Nowadays, many educated persons immersed in Vedic and Sastric knowledge, and classic scholarship have lost faith in the texts of which they are masters; they have become afraid to stick firmly to Dharma, for it is being laughed at by their cynical friends; they have yielded to the crooked arguments of critics and sold their heritage for trivial returns; they interpret the Ekadasi fast as one of the means for regulating health, the waving of the camphor flame as a remedy for asthmatics, pranayama as helping digestion, pilgrimages as educational tours, charity as a means of self-advertisement... thus demeaning and desecrating the holy injunctions of Dharma.
Such men only deceive the world; they are barbarians who do not know or heed the principles of Dharma. They can learn something from a perusal of Manudharma.
Aarsham dharmopadesam cha
Vedasastra a-virodhinaa
Yastharkenaanusandhaththe
Sa dharmam veda, netharah
Thus said Manu: "Any person who wants to know Dharma can know it only by following a system of Logic or Tarka that is not opposed to Veda and Sastra". No conclusion opposed to Veda can be logical. Dry logic is profitless and Manu does not recommend it to those who want to study the Vedas, etc. Still there are many today who stick to this logical reasoning and following Adharma themselves, drag others too with them into the wrong path. That is why Vedavyasa declared long ago:
Na yakshyanthi, na hoshyanthi, hethuvadavimohithaah
Nimmokshyaham karishyanthi, hethuvaadavimohithaah
That is to say, those who follow the path of Causalism and logic, seeking cause-and-effect connection, will not offer sacrifices in the sacred fire, they will involve themselves in low demeaning acts. Vedavyasa has said this in Aranyaparva of Mahabharatha, while describing the conditions that are to be expected in the Kali era.
It is only by following the path of Dharma or rectitude that the sun and moon are revolving unerringly on their orbits; it is only the call of Dharma that makes all the divine powers adhere to their various duties and responsibilities; Dharma only keeps the five elements bound to the principles of their nature.
You should derive the greatest possible benefit from Dharma and avoid, while following it, causing any injury to yourselves or others. You must spread the glory of Dharma by making yourself a shining example of the peace and joy it gives. Do not follow the trail of dry logic; do not confuse your brain by cynicism and prejudice, do not get interested in what others do or believe in and try to reform them or correct their footsteps; have faith in the basic Atma which is your real truth; test all lines of conduct on that basis, whether it will hinder the process of revealing the Atma or not; and carry on, in the light of that faith and that test, your daily duties and rites. Then, you will never fall into error. You will also derive great joy.
There are some worldly maxims like "Udyogam purusha lakshanam" or "Karmam purushalakshanam", which say that being engaged in a profession is the sign of man, or being engaged in a task is the sign of manhood etc. But, the real maxim is "Dharmam purushalakshanam", "Observance of Dharma is the sign of manhood". Every one must engage in Dharmakarma, or tasks infused with Dharma, while putting into action the purusharthas of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.
As Pathivrathaadharma is for women, Brahmacharya is for men. Just as woman should consider one person and one person only as her master and husband, man too has to be faithful to one woman and one woman only, as his mate, his wife. She has to consider the husband as God and worship him and minister to and follow his desires for the fulfillment of her duty of Pathivrathaa; so man too should honour his wife as the "Mistress of the Home" and act in accordance with her wishes, for she is the Griha Lakshmi. Then only can he deserve the status of "man". Name and fame, honour and dishonour, vice and wickedness, good and bad are all equal and uniform for both men and women. There is no such thing as woman alone being bound and man being free; both are equally bound by the rules of Dharma. Both will fall into Adharma if they behave without consideration of the claims of the four pairs of attributes mentioned above. Men too are bound in certain matters just as women are; men have no right to do certain things. There are some important pledges between the husband and the wife.
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
dharma vahini, chapter VI
