19. Biblical Doctrine of Damnation, Vedic Doctrine of Salvation
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BIBLICAL DOCTRINE OF DAMNATION, VEDIC DOCTRINE OF SALVATION
1. BIBLICAL DOCTRINE OF DAMNATION FOR NON-CHRISTIANS
(i) Non-believers fit to be burnt in fire
Jesus says in New Testament ‘He who does not seek shelter in me, will be thrown like a withered branch of tree fit to be burnt in fire.’
187. ‘6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.’
- John, 15/6
Is it not fundamental right of man to have freedom of worship ? If it is so, why fire for him who does not seek shelter in Christ ? Will the Christian members of Human Rights Commission agree to the afore-mentioned declaration of Jesus Christ ?
James Madison, the fourth President of U.S.A., opines candidly :
_’What have been Christianity’s fruits ? Superstition, bigotry and persecution.’_105
- James Madison
(ii) Christ’s doctrine of damnation for disbelievers
Are there holy persons only among Christians ? Are there no noble persons among non-Christians ? Is it fair to say that only Christians deserve salvation, while others, who do not believe in tenets of Christianity, deserve damnation ? Here is the declaration of Christ in the New Testament :
188. ‘16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.’
- Mark, 16/16
189. ‘33. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?’
- Matthew, 23/33
Thus Jesus Christ prescribes damnation i.e. hell for non-believers. Is it not vindictive fury against those who did not listen to his preaching ? Bertrand Russell, the renowned philosopher, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1950, opines :
_’There is one very serious defect to my mind in Christ’s moral character, and that is that He believed in hell. I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment. Christ certainly as depicted in the Gospels did believe in everlasting punishment, and one does find repeatedly a vindictive fury against those people who would not listen to His preaching.’_106
- Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell goes to the extent of doubting the existence of Jesus Christ. He writes :
_’Historically it is quite doubtful whether Christ ever existed at all, and if He did we do not know anything about Him, ‘_107
- Bertrand Russell
There are good as well as bad persons in all communities. Will bad-charactered vicious persons, who believe in the tenets of Christianity, also attain salvation ? Will good-charactered virtuous persons, who do not believe in Christian dogmas, be damned for ever ? You will be utterly astonished to read what Martin Luther, (c-1483-1546), the German religious reformer who was the founder of the Protestant Reformation, observed in ‘Table Talk’ in this connection. He says :
_’He that says the gospel requires work for salvation, I say flat and plain he is a liar. If men only believe enough in Christ, they can commit adultery, and murder a thousand times a day without periling their salvation.’_108
- Martin Luther
It is a matter of immense astonishment and agony that in spite of afore-mentioned quotations, Christian missionaries do not believe that ‘all religions lead to the same goal’ or ‘all religions are true’. They believe that only their religion is true, while other religions are false.
(iii) Salvation is possible only through Christ
One finds monopoly of salvation in Holy Bible. Jesus Christ declares in the New Testament that only he, none else, is the door through which one can enter the kingdom of God. He goes to the extent of saying that those (prophets) who came before him were thieves and robbers. Read the following seven verses :
190. ‘7. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.’
- John, 10/7
191. ‘8. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them.’
- John, 10/8
192. ‘9. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and rind pasture.’
- John, 10/9
193. ‘6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’
- John, 14/6
194. ‘25. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:’
- John, 11/25
195. ‘26. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, Believest thou this?’
- John, 11/26
196. ‘30. He that is not with me is against me.’
- Matthew, 12/30
In contrast to the afore-mentioned verses of Holy Bible, ‘Shrimad Bhagavad Gita’ says :
yao#pyanyadovataa Ba>xa yajantao Ea`wyaainvataa: ||
tao#ipa maamaova kxaOntaoya yajantyaivaiQapaUva-kxma\ ||
a gaItaa 9o23Those who worship other gods
With devotion, worship me.
- Gita 9/23
(iv) No salvation for rich men
According to New Testament a rich man cannot enter the kingdom of God. Jesus Christ declares unambiguously as under:
197. ‘23. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily 1 say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.’
- Matthew, 19/23
198. ‘24. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’
- Matthew, 19/26
The afore-mentioned two verses state categorically that the rich men have no hope for salvation at all. Do the rich men of Europe and America believe in the above two verses ? If yes, they are sure to be doomed; or they may either try to become poor or search for another religion. because Christianity has closed the door of heaven for them.
2. VEDIC DOCTRINE OF SALVATION FOR ALL VIRTUOUS PEOPLE
Holy Vedas never state that salvation can be achieved only by Hindus. When the divine knowledge of Holy Vedas, Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda and Sam Veda, dawned on four Rishis (hermits) named Agni, Vayu, Aditya and Angira in the beginning of die universe, there were neither Hindus, nor Muslims, neither Christians nor Jews on the earth. These labels were given to men of the earth later on. Thus according to Vedas, salvation is not the monopoly of one particular community. Vedas, though revealed in the hearts of the aforementioned Rishis on the banks of the river Sindhu (Indus) in Aryavarta (Bharat), do not belong to one country or one community. Holy Vedas are the unique immortal heritage of mankind belonging to the whole universe. Vedic religion is the religion of humanity.
Vedas state categorically that salvation is achieved by those who perform selfless noble deeds in accordance with eternal and unerroneous doctrine of truth as enunciated in Vedas, without being attached to the fruits or rewards of their actions. Thus Vedic religion is based on ‘doctrine of Karma’. He whose karma (actions) are pure and pious, deserves salvation (Mukti or Mokhsha), irrespective of his caste, colour, creed, community and country. Yajur Veda bears testimony in the following mantra :
Ak
xna\ kxma- kxma-kRxta: sah vaacaa mayaaoBauvaa | dovaoBya: kxma- kRxtvaastaMM paota sacaaBauvaa: ||
a yajauvao-d 3o47He who performs selfless action
Accompanied by auspicious words
Full of truth, joy and sweetness
In the atmosphere of mutual co-operation
Reaches the goal.
- Yajur Veda 3/47
The same precept is given in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
tasmaadsa> : satataM kxaya- kxma- samaacar |
Asa>xao Hyaacarnkxama- parmaapnaaoita paUr]Ya: ||
a gaItaa 3o19Therefore, man should perform deed,
Considering it as his duty,
Without being attached to its fruits;
For by working without attachment,
He attains the Supreme.
- Gita 3/19
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‘Change of religion is change of nationality.’
- Veer Savarkar
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Footnotes: 105 N.S. Rajaram : ‘Christianity’s Scramble For India and the Failure of the ‘Secularist’ Elite, New Delhi, 1999, p. 62
106 Bertrand Russell : ‘Why I am not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion’, seventh edition, London, 1996, p. 22
107 Bertrand Russell : ‘Why I am not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion’, seventh edition, London, 1996, p. 21
108 Charles Smith : ‘The Bible In The Balance’, reprinted by Hindu Writers’ Forum, New Delhi, p. 3