When posed with the question of whether they prioritize their religion or their nation, many Bhartiyas instinctively claim allegiance to their nation. However, this decision isn’t as straightforward as it may seem.
The Complexity of Allegiance
In the epic Mahabharata, a pivotal question arises: if you were a citizen of Hastinapur, which side would you choose? The Kauravas or the Pandavas? Your decision reflects whether you prioritize your nation or your religion.
Understanding Religion Beyond Deities
Religion encompasses more than just belief in a deity; it’s a comprehensive belief system guiding our actions. Even atheism embodies a belief – that there is no God. Our inclination towards prioritizing our nation often stems from the alignment of our values with those of our country.
A Shift in Allegiance
However, if circumstances change and our nation’s leadership becomes oppressive, our allegiance may shift. We’d then prioritize our religion over our nation, driven by the misalignment of our values with those of the state.
The Blame Game
It’s common to blame Muslims for prioritizing their religion over the nation. But in a Hindu-majority nation like Bharat, where national values lean towards Hinduism, Muslims may feel marginalized. This alienation can lead them to identify more strongly with their religion than with the nation.
The Primacy of Belief Systems
Your religion shapes your belief system, which, in turn, influences your behavior. It’s challenging to act against our beliefs, making religion inherently more important than our nation. Aligning our nation’s beliefs with our own requires considerable effort.
Bhishma’s Dilemma
The character of Bhishma Pitamah exemplifies this dilemma in the Mahabharata. Despite believing the Pandavas were better suited to rule, he prioritized his vow to protect Hastinapur’s ruler, even if it meant supporting the Kauravas. Bhishma’s choice highlights the precedence of religion over nation.
Confucian Wisdom
Confucius emphasized the importance of setting our hearts right to order the world. This begins with cultivating our personal lives, grounded in a religion rooted in truth. Only then can a nation thrive, as demonstrated by the perils of misguided ideologies in history.
In conclusion, a well-guided religion should always take precedence over allegiance to a nation. By cultivating the right religious beliefs, we naturally strengthen our nation. It’s through this alignment that societies can flourish, fostering harmony and prosperity for all.
