’t we likewise read these five or ten religious scriptures peacefully?  Why should each of these five or ten books cause murder and mayhem, insult and abuse over a period of centuries?  Why should their reading breed enmity between man and man?  If this is the result of reading them, then these scriptures are not religious but irreligious scriptures!  (1935, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p.544)

True worship of the Creator

Man can only understand to the extent possible the laws governing the working of the First Principle and to accept and use those that are in the interests of humankind.  What promotes human happiness is good, what promotes human sorrow is bad - this should be our defining principle.  The creation, of which we are but a part, is favourable to us to a very small extent.   By and large, it is unfavourable to us.  We need to boldly understand this fact and face it with courage.  This is true humanism!  It is also true worship of the Creator!!  (1934, Vidnyannishtha nibandha or pro-science essays, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p.297)

Praying to God

Man turns to God in times of difficulty and desperation.   While he does this for his own satisfaction, it would be incorrect to assume that God will help him.  Man may pray to God for the satisfaction he may derive from doing so!  (1933, Hindu samaj sanrakshak Savarkar or Savarkar, the protector of Hindu society, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p.304)