Dr Mohan Bhagwat, Sarsanghchalak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS) delivered the inaugural address in the Word Hindu Congress that took place at Bangkok in Thailand from 24-26 November, 2023. Here are the key takeaways from his speech.
1. Our Sanskrit literature have described what is meant by Jaya(a Sanskrit word); the translation through dictionary says Jaya is victory, but then what is victory?
The standpoint of Sanatana traditions of Hindus, it has a very special standpoint about Jaya. Jaya is not about victory and victims, not about conquering and conquered, Jaya is about joining everybody together. There are 3 kinds of Vijayas, first is rakshasas Vijay, the victory as seen by the demons, in this there is destruction only and nothing else. The tamas prakriti Vijay- it destroys everything, what for, for nothing, just for the sake of destroying, for the satisfaction of that Asuri joy. When we say Jaya or Vijay, we don’t refer to this, this is not allowed in our tradition, spreading and dominating all over the world above everything is not our goal.
2. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
Kurvanto Vishwam aryam
These are our goals, the world is one family and we will make everybody arya that means cultured, that word is also inadequate, but for the want of better word I must say cultured.
Then there is second Dhan Vijaya, to acquire possession of all means of material happiness people try to fight and dominate each other we have experienced this, this is a Rajas type of Vijaya. Sometimes it may bring about good but intention is not good, intention is self-centred, we have experienced all these two kinds. We have experienced the Asur Vijay when others committed aggression on our society and they have for 500 years wrecked destruction and havoc in our country and we have also unfortunately taken the taste of Dhan Vijay, wherein for about 150 to 200 years India was looted like anything.
But when we say Jaya or Vijay it is always Dharma Vijay, the Vijay that stands on Dharma, the process that is carried out by the Dharma’s niyams or rules and the result is also Dharma. That is Dharma Vijay.
3. Sometimes even those who don’t want to fight have to fight. Satya(truth) and Ahimsa(non-violence) are the 2 tenets of our tradition, but even those who want to practice ahimsa or to save the practice of ahimsa in the world, to save it, we have to involve our self in fights. So in the regular stream of things, we have to be ready for fight, but fight for what -for Dharma.
4. Dharma has also been elaborated upon as
Dharnat dharma itiyaho(a Sanskrit hymn)
Dharma joins everybody, Dharma upholds everybody. Bringing together keeping together and, bringing about progress together that is the function of Dharma.
Dharnat dharma itiyaho
Dharmo Dharyati Praja (a Sanskrit hymn)
All that has taken birth or is created, Dharma sustains it. Dharma is sustenance, Dharma is also balance.
Madhyam marg tathagatsay
It avoids all extremes, it accepts everything and everyone because Dharma knows that not only unity in diversity but all diversities..spring from the unity, existence is one and therefore there is no us and them, whatever is there is my own, not my possession, my relation, so I am to strive to bring everybody together and to bring about progress, that is Dharma Vijay which is expected in this theme “Jayasya Aayatanam Dharmah” , because this Jaya which is Dharma Vijay, it stands on Dharma, it brings about Dharma.
5. So what is this Dharma, okay, it brings about balance, it is sustenance, it is based on truth of existence that is unity of existence, but what it is actually what we have to do. All our traditions, Hindu traditions, they have started from one single point and that is (the)truth (that) everything is one, all are one… all is one.
6. And then there are different darshanas(philosophical schools). Some say there is God, some say there is no God, some say there is atma(soul) some say there is no atma — all these intellectual differences are there and there are so many streams.. (many of them are) also going opposite but then all of them come together to a single conclusion…
This is common to every Bharatiya tradition even those within Bharatiya tradition who do not accept Ishwara(God), who do not say atma continues or atma is shashwat , immortal. They don’t accept that but they accept this unity, diversity of unity . All sampradayas (sects) in Bhartiya tradition .. lead to one thing- they purify you.
7. What we have to do is expansion or growth; we have to reach out. There are so many Hindus which we have not yet touched. Ours will not be a movement or an agitation or a group which is very powerful among the Hindu society, ours will be group which will expand and organise the entire Hindu society.
8. We have to go everywhere, touch everybody he may agree on some things, he may not agree on some things but we have to connect everybody to this pravah (flow), this tree because we have a duty to execute, today’s world is now stumbling for 2000 years. They have performed so many experiments to bring about happiness, bliss and peace. They have tried materialism, they have tried communism, they have tried capitalism, they have tried with various religions but they have achieved material prosperity but there is no satisfaction.
9. So many things we have progressed in, our knowledge, material knowledge but also, we have become more violent. All these things are happening; so much development and so much deterioration of the environment;(due to) all this.. there is no bliss and peace and now especially after Corona they have started rethinking and it seems they are unanimous in thinking that Bharat will provide the way because Bharat has that tradition. Bharat has done this before we have proved this on and on and therefore they expect from us….(the) very birth of our society and nation is for the same purpose.
10. Once Upon a time when everybody ran after happiness, that happens all the time we live for happiness so we sought happiness outside everybody in the world and when it was found that material happiness is there, it is real but it is incomplete then there was a stream of people which said that okay if it is incomplete, life is incomplete. There is no completeness in anything in the world so let us stop here and don’t search, go in this direction only (and) find more and more happiness outside. But people in our country they did not stop they said okay! if happiness is not found outside we will search it inside and they went on searching, searching and one day they got the truth that everything that appears many and diverse arises out of a single unity and
that unity is permanent and at all levels it is real, so this unity if we get to it, if we can realise it, if we can experience it then we get satisfaction. Hankering after happiness stops because now we have everything we want, there is nothing (more that) we want, So when this was realised in our country our rishis(sages) and munis(seers) thought that means if everything is one, that means everybody is our relative, my own – in his happiness I find my happiness, so I have got this important truth by realising (due to) which I stop hankering after material happiness and I feel that I have got everything now so, I have to impart this knowledge to everybody. So, there was a gigantic effort (that) went on for how many centuries we don’t know as this is before history opened its eyes this has happened, it has been recorded in our Vedas.
11.The benevolent rishis for the benefits of the world under took a hard penance and through that our nation was born and that is why before anybody, Hindus went to nooks and corners of the world . (The) pre- christian, pre islamic traditions- if we study them prevalent all over the world, they have the same Sanatana(eternal) principles. There worldview, view of life, their ideas about individual conduct, they are all same and now they were persecuted a lot in the world. But they have found solace in the Bharat, when they came here. They come here regularly once in 4 years, they also have their confidence and they say, we find peace only when we come to Bharat there is some connect that we have forgotten but that connect is there and we have realised it. Now everybody is saying that. Some months back the World Muslim Council Secretary General came to Bharat and in his speech, he said that if we want harmony in the world Bharat is a must.
So, this is our duty, this is why Hindu society came into existence. All the Sanatana traditions they do this very thing. Their (way of) worship may be different; their disciplines may be different, their ….philosophy may be different but starting point is one and goal is the same. So, this is our duty now and for that we have to reach out, connect to everybody. First stage (is to) connect every Hindu and (bring) Hindus together, then connect to everybody in the world. As Hindus are connected in more and more numbers the process of connecting with the world society has also started.
12 . We can see that Hindus have started playing roles for Vasudheva kutumbakam so connect with all Hindus and Hindus’s God given task is – vasudhev kutumbakam
Kuruvanto Vishwaaryan
For the fulfillment of that we have to come together, stay together, work together and so many people from different backgrounds from different disciplines, when they come together they have to learn to work together.. everybody has to have some contribution in the world that is why they are there. Nothing is without purpose in the world so everything is with purpose. We must have the knack to identify and then we must take everybody together.
13.Our ancestors have recognised this that is why we accept and respect every diversity, even those who try to subjugate us with their Asur Vijay or Dhan Vijay. ..We have respect for everybody because our ancestors have recognised this, we had forgotten this knack and that is why we are broken into pieces and then we were conquered.
14.We have to come together now, walk together and then again to do so we have to remember .. anger hatred, lust,
foul and hurtful speech add to envy and ego, these prevent individuals from coming together, these break the society, these break the organisations so when we work we have to go and contact everybody, connect with them, bring them to us by our service. We have that spirit and we I dare say we have an age over all the world in the matter of service, selfless service- we do it, is in our tradition. It is in our blood so reach out, conquer nothing but hearts, serve and give and take not materials not money not ammunitions, we have to give and take qualities. We have to learn from everybody and we should also be able to teach by our example, leading by example leading from within so we have to have those qualities there is a long list of qualities in Bhagavat Gita ..
Ahinsa, Satya and there is a long list we have to achieve all these qualities we should be exemplary , our example should be followed …There is much to be learned from the modern world also and avoiding all the pitfalls..we should go on working. The Dharma view of the Hindus will create global Dharma view.
15 . Those in the world who want this world together who want to uplift everybody together, they are dharmic. This Hindu view or Dharma view of Hindus will lead to Global Dharma view and then a long-awaited Dharma Vijay that will materialise. World is waiting for that, they are seeing how Bharat is progressing, comments are coming from all four directions, they are looking with hope. We have to fulfil it.
16 . When we come to conference, deliberate on many things, have certain plans we have to work to materialise those goals should be decided in this conference and they should be fulfilled before next Conference and we should go ahead step by step we should go ahead, we should never stop. Our number must grow. We should reach everybody then we will have the Dharma Vijay.
17 . Dharma Vijay (implies) that we will not be against anybody but that Vijay will be for everybody ..There is no conquering, it is joining and emancipating.
18. The real enemies of the world are Vikaars – kama, krodh, madh, lobh and agayanam (that is)ignorance. You have to start from material word and take everybody to the spiritual level. That is our task, our national task. That is why Bharat is rising, Bharat is rising for Sanatana dharma when we do this then
“Ripunashay nishchit samuchit ranvijayay,
Bahujan hitaya bahusukhaya bahurajanaya.”
“Samarth purvajanam samarthita,
Jaya mangaladayini bhawani.
Tvam hetu bhumini Bharat bhuvāsini,
Sukhadani sampattidani dehi.”
She will be awakened and then everybody and everything will be sumangalam (bliss for all). That sumangalam should happen and I wish you all the best that sumangalam should happen in your this life. With this best wish for everybody I thank you for hearing me.
(Full speech is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=c1jREA6yKGY)