In several dictionaries, the word Hindu is explained. In ‘sabda kalpa druman’, it is explained as ‘heenam dooshyati iti Hinduhu viseshaha’. This means Hindu is the one community and Hindu is the one condemns bad things. That is our Hindu community. It is also explained as to how to derive other forms of words from this word – ‘prishodaraditvat saadhuhu’. Medini Kosa (a dictionary) says that the word Hindu is to be taken as the word ending with ‘Vu’ kara like ‘sambhu’ – [Hinduhu (singular form) – Hindoo (dual form) – Hindevah (plus)]. ‘Hindurhinduscha samsiddhou dustaanam cha vidhar shane’ says ‘Adbhutha Roopa Kosam’ which means Hindu is formed to put an end to wicked people and wickedness. From this, we can understand that we can take the word as two words as ‘Hindu’ and ‘Hindoo’ and both of them as good forms (sadhu sabdas). For these words the meaning of ‘daityari’ is also given. That means opposing the Hindu dharma is demoniac. Hindu also means Vishnu and yogi. ‘Hemantakavi Kosam’ says that ‘Hindurhi – Narayanadi devata raktah’ – Hindu is one who has devotion towards dieties like Srimannarayana and other deities.
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‘Hindurdusanriha prokta anarya neeti vidooshakah sa dharma palako vidwan – srouta dharma paraaayanah’, says Ramakosa, which means Hindu is the one who puts an end to wicked people, condemns immoral things, practises dharma, a knowledgeable one and follower of the Veda dharmas. Sri Taranatha Vachaspati who had certain standing in sanskrit literature, while taking ‘Merutantrartham’ in his standard dictionary, derived the other forms from this word. Hence there is no objection to say that ‘Hindu’ word is a sanskrit one. This is how the complete definition for the word Hindu is given.
“Bharateeyaarshi samproktan – ihamutratha sadhakan; yo angikaroti sa sraddham – sat siddhaantaan sanaatanaan; mahatmabhirdivyaseelaiahi – kale – kale pravartitan; sampradayaanaadriyate yah sarvaan paramaarthikaan; yatha kutraapi jaatosou – vaastuyah kopi janmana; sachheelo dara charitah – sotra hinduriti smritah”. This means that a person is definitely Hindu only wherever he is born in the world and what ever he is by birth, if he is the one who accepts with earnestness the age old principles (sanatana siddhantas) told by the Indian sages for achieving the welfare on this earth and also in the other world, honours the traditions set up by the great people in accordance with the time, follows good customs and practises and has a good character and conduct.
The Indian constitution’s direction and decisons of Supreme Court also are explaining the meaning of word ‘Hindu’. For those who are treated as the Hindus, acts were make like the Hindu Marriage Act, The Hindu succession Act, Hindu Minors Act and Hindu Adoption Act. These are applicable to the Hindus only and not to other Indians. In this matter, the word Hindu is explained as:
i) whoever accepts the Hindu dharma in one form or other, Veera Saivas, Lingayats, Brahma Samaj followers, Prathama Samaj followers and Arya Samaj followers.
ii) Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs are also among them.
iii) For those Indians who are not Muslims, Christians, Persians, the above acts are applicable.
This way the constitution and the Supreme Court gave clear definition for the word ‘Hindu’. So it can be understood that Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Veerasaivites, followers of Brahma Samaj and Arya Samaj are all to be treated as Hindus, but not muslims, christians and parsee people.
From the definitions of word ‘Hindu’, it becoms clear as to how superior is the word ‘Hindu’. The features of a hindu are told in the sloka ‘goshu bhaktir – bhavey ysya – pranave cha dridhaamatihi, punarjanmani viswasah – sa vai Hniduriti Smitah’. It is necessary for each Hindu to have a three features – devotion towards cows, steadiness or concentration in Omkaram and faith in rebirth. Veera Savarkar in his book explained the nature of a Hindu as “aasindhu sindhu paryantaa – yasya bharata bhoomika; pitru bhoo punya bhooschaiava – sa vai Hinduriti smritah’. The land which has Sindhu on all four sides; that is Hindu land. Sindhus are those who reside in the land encmpassed by Sindhu river in the north, Hindu oncean in the south, Bay of Bengal in the east and Arabian sea in the west. They are Hindus only, the word ‘Sindhu’ has the meaning of sea. Whoever have the land which is in between these four seas and has this land as their mother and father land, are the Hindus.
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This way right from the times of Rikveda, the word Hindu is getting defined. From this integrated study and observation of the word ‘Hindu’, we should conduct ourselves in such a way as to be called ‘the Hindus’, by condemning bad and encouraging good and developing faith in Pranavam, Punarjanma, Karma doctrine and Worship of God. Our Hindu dharma is Vedic dharma which is ‘Sanatana dharma’ that has been in existence since the creation of universe. The Vedas are the highest proofs for this. These Vedas have been told by the God himself. In our country, other
religions had spread naturally in their times. They earned respect and honour after becoming successful with their logical arguments. But the foreign Islamic and Christian religions are thrusting themselves forward with physical force and enticements respectively. A Hindu should feel very happy with self respecct for his ancient ethical wealth on the day, when he realises that our dharma treasure is ageless one, where as the Christian religion was born two thousand years ago and Islamic religion fourteen hundred years ago. This ageless treasure is to be protected. Some institutions which were set up for regulating human life have taken ugly forms and become the cause for the danger, there by gave scope for other relitions. They helped others in dividing and ruling us. That way our indiscriminate goodness also gave scope to others and caused danger to us. Still it is continuing even today. Even now, if we do not wake up, it is definite that our position would become miserable in future. While the Hindu religion is God made, other religions are man made. Unfortuntely as though it is the influence of Kali Purusha, other borthers are leaving this divine religion and exposing themselves to the dangerous pursuits. (To be continued…)
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