Righteousness (Dharma)

य उद्धरेत्‍करं राजा प्रजा धर्मेष्‍वशिक्षयन्‌ ।
प्रजानां शमलं भुङ्‌क्‍ते भगं च स्‍वं जहाति स: ।। - श्रीमद्‌भागवत ४.२१.२४

 Meaning: (King Pruthu told his royal assembly) The king who levies taxes on his subjects without teaching them about Righteousness (Dharma) has to suffer for their sins and loses his opulence. - Shrimadbhagvat 4.21.24

By making unrighteous people follow Righteousness the king should bring them under the purview of morals and rules. Manu says that Righteousness is the monarch even of kings and the code of punishment by kings has been created to protect it. Righteousness followed in the Mahabharat is based on intellectual analysis. Ritualistic worship (karmakand) advocated by the holy texts - the Shrutis and Smrutis is accorded a secondary status in the Mahabharat.

A. Rule of Righteousness: ‘Mere preaching does not change a person. To turn man towards Righteousness either the incentive of rewards or the fear of punishment is necessary. Religious scriptures or the Purans describe the benefits of various religious rites. Hence people are seen following the righteous path in order to gain these rewards. However preaching or explaining the benefits of following Righteousness does not have any effect whatsoever on people with immoral tendencies. Such people have to be punished and brought to the righteous path. Since the rule of Righteousness cannot be established without punishment and rewards, the following three constituents of Righteousness prove essential.

1. Decisions about Righteousness and unrighteousness: In this it is decided whether an act is righteous or unrighteous and specific punishment is meted out for a particular unrighteous act and a specific reward is awarded for a particular righteous act.

2. Decisions about punishment and rewards: This is called justice in other words. Here it is decided that a particular person who has performed a particular righteous or unrighteous act should receive a particular reward or punishment.

3. The administration: Arresting and punishing the unrighteous and rewarding the righteous are functions executed by the administration (government).

All these constituents instead of being under the purview of an individual should be controlled by different people or organisations because when only one person, organisation or class controls it, it generates terror among the people. This is well illustrated by the story of King Ven from the holy text, Bhagvat. Ven undertook the responsibility of both, the administration as well as deciding about Righteousness (Dharma) and unrighteousness, upon himself. This led to the development of fear and unrest among his subjects. The sages then united, slew King Ven and instated the crown prince Pruthu as the king.’

Both the wealthy as well as the poor have the right to make spiritual progress. Hence, at one juncture Manu has stated that a king should make a rich man who does not give donations to do so and a poor man who does not undertake austerities to undertake them by suitably punishing him.

Punishing evildoers and Righteousness and unrighteousness

‘Koutilya has clearly preached that so long as one is powerful harbouring an ideal of fighting righteously does not cause any harm; however if one is weak then one should unhesitantly employ all means in confirmity with the scriptures or otherwise, to emerge victorious even if it proves to be an unrighteous fight. (Koutilya Arthashastra 10.3). Shukracharya too has propagated the same view (Shukraniti 1.350).’

1. यो यथा वर्तते यस्‍मिंस्‍तस्‍मिन्‍नेव प्रवर्तयन्‌ ।
नाधर्मं समवाप्‍नोति नचाश्रेयश्च विन्‍दति ।। - महाभारत ५.१७८.५३

Meaning: Behaviour with someone in the same way as he behaves is not unrighteous and does not cause any untoward result. - Mahabharat 5.178.53

2. यस्‍मिन्‍यथा वर्तते यो मनुष्‍यस्‍तस्‍मिंस्‍तथा वर्तितव्‍यं स धर्म: ।
मायाचारो मायया वर्तितव्‍य: साध्‍वाचार: साधुना प्रत्‍युपेय: ।। - महाभारत ५.३७.७

Meaning: One should behave with someone in the same way as he behaves. This itself is Righteousness (Dharma). One should behave craftily with the deceitful and righteously with the straightforward. - Mahabharat 5.37.7

3. स चेन्‍निकृत्‍या युध्‍येत निकृत्‍या प्रतियोधयेत्‌ ।
अथ चेद्धर्मतो युध्‍येद्धर्मेणैव निवारयेत्‌ ।। - महाभारत १२.९५.९

Meaning: If the opposite party fights deceitfully then one should also do so. On the contrary if it fights righteously then one should also combat it righteously. - Mahabharat 12.95.9

4. मायावी मायया वध्‍य: सत्‍यमेतद्युधिष्‍ठिर ।। - महाभारत ९.३१.७

Meaning: (Shrikrushna says) O Yudhishthir, it is the truth that a deceitful man should be annihilated deceitfully. - Mahabharat 9.31.7

5. मायया निर्जिता देवैरसुरा इति न: श्रुतम्‌ ।। - महाभारत ९.५८.५

Meaning: (Shrikrushna preaches to Arjun) I have heard that the deities triumphed over the demons using unrighteous means. - Mahabharat 9.58.5

6. निकृत्‍या निकृतिप्रज्ञा हन्‍तव्‍या इति निश्चय: ।
न हि नैकृतिकं हत्‍वा निकृत्‍या पापमुच्‍यते ।। - महाभारत ३.५२.२२

Meaning: There is a doctrine which says that a deceitful enemy should be slain by unrighteous means. This does not amount to sin. - Mahabharat 3.52.22

7. भीमसेनस्‍तु धर्मेण युध्‍यमानो न जेष्‍यति ।
अन्‍यायेन तु युध्‍यन्‍वै हन्‍यादेव सुयोधनम्‌ ।। - महाभारत ९.५८.४

Meaning: (Shrikrushna tells Arjun) If Bhimsen fights righteously then he will not emerge victorious; but if he fights unjustly then he will definitely slay Suyodhan. - Mahabharat 9.58.4

8. पूर्वापकारिणं हत्‍वा न ह्यधर्मेण युज्‍यते ।। - रामायण २.९६.२४

Meaning: If the one who has acted unrighteously first is slain then it does not amount to unrighteousness. - Ramayan 2.96.24

9. नाधर्मो विद्यते कश्चिच्‍छत्रून्‍हत्‍वाततायिन: ।
अधर्म्‍यमयशस्‍यं च शात्रवाणां प्रयाचनम्‌ ।। - महाभारत ५.३.२१

Meaning: No sin arises out of killing a terrorising enemy; on the contrary pleading before it, is unrighteous and a stigma on one’s reputation. - Mahabharat 5.3.21

 Another important pilgrim center that is close to Mysore is Melkote or Tirunarayanapuram. Melkote is about 60kms from Mysore city and is located in a hilly region that comprises some of the oldest rock formations on earth. Cradled in the middle of these hills is the temple town of Melkote. This town gained religious importance in the 12th century AD when the famous South Indian Vaishnava philosopher and teacher, Sri Ramanuja lived in Melkote for around 12 years.

Melkote is nearing to Mysore in Karnataka houses an ancient shrine to Vishnu, worshipped as TiruNarayana. This shrine is known for its long standing association with the spiritual leader Ramanujacharya. Melkote is also known as Yadavagiri, yatistalam, Vedadri and Narayanadri.

Melkote is located in the Mandya district, Karanataka State in South India. It is around 30 kms from Pandavapura, 25 kms from Mandya and 160 kms from Bangalore (3 hours drive appx). It is at an altitude of about 900 metres above the sea level. The place has a very long history, dating back to "Kritha" Yuga, when it was called "Vedadri". In "Thretha" Yuga it was called "Narayanadri" and in "Dwapara" Yuga was called "Yadavadri". The main deity Cheluvanarayana, is known to have been worshipped by Sri Krishna and Balarama in Dwapara Yuga. In "Kali" Yuga, Acharya Sri Ramanuja, reinstalled the deity and the place came to be known as "Yathisaila". Melkote is equated to the famous Badarinath, and is called Dakshina Badari Kshetra. (South Badari)

Life in Melkote is centered around the Cheluvanarayanaswamy temple in the town and the Yoganarasimhaswamy temple on the hill overlooking the town of Melkote. It is these temples that have made the town a popular tourist attraction. These temples have helped to preserve the tradition of the town and at the same time is a repository of all the knowledge of culture. The temple premises houses the oldest Sanskrit Pathsahala in India that dates back to 1853.

The School continues to provide instruction in Sanskrit and Indian Philosophy. As a result of this rich cultural and traditional heritage it has been found that Melkote has managed to retain its traditional nature over the centuries. Studies have shown that there has been very little change in the town of Melkote. The changes have been minor whether in the town plan, type of houses or cultural practices. So visiting Melkote is like visiting our cultural heritage in its living form.

The festivals held at the temple involve the entire town. Some of the important festivals held in the temple are the Vairamudi Utsava, Teppostsava and the birthday or Tirunakshtram celebrations of important saints. What is unique about Melkote is that some folk festivals like the Angamani festival have been integrated into the temple rituals thus making all celebration meaningful to the common people.

The presiding deity here (moolavar) is known by the name Tiru Narayana, while the processional image of Vishnu goes by the name Selva Pillai or Sampath Kumara. Vishnu's consort is known by the name Yadugiri Taayaar. The image of Selvappillai is housed in the Rangamandapa. There are shrines to Yadugiri Taayaar and Kalyani Nachiyaar. The temple tank is known by the name Kalyani theertham.

Legend has it this image of Vishnu was held in worship by Bhrahma. It is believed that the festival image Sampatkumara was worshipped by Rama and his son Kusha; hence the name Ramapriya. Legend has it that Krishna installed this image here at Melkote.

Melkote has two distinct temples. The Tirunarayana temple at the foothills and the hill temple to Yoga Narasimha. Legend has it that the Yoga Narasimha temple image was installed here by Prahlada.

King Bittideva of Karnataka who embraced the Sri Vaishnava way of life and patronized the saint Ramanujacharya, assumed the name of Vishnuvardhana and built five shrines known as the Panchanarayana temples. It is believed that at that time the Narayanapura shrine was in ruins and that both the images of Tirunarayana and Sampathkumara were missing and that Ramanujacharya discovered the image of Tirunarayana in the midst of Tulasi shrubs on the Yadavagiri hill and installed it back in the temple.

Legend has it that during the Muslim raids of South India, the festival image of Melkote was stolen and taken away and that Ramanujacharya restored it from the court of the ruler. It is said that it a muslim princess had gotten attached to the image of Selvappillai and that being unable to part with it, she followed the Acharya to Melkote and then merged into the shrine there. In honor of this, there is an image of Bibi Nachiyar here.

This temple is known for its Vairamudi Sevai in the month of March-April, when the image of Selvappillai is adorned with a diamond crown and taken out in procession. It is traditional belief that this crown is not to be looked at when it is not worn by the festival image; hence each year, during the occasion, the officiating priest picks up the crown from its chest with his eyes blindfolded and then places it upon the head of the image of Selvappillai. Thousands congregate to celebrate this occasion each year.

Such was the hospitality of the residents of Melkote that they were reluctant to let Ramanuja leave for Srirangam. Hence, Ramanujacharya made an image of himself and left it behind. It is to be noted that Ramanuja's body in its preserved state is maintained at Srirangam and that there is another image of Ramanuja at Sriperumpudoor near Chennai.