CHAPTER VII.
The Four Castes.
IN the long pilgrimage of the Jivatma through myriads of births, already referred to, there are four distinctly marked stages, called of old Varnas, or colours, and recognised in the social polity laid down by Manu as distinct social classes, or castes.
These stages are universal, all Jivatmas passing through them ; the peculiarity of the Sana tana Pharma is that it has made them the framework of its social polity. In the early days the outer caste coincided with the stages : Jivatmas at each stage were born into bodies belonging to that stage, and the whole of society was therefore contented and progressive.
But in these later days, as Arjuna truly foresaw in his distress on Kurukshetra, varnasankara, caste-confusion, has come on Aryavarta and her whole peninsula. Jivatmas at each stage are being born into bodies of other stages, and hence, as surely as content and progress arose out of the harmony of elder days, do disorder and stagnation arise out of the disharmony of the present. How a better state of things may be brought about is a question for men to discuss and resolve, not for inexperienced boys.
What we need here is to understand the meaning of caste. We have said there are four stages. The first is that which includes the infancy, childhood and youth of the Jivatma ; he is unfolding youthful virtues, developing obedience, serviceableness, patience ; he has few responsibilities ; his duties may be summed up in the word, Service. Where there is no caste-confusion, such young Jivatmas are born only into the lower social stratum ; they are labourers, artisans, servants, manual workers of every kind. In the social polity of the Sanatana Dharma, such Jivatmas were born into the caste of Shudras.
In these days of caste-confusion, such young Jivatmas, whether born into the Shudra caste in India, or into the corresponding class elsewhere, are happy, contented and useful ; but where, as often happens now-a-days, they are born into higher castes, or classes, they do much harm to their surroundings by their incapacity to discharge higher duties, and to bear the weight of higher responsibilities. So also difficulties arise when older Jivatmas are born into the lower bodies, and fret against their environment, are discontented and rebellious. Of course a really advanced Jivatma is content in any body, but the mediocre Jivatmas quite naturally and inevitably fight against uncongenial surroundings, and their restlessness is used by Ishvara to help on evolution and to bring about necessary changes.
The second stage covers the first half of the Jivatma's manhood, when he is fit to gain wealth, to enjoy it and use it, to organise labour and direct it, to undertake great responsibilities, and administer well accumulated possessions. This includes the commercial class, the great traders, and the organisers of industry, the capitalists, bankers, the managers of large industrial concerns. In the social polity of the Sanatana Dharma, such Jivatmas were born into the caste of Vaishyas, and were trained in it gradually to see as aim the common good and the general prosperity, instead of mere personal aggrandisement.
The third stage makes the second half of the Jivatma's manhood, when his responsibilities and powers widen out to include the nation, and he is called to legislate, to rule, to work unselfishly for the State, and to use his power to protect and to regulate, not to aggrandise himself. This includes Kings, Judges, Legislators, Warriors, all who rule and keep order in the State. In the social polity of the Sandtana Dharma, such mature Jivatmas were born into the Kshattriya caste, and bore the burden of kingship and of fighting for the national defence.
The fourth stage embraces the serene age of the Jivatma, when earthly things have lost their charm, and he becomes the counsellor and friend and helper of all his youngers. This includes the priests, the counsellors, the teachers of every kind, authors, scientists, poets, philosophers. In the social polity of the Sanatana Dharma, such Jivatmas were born into the caste of Brahmanas, the advanced and unselfish ones who gave much and needed little.
Caste-confusion in India has struck this caste most hardly, as the degradation of the higher is always worse than that of the lower. The Shudra Jivatma in the Brahmana body is the greatest danger to the Sanatana Dharma.
Much of the evil has grown from men of each caste grasping at the work of the other castes, and from each thinking more of the rights his caste gives him than of the duties it imposes. The Brahmana and the Kshattriya have claimed their privileges ardently, and have shrunk from the heavy burdens belonging to their castes. Naturally this attitude has provoked opposition, and antagonisms have replaced mutual service and good- will. Hence caste has become a source of social bitterness, instead of a framework maintaining all in happy order.
At least this much every boy can do towards bringing about a happier state of things : he can diligently practise the virtues characteristic of his caste, and avoid pride, vanity, and grasping at privileges. Let the Shudra be remarkable for his industry, fidelity and serviceableness ; let the Vaishya be remarkable for his diligence, discretion and charity ; let the Kshattriya be remarkable for his courage, generosity and vigour ; let the Brahmana be remarkable for his patience, purity, learning, truthfulness and self-sacrifice. And it may be that, if the castes thus practise their several Dharmas, caste -confusion may gradually pass away.
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[ ऋग्वेद संहिता के पुरुषसूक्त (10.90) में एक विराट पुरुष (सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः ) की चर्चा हुई है और उसके अंगों का वर्णन है। यही श्लोक यजुर्वेद (31वें अध्याय) और अथर्ववेद में भी आया है। "जन्मना जायते शूद्र:-मनुस्मृति।" ]
ब्राह्मणोऽस्य मुखामासीद्वाहू राजन्य: कृत:।
ऊरू तदस्य यद्वैश्यः पद्भ्यां शूद्रो अजायत॥१३॥
"The Brahmana was His mouth ; the Kshattriya was made His two arms ; His two thighs theVaishya ; the Shudra was born from His two feet. "
सर्वस्यास्य तु सर्गस्य गुप्त्यर्थं स महाद्युतिः ।
मुखबाहूरुपज्जानां पृथक्कर्माण्यकल्पयत् ॥ मनु १.८७॥
अध्यापनमध्ययनं यजनं याजनं तथा ।
दानं प्रतिग्रहं चैव ब्राह्मणानामकल्पयत् ॥ १.८८॥
प्रजानां रक्षणं दानमिज्याऽध्ययनमेव च ।
विषयेष्वप्रसक्तिश्च क्षत्रियस्य समासतः ॥ १.८९॥
समादिशत्प शूनां रक्षणं दानमिज्याऽध्ययनमेव च ।
वणिक्पथं कुसीदं च वैश्यस्य कृषिमेव च ॥ १.९०॥
एकमेव तु शूद्रस्य प्रभुः कर्म समादिशत् ।
एतेषामेव वर्णानां शुश्रूषामनसूयया ॥ १.९१॥
"He, the Resplendent, for the sake of protecting all this creation, assigned separate karmas to those born of His mouth, arms, thighs and feet.
"Teaching and studying the Veda, sacrificing and also guiding others in offering sacrifices, gifts and receiving of gifts, these He assigned to the Brahmanas.
"The protection of the people, gifts, sacrificing, and study of the Vedas, non-attachment amid the objects of the senses, these He prescribed to the Kshattriyas.
"The protection of cattle, gifts, sacrificing, and study of the Vedas, commerce, banking, and agriculture, to the Vaishyas.
"The Lord commanded one karma only for the Shudras, to serve ungrudgingly these other castes .
यस्य यल्लक्षणं प्रोक्तं पुंसो वर्णाभिव्यञ्जकम् ।
यदन्यत्रापि दृश्येत तत् तेनैव विनिर्दिशेत् ॥
(श्रीमद्भा॰ ७ । ११ । ३५)
"What is said as to the marks (of conduct) indicative o a man's caste, if those marks are found in another, let him be designated by the caste of his marks (and not of his birth)."
न योनिर्नापि संस्कारो न श्रुतं न च सन्ततिः।
कारणानि द्विजत्वस्य वृत्तमेव तु कारणम्॥
(महाभारत 13.143.50)
"Not birth, nor Samskaras, nor study of the Vedas, nor ancestry, are the causes of being twice-born. Conduct alone is verily the cause thereof."
सत्यं दानं क्षमा शीलमानृशंस्यं तपो घृणा।
दृश्यन्ते यत्रनागेन्द्रस ब्राह्मण इति स्मृतः ।।
महाभारत, व०प०१८०/२१
शूद्रे तु यद् भवेल्लक्ष्म द्विजे तच्च न विद्यते ।
न वै शूद्रो भवेच्छूद्रो ब्राह्मणो न च ब्राह्मणः ॥
यत्रैतल्लक्ष्यते सर्प वृत्तं स ब्राह्मणः स्मृतः ।
यत्रैतन्न भवेत् सर्प तं शूद्रमिति निर्दिशेत् ॥
(महाभारत, वनपर्व १८० । २५-२६)
"Truth, charity, forgiveness, good conduct,gentleness, austerity, and mercy, where these are seen, king of serpents, he is called a Brahmana.
"If these marks exist in a Shudra, and not in one twice-born, the Shudra, is not a Shudra, nor the Brahmana a Brhahmana.
"Where this conduct is shown, serpent, he is called a Brahmana ; where this is not, serpent, he should be regarded as a Shudra."
आचारहीनं न पुनन्ति वेदा यद्यप्यधीता: सह षड्भिरंगै:।
छन्दांस्येनं मृत्युकाले त्यजन्ति नीडं शकुंता इव जातपक्षा: ||
वसिष्ठ स्मृति ६/३देवी भागवत ११/२/१||
"The Vedas help not the man that hath not righteous ways, even though they be studied to- gether with all the angas. The Chhandas abandon him at the supreme moment of death, even as full- fledged birds their nest.
शिक्षा, कल्प, निरुक्त, छंद, व्याकरण और ज्योतिष इन छ: अंगों सहित अध्ययन किए हुए वेद भी आचारहीन मनुष्य को पवित्र नहीं करते। मृत्युकाल में आचारहीन मनुष्य को वेद वैसे ही छोड़ देते हैं। जैसे पंख उगने पर पक्षी अपने घोंसले को।
आचारहीनस्य तु ब्राह्मणस्य वेदाः षडंगास्त्वखिलाः सयज्ञाः।
कां प्रीतिमुत्पादयितुं समर्था अन्धस्य दारा इव दर्शनीयाः।।
"To the Brahmana that is void of righteous ways, the Vedas, even in their entirety, and with all aflgas and all sacrifices too, can bring no more joy than a wife, lovely to see, can bring unto a blind husband. * Vasishtha-Smriti,
वासिष्ठ धर्मसूत्र ने सदाचार को बहुत महत्व दिया है। हीनाचारों से ग्रस्त व्यक्ति के लोक और परलोक दोनों ही नष्ट होते हैं। सदाचार रहित ब्राह्मण के लिए वेद, वेदांग और यज्ञानुष्ठान उसी प्रकार निरर्थक हैं जैसे कि अन्धे के लिए पत्नी की सुन्दरता।
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