Decolonising Morality : Hindu thought challenges Western intellectual hegemony

Prof. Varun Gulati’s Book ‘Hindu Thought : A Foundation of Moral Living’ dismantles the notion of a singular, Western-defined morality. By delving into Dharma, Karma, and the interconnectedness of existence, Prof. Gulati reframes ethical living through Indian lens.

The nature of academic discourse in India is changing after almost 70 years of intellectual ascendancy by left-leaning intelligentsia. New voices are finding prominent space in academia, and a constructive narrative has started to build as intellectual agents compete productively to add to the corpus of Indian academia. One of the most important lines of intellectual thought that has mainstreamed itself over the years is the Bharatiya thought, the roots of which are founded in Indian philosophy, literature, languages, culture and way of life.

This Bharatiya thought is the focus point of a new book titled Hindu Thought : A Foundation of Moral Living written by Varun Gulati. Varun Gulati is an Associate Professor at the Department of English, University of Delhi and has contributed significantly to literature concerned with Bharatiya philosophy, culture and way of life. Hindu Thought, a debut work of non-fiction by the author, joins the ranks of seminal literary works that are canonising an India-centric worldview in literature and academic thought by reclaiming the narrative and decolonising the intellectual space.

The book begins with a hefty 26-page introduction which introduces the reader to the intellectual seed that germinates through the course of the book. The author establishes the groundwork by explaining the issues of ethical inquiry, spiritual contemplation and practical wisdom that are fundamentally associated with the Hindu thought. He relies heavily on the ancient Indian canonical texts – the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Puranas to postulate the ideals of a moral living.

The book posits that morality, as per the Bharatiya Sanskriti, is not restricted to the principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong, and good and bad. It is rooted in the universality of existence, all-inclusive behaviour and practices, syncretism, Divine relation of the Earth and the human, dialogue, debates and discussion and self-realisation. These virtues of Hindu culture and morality are titular of the eight detailed chapters through which the author has exemplified the values that constitute an ideal living experience.

Hindu, Dharma and Duty

For defining who a Hindu is, the author alludes to various sources, including the geographical, historical, legal, and Vedic genesis. These definitions become crucial throughout the book as they give legitimacy to the core argument of the book in defining the foundations of an ideal life. Allusions to define a ‘Hindu’ range from the ancient Indian text of Rigveda, which uses the suffix ‘-Hindu’ in a polysemic context, to the Sindhu (Indus) civilisational origin believed to have been coined by foreigners (also the most commonly taught origin of the word Hindu), and even the influential definition by the Supreme Court of India which described Hinduism as a ‘way of life …’.

The author then defines Dharma as the ‘fulfilment of one’s commitments towards assigned duties to ascertain a smooth functioning of the society’. He refers to the Mahabharata, Atharvaveda, Chandrogyopanishad and various other ancient Hindu texts to pillar the vast concept of duty and resilience that forms the core of Bharatiya Sanskriti and the Hindu way of life.

Interestingly, the author moves away from the commonly misconceived translation of Dharma as religion, and expounds it as a heterogeneous concept that acts as a cohesive bond in society and results in unity and seamless functioning. He complements Dharma with the Hindu principles of satya, karuna, suchita and tapas, which form the spiritual and ethical essence of Dharma. The author posits Dharma as the most important principle of an ethical and moral life.

In the eight chapters that the book is divided into, the author has attempted to build a conscientious footing for the titular Hindu thought and Bharatiya culture as inarguably one of the most sustainable ways of civilisational concatenation.

The Hindu Way of Life and Society

In the initial chapters, Varun Gulati dwells on the transient nature of Hindu thought that defines human existence with respect to the universe-Brahman-as well as the principles and practices of Hinduism that render it as one of the most inclusive, pragmatic and dynamic religions. With the conception of omniscience of the universe, he puts forth the fundamental intellectual basis of Hindu tradition which perceives the human condition as an outcome of the events of the universe on a larger canvas than mere day-to-day existence.

Unity, Diversity and Syncretism

The author further highlights the ancient fabric of the Hindu thought that has passionately embraced beings and individuals with their distinct identities, and which continues to be a commanding principle of moral living. This part of the book strongly highlights the fabric of Hindu and Bharatiya culture which is rooted in welcoming multiplicity of thoughts and integration of all people.

He points out global integrity, unity of all systems, inclusivity and boundless acceptance as the drivers of Hinduism, which makes it an all-embracing paradigm of composite and equitable existence. He talks of this inclusive wisdom and traces the origins to ancient texts and teachings of Rishis. He presents the Hindu way of society as a counter to hegemonic tendencies and oligarchic structures as the Hindu culture finds a fine balance between individual existence and collective well-being.

Hinduism, with its core tenets and beliefs, has combined different beliefs and schools of thought by assimilating several originally discrete traditions, asserting an underlying unity and allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths. The epochal ‘unity and diversity’ is not alien to the Hindu way of life; in fact, it is one of its pillars and resonates through the literature and practices of the Bharatiya culture.

This section of the book also deals with the origin of Bharat (India) as a Rashtra (State) and provides insights into the political realm of the Hindu belief system. The author propounds the origin of different sects within the Hindu culture not as a departure from Hindu thought, but as a syncretic outcome of a moral and just society that thrives on inclusivity and gives space for each intellectual thread to grow and prosper. The analogy of a tree and its various branches can most aptly capture the syncretism that is indigenous to the core tenets of Hindu thought.

Hindu Way of Life : A Sustainable Model

In further chapters, the author explores the relationship between Earth and humans as envisioned in Hindu tradition, the welfare of all people, and the intellectual stimulus that originates from open discussions and dialogues (and not in closeted spaces).

Hinduism accords the status of mother to the Earth – Prithvimata. The author explores this trope and studies the close connection between humanity and Earth, and by extension highlights the importance that is given to the natural order of things in the Hindu way of life.

The World Is One Family

In underpinning the inherent values of welfare and auspiciousness of ‘all’, the author refers to the longstanding Hindu conviction of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, a phrase from an ancient Sanskrit text that translates into ‘The World Is One Family’. This ancient Hindu motto has underpinnings of a globalised thought that endorses global peace and universal brotherhood.

Discuss, Realise and Exist

In the last few chapters of the book, the author brings to light the vivacity of Hindu thought through the conduits of discussions, self-realisation and a comparative study of distinct religious establishments, i.e., Abrahamic religions and Hindu culture.

Varun Gulati focuses on the critical underpinnings of the Hindu culture that thrive on embracing distinct discourses and lead to debate and discussions, and an eventual consensus for an ideal living. This practice is inclusive of scientific, philosophical and religious facets and strives to strike a perfect balance among diverse schools of thought.

This also leads to the universality of a perspective that can be accorded the status of an ideal and moral epithet for everyone to accept, according to their own interpretations and conveniences.

The author maintains that an ideal state of ‘existence’ leads to self-realisation – an eternal quest – and culminates in the attainment of spiritual awareness and one’s place in the universe (Brahman).

Comparative Model for the Hindu and Abrahamic Religions

The book concludes with a seminal chapter titled ‘Semitic Religions and the Hindu’, outlining the fundamental distinctions that the two schools of thought hold, correcting the misinterpretation of mainstream narrative that falsely builds parallels between Western thought and the Hindu Sanskriti, and highlighting the common systems of divinity that are central to almost all religions of the world.

This chapter provides analytical scrutiny, historical contextualisation, and comparative frameworks to understand the Hindu and Abrahamic religions in a broader aspect. The author’s analysis dichotomises the core principles of Hindu and Western thought as the promotion of the highest spiritual life versus the eternal pursuit of happiness, the latter being the driving motto of the West. A wide array of distinctions is elucidated by the author throughout the chapter when it comes to worship practices, inclusivity principles, tolerance, and other tenets of Hindu religion in contrast to Abrahamic religions.

The author concludes by recognising the incessant requirement for each religion to undergo transformation with changing time, while retaining their fundamental character and philosophical structure. Hinduism, at the end, comes across as one of the best examples of doing just this.

This book is an important work for anyone who wishes to undertake a serious inquiry into understanding the historical, philosophical, cultural, and scholarly roots of the Bharatiya-Hindu tradition that has dictated the Indian way of life for aeons. The narrative of this book is entrenched in changing the Western influence on Indian intelligentsia and providing a corpus of Indian literature originating from within the Indian academia, and with an Indian lens, rather than a Eurocentric worldview.

The book undoubtedly goes beyond augmenting Hindu thought as a foundation of moral living and cements the scholarly approach towards religion and culture in building a stronger discourse for heritage, literature, history, and other significant markers of human life.

(Courtesy : Excerpts from a book review by Prof. Aakash Sharma on bharatabharati.in; 20.8.2024)

(Prof. Aakash Sharma is an English Literature major from the University of Delhi. He teaches English Literature and Language at Satyawati College, University of Delhi.)

An ideal state of ‘existence’ leads to self-realisation – an eternal quest – and culminates in attainment of spiritual awareness !