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=== समानता || Equality ===

=== समानता || Equality ===

The first Article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is about Equality. It says,<blockquote>''All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.''</blockquote>In this context, it is worth quoting the Charter of Equality incorporated in the [[Vedas (वेदाः)|Vedas]] that is almost similar but most ancient. The Vedas constitute the primordial source of Dharma. And both, the Rgveda, considered the ancient most of the Vedas, as well as the [[Atharvaveda (अथर्ववेदः)|Atharvana Veda]] speak about the virtue of equality. It is said, <blockquote>अज्येष्ठासो अकनिष्ठास एते सं भ्रातरो वावृधुः सौभगाय || ''ajyēṣṭhāsō akaniṣṭhāsa ētē saṁ bhrātarō vāvr̥dhuḥ saubhagāya ||''</blockquote>Meaning: No one is superior or inferior. All are brothers. All should strive for the interest of all and should progress collectively.<ref name=":2" /><blockquote>समानी व आकूतिः समाना हृदयानि वः । समानमस्तु वो मनो यथा वः सुसहासति ॥४॥<ref>Rigveda, Mandala 10, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%82_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A6.%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AF%E0%A5%A7 Sukta 191].</ref> </blockquote><blockquote>''samānī va ākūtiḥ samānā hr̥dayāni vaḥ । samānamastu vō manō yathā vaḥ susahāsati ॥4॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Let there be oneness in your resolutions, hearts and minds. Let the strength to live with mutual co-operation be firm in you all.<blockquote>समानी प्रपा सह वोन्नभागः | समाने योक्त्रे सह वो युनज्मि | अराः नाभिमिवाभितः || (Atharvanaveda – Samjnana Sukta)</blockquote><blockquote>''samānī va ākūtiḥ samānā hr̥dayāni vaḥ । samānamastu vō manō yathā vaḥ susahāsati ॥4॥''</blockquote>Meaning: All have equal rights to articles of food and water. The yoke of the chariot of life is placed equally on the shoulders of all. All should live together in harmony supporting one another like the spokes of a wheel of the chariot connecting its rim and the hub.<ref name=":3">M.Rama Jois (2004), Trivarga, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.</ref>

The first Article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is about Equality. It says,<blockquote>''All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.''</blockquote>In this context, it is worth quoting the Charter of Equality incorporated in the [[Vedas (वेदाः)|Vedas]] that is almost similar but most ancient. The Vedas constitute the primordial source of Dharma. And both, the Rgveda, considered the ancient most of the Vedas, as well as the [[Atharvaveda (अथर्ववेदः)|Atharvana Veda]] speak about the virtue of equality. It is said, <blockquote>अज्येष्ठासो अकनिष्ठास एते सं भ्रातरो वावृधुः सौभगाय ॥५॥<ref>Rgveda, Mandala 5, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%82_%E0%A5%AB.%E0%A5%AC%E0%A5%A6 Sukta 60]</ref> ''ajyeṣṭhāso akaniṣṭhāsa ete saṁ bhrātaro vāvr̥dhuḥ saubhagāya ॥5॥''</blockquote>Meaning: No one is superior or inferior. All are brothers. All should strive for the interest of all and should progress collectively.<ref name=":2" /><blockquote>समानी व आकूतिः समाना हृदयानि वः । समानमस्तु वो मनो यथा वः सुसहासति ॥४॥<ref>Rigveda, Mandala 10, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%82_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A6.%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AF%E0%A5%A7 Sukta 191].</ref> </blockquote><blockquote>''samānī va ākūtiḥ samānā hr̥dayāni vaḥ । samānamastu vō manō yathā vaḥ susahāsati ॥4॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Let there be oneness in your resolutions, hearts and minds. Let the strength to live with mutual co-operation be firm in you all.<blockquote>समानी प्रपा सह वोन्नभागः | समाने योक्त्रे सह वो युनज्मि | अराः नाभिमिवाभितः || (Atharvanaveda – Samjnana Sukta)</blockquote><blockquote>''samānī va ākūtiḥ samānā hr̥dayāni vaḥ । samānamastu vō manō yathā vaḥ susahāsati ॥4॥''</blockquote>Meaning: All have equal rights to articles of food and water. The yoke of the chariot of life is placed equally on the shoulders of all. All should live together in harmony supporting one another like the spokes of a wheel of the chariot connecting its rim and the hub.<ref name=":3">M.Rama Jois (2004), Trivarga, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.</ref>

As for question like was discrimination sanctioned by Dharma ? It is not so. The very expression Dharma is opposed to and inconsistent with any  kind of social inequality. These Vedic provisions emphasise on equality among all human beings. The last of them impresses that just as no spoke of a wheel is superior to another, no individual can claim to be, or regarded as, superior to others. The relevant provisions of the [[Shruti (श्रुतिः)|Shruti]] (Vedas) leave no room for doubt that discrimination on the ground of birth or otherwise had no Vedic sanction; they were plainly opposed to vedic injunction. This was the grand concept of equality in this country at the earliest period of civilization. It should however, be pointed out that some time later, the society had been divided into four [[Varna Dharma (वर्णधर्मः)|Varnas]] (Chaturvana) namely,  

As for question like was discrimination sanctioned by Dharma ? It is not so. The very expression Dharma is opposed to and inconsistent with any  kind of social inequality. These Vedic provisions emphasise on equality among all human beings. The last of them impresses that just as no spoke of a wheel is superior to another, no individual can claim to be, or regarded as, superior to others. The relevant provisions of the [[Shruti (श्रुतिः)|Shruti]] (Vedas) leave no room for doubt that discrimination on the ground of birth or otherwise had no Vedic sanction; they were plainly opposed to vedic injunction. This was the grand concept of equality in this country at the earliest period of civilization. It should however, be pointed out that some time later, the society had been divided into four [[Varna Dharma (वर्णधर्मः)|Varnas]] (Chaturvana) namely,