Dharma Dwells Within Tradition

1:55·1080p·Hindi audio, English subtitles

“So then — to attain true Dharma, is not the discernment (viveka) born of knowledge needful in the heart?”

Krishna, in this teaching

About this teaching

Dharma dwells within tradition, and it is tradition that does the work of preserving Dharma. This is true. But is tradition alone Dharma?

Drawn from the teaching's own words — auto-transcribed and translated. The full transcript is further down.

The questions this teaching puts

But is tradition alone Dharma?
So then — to attain true Dharma, is not the discernment (viveka) born of knowledge needful in the heart?

Asked in the teaching itself, in its own words — not a summary.

Chapter 12 — Dharma Dwells Within Tradition

Chapter 12 of 35 — a single teaching, 2 min in total.

Tradition, and where dharma actually lives in it.

The Mahabharat is full of people doing terrible things correctly. The dice game is played by the rules of hospitality; the wager is technically accepted; Bhishma's silence in the assembly is defensible from his vow. Form is observed throughout, and the catastrophe proceeds on schedule.

The epic's persistent argument is that custom carries dharma but is not identical to it, and that the two can come apart without any rule being broken. Krishna is the character most willing to say so out loud, which is also why he is the most argued about.

Terms you'll hear

Achara: Established practice or custom — the inherited form conduct takes.

Background on the theme of this chapter, not a summary of this particular clip. Watch it for what Krishna actually says.

Transcript

English translation

Dharma dwells within tradition, and it is tradition that does the work of preserving Dharma. This is true. But is tradition alone Dharma? Reflect on it. The truth is that, just as a sculpture lies hidden within stone, so Dharma lies within tradition. There is a sculpture within this stone — yet this stone is not the sculpture. To bring the sculpture forth, the stone must be broken and its needless parts cut away. In exactly the same way, Dharma must be sought out from within traditions. Had the Dharma of Govardhan worship not been sought by breaking the tradition of Indra worship, the Yadavas would never have found the path to their liberation. In other words, the one who abandons tradition entirely is left deprived of Dharma, while the one who blindly imitates tradition also fails to attain it. It is said that the swan possesses the discernment that separates milk from water (nira-kshira viveka): leaving aside the water mixed into the milk, it takes in the milk alone. So then — to attain true Dharma, is not the discernment (viveka) born of knowledge needful in the heart? For without such discernment, a thing may be taken to be Dharma which in truth is no Dharma at all — even this can happen. Reflect on it yourself.

हिन्दी — as spoken

परमपरा में धर्म बसता है और परमपराये ही धर्म को संभालने का कारे करती है ये सत्य है पर क्या केवल परमपरा ही धर्म है विचार कीजिए सत्य तो ये है कि जिस प्रकार पाशान में शिल्प होता है उसी प्रकार परमपरा में धर्म होता है इस पत्थर में शिल्प है ये पत्थर शिल्प नहीं शिल्प को जागर करने के लिए उसे तोड़ना पड़ता है अनावश्यक भागों को दूर करना पड़ता है ठीक उसी प्रकार परमपराओं में धर्म ढूंढना पड़ता है जिस प्रकार इंद्र पूजा की परमपरा को तोड़ कर गोवर्धन पूजा का धर्म ना ढूंडा जाता तो यादवों को उनकी मुक्ति का मार्क नहीं मिल पाता अर्थात परमपरा को पूर्णता छोड़ देने वाला धर्म से वंचित रह जाता है और परमपरा का अंध अनुकरन करने वाला भी धर्म को प्राप्त नहीं कर पाता कहते हैं हंस के पास नीर्खशीर विवेक होता है दूद में मिले पानी को छोड़ कर केवल दूद ही ग्रहन करता है तो क्या सच्चा धर्म प्राप्त करने के लिए रुदे में ज्ञान से जन्मा विवेक आवश्यक है और ऐसे विवेक के बिना जिसे धर्म मान भी लिया जाए जो वास्तव में धर्म ना भी हो ऐसा भी तो हो सकता है स्वेम विचार कीजेगा

Auto-transcribed from the audio; lightly imperfect on Sanskrit names and terms.

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