Swami Vivekanand ji once said – “The basis of all systems, social or political, rests upon the goodness of men. Men are more valuable than all the wealth of the world.” Pujniya Mohan Bhagwat ji says – “a bad system spoils a good person, and vice-versa. In order that a good person can correct a bad system, we need character building of our individuals. And purpose of education is also to make our students morally strong.” PM Modi says – “Indians are successful in every part of world because children brought up with Bharatiya sanskar respect and love their Janmbhoomi as well as Karmabhoomi equally.”
So true. Children are future and backbone of a Nation. Educational institutions impart state-of-the-art education to children, but their strong character is constructed in families. Just bookish knowledge and money is not sufficient. As Nations formed on basis of geographical or political unity alone cannot have stability for a long time (Nations formed on cultural unity stand infallible across Yugas, like Bharat!), similarly, moral and ethical values are an indispensable component of personality and character development of children. A child with strong character can help construct a robust society and Nation, only then our civilization can progress constructively ahead. All this can be achieved if Sanskars are imparted in families to children since their very childhood.
Sanskars in Ancient Bharat
As per Hindu tradition, Sanskar means – rituals and ceremonies performed throughout a person’s life to purify and refine their body, mind and spirit, and 16 Sanskars shape the personality and prepare us to face challenges of various stages of life. In spite of cultural, economic and social invasions by foreign invaders for more than one thousand years, our family and social values are still intact because of the hundreds of stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagwad Gita, Upanishads and Puranas, which are interwoven into the collective memory of our people. Our Constitution even has pictures of Ramayana and Gita, which carries deep significance!
Sanskars of Bharatiya society got constructed through the journey transcending across several thousands of years, based on foundations of Sanatan Dhrama, like – “Satya, Nyaya, Daan,”, freedom to argue, freedom of how you worship, to share food, not to encroach land or culture of others, serve bhavantu sukhinah, atithi devo bhav, peace for all, contentment, Vasudhaivam Kutumbakam, “Ahinsa Paramo dharma, dharma hinsa tathaiv cha”, “Atmavat Sarva Bhuteshu” (consider happiness and distress of others as own). In actuality, Sanskar means – to respect parents, Guru and elders, going to temple and lighting the Diya in homes daily in evening, eating traditional Bharatiya food, wearing our traditional attire, speaking Matribhasha in our homes, celebrating Bharatiya festivals, live and let others live, protecting environment using sustainable practices, maintaining life as Brahmachari (conjugal relationship with married partner only), to fulfill duties and responsibilities towards Nation etc.
Our Itihaas has guided us through many character role models. Shravan Kumar took his blind parents for pilgrimage on foot, carrying them on his shoulders, and lost his life also while fulfilling their wish. In Ramayana, “Maryada Purushottam” Bhagwan Rama left Ayodhya for Vanwas of 14 years to obey his father, king Dashrath’s order. Mata Sita fulfilled her Dharma of accompanying and supporting her Husband Bhagwan Ram in all testing times. Laxman left comforts of kingdom to accompany his brother Ram to Vanwas. Bhagwan Ram’s brother Bharat ruled kingdom placing Ram’s Paduka on the throne. Even after victory over Ravana, Bhagwan Ram did not annex Lanka to his kingdom. Bharatiya sanskriti never teaches to exploit and encroach others, we believe in sustainability and contentment. All these examples teach us how family members should respect each other, and how to respect sovereignty of other Nations. Our character becomes like the role model we follow. It is said in Bhagwad Gita –
“कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन”
Means, keep on performing your duties with sincerity and detachment, without expecting for outcomes, which promotes the sense of acceptance of success as well as failures.
However, it is rue that values are prone to degradation due to harsh atrocities of times, and hence they need to be rebuilt from time to time, by the people – just like an old building needs renovation and maintenance intermittently!
Sanskars for Youth and Character Building
The time of life of children during class IX-XII is crucial career development of children – and its gravity should be understood by children and their parents alike. This age is very vulnerable too – children are full of energy and ambitions. Teenagers start to develop a sense of their independent identity, romantic relationships, and are prone to infatuations and crushes. Hence, they need to be guided very affectionately by their parents, that this is the time to focus on their studies only, to build/destroy their career/life. They need to stay away from abusive use of internet and social media, as they are exposed to all sorts of information, and some vigilance by parents is needed on what they are watching. Making relationships, breaking, again making new ones, and then also sharing transient, vulnerable love relationships on their social media platforms aften may lead to blackmailing by their own boyfriend/girlfriend. This also is the cause of social and emotional trauma in youth, which in turn hampers their journey to reach their fruitful career goals. Drinking and drug abuse among youth has become so common today – cancer of the society. The way our girls wear clothes in public life needs to be sensitively looked upon. Obscenity in various entertainment media, has reached alarming levels. Article 19 of our constitution grants six fundamental freedoms, but with restrictions that they are bound by National interest, decency, morality and public order.
Then, who will show the right path to children? It is their parents. Parents must sit and talk to their children daily, spending sufficient quality time with them. They themselves must follow the Sanskari life style in homes – teaching by executing! This way, Sanskars will be spontaneously imparted to children. If parents spend maximum time on mobile phone at home, or indulge in abuses like smoking, drinking etc, it is but natural that their children will tend to follow the same. Children tend to suffer from behavioral issues like anxiety, depression, and there is much probability that they would start looking for pleasure in drugs, drinking, watching pornography etc.
It appears that our scared Institution called “Family” is facing imperilment. If our family structure is saved, then only Bharat will be saved. Many young people want to live life freely with living-in relationship, with no obligations or bindings of marriage. Today I am living with one partner, tomorrow I will live with another partner. But how long? Some young couples do not want to bear children as well! Just thinking about temporary happiness and pleasure of the self today, and not thinking about its consequences tomorrow, cannot be a wise ideology, from the point of view of constructive progress of civilization. At present, Bharat is a young Nation. If these trends continue, soon we will become an aging Nation, like many our countries of the world, and will loose young skilled workforce – a serious issue to worry about!
Role of Mothers
Mothers have a special role to play in imparting Sanskars to our children. Ancient times and history of Bharat is full of remarkable examples of mothers, which have the credit of making great characters of their children, like great kings and warriors. Mata Kaushalya did not stop her son Bhagwan Ram from going to Vanvaas, in order to keep the promise. Mata Sita inculcated in her sons virtues like bravery, wisdom, and kindness. Shakuntala brought up her son Bharat singlehandedly and made him a strong and brave youth. Mata Kunti, mother of Pandavas, was a gentle and wise woman with excellent survival skills, who brought up all her sons with equal love and care, trained them all in warfare, politics, family values and life’s survival skills. Maharani Jaiwanta Bai, mother of great Maharana Pratap (born in 1540 AD), trained him in warfare and imbibed values in him through the teachings of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Mata Jijabai, mother of great Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj (in 17th century AD) shaped Shivaji’s mind from his early childhood, and instilled virtues like courage, self-respect, and heroism in her great Son, who never lost courage and patience during the times of great adversities and difficulties. A Mother need to understand that it is her dharma to raise her children with Sanskars for character and Nation building – a woman can construct a family or destroy it too!
Moreover, our children must realize the importance of fulfilling their duties and responsibilities towards society and Nation, and not only worrying for their rights. Even in our Constitution, there are provisions both for Fundamental Rights as well as Directive principles. The legacies of our Sanskriti teach us what is best for us, essence of which can never be wrong. Only means to realize them change with changing times with a perfect fusion of age-old traditions and modernity. So, when we have mothers like Matas Kaushalya, Shakuntala, Sita, Kunti, Jaiwanta Bai, Jijabai in Bharat again, we will again start having virtuous sons like Ram, Bharat, Yudhisthir, Maharana Pratap, Shivaji Maharaj as well. Who will contribute invaluably to Nation building tomorrow.
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