Can the various Scriptures be applied to situations in the modern-day context?
This question is truly out of place. For, neither the world nor the human has changed over ages. Earth, water, air, fire and space have not changed the least. Human too continues the same, with his five senses, mind and intelligence.
His emotions are the same. Scriptures, which discuss human life and interaction with the world, cannot thus become outdated or irrelevant at all any time.
The Scriptures have a two-fold purpose: One is to stimulate the intelligence, by positing before it interrogations, illustrating such encounters, citing various scenes and individuals.
Scriptures are in the nature of analysis, examination, enquiry, dialogue and narration. All these have emerged from individual thinkers and Seers. The subject concerned is always the world in which we live, the source from which it is evolved and the humanity and other creatures that live on this earth.
Shaunaka goes to Sage Angiras and submits: By knowing which in particular can I know the entirety in general? In answer to this, Angiras tells Shaunaka that there are two sectors of knowledge, the superior and the inferior. Brahma Vidya constitutes the Superior, wherein lies the answer to Shaunaka’s question.
Young Nachiketas goes to Yama, sent by his father, but had to wait for Yama for 3 days, uncared by Yama’s residence. Yama returned, to be shocked by his own neglect. As a recompense, he offered three boons to the young Brahmacharin. Nachiketas by the third boon seeks to know whether there is anything like the Soul surviving one’s death in the world.
The other purpose of the Scriptures is to provide models to lead the life in the world, meeting its impacts from time to time. Model persons like Sri Rama, Yudhishtira, Nala, Damayanti, Seeta, Draupadi are held out.
Being so, the Scriptures are fully human-related. The Epics embody the history of humans, especially the narration of human potentials, trials, successes and failures of humanity in the world. Often it presents the facts of life and world, laying down the effective manner of dealing with them in any situation. In the process, how the mind can attain greater strength, glory and joy is constantly brought forth. Everywhere the emphasis is on making men and women better, their interactions in the world more effective and benevolent.
The epics specially carry examples of life at its best and worst. How to steer through all vicissitudes, getting enriched by each, is brought forth illustriously.
In Rama we find the best of human values and perseverance. Krishna depicts the best of human excellence.
When you come to Puranaas, the characters are mostly imaginary, heavenly denizens, but the theme is nevertheless human problems, the intricacies of facing trials and tribulations.
Finally, we come to the Upanishads and Sutras. There the entire focus is on rationality, enquiry, investigation and finding. To illustrate these, they present a number of questions, interrogations. To posit suitable questions and then to pursue them assiduously is the right way of accessing the inner recesses of wisdom.
Upanishads too are in the way of dialogues, discussions, analyses and the like.
In and through all these, the one aim is to make the human mind and intelligence more informed, stronger, devout and dexterous in dealing with life situations. To face any challenge, to attempt the right goals, to persevere without reluctance or fatigue, are the constant persuasion of the Scriptures.
The best illustration is Arjuna standing in Kurukshetra battlefield, enfeebled and confused, pleading not to fight. Laying down his bow and arrow the great fighter began to weep. Krishna dialogued with him. In a matter of 3 hours Arjuna was enlightened, transformed. In place of tears and indecision, he was steeped in the resolution to fight, come what may, after expressing his gratitude to the Master Knower in front!
All Scriptures, in one way or another, are like Geeta.
