Ancient Indian Concept of Ethics and Moral Values (An Old and Rare Book)

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I am extremely happy to place before the learned readers this publication of the Centre though late. It is the proceedings of the seminar organized by the CASS in 2007. The volume tries to present a picture of the concept of ethics and moral values as depicted in the text tradition of India. In all there are some 46 papers included in this volume which were presented in the seminar.

I thank all my colleagues in the Centre and The Department for their active cooperation and help. I express our gratefulness to our honourable VC Dr. Narendra Jadhav for his support and guidance for all the activities of the Centre. Finally I thank Mrs. and Mrs. Nandkishore Khurjekar for doing the difficult job of publication with care and patience.

Ethics: An Indian Perspective

In India Rta and Dharma are the terms to refer ethics or values. Sometimes niti or niti Sastra also discusses ethical questions. India believed in prescribing, persuading impressing upon to follow ethical life. At times it is argued that Indians have not discussed the concept of ethics with all its aspects. It is further argued that the Indian concept of ethics is more dogmatic conservative, religious more attached to and associated with a type of blind faith and belief and not rational. The various branches of studies on ethics as found in western tradition is rarely met with in the treatment of either Dharma or Rta or any other term. On the backdrop of this the present introduction tries to elaborate on some important aspects of Indian ethics.

Indian mind conceived an ordered moral universe in which everything material and non-material has its place. Rta as cosmic and moral order expresses itself through the working of natural phenomena and the conduct of men. What is really noteworthy here is that there is no dichotomy between fact and value or is and ought. There is only one order which sustains is and promulgates ought.

The whole of the Indian literature is as it were an introduction on the concept of ethics. Whatever and whenever and wherever something is conceived and subsequently presented are directly or indirectly related to ethics. Let us take some concrete cases. Any text of Indian literature begins with a type of auspicious recitation in the name of mangalacharana either within the text or outside of it implies the Indian mindset towards the faith on some supreme self, unseen potency which governs everybody. This absolute faith on some unseen power in the name of almighty controls him and makes him refrain from doing or performing anything against law. While stating the purpose invariably it records that the attainment of four fold purusarthas as the ultimate aim of every living being. The four purussrthas are Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksa. Again this reflects on the value and ethics of Indian mind. It is not necessary to justify that Indians were seriously concerned and cared much for value and ethics. The whole range of Dharmasastra literature and nitilastra literature are devoted to the exposition of value and ethics along with Vedas, Upanisads, various systems of Indian philosophy etc. It maybe partially true that the systematic presentations in the form of argument or logic on ethics maybe lacking in Indian text traditions but it is unfair to think that ethical and moral philosophy and problems are not attended to by Indians.

Let me elaborate little more. As stated, the Indians treat Ethics as Dharma. Dharma is a generic term with many notions and connotations. No definition can contain the full import and implications of this word. Different systems of Indian philosophy, different Indian literature like Veda, Upanisads, Puranas, Indian Systems of philosophy, Ramayana, Mahābhārata and even literary works attempt to define, explain and elaborate and deliberate on this term Dharma. Therefore, we have innumerable definitions and detailed elaborations on Dharma.

Dharma evam hato hanti dharmo raksati raksitah

Tasmat dharmam na tyajami-states Mahabharata

(Dharma destroyed destroys, dharma protected protects, and therefore I shall not abandon Dharma. Let not Dharma destroy us.)

Ethics is universal and morality is context specific. They are not framed or coined or authored by any individual. In that sense it is apauruseya. It is the uncommon and unique property of the society developed in the society irrespective of caste creed region and religion. Neither ethics nor morality is created or prescribed or devised by anybody. It is developed in and associated with social groups. Ethics is associated with goodness- to be good is ethical. What is the source of goodness? A soul is born good with all its goodness. It is only here that it is molded. Goodness does not come from scriptures, laws of religion and also not from practice of rituals. Is god the source of goodness? Is goodness has something to do with religion? Definitely not. There are reasons to argue that neither god nor faith on god nor the religion nor the practice of religious observances has anything to do with goodness. The source of goodness is the tradition of life. That is how the value systems in India developed.

Right from the Rgvedic times the evolution of Indian ethical values is a continuous process which forms a grand uniform tradition, despite local variations in customs.

Veda is the foundation and key source all of the fundamental moral ideas which took theoretical form in the later literature. Rta the cosmic and moral order is one of the most foundational concepts which denotes a universal order, both cosmic and moral.

The sacrificial rituals, which were primarily aimed at fostering Rta came to be identified with Rta as the cosmic and moral order, Rta is identified with Truth. Thus whatever is false is called anrta. Rta is ensured by certain values like harmony. comradeship, equality, brotherhood, cooperation and collective living. The whole of the Indian literature prescribes this.