Do Indians have Contextual Morality?

In an Rediff column, T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan wrote that the absence of moral absolutism enables Indians to justify everything. This concept was based on an article by the poet A K Ramanujam, which according to Mr. Ragahavan is the “the best ever written on the subject of how Indians decide on the morality of their actions.” In a three part post (1, 2, 3), Sandeep shows evidence of universal principles in Indian philosophy and explains why Ramanujam’s contextual morality concept is flawed.

AKR’s omission of other Hindu treatises is as misleading as it serves its purpose of proving his point about contextual morality. The Sikshavalli of the Taittirya Upanishad clearly urges adolescent students to always speak the truth, follow righteousness, treat parents as God, respect elders, behave with dignity and courtesy in public…all qualities of the “universality” AKR regards so highly. What does this say about a society where childhood/adolescent education imparted this kind of foundation? Hundreds of Rg Vedic verses repeatedly stress on right conduct, morality, universal (yes!) prosperity, honouring only the good, harmony with all beings, and peace upon the entire universe. I can quote numerous such instances from several other sources but that’ll only be superfluous.