Come
together, talk together,
Let our minds be in harmony.
Common be our prayer,
Common be our end,
Common be our purpose,
Common be our deliberations,
Common be our desires,
United be our hearts,
United be our intentions,
Perfect be the union among us.
-Rig Veda 10 - 191:2
The unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by a militarily dominant Russia continues. Russia has attacked its militarily weaker neighbor. Their use of controversial and inhumane weapons such as cluster and vacuum bombs, as well as the targeting of civilian structures, inevitably brings the codes of war into sharp focus.
At the inception of this blog, I stated that both historical and contemporary world events will be discussed with the backdrop of enduring principles contained in the Vedic literature, with the goal of fostering peace and prosperity. In previous blogs, I have indicated that the Vedic principles and philosophies are both enduring and all-encompassing with respect to every aspect of human existence, in the context of a cosmic order. As such, Vedic literature provides a detailed codification of what would be considered ideal human behavior conducive to cosmic harmony. This combination of antiquity, complexity, and eternality is one of many reasons I decided to call this body of literature The Manuals of the Cosmos.™
I have briefly touched upon the Vedic concepts of Sanatan Dharm (“eternal righteousness” or “the natural and eternal way to live”) and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (“the entire world is a family”). The Manuals of the Cosmos are replete with similar nuggets of timeless relevance. These nuggets form an interconnected lattice of moral framework that is designed to promote bliss, harmony, and peace.
In this vein and in the current context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as the world ponders over ethics of war, we should be reminded that the Vedic-era ethics of war were formulated as early as the very first literary work of humans! I am referring to, of course, the Rig Veda (6-75:15)! I believe the Vedic ethics of war existed in much more evolved forms compared to our currently agreed-upon codes of war.
The tenet of Dharma Yudha is another invaluable nugget from the Manuals of the Cosmos. The Sanskrit words Dharma and Yudha mean “righteousness” and “war,” respectively. It has been described in great detail in different parts of Vedic and related literature such as Vedas, Manusmriti, Agni Purana, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and others. The meaning of Dharma is expanded here into “peace and security for all mortals within a cosmic order.” This tenet strives to lay down codes of conducting war in a manner that is fair, equitable, and humane.
The codes of conduct delineated by the tenet of Dharma Yudha include the following principles:
1. Weapons of unnecessary pain must not be used (e.g. vacuum bombs, nuclear weaponry).
2. Only equally equipped people can fight each other (e.g. both sides should be equal in terms of mounts and weapons; military aircrafts should not fight infantry).
3. No single soldier should be attacked by a group of soldiers.
4. Destruction of properties and cities is prohibited.
5. War should be fought only during daylight, thus restricting the element of stealth (e.g., nighttime bombing should be prohibited).
6. The weapons and armies are built up with full knowledge of the opposing side and no surprise attacks are made.
7. An unarmed enemy shall not be attacked.
8. Civilians, women, and children must not be attacked.
9. Prisoners of war must be treated with dignity and must not be killed.
10. War should not be justified based on nationality or faith.
11. Citizens of occupied territories should not be forced to change their way of life.
It seems to me that codes of wartime conduct as formulated in the Dharma Yudha are far more encompassing and on a much higher moral evolutionary plane than those contained in the modern international treaties such as the Paris Declaration, Geneva Conventions, St. Petersburg Declaration, League of Nations, and Hague Conventions, among others.
I have little doubt that contemporary warmongers would summarily dismiss the modern practicalities of Dharma Yudha, but we should always remember: we live in the world we create.
Over centuries, other cultures and faiths have also made attempts to codify the conduct of war. Sources such as the Old Testament (Torah), the first Sunni Muslim Caliph, Abu Bakr, Surah Al-Baqarah of the Quran, Augustine of Hippo, Adomnan of Iona, Roman Catholic Church of Medieval Era, and Hugo Grotius (a Dutch humanist, lawyer, and theologian) have suggested means to make wars just and fair.
However, when we carefully examine the history of wars since the beginning of time, it becomes quite apparent that there is only one major civilization that has followed the tenets of Dharma Yudha and its succedent modernizations to a large degree, barring rare, errant events. This feat is even more remarkable given this group of people was subject to heinous subjugation over a millennium by members of the world's two largest faiths and two different cultures! Yes! I am talking about the descendants of the Vedic culture in the Indian peninsula!
It is my belief that this was possible only because Vedic wisdom and philosophy have remained deep-seated in the ways of life and the collective consciousness of the people on the Indian peninsula. As I pointed out in my inaugural blog, I feel it is remarkable and unparalleled that this collective consciousness has remained largely undisturbed over millennia despite attempts by various forces to dismantle and replace it.
It should be noted that one of the bloodiest war waged by any king of the Indian peninsula was the War of Kalinga, following which King Ashoka vowed to never engage in any such war and dedicated his entire life to dissemination of message of peace and salvation as taught by Buddha. It was only because of this commitment of his, that Buddhism became the most prevalent religion and philosophy in Asia outside the Indian peninsula.
As I was finishing up this blog this morning, I saw a newsflash on CNN that the Russian negotiators had just issued a comment... threatening that a Third World War would be nuclear and destructive.
It is becoming ever so increasingly clearer to me that the wisdoms contained in The Manuals of the Cosmos™ were light years ahead of us! And, we better catch up with it if our earth were not to be scorched!
And, that’s all folks...
At least for now…
Until next time…
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