Sanatana Dharma is a set of eternal duties enjoined upon those who follow the Hindu way of life. It includes the duty to the nation, duty to the king, the king’s duty towards his people, duty to one’s parents and gurus, care for the poor, among other things. “Are all these duties liable to be destroyed?” a judge of the Madras High court wondered on Friday after taking note of the ongoing debate across the country on the subject.
Justice N. Seshasayee wrote that he was conscious of the “very vociferous, and at times noisy debates on pro and anti Sanatana Dharma”, and therefore, could not help but ponder over it in a judicial order due to genuine concern for what was going around. He said the duties listed under the Sanatana Dharma could not be traced to any one specific literature since they had been gathered from multiple sources relating to Hinduism.
Posing a series of questions to those who argue in favour of destruction of Sanatana Dharma, the judge asked: “Should not a citizen love his country? Is he not under a duty to serve his nation? Should not the parents be cared for?” He went on to lament that “somewhere down the line, an idea appears to have gained ground that Sanatana Dharma is all about, and only about, promoting casteism and untouchability.”
