Sunday Special-Brahmins Exposed-Part 2--Caste Discrimination
Brahmins Exposed!
Caste and Racial Discrimination by Brahmins.
According to our Caste System (in Hindi it is Varna) our society divided in 4 categories:
- Brahmin – A person who is literate in Vedas and Vedic Science
- Kshatriya – A person who protects and fight for the a kingdom/country
- Vaishya – A person involved in running in trade, agriculture.
- Shudra – A person who works for others.
-
Gita verse-IV/13
The fourfold caste has been created by Me according to the differentiation of GUNA and KARMA; though I am the author thereof know Me as non-doer and immutable.
People are put into these categories by their
Karma and not by Birth as mentioned in Vedas and more specifically in
Bhagavad Gita – (in Hindi it means bhagwaan kay mukh say nikaley
hyuey gaan and in English it means songs sung by god, in this context bhagwaan is lord Krishna.
Lord Krishna came to this planet in 3200 B.C.)
This caste (Varna based) system was defined to run a society in an
organized manner with clear roles and duties. This has been followed in
India and Pre-independent India for 1000 of years. But over the
centuries this system is seldom followed with their intended
purpose as people categorize themselves by their birth instead of their
karma (day to day activities).
A study of various religions of the world
makes it clear that only the Hindu religion sanctions the worst form of
discrimination based on one’s birth. May be some followers of other
religions also practice some sort of caste discrimination.
However, their religious texts do not approve of the caste
discrimination. This is not the case with Hinduism though. Hindus derive
the caste system directly from their scriptures and their scriptures
sanction Caste discrimination.
The Hindu religion, from the very
beginning, has sowed division between one human and the other. Let us
take a look at the sanction provided to this discriminatory institution
in the Hindu scriptures
Following is a list of verbatim quotations from Hindu scriptures, which speak of and approve the caste system:
- बराह्मणो.अस्य मुखमासीद बाहू राजन्यः कर्तः |
ऊरूतदस्य यद वैश्यः पद्भ्यां शूद्रो अजायत ||
“The Brahmana was his [God’s] mouth, of both his arms was the Rājanya made. His thighs became the Vaishya, from his feet the Shudra was produced.” [Purusha Sukta; Rigveda 10/90/12 and Yajurveda 31/11 and Atharvaveda 19/6/6] - “For Brahman (Priesthood) he binds a Brahmana to the stake; for Kshatriya (Royalty) a Râjanya; for rearing cattle a Vaishya; for Penance a Shudra;” [Yajurveda 30/5]
- नृत्ताय सूतं
“For Dance, God creates a Soot.” [Yajurveda 30/6] A ‘Soot’ is the son of a Kshatriya and a Brahmin woman who generally does the business of dancing. Here caste and profession is determined by birth. Refer to Manu Smriti 10/11. - गीताय शैलूषं
“For song, God creates a bard.” [Yajurveda 30/6] - तपसे कौलालं
“For penance, God creates a potter’s son.” [Yajurveda 30/7] - वैशन्ताभ्यो वैन्दं
“For maintaining small tanks, God creates the son of a Nishada.” [Yajurveda 30/16] A ‘Nishada’ is the son of a Brahmin man and a Shudra woman. Refer to Manu Smriti Chapter 10, verse 8. - ये गर्भा अवपद्यन्ते जगद् यच्चपलुप्यते |
वीरा ये तृह्यन्ते मिथो ब्रह्मजाया हिनस्ति तान् ||
“Whatever infants die, untimely born, Whatever herds of cattle waste away, Whatever heroes strike each other dead, the Brāhmin’s wife destroys them.” [Atharvaveda 5/17/7] - उत यत् पतयो दश स्त्रियाः पूर्वे अब्राह्मणाः |
ब्रह्मा चेद्धस्तमग्रहीत् स एव पतिरेकधा ||
ब्राह्मण एव पतिर्न राजन्यो न वैश्यः |
“Even if ten former husbands—none a Brāhmin—had espoused a dame, And then a Brāhmin took her hand, he is her husband, only he, not Vaisya, not Rājanya, no, the Brāhmin is indeed her lord:“ [Atharvaveda 5/17/8-9] - शूद्रार्यावसृज्येताम
“Shudra and Arya were created.” [Yajurveda 14/30] Here Shudras and Aryas are clearly differentiated. Thus only Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas are considered Arya (translated as ‘Noble’ by Arya Samaj). Therefore, Shudras are ‘Anaryas’. - आर्य ईश्वर्पुत्रः
‘Arya’ means ‘Son of God’, according to Nirukt 6/26. Combining points 9 and 10, Shudras and other low castes are not sons of God or the beloved of God. - So, what should be the behaviour of Aryans towards the non-Aryans? Various mantras of the Vedas make it clear that Aryans have the God-given right to oppress the non-Aryans, take their wealth and if they resist, kill them.
- In Vedic times, there lived an untouchable people in a village named Kikat,
in todays Bihar. The used to rear cattle. Obviously to the Aryans this
was a crime. So they invoked their warrior god Indra to wage war against
them and loot their
cows.किं ते कर्ण्वन्ति कीकटेषु गावो नाशिरं दुह्रे न तपन्तिघर्मम |
आ नो भर परमगन्दस्य वेदो नैचाशाखं मघवन्रन्धया नः ||“O Indra, what do the cows make for you among the Kikatas? They neither yield milk for your offerings, nor do they warm the vessel of libation. Bring to us these cows, bring to us also the wealth of Pramagand (their King). O Brave one, grant us the possessions of the people of low status.” [Rigveda 3:53:14] - These non-Aryans have been described at several places in the Vedas as अन्यव्रतम (followers of another religion),अमानुषम (not human), अयज्वानम (not performing Yajna) [Rigveda 8/70/11]
- इन्द्रः समत्सु यजमानमार्यं परावद विश्वेषु शतमूतिराजिषु सवर्मीळ्हेष्वाजिषु | मनवे शासदव्रतान तवचं कर्ष्णामरन्धयत |
Indra is said to help the Aryan worshippers in battles and punishes the neglector of religious rites, who are said to be having ‘black skin’ (तवचं कर्ष्णाम). [Rigveda 1/130/8] - The maidens of the ‘dark race’ are the free sexual dishes of Aryans. Nirukt 12/13 mentions that ‘Raamaa‘, the lovely maidens belonging to the dark race are only for enjoyment and not for any sacred purpose.
- Shudras have no right to read the Vedas according to Hindu scriptures.
- The Hindu scriptures clearly prohibit a Shudra from studying the Vedas. Let us see the commentary on Brahmasutra 1/3/38
“The Sûdras are not qualified for that reason also that Smriti prohibits their hearing the Veda, their studying the Veda, and their understanding and performing Vedic matters. The prohibition of hearing the Veda is conveyed by the following passages: ‘The ears of him who hears the Veda are to be filled with (molten) lead and lac,’ and ‘For a Sûdra is (like) a cemetery, therefore (the Veda) is not to be read in the vicinity of a Sûdra.’ From this latter passage the prohibition of studying the Veda results at once; for how should he study Scripture in whose vicinity it is not even to be read? There is, moreover, an express prohibition (of the Sûdras studying the Veda). ‘His tongue is to be slit if he pronounces it; his body is to be cut through if he preserves it.’ The prohibitions of hearing and studying the Veda already imply the prohibition of the knowledge and performance of Vedic matters; there are, however, express prohibitions also, such as ‘he is not to impart knowledge to the Sûdra,’Acharya Ramanuja commenting on the same Brahmasutra writes,
“The Sûdra is specially forbidden to hear and study the Veda and to perform the things enjoined in it. ‘For a Sûdra is like a cemetery, therefore the Veda must not be read in the vicinity of a Sûdra;’ ‘Therefore the Sûdra is like a beast, unfit for sacrifices.’ - स्तुता मया कीर्ति वेदमात प्र चोदयन्तां पावमानी द्विजानाम्
“Let my libations, giving boons, adoring, further the Twice-born’s (Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishas) song that honours Soma.” [Atharvaveda 19/71/1] - Shatapath Brahman 2/1/4/12 says,
“With ‘bhûh!’ Prajâpati generated the Brahmin; with ‘bhuvah!’ the Kshatriya; with ‘svah!’ the Vaisya. As much as are the Brahmin, the Kshatriya, and the Vaisya, so much is this universe: with the universe it (the fire) is accordingly established.” - The Upanishads are also supportive of the evil caste system.
Upanishads clearly spell out that caste is based on birth due to the deeds of previous lives. This is the reason for this idea taking such root in the Hindu society that it continues to divide Indian society even today. - Even the ancient books on Sanskrit grammar are not free from the caste mindset. Panini states in his book AshtadhyaayiBook
8, Chapter 2, Sootra 83 that in response to the salution of greeting of
a Shudra, one should reply to the salutation without
any cheerfulness or being too friendly.
- Further, the same Panini writes in Ashtadhyaayi 2/4/10 शूद्राणां निरवसितानाम and शूद्राणां अनिरवसितानाम The latter means a Shudra who can take food from the dish of a higher class without permanently defiling the vessel. The former is that Shudra whose touch permanently defiles the vessel in which he takes food.
- Manu Smriti is the clearest Hindu document which spells out that Shudras are just filthy and have to be enslaved. Many Hindus want to just do away with Manu Smriti but the excerciseis futile. Manu Smriti is authenticated by the Vedas and also the Upanishads.]
- A low-caste man who tries to place himself on the same seat with a man of a high caste, shall be branded on his hip and be banished, or (the king) shall cause his buttock to be gashed. [Manu 8/281] Caste is by birth.
- A Brahmana may confidently seize the goods of (his) Sudra (slave); for, as that (slave) can have no property, his master may take his possessions. [Manu 8/417]
- But a Sudra, whether bought or unbought, he may compel to do servile work; for he was created by the Self-existent (Svayambhu) to be the slave of a Brahmin. [Manu 8/413]
- A
Sudra, though emancipated by his master, is not released from
servitude; since that is innate in him, who can set him free from
it? [Manu 8/414]
The same text is present in Atharvaveda 12/4/22 which says,
“If hundred other Brāhmins beg the Cow of him who owns her, The Gods have said, She, verily, belongs to him who is learned.”
This mantra also implies that Brahmins are Brahmins by birth
- Manusmriti declares that a Shudra cannot marry a girl from outside his caste. But a Brahmin can marry in the other three castes also in addition to his own. Similarly Kshatriyas and Vaishyas are allowed to marry girls from castes lower than their own besides from their own castes. [Manusmriti 3/13]
- Know that a Brahmana of ten years and Kshatriya of a hundred years stand to each other in the relation of father and son; but between those two the Brahmana is the father. [Manusmriti 2/135]
- Manusmriti forbids a Shudra from giving evidence in a law-suit involving Brahmins. Similarly, a Brahmin cannot give evidence in a Shudra’s case. Shudras alone can appear as witnesses in a case involving Shudras and the same rule applies to scavangers also. [Manusmriti 8/ 68]
- In short, the scriptures provide maximum
punishment for Shudras, while the other castes get lesser punishment for
the same kind of offence. The tongue of a Shudra who utters harsh words
against the twice-born must be cut, says the ‘Manusmriti.’ If a Shudra
pronounces the name and surname of a twice-born or utters impertinent
words like “Hey Yagnadatt, you are a low Brahmin”, etc., a
ten-inch-long, red-hot iron nail is to be thrust into his mouth.
[Manusmriti 8 / 267 – 268] - Ironically, a Shudra is punished even for doing good deeds. Religious preaching was considered to be righteous act. But ‘Manusmriti’ says that hot oil must be poured into the mouth and ear of a Shudra who dares to preach to a Brahmin [Manusmriti 8 / 270 – 271]
- A Shudra is not to be given good advice. Manu Smriti 4/80 says,“Let him not give to a Sudra advice, nor the remnants (of his meal), nor food offered to the gods; nor let him explain the sacred law (to such a man), nor impose (upon him) a penance.”
- Let him not allow a dead Brahmin to be carried out by a Sudra, while men of the same caste are at hand; for that burnt-offering which is defiled by a Sudra’s touch is detrimental to (the deceased’s passage to) heaven. [Manusmriti 5/104]
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