Faint Fragrance of Hindu-ness
Departed from the world of vedas and shastras, the urban Hindu has managed to maintain his identity in broken bits and parts, for mostly no obvious fault of his but just being a product of his times swept by the influence of foreign ideologies and all kinds of values being marketed as “Hindu”.
It is intriguing that the life of an urban Hindu may not be very different from an average city dweller anywhere else in the world (he could be living in another country too) but he still continues to carry the faint fragrance of Hindu-ness, something that has survived the vicious onslaughts of Christianized education, westernization, communism, Islam, feminism, secularism and the burden of trans- generational trauma.
It is not less than a miracle that something “Hindu” (no matter how trivial) manages to survive in the deep of city environments, and also in communities that were impacted by very harsh circumstances like the Partition, Bengal genocide, Moplah massacre, Kashmir genocide, etc. This must be acknowledged and appreciated since it shows the obvious power of being Hindu and is a reminder to us that we are still the ancient-most surviving civilization.
Now let us take a closer look at some of the largest common factors that express themselves as the very subtle “Hindu-ness” in the city-bred (or even NRI) Hindus –
- Identified with the name “Hindu”: The strong identification with the word “Hindu” has clung on to many as just a representation of the family they were born in and therefore, ancestral identity, and the fact that they belong to the land called Hindusthan. Often, this is where the Hindu identity starts as well as ends. Calling themselves Hindu is also what differentiates these individuals from Muslims, Christians and other religious groups. Some of these Hindus lead in fighting the enemies. They are usually patriotic and have deep reverence for Bharat.
- Cultural practices: Some traditional Hindu cultural practices are still followed in urban families while, possibly, in a very surface way. These practices are carried on for various reasons – out of genuine belief and pride; to please elders (or due to their pressure); out of fear of something inauspicious happening if the traditions were not followed; or just for external aesthetics and socialization. Some examples – wedding customs, naming ceremony for babies, performance of shraadha, small day-to-day rituals like warding off an evil-eye or chanting a mantra before eating, festival celebration, fasting and praying in a temple before giving an important exam or going for an interview. Such Hindus could include the secular, communist Hindus. It is not necessary that they have any strong attachment with calling themselves “Hindu” (while that could also be). Their Hindu-ness continues to live in these little external ways. It is not lost entirely. Most of the Hindus in this category left their home-towns and villages generations ago, and settled in the metropolitan cities.
- Seekers of Inner-peace: Many urban Hindus, exhausted with their fast-paced life, seek inner-peace. Personal nature, tragic losses, struggle with career/health/family or just the natural inner quest sets them in motion to search a deeper meaning in life. Some of them do feel religion is restrictive, divisive, and old-fashioned, and they would rather go down a “spiritual” path for healing. These Hindus start following spiritual masters, guides/life coaches and cults. Selective aspects of what these “masters”, coaches and cults teach is easily identifiable as “Hindu”, for example, meditation, study of Bhagavad Gita, chanting mantras, contemplation on Upanishads and advaita vedanta, rising at brahma-mahurat, temple worship, etc. The lifestyle of these seekers starts emitting Hindu-ness which they themselves may deny or be unaware of. Some also think they are on a very high path of spirituality which is not a Hindu dharma. These seekers are following some or several, partial or distorted version of traditional dharmic principles.
- The rebel: Belonging to orthodox Hindu families (even in the urban setting), these Hindus take pride in “breaking-free” from what they view as “shackles of traditionalism” that was followed in their homes (strictly) till two-three generations ago. At some point and over some incident, they decided to lead a liberal lifestyle (often an inter-caste/religion love marriage, moving abroad for jobs or some financial compulsion). However, since tradition is in their blood, they cannot do away with it entirely. They discard what they don’t like but continue to follow several Hindu practices that can be carried out with a liberal lifestyle.
These categories of Hindus (not mutually exclusive or exhaustive), do have the faint fragrance of Hindu-ness left in them. As a reader, you may even identify with one or more of these. This is great news since it proves that the seeds of Sanatana dharma lie potent in you due to some great karma and power of your ancestors.
If these seeds are watered sooner than later, we would witness a great transformation of lives and society, gently propelling Bharat towards prosperity, balance and global glory. Most of all, by nurturing these seeds you will be able gift something precious to the next generations – an inheritance that shall be a true blessing.
Why not start watering the seeds of dharma in your own life and derive great benefit for yourself and those around you?
