Varna Ashrama Dharmas

Started by a friend (Nanda Kishore)

There are many concepts in BHAGAVAD-GITA and let us try to have some information/discussion on one of them - "varnashrama dharma"

In GITA, two definitions or explanations are given for "varnashrama dharma"

Social divisions:
1) The Brahmanas - The intelligent class directing society by giving guidance and advice to the king or government
2) The ksatriyas - The ksatriyas take the positions of king or politicians and the military
3) The vaisyas - The vaisyas are responsible principally for the production food and the protection of the cows
4) The sudras - The sudras have little intelligence and must therefore be engaged in the service of one of the other three classes

The social body should work as a coordinated unit with different members of the society acting in their respective positions as brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras according to their qualities (Please note that the divisions are made as per qualities and not based on caste)

There are also four spiritual divisions

1) brahmacary - student life
2) grhastha - married life
3) vanaprasta - retired life and
4) sunnyasa - renounced life

Shark(Saarth's nick name) , You can take this forward.

My Response:

Varna:
As rightly pointed out divisions are made as per qualities and not basesd on castes. Later they were made into castes. In Gita Lord Krishna says "Janmana Jayate Sudra Samskarena Jayate Dwijah" -- Every one is Sudra by birth and by quality he displays he may become a dwija. Also he clearly says "Chaturvarna maya srustam" -- I have created only four varnas but it is humans who have created other subcastes and panchama caste.

With in this castes they have made enough subdivisions so that men have sufficient reason rto fight and kill each other. I was just listening to Lyrics of Dashavataram "Raayini Maatram" Song where hero is a Srivaishnava and says he will not bow his head to Lord Shiva. And Veera Shaivites kill him. In Vedas, upanishads and other scriptures it is clearly said that there is only one God. But people divided him and found one another reason to kill each other.

It is a customary argument since ages that only upper castes are allowed to read vedas. This is false and falsity established by humans. Vedas are Swara pradhanas. Every mantra of vedas has a swara attached to it and it has its impact only when swara is followed. Incorrect swara is like insulting Gods and thats the reason why people who cannot correctly pronounce were denied access to vedas. There is a story in Upanishad where a boy named Jaabali who does not know who his father is approaches Gautama Maharshi for learning veda. Gautama asks hm abt his Gotra and Jabali replies that he does not know it as he does not know who his father is. Appreciating his quality of speaking truth despite knowing that speaking truth may not get him admission, Gautama grants him admission and teaches him Veda.

What is it Veda that only some people are denied access to it? Vedas are libraries of knowledge and giving access to knowledge to one who does not deserve it can lead to danger. For example: Ekalvya has learnt Archery on his own. One day when he is practising a dog came barking along the way and this lead to concentration lapse for him. He uses his skill on the poor animal and seals its mouth. Any one learning Archery would be told that his skill should be used only for attaining peace and protecting the state. Ekalavya does not have fundamental qualities of archer and has every chance of misusing his skill. So Drona asks him for his thumb so that he cannot practice archery. It is a different story that we see lots of movies where Drona/Arjuna are made Villians. Drona has done Dharma but it is now interpreted as attrocity of a brahmin on a tribal.

Regrading Ashrama Dharma's I can write only after reading relevant portion in Manu Smriti and Parasara Smriti. Parasara Smriti is more applicable to Kali yuga.