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बाबा साहेब अंबेडकर और हिन्दू धर्म || आचार्य प्रशांत (2024)
1.7M views
1 year ago
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Caste System
Vedanta
Hinduism
Social Reform
Buddhism
Kabir Saheb
Shruti and Smriti
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that there is no need to find fault with Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's actions. To understand his outrage, one must consider the historical context of India at that time and how Hindus were treating their own brothers. Only then can one comprehend the anguish of such a high-caliber scholar and social reformer. Until three months before his death, he was trying to reform the religion, hoping it would improve. When he saw that people were not willing to change and his end was near, he concluded that if he left his followers in the same condition, the exploitative caste system would continue to oppress them. Therefore, he urged them to renounce it. The speaker uses the analogy of medicine, stating that every medicine has side effects, but it must be administered to save the patient. Similarly, when false and exploitative religiosity becomes a form of bondage, it must be renounced. This was the message for a significant portion of the population. In the process of rejecting this exploitative religanity, its symbols also had to be rejected. Dr. Ambedkar's stance was that holding onto these symbols would perpetuate the exploitation. However, this led to collateral damage: in discarding the symbols of exploitation, many also abandoned the core philosophy (Darshan). This is akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Acharya Prashant clarifies that one should discard the filth, not the truth. Babasaheb was right to ask people to discard the filth, as 99% of what was practiced in the name of religion was just that. But the diamond within the heap of chaff should not be discarded. He emphasizes that the core of Vedic Dharma is Vedanta, not the caste system. He distinguishes between society and the spiritual individual who stands apart to reform it. He explains the difference between Smriti (man-made social laws) and Shruti (eternal, revealed truths). The entire Smriti literature is social, written by men. In contrast, the Rishis, who were rebels against the societal norms of their time, gave the Darshanas (philosophy) and Vedanta, which is a rebellion against the prevailing social order. To save Sanatana Dharma, Vedanta must be re-established at its core. A truly religious person listens to the Gita and Vedanta, whereas an irreligious person follows society. The speaker concludes by urging everyone to discard the filth but to cherish the diamond of truth within the tradition. He also points out the hypocrisy of those who practice casteism, noting that in modern life, such as in hospitals or restaurants, no one inquires about the caste of the doctor or the chef, yet they try to justify the caste system with flawed logic.