Upanishads (Radhakrishnan 1960). Each section or topic, known as adhikāraṇa, is
codified into five parts:
1. Viṣaya: topic of the section.
2. Vismaya: issue at hand/ doubts/ problem statement.
3. Pūrva-paksha: introduction to the solution / background.
4. Siddhānta: theory and arguments/ solution and concept/ doctrine.
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5. Samgati: threading of logic to form a cohesive and comprehensive argument /
conclusion.
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For ease of understanding, it would be good to split the argument of this essay
into four sections:
Viṣaya 1: To propose a governance system for Bhārat that aligns the rājya
with the rāṣṭra.
Viṣaya 2: To propose a system that integrates the individual with the ancient
South Asian culture and civilisational roots (rāṣṭra).
Viṣaya 3: To integrate rāṣṭra with rājya.
Viṣaya 4: To integrate the individual with rāṣṭra with rājya.
Aligning Rājya with the Rāṣṭra
Viṣaya 1
To propose a governance system for Bhārat that aligns rājya with rāṣṭra.
Today, governance principles worldwide are a mix of capitalism and communism.
The two systems differ primarily on the rights of the individual vis-à-vis the state and
compete with each other. Also, they assume that all entities embedded within the state
are subordinate and exist for the benefit of mankind.
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The defined behaviour acceptance criteria of these two governance systems are
strong and compete in ideology, resulting in a high incidence of polarisation within and
between societies. Naturally, this often results in turbulence within and between people,
cultures and countries.
Pūrva-pakṣa
The rājya governance model posits that all creation should be viewed as part of a
synergistic eco-system with an inalienable right of existence and individuality. So, all
creation must be viewed as equal (with equal gaze or samadṛṣṭi). Harmony is possible
only if all the elements in this system maintain a symbiotic balance with one another.
Siddhānta
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Components of Existentiality
All ecosystems comprise earth, water, fire, air and space elements in varying
proportions. All creations exist within the boundaries of this balance. For example, rain
forests have a higher proportion of water, resulting in more vegetation, which forms the
feed for animals. Unsurprisingly, this attracts predators. Humans, who are at the apex
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
The ecosystem in Bhārat has evolved in such a way that lifestyle is in consonance
with motility (prāṇa) and the five primordial elements. Food, language, dressing, homes
and other aspects of living reflect the synergy of the people with the elements. This is
why, the ancient civilisational rules of dharma posited that order (dharma) be governed
by three factors— location (sthala), time (kāla) and diet (pātra).
in the chain, also use this ecosphere to build structured societies. However, this is not
possible in a desert where there is shortage of water or the tundra where the fire element
is absent and everything is ice. Similarly, oceans do not have the earth or air element
and only those that are specifically designed can survive in this eco-sphere. Finally,
nothing survives in space, even birds have to return to land for food and water.
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The motility that makes these five elements synergise with each other and evolve
into creation is called prāṇa (motility). The five elements are called panchabhūta (five
primordial elements). These elements combine to form sentient (jīva) as well as
insentient entities (jadam) and each has its own identity/self-worth (asmitā), which it
strives to exhibit to establish itself as an individual (svatantra). The integration of all
this into a cohesive and balanced system is called yoga.
Components of Order and Harmony (Dharma)
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For example, Rajasthan and North Gujarat are predominantly hot and dry, so
people here value water. Hence, whenever a guest enters the house, the first thing they
offer is water, indicating value as well as courtesy to a thirsty visitor.
INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
Whenever a location is at peace or harmony for an extended period of time, all
entities in the location begin to centralise on a common set of factors for stabilisation of
their sense of self-worth and this is exhibited in the common way they react to stimuli.
So, it can be established that extended periods of order result in a stable sense of self-
3 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-concept/dharma
However, Bengal sits astride the Gangetic delta and is predominantly wet, so fish
forms a primary part of the diet. But fish is not found in common Rajasthani diet, yet
both societies follow same principles of order (dharma).
Hence, it can be seen that even though people live in the same subcontinent and
follow similar customs, they can have different habits, which are based on local
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conditions (sthala). This is how diet (pātra) and location (sthala) affect dharma.
Dharma (order or harmony) is the basis on which people live in peace with
themselves as well as their environment. So, when people live in this state of natural
harmony for a period of time, it becomes their conditioning or natural state.
Consequently, they remain at peace or in harmony for as long as the stimulus is in
congruence with their dharma. Conversely, people get agitated and anxious when any
stimulus impacts their natural state (dharma). This is called adharma or chaos.
This state of dharma and adharma covers all entities. For example, when a cow
is fed meat, it is adharma (contrary to its natural state) and as a consequence, the cow
falls sick with “mad cow disease3.”
The Integration of Order, Self-Worth and Individuality
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
worth and individuality of a population. It is important, however, to recognise that the
converse is also true. Order in society can prevail only when all resident entities have a
stable sense of self-worth as well as the ability to express it as their individuality. So,
order (dharma), sense of self-worth (asmitā), individuality (svatantra) and society are
co-dependent on one another for harmony.
It is important to note that the functioning of order, sense of self-worth and
individuality are applicable to both sentient (jīva) and insentient (jadam) entities. For
example, in a desert, the dharma of sentient (fauna: camels) as well as insentient
entities (flora: cactus) is governed by environmental factors.
For insentient entities, let us review a steel beam. The beam has its own shape
and strength. This is its sense of self-worth. Its usefulness and contribution are its
individuality. When the beam is subjected to load, it has an inherent ability to bear the
strain and then it returns to its original form without loss of strength. However, if the
beam is subjected to sustained load or loaded beyond its strength, it either breaks or
deforms without returning to its original form and strength. The range under which the
beam is able to bear the load is its elasticity, which represents order for the beam and its
own natural state (dharma).
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Hence, it can be concluded that order (dharma) covers all entities and impacts
their sense of identity as well as independence/individuality.
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
The sense of self-worth known as asmitā4 means “this is me.” Individuality,
independence or free-will is called svatantra5, which is a compound word (sva = asmitā
or self-worth + tantra = weave of identity with behaviour). This is that which makes
each entity unique.
Order or Dharma and Bhāratiya Civilisation (Rāṣṭra)
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We have seen that when people experience a state of harmony between
themselves and their environment over extended periods of time, they develop more
sophisticated and nuanced rules for order and harmony (dharma). This becomes
ingrained in their behaviour and forms a part of their identity as well as their
individuality.
What then is the difference between Bhāratiya and Western civilisations?
Western societies have evolved from ancient Greek and Italian civilisations, but
their cultures have evolved from Abrahamic philosophies, which posit that all creation
exists for the benefit of humans6. This places order or dharma in a power hierarchy with
humans at the top, controlling all other entities. As a result, relationships between man
and earth are often driven by power and control.
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Bhāratiya civilisation accepts that humans are at the top of the existential
pyramid and posits that since all creation is equal by design (Swami Lokeswaranand,
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4 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-concept/cognition
5 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-concept/identity-self-awareness-yoga
6 https://www.bibleref.com/Genesis/1/Genesis-1-22.html
INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
2017), humans, by virtue of their ability to exploit others, have a greater responsibility
for maintenance of harmony and order (dharma). This makes humans conservators of
creation, who maintain harmony and balance between various entities.
As a result, Bhāratiya-rāṣṭra ethos emphasises harmonious interactions of
humans with other sentient and insentient entities such that all entities are accepted as
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having their own identity (asmitā) as well as individuality (svatantra). This
requirement of amenability towards all entities results in a dharma where society is
elastic, tolerant, resilient and amenable to change.
However, for the above ethos to become a practice at a civilisational level, it is
imperative that every element of society that is capable of changing its construct, from
the individual to the state, becomes aware and participates in all the nuances of
harmony in action and maintenance. It is important to note, however, that the
synergistic integration of so many diverse entities cannot become a practice in daily life
unless the individual, by virtue of being at the top of the existential pyramid, subsumes
his or her desire for personal gain at the temple of greater benefit of creation.
This concept that all creation is interconnected is called vasudhaiva-
kuṭumbakam, which means that all creation is a family. An example of how Bhāratiya
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rāṣṭra exemplifies vasudhaiva-kuṭumbakam can be seen from the actions of Maharaja
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
Jam Saheb of Nawanager7 during World War II, when he welcomed Polish refugees into
his kingdom when he had no compulsion to do so.
The state is called rājya or ruling entity and comprises political and
administrative elements within a hard border. In Bhārat, this would cover the
panchayat at a village level, thereafter progressing into zilla, taluk, district, state and the
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country called India.
The civilisational underpinning of many of the SAARC countries (rājya) such as
India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, etc., is called rāṣṭra, covering all ancient cultures that
sprang from this region, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.
This civilisation seeks to integrate the state or rājya with its culture (rāṣṭra)
through a symbiotic weave of the individual with society so that all interact as close as
possible to their natural state of peace (dharma), which results in minimum dissonance
between the individual and other entities in the ecosystem. This is managed by creating
a nuanced lifestyle practice where all actions are intended to bring peace and harmony
within the self, society and civilisation.
It requires an inherent awareness in the individual of his or her sense of identity
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(asmitā) as well as the role in society (svatantra). This can be split into an outward
flowing awareness from the person into the environment, which is called vijñāna and an
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7 https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/social-relevance/maharaja-jam-saheb-digvijaysinhji-and-world-war-ii-
polish-refugees-story-549242.html
INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
awareness of the person of his or her sense of identity or self-worth, which is called
jñāna8.
The integrated situational awareness is called prajñā and when a person is able
to exist in a sustained state of complete situational awareness, it is called
sthithaprajñā9. This technique of increasing situational awareness is called yoga and is
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addressed in Viṣaya 4.
.
It can be concluded that the ancient Bhāratiya system is different from western
systems of civilisation because it considers all creations as equal, sthithaprajñā, with
humans at the helm. This position brings with it the responsibility of ensuring that all
creations exist in harmony.
Since the onus of achieving harmony or dharma is on humans, the individual as
well as the state must retain their awareness at every level and support the inalienable
right of every entity to reach excellence (svatantra). For this state to be achieved, every
individual in the realm must be aware of his or her own self-worth (asmitā) and
consciously subsume it for greater harmony in society.
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8 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-concept/situational-awareness-measures
9 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-social-system/bhagawat-geeta-chapter-2
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Integrating the Individual with the Ancient Subcontinent’s Culture and
Civilisational Roots
Viṣaya 2
To propose a system that integrates the individual with the ancient
subcontinent’s culture and civilisational roots (rāṣṭra).
We have concluded in Viṣaya 1 that the individual is the core of civilisational
development and culture is the integration of various societies as well as common
practices. These ultimately form the underpinning of the realm.
What was the rāṣṭra of the ancient Indian subcontinent like? What did it achieve?
What were its drivers?
Pūrva-pakṣa
It is important to realise that the civilisation (rāṣṭra) is not a monolithic entity
but an animate organism that lives, changes and adapts to new situations. So, the rāṣṭra
is an entity with its own identity (asmitā) and svatantra (free-will or individuality).
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The rāṣṭra of yore is still resident in Bhārat, though in a smothered form with a
damaged sense of identity as well as individuality on account of years of oppression,
suppression and mismanagement.
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Siddhānta
The rāṣṭra is a living organism, so it must have motility (prāṇa)10. Motility is that
life-force which drives all creation, sustenance and dissolution of materiality and it is
what enables rāṣṭra to exist and sustain life as well as dharma like a living entity.
However, the rāṣṭra cannot experience harmony without its residents
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conforming to order (dharma); likewise, residents cannot experience harmony if the
rāṣṭra is not intrinsically order based. If all entities are to remain in harmony, then the
rāṣṭra should ensure that all entities, right down to the primordial elements
(panchabhūta)11 are in a state of balance with their inherent motility.
How does the rāṣṭra function as a living organism with its own motility (prāṇa)
and identity in such a manner that order is maintained? The rāṣṭra has a hardware and
a software—the hardware of the rāṣṭra is the material manifestation of motility, the
physical manifestation of the primordial elements (panchabhūta). The software is the
various forces that attract or repel entities, causing order or chaos (dharma or
adharma). Obviously, today’s rāṣṭra, on account of its historical tryst with external
factors, is struggling to find itself, which accounts for the turbulence in its sense of
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10 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-concept/situational-awareness-prana
11 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-social-system/bhagavad-geeta-chapter-9
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Rāṣṭra: Its Identity, a Stable Underpinning for the Rājya
Since the rāṣṭra derives its identity from its constituents and vice-versa, it would
be appropriate to examine the basic building block or micro-unit of a rāṣṭra.
The basic unit of a rāṣṭra is the individual, and without the individual there can
be no rāṣṭra. Individuals combine to form societies and the way they interact will
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determine the natural state of harmony specific to their society. This is called dharma
and when people live within those parameters, there is harmony or order. However,
since individuals have a lifetime and are fickle, they cannot be expected to contribute
towards the lasting stability of a rāṣṭra. It has to be something more substantial. It also
cannot be the home, because a home has an intimacy that makes deep attachment and
sentiment inescapable. This makes the transactions biased— order, balance and a sense
of identity are very specific to the family as an entity.
The lasting source of stability is the village because it is substantial enough to
have its own identity. Also, the village, while being dependent on the individual for
existence, is independent of the individual for its identity. Even if one individual were to
hold sway for a brief period of time, after his or her departure, the centre of gravity of
the village will shift to its natural state of existence. This is similar to how heads of state
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can sway a country’s standards/methods while in power.
For example, in 1962, India’s leadership weakened the military. The result was a
debacle. However, in 1971, the leadership built a strong military and diplomatic front.
This resulted in victory and the creation of a nation. However, throughout their rules,
the intrinsic quality of Bhārat continued to remain unchanged.
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
Also, since the village has a border, it has a form (rūpa). From the form, the
village derives its identity. This makes it an integrated micro rājya with a rāṣṭra.
However, since the village also represents the people of the rājya, the motility of the
village can be extrapolated to become the civilisational underpinning of all further
administrative or political entities (rājya) such as taluk, district, state or country.
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Determining the Identity and Motility of a Village (Grāma)
The rāṣṭra views all sentient and insentient entities in the village to have specific
roles to function in their existence and to express their identity. This includes dogs, cats,
cows, houses, streets and the village itself.
The way all these come together defines the identity as well as individuality of the
village. The chemistry of various entities is driven by motility (prāṇa), which exists in
five forms:
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Prāṇa-vāyu: incoming motility, in the form of income, electricity, water,
transportation, firewood, gas, etc.
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Apāna-vāyu: outgoing motility, which manifests as pollution control of the
primordial elements, such as soil erosion and maintenance (prithvi), water
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pollution and reduction of toxicity (áp), thermodynamic balance (agni), air
pollution (vāyu), and noise pollution (ākāsha).
• Vyāna-vāyu: how the village presents itself, measured by the beauty of its
houses, cleanliness of the streets, garbage collection, commercial enterprises
and quality of infrastructure.
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
-
Udāna-vāyu: how the village represents itself, and this is determined by how
the elected representatives and people portray the village.
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Samāna-vāyu: this is the circulation of motility within the village. How people
interact with each other, restrictions between people, whether construction
hampers movement of panchabhūtas (stagnation of water, existence of rubble,
no air circulation, etc.).
Whenever there is a stoppage or impedance of prāṇa, such as when canals or
drains are blocked, this impacts the identity (asmitā) of the village. Similarly, when
people of a village are found to be quarrelsome and greedy, its identity gets affected.
When a village is peaceful and harmony prevails, the inhabitants are content, thereby
impacting the village identity. The three qualities of sluggishness, greed and balance are
called attributes or guṇa and impact the flow of motility (prāṇa).
Thus, we can see that the quality of integration of hardware and software
determines the identity and individuality of a village. This then is the basis of software
for a rāṣṭra. The efficacy of the software of a rāṣṭra depends on the level of congruence
in the natural states (dharma) exhibited by its constituents, both sentient as well as
insentient entities, such as people, land, houses and livestock.
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Since there is enormous variance in the inherent natural harmonics of these
constituents, harmony can only be achieved when people, being the conservators, view
each other and other entities as equal (samadṛṣṭi or equal gaze), in performing a role to
keep their village harmonious.
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The impact of the flow of prāṇa on the insentient aspects of the village has been
detailed above. What about motility between people?
People of the village work as generalists as well as specialists and these roles are
classified as vārna (colour)12. All people start as workers and work their way up the
value chain to become business people, protectors of order or conceptual repositories of
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order. So how does the village ensure that discrimination between roles as well as power
balance is minimised? This is done by instilling a sense of sacrifice in all personal effort,
called yajñá or sacrifice. The intent is that people work for the well-being of all without
discrimination of role when all action is performed as a sacrifice.
Dharma Yokes Varṇa with Work, Personality, Duty, System and
Environment
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“A warrior (kṣatriya) needs to be able to maintain awareness in battle; his
dharma or duty is to fight and defend. If he runs away from the battlefield,
then he compromises the integrity of whatever he protects and loses his
dharma or equilibrium. To perform his dharma, he has to overcome the
fear of death. Similarly, a teacher's (ācārya) dharma or duty is to teach
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and develop students into responsible citizens. If he or she is afraid of the
opinions of others, then he or she would never be able to teach effectively
and build good citizens. Next, the dharma or duty of a business person
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12 https://iskconeducationalservices.org/HoH/practice/dharma/the-four-varnas
INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
(vaiśya) is to increase material value without lowering integrity. When
integrity is lost or when the business person is afraid of risk, dharma is
lost. Finally, the dharma of a farmer is to grow food; he must not stop
sowing because he is worried that there may be no rains. That fear would
result in famine and destruction of society13.”
Interestingly, the village also acts as an incubator for people development. People
start as novices in the village and as their expertise in their chosen trade evolves, they
migrate to the rājya seeking betterment. In this manner, they also take their dharma
with them to the rājya, thus bringing cohesiveness into dharma. So the rājya becomes
a melting pot of various dharma, which is moulded together by people who have evolved
into being able to manage the rājya.
Difficulties in Deriving a Rāṣṭra That is Uniform Across the Rājya and the
Resolution
The underpinning of rāṣṭra is order (dharma,) which is dependent on sthala
(place), kāla (time) and pātra (diet). This makes dharma (natural state) a variable. As
mentioned, dharma gets impacted by time, both when events occur and over extended
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periods. For example, countries that have experienced war and strife over extended
periods of time or peoples who have been controlled/ colonised/ subjugated for long
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13 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-social-system/bhagawat-geeta-chapter-2
INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
periods of time will have a dharma that reflects a damaged sense of identity as well as
individuality.
Also, the stage in life or āśrama impacts dharma. There are four stages— single
brahmacharya-āśrama), family (gārhasthyāśrama), retired (vāṇaprasthāśrama) and
renunciate (sannyāsāśrama) and a person’s cognition as well as dharma will change
with the stage he or she is passing through.
Finally, pātra (diet) impacts the rāṣṭra as well. Quality of ingredients, methods of
preparation, serving styles as well as eating practices, all impact societal interaction and
conditioning (dharma).
So, we can see that there are infinite variables that impact the dharma of
societies. This is evident in Bhārat where there are large differences across regions.
Realistically, these differences should result in chaos (adharma). So, how does the
rāṣṭra reconcile with these incongruences?
The backbone of the rāṣṭra is the saṃskāra14 (rites of passage) and nitya-karma
or daily duties. Both are followed by everyone in the rāṣṭra. Saṁskāras mark the
goalposts at various stages of life and are common to everyone. Nitya-karma may be
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different for different people, but they all have elements of the five major sacrifices
(pancha-maha- yajñá) and charity (dana) as well as visits to the local temple.
For example, the current saṁskāras followed almost universally in Bhārat are
nāmakaraṇa (naming ceremony), vivāha-saṁskāra (wedding ceremony),
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14 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskara_(rite_of_passage)
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sīmantonnayana-saṁskāra (parting of the hair or seventh month ceremony) and
antyeṣṭi (death ceremony).
Another common factor across the rāṣṭra is the almanac. The rāṣṭra follows an
almanac which is based on the movements of the Sun and Moon, such as uttarāyaṇa
and dakṣiṇāyana, rāhu-kālam, nakṣatram and rāśis15. This makes events common.
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Lastly, the rāṣṭra is defined by its common festivals, such as Shankaranti in
January, New Year in March-April, Dassehra in October or so and Deepavali around
November.
The important thing to note is that while these ceremonies are followed
throughout the rāṣṭra, each community (jāti) follows its own practice. So, across the
rāṣṭra, there is a congruence as well as divergence of practices within the framework of
ceremonies. This makes Bhāratiya-rāṣṭra a resilient shock absorber of change.
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While saṃskāra (rites) and sampradāya (practices) anchor the people to a
location, this varies between various communities (jatis) in the same village (grāma).
So, a centre of identity is required within the village that brings the various peoples
together on a single platform. This role is fulfilled by the village deity grāma-devata.
The grāma-devatā fulfils the following roles:
The grāma-devatā acts as a centre of identity for the village; even those who have
left the village identify their roots through the grāma-devatā. It brings the village with
its myriad practices together on one platform. The reason for this is that the grāma-
15 https://panchang.astrosage.com/panchang
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devatā by itself has no capability for sustenance except what is given by the village.
Since it is helpless to look after itself, the villagers are forced to look after it. This brings
all villagers together to develop a single dharma that covers every entity in every stage
of existence (āśrama) in the village (grāma).
This is why temple functions are not meant to be sponsored by a single entity but
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conducted from contributions from every villager. This brings all the villagers together,
builds an attachment to the grāma-devatā, encourages intra-village communication
and helps develop cohesiveness and integration of dharma (conditioning and
development of practices).
Also, the grāma-devatā fills a subtle power vacuum. Not all issues and problems
can be resolved by the panchayat (rājya). Often, villagers vent out their personal day-to-
day issues in the non-judgemental presence of their grāma-devatā.
Temples form the identity of the village, akin to brand ambassadors. Well-
maintained temples bring great fame to villages such as Thillai-Nataraja temple in
Chidambaram, Meenakshi-Amman temple in Madurai, Chamundi temple in Mysore,
Tryambakeshwar at Nashik, Shri Balaji at Tirumala, etc.
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Last, the temple is the place where charity is practised. When villagers
participate, there is a generation of goodwill, kindness, tolerance and charity. In the end,
this becomes part of the village identity.
Unfortunately, today these temples have stopped being the bulwark of dharma.
Almost all functions are sponsored and participation is selective. Temple lands have
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
been usurped and their finances are in a mess. A renaissance of temples is desperately
required for rejuvenation of the rāṣṭra.
.
Sangati
It can be concluded that while the rāṣṭra is the underpinning of the rājya, the
underpinning of the rāṣṭra itself is dharma (order or natural state). While dharma,
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being the natural state of all entities, is co-dependent on all aspects of creation, it is
humans who have the ability to change and be most affected by dharma. The rāṣṭra
recognises this and is designed to create an ecosystem that builds an inclusive and
symbiotic tolerance to various entities within society.
What this means is that while the natural harmonics of various societies
(dharma) may differ due to location (sthala), diet (pātra) and time (kāla), the
civilisation (rāṣṭra) harmonises these diverse societies through various practices such as
samskāra (rites) and sampradāya (local practices). The state ensures material
wellbeing of the civilisation by material flow of energy such that there is no impediment
to motility (prāṇa). This is done by ensuring that the flow of motility (prāṇa) is without
break or agitation in all material aspects of the environment. Backed further by
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increasing awareness, humans can then cohabit with one another other and other
entities as equals (samadṛṣṭi), judging all contribution for quality and dedication of
input (śraddhā) as well as spirit of sacrifice (yajñá).
Since dharma within the rāṣṭra is likely to change due to situations and stimuli,
the rāṣṭra stiches societies together by prescribing common life-events where people of
various vārna (colour or background) can come on the same platform. As mentioned
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
earlier, one critical integrator of dharma is the village deity, which acts as a brand
ambassador and anchor of the village.
The rāṣṭra is, therefore, flexible and resilient, creating an elastic society that
amalgamates varying lifestyles and personal preferences. Besides, it possesses the ability
to absorb shocks and changes without losing its inherent symbiotic capability.
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Integrating Rāṣṭra with Rājya
Viṣaya 3
To integrate rāṣṭra with rājya.
Vismaya
How does the rāṣṭra integrate with rājya to build a scalable, sustainable and
resilient rājya? Here, rājya is Bhārat, also known as India.
Pūrva-pakṣa
We have seen that dharma is the underpinning of rāṣṭra, which determines the
identity (asmitā) as well as individuality (svatantra) of both the individual and the
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rāṣṭra.
It stands to reason that the quality of dharma will impact the state (rājya) and
will be exhibited by it in all its forms, from the panchayat to taluk, district, state and
centre. This means that integrating rājya with rāṣṭra systemically is critical for the
governance of the rājya in a manner that ensures free-will or individuality (svatantra)
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
Concept of Svātantrya (free-will/ individuality) of Rājya
What is a rājya? How do the principles of rājya apply to various collectives of
people such as village, taluk, district, state and centre? For a start, the rājya is
established by people with a common cultural/civilisational ethos rāṣṭram, which has a
fixed border that gives it a form (rūpa) and an identity (asmitā).
The free-will/ individuality (svātantrya) of a country is the way it is perceived by
its people, other peoples and countries. Importantly, this perception is an outcome of
16 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-social-system/bhagawat-geeta-chapter-13
for all entities in the rājya and that the rājya treats all entities within and outside it to
achieve harmony of all creation (vāsudhaiva-kuṭumbakam).
Siddhānta
Concept of Rājya
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The rājya is a political and administrative entity that has a hard border. Its
smallest entity is also the village (grāma) and the micro-administrative entity is the
panchayat. This is explained by Sri Krishna in Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā, Chapter 13
(kṣetra-kṣetrajña-vibhāga-yoga), where Sri Krishna calls kshetra the realm and its
cognition as kshetragnya.16 This cognition of rājya covers all sentient and insentient
entities as well as their rāṣṭram in the realm, including villages, zilla, taluks, districts,
states, country, even companies, societies, markets, etc.; in fact, anything that has a
hard border and has systems regulating its functioning.
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
the way people perceive their own rājya, which would be reflected in the way they carry
themselves and behave.
For example, if the people have a balanced view of themselves and behave in a
responsible manner, that country would be considered to be in harmony with its own
nature (sāttvic). Next, if the people of a country behave in an aggressive manner and
bully others, they would be considered a volatile or greedy country (rājasic). Finally, if
the people of a country are deluded, confused and weary or if the people do not resonate
with their government, it would be a deluded country (tāmasic).
Obviously, no single guṇa should dominate public discourse, but people's
conditioning (dharma) would determine their individuality (svātantrya), reflecting the
way in which citizens and the country behave in their respective environment. Since
people live in the country for betterment and harmonic living, is there a template on
which a country's development could be based? Ancient texts from Bhārat speak about
puruṣārtha [24] (puruṣa = human + artha = reason) which means reason-for-living or
raison-d’etre of human existence. Puruṣārtha principle states that people live for
artha— material gain, kāma— sensual pleasure, dharma— harmony and order, and
mokṣa—freedom from seeking.
The question that needs to be answered is does freedom from seeking or mokṣa
fit? Yes! When people have sought and enjoyed material (artha) and sensual pleasure
(kāma) in harmony (dharma), they begin to look for answers to questions such as these:
“What is life?”, “Why am I alive?”, “Does life have a purpose?”, etc. This takes them into
an esoteric world that culminates with freedom from materiality (mokṣa).
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
Therefore, any country that wishes to exist with complete free-will (svātantrya)
must be able to create for its citizens circumstances to delve into the mysteries of life
and death as well as existence. Not encouraging people to seek freedom from materiality
(mokṣa) would condition people into viewing materiality as life’s sole objective, which
really is the basis of capitalism.
Also, practice of mokṣa brings with it finer altruistic sentiments of charity,
tolerance, equal-gaze, non-violence, etc.
Application of the Principles of Puruṣārtha (Reason for Human Existence) to
the Management of the Country
-
● Artha (material progress) is obviously material well-being, availability of food,
shelter, clothing and infrastructure such as transport, electricity, availability to
water, etc.
-
● Kāma (sensual balance) is the softer aspects of artha. For example, while
shelter might be available, if it is designed and constructed in a haphazard
manner, badly designed or dilapidated, there can be no positivity about the
place and residents would be unhappy. If food is spoiled, cold, unappetising or
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lacking in nutrition, then there would be no pleasure derived in eating. This
means that both hardware (artha) and software (kāma) are required for a
society to be functional and happy.
● Dharma is the conditioning of a people such that they live in harmony.
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
For a country to experience its individuality (svatantra) completely, its society
must be conditioned for a life of order, peace and harmony (dharma). This occurs when
the weave of its material (artha) and its sensual balance (kāma) of existence are in
harmony in such a manner that there is no impediment to the flow of prāṇa (motility).
So, it is clear that a rājya needs to systematically integrate people in various
states of materiality (puruṣārtha) with their stages in life (āśrama) to ensure
maximisation of dharma in the rājya.
People generally experience four stages of existence (āśrama) in their lifetime:
-
● Brahmacharya-āśrama (stage of youth) is a phase of learning and formation
of conditioning (dharma). This is the most critical stage of a rājya and the
investment of the rājya in teaching its youth to work with dedication, to
sacrifice and align sacrifice with Truth will determine the country's dharma
and, consequently, its personality (svatantra).
-
● Gārhasthyāśrama (stage of a house-holder) is that stage where maximum
consumption occurs. Here, awareness (prajñā) is the quality that needs to be
developed. The householder needs to be alert to income, expenses, waste and
its disposal. Only then does the householder understand and contribute to all
aspects of the country’s development.
-
● Vāṇaprasthāśrama (stage of retirement) is a stage when the person steps back
from activity and reflects on the learnings of his or her life. The key
requirement of this stage is having enough resources to face the remainder of
life and not be dependent on anyone.
INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
● Sannyāsāśrama (stage of renunciation) is the last stage, where a person is
expected to focus on the nature of the Soul (ātma-vichāra), its freedom
(mokṣa) and nature of death. Unfortunately, people often baulk at the
suggestion of reflecting on death and after-life. However, ignoring this major
life-event results in anxiety and fear of death. The rājya has an important role
in fostering facilities that enable such personal development.
Cognition of the realm (kṣetrajña) comes from understanding the movement of
prāṇa (motility) across the rājya. This covers not just the political and
administrative bodies such as village, taluk, district, state and centre but also
entities such as factories, businesses, hospitals, schools, colleges, etc.; in fact,
anything that experiences the flow of prāṇa.
Impact of Prāṇa on Primordial Entities (Panchabhūtas)
-
Prāṇa-vāyu is incoming motility, which includes material, ideas, energy and
resources. The key discriminator is debt (ṛṇa). When a country is not in debt,
it is able to enjoy material security such as food, water security, climate/energy
security as well as sensual, cultural or arts security. However, when it lives
beyond its means and borrows beyond its means of repayment, the country
soon defaults and lapses into imbalance, delusion and depression.
-
Apāna-vāyu can be viewed in the light of the primordial elements
(panchabhūta). For as long as solid and liquid waste management ensures
betterment of the community, when air and space pollution are under control
and energy/fire used is adequate to transform raw materials into products of
33
INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
value, apāna-vāyu will not become destructive but ensure that the rājya is in
harmony and peace.
-
Vyāna-vāyu is when people of a land (kṣetra) use their energies in
constructive development of themselves and their neighbourhood, resulting in
the overall aura of the country becoming one of a people that can be called
civilised and developed. For example, we know of countries that have fought
and lost wars but have recovered their reputations because they used their
energies to transform themselves in a holistic manner over the years and are
now considered positively today. Reputation or brand image is vyāna-vāyu.
-
Udāna-vāyu is how the country communicates and represents itself. Some
countries punch above their weight, some become bullies, some play victim or
struggle to keep their composure, others turn docile, while a few become
rebellious. We can see examples of all these countries in the neighbourhood of
India, in Asia itself. This is the manifestation of self-worth (asmitā) as
personality (svabhāva).
-
Samāna-vāyu is the civilizational/administrative/internal security energy that
circulates within a country. For example, within any company, some
departments are considered better managed than others. This is on account of
the energy flow within the department being productive, ethical and
harmonious. People are the same, it is dharma that makes a difference.
INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
Figure 1
Chart of Bhārat Integrating Prāṇa With Panchabhūtas
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
.
Integrating the Individual with Rāṣṭra and Rājya
Sangati
A rājya has to be a place where dharma is practised. Since dharma evolves from
the rāṣṭra, rāṣṭra will need to be integrated with the rājya for seamless delivery of
dharma.
Additionally, the rājya will need to integrate dharma at the individual level by
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ensuring harmony across puruṣārtha (human materiality) and various āśrama (stages
of living), ensuring that svatantra as well as dharma is not lost at any level.
Since the rājya is also hardware such as structures, systems, administration and
application of power, motility or prāṇa of a rājya will need to be taught, understood and
practised by the rājya. This means that the individual needs to be brought to a standard
where he or she is aware of his or her position in the rājya as well as rāṣṭra and
contributes to maximising delivery of dharma without compromising on individuality
(svatantra).
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|
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To integrate the individual with rāṣṭra and rājya.
Vismaya
How can the individual be integrated with the rāṣṭra and rājya for seamless
delivery of dharma without losing his or her individuality (svatantra)?
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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA
Pūrva-paksha
To reiterate the concepts enunciated so far:
● Dharma is the underpinning of rāṣṭra and determines the identity (asmitā) as
well as the individuality (svatantra) of both the individual and the rāṣṭra.
|
-
● Hence, the quality of dharma will impact the state (rājya) and will be
exhibited in all its forms—from the panchayat to zilla, taluk, district, state and
centre.
-
● This means that integrating rājya with rāṣṭra symbiotically is critical for the
governance of the rājya in a manner that ensures free-will or individuality
(svatantra) for all entities in the rājya and that the rājya treats all entities
within and outside it to achieve harmony of all creation vasudhaiva-
kuṭumbakam).
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Siddhānta
Integration of rāṣṭra, rājya and yoga:
What are the common requirements of a rāṣṭra and rājya?
It will need to be flexible enough to accommodate, yet firm enough to desist and
resist chaos (adharma). This means that the rāṣṭra as well as rājya must have a strong
awareness (prajñā) of all forms of sentient and extra-sentient stimuli, a sense of
discrimination between real and unreal and the ability to act with dispassion.
Since humans are at the apex of the evolution hierarchy, the state (rājya) should
aspire to develop the individual to the pinnacle of his or her capabilities while being in
harmony with the civilisation (rāṣṭra).
The rāṣṭra as well as the rājya, therefore, cannot be bound by a single dogma. It
will need to be elastic to accommodate not only varying requirements of change but also
expressions of identity (asmitā) and individuality (svatantra) within the boundaries of
dharma.
It can be seen that there is a natural divergence between the requirement of
dharma, which requires accommodating others to ensure harmony and order in society,
to the requirement of the individual who desires freedom without restrictions.
Reconciliation of Differences into a Symbiotic Confluence of Individual,
Civilisation and Culture (Rāṣṭra) as well as Society and Country (Rājya)
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The reconciliation is through the practice of Yoga. The sense of self-worth
(asmitā) is most robust when one’s individuality or svatantra is completely self-
contained or least dependent on other entities for its sense of self-worth. Consequently,
when there is a high level of svatantra across the rāṣṭra, rājya and individual, that
realm exists harmoniously and has value (sat) to itself and those around it. |
However, svatantra requires a high degree of awareness of the Self (jñāna) and
awareness of the environment (vijñāna). When this awareness is steady and
unshakeable, the individual becomes impervious to external pressures (sthithaprajñā).
Unfortunately, awareness (prajñā) can also be directed towards pursuit of
passion or become delusional, in which case the sense of individuality (svatantra)
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becomes destructive.
So, it is critical that awareness (prajñā) across the rāṣṭra, rājya and individual be
tacked to the pursuit of value and the Truth—satyameva jayate (Sitaram Sastri 1905).
This is explained by Sri Krishna in Srimad Bhagavad Gita in Chapter 1817.
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Conditioning the Individual to Add Value Through Rāṣṭra and Rājya
Four factors are intrinsic in value creation (sat)— yajñá (sacrifice), vivekam
(discrimination between real and unreal), vairagyam (dispassion) and śraddhā
(perseverance and sincerity). When any individual integrates the above qualities in
action (karma), he or she adds value (sat) to the rāṣṭra.
This results in the evolution of a person to sthithaprajñā (state of steady
awareness), ensuring strong adherence to dharma, which becomes the foundation of a
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sustainable rāṣṭra and rājya.
Such a person is described by Sri Krishna as a puruṣottama18 (supreme person)
in Srimad-Bhagavad-Geeta, Chapter 15. The qualities of such a person allow them to:
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17 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-social-system/bhagavad-geeta-chapter-18
18 https://bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/chapter-15.html
focus on the Truth/ objective/ reality of the situation.
not dwell on the past or worry about the future; the person tries to be in the
present.
view everything as transient (māya) and is not bothered by change or opinion.
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-
● discriminate between value and non-value (vivekam).
-
● consider all action to be a sacrifice (yajñá) to create or increase value (sat).
-
● focus on the goal, and is sincere and steadfast in effort (śraddhā).
-
● rely on himself/herself alone and is dispassionate in success or failure
(vairāgyam).
-
● view everyone as equal, work to build teams and ensure balance and harmony
across all resources and outcomes.
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One can see that the above qualities can be applied across the rāṣṭra, rājya and
the individual. Such an entity achieves perfect individuality (svatantra).
.
Sangati
The rājya is a physical/ political/administrative entity with a rigid border
underpinned by the cultural/civilisational roots of the rāṣṭra. Both require dharma,
which is the ability of all sentient and insentient entities in the realm to co-exist as close
as possible to their natural state (svatantra) and in harmony with each other (dharma). The building block of dharma, rāṣṭra and rājya is the individual who is at the
apex of the evolutionary pyramid. But it can also be seen that since dharma is
dependent on multiple factors and is constantly changing, rāṣṭra and rājya will
constantly change and become free-floating and elastic.
An individual can be enabled to follow the dharmic path through yoga, which
increases awareness in the practitioner, subsuming his or her instinct for personal gain,
resulting in a balanced, harmonious outcome.
This can be done by inculcating the principles of yama (behaviour control) and
niyama (self-control) at all levels of society at every opportunity, even in schools,
colleges, institutions, functions, business enterprises, etc.
Principles and Components of Yama and Niyama
Yama: “Transaction or behaviour control can mean “rein, curb, or bridle,
discipline or restraint” when dealing with the environment. Therefore, yama means
exercising restraint in reaction to stimulus”19.
Niyama: Self-control is the ability to manage the turbulence generated by
change20.
A comparison of the various Yama and Niyama-s is given in Table 1 on the next
page.
19 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-concept/yama-overview
20 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-concept/niyama-awareness-harmonising
| Hatha Yoga Pradeepika Chapter
1, verse 17
| Patanjali Yoga Sutra,
Chapter 2 Verse 30 & 32
| | | non-violence (ahimsā)
truth or integrity (satya)
sexual continence
(brahmacaryam)
forgiveness (kṣamā)
self-discipline (dṛithi)
compassion (dayā)
straightforwardness (arjavā)
diet control (mitāhara) and
cleanliness (śaucam)
| non-violence (ahimsā)
truth (satya)
non-stealing (asteya)
renouncing possession
(aparigrāhya)
sexual continence
(brahmacaryam)
| non-violence (ahimsā)
truth (satya)
non-stealing (asteya)
renouncing possession
(aparigraha)
sexual continence
(brahmacaryam)
diet control (mitahāra)
| | austerity (tapas)
contentment (santoṣam)
accepting authority of the
Vedas (āsthikyam)
charity (dānam)
prayer to the macro-entity
(īshwara-pūjanam)
listening to spiritual teaching
(siddhānta -vākyam)
modesty (hrīmath)
repetition of mantras (japā)
sacrifice with fire (hutam)
| hygiene (soucham)
contentment (śaucam)
austerity (tapas)
self-study/ reflection
(svādhyāyam)
surrender to a higher
entity
(īshwarapranidānam)
| hygiene (śaucam)
contentment (santoṣam)
introspection
(svādhyāyam)
austerity (tapas)
sincerity and dedication
(śraddhā) and
charity (dāna) |
(Source: https://schoolofyoga.in/)
The above values will need to be inculcated and practised with other societal
values everywhere, from schools, colleges, offices, government institutions, etc. Also, the
individual will need to be taught to handle fear of isolation, elasticity of transaction,
equality of vision and anxiety of change. Above all, the individual will require at least
one anchor to help him or her retain a semblance of stability and manage the turbulence
of change. This role is played by the village temple. So, for lasting dharma and
| svatantra to be achieved, the village temples must be set free from the rājya and
allowed to act as an anchor for the individual, rāṣṭra and rājya.
| |
Iyer, Vishwanath R. (Nd). https://schoolofyoga.in
Lokeswarananda, Swami. (2017). Chandogya Upanishad with Shankara’s Commentary
(With Sanskrit Text, Transliteration, Translation and Notes). Ramakrishna
Mission Institute Of Culture.
Radhakrishnan, S. (1960). The Brahmasutra: The Philosophy of Spiritual Life. London:
George Allen & Unwin.
Sastri, S. Sitaram. (1905). Mundaka Upanishad with Shankara’s Commentary. Madras:
G.A Natesan & co.
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