Sri Bharatamata

Ashtottaram 53

 

53) OṀ PARAMATA SAHANA BHŨMYAINAMAH:

           OṀ (AUM) - PA-RA-MA-TA- SA-HA-NA- BHOO- MYAI- NA-- MA- HA

 

 

(Paramata: means-other religions; Sahana: means-tolerance)

 

 

 

 

 

One of the 'Niyamās' in Vedic scriptures is kṣhama (tolerance, forbearance) and is tolerance toward any person, religion, or situation. Since childhood we are taught to show tolerance. It's not wise and safe to get into fights for every little thing or difference of opinions, especially when it comes to the religion, is our teachings. Religion is a faith and there are no proofs for everything they claim in  religions especially the topic of 'going to heaven'. When we are taught from the childhood onwards to show tolerance to other religions and their belief systems and it comes natural to us to have an open mind to different faiths. If every religion teaches sahanam (tolerance) towards other faiths no matter how much disagreements they have, there would not be any wars or killings, barbaric invasions and forceful conversions by the religious zealots.

 

Centuries ago Muslims, Christians, Portuguese, French and Dutch countries have occupied our sacred land and waged so many wars and invaded our country and ruled it over millennia. They have demolished, destroyed and crushed our temples, stole the jewelry from the idols, raped women, taxed us as 'dhimmies' (non-believers), infidels and treated us as  second hand citizens, in our own country. They showed the utmost intolerance to our religion and our spiritual wisdom and tolerance. They took it granted our tolerance as a weakness and frailness. Their attitude toward other religions with different views as threatening and showed more aggression toward our culture. 'Our way or highway' and 'we are the chosen ones' and 'our way is the only way to heaven' is their attitude and they send missionaries to foreign countries to target poor people for proselytization. This is all due to narrow-mindedness, ignorance, arrogance and stupidity on their part and most of all intolerance to other faiths and religions. As a matter of fact, their children are taught from childhood onwards to hate other religions and encourage suicide bombings and when they blow up themselves during suicide bombings, they are mortified. In Hinduism, we don't have those kinds of demonic teachings and suicide is considered very sinful.

 

Our Vedas and Upanishads teach us to be tolerant and proclaim verses like 'ahimsa paramo' dharmah' meaning 'the utmost duty is non-violence'. Our Vedas taught us that there is 'Only God' and you can worship Him in whatever way or form you desire and all kinds of worship ultimately lead to mokṣha (liberation). If we did not show tolerance to other religious aggressions, there would have been much more blood bath on our Bhārat-land. There is nothing to be surprising in showing tolerance to other religions, when we were taught to see God in every being!

 

The land which shows tolerance to other religions is our motherland 'Paramaṫa Sahana Bhūmi'.