Tattva

Swami Vivekananda came to the United States of America in 1893 to attend the Parliament of World Religions as a representative of Hindu Dharma.  He was a little known Hindu monk from India at the time, but soon after his first speech in Chicago at the Parliament of World Religions, the philosophy of Hindu Dharma became a widely known and respected philosophy in the West.  All of us are born in the lineage of this ancient yet relevant tradition and culture of Hindu Dharma.  It is our great privilege as youth to practice Hindu Dharma as well as to help propagate its great message.  Keeping this in mind Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh has started a student organization at several colleges and universities in the United States of America to help students practice Hindu Dharma on campus, as well as learn more about Hindu Dharma.  The student organization is aptly called Hindu YUVA – Youth for Unity, Virtues, and Action.

It is Swami Vivekananda who said, “O fortunate youth, recognize this great duty.  Feel this wonderful privilege.   Take up this adventure.  God watches you graciously, ever ready to help and guide. I wish you to be great.  The world has put its faith in you.  Your elders keep their hopes in you.  Now youth means to place your firm confidence in yourself and exercise your hopeful determination and resolution and willing good intentions in this beautiful task of self-culture.  This will truly bring supreme satisfaction and fulfillment not only to you, but also to all concerned.  The shaping of your life is indeed in your own hands.”  Hindu YUVA – Youth for Unity, Virtues, and Action was started to organize Hindu students on campuses and to create a network of like-minded students who can practice Hindu Dharma collectively.  As Shri Guruji, Madhavrao Golwalkar, said, “Our youth must be made to feel proud of being in the great lineage of rishis and yogis.  If we have to live up to their legacy, we must live as Hindus, we must appear as Hindus, and we must make ourselves felt by the whole world as Hindus.”

Along with the highest ideals of Hindu Dharma, we must understand the meaning of Hindu YUVA in greater detail.  “Yuva” means youth, and the Upanishads have said, “Ashistha Balishta Drudhishta YuvaAdhyayi,” about youth.  The yuva, or the youth, is the one who has aspirations, courage and strength, and steadfastness.

Ashishta: The one who has the aspirations

Balishta: The one who has the courage and strength

Drudhista: The one who has the steadfastness

The youth must have the aspirations for the well-being of the world, for they are the ones who have the energy and enthusiasm to bring about a change for the better.  One of the missions of Hindu YUVA is uniting the Hindu students on campus, which can be well-understood from Swami Vivekananda’s comments after his successful tour of the West.  When people in India asked him to name one thing that Hindus can learn from the West, his answer was, “Organization.”  Unity in Hindu Dharma also has a higher meaning in terms of the unity of Aatma (individual soul) and Paramatma (God). We must live and practice Hindu Dharma to be able to further understand this unity.

The second aspect of Hindu YUVA is Virtues, which we will translate as Dharma. There are ten defined characteristics of Dharma as eloquently described in the following Sanskrit hymn.

Dhriti Kshama Damo Asteyam Shaucham Indriya-nigrahah

Dheer Vidya Satyam Akrodho Dashakam Dharma Lakshanam

(1) Dhriti – Patience, (2) Kshama – Forgiveness, (3) Damah – Self Control, (4) Asteya – Not Stealing, (5) Shaucha – Purity, (6) Indriya Nigraha – Sense Control, (7) Dhi – Intellect, (8) Vidya – Learning/Knowledge, (9) Satya – Truth, (10) Akrodha – Absence of Anger.

The third and final aspect of Hindu YUVA is Action, or selfless action for the benefit and welfare of others.  This action is in the form of Sewa, or service.  One interesting and appropriate acronym of SEWA is “Selfless Efforts for Welfare of All.”  As Hindu students on campus, we must make efforts to serve the local community through various projects and initiatives.

Last but certainly not least, if you are interested in getting involved more in Hindu YUVA activities, or are interested in starting the organization on your campus, please visit www.hssus.org and www.hinudyuva.org to get more information on HSS and Hindu YUVA.