Session VI (15th October 2007), presented the stand of our traditional wisdom on the need to voluntarily put rational restrictions on our desires and also on the resultant chase of resources for satisfying them. Our tradition calls these restrictions as Dharma. Dharma (duties and responsibilities) is one the two Para economic pursuits of human life, the other being moksha, i.e. salvation. Artha (resources) and Kama (desires), which happen to be the central theme of Economics, have to be achieved, strictly within the framework of the para economic pursuits. It is important to note here that the meaning of Dharma in Sanskrit is not confined to only ‘religion’ as it is interpreted in its derivative languages spoken in India today. Religion, as it is understood in the common parlance in India today, is a particular way of worship, which is a component of Dharma, not its totality. The etymological definition of Dharma, given by Mahabharat, was stated in the session VI. The comprehensive definition was given by Kanada in his Vaisheshika sootra.

Dharma is all that, by following which, we achieve both material prosperity and salvation.

Our tradition firmly believes that the ultimate objective of the human existence (i.e. life) is to realize one’s identity with the Ultimate Reality i.e. salvation. But, for qualifying oneself for the salvation, every human being is required to perform one’s duties and fulfill one’s responsibilities towards the society (the worldly responsibilities) and towards the Creator (the spiritual responsibilities). For both these, every one of us has to earn resources and spend them on activities. Our body is identified as the best instrument of performing the dual set of duties mentioned above.

The body is the best instrument for performing one’s duties and fulfilling one’s responsibilities.

Hence, it is necessary that the body is taken care of by providing adequate resources for it. However, excepting the materialist philosophers in our tradition (Chārvāk and Poorvameemānsaks), all other philosophers, social reformers and saints have repeatedly exhorted that this life is meant for performing one’s duties and fulfilling one’s responsibilities, which were clearly defined according to one’s position in the social hierarchy and the stage in life (Varnāsramadharma). Nowhere, in our traditional literature we find the gratification of wants as the objective of life, let lone saturation. On the contrary, the duties and responsibilities have been repeatedly mentioned by our scriptures and even the popular literature. Rigveda, the oldest scripture in our country, articulates these duties in three categories.

From the time of birth, an enlightened person is tied to three types of debts, viz. the debt to the sages (the spiritual leaders), which is to be repaid by learning, debt to gods, which is to be repaid by performing one’s duties (Yajna), according to one’s position in the social hierarchy and the stage in life (Varnasramadharma) and the debt to the ancestors, which is to be repaid by continuing the family lineage.

The Bhagawadgeeta is much more articulate on this issue. In the third chapter (Karmayoga), explaining the interdependence of the divine beings (gods, whose manifest form is nature and society, as we have stated in an earlier session No. 2) and the humans, the Bhagawadgeeta (song divine) says:

When the gods are pleased by, the human beings, performing their duties, they will bestow on them, the objects of enjoyment (goods and services). (However, as a token of acknowledgment, the human beings are expected to offer back a part of the endowment to gods (i.e. to society and nature). Whosoever enjoys the entire endowment without giving back a part to the gods, is verily a thief.

Mahabharat explains to outcome of an attempt to saturate wants by an ever increasing application of the resources to them. This should teach a good lesson to the proponents of the worship of mammon (wealth) on an ever-increasing scale, for saturating human wants.

The desires never get quenched by consuming resources. They, instead get flared up like the fire on which an offering (usually ghee) is poured.

Saturation of human wants is a self defeating process. But, it has been an implicit objective of both the Capitalist and Communist economic thinking. In the next session, we will see how this mindset has caused the disruption of both, the environment and the society.