KAUTILYA’S ARTHASHASTRA AND THE LAW - PREETHI SUNDARARAJAN

Abstract:

Kautilya (alternatively known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta) is a name familiar to us as a statesman, advisor and author of Arthashastra. A lot has been written about him and his work, and through this paper I analyse the instances in which Kautilya and his Arthashastra has been invoked by the Indian judiciary and law/constitution-making bodies. I trace the trajectory of the reliance placed on Kautilya and his Arthashastra by judges over the years to understand the impact of ancient texts and history in evolving legal jurisprudence in India. Other than the case-laws written over the years, I also explore invocations of Kautilya during the debates in our Constituent Assembly Debates. Through my research, we can see that the Arthashastra is often invoked in certain types of cases and to understand the practices and/or customs of ancient India. Over time, we also see that increasing reference is made to Kautilya and his Arthashastra and in ways that reflect a deeper understanding of the essence of the ancient text. This exploration is intriguing because it looks at the overlap of two distinct fields of study and how one has helped the other evolve.

Published in: International Journal of Studies in Public Leadership, Volume I, Issue 1 (November 2020) ©2020 by RSPL, Rishihood University. All Rights Reserved.

Kautilya’s Arthashastra and the Law The Arthashastra is a text that has held the interest of a cross-section of people for decades now. In this essay, I look at when, how and in what manner the judiciary has relied on or referred to the Arthashastra over the years to interpret laws. The aim is to understand the impact that the Arthashastra has had on laws, and interpretation thereof, in India. Hence, I propose to do this not only by analysing the judgments pronounced by various Courts within India but also looking at the Constituent Assembly Debates1 . For the purposes of this essay, I look at three broad periods - the pre-independence era, the constitution-making process, and the post-independence era. I look at the pre-independence era and constitution-making process to put in context the references to the Arthashastra in the contemporary era which is the main focus of this essay. I begin by looking at the spread of the cases over the years, and then proceed chronologically to trace the evolution of reliance on the intermingling of legal jurisprudence with the Arthashastra, and then conclude by summing up the course set by courts in this arena.

The Arthashastra and the Judiciary of the Pre-Independence Era A total of three cases from the pre-independence era refer to Arthashastra. As the number is low, I look at all three cases. The case of Hiralal Singha v. Tripura Charan Ray (1913 [17] CLJ 438) before the Calcutta High Court appears to be the first recorded case available that mentions the Arthashastra /Kautilya. This is one of two cases that mention both Kautilya and Arthashastra. It is also the only judgment to refer to the ‘Vatsyayan Sutra’ and place substantial reliance on both these ancient texts to determine whether property could be inherited from a widow who had turned to prostitution.

The judgment in the Seshachala Chetty and Ors. v. Para Chinnasami and Ors. ([1917] ILR 40 Mad 410) case of 1916 was pronounced by a three-judge bench of the Madras High Court. Of the Bench consisting of only one Indian judge, the British Chief Justice’s written judgment was the sole judgment drawing upon the Arthashastra to trace ownership of unoccupied lands, which was one of the issues framed in this case. The judgment mentioned the ‘Arthashastra of Kautilya’ as having been published recently and dates it to 300 B.C. The judge relied on the Arthashastra to reinforce the right of the State to provide uncultivated land to cultivators to realise its true revenue potential, as a practise recognised and supposedly followed in India. He refers to ‘Bk. 2, C. 1’ which stipulates, inter alia, that land may be confiscated from those who do not cultivate it, and that lands prepared for cultivation may be given only for life, and that unprepared lands may not be taken away from those who are preparing them for cultivation (Shamasastry, 1915). The third judgment (Muthukrishna Naicken v. Ramachandra Naicken and Ors. [1919] 37 MLJ 489) is also of the Madras High Court and was pronounced by a two-judge bench in 1918. In this matter pertaining to property law, the Judge terms the second adhyaya3 of the fifth adhikarana4 as Chanakya’s ‘Machiavellian’ and ‘disingenuous’ advice. He relies on the same to make a case that even in ancient sovereigns, revenues from temples were used on occasion for general administration of the land. This is substantiated by the sutras which empower the King or the Superintendent of Religious Institutions (acting on behalf of the King) to accept properties (Shamasastry, 1915). The Judge refers to the Arthashastra and then the practices of the East India Company to frame the action as a continued practise/custom.

The Arthashastra and the Constituent Assembly Debates I continue to trace the trajectory with a search of the Constituent Assembly debates as this gives us insight into the thinking of the framers of our Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land. Interesting observations from the search are as follows: ● That nowhere is the term Chanakya used; references are made only to Kautilya and Arthashastra by the members of the Constituent Assembly. ● Reliance is placed by Shri Seth Govind Das on Kautilya’s Arthashastra to substantiate his claim that India is a ‘very ancient country’ where villages held a very important place. He states that there are references to villages in the Arthashastra, and that modern historians also admit its truth.5 Making a point that the Constitution must be in Hindi and not English, Shri Algu Rai Shastri said that we have ‘inherited our language from our ancient sages and from Kautilya’s Arthashastra’ 6 . Though the first reference is technically true and the second is a case of overreaching, these two references show how the Arthashastra was used as validation by members to further their own opinion on a particular issue. ● In a bid to convince his peers that the ‘republican tradition’ was not alien to India, Shri S.Radhakrishnan states that Megasthenes and Kautilya refer to the Republics of ancient India7 ● Shri Kamlapati Tiwari draws a comparison between the Constitution of India and the Arthashastra by terming the work of the Constituent Assembly the second constitution-making process, with the first having happened 2500 years back. This ‘Kautilyan Constitution’ has apparently remained a ‘brand product of the Indian mind over all these centuries’.8 The Arthashastra and the Judiciary of the Post-Independence Era As there have been multiple judgments post 1947, I shall be focusing on a few judgments pronounced between 2010 to 2019 as being reflective of the contemporary take of the Judiciary on the Arthashastra. The 2019 matter of Vijay Namdeorao Wadettiwar & Ors. v. The State of Maharashtra & Ors.9 pertains to anti-defection law and involves interpretation of constitutional provisions. This judgment refers to Chapter IX of the Arthashastra to understand the ‘background history of India and its Constitution’, and specifically the qualities that a minister must ideally possess. We see here a continuation of the parallel drawn between the Arthashastra and the Constitution which was observed in the Assembly debates. Further, the judgment calls Kautilya an ‘exponent of the art of government’ and states that it was compiled (not written) between 321-296 BC.10

The case of Riyaz Ahmad Bhat v. State of J&K and Ors.11 makes a passing reference to Arthashastra while stating that the rule of law has included principles of natural justice from the ‘legendary days of Adam and of Kautilya’s Arthashastra’. The similarity between Adam and Kautilya and their relevance to a property dispute in a country suffering from multiplicity of laws governing property matters is puzzling. A potential justification for this is found in other judgments12 which specify that the Adam-Kautilya reference is being invoked to indicate that natural justice is a venerable, established, noble concept and not a new-fangled, passing fad. Another slew of judgments13 proceed a step further and state (while reiterating all of the above) that reliance must not be placed only on legend and history, but current legislation must evolve to sustain these principles. The case of Alim v. State of Uttarakhand & Ors.14 is about a writ petition filed to stop the illegal slaughtering of cows on streets. While issuing directions prohibiting slaughter of cows, the Court placed reliance on the Arthashastra (and the Isha Upanishad and the Vedas) to emphasise the importance of cows. Another case15 on the same issue makes an argument that the Arthashastra (along with vedic texts) raises cows to the level of divinity by virtue of the fact that it has a Superintendent of Cows (and an entire adhyaya dedicated to it). However, the veracity of this assertion is questionable on a reading of the Arthashastra. Other passing references to Arthashastra were made in matters of the ubiquity of corruption16, inheritance rights of women, and the culture of bribery. Conclusion The Arthashastra is the only ancient text that most of the judgments referring to the Arthashastra rely on, and they all seem to accept it as the authoritative account of conditions/life/practices in ancient India. In the pre-independence era, the Arthashastra appears to be used as a tool to build a version of history wherein large phases of Indian history are glossed over and the Arthashastra is seemingly the sole representative of ancient India. In the Constituent Assembly Debates, we see reliance being placed on the Arthashastra to trace India’s rich and ancient history. Jumping to contemporary times, we see that the judges have a slightly more historically accurate understanding of the Arthashastra, notwithstanding the equal footing that Adam and Kautilya are put on. Further, the judges do not rely solely on the Arthashastra but also refer to other ancient texts and sources to understand the issue at hand. Also, there is reference to the gist of the Arthashastra ’s take on a specific prakaran17 instead of a meticulous reference to the book, chapter, and ‘section’ of the text as was observed in the earlier cases. The Courts also appear to be relying on the Arthashastra to develop legal jurisprudence shaped by our unique history, and not solely to drive an agenda. At the same time, we also see the Arthashastra being invoked (along with other texts) for deeply politicised issues such as slaughtering of cows. That said, the Courts do attempt to perform a balancing act and not show bias. To conclude, it may be said that the trend indicates that inferences are being increasingly drawn from Kautilya’s Arthashastra by the Courts in their efforts to interpret statutes, and that despite the passage of time, it shall continue to stay relevant and help Indian legal jurisprudence evolve.

Article link: https://journal.rashtram.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/4-Preethi-S.pdf

About the Author: 

Preethi Sundararajan

BBA LLB (Hons.), National Law University, Jodhpur Student, MA (Public Policy & Governance), Azim Premji University

Integration of Rāstra, Rājya and Yoga by Vishwanath R. Iyer

 Abstract

There is a propensity in social sciences to use words interchangeably and loosely with little consideration to their specific contexts and usages. It is noticeably context-free when Sanskrit words are used or translated into English in analyses of socio-political history and systems. The main purpose of this paper is to delineate certain Sanskrit terms within their contextual usage and fully define them for analysis. In order to do this, the paper focusses on two terms “rājya” and “rāṣṭra” and carefully defines their boundaries, their compositions and their points of interaction to understand the historicity and the dynamics of ancient Bhāratīya civilisation. One cannot do justice to the uniqueness of this civilisation if one does not come to terms with the vocabulary that is best suited to define the systems and concepts peculiar to it. This paper deviates from the pattern usually followed in social sciences research; instead of introducing the topics at the beginning of the paper, it introduces them sequentially. The main argument of the paper, which revolves around the integration of the terms “rājya” and “rāṣṭra,” uses certain concepts from the Yoga Darśana to articulate a new understanding of civilisation in general and the Bhāratīya civilisation in particular.

A Brief Note on the Terms Used in the Article

It is important to note that many Sanskrit words are contextual and hold no universal denotations. A brief explanation, therefore, of how the words are used in this article, would be in order.

I have used rājya for political entity, rāṣṭra for civilisation, saṁskṛti for culture, saṃskāra for rites of passage and sampradāya for local practices. The word ‘realm’ is used to denote any space that has a form (rūpa). The Sanskrit term for it is kṣetra (field of action) and cognition of this state is kṣetrajña.

Expanding on the above definitions, rājya can be described as any realm that has the following characteristics:

1. It has a form (rūpa).

2. It has a leader/ sponsor (rāja/yajamāna).

3. It has a system of governance for application of power (dharma).

4. It has a motility (prāṇa), which flows as various vāyu, such as prāṇa

   (incoming resource), apāna (generation and disposal of waste), vyāna (an aura or presence), udāna (communication and brand) and samāna (operations).

5. It has a discrete identity (Puruṣa) and manifests in the environment (Prakṛti).

Rāṣṭra, on the other hand, is the bedrock or dharma of the rājya. It exists independent of the rājya. So even when political entities disappear or change, it remains within the region in different forms. In this article, rāṣṭra refers to the

civilisation that encompasses the SAARC region as well as Tibet and parts of South-East Asia, where yoga, jyotiṣ, Buddhism, etc., are practised. For convenience, it is taken as the SAARC region.

It must be borne in mind that rāṣṭra is a practice based on existentiality, with the goal of being in cognition of individuality or svātantrya. This cognition covers a person, the civilisation and the state. The aim is to achieve complete situational awareness (awareness of the present). When this is achieved, the entity becomes a supreme-being or puruṣottama.

I would also like to mention that the translations of the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā used in the article are my own.

Integration of Rāstra, Rājya and Yoga ..

Governments the world over are predominantly based on Western systems (capitalism or communism), which tend to be intrinsically competitive. Competition, as is well known, morphs into power structures that aggressively promote their positions, which can only result in turbulence or chaos (adharma) within and between societies.

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INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA

Indic civilisation or rāṣṭra believes that competition stems from greed and insecurity. It also accepts that differences between individuals and societies are natural. But it is of the firm view that rule-based-order (dharma) 1 is the only way to build harmony within societies.

Before delving into the topic, it would be fitting to delineate the premise of rāṣṭra. It is primarily based on two realities:

1. Differences between people arise from variations in conditioning (dharma) 2. So, for a societal order to prevail, individuality (svatantra) must be respected. In effect, all entities, from the individual to state or rājya, must therefore build elasticity of tolerance in order to accommodate personal choice and space in the ecosphere.

But a few words of caution here: this does not mean that individual rights are paramount. On the other hand, rāṣṭra lays emphasis on teaching an individual that free-will (svatantra) extends only to the right of sacrifice (yajñá) for maintenance of harmony and order (dharma). For example, public buses in India mostly go full. When pregnant or old ladies come on board, other healthy passengers have the option of remaining seated or sacrificing their comfortable seat for a person who needs it more. Remaining seated is an exercise of the right to a paid seat. Sacrifice (yajñá) is the act of giving up that seat with no expectation of reward.

2. Rāṣṭra is unique in that it recognises that both sentient and insentient entities have equal rights to existence. And humans, being at the apex of the evolutionary pyramid, are the natural conservators with a responsibility of ensuring harmony within and between all entities.

It therefore behoves one to align his or her motility (prāṇa) with other entities at an elemental (panchabhūta) level. The onus for development of harmony and order depends on three things: the state (rājya), the culture (rāṣṭra) and the individual. Since the individual is the building block of both rājya and rāṣṭra, emphasis is on the individual to transform into an integrated person (puruṣottama). This can be achieved through the practice of yoga. This hypothesis is best demonstrated and tested by the age-old structured method employed in the Brahma-sūtra to systematically prove the ideas of the

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. 5. Samgati: threading of logic to form a cohesive and comprehensive argument / conclusion. 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. ismaya 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. 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 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 IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 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). 9 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. 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) 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. IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 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 10 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 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 IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 11 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). Hence, it can be concluded that order (dharma) covers all entities and impacts their sense of identity as well as independence/individuality. IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA 12 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) 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. 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, 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 IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 13 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 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 rāṣṭra exemplifies vasudhaiva-kuṭumbakam can be seen from the actions of Maharaja IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA 14 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 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 (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 7 https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/social-relevance/maharaja-jam-saheb-digvijaysinhji-and-world-war-ii- polish-refugees-story-549242.html IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA 15 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 addressed in Viṣaya 4. . Sangati 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. 8 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-concept/situational-awareness-measures 9 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-social-system/bhagawat-geeta-chapter-2 IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA 16 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). Vismaya 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). 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. IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA 17 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 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 identity (asmitā). 10 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-concept/situational-awareness-prana 11 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-social-system/bhagavad-geeta-chapter-9 IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 18 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA 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 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 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. IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 19 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. 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: Prāṇa-vāyu: incoming motility, in the form of income, electricity, water, transportation, firewood, gas, etc. Apāna-vāyu: outgoing motility, which manifests as pollution control of the primordial elements, such as soil erosion and maintenance (prithvi), water 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. IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 20 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. 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. 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. IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA 21 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 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 “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 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 12 https://iskconeducationalservices.org/HoH/practice/dharma/the-four-varnas IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA 22 (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 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 13 https://schoolofyoga.in/yoga-social-system/bhagawat-geeta-chapter-2 IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA 23 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 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), 14 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskara_(rite_of_passage) IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA 24 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. 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. 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 IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 25 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA 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 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. 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 IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 26 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, 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 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 IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 27 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. 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 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) IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 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 28 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 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. IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 29 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). IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 30 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 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. IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 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. 31 IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 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 32 IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 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. IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 34 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA Figure 1 Chart of Bhārat Integrating Prāṇa With Panchabhūtas IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA . Integrating the Individual with Rāṣṭra and Rājya 35 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 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). Vishaya 4 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)? IJSPL Vol II Issue 1 INTEGRATION OF RĀṢṬRA, RĀJYA AND YOGA 36 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). Siddhānta Integration of rāṣṭra, rājya and yoga: What are the common requirements of a rāṣṭra and rājya? ●  Inward: The rāṣṭra and rājya must vibrate to the natural frequencies of all its sentient and insentient inhabitants. ●  Outwards: It must view all creation as one (vasudhaiva-kuṭumbakam). 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) 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) 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. 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 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: 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. ●  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. 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 www.schoolofyoga.in Yama 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) Niyama 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. References 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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