I proud to be a hindu THERE IS NO CASTISM IN VEDAS: On account of the impressions and influences which the Soul carry with them from life to life, each individual soul has its own tastes and inclinations, talents and capacities. Even a child knows that no two individuals are alike or equal to each other in every aspect. The difference in inclinations and capacities are fundamental, and as such they cannot be erased totally by applying any external pressures. The manufacturers of automobiles may be able to manufacture a few thousand vehicles of same shape, size, colour and power. But, it is not possible for even the most efficient, widely read, profoundly learned and scientifically advanced teacher to train two of his students to be equal to each other in every respect; and there is no wonder about it. Insentient things can be molded entirely to our likings but sentient and scient beings, that we human are cannot be shaped wholly according to our ideas and ideals. So, Wisdom lies in recognizing these innate differences in the individuals and trying to help them to develop their personalities(in a constructive way) according to their own tastes and capacities.The Vedas speak quite unequivocally about these inborn differences :Naanaanam vaa u no dhiyO vi vrataani janaanam | Taksha rishtam bhisak brahma sunvantamicchanthindrayendo pari srava || (Rig 9.112.1)(Naah dihyah) Our intellectual capacities, (naanaanam u) are indeed diverse and different, (vrataani) spiritual resolves and austeries too, (janaanaam) of the people, (vi) are various and divergent, (taksha) among us the carpenter, (icchati) likes to have, (rishtam) a saw, (bhisak) the doctor, (rutam) an ailing person and (brahmaa) the one well versed in Vedas, (sunvantam) a performer of a sacrifice, (indo) O Supreme moistener, (parisrava) shower thy mercy, (indraaya) for the sake of the soul endowed with perceptive faculties. Recognizing these natural differences, the Vedas describe four spheres of activities and provide each individual with the scope to develop himself or herself according to his/her choice. Each sphere of activity based on the solid ground of individual choice, is styled VARNA. The Varnas are 4 in number and they are termed 1> Brahmana or Intellectual. 2> Kshatriya or Martial. 3> Vaishya or Commercial. 4> Shudra or Manual. These varnas are not invariably based on birth; and as such , they cannot be equated with the present day castes which run into thousands. The Varnas are scientific and rational divisions of mankind, aimed at progress of the individual as well as of the society, but the present day caste system is a bane on whole humanity, as it is based on birth of individuals, creating a lot of heart-burn and blood with its notions of superiority and inferiority. Though the present day caste system is remotely related to Vedic Varna Vyavastha, it is wrong to give a bad name to the latter, for, when ignorance, inertia and selfishness gain an upper hand , even the best principle can be reduced to a scourge. Even in case of some religions which was started for good of humanity, we can find that now they have become a centre of all demonic ideologies. Has not God been made an instrument for spilling precious human blood? Has not religion been defaced and reduced to a demonic terrorism force. Can any person turn against God or Dharma on that account? Varnas are natural and rational divisions that promote the cause of human welfare.According to the varna-system , all the activities or professions that human being can possibly adopt are broadly divided into 4 classes; and each individual is at liberty to choose any one of them and belong to it, ofcourse bearing in mind, his/her own inclinations and capacities. Birth in a particular prevailing varna may be helpful to some extent in making one’s choice, but it is neither necessary nor inevitable for a Brahmin’s son to be a Brahmin or a kshatriya’s son be a kshatriya. A lawyer son may or may not be a lawyer. It is not necessary that a doctor’s son should invariably become a doctor. The fundamental basis of varna system, according to the Vedas is the merit, profession and the nature of each individual(Its not based on birth at all). Birth in a particular family supposed to belong to a varna may cast its influence and may also help to impede, to an extent, the individual to make his or her choice. But it is of secondary importance.Braahmanosya mukhamaasidbaahu raajanyo abhavat | Madhyam tadasya yad vaishyaha padbhyaam shudro ajaayata || (Atharva 19.6.6)(Brahmanaha) Brahmin, (aaseed asya mukham) was his face, (raajanyaha) Kshatriya, (abhavat asya baahu) was his arms, (tat)He, (yat vaishyaha) who is vaishya,(asya madhyam) was the central part of his body,(padbhyaam) for the function of the feet, (ajaayata)was, (shudraha) the Shoodra. In the central part of the body, from neck downwards are situated the heart, the lung, the stomach, the alimentary canal, the organs of procreation – in short all important organs that keep the body alive and help its development. These organs jointly produce energy and distribute it to all the parts of the body from the top of the head to the tip of the toes. He who does the same thing in society i.e who produces wealth and utilizes for the benefit of the society is a vaishya. In the very nature of things, vaishyas are in a majority, so much so in the Vedas, the vit means vaishya is used to signify praja or subjects as in “tvaamvisho vrinataama raajyaaya(Atharva 3.4.2) i.e let vaishyas elect you to rule over the land. Let there be no mistake about it. It is not as though the ruler has to rule only over the vaishyas. It is only to be understood that because of their preponderance among the subjects, the word vit has been used as a synonym for the word praja. And, just as legs, carry it to the desired place, lower limbs, or say the feet uphold the whole body, He who carries the whole weight of the society is a Shoodra. No question of looking him down as sub-human or a slave arises at all.If one gives a little more attention he can feel the beauty and perceive the significance of this analogy. Suppose a thorn pricks the foot- the shoodra, it is the head , the Brahmin that sighs in grief first, It is the arm, the Kshatriya who hurries to remove the thorn through the thighs , the vaishyas moved accordingly to help the arm to remove the thorn. Thus in a society all these 4 varnas are inter-related and inter-linked. There is no question of superiority and inferiority among them. Each varna is equally great and useful in the spheres of their activity for the common good off the society. The Vedas strike at the very root of the sense of superiority and inferiority.ajyeshtaso akanishtasa yete sam bhrataro vaavrdhuh saubhagaaya | yuvaa pitaa swaapaa rudra eshaam sudughaa prushnihi sudinaa marudbhyaha || (Rig 5.60.5)(Ete) These men , (ajyeshtasaha) are without superiors, (akanishtasaha) without inferiors, (bhraataraha) they are mutual brothers, (vaavrudhuh) they march onwards, (saubhagaaya) for prosperity, (yuvaa) the eternally youthful, (svapaa) the soul protecting, (rudraha) grief alleviating God, (yeshaam pitaa) is their father, (sudughaa) the richly feeding, (prushnihi) mother earth, (sudinaa) produces happy days, (marudbhyaha) for these mortals.Te ajyeshtaa akanishtaasa udbhido amadhyamaaso mahasaa vi vavrdhuhu | Sujaataso janushaa prusnimaataro divo maryaa aa no acchaa jigaatana || (Rig 5.59.6)(Te) among these men, (ajyeshtaha) there are no superiors, (akanishtasaha) no inferiors, (amadhyamaash) no middle ones either, (udbhidaha)they become great from smaller beginnings, (vi vaavrudhuhu) they make progress in different ways , (mahasaa) by dint of their merits ;; (janusaa) by birth, (sujaatasaha)they are all high born, because (prusnimaataraha) they are all children of mother earth, (divaha maryaaha) o ye, men of lord refulgent! (aa jigatana) be available to us, (acchaa) in a loveable manner or, (aa jigaatana) grow into praise worthy souls, (acchaa) in fairways.Samaano mantaha samiti samaanee samaanam vratam saha chittamesham | Samaanena vo havishaa juhomi samaanam ceto abhisamvishadhvam || (Atharva 6.64.2)(Mantraha) may our thoughts and hymns, (samaanaha) be common, (samitihi) may your assembly, (samaani) be common, (vratam) may you austere vow, spiritual resolve, (samaanam) be common, (chittam)may the mind, (esham) of you all, (saha vah)be alike and united, (juhomi vaha) I provide you all, (samaanena havisha) with common food and other needs of life, (abhi sam vishadvam) enter from all sides, merge entirely in, (samaanam cetah) the common consciousness. A message of equality cannot be more candid, more appealing than that of the message of Vedas. One may be a Brahmin, a kshatriya, a vaishya or a shoodra;that makes no difference. They are all equal and enjoy equal rights, besides commanding equal respect. There is no doubt, ample room for criminal, heinous and bewildering inequality in the caste system; but the varnas are definitely not castes. Whereas castes are supposedly inherited; varnas are invariably acquired by choice. While castes are believed to be based on birth, which is a pure chance; varnas are rationally based on merit, profession and inclination of the individual.According to traditional belief , inter-caste dining and inter-caste marriages are taboo; but varna begins a matter of one’s own choice, of course, with the scientific basis of the cardinal factors as explained above. Thus the question of inter varna marriages does not arise at all. With the object of maintaining complete harmony, mutual attraction and undivided devotion to each other in married life, a man and a woman of like merits professions and inclinations must get married; whether they hail from the same caste or different ones is immaterial. From this stand point, “inter-caste marriage” is a misnomer, because, a man marries only a woman and they both are human beings(by birth).
Posted on: Sat, 09 Nov 2013 08:34:29 +0000
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