ACCORDING to the Upanishads (scriptures containing Hindu philosophy) , humans have three different behaviour patterns namely : Danav (selfish, mean , self-centred , and uncultured); Deva meaning Divine is the opposite : living for others, selfless , compassionate; and Manav meaning Man is the one that has a bit of both - the grey variety.

To further illustrate the mentality of these. If there is a piece of bread between two hungry people ; Danav would snatch it , Deva will give it up for the other person and Manav would share it. So sharing and caring is what makes us humans.

Every day one comes across words like equality, exploitation, rules and behaviours. These are the very words which give reasons for conflict and confusion amongst all and sundry leading to the creation of the the three categories of Manav, Danav and Deva. Any human is capable of showing all these three shades of behaviour! Surprised?

In the Hindu view, there is no unbridgeable gap between the Devil and the Divine. In fact these words come from the same root. Only difference is that Devil is in a raw uncultured state that has a potential of becoming Divine. And many times, the difference is simply because of how people perceive situations. For example, arranged marriages can be perceived as normal by one person but others may think of this as coercion or force imposed by the society. So how an individual will respond to it is entirely dependent on the way that person perceives it.

There are people who think there is nothing wrong in casual sex and there are people who perceive it as totally immoral. So who is right and who is wrong ? Same sex marriages were a taboo and now they are legally permitted in this country. Times change, behaviours change and morals change. The Hindu philosophers advise not to get entangled in this changing world but focus on the real inner unchanging Self Divine spark which is in all beings.

The confusions and conflicts which arise are because of the changing attitudes and the rules. The rules are made to keep the society safe, rules make humans a more social animal but sometimes fanatics take it to such an extreme that normalcy starts to suffocate and people rebel. That means turning a Manav into a Danav.

So in a nutshell,extreme of anything is bad be it rules or be it rebellion. The question remains, how can a Manav become a Deva and not a Danav? The key is not in suppression as it creates guilt or fear. The key is in real freedom (Moksha) from all these negativities. Feel yourself, be yourself, develop and evolve to be a Deva.

Dr Archana Gund

Hindu Believer