​How do we counter the many misconceptions about dharma in today’s mainstream society? (Hindi)

Answer Podcast

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Transcript

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.

There are many beliefs that have come into being in today's education system, that the westerners have been misinterpreted, and they are learning. So how can we condemn that? We always have to choose our battles. If you look at the history of the world, you will see that when does a war happen? It happens when a person with great intelligence decides which battle to fight and which battle to avoid.

Hitler went to the east and west in one direction. He kept winning in the west. And if he kept going to the west, he could have won the whole of Europe.

And then he invaded Russia. He won a lot of battles in Russia. Later, Russia rebelled.

And when he started invading from both sides, he could not rebel. So, of course, Hitler was wrong. He was very cruel.

But the point here is that a person who tries to fight a lot does not win any battle. So when we promote, we have to choose our battles. People have many misconceptions.

Society has many misconceptions. So we cannot immediately remove all misconceptions. That is why we have to do it slowly.

So the important things that we have to worship God, that we are not a body but a soul, we have to focus on these important things first. And if we really focus on these things, if we worship God and people's hearts change, then we do not have to focus on other things. Whether it happens or not, it does not matter to me.

So, these misconceptions, it is important to remove them. But for that, special training is necessary many times. In a special way, time, intelligence and efficiency are necessary.

For example, people who say something wrong about Ramayana, they have studied Ramayana, read Ramayana Sanskrit, even though Sanskrit is given in a different language, but it is important for us to read Sanskrit and understand it. If we want to criticize a scientist, then we have to learn science for that. For that, there must be a devotee who is very interested in that.

He can specialize in that. Then he can criticize that. But generally, we do not have to think that the whole world is full of bad people who are saying wrong things.

No. There are people in Satyaguna, Rajoguna and Tamoguna. And if we tell the right thing in a good way, then many people are ready to accept it.

There are some people who are not ready to accept it. I was reading a book by a priest. In the academic world, progress happens one grave at a time.

What does it mean? In the academic world, there are scholars. How does their way of thinking change? Progress happens one grave at a time. What does it mean? Scholars live with their own opinions and die with their own opinions.

What does it mean? Scholars live with their own opinions and die with their own opinions. They do not leave it. But what happens? If we write a book, if we teach something, or if we write a special book, then how can we understand what is right and what is wrong? In reality, some people say that Ram was good, some people say that Ravan was good.

So, if we tell the right thing in a good way, then those who have propagated that Ravan was good, that Ravan was not bad, they are not going to change. But if the people of the next generation, or the people of the future, see that this man is saying this, this man is saying that, then they will say that this is not right. This makes more sense.

Then they will change their opinion. So, in our Vedic culture, in today's Hindu religion, the Hindus focus on individual careers, not on careers, it feels as socially influential. Meaning, becoming an engineer, becoming a doctor, getting a good salary, having a big house, they feel very happy with that.

But to change the ideology of the society, there is a Germanist, there is a lawyer, there is a popular scholar, not a cheap scholar, but one who knows a lot of people. In this way, many Hindus had a lot of work. Because of that, because of that, because of that, now, the understanding of Hinduism, if someone has to give it to someone, who will give it? So, now, if a person says that, suppose there are two cars, one is a Maruti car, and the other is a Suzuki car, so, if people in Nashik want to buy a car, and if Maruti does not come here, then Suzuki car is available.

And everyone buys a Suzuki car here. And people from Maruti company come here and say, our car is not available here. And you did not come.

So, who is going to buy your car? By the way, what has happened is that, for many generations, in the last 4-5 generations, from 7-8 generations, the understanding of Vedic culture, according to the tradition, has not been given by anyone. And now people do not understand what Hinduism is. So, now, Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, many devotees, my friends, they edit the entries in Wikipedia.

So, if they have told something about Prabhupada ji, about Krishna, something inappropriate, then they can edit it. So, if they, with proper reasoning, according to the scriptures, with proper logic, if they explain, then the editing is done there. And they accept it there.

So, the thing is that, to blame the society, or to blame others, is very easy. But it does not change anything. Because we are not accepting our responsibility.

So, you are telling the truth that if someone learns Sanskrit from Kashi, and someone does a PhD from Harvard and learns Sanskrit, then Harvard PhD will be given more respect. This is true. But, how will it change? When, the topic is Sanskrit.

So, if, someone who has learnt Sanskrit from Kashi, will show that the meaning of the scriptures here, this is a more reasonable, more intelligent understanding. And what they are telling, is not right. If you explain in this way, then it will change gradually.

So, it is not like that, all the people of western countries, are very bad, and trying to give wrong meaning to everything. Charles Wilkins was the first person, who translated Bhagavad Gita in English in 1785. So, actually, he was very interested in Sanskrit, but he was ready to teach any Brahmin Sanskrit.

He said, I am a Brahmin, I will not teach you. So, actually, he was in a very good position in the British government. And, at that time, the British government was ruling.

So, he could reach there. So, he went from there, and stayed in a hut in Kashi. And, for many years, he studied there as a priest.

So, whoever has learnt Sanskrit, they have worked hard. So, it is not like that, actually, when he learnt Sanskrit, Charles Wilkins, when you read about his life, he was in love with Sanskrit. And, of course, because he had come from a special background, so, he must have told the meaning in a way.

But, it is not like that, all the people were bad. That, if they had got the right understanding, they would have understood it right. According to their ability, they have understood it right sometimes.

According to their ability, they have understood what they felt was right. And, sometimes, there are many such people, who have intentionally misunderstood. So that, the misunderstanding of Vedic Shastras also spreads.

But, it is not like that, the people in the western countries, they, who had come to India, they were all bad people. There were different kinds of people among them. Some people were really trying to understand Indian culture.

Some people were intentionally trying to tell it wrong. So, this, our, our, our, our war this is what we have to concentrate on. If I want to fight this battle, fine, I can fight it, but for that, I have to take some training.

These are all demons. If we say so, it does not make a lot of difference. It does not have much effect.

If we call them demons, they will call us ghosts. And then it does not make a difference. No one gets much change.

So that is why, we unnecessarily, Because the things which are not important for us, there are many misconceptions in the society, but many times it happens that I have seen that the misconceptions about Mahabharata and Ramayana, I came to know about these misconceptions after coming to ISKCON. Like PK movie, OMG movie, lakhs and lakhs of people have seen it. So if it is mentioned in that, then it means that Mahabharata is not complete.

But if a Pandit has written something somewhere, people don't know about it, then what does it mean that it is not complete? It is like, a person who has come to watch a boxing match, he calls him inside and beats him. So we should focus on the knowledge which is relevant for our audience. And if it is not relevant for them, then we should be able to do it for others.

Or we should be trained to correct the misconceptions of others. Or we should have such devotees who can be trained and who can connect with them. But for us, if we are able to fight and win the war which is in front of us, then we will be able to promote the movement of Krishnabhau Mahabharata.

Thank you very much.