Swami Vigyananand, founder of the World Hindu Foundation, has expressed outrage at recent comments on Hinduism made by Justice Rohinton Nariman. The Supreme Court Justice had recently made comments on the stature of women in religion and the Rig Veda at the 26th Justice Sunanda Bhandare Memorial Lecture.
Justice Rohinton Nariman had claimed, “Rig Veda says do not make lasting friendship with women because she would be like hyena.” The remark has attracted severe criticism, which was interpreted by many an insult to Hindu sentiments.
Swami Vigyananand said, “I am wounded and outraged at Justice Rohinton Nariman’s disparaging and incorrect comments on Rigveda during his address at the 26th Justice Sunanda Bhandare Memorial Lecture organised on the 16th April 2021 and livestreamed. As a Panini grammar, Vedang, Eastern Philosophy, Brahamana and Vedic Samhita scholar, I wish to bring to Justice Nariman’s notice that Vedas are not the scriptures to be translated literally.”
“I believe that you are not qualified to interpret Vedas and ancient Hindu scriptures. Therefore, you must resist from making any commentary on Hindu scriptures and Vedas based on your reading of secondary sources. Moreover, you hold a responsible position in judiciary. You must behave responsibly in speaking about issues concerning the great Dharma and Bharat’s civilisational heritage,” he said.
Swami Vigyananand continued, “Finally, I request you to take back your incorrect interpretation of Rigveda through your lecture. If you have any doubts about interpretation of Vedas, I invite you for an open debate at any platform. I hope you shall amend at the earliest the hurt and outrage caused to 1.2 billion followers of the faith by your mischievous comments on Rigveda.”
