(Human Rights Day)
- The concept of human rights is very ancient. It is as old as human civilization, society, and the state itself
by- Niraj Krishna
The concept of human rights is very ancient. It is as old as human civilization, society, and the state itself. The idea of human rights is closely connected with human well-being. The concept of human well-being has evolved to encompass social well-being, national well-being, and international well-being. In modern times, it is widely acknowledged that international peace and prosperity are based on the realization and enjoyment of human rights.
In the 21st century, the term “human rights” is the most widely discussed topic. This issue exists globally as a problem. The term is broad, and it encompasses many facts within it. India has been a supporter of humanity and human rights since ancient times. The ancient traditions of India, as embodied in its scriptures and religious texts, have been woven with the principles of humanity and ethical laws, which are the essence of human rights awareness. If we examine our religious texts, we find that the concept of human rights is not a new idea but a commitment from our ancient scriptures.
In India, the sources of human rights are even more ancient, deriving from its Vedas and religious scriptures. In India, sages and saints envisioned a global citizen, and hence the term “world man” is used in the Vedas. The vision of the sages and saints of India was vast. Prayers in the hymns of the Vedas advocate unity among all human beings, binding them in the thread of love, harmony, and peaceful coexistence.
In Indian Vedic culture, the concept of human rights, considering humans as an integral part of nature, establishing their identity with other living beings and various plant species, is reflected in the messages and teachings of the seers compiled as “Rigveda.”
Approximately 10 thousand years ago, a sage uttered the words “Vishwa Manush” from his discourse. This word appears in the eighth mandala of the Rigveda. This evidence indicates that the vision of the sages was global, even though their field of work was extremely limited. As stated in the Rigveda: “Yasya te vishwamanushah bhuradasya vedati / Vasu sparah tada bhara” – meaning, the one who bestows the world to humanity from the bounty of the earth, that deity is to be praised.
The result of scientific discoveries is that the relationships among members of human societies of different nations are becoming closer and more intimate. The aspiration for the creation of a global humanity transcending caste, language, sect, country, and religion is the dream of the Indian sage. In the Mahabharata, Vyasa also states: “Sarvesham yah suhrit nityam sarvesham cha hite ratah / Karmana manasa vacha sa dharma vedanetarah” – meaning, the one who remains constantly engrossed in the welfare of all, who is a friend to all through thoughts, words, and deeds, only he understands dharma, not others.
Sant Gyaneshwar composed the “Gyaneshwari” and dedicated it to the world. The utterances and teachings of sages and saints reveal that in India, there was not just nationalism but a vision of universality. The vision of the sages was “Vishwa Manush” – not just Brahmin Hindu Indians, but representatives of the world, embodying universal humanity.
The concept of human rights is not explicitly defined in ancient literature, but in Indian religious texts and culture, these principles have always existed in seed form. Manu wrote: “Vedas are the root of all dharma, meaning the ancient literature, and Vedas form the foundation of all religions.” Indian culture, tradition, customs, festivals, and celebrations are all inspired by these religions. Dharma is truly the repository of life values. It not only guides the life values of humans but also leads to the welfare of the entire world.
The definition of dharma in the Smritis is articulated as follows: “Vedas, Smritis, good conduct, and what is pleasing to one’s own self – these are the four recognized characteristics of dharma. They explicitly state the characteristics of dharma as patience, forgiveness, self-control, non-stealing, cleanliness, control of the senses, intelligence, knowledge, truthfulness, non-anger, and avoidance of theft.”
In other words, Vedas, Smritis, good conduct, and what is dear to the soul are the direct characteristics of dharma. Patience, forgiveness, control of desires, cleanliness, control of the senses, intelligence, knowledge, truthfulness, non-anger, and not stealing are the ten characteristics of dharma.
The characteristics outlined above are universal, timeless, and fundamental values of life, as evidenced by our religious scriptures. These fundamental values form the pillars of our ethical, moral, social, political, religious, and cultural systems. The message of human values such as ‘Dharma is the supreme foundation, not falsehood; the ultimate Dharma is non-violence; those devoid of Dharma are like animals; virtues arise from serving others; treat your mother, father, and teacher as gods; the world is one family, etc.’ has been conveyed by wise individuals in Sanskrit literature.
Our Vedas, Upanishads, Dharmashastras, Puranas, ethical treatises, all philosophical perspectives, as well as dramatic and poetic works, have explicitly and implicitly advocated for human rights. Therefore, we can say that human rights and human duties are expounded in our scriptures.
India’s history is more than five thousand years old. A historical perspective reveals that in the Satya Yuga, King Harishchandra, in the Treta Yuga, Lord Rama, and in the Dvapara Yuga, Lord Krishna, were the establishers of human values based on truth, non-violence, peace, the four pursuits of life, and spiritual values according to the country, time, and circumstances. During these eras, the life values of people were centered around truth, non-violence, peace, the pursuit of the fourfold goals, and spirituality. In the Treta Yuga, steadfastness to one’s word was considered a life value. Tulsidas writes in the Ramcharitmanas: ‘The tradition of the Raghu dynasty always continued; one may lose life, but not one’s word.
Without informing or obtaining consent from Janakanandini, the queen, forcibly evicting her from the royal palace is a violation of human ethics and humanity. The dignity of the queen has been compromised, and her rights have been ignored. Sage Valmiki provides protection to Sita, abandoned by Rama. Valmiki not only safeguards Sita’s right to live but also protects the lineage of Rama.
By banishing Sita, Rama has disregarded her rights as the empress. The violation extends beyond the infringement of her rights to live a dignified life. Although the contemporary political system did not recognize human rights, the societal structure of that era also reflects a breach of human ethics. In essence, human ethics are inherently tied to the concept of human rights.
The Mahabharata war was also fought for the protection of righteousness. The Kauravas, through various deceitful means and elaborate plots, usurped all the rights of the Pandavas, offering a token of respect to all human values. To the extent that after losing everything in the game of dice, Yudhishthira, influenced by Shakuni, staked Draupadi in a bet, leading to the heinous violation of Draupadi’s human rights. In the face of Draupadi’s character, there is no significance or value of the concept of human rights. She transformed the circumstances of human rights through her resilience, sacrifice, and nobility. Several incidents in the Mahabharata depict a violation of human rights, which is discussed in detail in the fourth chapter.
In the Satyayuga, Tretayuga, and Dvaparyuga, many great personalities dedicated their lives to the protection of human righteousness. For example, Prahlada, Sage Dadhichi, and King Shibi sacrificed their lives for the sake of human dharma. Prahlada endured the cruel tortures inflicted by his father for the sake of truth. Sage Dadhichi gave away his bones for the protection of the deities, and King Shibi sacrificed his flesh to save a dove. It is evident that some living beings inherently possess human qualities. The above examples serve as evidence of this.
In conclusion, it can be said that today, along with the country, the entire world is plagued by dominance of abduction, terrorism, oppression, fear, and anger. In such a scenario, the knowledge embedded in spiritually rich scriptures can serve as a guide and lead to solutions. However, it is regrettable that we ignore our ancient scriptures and instead present quotes from Max Muller and others without providing examples of any Mimamsa sutras.
If we consider the state of human rights in ancient India, we find that the foundation of the protection of human rights was laid in the Vedic era of Indian culture. The Vedic scriptures, including the Bhagavad Gita and Puranas, also mention human rights. Thus, dharma (righteousness) was the supreme law of ancient India, teaching morality, justice, and truth.
In ancient India, there was an emergence of Buddhist and Jain philosophies during the Vedic period, emphasizing equality and opposition to the caste system in fields such as economics and politics.
Emperor Ashoka made a significant contribution to the protection of human rights. In his inscriptions, Ashoka specifically mentioned the welfare of both humans and animals, highlighting the principles of freedom, brotherhood, and equality. Ashoka’s administration imposed strict punishments on cruelty and inhumane behavior towards animals. Through his tenth edict, Ashoka ordered that kings and high officials should constantly think about the well-being of the people. In essence, the status of human rights in ancient India was satisfactory.
The era of Akbar marked the beginning of a new age in Indian history from the perspective of human rights. His policies were based on universal harmony and tolerance. Akbar introduced the concept of tolerance towards religious and trade freedom. In 1562, Akbar completely abolished the practice of forced labor and ended the jizya tax, promoting religious tolerance. Additionally, many saints such as Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhav, Tulsidas, Kabir, Guru Nanak, encouraged equality and motherhood through their teachings. Thus, during the medieval period, meaningful efforts were made towards the direction of human rights, leaving aside some exceptions.
We need the essential contemplation and reflection on the logical thinking embedded in our religious scriptures. The feeling of welfare for all, happiness for all, and health for all is inherently present in the ancient Sanskrit language religious texts that form the foundation of Indian culture and civilization, which has remained intact over the ages. After the devastation of the Second World War, witnessing the destruction of global humanity, the resolution for human rights emerged based on the same sentiment.
On December 10, 1948, the United Nations presented a universal declaration of human rights. The purpose of creating this declaration was to establish friendly relations among nations. However, the declaration against violence, hatred, and non-cooperation in favor of human rights has been largely unsuccessful in its objectives. Today, not only in our country but throughout the world, the relentless destruction of humanity continues. If we want to liberate ourselves from this destruction, we must introspect, contemplate, and reflect on our religious scriptures. The knowledge inspired by our religious texts in the fields of religion, philosophy, and culture can be a guiding light. By following this path, a solution can be found – ‘Ch Bharatsya Pratisthe Dve Sanskritam Chaiva Sanskritihi.’
Today, there are active efforts worldwide to protect human rights. Numerous constitutional and legal provisions are being made to safeguard these rights. However, in Sanskrit literature, we find these principles of human duties without any legal process, with their spontaneous implementation. If human beings on this earth begin to perform actions with love, devotion, self-discipline through tapas, knowledge, and science, and with understanding, patience, and sacrifice, then rights will automatically be granted. If human beings integrate life values into their existence, the problem of human rights violations will naturally come to an end. There will be no need for the creation of new constitutional or legal forms repeatedly. Unfortunately, today humanity is on the verge of extinction from the country itself. Human has become the devourer of human. Selfishness, opportunism, greed, and self-indulgence have built their homes in society and the nation. Therefore, the violation of human rights and the infringement of human rights are increasing day by day. For this reason, if we want to protect our life values and human rights in the present age, we must worship the profound knowledge in Indian culture and Sanskrit literature – ‘Sanskritam Sanskritischaiva Shreyase Samupasate. Satyahimsagunaih Shreshttha, Vishwabandhutvashikshika. Vishwashanti Sukhadhatri, Bharatiya Hi Sanskriti
