[Assam] Hereditary Caste System in India

[Rajen Barua]

Himenda:
I am yet to find a Hindu scholar who would say that Caste was hereditary in past. Everybody, starting from Radhaksrishnan and all, try to defend the position that the caste system was actually NOT hereditary in the past citing examples like you did.

But till now nobody could convince me that it was NOT hereditary. Frankly speaking I can see the holes in the very examples you cited. I think all the Hindu scholars will call me a dumb guy, but I always ask the following dumb question to the defenders of the case to prove that the caste system was NOT hereditary in the past:

Question:
If caste system was NOT hereditary at some point in the past, then there must have been a system in vogue sometime in the past to regulate the caste system so that it does not become hereditary. A system like say at the age of (5, 10, 12 you name it) the boy or girl is taken to a test (like the Mandarins in China) where they are tested and someone is declaring "OK, you become a Brahmin, you become a Sudra etc.'   If you think carefully, without such a Mandarin system in vogue, caste system will have to be hereditary.

Now out of the million written words, stories, upakhyans in so many Hindu Kabya, Mahalkbaya, Purans etc can anyone can show me one single incident which will indicate that such a system ever existed in India.

So far nobody could show me. But there may be such instances. But as I told you I am a dumb guy. Show me where is the beef.

I think we should accept whatever it was in the past and move on. But we should not try to defend something which is not true.

But I amy be wrong. I would like to see someone proving that I am wrong.

That will be an enlightenment.
Rajen Barua


From: Himendra Thakur 

  To: Barua25 ; Ram Sarangapani ; umesh.sh05 at post.harvard.edu 
  Cc: hthakur at comcast.net ; assam at assamnet.org 
  Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 10:02 PM
  Subject: Hereditary Caste System in India


  Dear Rajen, Ram and Umesh,



  As regards hereditary caste system, please consider the frollowing few points: 



  Out of many verses of Rikveda, the famous twelfth verse of the Purusha Sukta of Rikveda sounds non-typical:  

  brahmana asya mukham asit bahu rajanyakah kritah

  ubdha tat asya yad vaishyah padbhyam sudrah ajayata

   

  "brahmin became his mouth, kshatriya (became his) arms, vaishya (became his) thighs, sudra was born from the feet"  . 

   

  The distinctive use of the words "became" (asit) and "born" (ajayata) indicates that this verse is not typical of most of the allegorical descriptions in Rik Veda verses. Some scholars [I am still seeking the reference] opine that this verse was added to Rik Veda at a later time by interested parties. On the other hand, the creation of the castes is described in a different way in Shatapatha Brahmana (2/10/11) or Taittiriya Brahmana (3/12/9/2) where the sudra caste is not mentioned at all. 

   

  More accurately, at another place in Rik Veda (9/112), we hear the rishi : 

  " . job of all persons cannot be  the same. A carpenter straightens wood, a physician looks after a patient, and a singer seeks the priest. Look at me !  I am a hymn-writer, my son is a physician, and my daughter is a cook ."

   

  Bhagavadgita is absolutely clear (4/13) that the four castes were created according to guna and karma (aptitude and job) . definitely not according to birth. The verses 41-44 in chapter 18 are description of the different natural aptitudes of different people, not a justification of the hereditary caste system.  

   

  A Brahmin, the so called highest caste of Hindus, is defined as a person with a heart as pure as a newborn baby. This proves that all newborn babies are Brahmin. This is supported by the verse in Mahabharata (Shanti Parva Chapter 188):

  na visheshah asti varnanam sarvam bhahmam idam jagat

  brahmana purvasristam hi karmabhih varnatam gatam 

   

  "There is nothing so special about the hereditary castes. At the beginning, everyone is a Brahmin.  Castes come up later according to job."

   

  One thousand years before Mahabharata and Bhagavadgita, Chandogya Upanishad carried the wonderful story of Satyakama where an illegitimate son of a slave woman was accepted as a brahmin. Later Satyakama became the principal hymn writer in Chandogya Upanishad. His disciple, Upakoshal, saw the famous truth "Sky is Love" yadeva kham tadeva kam iti. 

   

  GROUND REALITY OF HEREDITARY CASTE SYSTEM TODAY:  

  In spite of all scriptural clarification, Hindus in India cannot get rid of the immovable yoke of hereditary caste system. It is very important to study the cause.

   

  The causes of hereditary caste system appear to be the same as those of racialism all over the world. 

   

  In modern India, democracy is ruined by caste-oriented vote-banks practiced by the political parties. Unimaginable violence and cruelty are committed in the name of caste. Dowry system, that causes bride-burning in many cases, flourishes in the system of arranged marriage, which is a direct consequence of hereditary caste system. 



  I think Inter-caste marriage, based on love and commitment between the couples, will eliminate the twin-headed monster of hereditary caste system and dowry system in India.



  With the best wishes,

  Himendra

   

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: umesh sharma 
    To: Rajen Barua ; Ram Sarangapani 
    Cc: assam at assamnet.org 
    Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 11:06 AM
    Subject: Re: [Assam] HPI, March 20, 2006


    Rajen-da,

    Even this verse by itself doesnot say that Brahmin is by birth - it merely states that Brahmins are intellectuals (from head or brain) - thus does show that intellect is superior to other things - if you believe that one part of human body is more important than others. Kshatriya is said to come from arms - denoting strength -used for fighting -does not say about hereditary caste system. 

    On the other hand it speaks of cohesion - in the sense that all people in any soicety are doing equally important work - just as parts of a human body - regardless of their social status. I repeat - no mention of hereditary caste system.

    Umesh

    Rajen Barua <barua25 at hotmail.com> wrote:
      I think it is the Gita.
      I will check
      Rajenda
        ----- Original Message ----- 
        From: umesh sharma 
        To: Rajen Barua ; Ram Sarangapani 
        Cc: assam at assamnet.org 
        Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 9:37 AM
        Subject: Re: [Assam] HPI, March 20, 2006


        I do recall that there is such a verse but I do not recall seeing it in Geeta or that Krishna said it.

        Umesh

        Rajen Barua <barua25 at hotmail.com> wrote:
          I will have to read the verse in detail. I think Krishna states bothways:

          Those who are born out of my head are the Brahmins
          Those who are born out of my shoulder, are the Kshatriyas.
          Those who are born out of my stomach are the Vaishya.
          Those who are born out of my feet are the Sudras.

          Can you check if above is true.

          Rajenda
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