Shraman Sanskruti Ki Vaidik Sanskruti Ko Den - Book Summary

Here is a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text, "Shraman Sanskruti ki Vaidik Sanskruti ko Den" by Darbarilal Kothiya:

Book Title: Shraman Sanskruti ki Vaidik Sanskruti ko Den (The Contribution of Shraman Culture to Vedic Culture) Author: Darbarilal Kothiya

This text argues that Indian culture is a result of the interaction and mutual influence between two ancient, distinct traditions: Vedic (Brahmanical) culture and Avaidik (Shraman) culture. The author posits that the Shraman culture, which is primarily represented by Jainism and Buddhism, has made significant and foundational contributions to what is now recognized as Vedic culture, particularly in areas where Vedic culture was initially lacking or undeveloped.

Key Arguments and Content:

The text begins by acknowledging that a coexistence of opposing ideas, like good and evil, merit and sin, has always been present in India. It asserts that Shraman culture has existed in India since the earliest times and has faced opposition since its inception, even during the time of Lord Rishabhdev. Due to their long co-existence, both cultures have significantly influenced each other. The author highlights non-violence (ahimsa), idol worship (murti-puja), and spirituality (adhyatma) as key contributions of Shraman culture to other cultures, including the Vedic one.

The author defines culture as the collective ideas, practices, customs, lifestyle, diet, attire, religion, ethics, vows, and festivals that characterize a society or nation. India, being vast, has always had diverse thoughts and practices. Therefore, the author suggests that a single, universally accepted culture has never existed. Instead, there have been two dominant cultures in ancient India: Vedic and Avaidik. Vedic culture is based on Vedic injunctions and rituals, while Avaidik culture is rooted in the experiences and teachings of specific individuals (like Tirthankaras and Buddha). These two cultures have both conflicted and influenced each other.

Analysis of Vedic (Brahmanical) Culture:

The text critiques certain aspects of early Vedic culture:

Emphasis on Ritual and Violence: Vedic culture, centered around the Vedas, prioritized Vedic rituals. It accepted various forms of violence as legitimate, famously stating, "Sacrificial violence is not violence" (Yajnikii himsa himsa na bhavati). This led to the acceptance and justification of practices like meat consumption, alcohol consumption, and sexual indulgence. The text quotes Manu Smriti to illustrate this point, where such practices are described as natural tendencies of beings, implying a lack of control and the difficulty of abstaining from them. Specific examples of Vedic rituals involving the sacrifice of a year-old red cow and a white goat are cited as evidence of violence being prescribed.
Absence of Personal God Worship and Idol Worship in Early Stages: Initially, Vedic culture was more focused on action and ritual rather than the worship of a personal God. The Vedas themselves were considered paramount, and attributing divinity to any particular person would have challenged their perceived divine origin. Consequently, Vedic hymns only invoked deities like Indra and Varuna. The worship of personal deities like Rama, Krishna, Shiva, and Vishnu, along with the construction of temples and establishment of pilgrimage sites for them, came much later.
Action-Oriented Rather Than Spirituality-Oriented: According to historians and critics, Vedic culture was primarily action-oriented, not spirituality-oriented. The concept of the soul was not discussed in the Vedas but emerged later through the Upanishads. The Mandukya Upanishad categorizes knowledge into two types: Para (higher, referring to self-knowledge) and Apara (lower, referring to rituals). The Chandogya Upanishad suggests that knowledge of the self was acquired from Kshatriyas, while ritualistic knowledge came from Brahmins, implying that self-knowledge was not an inherent part of Vedic culture in its early stages.
Focus on Heaven, Not Liberation: The Vedas prescribe attaining heaven through rituals like sacrifices. The concept of moksha (liberation) or nishreyasa was not discussed in early Vedic texts and was incorporated later into the culture.
Lack of Spiritual Practices: The Vedas do not provide a place for spiritual practices like penance (tapas), renunciation (tyaga), meditation (dhyana), self-control (samyama), and mental calmness (shama). They primarily focus on instructions like "perform sacrifices if you desire heaven."

Analysis of Avaidik (Shraman) Culture:

In contrast, the text details the contributions of Shraman culture:

Pioneering Non-Violence (Ahimsa): Shraman culture places supreme importance on non-violence in action, speech, and thought. Acharya Samantabhadra is quoted as defining non-violence as the universally known supreme Brahma. This principle was first articulated and practiced by Lord Rishabhdev at the dawn of civilization and was passed down through Tirthankaras like Neminath, Parshvanath, and Mahavir. The author asserts that the prevalence of non-violence in Vedic culture is a direct contribution from Shraman culture.
Emphasis on Personal Divinity and Idol Worship: Shraman culture established the importance of enlightened individuals (like Tirthankaras) and their experiences, asserting that such individuals could be divine and free from all impurities. This led to the worship and veneration of these enlightened beings, the construction of temples, and the establishment of pilgrimage sites for them. The author argues that this had such a profound impact that even followers of the Veda began to consider it divinely created and accepted figures like Rama, Krishna, Shiva, and Vishnu as incarnations of God, leading to the construction of temples and pilgrimage sites for them within the Vedic tradition as well.
Spirituality and Self-Knowledge as Primary: While Vedic culture is described as action-oriented, Shraman culture is characterized as spirituality-oriented, with action being secondary. This culture, originating from the self-knowledge of the Kshatriya Tirthankaras, influenced Vedic culture through the Upanishads, which promoted Vedanta (the end of the Vedas). The author considers the infusion of self-knowledge into Vedic culture a significant and unique contribution of Shraman culture.
Concept of Liberation (Moksha): The Vedas consider heaven to be the ultimate destination. In contrast, Shraman culture views heaven as a temporary worldly existence, from which one must return. The ultimate goal is Moksha, a state of eternal, intrinsic happiness, leading to becoming a liberated soul (Siddha Purusha) who never returns. The recognition of Moksha is attributed to Shraman culture, which was later adopted by Vedic culture.
Spiritual Practices and True Knowledge: Shraman culture emphasizes the soul as worthy of pursuit and the body, senses, and worldly pleasures as objects to be renounced. It promotes practices like compassion (ahimsa), self-control (dama), renunciation (aparigraha), and meditation/concentration (samadhi) for liberation from worldly bondage. It also emphasizes acquiring true knowledge of the self (tattva) through valid means of knowledge (pramana) and logical reasoning (naya). The text concludes by stating that non-violence, self-control, non-possession, meditation, and self-knowledge, which were initially absent in Vedic culture and scriptures, were later adopted and integrated into it, representing an exceptional contribution from Shraman culture to Vedic culture.

In essence, the book asserts that many of the spiritual and ethical advancements that are commonly associated with or later became integral to Vedic tradition have their roots in the much older Shraman tradition.