Sunday Special- Brahmins Exposed- Part 1-(Casteism V/S Humanism)

 ccaste system !

Hinduism:

India's caste system is among the world's oldest forms of surviving social stratification.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.

The system which divides Hindus into rigid hierarchical groups based on their karma (work) and dharma (the Hindi word for religion, but here it means duty) is generally accepted to be more than 3,000 years old. 
  [Purusha Sukta; Rigveda 10.90.12,
बराह्मणो.अस्य मुखमासीद बाहू राजन्यः कर्तः |
ऊरूतदस्य यद वैश्यः पद्भ्यां शूद्रो अजायत || 

Brahmanoasya mukhamasida bahu rajanyakritah. Uru tadasya yadvaishya padabhyam kshudro ajayat.

(When they divided Purusa(Men) how many portions did they make? What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet? The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rajanya made. His thighs became the Vaisya, from his feet the Sudra was produced. )

  “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.”
 Yajurveda 31/11
  “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 
When they divided Purusha how many portions did they make?
  What was his mouth? what were his arms? what are the names
   of thighs and feet?
The Brāhman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rājanya
   made.
  His waist became the Vaisya, from his feet the Sūdra was
   produced.
The Moon was gendered from his mind, and from his eye the
  Sun had birth.
  Indra and Agni from his mouth were born and Vāyu from his
   breath

1. Atharvaveda 19/6

How did caste come about?
Manusmriti, widely regarded to be the most important and authoritative book on Hindu law and dating back to at least 1,000 years before Christ was born, "acknowledges and justifies the caste system as the basis of order and regularity of society".


The caste system divides Hindus into four main categories - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras. Many believe that the groups originated from Brahma, the Hindu God of creation.
At the top of the hierarchy were the Brahmins who were mainly teachers and intellectuals and are believed to have come from Brahma's head. Then came the Kshatriyas, or the warriors and rulers, supposedly from his arms. The third slot went to the Vaishyas, or the traders, who were created from his thighs. At the bottom of the heap were the Shudras, who came from Brahma's feet and did all the menial jobs.
The main castes were further divided into about 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes, each based on their specific occupation.
Outside of this Hindu caste system were the achhoots - the Dalits or the untouchables.

 'I do not propose any leveling of castes. Caste is a very good thing. Caste is the plan we want to follow.

 The plan in India is to make everybody a Brahmin, the Brahmin being the ideal of humanity.'

Swami vivekanand

Swami vivekananda

( Swami Vivekananda is full of praise for the original caste system

To the non-Brahmana castes I say, wait, be not in a hurry. Do not seize every opportunity of fighting the Brahmana, because as I have shown; you are suffering from your own fault. Who told you to neglect spirituality and Sanskrit learning? What have you been doing all this time? Why have you been indifferent? Why do you now fret and fume because somebody else had more brains, more energy, more pluck and go than you? Instead of wasting your energies in vain discussions and quarrels in the newspapers, instead of fighting and quarreling in your own homes – which is sinful – use all your energies in acquiring the culture which the Brahmana has, and the thing is done. Why do you not become Sanskrit scholars? Why do you not spend millions to bring Sanskrit education to all the castes of India? That is the question. The moment you do these things, you are equal to the Brahmana! That is the secret power in India.

For centuries, caste dictated almost every aspect of Hindu religious and social life, with each group occupying a specific place in this complex hierarchy.
Rural communities were long arranged on the basis of castes - the upper and lower castes almost always lived in segregated colonies, the water wells were not shared, Brahmins would not accept food or drink from the Shudras, and one could marry only within one's caste.
IIndia's caste system is among the world's oldest forms of social stratification surviving to this day

B.R.Ambedkar
Traditionally, the system bestowed many privileges on the upper castes while sanctioning repression of the lower castes by privileged groups.
Often criticised for being unjust and regressive, it remained virtually unchanged for centuries, trapping people into fixed social orders from which it was impossible to escape. Despite the obstacles, however, some Dalits and other low-caste Indians, such as BR Ambedkar who authored the Indian constitution, and KR Narayanan who became the nation's first Dalit president, have risen to hold prestigious positions in the country.

Sikhism :

'Awwal Allah Noor Upaya Qudrat Keh Sub Banday
Aik Noor teh Sub Jag Upajiya ,Kaun Bhale Ko Mandey'
Guru Granth sahib Page 1349-19

Saint Kabir
Translation
(God created light of which all the beings were born
And from this light, the universe; so who is good and who is bad)

"ਜਾਤਿ ਕਾ ਗਰਬੁ ਨ ਕਰਿ ਮੂਰਖ ਗਵਾਰਾ ॥

ਇਸੁ ਗਰਬ ਤੇ ਚਲਹਿ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਵਿਕਾਰਾ ॥੧॥

ਚਾਰੇ ਵਰਨ ਆਖੈ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਈ ॥ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਿੰਦ ਤੇ ਸਭ ਓਪਤਿ ਹੋਈ ॥੨॥

ਮਾਟੀ ਏਕ ਸਗਲ ਸੰਸਾਰਾ ॥ ਬਹੁ ਬਿਧਿ ਭਾਂਡੇ ਘੜੈ ਕੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਾਰਾ ॥੩॥

ਪੰਚ ਤਤੁ ਮਿਲਿ ਦੇਹੀ ਕਾ ਆਕਾਰਾ ॥ ਘਟਿ ਵਧਿ ਕੋ ਕਰੈ ਬੀਚਾਰਾ ॥੪॥

Translation

Do not be proud of your (higher or ਉੱਚੀ) Jaati, you ignorant fool! So much Bikaar( Vices) comes from this pride. ||1||| Every one says there are four Varan (four social classes or caste - Brahmin, Khatri, Vaish, Shoodar - but) all emanate from God's Seed (from One Light). ||2|| As the potter shapes all sorts of vessels, similarly, so is this entire universe (shaped from One Clay of God's Light). ||3|| The five elements join together, to make up the form of the human body. Who can say which has less (elements), and which has more (elements)? ||4||

Guru Granth Sahib page 1127-1128).

 "All beings and creatures are His; He belongs to all"
 (Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 425).
 God does not love based on one’s caste or color, He loves all, He belongs to all. In addition, "Recognize the Lord's Light (Spirit) within all, and do not consider social class or status; there are no classes or castes in the world hereafter"

Guru Granth Sahib, pg. 349.

Islam

Chapter (49) sūrat l-ḥujurāt (The Dwellings)

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 49 Surah Hujurat verse 13:

O mankind, We created you from one man and one woman, and then divided you into nations and tribes so that you may recognize one another. Indeed, the most honorable among you in the Sight of Allah is he who is the most pious of you. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 49 Surah Hujuraat verse 10:

10 The believers are but a single Brotherhood: so make peace and reconciliation between your brothers: And fear Allah that ye may receive Mercy.

Christianity:

 “Let us make human beings in OUR IMAGE, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”     (Gen 1:26)
• “So God created HUMAN BEING in his own IMAGE. In the IMAGE OF GOD he created them; male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:27)

Budhism:

The Buddha, himself born into the warrior caste, was a severe critic of the caste system. He ridiculed the priests claims to be superior, he criticised the theological basis of the system and he welcomed into the Sangha people of all castes, including outcasts. His most famous saying on the subject is :
" Birth does not make one a priest or an outcaste. Behaviour makes one either a priest or an outcaste".

Tail Piece:
Q. Can you name these famous People who denounced Caste ism and believed in equality?

1) N.D.  Bedi
2) A.D. Trehan
3) A.D. Bhalla
4) R.D. Sodhi
5) R.  Verma
6) K.   Varishni
7)Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib

8) Yeshua Harold

Ans:

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

1) Nanak Dev  ( 1st Guru of Sikhs -Guru Nanak dev Ji)

2) Angad Dev  ( 2nd Guru of sikhs-Guru Angad Dev ji)

3) Amar Dass   ( 3rd. Guru of sikhs-Guru Amar dass ji)

4) Ram Dass    ( 4th  guru of sikhs-Guru Ram dass ji)

5) Ram Verma  ( Lord Rama--Valmiki Ramayana)

6) Krishna Varihni ( Lord Krishna)

7)  Prophet Mohammad   (Abdullah and Abd al-Muttalib being his father’s and grandfather’s names respectively.)
8) Jesus Christ ( Christ is a Title meaning Messiah or savior)



Thought for the day!
When these Great men (of High Caste) did not disclose their Caste and Guru Gobind Rai,(the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs) wanted every sikh to use Last name as 'Singh'( Lion) ,Females as 'Kaur' ( Princess),Why do we not follow or obey our Gurus,Lords and Messiahas? They wanted to belong to the entire Humanity but we divided them too!

Searched ,compiled and Illustrated  by Tejinder Kamboj