VarnA & Its DharmA - 1

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Sri :

 

Srimate Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Para Brahmane Namaha

 

Srimate Sri Lakshmi - Nrusimha Divya PAdukA Sevaka -

Srivan Shatagopa Sri NArAyana Yateendra MahAdesikAya Namaha

 

 

Dear bhaktAs of Sriman NArAyanA,

 

Namo NArAyanA . kindly accept adiyen's pranAmams.

 

Many bhAgavathAs have posted very nicely regarding the varnAshrama

dharmA , previleges on chanting pranavA/AshtAksharam , rahasya mantrAs

& their connection with AzhwArs & AchAryAs , the modern context , etc .

 

Sri Sadagopan swAmi has already dealt in great clarity about the

glories of devotees irrespective of their varnA . Adiyen would like to

add to that & deal with varnA & its dharmA , again based on

Srimad Rahasya Traya SAram. Let us see what the sAstrAs says. The

prevailing condition of the society is another issue . SAstrAs are not

limited by time anyway. Its upto one to follow whatever they can .

Adiyen's motive is to just share the injunctions in the sAstrAs. Please

don't take it otherwise.

 

Is VarnA ie. jAtI based on the body ? The answer is "yes" . VarnAs are

just based on the type of body one obtains , which is determined by one's

karmA. Many Smruthis & MahAbhArathA categorically mention this. The

following pramAnAs would amply explain about the varnA.

 

All the karmAs enjoined in sAstrAs are strictly varnA based. So, one

just takes up such kainkaryams according to the varnA & does it with full

dedication & devotion to Sriman NArAyanA.

 

In the Brahma SootrA (2.3.46) , the sootrakArA affirms that all the

jIvAtmAs are parts (amsA (**)) of Brahman ie. jIvAtmAs are sarIrA to

Brahman since they are being supported & controlled by Brahman , & they

exist only for the pleasure of Brahman . In other words , sarIra sarIrI

bhAvA between the jIvAtmA & the Brahman "Sriman NArAyanA " is established

& thus jIvAtmAs are only an attribute to Brahman (in that sense they are

also part of Brahman) . But , this gives rise to a very valid doubt . The

sootrakArA ( VyAsar) answers it in the next sootrA .

 

(**) amsA : amsA => part . Note that all the parts put together doesn't

make the whole ie. all the jIvAtmAs & achit which are part of Brahman

doesn't become the Brahman , by their totallity . Brahma svaroopam is all

together different . Neverthless , Brahman is always vishistA ie. one

cannot separate the relationship between the Brahman & its attributes

(chit , achit) .Since the chit & achit are eternally the "sarIrA" (body)

of Brahman , they are its parts (amsAs) .

 

 

Let us see what Bhagavad RAmAnujA says in Sri BhAshyam :

 

In the BhAshyam to sootrA 2.3.46 , Bhagavad RAmAnujA puts forth the

question by himself : < start quote >

-----

" But , if all individual souls are equal in so far as being alike parts

ie.amsAs (bodies / attributes) of Brahman , alike actuated by Brahman &

alike knowing subjects , what is the reason that , as Scripture teaches ,

** some of them are allowed to read vedAs & act according to its

injunctions , while others are excluded therefrom ** & again some are to

see , feel & so on , while others are excluded from these previleges ?

This question is answered in the next sootrA .

 

sootrA 2.3.47 : Anuj~nApariharau dehasambhandhAjjyotirAdivat

 

( Permission & Exclusion result from connection with the body , as in

the case of fire etc )

 

Although all souls are essentially of the same nature in so far as they

are parts of Brahman , knowing subjects & so on , the permissions &

exclusions referred to are possible since ** each individual soul is

joined to some particular body , pure or impure , whether a BrAhmanA or

KshatriyA or VaishyA or SUdrA & so on **.

 

'As in the case of fire & so on ' : All fire is of the same kind , &

yet one willingly fetches fire from the house of a BrAhmanA , while one

shuns fire from a place where dead bodies are burnt. And from a BrAhmanA

one accepts food without any objection , while one refuses food from a low

person "

 

------- <end quote>

 

The essence is that with respect to jIvAtma svaroopam , all are

alike. So, no one is either a BrAhmanA or kshatriyA or GruhastA or

sanyAsi etc . One is simply a jIvAtmA , a servant of Sriman NArAyanA . But

, as long as the jIvAtmA is in this material world , it is inseparably

united with a particular type of body . So , the dharmAs for that varnA

has to be followed . sAstrAs are the commands of Sriman NArAyanA to the

jIvAtmAs in the material world & not for muktAs / nitya soorIs, since it

is only the baddha jIvAtmAs that are associated with material bodies . So,

being in this material world & doing so many actions like eating,sleeping

etc based on body , one should not adopt a double standard & refrain from

the karmA prescribed in the sAstrAs for each varnA , under the pretext

that one is only a jIvAtmA & not the body . It is the same sAstrA that

tells one to be a jIvAtmA apart from body & also instructs one to perform

karmA based on varnA.

 

So, a series of questions arises : "If one gets a lowly birth ,

does it mean that he is unfit for performing kainkaryams unto Sriman

NArAyanA ? Can such a person not attain moksham by the end of that life

itself ? Should a bhAgavathA from low births be eulogized or not ?"

 

Because of the birth , one would have to take up the alloted

kainkaryams prescribed in the sAstrAs. This doesn't mean that one is

debarred from performing any sort of kainkaryams unto Sriman NArAyanA.

 

In Bhagavad GItA , Sri KrishnA says " Woman , VaishyAs & SUdrAs -those

who are of sinful birth , whoever they might be - they obtain , O pArthA

, the highest state (moksham) , if they seek My protection " (9.32)

 

VishnuDharmA (10.2.29) states : "Though DharmavyAdhA & others belonged

to low & gruesome castes , yet since , in their previous births , they had

performed Bhakti YogA , they continued in their latest life & having

completed therein , attained their goal like Sramani (Sabari) "

 

Note : The person starting the bhakti yogA should be of the first three

varnAs. In future births , the jIvAtmA may land up taking any type of body

according to the left over sins.

 

Though the caste may be considered low ,everyone is eligible for

moksham through prapatti . There is no restriction in it. Anyone can

become a Sri VaishnavA through samAsrayanam. These things are intimately

tied up with the jIvAtmA . So , there are no restrictions. But ,

restrictions come into play only in the case of karmAs to be performed

since the type of body acquired is taken into account .

 

Once one becomes a devotee of Sriman NArAyanA , irrespective of

his/her caste , one should eulogize them . Any vaishnavA is always

glorious .

 

IthihAsa SamucchayA (27.26) says " Whether a devotee of BhagavAn Sriman

NArAyanA be a soodrA , a huntsman or a man who eats dog's flesh ; the man

who looks upon him as identical with other men of those respective castes

will go to hell" .

 

Though a devotee might be from a particular caste which is in general

considered low , he is neverthless far supreme than the other persons of

his caste.

 

SwAmi Desikan quotes lots & lots of pramAnams to show that a VaishnavA

should be adored irrespective of his caste. Just because of the caste ,

one might be debarred from reciting vedAs. This doesn't mean that he can't

be a supreme devotee ( eg: AzhvArs like NammAzhvAr has no parallel as a

devotee ) .

 

A famous quote from Padmottaram (29.81) : " Of all forms of ArAdhanam

(say homage,adoration etc) , ArAdhanam to Lord Vishnu is the best , but

superior even to this is the excellent ArAdhanam (homage ,adoration etc)

offered to Vishnu's devotees. "

 

There are also pramAnAs of the following type which stress the

importance of paying respects/adoration to devotees irrespective of their

caste :

 

MahAbhArathA : AswamedhikA parvA (118.32) : "Those sUdrAs who have

devotion to BhagavAn are not sUdrAs ; they who are devotees of BhagavAn

are Brahmins. Those who have no bhakti to BhagavAn (JanArdanA) , whatever

might be his caste - they alone are sUdrAs "

 

So , by the presence or absence in them of the specific attribute of

bhakti (devotion; not to be confused with bhakti yogA) to Sriman NArAyanA

, men of lower castes are called by the names of the higher , & men of

higher castes are called by the names of lower respectively .

 

Then one might possibly come up with the question " Does the

devotees of Sriman NArAyanA belong to one and the same caste ? "

 

If it is so , then it contradicts with all the pramAnams of the type "

Thus will the devotee of Lord who is a Brahmin conduct himself and thus

will the devotee who is a sUdrA conduct himself etc ".

 

Consider the following pramAnA :

 

MahAbhArathA : AswamedhikA parvA (116.8) :" Auspicious qualities

which carry esteem do not arise from caste . The demigods (devAs) consider

as a Brahmin even a chandAlA who conducts himself in accordance with his

caste "

 

It is also evident from many pramAnams quoted above that the caste of

a devotee doesn't change because of his devotion , though he has to be

highly respected & adored for his devotion ( the terms used in the

pramAnAs inherently assumes that a devotee belongs to a particular varnA)

.. For that matter , even though a strI (lady) is a great devotee of

Sriman NArAyanA & is a BrAhmini , sastrAs doesn't allow her to recite

vedAs, perform Agnihotrams etc. On top of these , yuga dharmA also imposes

restrictions .

 

There are pramAnams which state that the prapannAs from various castes are

equal ,which is in the sense of attainment of the final goal , namely

moksham . So , there is a kulam called Sri Vaishnava kulam wherein

everyone are so great that all are certain to reach Sri Vaikuntam since

they adopt prapatti . But this word kulam is not be confused with

caste (ie. jAti/varnA ).

 

PeriAzhvAr in his Thirup pallAndu says "pandaik kulaththai thavirthu

pallAndu ..." (We will give up our former kulam & sing pallAndu to

perumAL ).

 

So , instead of being a materialist , now one becomes a Sri VaishnavA

fixed in kainkaryams .

 

Let us see Sri Peria AchAn PiLLai's conclusion on Thirumangai

AzhwAr's pAsurm 1.1.9 " kulam tharum ..." ( "The name "NArAyanA" ,

confers a (higher) kulam .." ) :

 

"If a man who is low by birth & by conduct attains contact with BhagavAn

, one who has both should shrink from calling him low , because of the

potency of his devotion to BhagavAn "

 

Sri PiLLai LokAchAryA says that one must have high reverence for a

prapannA , whatever may be his caste & is one of the greatest offenses to

treat him with indifference , disregard , ill will or contempt on the

ground of his caste .

 

But these doesn't advocate the change of varnA according to devotion ,

since by very definition varnA is based on body.

 

Sri Peria AcchAn PiLLai very categorically states this in his commentry

to the verse 219.6.5 in Garuda PurAnam :

 

verse :

"Bhakti or devotion is of eight kinds. If bhakti is found in a mleccha

, he should be considered a devout and knowing Brahmin. To him , giving is

proper & taking is proper .He should be treated with the same reverence as

I myself "

 

commentry : " This doesn't mean that strIs (ladies) can be given in

marriage to him and the like , but he may be given the gift of knowledge

and the like "

 

So AchArya reminds us that inter-dining ,inter-marriage (say between

a BrAhmana strI & a sUdra man , eventhough both of them are devotees )

etc are prohibited in sAstrAs (smruthIs are the main references for these

).

 

For instance in MahAbhArathA: Aswamedhika ParvA 118.14 , BhagavAn says

" Therefore , a sUdrA shouldn't utter My names with pranavA " . Only a

devotee is going to recite the names of BhagavAn Sriman NArAyanA . But He

Himself instructs such devotees , not to utter pranavA.

 

SAstrAs always explicitly mention the dharmAs of a varnA . Consider the

following verse from VarAha PurAnam ( 139.53) :

"The man born of the caste of those who eat dog's flesh woke up as

soon as the day dawned , finished his observance which consisted in

singing the praise of Bhagavan and returned after uttering the mantra

'Namo NArAyanA ' "

 

According to the specific varnA , the mantrA needs to be recited

with/without pranavam etc. sAstrAs explictly enjoins the recitation of

the mantrA like "Namo NArAyanA + dative suffix " prefixed by pranavA ,

when the Upadesam is for say a BrAhmanA .

 

The point is that one must have high reverence for a devotee

irrespective of his caste , but the code of conduct between the devotees

of various varnAs (which in one sense a restriction / limit) is specified

by sAstrAs.

 

For instance , if the sAstrAs eulogizes the devotees of Sriman

NArAyanA as follows ( Vihagendra SamhitA) : "The man who is always

thinking of Sriman NArAyanA - whatever be the calling (vritti) he follows

for his living , that is adoration ; whatever he says (jalpah) is japam ;

whatever he sees is meditation or dhyAnA ; the water that has received

contact with his feet is incomparably holy water ; whatever is left after

he has eaten will purify ; his mere words are a sacred mantrA; whatever he

touches becomes pure " .

 

What a grand eulogy of the devotees of Sriman NArAyanA ! All are true

, but the eulogy is restricted by the sAstrAs again ie. it shouldn't

violate sAstrAs .

 

"his mere words are a sacred mantrA " : If a devotee speaks on

materialistic affairs , it doesn't become a mantrA .

 

"whatever he touches becomes pure " : Can a devotee touch liquor &

say it has become pure & drink? For instance , in VarAhapurAnam , Lord

VarAhA says " The VaishnavA who touches blood even without knowing what it

is - I never condone his offence , O goddess of earth , even after

thousand apologies " . So , the eulogy is restricted again by pramAnAs. It

holds good as long as it doesn't violate sAstrAs .

 

So the pramAnAs which eulogize the devotees from all castes are valid

as long as it doesn't violate other pramAnAs.

 

-- to be continued --

 

Namo NArAyanA

 

Adiyen

 

Anantha PadmanAbha dAsan

 

sarvam sri krishnArpanamastu